bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dionysius of Halicarnassus and Livy on the Horatii and the Curiatii
Authors: Oakley S. P.
Published: May 2010

This chapter compares the accounts of the triple combat of the Horatii in the histories of Livy and Dionysius of Halicarnassus, in order to cast light on the style and historiographical techniques of these two authors and also their debt to earlier historians. Matters discussed include both authors' use of the external audience provided by the spectators of the combat, Dionysius's debt to Herodotus and Thucydides, his self-consciously tragic writing, his obsession with akribeia, Livy's structuring of this part of his first book, and his style.
The Spur of Fame:Annals4.37–8
Authors: Pelling Christopher
Published: May 2010

This chapter gives a close reading of a famous speech in Tacitus, where the emperor Tiberius rejects a request to allow a temple to be built to him in Spain. The reasons he gives seem exemplary, in particular the priority he gives to genuine respect in the eyes of posterity rather than empty divine honours; and yet, Tacitus goes on to say, he was viciously criticized by contemporary observers. This episode is suggestively juxtaposed with others, with subtle verbal echoing. Just before, the accusation of Cremutius Cordus has highlighted the importance of memory, and the role of the historian in ensuring the permanence of one's fame, whether good or bad. Just after, an exchange between Tiberius and Sejanus emphasizes the difficulty of reading Tiberius's words and intentions. Taken together, the sequence helps the reader both to see the unfairness of the criticisms of Tiberius, and to understand the atmosphere of unease and mistrust in which they were not unnatural. It is too simple to ask whether Tacitus is for or against Tiberius in this passage, but such good-and-bad judgements nevertheless play a part in the reconstruction of contemporary responses, and therefore contribute substantially to the work's historical interpretation.
Friends Are Other Selves
Authors: Helm Bennett W.
Published: May 2010

This chapter offers a positive account of friendship in which at least certain kinds of friends are understood to be ‘other selves’, such that they, to a certain extent, share a capacity for autonomy. Section 8.1 examines a variety of alternative accounts of friendship and, in particular, their understanding of the kind of intimacy characteristic of friendship. The tentative, suggestive conclusion is that the intimacy of friendship crucially involves the friends being uniquely able to shape each other's thoughts, feelings, and lives, at least within particular domains defined within their friendship. They do this by ‘sharing’, in a stronger sense than that required by reciprocal love, not only their evaluative perspectives but also their activity and so their lives (within that domain). To start to make sense of such ‘sharing’, Section 2 examines standard accounts of shared activity, arguing that these accounts fail to do justice to the kind of shared activity characteristic of friendship. Section 8.3 provides an alternative account of this sort of shared activity, which gets expanded, in Section 8.4, into a general account of friendship.
6 The Economic Analysis of TPP Innovation as a Foundation for the Analysis of Soft Innovation
Authors: Stoneman Paul
Published: May 2010

This chapter explores the extent to which soft innovation can usefully be modelled as an economic process driven by economic incentives and subject to economic rationality, and also the extent to which the use of tools and techniques commonly employed in the standard economic analysis of innovation is still relevant in this context. Although useful in many ways, the standard literature upon the determinants of technological innovation is found to be not completely suited to the analysis of soft innovation. This is primarily due to: (i) the fact that soft innovation is mainly concerned with the introduction of new product variants, and thus models with differentiated products are most appropriate; and (ii) partly to do with difficulties in conceptualising, in the context of soft innovation, a basic component of standard models that relates expenditure on R&D to the extent of any advance.
7 The Supply of Soft Innovations
Authors: Stoneman Paul
Published: May 2010

This chapter considers alternative models of the supply of soft innovations relying heavily on models of product differentiation. Existing models of product differentiated markets are adapted to allow for a number of different scenarios that reflect some of the characteristics of products that may embody soft innovation. These include issues such as whether production and innovation coincide, whether the product is durable or not, whether the service flow requires hardware and software, and whether there are standards and compatibility issues. Of particular interest (because it fits the examples of books, recorded music and video games) is the consideration of models where product variants are usually only bought once and continuation of the market requires continual launching of new product variants.
Adpositions from the semantic point of view
Authors: Hagège Claude
Published: May 2010

This chapter presents the main meanings that are marked, crosslinguistically, by adpositions (Adps), distributing them in various domains, according to what we observe in languages. But before doing so, it is in order to show — since syntactic facts, studied in Chapter 4, and semantic facts, studied here, are closely related — what this relationship consists of as far as Adps are concerned. The chapter is organized as follows. Section 5.1 begins with a study of the relationship between syntactic and semantic facts. Section 5.2 examines some aspects of the contribution of Adp-phrases to meaning, based on the semantic behaviour of Adps and their organization into a system of relationships between semantic functions. Section 5.3 presents the semantic domains — groups of semantic functions — that can be distinguished as those between which Adps are distributed crosslinguistically.
Persons, Interests, and Justice
Authors: Holtug Nils
Published: May 2010

This is a book on welfare and its importance for distributive justice. Part I is concerned with prudence; more precisely, with what the necessary and sufficient conditions are for having a self‐interest in a particular benefit. It includes discussions of the extent to which self‐interest depends on preferences, personal identity, and what matters in survival. It also considers the issue of whether it can benefit (or harm) a person to come into existence and what the implications are for our theory of self‐interest. A ‘Prudential View’ is defended, according to which a person has a present self‐interest in a future benefit if and only if she stands in a relation of continuous physical realization of (appropriate) psychology to the beneficiary, where the strength of the self‐interest depends both on the size of the benefit and on the strength of this relation. Part II concerns distributive justice and so how to distribute welfare or self‐interest fulfilment over individuals. It includes discussions of welfarism, egalitarianism and prioritarianism, population ethics, the importance of personal identity and what matters for distributive justice, and the importance of all these issues for various topics in applied ethics, including the badness of death. Here, a version of prioritarianism is defended, according to which, roughly, the moral value of a benefit to an individual at one time depends on both the size of the benefit and on the individual's self‐interest, at that time, in the other benefits that accrue to her at this and other times.
Population Ethics
Authors: Holtug Nils
Published: May 2010

In this chapter, the implications of prioritarianism for population ethics are considered. The claim, defended in Chapter 5, that it can benefit (or harm) an individual to come into existence may seem to suggest that the existence of extra individuals may contribute to outcome value. However, if we allow prioritarianism to apply to possible future individuals it implies the Repugnant Conclusion, the Negative Repugnant Conclusion and even the ‘Super‐repugnant Conclusion’. Therefore, various ways in which prioritarians may attempt to avoid these conclusions are discussed, including non‐additive functions, restricting the scope of prioritarianism to various modal classes of individuals, and opting for pluralism. However, it is argued that none of these ‘solutions’ works. Finally, what seem to be the three main options are listed, including that of simply embracing these ‘repugnant conclusions’, and it is explained how each is compatible with prioritarianism.
1 Signals
Authors: Skyrms Brian
Published: May 2010

Whatever one thinks of human signals, it must be acknowledged that information is transmitted by signaling systems at all levels of biological organization. Monkeys, birds, bees, and even bacteria have signaling systems. Multicellular organisms are only possible because internal signals coordinate the actions of their constituents. This chapter addresses two main questions: How can interacting individuals spontaneously learn to signal? How can species spontaneously evolve signalling systems? It discusses how we can bring contemporary theoretical tools to bear on these questions.
2 Signals in Nature
Authors: Skyrms Brian
Published: May 2010

This chapter surveys some of the signaling systems in nature. Darwin sees some kind of natural salience operating at the origin of language. At that point signals are not conventional, but rather the signal is somehow naturally suited to convey its content. Signaling is then gradually modified by evolution.
5 Evolution in Lewis Signaling Games
Authors: Skyrms Brian
Published: May 2010

Signaling systems had been shown to be the only evolutionarily stable strategies in n-state, n-signal, and n-act signaling games. They were the only attractors in the replicator dynamics. In simple cases, it was clear why almost every possible starting point was carried to a signaling system. This chapter considers how far these positive results generalize.
6 Deception
Authors: Skyrms Brian
Published: May 2010

This chapter shows that in all kinds of signaling systems in nature there is information transmission which is sufficient to maintain signaling, but there is also misinformation and even deception. Misinformation is straightforward. If receipt of a signal moves probabilities of states it contains information about the state. If it moves the probability of a state in the wrong direction — either by diminishing the probability of the state in which it is sent, or raising the probability of a state other than the one in which it is sent — then it is misleading information, or misinformation. If misinformation is sent systematically and benefits the sender at the expense of the receiver, then it is deception.
11 Networks I: Logic and Information Processing
Authors: Skyrms Brian
Published: May 2010

This chapter discusses the combination of simple signals to form complex signals. When multiple senders convey different information to a receiver (or to multiple receivers) the receiver is confronted with a problem of information processing. How does one take all these inputs and fix on what to output — what to do? Logical inference is only part of this bigger problem of information processing. It is a problem routinely solved every second by our nervous system as floods of sensory information are filtered, integrated, and used to control conscious and unconscious actions.
10 Monitoring and Evaluation Reform under Changing Aid Modalities
Authors: Holvoet Nathalie , Renard Robrecht
Published: May 2010

This chapter grew out of our bewilderment with the insouciance with which some in the donor community seem ready to abandon accounting for the use of aid. If one listens to the rhetoric surrounding the new approach to aid, one gets the impression that most of the crucial accounting tasks must be swiftly abandoned by donors and left to recipient governments. This chapter does not question the underlying rationale for shifting towards recipient-led priority setting and control over implementation of aid resources, but argues that donors cannot let themselves off the hook so easily with respect to the accountability part of the equation. We argue that in most low-income countries such trust in recipient systems may be dubbed as over-alignment, and that it is neither necessary nor useful. Our argument is however not that old style donor-managed monitoring and evaluation is the only or the best solution. For we are equally puzzled by the stubbornness with which some other donors stick to their old monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in ways that contradict the new insights in aid effectiveness and hamper the emergence of national M&E systems. Why are positions so polarized and why is hardly anyone arguing in favour of intermediate positions? This is what this chapter sets out to do: we argue against a radical and rapid implementation of the new rhetoric in low-income countries, but also against a continuation of present accountability practices. Donors have a large and lasting responsibility in accounting for the use of aid funds, both towards the taxpayers in donor countries and towards the targeted beneficiaries in the at best pseudo-democratic and poorly governed low-income recipient countries. They should find new ways to remain firmly involved in M&E, ways that allow, at the same time, embryonic national M&E systems in low-income recipient countries to grow and flourish.
1 Introduction
Authors: Burge Tyler
Published: May 2010

This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of empirical representation, which is the most basic type of representation of the physical environment. It outlines the three primary themes of the book: that objective representation is the basic sort of representation; that objectivity and representation begin in perception; and that perception is a very widespread and primitive capacity, present in numerous animals other than human beings. The chapter then analyzes the syndrome that dominated 20th-century philosophizing regarding constitutive conditions for empirical representation of the physical environment. It presents the author's standpoint, which is grounded in anti-individualism. This view provides a starting point for distinguishing representation from broader correlational phenomena, and perception from more generic sensory capacities.
4 Individual Representationalism in the Twentieth Century's First Half
Authors: Burge Tyler
Published: May 2010

Chapter 1 described two families of Individual Representationalism. Both hold that objective representation of entities in the physical environment constitutively depends on the individual's representation of preconditions for objectivity. First-family views maintain that representation of particulars in the physical environment depends on prior representation of other sorts of particulars. Second-family views maintain that representing general preconditions for objectivity are necessary for the possibility, indeed often intelligibility, of representation of environmental entities. This chapter focuses on first-family views that dominated the first half of the 20th century.
Disconnecting Constitutions from Statehood
Authors: Preuss Ulrich K.
Published: May 2010

This chapter argues that the essence of constitutionalism is misunderstood if it is too directly linked to the concept of statehood. The principle of territoriality — which is the essence of statehood — was made effective by the absolutist state and that the key feature of constitutionalism has been to overcome the logic of the absolutist state. This has been done by linking sovereignty not so much to territory as to a people. Exploring this latter relation, the chapter argues that constitutionalism maintains the potential to overcome its historic links with statehood and to provide a means of normative integration of institutional arrangements at the transnational level.
Chapter 9 Institutional Bricolage and Global Governmentality
Authors: Cerny Philip G.
Published: May 2010

This chapter continues the theme of governmentality by addressing the thorny problem of how international regimes, institutions, and other forms of so-called global governance fit into this picture. It argues that the ad hoc, trial-and-error, and issue-specific character of the development of these institutional structures — what anthropologists call bricolage — constitutes a fundamentally uneven, sometimes schizophrenic, and very often inefficient quasi-superstructure for both the top-down tackling of global or transnational challenges, and the bottom-up pursuit of those interests and values most highly prioritized by transnational (as well as domestic and local) interest and value groups.
Chapter 13 Rescaling the State and the Pluralization of Marxism
Authors: Cerny Philip G.
Published: May 2010

This chapter looks at recent developments in neo-Marxist theory, especially those varieties of Marxism that have, intentionally or inadvertently, introduced more pluralistic or neopluralistic factors into the analysis. The main focus is on the version of neo-Marxism that looks at the “rescaling of statehood,” that is, those authors who have addressed the problem of globalization by analyzing altered playing fields of various kinds; what has been called the search for a new spatiotemporal fix for capitalism. This version, and other versions, too, bring further into question some of the basic problems of the theory of capitalism itself, especially the Marxist version of the labor theory of value. Marxism may have been out of fashion in the late 20th century and often ignored by academics, but the financial crisis and recession of 2008-2009 revived interest in alternatives to neoliberal globalization. It is argued that basic flaws in the Marxist critique continue to make such attempts problematic.
Computing biological functions using BioΨ, a formal description of biological processes based on elementary bricks of actions
Authors: Pérès Sabine , Felicori Liza , Rialle Stéphanie , Jobard Elodie , Molina Franck
Published: May 2010

Motivation: In the available databases, biological processes are described from molecular and cellular points of view, but these descriptions are represented with text annotations that make it difficult to handle them for computation. Consequently, there is an obvious need for formal descriptions of biological processes.

Results: We present a formalism that uses the BioΨ concepts to model biological processes from molecular details to networks. This computational approach, based on elementary bricks of actions, allows us to calculate on biological functions (e.g. process comparison, mapping structure–function relationships, etc.). We illustrate its application with two examples: the functional comparison of proteases and the functional description of the glycolysis network. This computational approach is compatible with detailed biological knowledge and can be applied to different kinds of systems of simulation.

Availability:  www.sysdiag.cnrs.fr/publications/supplementary-materials/BioPsi_Manager/

Contact:  sabine.peres@sysdiag.cnrs.fr; franck.molina@sysdiag.cnrs.fr

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Polynomial algebra of discrete models in systems biology
Authors: Veliz-Cuba Alan , Jarrah Abdul Salam , Laubenbacher Reinhard
Published: May 2010

Motivation: An increasing number of discrete mathematical models are being published in Systems Biology, ranging from Boolean network models to logical models and Petri nets. They are used to model a variety of biochemical networks, such as metabolic networks, gene regulatory networks and signal transduction networks. There is increasing evidence that such models can capture key dynamic features of biological networks and can be used successfully for hypothesis generation.

Results: This article provides a unified framework that can aid the mathematical analysis of Boolean network models, logical models and Petri nets. They can be represented as polynomial dynamical systems, which allows the use of a variety of mathematical tools from computer algebra for their analysis. Algorithms are presented for the translation into polynomial dynamical systems. Examples are given of how polynomial algebra can be used for the model analysis.

Contact:  alanavc@vt.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Thujone‐Rich Fraction of Thuja occidentalis Demonstrates Major Anti‐Cancer Potentials: Evidences from In Vitro Studies on A375 Cells
Authors: Biswas Raktim , Mandal Sushil Kumar , Dutta Suman , Bhattacharyya Soumya Sundar , Boujedaini Naoual , Khuda-Bukhsh Anisur Rahman
Published: May 2010

Crude ethanolic extract of Thuja occidentalis (Fam: Cupressaceae) is used as homeopathic mother tincture (TOΦ) to treat various ailments, particularly moles and tumors, and also used in various other systems of traditional medicine. Anti‐proliferative and apoptosis‐inducing properties of TOΦ and the thujone‐rich fraction (TRF) separated from it have been evaluated for their possible anti‐cancer potentials in the malignant melanoma cell line A375. On initial trial by S‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, both TOΦ and TRF showed maximum cytotoxic effect on A375 cell line while the other three principal fractions separated by chromatography had negligible or no such effect, because of which only TRF was further characterized and subjected to certain other assays for determining its precise anti‐proliferative and apoptotic potentials. TRF was reported to have a molecular formula of C10H16O with a molecular weight of 152. Exposure of TRF of Thuja occidentalis to A375 cells in vitro showed more cytotoxic, anti‐proliferative and apoptotic effects as compared with TOΦ, but had minimal growth inhibitory responses when exposed to normal cells (peripheral blood mononuclear cell). Furthermore, both TOΦ and TRF also caused a significant decrease in cell viability, induced inter‐nucleosomal DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial transmembrane potential collapse, increase in ROS generation, and release of cytochrome c and caspase‐3 activation, all of which are closely related to the induction of apoptosis in A375 cells. Thus, TRF showed and matched all the anti‐cancer responses of TOΦ and could be the main bio‐active fraction. The use of TOΦ in traditional medicines against tumors has, therefore, a scientific basis.
Epigenetics in Traditional Chinese Pharmacy: A Bioinformatic Study at Pharmacopoeia Scale
Authors: Hsieh Hsin-Ying , Chiu Pei-Hsun , Wang Sun-Chong
Published: May 2010

Epigenetics is a phenomenon of heritable changes in the chromatin structure of a genomic region, resulting in a transcriptional silent or active state of the region over cell mitosis. Mounting evidence has demonstrated phenotypic consequence of alternations in the patterns of DNA methylation and histone modifications, two of the well‐studied epigenetic mechanisms. The epigenome thus represents an interesting therapeutic target. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a system of therapies that has developed through empiricism for over 2100 years and has remained a popular alternative medicine in some Far East Asian populations. We searched 3294 TCM medicinals (TCMMs) containing 48 491 chemicals for chemicals that interact with the epigenetics‐related proteins and found that 29.8% of the TCMMs are epigenome‐ and miRNA‐modulating via, mainly, interactions with Polycomb group and methyl CpG‐binding proteins. We analyzed 200 government‐approved TCM formulas (TCMFs) and found that a statistically significant proportion (99%) of them are epigenome‐ and miRNA‐interacting. The epigenome and miRNA interactivity of the Monarch medicinals is found to be most prominent. Histone modifications are heavily exploited by the TCMFs, many of which are tonic. Furthermore, epigenetically, the Assistant medicinals least resemble the Monarch. We quantified the role of epigenetics in TCM prescription and found that epigenome‐ and miRNA‐interaction information alone determined, to an extent of 20%, the clinical application areas of the TCMFs. Our results provide (i) a further support for the notion of the epigenomes as a drug target and (ii) a new set of tools for the design of TCM prescriptions.
Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) Reduces Cell Growth, Lipid Acquisition and Increases Adiponectin Expression in 3T3‐L1 Cells
Authors: Yeo Chia-Rou , Lee Sea-Ming , Popovich David G.
Published: May 2010

An American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) extract (GE) that contained a quantifiable amount of ginsenosides was investigated for the potential to inhibit proliferation, affect the cell cycle, influence lipid acquisition and adiponectin expression in 3T3‐L1 cells. Six fingerprint ginsenosides were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography and the respective molecular weights were confirmed by LC‐ESI‐MS analysis. The extract contained Rg1 (347.3 ± 99.7 μg g−1, dry weight), Re (8280.4 ± 792.3 μg g−1), Rb1 (1585.8 ± 86.8 μg g−1), Rc (32.9 ± 8 μg g−1), Rb2 (62.6 ± 10.6 μg g−1) and Rd (90.4 ± 3.2 μg g−1). The GE had a dose‐dependent effect on 3T3‐L1 cell growth, the LC50 value was determined to be 40.3 ± 5 μg ml−1. Cell cycle analysis showed modest changes in the cell cycle. No significant changes observed in both G1 and G2/M phases, however there was a significant decrease (P < .05) in the S phase after 24 and 48 h treatment. Apoptotic cells were modest but significantly (P < .05) increased after 48 h (3.2 ± 1.0%) compared to untreated control cells (1.5 ± 0.1%). Lipid acquisition was significantly reduced (P < .05) by 13 and 22% when treated at concentrations of 20.2 and 40.3 μg ml−1 compared to untreated control cells. In relation to adiponectin activation, western blot analysis showed that the protein expression was significantly (P < .05) increased at concentrations tested. A quantified GE reduced the growth of 3T3‐L1 cells, down‐regulated the accumulation of lipid and up‐regulated the expression of adiponectin in the 3T3‐L1 adipocyte cell model.
Interest Group Theory
Authors: McFarland Andrew
Published: May 2010

This article considers the four steps of interest group theory as it applies to American politics: group theory; Robert Dahl's pluralism; multiple elitist theory; and neopluralism. Participation in interest groups is seen to be one of four standard modes of participation in American politics. The interest group in niche theory is viewed in the context of other similar interest groups and its competition with them for resources of money and membership for group maintenance. It also pertains to group resource mobilization and group maintenance. The theory of internal democracy is also elaborated upon. Political scientists should keep remembering that attention must be paid to the role of interest groups in the theory and practice of democracy in America.
Identification of Nicotiana benthamiana Genes Involved in Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern–Triggered Immunity
Authors: Chakravarthy Suma , Velásquez André C. , Ekengren Sophia K. , Collmer Alan , Martin Gregory B.
Published: May 2010

In order to identify components of pathogen-associated molecular pattern–triggered immunity (PTI) pathways in Nicotiana benthamiana, we conducted a large-scale forward-genetics screen using virus-induced gene silencing and a cell-death-based assay for assessing PTI. The assay relied on four combinations of PTI-inducing nonpathogens and cell-death-causing challenger pathogens and was first validated in plants silenced for FLS2 or BAK1. Over 3,200 genes were screened and 14 genes were identified that, when silenced, compromised PTI as judged by the cell-death-based assay. Further analysis indicated that the 14 genes were not involved in a general cell death response. A subset of the genes was found to act downstream of FLS2-mediated PTI induction, and silencing of three genes compromised production of reactive oxygen species in leaves exposed to flg22. The 14 genes encode proteins with potential functions in defense and hormone signaling, protein stability and degradation, energy and secondary metabolism, and cell wall biosynthesis and provide a new resource to explore the molecular basis for the involvement of these processes in PTI.
Evolution of the Eleusine Subgroup of Pyricularia oryzae Inferred from Rearrangement at the Pwl1 Locus (Retracted)
Authors: Tanaka Masaki , Hyon Gang-Su , Murata Toshiki , Nakayashiki Hitoshi , Tosa Yukio
Published: May 2010

The authors of Tanaka et al. 23:771-783 (2010) retracted this article because it proved to contain a pair of identical images that were used to represent different treatments in Figure 2A. This article was retracted on 3 June 2015.

This article was resubmitted.
Long-term Effect of Sciatic Nerve Block with Slow-release Lidocaine in a Rat Model of Postoperative Pain
Authors: Tobe Masaru , Obata Hideaki , Suto Takashi , Yokoo Hideaki , Nakazato Yoichi , Tabata Yasuhiko , Saito Shigeru
Published: May 2010

Background

Postoperative pain management is important for preventing perioperative complications. The authors examined the effectiveness of controlled-release lidocaine for sciatic nerve block in a rat model of postoperative pain.

Methods

The authors created a novel slow-release lidocaine sheet (SRLS) with polylactic-coglycolic acid. In male Sprague-Dawley rats (postoperative pain model), the authors applied the SRLS, lidocaine alone, or polylactic-coglycolic acid (control) near the ipsilateral sciatic nerve just before making the paw incision. Mechanical hypersensitivity was assessed using von Frey filaments, and c-fos expression was examined in the spinal cord dorsal horn at segments L4-L5. Neurotoxicity and muscle toxicity were also evaluated via histopathology.

Results

The SRLS (30%, w/w) continuously released lidocaine for 1 week in vitro. The withdrawal threshold in the SRLS-treated group was higher than that in the control group at all time points measured (2 h to 7 days). The withdrawal threshold in the lidocaine-treated group was higher than that in the control group only at 2 h after paw incision. The mean number of c-fos immunoreactive neurons in the SRLS-treated group was lower than in the control group at 2, 5, and 48 h after paw incision and lower than in the lidocaine-treated group at 5 and 48 h after paw incision. On histopathology, signs of inflammation were only slightly present in the muscle and nerve tissues of the SRLS-treated group.

Conclusions

Single treatment with the SRLS inhibited hyperalgesia and c-fos expression in the spinal cord dorsal horn for 1 week. Slow-release local anesthetics are promising for the management of postoperative pain.
Modeling the Non–Steady State Respiratory Effects of Remifentanil in Awake and Propofol-sedated Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Olofsen Erik , Boom Merel , Nieuwenhuijs Diederik , Sarton Elise , Teppema Luc , Aarts Leon , Dahan Albert
Published: May 2010

Background

Few studies address the dynamic effect of opioids on respiration. Models with intact feedback control of carbon dioxide on ventilation (non-steady-state models) that correctly incorporate the complex interaction among drug concentration, end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide concentration, and ventilation yield reliable descriptions and predictions of the behavior of opioids. The authors measured the effect of remifentanil on respiration and developed a model of remifentanil-induced respiratory depression.

Methods

Ten male healthy volunteers received remifentanil infusions with different infusion speeds (target concentrations: 4-9 ng/ml; at infusion rates: 0.17-9 ng x ml x min) while awake and at the background of low-dose propofol. The data were analyzed with a nonlinear model consisting of two additive linear parts, one describing the depressant effect of remifentanil and the other describing the stimulatory effect of carbon dioxide on ventilation.

Results

The model adequately described the data including the occurrence of apnea. Most important model parameters were as follows: C50 for respiratory depression 1.6 +/- 0.03 ng/ml, gain of the respiratory controller (G) 0.42 - 0.1 l x min x Torr, and remifentanil blood effect site equilibration half-life (t(1/2)ke0) 0.53 +/- 0.2 min. Propofol caused a 20-50% reduction of C50 and G but had no effect on t(1/2)ke0. Apnea occurred during propofol infusion only. A simulation study revealed an increase in apnea duration at infusion speeds of 2.5-0.5 ng x ml x min followed by a reduction. At an infusion speed of < or = 0.31 ng x ml x min, no apnea was seen.

Conclusions

The effect of varying remifentanil infusions with and without a background of low-dose propofol on ventilation and end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide concentration was described successfully using a non-steady-state model of the ventilatory control system. The model allows meaningful simulations and predictions.
Prediction of Postoperative Pain
Authors: Werner Mads U. , Mjöbo Helena N. , Nielsen Per R. , Rudin Åsa , Warner David S.
Published: May 2010

Quantitative testing of a patient's basal pain perception before surgery has the potential to be of clinical value if it can accurately predict the magnitude of pain and requirement of analgesics after surgery. This review includes 14 studies that have investigated the correlation between preoperative responses to experimental pain stimuli and clinical postoperative pain and demonstrates that the preoperative pain tests may predict 4-54% of the variance in postoperative pain experience depending on the stimulation methods and the test paradigm used. The predictive strength is much higher than previously reported for single factor analyses of demographics and psychologic factors. In addition, some of these studies indicate that an increase in preoperative pain sensitivity is associated with a high probability of development of sustained postsurgical pain.
Dropouts of the outer electron radiation belt in response to solar wind stream interfaces: global positioning system observations
Authors: Morley Steven K. , Friedel Reiner H. W. , Spanswick Emma L. , Reeves Geoffrey D. , Steinberg John T. , Koller Josef , Cayton Thomas , Noveroske Evan
Published: May 2010

We present a statistical study of relativistic electron counts in the electron radiation belt across a range of drift shells (L*>4) combining data from nine combined X-ray dosimeters (CXD) on the global positioning system (GPS) constellation. The response of the electron counts as functions of time, energy and drift shell are examined statistically for 67 solar wind stream interfaces (SIs); two-dimensional superposed epoch analysis is performed with the CXD data. For these epochs we study the radiation belt dropouts and concurrent variations in key geophysical parameters.

At higher L* we observe a tendency for a gradual drop in the electron counts over the day preceding the SI, consistent with outward diffusion and magnetopause shadowing. At all L*, dropouts occur with a median time scale of ≃7 h and median counts fall by 0.4–1.8 orders of magnitude. The central tendencies of radiation belt dropout and recovery depend on both L* and energy. For ≃70 per cent of epochs Sym-H more than −30 nT, yet only three of 67 SIs did not have an associated dropout in the electron data. Statistical maps of electron precipitation suggest that chorus-driven relativistic electron microbursts might be major contributors to radiation belt losses under high-speed stream driving.
Further observations on the murine model of Mycoplasma hominis infection
Authors: Taylor-Robinson David , Furr Patricia M.
Published: May 2010

Mycoplasma hominis, the first mycoplasma of human origin to be isolated, has been associated with several diseases, notably bacterial vaginosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, prematurity and puerperal fever. The mouse model does not mimic closely these features of human disease, but has some notable features. Given intravaginally to mice, M. hominis does not colonize unless the mice have been pre-treated with oestradiol. As shown here, endogenous hormone has no part to play because removal of the ovaries does not interfere with vaginal colonization. Persistent colonization occurs in hysterectomized mice so that organisms in the upper tract, which are sometimes found, are not responsible, by retrograde leakage, for those in the lower tract. Organisms in the lower tract can be eliminated by treating mice with a tetracycline, or progesterone or by natural resolution. Elimination by whatever means results in a rather weak immunity to recolonization. In contrast, intravenous inoculation of viable, and particularly killed, M. hominis organisms results in strong resistance to recolonization. This is, in part, genetically influenced, being seen in mice of strain BALB/c but not of strain CBA. Resistance is inversely proportional to the presence and titre of M. hominis specific serum antibody. The possible role of cell-mediated immunity is discussed.
Anaerobic phototrophic nitrite oxidation by Thiocapsa sp. strain KS1 and Rhodopseudomonas sp. strain LQ17
Authors: Schott Joachim , Griffin Benjamin M. , Schink Bernhard
Published: May 2010

In anaerobic enrichment cultures for phototrophic nitrite-oxidizing bacteria from different freshwater sites, two different cell types, i.e. non-motile cocci and motile, rod-shaped bacteria, always outnumbered all other bacteria. Most-probable-number (MPN) dilution series with samples from two freshwater sites yielded only low numbers (≤3×103 cm−3) of phototrophic nitrite oxidizers. Slightly higher numbers (about 104 cm−3) were found in activated sewage sludge. Anaerobic phototrophic oxidation of nitrite was studied with two different isolates, the phototrophic sulfur bacterium strain KS1 and the purple nonsulfur bacterium strain LQ17, both of which were isolated from activated sludge collected from the municipal sewage treatment plant in Konstanz, Germany. Strain KS1 converted 1 mM nitrite stoichiometrically to nitrate with concomitant formation of cell matter within 2–3 days, whereas strain LQ17 oxidized only up to 60 % of the given nitrite to nitrate within several months with the concomitant formation of cell biomass. Nitrite oxidation to nitrate was strictly light-dependent and required the presence of molybdenum in the medium. Nitrite was oxidized in both the presence and absence of oxygen. Nitrite inhibited growth at concentrations higher than 2 mM. Hydroxylamine and hydrazine were found to be toxic to the phototrophs in the range 5–50 μM and did not stimulate phototrophic growth. Based on morphology, substrate-utilization pattern, in vivo absorption spectra, and 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, strain KS1 was assigned to the genus Thiocapsa and strain LQ17 to the genus Rhodopseudomonas. Also, Thiocapsa roseopersicina strains DSM 217 and DSM 221 were found to oxidize nitrite to nitrate with concomitant growth. We conclude that the ability to use nitrite phototrophically as electron donor is widespread in nature, but low MPN counts indicate that its contribution to nitrite oxidation in the studied habitats is rather limited.
Deletion of a regulatory gene within the cpk gene cluster reveals novel antibacterial activity in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)
Authors: Gottelt Marco , Kol Stefan , Gomez-Escribano Juan Pablo , Bibb Mervyn , Takano Eriko
Published: May 2010

Genome sequencing of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) revealed an uncharacterized type I polyketide synthase gene cluster (cpk). Here we describe the discovery of a novel antibacterial activity (abCPK) and a yellow-pigmented secondary metabolite (yCPK) after deleting a presumed pathway-specific regulatory gene (scbR2) that encodes a member of the γ-butyrolactone receptor family of proteins and which lies in the cpk gene cluster. Overproduction of yCPK and abCPK in a scbR2 deletion mutant, and the absence of the newly described compounds from cpk deletion mutants, suggest that they are products of the previously orphan cpk biosynthetic pathway in which abCPK is converted into the yellow pigment. Transcriptional analysis suggests that scbR2 may act in a negative feedback mechanism to eventually limit yCPK biosynthesis. The results described here represent a novel approach for the discovery of new, biologically active compounds.
Autotransporters of Escherichia coli: a sequence-based characterization
Authors: Wells Timothy J. , Totsika Makrina , Schembri Mark A.
Published: May 2010

Autotransporter (AT) proteins are found in all Escherichia coli pathotypes and are often associated with virulence. In this study we took advantage of the large number of available E. coli genome sequences to perform an in-depth bioinformatic analysis of AT-encoding genes. Twenty-eight E. coli genome sequences were probed using an iterative approach, which revealed a total of 215 AT-encoding sequences that represented three major groups of distinct domain architecture: (i) serine protease AT proteins, (ii) trimeric AT adhesins and (iii) AIDA-I-type AT proteins. A number of subgroups were identified within each broad category, and most subgroups contained at least one characterized AT protein; however, seven subgroups contained no previously described proteins. The AIDA-I-type AT proteins represented the largest and most diverse group, with up to 16 subgroups identified from sequence-based comparisons. Nine of the AIDA-I-type AT protein subgroups contained at least one protein that possessed functional properties associated with aggregation and/or biofilm formation, suggesting a high degree of redundancy for this phenotype. The Ag43, YfaL/EhaC, EhaB/UpaC and UpaG subgroups were found in nearly all E. coli strains. Among the remaining subgroups, there was a tendency for AT proteins to be associated with individual E. coli pathotypes, suggesting that they contribute to tissue tropism or symptoms specific to different disease outcomes.
Effect of arsenite on swimming motility delays surface colonization in Herminiimonas arsenicoxydans
Authors: Marchal M. , Briandet R. , Koechler S. , Kammerer B. , Bertin P. N.
Published: May 2010

Herminiimonas arsenicoxydans is a Gram-negative bacterium able to detoxify arsenic-contaminated environments by oxidizing arsenite [As(III)] to arsenate [As(V)] and by scavenging arsenic ions in an extracellular matrix. Its motility and colonization behaviour have been previously suggested to be influenced by arsenite. Using time-course confocal laser scanning microscopy, we investigated its biofilm development in the absence and presence of arsenite. Arsenite was shown to delay biofilm initiation in the wild-type strain; this was partly explained by its toxicity, which caused an increased growth lag time. However, this delayed adhesion step in the presence of arsenite was not observed in either a swimming motility defective fliL mutant or an arsenite oxidase defective aoxB mutant; both strains displayed the wild-type surface properties and growth capacities. We propose that during the biofilm formation process arsenite acts on swimming motility as a result of the arsenite oxidase activity, preventing the switch between planktonic and sessile lifestyles. Our study therefore highlights the existence, under arsenite exposure, of a competition between swimming motility, resulting from arsenite oxidation, and biofilm initiation.
The epidemiology of pure and comorbid generalized anxiety disorder: a review and evaluation of recent research
Authors: Kessler R. C.
Published: May 2010

Objective: Research documenting high rates of comorbidity among patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) has led to the suggestion that GAD might best be conceptualized as a prodrome, residual or severity marker of other disorders. Recent research investigating this suggestion is reviewed in this report.

Method: A computer search cross‐classified the terms ‘Generalized Anxiety’ and ‘Comorbidity’.

Results: Results arguing that GAD is an independent disorder include the finding that GAD is usually temporally primary in cases of comorbidity with major depression, that primary GAD is a significant predictor of subsequent depression and that the course of GAD is independent of comorbidity. Studies in both patient and community samples show that the impairment associated with pure GAD is equivalent to the impairment associated with pure depression.

Conclusion: The results reviewed here support the view that GAD as an independent disorder is a major public health problem.
Coping strategies in a strongly schooling fish, the common carp Cyprinus carpio
Authors: Huntingford F. A. , Andrew G. , Mackenzie S. , Morera D. , Coyle S. M. , Pilarczyk M. , Kadri S.
Published: May 2010

Individual common carp Cyprinus carpio were screened repeatedly for risk taking (rate of exploration of a novel, potentially dangerous environment) and for competitive ability (success in gaining access to a spatially restricted food source). Marked differences in behaviour were evident, and significant consistency in individual responses across trials was found for both risk taking and competitive ability. In addition, there was a significant positive relationship between individual performance in these two contexts, with fish that explored more quickly in the novel environment tending to be among the first to gain access to restricted food. In two follow‐up studies, resting metabolic rate, blood lactate and glucose and the expression of the cortisol receptor gene in the head kidney and brain were compared in fish from the two extremes of the risk‐taking spectrum. Mass‐specific metabolic rate was significantly higher in risk‐taking than in risk‐avoiding fish, while plasma lactate and glucose concentrations and expression of the cortisol receptor gene were lower. It was concluded that a behavioural syndrome based on boldness and aggression exists in C. carpio, as it does in many other animals, and that this is associated with differences in metabolic and stress physiology (down to the genomic level) similar to those described in animals with different coping strategies.
Salinity selection and preference of the grey snapper Lutjanus griseus: field and laboratory observations
Authors: Serrano X. , Grosell M. , Serafy J. E.
Published: May 2010

Field observations were supplemented with laboratory experiments to reveal patterns of salinity selection and preference for grey snapper Lutjanus griseus (c. 21 cm total length, LT), an ecologically and economically important species in the south‐eastern U.S.A. Fish abundance data were examined from a long‐term field survey conducted in the mangrove habitats of Biscayne Bay, Florida, where salinities ranged from <1 to 40. First, regression analyses indicated significant, positive linear relationships with salinity for both L. griseus frequency of occurrence and concentration (density when present). These patterns are inconsistent with physiological expectations of minimizing energetic osmoregulatory costs. Next, the salinity preference and swimming activity of 11 L. griseus (ranging from 18 to 23 cm LT) were investigated using a newly developed electronic shuttlebox system. In the laboratory, fish preferred intermediate salinities in the range of 9–23. Swimming activity (measured in terms of spontaneous swimming speed) followed a parabolic relationship with salinity, with reduced activity at salinity extremes perhaps reflecting compensation for higher osmoregulatory costs. It is suspected that the basis of the discrepancy between laboratory and field observations for size classes at or near maturity ultimately relates to the reproductive imperative to move towards offshore (high‐salinity) coral‐reef habitats, a necessity that probably overrides the strategy of minimizing osmoregulatory energetic costs.
Evolution of an MHC class Ia gene fragment in four North AmericanMoronespecies
Authors: Liu J.‐X. , Ely B.
Published: May 2010

A nucleotide sequence analysis of a fragment of aMoroneMHC class Ia gene detected high levels of polymorphism in striped bassMorone saxatilis, white perchMorone americanaand yellow bassMorone mississippiensis. Extremely low levels of MHC diversity, however, were detected in white bassMorone chrysops, suggesting the possibility of a severe population bottleneck for this species.