bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
6 cmH2O continuous positive airway pressure versus conventional oxygen therapy in severe viral bronchiolitis: A randomized trial
Authors: Milési Christophe , Matecki Stefan , Jaber Samir , Mura Thibaut , Jacquot Aurélien , Pidoux Odile , Chautemps Nathalie , Novais Aline Rideau Batista , Combes Clémentine , Picaud Jean‐Charles , Cambonie Gilles
Published: March 2012

Objective

To compare the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) and conventional oxygen therapy on the clinical signs of respiratory distress and the respiratory muscle workload in acute viral bronchiolitis.

Design

Prospective, randomized, monocentric study carried out in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a university hospital.

Patients

Infants <6 months old, admitted to the PICU with severe respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis.

Intervention

The patients were randomized into two groups for 6 hr. The nCPAP group (n = 10) received 6 cmH2O pressure support delivered by a jet flow generator and the control group (n = 9) received an air/oxygen mixture from a heated humidifier. Respiratory distress was assessed by the modified Wood's clinical asthma score (m‐WCAS), and inspiratory muscle work was evaluated by calculating the pressure–time product per breath (PTPinsp/breath) and per minute (PTPinsp/min) from the esophageal pressure (Pes) recordings.

Measurements and Main Results

Compared with control condition, nCPAP decreased m‐WCAS [−2.4 (1.05) vs. −0.5 (1.3), P = 0.03], PTPesinsp/breath [−9.7 (5.7) vs. −1.4 (8.2), P = 0.04], PTPesinsp/min [−666 (402) vs. −116 (352), P = 0.015], and FiO2 [−7 (10) vs. +5 (15), P = 0.05]. Significant worsening of m‐WCAS was only observed in the control group (4/9 vs. 0/10, P = 0.03).

Conclusions

nCPAP rapidly decreased inspiratory work in young infants with acute bronchiolitis. Improvement in the respiratory distress score at 6 hr was proportional to the initial clinical severity, suggesting the importance of rapid nCPAP initiation in the more severe forms of the disease. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2013; 48:45–51. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nocturnal oxygen saturation in children with stable cystic fibrosis
Authors: van der Giessen Lianne , Bakker Marije , Joosten Koen , Hop Wim , Tiddens Harm
Published: March 2012

Background

Hypoxemia during sleep is a common finding in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients with more advanced lung disease. Nocturnal hypoxemia is associated with frequent awakenings and poor sleep quality. For children with CF, data of nocturnal oxygen saturation are sparse.

Objective

To assess the oxygen saturation profile during sleep in 25 clinically stable children with CF lung disease and to correlate these data with spirometry, cough frequency, sleep quality, and CT‐scan scores.

Method

During two nights cough was recorded with a digital audio recorder in 25 clinically stable CF patients. In addition oxygen saturation was measured. The day following the recording spirometry was carried out. CT scores were obtained from the most recent routine CT scan.

Results

Twenty‐two patients were included in the study. Mean age (range) was 13 (6–18) years. Spirometry was FVC% 84 (range 52–114), FEV1% 77 (range 43–115), and FEF75% 50 (range 12–112). The mean SO2 was 95.6% for the first and 96.2% for the second night. Mean SO2 between the two nights correlated strongly (rs = 0.84, P < 0.001). Positive correlation was observed between mean SO2 of the two nights (mean × SO2) and FVC, FEV1 and FEF75. Correlations were found between mean × SO2 and the total CT score (rs = −0.45, P = 0.05) and the bronchiectasis subscore (rs = −0.48, P = 0.03).

Conclusion

Nocturnal oxygen saturation in children with stable CF is lower than that in healthy children, and is correlated with lung function parameters and CT scores. Monitoring oxygen saturation during one night is sufficient to get a representative recording. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2012. 47:1123–1130. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Interpretation of pediatric lung function: Impact of ethnicity
Authors: Kirkby J. , Bonner R. , Lum S. , Bates P. , Morgan V. , Strunk R.C. , Kirkham F. , Sonnappa S. , Stocks J.
Published: March 2012

Rationale

To evaluate the appropriateness of spirometric and plethysmographic reference equations in healthy young children according to ethnic origin.

Methods

Spirometry data were collated in 400 healthy children (214 Black and 186 White) aged 6–12 years. Of these children, 68 Black and 115 White children also undertook plethysmography. Results were expressed as percent predicted according to commonly used equations for spirometry and plethysmography.

Results

Black children had lower lung function for a given height compared to White children. The magnitude and direction of these differences varied according to specific outcome. In the studied age range (6–12 years) the ethnic‐specific Wang equations were adequate for spirometry (mean results approximating 100% predicted in both ethnic groups). By contrast, significant differences were found between observed and % predicted plethysmographic lung volumes according to published equations derived from White children: Among the Black children, function residual capacity (FRC) and total lung capacity (TLC) were on average, 14 and 6% lower than predicted, whereas mean residual volume (RV) and RV/TLC were 4 and 10% higher. Among White children, the Rosenthal equations gave the best fit, with the exception of FRC which was, on average, 9% lower than predicted.

Conclusion

Spirometry equations may suffice in Black children; however, interpretation of static lung volumes in Black children is limited due to inappropriate reference equations. More appropriate plethysmographic reference equations that are applicable to all ethnic groups across the entire age range are urgently needed. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2013; 48:20–26. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bronchoscopy contributes to the clinical management of indigenous children newly diagnosed with bronchiectasis
Authors: Pizzutto Susan J. , Grimwood Keith , Bauert Paul , Schutz Kobi L. , Yerkovich Stephanie T. , Upham John W. , Chang Anne B.
Published: March 2012

Background

Some pediatric centers perform flexible bronchoscopy (FB) routinely when bronchiectasis is suspected. However, there are no published data evaluating this practice.

Objective

To evaluate the contribution of FB and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) to the initial management of children newly diagnosed with non‐cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis.

Method

We examined FB and BAL data collected prospectively in 56 children aged 0.8–9.8 years during initial investigations for bronchiectasis. Investigations contributed to management if any of the following were identified: (1) airway obstruction requiring additional intervention, (2) lower airway eosinophilia (BAL eosinophils >2.5%), or (3) BAL fluid culture >104 colony‐forming units/ml of a respiratory bacterial pathogen requiring change from usual empiric antibiotics.

Results

Of the 56 children undergoing FB, there were 25 occasions in 23 children where these procedures altered empiric treatment. Lower airway eosinophilia was identified in 19 (34%) children, BAL microbiology results led to antibiotic changes in 5 (9%) and an unsuspected foreign body was found in another (2%). Strongyloides serology was performed in 38 children, including 12 of the 19 with airway eosinophilia, and was positive in 5 of these 12 children (42%).

Conclusion

Contrary to some expert recommendations that FB should only be performed when bronchiectasis is localized, our data suggest that FB with BAL should at least be included in the initial investigations of Indigenous children with non‐CF bronchiectasis. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2013; 48:67–73. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of spray volume on the deposition, viability and infectivity of entomopathogenic nematodes in a foliar spray on vegetables
Authors: Brusselman Eva , Beck Bert , Pollet Sabien , Temmerman Femke , Spanoghe Pieter , Moens Maurice , Nuyttens David
Published: March 2012

BACKGROUND: Spray volume can influence the amount of free water on the leaf surface and subsequently the ability of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) to move. In this study, an investigation was made of the effect of spray volume (548, 730 and 1095 L ha−1) on the deposition, viability and infectivity of EPNs against Galleria mellonella on savoy cabbage, cauliflower and leek.

RESULTS: Increasing spray volume decreased nematode deposition on 7.1 cm2 leek leaf discs at a 15° angle with the spray nozzle. Although the number of living nematodes observed on leek after 240 min of exposure was not significantly different between the low‐volume application (548 L ha−1) and the high‐volume application (1095 L ha−1), a greater infectivity was obtained in the latter application. The higher number of droplets deposited on the leek discs in the high‐volume application may have stimulated nematode movement. No significant effect of spray volume was observed on the relative deposition of Steinernema carpocapsae on the bottom side of cauliflower and savoy cabbage leaf discs. In spite of the low S. carpocapsae deposition on the bottom side of the savoy cabbage discs, high infectivity was obtained against G. mellonella. Using the lowest spray volume on savoy cabbage, infectivity decreased with increasing exposure time, while infectivity was not affected by exposure time when a spray volume of 730 L ha−1 or more was used.

CONCLUSION: Spray volume is an important application parameter, as it affects nematode infectivity. Future research should investigate the effect of spray volume in the field and its influence on the effect of adjuvants. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Potential energy surfaces and properties of ICN− and ICN
Authors: McCoy Anne B.
Published: March 2012

ICN and ICN− have been studied at the MR‐SO‐CISD level of theory with triple‐zeta basis sets for all three atoms. The potential surfaces for the ground states of ICN and ICN− as well as for the first five excited states of ICN− have been generated from the electronic energies, and properties of these states are described. The minimum energy geometry of ICN− is linear, with a local minimum in the INC− geometry. The zero‐point corrected energy difference between these two isomers is 0.38 eV, and they are separated by a 0.5 eV barrier. The I···CN(COM) equilibrium distances are 3.27 and 3.14 Å in the ICN− and INC− geometries, respectively. These values are 0.6 Å larger than the I···CN distances in the corresponding minima in the ICN potential. Likewise, the zero‐point amplitude of both the I···CN stretch and bend are much larger in ICN− than in ICN. This is captured by the calculated anharmonic fundamental frequencies for ICN− of 70 and 235 cm−1 for the bend and stretch, compared to anharmonic frequencies of 302 and 488 cm−1 for the bend and stretch fundamentals in ICN. The frequencies are lowered further in INC− where the bend and stretch fundamentals have frequencies of 59 and 220 cm−1. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Theoretical investigation for the stability of the concave‐bound cyclopentadienyl iron complex of sumanene
Authors: Okumura Mitsutaka , Nakanishi Yasuyuki , Kinoshita Keiji , Yamada Satoru , Kitagawa Yasutaka , Kawakami Takashi , Yamanaka Shunsuke , Amaya Toru , Hirao Toshikazu
Published: March 2012

Recently, Hirao and coworkers have reported the synthesis of cyclopentadienyl iron complexes of sumanene. From their experimental works, it was found that the concave‐bound cyclopentadienyl iron complex of sumanene was only obtained in the crystal prepared. Conversely, theoretical calculations showed the convex‐bound cyclopentadienyl iron complex of sumanene was relatively stable than the concave‐bound one. Thus, there is a confliction between the experimental and theoretical research results. To solve this problem, the density functional theory calculations were carried out for the several types of cyclopentadienyl iron complexes with/without AlCl ion. These calculations suggest that AlCl ion plays an important role for the stabilization of the concave‐bound cyclopentadienyl iron complex of sumanene. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
DFT calculations of the redox potentials for the nitrosyl complexes [Fe2(μ‐RS)2(NO)4] with R = alkyl
Authors: Emel'yanova Nina S. , Shestakov Alexander F. , Sanina Nataliya A.
Published: March 2012

The redox potentials of alkyl substituted Roussin's red esters in tetrahydrofuran and acetonitrile were studied using the density functional theory. The geometry and electronic structures of monoanions of Roussin's red esters [Fe2(μ‐RS)2(NO)4]− (R = Me, Et, i‐Pr, t‐Bu) together with their redox potentials in solutions have been computed using GGA (BP86,PBE, BLYP), meta‐GGA (TPSS), hybrid‐GGA (B3LYP), and meta‐hybrid GGA (BMK, B1B95) combined with 6‐311++G**//6‐31G* and tzvp basis set. The BP86 functional provides excellent agreement with experiment, whereas B3LYP requires some correlation, which makes it possible to estimate the redox potentials of related complexes, intermediate, or unstable. In particular, a redox potential of the complex with R = Ph, a perspective anticancer drug, has been evaluated for several solvents. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Charge transfer in composites “dielectric + metal nanoparticles”: Effect of electric and magnetic fields
Authors: Kozhushner Mortko , Trakhtenberg Leonid
Published: March 2012

Theory of tunneling conductivity in metal‐containing nanocomposites has been developed. Three regimes of charge transport, corresponding to weak, strong, and super‐strong applied electric fields were found to be characterized by different dependences of the nanocomposite's conductivity on the applied electric field and temperature. In the absence of external electric field, the metal nanoparticles become charged due to tunneling jumps between them. In case of weak electric field, the statistical distribution of positive and negative charges on nanoparticles is in quasi‐equilibrium, and these charges make the dominant contribution to the charge transport. In the opposite case of strong and super‐strong electric fields, the charge transfer consists of jumps of the electrons between neutral adjacent nanoparticles. In the strong field case, once the charges are created, they jump along or against electric field thus creating cumulative elementary charge displacement. The distribution of interparticle distances is derived based on distribution of their radii. This allows us to calculate the total tunneling current through the composite film as the function of the temperature and concentration of the nanoparticles. The magnetoresistance of ferromagnetic nanocomposites was found to be the same in cases of weak and super‐strong electric fields, but differs from that in the strong field. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Extremal subgraphs of random graphs
Authors: Brightwell Graham , Panagiotou Konstantinos , Steger Angelika
Published: March 2012

We prove that there is a constant c > 0, such that whenever p ≥ n‐c, with probability tending to 1 when n goes to infinity, every maximum triangle‐free subgraph of the random graph Gn,p is bipartite. This answers a question of Babai, Simonovits and Spencer (Babai et al., J Graph Theory 14 (1990) 599–622). The proof is based on a tool of independent interest: we show, for instance, that the maximum cut of almost all graphs with M edges, where M ≫ n and M ≤
$(\matrix{ n \cr 2 \cr } )$
/2, is “nearly unique”. More precisely, given a maximum cut C of Gn,M, we can obtain all maximum cuts by moving at most \documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs, amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}\mathcal{O}(\sqrt{n^3/M})\end{align*}\end{document}
vertices between the parts of C. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2012
Optical Nanomanipulations of Malignant Cells: Controlled Cell Damage and Fusion
Authors: Minai Limor , Yeheskely‐Hayon Daniella , Golan Lior , Bisker Gili , Dann Eldad J. , Yelin Dvir
Published: March 2012

Specifically targeting and manipulating living cells is a key challenge in biomedicine and in cancer research in particular. Several studies have shown that nanoparticles irradiated by intense lasers are capable of conveying damage to nearby cells for various therapeutic and biological applications. In this work ultrashort laser pulses and gold nanospheres are used for the generation of localized, nanometric disruptions on the membranes of specifically targeted cells. The high structural stability of the nanospheres and the resonance pulse irradiation allow effective means for controlling the induced nanometric effects. The technique is demonstrated by inducing desired death mechanisms in epidermoid carcinoma and Burkitt lymphoma cells, and initiating efficient cell fusion between various cell types. Main advantages of the presented approach include low toxicity, high specificity, and high flexibility in the regulation of cell damage and cell fusion, which would allow it to play an important role in various future clinical and scientific applications.
PHANtom: a modern aspect language for Pharo Smalltalk
Authors: Fabry Johan , Galdames Daniel
Published: March 2012

In the context of our research on Aspect‐Oriented Programming, we have a need for a modern and powerful aspect language for Smalltalk. Current aspect languages for Smalltalk however fall short on various points. To address this deficit, we elected to design and build PHANtom: a modern aspect language for Pharo Smalltalk. PHANtom is designed to be an aspect language in the spirit of Smalltalk: dynamic, simple, and powerful. PHANtom is a modern aspect language because it incorporates the best features of languages that precede it, includes recent research results in aspect interactions and reentrancy control, and is designed from the onset to be optimized and compiled where possible. In this paper, we present the latest version of the language and give examples and patterns of use. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Grain Size and Grain Orientation on Dislocations Structure in Tensile Strained TWIP Steel During Initial Stages of Deformation
Authors: Dini Ghasem , Ueji Rintaro
Published: March 2012

The effects of grain size and grain orientation on substructure in Fe–31Mn–3Al–3Si TWIP steel at a true strain of 0.06 were investigated. The results of the TEM observations indicated that where the grain size was 18.4 µm, the dislocations structure showed orientation dependence so that the mixture of both planar and tangled dislocations structure can be found in the deformed structure before the mechanical twinning initiation. Regardless of the grain orientation, however, the dislocation entanglements were mainly observed in the case of 2.1 µm grain size. Additionally, the reason for the suppression of the mechanical twinning as a result of the grain refinement at higher strains was described by the change of dislocations structure during initial stages of deformation.
Parallel mutation testing
Authors: Mateo Pedro Reales , Usaola Macario Polo
Published: March 2012

Despite the existing techniques to reduce the costs of mutation analysis, the computational cost to apply mutation testing with large applications can be very high. One effective technique to improve the efficiency of mutation without losing effectiveness is parallel execution, where mutants and tests are executed in parallel processors, reducing the total time needed to perform mutation analysis. This paper presents a study of this technique adapted to current technologies. Five algorithms to execute mutants in parallel are analysed with three studies that use different network configurations and different number of processors with diverse characteristics. The experiments are performed with Bacterio P, a tool that is also presented. Unlike previous studies about parallel mutant execution, which date from the mid‐1990s, in the studies in this paper, the communication time in parallel systems no longer acts as a bottleneck. Thus, dynamic strategies, which require more communication, combined with other mutant cost reduction techniques, are the best strategies to run mutants in parallel.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Extracting human mobility and social behavior from location‐aware traces
Authors: Zignani Matteo , Gaito Sabrina , Rossi Gianpaolo
Published: March 2012

The concepts of location and community are rapidly becoming key points in the design of new communication paradigms and in deploying emerging mobile computing services. The need of reliable and quantitative knowledge and predictions of some relevant information, such as which locations are enjoyed by people in their daily lives and how people aggregate within communities, advocates a realistic mobility model able to describe both the human mobility throughout locations and the human attitude to socialize within communities. Unfortunately, so far, neither the concept of location nor the concept of community has been univocally defined. In this paper, we approach the problem from the most basic of starting points, namely by analyzing the real Global Positioning System datasets of human mobility traces. On this elementary basis, the paper provides a few relevant contributions. We firstly derive a deep understanding of the term “location” and at the same time of the notion of community strictly related to it. Secondly, we merge the two concepts into what we call geo‐community. By proceeding from real spatial data rather than from a priori reasonings, we are able to quantitatively describe geo‐communities and infer the probability distributions of all the features of human behavior. Finally, not to lose social implications, we present the method to derive people sociality from geo‐communities. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Offshore wind farm electrical design: a review
Authors: Lumbreras S. , Ramos A.
Published: March 2012

Wind energy will be indispensable as Europe advances towards a low carbon energy future. Offshore locations in the North and Baltic seas are expected to host large arrays of wind farms that plan to export formidable amounts of electricity to the continent. The design of such plants is an intricate task where the electrical layout plays a crucial role. This complexity calls for the use of advanced optimization tools to support investment and operation decisions. This paper reviews the main approaches already developed in the literature and discusses their implications. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Wind turbine performance in shear flow and in the wake of another turbine through high fidelity numerical simulations with moving mesh technique
Authors: Seydel Joseph , Aliseda Alberto
Published: March 2012

We present numerical simulations of two horizontal axis wind turbines, one operating under the wake of the other, under an incoming sheared velocity profile. We use a moving mesh technique to represent the rotation of the turbine blades and solve the unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations with a shear stress transport k − ω turbulence model. Temporal evolution of the lift and drag coefficients of the front turbine show a phase shift in the periodic cycle due to the non‐uniform incoming free stream velocity. Comparisons of the lift and drag coefficients for the back turbine with the unperturbed behaviour of the front demonstrate the complex non‐linear interactions of the blades with the wake, with a significant decrease in overall performance and two peaks at specific points in the cycle associated with local angle of attack modification in the wake. The vorticity field in the near wake shows tilting of the vortex lines in the wake due to the shear and a faster diffusion of the tip vortical signature compared with the uniform free stream velocity case. Observations of the wake–wake interaction show good agreement with recent studies that use different methodologies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A novel xylanase with tolerance to ethanol, salt, protease, SDS, heat, and alkali from actinomycete Lechevalieria sp. HJ3
Authors: Zhou Junpei , Gao Yajie , Dong Yanyan , Tang Xianghua , Li Junjun , Xu Bo , Mu Yuelin , Wu Qian , Huang Zunxi
Published: March 2012

A xylanase-coding gene (xynAHJ3, 1,104 bp) was cloned from Lechevalieria sp. HJ3 harbored in a saline soil sampled from Heijing town, aka the “town of salt”, on the famous “Silk Route of the South”. The gene encodes a 367-residue polypeptide (XynAHJ3) with the highest identity of 74.0 % with the endoxylanase from Streptomyces thermocarboxydus HY-15. The coding sequence of the mature protein (without the predicted signal peptide from M1 to S22) of xynAHJ3 was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The activity of the purified recombinant XynAHJ3 (rXynAHJ3) was apparently optimal at 70 °C and pH 6.0, retained greater than 55 % xylanase activity at a concentration of 0.2–2.0 M Na+ and 26 % at 4.0 M Na+ (pH 7.5 20 °C), and showed 110.2 and 44.2 % xylanase activities in the presence of 100 mM SDS (pH 6.0 37 °C) and 10 % ethanol (pH 5.0 37 °C), respectively. rXynAHJ3 activity was stable at 50 °C and pH 4.0–11.0 for more than 60 min, in trypsin or proteinase K at 20 °C for 24 h (pH 7.5), in 10 % ethanol (v/v) (pH 5.0) at 30 or 37 °C for 72 h, in 80 % ethanol (v/v) for 1 h, and in 0.6 or 3 M NaCl (20 °C, pH 7.5) for 72 h. Compared with the majority of xylanases with tolerance to ethanol, salt, SDS, or protease (K  m values of 1.42–15.1 mg ml−1), rXynAHJ3 showed a low K  m value (0.8 mg ml−1) and showed only limited amino acid sequence identity with those other xylanases (less than 47 %).
Red recombinase assisted gene replacement in Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Wei Dong , Wang Min , Shi Jiping , Hao Jian
Published: March 2012

The Red recombinase system, the most convenient genetic tool applied in Escherichia coli and other bacteria, was introduced for gene replacement in Klebsiella pneumoniae. The novel K. pneumoniae gene replacement system comprised the Red and FLP recombinases expression vector pDK6-red and pDK6-flp, and linear DNA fragments which encompassed a selective marker gene with target gene flanking extensions; the latter were PCR amplified using a plasmid DNA template obtained by in vivo recombination in E. coli. In this study, dhak1 gene, encoding a subunit of dihydroxyacetone kinase II, was deleted markerlessly at a transformation ratio of 260 CFU/μg DNA, i.e., 1,000-fold higher than that achieved in the native way. Our studies provide an efficient method with detailed protocol to perform gene replacement in K. pneumoniae and has great potential to be developed as a routine genetic approach for this important industrial microorganism.
Grape antioxidant dietary fibre prevents mitochondrial apoptotic pathways by enhancing Bcl-2 and Bcl-xLexpression and minimising oxidative stress in rat distal colonic mucosa
Authors: López-Oliva María Elvira , Pozuelo María José , Rotger Rafael , Muñoz-Martínez Emilia , Goñi Isabel
Published: March 2012

Grape antioxidant dietary fibre (GADF) is a grape product rich in dietary fibre and natural antioxidants. We reported previously that GADF intake reduced apoptosis and induced a pro-reducing shift in the glutathione (GSH) redox status of the rat proximal colonic mucosa. The aim of the study was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms responsible for the anti-apoptotic effect of GADF and their association with the oxidative environment of the distal colonic mucosa. The ability of GADF to modify colonic crypt cell proliferation was also investigated. Male Wistar rats (n20) were fed with diets containing either cellulose (control group) or GADF (GADF group) as fibre for 4 weeks. GADF did not modify cell proliferation but induced a significant reduction of colonic apoptosis. The anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma-2) and Bcl-xL(B-cell lymphoma extra large) were up-regulated in the mitochondria and down-regulated in the cytosol of the GADF mucosa, whereas the opposite was found for the pro-apoptotic protein Bax (Bcl-2-associated X protein), leading to an anti-apoptotic shift in the pattern of expression of the Bcl-2 family. Cytosolic cytochromecand cleaved caspase-3 levels and caspase-3 activity were reduced by GADF. The modulation of the antioxidant enzyme system and the increase of the cytosolic GSH:glutathione disulfide (GSSG) ratio elicited by GADF helped to reduce oxidative damage. The cytosolic GSH:GSSG ratio was negatively related to apoptosis. These results indicate that GADF acts on the expression of the pro- and anti- apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins, attenuating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in the distal colonic mucosa. This effect appears to be associated with the antioxidant properties of GADF.
Betaine reduces the expression of inflammatory adipokines caused by hypoxia in human adipocytes
Authors: Olli K. , Lahtinen S. , Rautonen N. , Tiihonen K.
Published: March 2012

Obesity is characterised by a state of chronic low-grade inflammation and the elevated circulating and tissue levels of inflammatory markers, including inflammation-related adipokines, released from white adipose tissue. The expression and release of these adipokines generally rises as the adipose tissue expands and hypoxic conditions start to develop within the tissue. Here, the effect of betaine, a trimethylglycine having a biological role as an osmolyte and a methyl donor, on the expression of inflammation-related markers was tested in human adipocytes under hypoxia. Differentiated adipocytes were cultivated under low (1 %) oxygen tension for 8–20 h. The expression of different adipokines, including IL-6, leptin, PPARγ, TNF-α and adiponectin, was measured by quantitative PCR by determining the relative mRNA level from the adipocytes. Hypoxia, in general, led to a decrease in the expression of PPARγ mRNA in human adipocytes, whereas the expression levels of leptin and IL-6 mRNA were substantially increased by hypoxia. The cultivation of adipocytes under hypoxia also led to a reduction in the expression of TNF-α mRNA. The results showed that hypoxia increased the relative quantification of leptin gene transcription, and that betaine (250 μmol/l) reduced this effect, caused by low oxygen conditions. Under hypoxia, betaine also reduced the mRNA level of the pro-inflammatory markers IL-6 and TNF-α. These results demonstrate that the extensive changes in the expression of inflammation-related adipokines in human adipocytes caused by hypoxia can be diminished by the presence of physiologically relevant concentrations of betaine.
Immigration and the Human Rights Discourse: The Universality of Human Rights and the Relevance of States and of Numbers
Authors: Gavison Ruth
Published: March 2012

The main thesis of this Article is that the tendency to sweepingly use the human rights discourse in immigration contexts may be misguided. Moreover, the expansion of the human rights discourse beyond its natural and critical scope may have negative results and encourage states to act in ways that may harm important interests of immigrants. The unsuitability of applying human rights discourse to many of the core issues of immigration policy derives from three main reasons: First, is the immanent tension between the moral claims that rights are universal and apply to all individuals, and the fact that actual protection of human rights is the primary responsibility of states. Second, is the related distinction between the basic recognition of a human right and the processes of identifying the nature and scope of the duties such recognition involves. Third, are the institutional implications of choosing between the human rights discourse and discussion of policy questions. Issues determined by rights that have already been regulated can and should ordinarily be decided by independent courts; while issues of policy, especially ones that involve extensive enforcement and administrative structures, should be debated, resolved, and implemented by political players. While there are important aspects of immigration that do belong to core human rights in the strongest sense, most typical immigration issues are not, at this stage, matters of universal human rights.
The Rights Discourse and the Obligation of States to Admit Immigrants
Authors: Gans Chaim
Published: March 2012

I argue in this Article that states have two types of moral duties with regard to their intake of immigrants. First, they have a duty to accept quotas of immigrants who have no individual rights to entrance prior to the determination of specific immigration criteria applicable in their case. Second, they have a duty to admit immigrants who are entitled to enter as individuals, namely, refugees and immigrants, who wish to enter the state for family reunification. However, under certain conditions, states could be justified in limiting the entrance of refugees and family reunification immigrants, who might eventually be eligible for naturalization by means of various qualifications and even quotas.

Initially, I defend the complex thesis stated above by rejecting two positions supported by contemporary liberal immigration theorists. One position advocates a cosmopolitan human right to immigration, namely, every single individual's right to immigrate into any country of his/her choosing. The other position claims that states have a universal right to lock their gates to immigration. Finally, I argue for the middle-ground position stated above.
Joining the Jewish People: Non-Jewish Immigrants from the Former USSR, Israeli Identity and Jewish Peoplehood
Authors: Yakobson Alexander
Published: March 2012

The Law of Return grants every Jew the right to immigrate to Israel; this also applies to non-Jewish relatives of Jews. The Citizenship Law grants every such “returnee” automatic citizenship. The wave of immigration from the former Soviet Union in the 90s brought a large number of immigrants not considered Jewish under the definition accepted in Israel. Is this large group of Israeli citizens—who do not, at least formally, belong to the Jewish people—an emerging second substantial national minority in Israel? This Article argues that regardless of formal definitions based on Orthodox religious law under which a religious conversion is the only way for a non-Jew to become Jewish, these immigrants, through their successful social and cultural integration in the Hebrew-speaking Jewish society in Israel, are joining, de facto, the Jewish people. It is no longer true that religious conversion is the only way to join the Jewish people.
Rules and Standards in the Application of International Humanitarian Law
Authors: Cohen Amichai
Published: March 2012

Many scholars have written about the changes in international law in recent years. Many have seen this change in the environment of international humanitarian law as a result of greater application of human rights in this area of law (IHL). This Article approaches the changes in international humanitarian law from a different perspective, that of law and economics.

The main claim in this Article is that recent changes in international humanitarian law can be seen as a change from a rule based normative system, to a standard based one. The difference between a rule system and a standard system rests not in the complexity of the norms, but by whom and when changes are made. In a rule—decisions are made before the fact, and in a standard—decisions are made after the fact. This Article then evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of this move from rules to standards, and offers observations and future avenues of research.
Two Sides of the Same Coin?: Democracy and International Human Rights
Authors: Steiner Henry J.
Published: March 2012

The Article explores relationships between contemporary international human rights and democracy. In what respects are they two sides of the same coin, in what respects are they different coins? Do they depend on and complete each other? Can the two be in contradiction? The Article looks at these questions from several perspectives, including their historical connections, the changing definitions and understandings of each, their functional links, their determinacy, and their character as universal phenomena. It also indicates ways in which courts, which have long interpreted and applied human rights, now also reach decisions about constitutional issues by drawing on their conception of democracy.
A Skeptical View of Deference to the Executive in Times of Crisis
Authors: Ni Aoláin Fionnuala , Gross Oren
Published: March 2012

In times of crisis there is an unmistakable tendency to augment and extend the powers of the executive branch. This centralizing tendency has been exhibited in numerous legal systems and through varied kinds of crisis. More recently, similar trends have been much in evidence in the United States, and a corresponding academic discourse defending and extolling the virtues of such augmentation has emerged. This Article is skeptical of the virtues of such advice and its ultimate policy benefits. We assert that there are substantial dangers to the centralization of crisis powers in times of emergency. These tendencies hold particular perils for the democratic state. Moreover, the rush to create or cement decision and review making hierarchies can be antithetical to the project of utilizing the strengths of rule of law based societies to respond to the challenges posed by violent actors. The purported benefits of excluding, or at best sidelining, the courts from review of executive actions of crisis regulation are particularly ill-conceived. Such proposals consistently fail to engage with the importance of across-the-board institutional legal engagement with state action in times of crisis. The success and value of such engagement cannot be measured from the crisis vantage point. Rather it requires an assessment beyond the moment of exception, factoring in a return to normalcy and the impact on law and legal institutions in the post-crisis phase. We assert that scholars advocating for exclusive executive supremacy in times of crisis fail to measure the harms that may be caused by inept or illegal state action, not only as experienced by individual victims but to the broader project of discouraging and dissuading the resort to group based violence.
Toward Participatory Equality: Protecting Minority Rights under International Law
Authors: Jabareen Yousef T.
Published: March 2012

The principal claim made by this Article is that the realization of full and effective equality for all citizens and residents within a multi-ethnic state requires “participatory equality.” Creating a system of participatory equality entails, for most states, making drastic and fundamental changes to the state's legal system, public spaces, social and economic structures, and funding and space provided for ethnic, cultural, and religious institutions; however, this type of transformation is the only means of respecting human dignity and ensuring peace. This claim is first made as a normative moral claim based on principles of justice and dignity; as this Paper will show, a broad and effective interpretation of international law concerning minority rights supports the same normative claim.

This Article first reviews existing international law and other legal frameworks regarding national minority rights, including discussions of the specific case of indigenous peoples'rights and the intersection between individual and collective rights. The bulk of the Paper proposes a universal model, building upon existing legal frameworks, for building participatory equality for all members of a society, which requires the full and equal sharing of its resources in three primary domains: the public, the internal, and the historical domain. The need for such a model is all the more so for indigenous and minority groups of substantial size living under systems that cater to a majority based on ethnicity, religion, race or other dominant traits. Only when a nation's legal system secures the rights of all citizens to share equally in all of these domains can that nation fulfill the purpose of international minority rights legal bodies and deliver substantive equality to majority and minority concerns, both in law and practice.
Constitutional Rights and their Relationship with International Human Rights in Ghana
Authors: Kludze A. Kodzo Paaku
Published: March 2012

Particularly in developing nations, the movement has been toward the articulation of elaborate provisions in constitutions which guarantee the basic human and peoples' rights of the citizenry. In many cases these are reflections of the immediate past history of the young nations which were strewn with ugly spectacles of dictatorships on their path to democracy. The history of Ghana is unfortunately an illustrative example. The Ghana Independence Constitution of 1957—a very brief document—was brief to a fault and bereft of any provision for human rights. It is clear that the experience of years of abuse of human, political, and civil rights in Ghana explains many of the current constitutional guarantees of basic rights spelt out in the 1992 Constitution in order to protect citizens against future abuses.

In the past, treaty obligations under municipal laws of Ghana were such that even ratification of human rights treaties did not directly confer enforceable legal rights in the domestic courts of Ghana and implementing legislation was necessary to make a treaty right justiciable. In the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, as well as others, are entrenched as constitutional provisions, are to be interpreted as such, and enforceable under the laws of Ghana. To the extent that drafters of the Ghana Constitution relied on the principles of the international human rights law enshrined in treaties and declarations, there are many similarities between the domestic law and some principles of international human rights law.
Complementing Occupation Law? Selective Judicial Treatment of the Suitability of Human Rights Norms
Authors: Wilde Ralph
Published: March 2012

This Article offers a critical evaluation of the treatment of the suitability of applying human rights law to occupation situations offered by the English House of Lords in the Al-Skeini judgment of 2007. Al-Skeini concerned the application of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to the United Kingdom in Iraq. In the decision, the majority asserted that the application of human rights law would amount to a form of “imperialism” in requiring an occupying State to impose culturally inappropriate norms in occupied territory. They also found that its application would undermine the status quo norm contained in occupation law, by obliging an occupying State to transform the legal system in occupied territory in order to bring it in line with the human rights standards in play. This Article argues that these two assertions are based on a mistaken understanding of the substantive meaning of human rights obligations in occupation situations, and the effect on this meaning of the interface with other areas of international law. It is suggested that the fear of “human rights imperialism” is, as articulated here, misconceived; that applying human rights law to occupation situations may not actually involve breaching the law of occupation; and that in any case a more sophisticated approach to the question of clashes in normative regimes needs to be adopted.
The Law Applicable to Non-Occupied Gaza: A Comment on Bassiouni v. The Prime Minister of Israel
Authors: Shany Yuval
Published: March 2012

Although Israel no longer effectively controls Gaza, Israel's overwhelming physical dominance over Gaza, coupled with the historical links of dependence, were likely central to the balancing formula applied by the High Court of Justice inBassiouni v. The Prime Minister.The proposed solution—Israel assumes obligations that go beyond the requirements of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in situations of siege but that fall short of the requirements applicable in situations of occupation—is the “basic humanitarian needs” standard.

The main weakness of the Court's decision is not the final outcome it prescribes but the underdeveloped legal analysis of the alternative grounds for imposing obligations on the Israel. This unnecessarily complicates attempts to grasp the full implications of the decision and to identify its precedential value. However, the judgment should be viewed as endorsing the need to step outside IHL and look for additional legal norms governing humanitarian interests which may reflect our moral sensibilities and contemporary needs in a more appropriate manner than the traditional rules of IHL.
Cost-Benefit Analysis and National Emergencies: A Review of Richard Posner'sNot a Suicide Pact
Authors: Harel Alon
Published: March 2012

In a short book and in his contribution to this volume, Richard Posner articulates his vision concerning the most talked about subject in today's legal world: the legal treatment of terrorism. I deliberately say the most talked about subject in today's legal world, rather than the most urgent or important subject because I do not share the conviction that terrorism is a major threat to the U.S. or to the West. I believe that in fifty years historians will look at our era in a way similar to the way we look at the destructive global hysteria which led to the First World War. Of course I immediately concede that neither my view nor, if I may add, Posner's view on the matter, is particularly indicative of the future. People, including geniuses, seem to be notoriously bad at distinguishing between real and unreal risks, and the worst is that even time will never tell us whether the risks we face now are real or imaginary but only whether they materialized or not. So if we meet in fifty years to discuss the issue, we could continue the debate whether the risks posed by terrorism were indeed real, irrespective of what happened in the world.
Balancing, Judicial Review, and Disobedience: Comments on Richard Posner's Analysis of Anti-Terror Measures (Not a Suicide Pact)
Authors: Segev Re'em
Published: March 2012

The general assumption that underlines Richard Posner's argument in his bookNot a Suicide Pactis that decisions concerning rights and security in the context of modern terrorism should be made by balancing competing interests. This assumption is obviously correct if one refers to the most rudimentary sense of balancing, namely, the idea that normative decisions should be made in light of the importance of the relevant values and considerations. However, Posner advocates a more specific conception of balancing, both substantively and institutionally. Substantiality, he argues for balancing based on a consequential moral theory that rejects the ideas of deontological rights and particularly absolute or very weighty deontological rights. More specifically, it seems that Posner assumes a utilitarian theory that also rejects intrinsic concern for distributive justice. Institutionally, Posner argues that this method of reasoning should be adopted by judges when interpreting the Constitution. These substantive and institutional background assumptions are of course controversial, but I do not dispute them in this Article. My critique concerns Posner's conclusions based on these assumptions. Posner's main claim is that given the magnitude of the danger of modern terrorism, even a small probability that an act of terror may occur justifies extreme anti-terror measures.