bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expressing activator protein Ap36 inBacillus thuringiensisand the function of the recombined strain on disease resistance
Authors: Dong-Hai Peng , Chen-Fei Zhou , De-Wen Qiu , Kang Zhou , Li-Fang Ruan , Shou-Wen Chen , Zi-Niu Yu , Ming Sun
Published: October 2008

The geneap36encoding a protein elicitor fromAlternariasp. was fused downstream of theslh(S-layer homology) motif ofBacillus thuringiensisS-layer protein genectc. The recombinant gene was then transferred intoB. thuringiensisplasmid-free derivative strain BMB171. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that the SLH–Ap36 fusion protein was expressed inB. thuringiensisBMB171. After tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) leaves were treated for 90 min with the recombinant strain cultured at 28°C for 24 h, the activity of peroxidase and the amount of proline of tomato leaves were increased to 57.14% and 131.59%, respectively, compared to the control, and after the tomato leaves were treated with the cultured recombinant strain for 4 days, the activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase was also higher than that in the control. Furthermore, tubers of treated potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants showed higher resistance to rot disease caused byErwinia corotovoraSCG1 compared to the control treatments.
Patients’ Perceptions of Informed Consent for Surgical Procedures in Northern Ireland: A Retrospective Survey
Authors: Shannon Heather , Scott Tricia
Published: October 2008

Consent for surgical procedures is in the public domain following the Bristol and Liverpool enquiries [Department of Health, 2001a; House of Commons, 2001]. A legal and ethical principle exists whereby consent must be obtained before commencing a physical examination, starting treatment or physical investigation, or providing care. Non-compliance with this requirement is treated most seriously and professionals who choose to do otherwise risk investigation by the relevant regulatory body and/or legal proceedings. Guidance for health and social care professionals, including students, relates specifically to physical interventions on living individuals. The following research investigated patient satisfaction with the process of declaring informed consent prior to surgery. In 2006, a retrospective descriptive survey of a random sample of 200 patients two months following surgery was conducted in a local hospital in Northern Ireland. Data analysis generated frequencies and percentages using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results suggested that the majority of respondents expressed satisfaction with the amount of information they had received, and most preferred to receive information from a mixture of doctors and nurses. The majority wanted the same amount of information, though there was a significant number who wanted more information. The importance of ensuring the patient receives adequate information prior to surgery/procedure is imperative if the health service is to offer transparency in surgical service provision in line with government guidelines.
Scaling of asymmetric Hall magnetic reconnection
Authors: Cassak P. A. , Shay M. A.
Published: October 2008

The scaling of the reconnection rate and ion and electron outflow speeds with upstream magnetic field strengths and plasma mass densities during asymmetric collisionless (Hall) reconnection without a guide field is studied using two‐dimensional two‐fluid simulations. The results agree with a recent theory by Cassak and Shay (2007). It is found that the normalized reconnection rate is on the order of 0.1 and is independent of the asymmetry in field or density. Signatures of asymmetric Hall reconnection and applications to the magnetopause are briefly discussed.
Semiclassical mean-trajectory approximation for nonlinear spectroscopic response functions
Authors: Gruenbaum Scott M. , Loring Roger F.
Published: October 2008

Observables in nonlinear and multidimensional infrared spectroscopy may be calculated from nonlinear response functions. Numerical challenges associated with the fully quantum-mechanical calculation of these dynamical response functions motivate the development of semiclassical methods based on the numerical propagation of classical trajectories. The Herman–Kluk frozen Gaussian approximation to the quantum propagator has been demonstrated to produce accurate linear and third-order spectroscopic response functions for thermal ensembles of anharmonic oscillators. However, the direct application of this propagator to spectroscopic response functions is numerically impractical. We analyze here the third-order response function with Herman–Kluk dynamics with the two related goals of understanding the origins of the success of the approximation and developing a simplified representation that is more readily implemented numerically. The result is a semiclassical approximation to the nth-order spectroscopic response function in which an integration over n pairs of classical trajectories connected by distributions of discontinuous transitions is collapsed to a single phase-space integration, in which n continuous trajectories are linked by deterministic transitions. This significant simplification is shown to retain a full description of quantum effects.
Fourier–Legendre expansion of the one-electron density matrix of ground-state two-electron atoms
Authors: Ragot Sébastien , Ruiz María Belén
Published: October 2008

The density matrix ρ(r,r′) of a spherically symmetric system can be expanded as a Fourier–Legendre series of Legendre polynomials Pl(cosθ=r⋅r′∕rr′). Application is here made to harmonically trapped electron pairs (i.e., Moshinsky’s and Hooke’s atoms), for which exact wavefunctions are known, and to the helium atom, using a near-exact wavefunction. In the present approach, generic closed form expressions are derived for the series coefficients of ρ(r,r′). The series expansions are shown to converge rapidly in each case, with respect to both the electron number and the kinetic energy. In practice, a two-term expansion accounts for most of the correlation effects, so that the correlated density matrices of the atoms at issue are essentially a linear functions of Pl(cosθ)=cosθ. For example, in the case of Hooke’s atom, a two-term expansion takes in 99.9% of the electrons and 99.6% of the kinetic energy. The correlated density matrices obtained are finally compared to their determinantal counterparts, using a simplified representation of the density matrix ρ(r,r′), suggested by the Legendre expansion. Interestingly, two-particle correlation is shown to impact the angular delocalization of each electron, in the one-particle space spanned by the r and r′ variables.
Hydrogen-bond network and local structure of liquid water: An atoms-in-molecules perspective
Authors: Lu Haigang , Wang Yuekui , Wu Yanbo , Yang Pin , Li Lemin , Li Sidian
Published: October 2008

The nearly linear relationship between hydrogen-bond strength at the CCSD(T)/Aug-cc-pVTZ level and the electron density at the bond critical point in the atoms-in-molecules theory provides a practical means of calculating the hydrogen-bond strength in liquid water. A statistical analysis of the hydrogen-bonds obtained from Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations shows that the strengths of hydrogen bonds in liquid water conform to a Gaussian distribution. Considering supercooled (250K) water to have a fully coordinated (icelike) local tetrahedral configuration, we show that the local structure of liquid water is partly distorted tetrahedral in normal liquid water and even in superheated water.
Voltage-current characteristics of an anodic arc producing carbon nanotubes
Authors: Shashurin A. , Keidar M. , Beilis I. I.
Published: October 2008

Voltage-current (V-I) characteristics of the carbon nanotube producing anodic arc are measured for different gap sizes (up to 13 mm), anode compositions, and background He pressures (in the range of about 300–500 Torr). Arc is supported by the erosion of 6.35 mm hollow anode packed with composition of Ni, Y, and carbon powders. Experiments were carried out for the arc currents in the range of about 10–100 A. It is shown that V-I characteristics have a V-type shape with minimum point corresponded to arc current of about 25–30 A and arc voltage of 20–25 V at the gap of 2.5 mm. V-I characteristic shifts 15–25 V to higher arc voltages with increasing gap from 2.5 to 13 mm, while the position of voltage minimum shifts by about 15 A to higher arc currents. The increase in the metallic catalyst fraction in the anode composition (from C:Ni:Y=56:4:1 to 36:4:1) results in the slight decrease in the arc voltage (about a few volts) and slight shift of the minimum position to higher arc currents (5–10 A). Anode erosion rate increases from below 5 mg/s to about 44 mg/s with arc current increase from 40 A to about 100 A.
Handheld Flyback driven coaxial dielectric barrier discharge: Development and characterization
Authors: Law V. J. , Milosavljević V. , O’Connor N. , Lalor J. F. , Daniels S.
Published: October 2008

The development of a handheld single and triple chamber atmospheric pressure coaxial dielectric barrier discharge driven by Flyback circuitry for helium and argon discharges is described. The Flyback uses external metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor power switching technology and the transformer operates in the continuous current mode to convert a continuous dc power of 10–33 W to generate a 1.2–1.6 kV 3.5 μs pulse. An argon discharge breakdown voltage of ∼768 V is measured. With a 50 kHz, pulse repetition rate and an argon flow rate of 0.5–10 argon slm (slm denotes standard liters per minute), the electrical power density deposited in the volume discharge increases linearly at a rate of 75±20% mW/cm3 per 1 slm of gas. Electrical power transfer efficiency between the secondary Flyback coil and the discharge volume increases from 0.1% to 0.65%. Neutral argon gas forced convection analysis yields a similar energy loss rate to the electrical discharge process. Optical emission spectroscopy studies of the expanding discharge plume into ambient air reveal that the air climatically controls the plume chemistry to produce an abundance of neutral argon atoms and molecular nitrogen.
Effect of soft metal gasket contacts on contact resistance, energy deposition, and plasma expansion profile in a wire array Z pinch
Authors: Gomez M. R. , Zier J. C. , Gilgenbach R. M. , French D. M. , Tang W. , Lau Y. Y.
Published: October 2008

Soft metal gaskets (indium and silver) were used to reduce contact resistance between the wire and the electrode in an aluminum wire Z pinch by more than an order of magnitude over the best weighted contact case. Clamping a gasket over a Z-pinch wire compresses the wire to the electrode with a greater normal force than possible with wire weights. Average contact resistance was reduced from the range of 100–3000 Ω (depending on wire weight mass) to 1–10 Ω with soft metal gaskets. Single wire experiments (13 μm Al 5056) on a 16 kA, 100 kV Marx bank showed an increase in light emission (97%) and emission volume (100%) of the plasma for the reduced contact resistance cases. The measured increases in plasma volume and light emission indicate greater energy deposition in the ablated wire. Additionally, dual-wire experiments showed plasma edge effects were significantly decreased in the soft metal gasket contact case. The average height of the edge effects was reduced by 51% and the width of the edge effects was increased by 40%, thus the gasket contact case provided greater axial uniformity in the plasma expansion profile of an individual wire.
An automated submicron beam profiler for characterization of high numerical aperture optics
Authors: Chapmana J. J. , Norton B. G. , Streed E. W. , Kielpinski D.
Published: October 2008

An automated, interferometrically referenced scanning knife-edge beam profiler with submicron resolution is demonstrated by directly measuring the focusing properties of three aspheric lenses with numerical aperture (NA) between 0.53 and 0.68, with spatial resolution of 0.02 μm. The results obtained for two of the three lenses tested were in agreement with paraxial Gaussian beam theory. It was also found that the highest NA aspheric lens, which was designed for 830 nm, was not diffraction limited at 633 nm. This process was automated using motorized translation stages and provides a direct method for testing the design specifications of high numerical aperture optics.
Conductive elastic polymers form the basis for organic skinlike electronics
Authors: Wilson Mark
Published: October 2008

When carbon nanotubes are finely dispersed in a compatible copolymer, the material’s conductivity exceeds that of any other elastomer by two orders of magnitude.
Experiment probes pattern formation during debonding of viscoelastic adhesives
Authors: Miller Johanna
Published: October 2008

In at least one respect, adhesives always behave as either viscous liquids or elastic solids, and the boundary between the two regimes is sharp.
Dragonfly flight
Authors: Wang Z. Jane
Published: October 2008

Dragonflies have evolved for about 350 million years. What kinds of aerodynamic tricks have they discovered?
Crystal structure of an extensively simplified variant of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor in which over one-third of the residues are alanines
Authors: Islam Mohammad Monirul , Sohya Shihori , Noguchi Keiichi , Yohda Masafumi , Kuroda Yutaka
Published: October 2008

We report the high-resolution crystal structures of an extensively simplified variant of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor containing 20 alanines (BPTI-20st) and a reference single-disulfide-bonded variant (BPTI-[5,55]st) at, respectively, 1.39 and 1.09 Å resolutions. The sequence was simplified based on the results of an alanine scanning experiment, as reported previously. The effects of the multiple alanine substitutions on the overall backbone structure were surprisingly small (C
α
atom RMSD of 0.53 Å) being limited to small local structural perturbations. Both BPTI variants retained a wild-type level of trypsin inhibitory activity. The side-chain configurations of residues buried in the hydrophobic cores (<30% accessible surface area) were almost perfectly retained in both BPTI-20st and BPTI-[5,55]st, indicating that neither multiple alanine replacements nor the removal of the disulfide bonds affected their precise placements. However, the side chains of three partially buried residues (Q31, R20, and to some extent Y21) and several unburied residues rearranged into alternative dense-packing structures, suggesting some plasticity in their shape complementarity. These results indicate that a protein sequence simplified over its entire length can retain its densely packed, native side-chain structure, and suggest that both the design and fold recognition of natively folded proteins may be easier than previously thought.
Local BAFF gene silencing suppresses Th17-cell generation and ameliorates autoimmune arthritis
Authors: Lai Kwan Lam Queenie , King Hung Ko Otis , Zheng Bo-Jian , Lu Liwei
Published: September 2008

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease characterized by synovial inflammation and joint damage. Although both T cells and B cells mediate the disease pathogenesis, proinflammatory cytokines are critically involved. The TNF superfamily member B cell-activating factor (BAFF) plays an important role in humoral immunity and in autoimmune diseases, including RA. Here, we show that intra-articular injection of lentivirus expressing shRNA for BAFF gene silencing provides long-term suppression of arthritic development in a collagen-induced arthritis model. Local BAFF gene targeting inhibited proinflammatory cytokine expression, suppressed generation of plasma cells and Th17 cells, and markedly ameliorated joint pathology. Lentivirus targets dendritic cells in the joint tissue and BAFF gene silencing inhibits dendritic cell maturation and their function in driving Th17-cell differentiation
in vitro
. Moreover, we revealed a previously unrecognized role for BAFF in promoting the expansion of Th17 cells and demonstrated IL-17 as a crucial effector cytokine for BAFF-mediated proinflammatory effects during collagen-induced arthritis development. Taken together, these findings identify BAFF as a valuable gene-silencing target potentially for the effective treatment of RA.
Structure and DNA binding of alkylation response protein AidB
Authors: Bowles Timothy , Metz Audrey H. , O'Quin Jami , Wawrzak Zdzislaw , Eichman Brandt F.
Published: October 2008

Exposure of
Escherichia coli
to alkylating agents activates expression of AidB in addition to DNA repair proteins Ada, AlkA, and AlkB. AidB was recently shown to possess a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor and to bind to dsDNA, implicating it as a flavin-dependent DNA repair enzyme. However, the molecular mechanism by which AidB acts to reduce the mutagenic effects of specific DNA alkylators is unknown. We present a 1.7-Å crystal structure of AidB, which bears superficial resemblance to the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase superfamily of flavoproteins. The structure reveals a unique quaternary organization and a distinctive FAD active site that provides a rationale for AidB's limited dehydrogenase activity. A highly electropositive C-terminal domain not present in structural homologs was identified by mutational analysis as the DNA binding site. Structural analysis of the DNA and FAD binding sites provides evidence against AidB-catalyzed DNA repair and supports a model in which AidB acts to prevent alkylation damage by protecting DNA and destroying alkylating agents that have yet to reach their DNA target.
Blood–brain barrier changes and cell invasion differ between therapeutic immune clearance of neurotrophic virus and CNS autoimmunity
Authors: Fabis Marzena J. , Phares Timothy W. , Kean Rhonda B. , Koprowski Hilary , Hooper D. Craig
Published: October 2008

CNS tissues are protected from circulating cells and factors by the blood–brain barrier (BBB), a specialization of the neurovasculature. Outcomes of the loss of BBB integrity and cell infiltration into CNS tissues can differ vastly. For example, elevated BBB permeability is closely associated with the development of neurological disease in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) but not during clearance of the attenuated rabies virus CVS-F3 from the CNS tissues. To probe whether differences in the nature of BBB permeability changes may contribute to the pathogenesis of acute neuroinflammatory disease, we compared the characteristics of BBB permeability changes in mice with EAE and in mice clearing CVS-F3. BBB permeability changes are largely restricted to the cerebellum and spinal cord in both models but differ in the extent of leakage of markers of different size and in the nature of cell accumulation in the CNS tissues. The accumulation in the CNS tissues of CD4 T cells expressing mRNAs specific for IFN-γ and IL-17 is common to both, but iNOS-positive cells invade into the CNS parenchyma only in EAE. Mice that have been immunized with myelin basic protein (MBP) and infected exhibit the features of EAE. Treatment with the peroxynitrite-dependent radical scavenger urate inhibits the invasion of iNOS-positive cells into the CNS tissues and the development of clinical signs of EAE without preventing the loss of BBB integrity in immunized/infected animals. These findings indicate that BBB permeability changes can occur in the absence of neuropathology provided that cell invasion is restricted.
Compound formation is constrained by morphology
Authors: Berent Iris , Pinker Steven
Published: September 2008

Why do compounds containing regular plurals, such as rats-infested, sound so much worse than corresponding compounds containing irregular plurals, such as mice-infested? Berent and Pinker (2007) reported five experiments showing that this theoretically important effect hinges on the morphological structure of the plurals, not their phonological properties, as had been claimed by Haskell, MacDonald, and Seidenberg (2003). In this note we reply to a critique by these authors. We show that the connectionist model they invoke to explain the data has nothing to do with compounding but exploits fortuitous properties of adjectives, and that our experimental results disconfirm explicit predictions the authors had made. We also present new analyses which answer the authors’ methodological objections. We conclude that the interaction of compounding with regularity is a robust effect, unconfounded with phonology or semantics.
Defining regularity
Authors: Perlak Danuta , Feldman Laurie Beth , Jarema Gonia
Published: September 2008

In the present study we use a cross-modal (auditory-visual) priming paradigm to examine the influence on word recognition of phonological/orthographic variation between morphologically related nouns. We exploit particular characteristics of a highly inflected language, Polish, in which consonantal stem-boundary (portre/tɕ/e-portre/t/ ‘portrait’) and vocalic stem-internal (obr/ɔ/tem-obr/u/t ‘turn’) alternations occur. The impact of morphological relatedness was measured against an orthographic and an unrelated baseline condition. Invariant magnitudes of morphological facilitation arose across the two baseline conditions. More importantly, non-alternating as well as alternating morphological relatives showed robust facilitation. When comparing items featuring predictable stem-boundary change only and those featuring the stem-boundary and vocalic stem-internal changes, effects of morphological relatedness did not interact with degree of phonological/orthographic variation. We argue that morphological facilitation survives accross styles of alternation that vary from language to language.
Cinderellas and ugly ducklings: Positive turning points in students' educational careers—exploratory evidence and a future agenda
Authors: Yair Gad
Published: September 2008

Positive turning points touch upon the essence of education. They epitomize its power and reflect its core agenda: maximizing human capital. Paradoxically, previous studies have not looked into this important phenomenon. The current exploratory study fills this lacuna by building on extensive empirical research of key educational experiences to shed light on four aspects of turning points in students' educational careers. Data come from a sample of 3045 key educational experiences. The article uses a narrative analysis to describe four features in students' changing trajectories, suggesting that the opportunities to experience a positive turning point are organizationally produced and socially distributed to the advantage of higher socio‐economic status students. It is concluded with pointers for policy and practice and opens up questions for future studies in this important domain.
Veiled and overt school choice: A consideration of the ways in which different forms of school choice affect student experiences
Authors: Heath Natalie
Published: September 2008

Parental choice of secondary schools is central to the Labour Government's education agenda. This article draws on work from an Economic and Social Research Council funded study considering teachers' and students' perspectives and experiences of choice in two locales. Two distinct ways in which choice operates are identified: overt choice, which is parental choice as Labour's education policy envisages it, and veiled choice, which refers to the previous more clandestine operation of parental choice. The article qualitatively explores students' experiences of choice in East Town with active parental choice, and in North Town where there is a strong tradition of attending the local school. For some students who do not get into their chosen school, choice appears to be having negative effects on their experiences of school, whilst choice has positive effects when students attend a school they actively chose and one which is viewed positively by the community.
Safety of Intranasally Administered Archaeal Lipid Mucosal Vaccine Adjuvant and Delivery (AMVAD) Vaccine in Mice
Authors: Patel Girishchandra B. , Ponce Amalia , Zhou Hongyan , Chen Wangxue
Published: September 2008

The safety profile of a recently described novel archaeal lipid mucosal vaccine adjuvant and delivery (AMVAD) system capable of eliciting robust antigen-specific mucosal and systemic immune responses was evaluated in female Balb/c mice (10/group) using ovalbumin (OVA) antigen. Mice were intranasally immunized (0, 7, and 21 days) with a vaccine comprising 1 μg OVA (0.05 mg/kg body weight) formulated in 0.04 mg total polar lipids extract (2.17 mg/kg body weight) of Methanobrevibacter smithii constituting the AMVAD system. Control groups were similarly immunized with 10-fold higher AMVAD vaccine dose (0.54 mg OVA and 21.7 mg lipid per kg), saline, 10 μg OVA in saline, or 0.04 or 0.4 mg lipid constituting empty AMVAD (no OVA) in saline, or were naïve mice. Clinical signs, rectal temperature, and body weight were monitored once daily or as appropriate. Half the mice in each group were euthanized at 2 days after the first immunization. Blood was collected for clinical chemistry analyses. Major organs (heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen, thymus, and brain) were examined macroscopically and histologically. The remaining mice were euthanized at 29 days and blood and organs collected for analyses as done at 2 days. Feces collected at 27 days, and sera, bile, and nasal lavage at 29 days, were assayed for antibody responses. Based on clinical symptoms, temperature, body weight changes, serum clinical chemistry, and tissue histopathology, there were no overt toxicities associated with OVA/AMVAD or empty AMVAD vaccines. There were no antibodies elicited against the lipids comprising the AMVAD system. These results demonstrate that at 10-fold excess dose of that required for vaccine efficacy, intranasally administered AMVAD vaccine appears to be relatively safe.
Legislation and Informed Consent Brochures for Dental Patients Receiving Amalgam Restorations
Authors: Edlich Richard F. , Cochran Amy A. , Cross Catherine L. , Wack Courtney A. , Long William B. , Newkirk Anthony T.
Published: September 2008

In 2008, Norway banned the use of mercury for amalgam restorations. Four states in the United States have developed Informed Consent Brochures for amalgam restorations that must be given to their dental patients. The authors describe a patient who had a large cavity in his left lower molar tooth no. 18 that had to be removed by an oral surgeon. When the patient went to the oral surgeon, the surgeon told the patient that he would replace the carious tooth with a gold implant. He was not given an Informed Consent Brochure regarding dental restorative materials. The oral surgeon extracted the carious tooth, replacing the tooth with a supposed gold crown implant. On his yearly dental examination, his dentist took an x-ray of his dental implant and explained that the x-ray could not distinguish whether the implant contained either gold or mercury. Consequently, the dentist referred him to a dental clinic in which the dental implant could be removed without mercury contamination of the patient’s neurologic system during the extraction of the implant from the root canal. During the removal of the dental restoration, the dentist found build up expanding into the root canal that had a black color. The crown and underlying tooth were sent to ALT BioScience for analysis. Elemental analysis of the crown and underlying tooth confirmed the presence of mercury in the restoration. The patient should have been given an Informed Consent Brochure by the dentist that described the dental restoration that was used in the dental implant.
Oral Bioavailability of Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) from Contaminated Site Soils in Rats
Authors: Crouse Lee C. B. , Michie Mark W. , Major Michael A. , Leach Glenn J. , Reddy Gunda
Published: September 2008

Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), a commonly used military explosive, was detected as a contaminant of soil and water at Army facilities and ranges. This study was conducted to determine the relative oral bioavailability of RDX in contaminated soil and to develop a method to derive bioavailability adjustments for risk assessments using rodents. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats preimplanted with femoral artery catheters were dosed orally with gelatin capsules containing either pure RDX or an equivalent amount of RDX in contaminated soils from Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant (LAAP) (2300 μg/g of soil) or Fort Meade (FM) (670 μg/g of soil). After dosing rats, blood samples were collected from catheters at 2-h intervals (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12) and at 24 and 48 h. RDX levels in the blood were determined by gas chromatography. The results show that the peak absorption of RDX in blood was 6 h for neat RDX (1.24 mg/kg) and for RDX from contaminated soil (1.24 mg/kg) of LAAP. Rats dosed with RDX-contaminated FM soil (0.2 mg/kg) showed peak levels of RDX in blood at 6 h, whereas their counterparts that received an identical dose (0.2 mg/kg) of neat RDX showed peak absorption at 4 h. The blood levels of absorbed RDX from LAAP soil were about 25% less than for neat RDX, whereas the bioavailability of RDX from FM soils was about 15% less than that seen in rats treated with neat RDX (0.2 mg/kg). The oral bioavailability in rats fed RDX in LAAP soil and the FM soil was reduced with the neat compound but decrease in bioavailability varied with the soil type.
Nonclinical Aspects of Biopharmaceutical Development: Discussion of Case Studies at a PhRMA-FDA Workshop
Authors: Buckley L. A. , Benson K. , Davis-Bruno K. , Dempster M. , Finch G. L. , Harlow P. , Haggerty H.G. , Hart T. , Kinter L. , Leighton J. K. , McNulty J. , Roskos L. , Saber H. , Stauber A. , Tabrizi M.
Published: September 2008

Robust assessments of the nonclinical safety profile of biopharmaceuticals are best developed on a scientifically justified, case-by-case basis, with consideration of the therapeutic molecule, molecular target, and differences/similarities between nonclinical species and humans (ICH S6). Significant experience has been gained in the 10 years ensuing since publication of the ICH S6 guidance. In a PhRMA-FDA–sponsored workshop, “Nonclinical Aspects of Biopharmaceutical Development,” industry and US regulatory representatives engaged in exploration of current scientific and regulatory issues relating to the nonclinical development of biopharmaceuticals in order to share scientific learning and experience and to work towards establishing consistency in application of general principles and approaches. The proceedings and discussions of this workshop confirm general alignment of strategy and tactics in development of biopharmaceuticals with regard to such areas as species selection, selection of high doses in toxicology studies, selection of clinical doses, the conduct of developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART) studies, and assessment of carcinogenic potential. However, several important aspects, including, for example, appropriate use of homologues, nonhuman primates, and/or in vitro models in the assessment of risk for potential developmental and carcinogenic effects, were identified as requiring further scientific exploration and discussion.
Contamination with Depleted or Enriched Uranium Differently Affects Steroidogenesis Metabolism in Rat
Authors: Grignard Elise , Guéguen Yann , Grison Stéphane , Lobaccaro Jean-Marc A. , Gourmelon Patrick , Souidi Maâmar
Published: September 2008

Uranium is a naturally occurring heavy metal found in the Earth’s crust. It is an alpha-emitter radioactive element from the actinide group that presents both radiotoxicant and chemotoxicant properties. Some studies revealed that uranium could affect the reproductive system. To distinguish chemical versus radiological effects of uranium on the metabolism of the steroids in the testis, rats were contaminated via their drinking water with depleted or enriched uranium. Animals were exposed to radionuclides for 9 months at a dose of 40 mg/L (560 Bq/L for depleted uranium, 1680 Bq/L for enriched uranium). Whereas depleted uranium did not seem to significantly affect the production of testicular steroid hormones in rats, enriched uranium significantly increased the level of circulating testosterone by 2.5-fold. Enriched uranium contamination led to significant increases in the mRNA levels of StAR (Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory protein; 3-fold, p = .001), cyp11a1 (cytochrome P45011a1; 2.2-fold, p < .001), cyp17a1 (cytochrome P45017a1; 2.5-fold, p = .014), cyp19a1 (cytochrome P45019a1; 2.3-fold, p = .021), and 5 α-R1 (5 α reductase type 1; 2.0-fold, p = .02), whereas depleted uranium contamination induces no changes in the expression of these genes. Moreover, expression levels of the nuclear receptors LXR (Liver X Receptor) and SF-1 (Steroidogenic Factor 1), as well as the transcription factor GATA-4, were modified following enriched uranium contamination. Altogether, these results show for the first time a differential effect among depleted or enriched uranium contamination on testicular steroidogenesis. It appears that the deleterious effects of uranium are mainly due to the radiological activity of the compound.
Effects of Administration of a Monoclonal Antibody against Mouse Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha during Pregnancy and Lactation on the Pre- and Postnatal Development of the Mouse Immune System
Authors: Martin Pauline L. , Cornacoff Joel B. , Treacy George , Eirikas Edward , Marini Joseph , White Kimber L. , Peachee Vanessa , Hoberman Alan
Published: September 2008

Monoclonal antibodies directed against tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF α) are currently employed in the treatment of various immune-mediated diseases. These studies were designed to evaluate potential effects of anti-TNF αtreatment in mice during pregnancy and lactation on the development of the immune system in the F1 generation. Pregnant CD-1 mice were treated with vehicle or with 10 or 40 mg/kg of an anti-mouse TNF αmonoclonal antibody (mAb) (cV1q) on days 6, 12, and 18 of gestation and on days 3, 9, and 15 of lactation. Evaluation of immune system functionality was conducted in F1 generation mice at 11 weeks of age. Immune function was evaluated by splenocyte phenotyping, immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody response to sheep red blood cells (SRBCs), spleen cell proliferative response to anti-CD3, and natural killer cell activity. Treatment of pregnant mice with cV1q produced no adverse effects in the dams and no adverse effects in the F1 generation. In general, the functioning of the immune system of the F1 generation did not appear to be adversely affected following exposure to cV1q in utero and during lactation. The only statistically significant change was a slight (~20%) reduction in the spleen cell expansion in response to SRBC immunization in the female F1 mice from the 40 mg/kg cV1q treatment group. In conclusion, administration of a monoclonal antibody against mouse TNF αduring pregnancy and lactation had little or no effect on selected immune parameters in mice, with only a possible minor attenuation of spleen cell response to immunization noted in the female F1 generation at 11 weeks of age.
New wine in old bottles? Italy's divided political culture
Authors: Mete Vittorio
Published: October 2008

Italians and politics, edited by Marco Maraffi

Bologna, Il Mulino, 2007

332 pp., €26.00 (paperback), ISBN-978-88-15-11491-4

Where is the victory? Voting in 2006, described by Italians, edited by ITANES

Bologna, Il Mulino, 2006

241 pp., €13.00 (paperback), ISBN-88-15-11486-6

Left and right: Psychological roots of political differences, edited by ITANES

Bologna, Il Mulino, 2006

182 pp., €12.00 (paperback), ISBN-88-15-10911-0

‘Incomplete’ is the adjective usually used to qualify the Italian political transition that started in the early 1990s. Fifteen years is a long time in politics: as has been noted (Calise 2006, 3), political episodes that have left an indelible mark on history, such as the Nazi regime or the Napoleonic campaigns, had a similar duration. The political elections held in Spring 2006, however, showed that Italy was still not out of the woods, with a centre-left coalition prevailing over the centre-right by less than 30,000 votes in the Chamber of Deputies, while the centre-right won the larger number of Senate votes, but gained fewer seats because of the bizarre electoral system, which was forcibly introduced three months before the election. The division of seats faithfully echoed the division of the electorate into two equal parts – a division that had existed since 2001, but had been obscured by the electoral system and the mechanics of coalition formation (D'Alimonte and Vassallo 2006, p. 28). The election gave rise to two broad coalitions, both very diverse internally, and a government paralysed by the narrowness of its majority in the Senate. If it is true that Italy can now consider itself a solidly bipolar system – in fact more so than the United Kingdom, which is frequently quoted as an ideal model – it is also true that the best description of our party system is that of “fragmented bipolarism” (D'Alimonte & Vassallo 2006, 19). This is eloquently illustrated by the fall of the Prodi Government in January 2008 and the resulting record brevity of the XVth legislature, which lasted less than two years. Some 15 years on from restructuring the party system, Italian politics has not moved from the starting line, condemned to highly fragmented politics and party systems that result in instability, ungovernability and inability to reach decisions.
From centrism to bipolarism (and back?)
Authors: Mastropaolo Alfio
Published: October 2008

According to a strong and lasting prejudice, which has recently been expressed with renewed vigour, the optimum form of democracy is bipolar. The bipolar pattern, however, is not the only one possible. If the relevant conditions are in place, other patterns are possible, such as the formation of government majorities through a convergence of ‘centrist’ and intermediate parties. This pattern is not free from problems, and one of the main issues of debate in the Italian case, with its long tradition of centrist governments, is over the apparent poor functionality of the party system. The functioning of a party system, however, depends on its circumstances, and a centrist party system can function just as well as its bipolar counterpart. Indeed, it is questionable whether Italy has gained from its new bipolar structure and whether the new structure will endure.
The Italian parties and their programmatic platforms: How alternative?
Authors: Conti Nicolò
Published: October 2008

In the last decade, in spite of a large number of parties taking part in elections, the Italian party system has shown an increasing simplification in the programmatic supply, with two large coalitions showing a process of convergence of their policy platforms. This article shows that on the crucial themes characterising the confrontation between neo-liberalism versus regulated capitalism, the distance between the two coalitions has progressively reduced. The theory of the cartel party has predicted convergence in the policy positions of parties. Thus, the article will attempt to test the validity of this theory and of the predicted consequences on the Italian case. For this purpose, a longitudinal analysis will be presented grounded on party manifestos for the Italian general elections.
Deaf teenagers with cochlear implants in conversation with hearing peers
Authors: Ibertsson Tina , Hansson Kristina , Mäki‐Torkko Elina , Willstedt‐Svensson Ursula , Sahlén Birgitta
Published: September 2008

Background: This study investigates the use of requests for clarification in conversations between teenagers with a cochlear implant (CI) and hearing peers. So far very few studies have focused on conversational abilities in children with CI.

Aims: The aim was to explore co‐construction of dialogue in a referential communication task and the participation of the teenagers with CI in comparison with individually matched hearing children and teenagers (HC) by studying the use of requests for clarification.

Methods & Procedures: Sixteen conversational pairs participated: eight pairs consisting of a child with CI and his/her hearing conversational partner (CIP); and eight pairs consisting of an HC and a conversational partner (HCP). The conversational pairs were videotaped while carrying out a referential communication task requiring the description of two sets of pictures depicting faces. The dialogues were transcribed and analysed with respect to the number of words and turns, the time it took for each pair to complete the tasks, and the occurrence and different types of requests for clarification that were used in each type of conversational pair and in each type of dialogue.

Outcomes & Results: The main finding was that the teenagers with CI produced significantly more requests for clarification than the HCs. The most frequently used type of request for clarification in all dialogues was request for confirmation of new information. Furthermore, there was a trend for the teenagers with CI to use this type of request more often than the HC. In contrast, the teenagers with CI used significantly fewer requests for confirmation of already given information and fewer requests for elaboration than the HC.

Conclusions & Implications: The deaf teenagers with CI in the study seem to be equally collaborative and responsible conversational partners as the hearing teenagers. The interpretation is that certain conditions in this study facilitate their participation in conversation. Such conditions might be a calm environment, a task that is structured and without time limits and that the partner is well known to the teenager with CI.
Dysarthria Impact Profile: development of a scale to measure psychosocial effects
Authors: Walshe Margaret , Peach Richard K. , Miller Nick
Published: September 2008

Background: The psychosocial impact of acquired dysarthria on the speaker is well recognized. To date, speech‐and‐language therapists have no instrument available to measure this construct. This has implications for outcome measurement and for planning intervention. This paper describes the Dysarthria Impact Profile (DIP), an instrument that has the potential to meet this need in clinical practice.

Aims: To describe the development of the DIP, which was devised as part of a larger study to measure psychosocial impact of acquired dysarthria from the speaker's perspective.

Methods & Procedures: The current psychometric properties of the DIP are examined. The scale was administered to 31 participants with acquired dysarthria. The internal consistency of the scale items and their intra‐rater reliability were investigated. Concurrent validity was assessed for the portion of the scale (Section A) assessing impact of acquired dysarthria on self‐perception, self‐concept and self‐esteem by comparing the results with changes in self‐concept as determined by the Head Injury Semantic Differential Scale (HISD II).

Outcomes & Results: The DIP shows good internal consistency and strong intra‐rater reliability overall. There was a strong, statistically significant, correlation between results on Section A of the DIP and the results of the HISD II suggesting convergent validity for this portion of the scale. There are some limitations to the scale in its current format and these are highlighted.

Conclusions & Implications: The scale is now ready for further refinement and development. Once validated, it should act as a robust outcome measure for clinicians.
THE EUROPEAN LEARNED PROFESSIONS AND THE EU HIGHER EDUCATION PROJECT
Authors: Olgiati Vittorio
Published: September 2008

One of the most serious problems for those who are concerned with the structure and function of the power-knowledge nexus in contemporary Europe is the lack of a systematic scientific account of the rationale of the EU policy about both learned professions and higher education. The problem does not only stem from the still-living legacies of the past. It stems also from the EU need to provide EU governance with EU-oriented learned professionals in order to come to terms with the rising multidisciplinary complexity of EU decision-making and manage the challenges of current social, political and economic mainstreams. The paper deals with the above issues by focusing on the recent EU quest for expertising EU governance and governing professional EU expertise in a number of evolutionary stages: EU professional and higher education law-policy making; EU reaction towards the so-called ‘globalization wave’ as regards EU epistemic communities; EU ‘learning economy’ and ‘Bologna Convention’ models; the impact of the Nice Treaty on the re-assessment of European professional realms. The need for a European sociology of European professions is stressed in conclusion.
EUROPEAN REGULATION OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
Authors: Le Bianic Thomas , Svensson Lennart G.
Published: September 2008

National governing and regulation of professions is to some extent challenged by contemporary international regulation, and partly replaced by considerable international re-regulation – firstly by the European Union, and secondly by globalization of the markets for capital, goods, services and labour. Issues regarding professions are being negotiated at the European level by European professional federations and EU public authorities. These new trends raise questions for the sociological analysis of professions regarding standards of professional education, forms of public regulation, strategies of market closure or autonomy. This paper is a summary of the policies for and the formal regulation of professional education in the European Union. Data are based on policy documents, directives and agreements with a particular focus on the cases of architects and psychologists. Psychology demonstrates most elements of a professional project, proactively emphasizing education, research and academic status and new tasks on an international market. Architecture demonstrates a more established occupation defending the market and emphasizing the social status and the ubiquitous and general role of architecture. There has been a shift from ‘hard’ regulation to more ‘soft’ regulation, allowing more room for professional actors to organise themselves and define their rules of mobility, as well as more initiatives from below and within national and supranational associations, making the policies more contextually determined compared to the external directions from above in the 1980s.
OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING VERSUS COMPANY-LED TRAINING
Authors: Haas Joachim
Published: September 2008

The paper provides an analysis of the major controversy which occurred between national aviation authorities during their work on the European harmonization of the aircraft technicians’ competence. The debate focused on the institutional method to assure the high skills level required for that profession: should Europe introduce a system of personnel licensing or a system of company-led training? Should competence assurance and monitoring be assigned to the aviation authority or should these responsibilities be delegated to approved companies? A series of 20 extensive interviews with aviation stakeholders in France, Germany and the United Kingdom showed: (i) the company training option highlights the fact that ‘organization’ is a traditional strategy for competence assurance in high-reliability contexts (like aircraft maintenance), the other main alternatives being occupational regulation and sorting by well-informed markets. (ii) The quality recognition required for the international outsourcing of safety-critical services favours the licensing system. In contrast to licensing, the design of the company training system fails to generate the transparency and trust necessary to reassure foreign customers. (iii) Both systems of competence assurance are densely intertwined with specific industrial relation patterns and vested interests. The distortion of these – national or local – equilibriums by European harmonization encounters strong opposition from the industry and/or unions.