bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hormonal Responses to a Fast-Food Meal Compared with Nutritionally Comparable Meals of Different Composition
Authors: Bray George A. , Most Marlene , Rood Jennifer , Redmann Stephen , Smith Steven R.
Published: May 2007

Background: Fast food is consumed in large quantities each day. Whether there are differences in the acute metabolic response to these meals as compared to ‘healthy’ meals with similar composition is unknown. Design: Three-way crossover. Methods: Six overweight men were given a standard breakfast at 8:00 a.m. on each of 3 occasions, followed by 1 of 3 lunches at noon. The 3 lunches included: (1) a fast-food meal consisting of a burger, French fries and root beer sweetened with high fructose corn syrup; (2) an organic beef meal prepared with organic foods and a root beer containing sucrose, and (3) a turkey meal consisting of a turkey sandwich and granola made with organic foods and an organic orange juice. Glucose, insulin, free fatty acids, ghrelin, leptin, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were measured at 30-min intervals over 6 h. Salivary cortisol was measured after lunch. Results: Total fat, protein and energy content were similar in the 3 meals, but the fatty acid content differed. The fast-food meal had more myristic (C14:0), palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0) and trans fatty acids (C18:1) than the other 2 meals. The pattern of nutrient and hormonal response was similar for a given subject to each of the 3 meals. The only statistically significant acute difference observed was a decrease in the AUC of LDL cholesterol after the organic beef meal relative to that for the other two meals. Other metabolic responses were not different. Conclusion: LDL-cholesterol decreased more with the organic beef meal which had lesser amounts of saturated and trans fatty acids than in the fast-food beef meal.
Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Thyroid Hormone Function
Authors: Maxwell Christy , Volpe Stella Lucia
Published: May 2007

Background/Aims: Zinc is crucial for proper thyroid hormone metabolism; zinc deficiency may result in decreased thyroid hormone levels and resting metabolic rate (RMR). The purpose of this investigation was to assess the effects of zinc supplementation on plasma zinc, serum ferritin, plasma total triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), serum free T3 and T4, and thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations, and RMR in zinc-deficient, physically active women. Methods: Two zinc-deficient female college students (ZD1 and ZD2) were supplemented with 26.4 mg/day of zinc (as zinc gluconate), and the above parameters were analyzed at 0, 2 and 4 months. Results: Zinc deficiency was clinically corrected in both subjects, while serum ferritin concentration declined to classify both subjects as borderline iron deficient (ZD1 = 15.3 and ZD2 = 15.3 ng/ml at 4 months). At 4 months, total T3 concentrations increased in ZD1, while all thyroid hormone concentrations increased in ZD2. RMR increased in both subjects by 4 months. Conclusion: Zinc supplementation appeared to be directly responsible for the increase in plasma zinc and decline in serum ferritin concentrations in both subjects. Zinc supplementation appeared to have a favorable effect on thyroid hormone levels, particularly total T3, and RMR.
Perimetric Study in Basilar Impression
Authors: Bareš L.
Published: May 2007

The visual fields of 107 subjects out of a group of 183 patients with a tomographically verified basilar impression have been examined. Visual field findings were divided into 3 groups (incomplete hemianopia, concentrically narrowed visual fields, marginal scotomata) and compared with EEG and radiologic findings.
Flexion Contractures in Addison's Disease
Authors: Almog Ch. , Menachem S.
Published: May 2007

Acase of Addison''s disease with a specific pattern of muscular contractures has been described. The neuromuscular condition worsened concomitantly with the appearance of an Addisonian crisis. A marked improvement occurred immediately after the administration of glucocorticosteroids. The mechanisms underlying these phenomena were discussed.
Measurement of Unit Activity in Various Systems of the Brain Postoperatively A Preliminary Study
Authors: Marg E. , Chow R. , Perkins R.K. , Olsen E.R. , Wilson C.B.
Published: May 2007

Recording from single neurons in the human brain after head trauma was done through hair-like microelectrodes implanted during therapeutic operation. Types of responses were: (1) no unit activity; (2) unit activity in a random-like sequence; (3) multi-unit activity in synchronous rhythmic bursts and (4) unit activity at a more or less constant frequency. The method described here could be extended for use in any brain lesion where direct and quantitative postoperative information about the function of different neuronal populations is desired. This extremely sensitive test of neuronal function may be valuable in evaluating cerebral dysfunction in various clinical states, and as an indicator of imminent death. The latter assumes practical importance in patients who are potential donors of organs for transplantation. Continued research should confirm the value of this procedure.
Electroretinograms and Electroencephalograms in Laurence-Moon-Bardet-Biedl Syndrome
Authors: Stănescu Bianca , Wawernia E.
Published: May 2007

Our data confirm the existence of ERG and EEG impairment in LMBB syndrome and demonstrate that the ERG presents anomalies, but it is not absent. The EEG anomalies are nonspecific.
The Brain Locus of Interaction between Number and Size: A Combined Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Event-related Potential Study
Authors: Kadosh Roi Cohen , Kadosh Kathrin Cohen , Linden David E. J. , Gevers Wim , Berger Andrea , Henik Avishai
Published: May 2007

Whether the human brain is equipped with a special neural substrate for numbers, or rather with a common neural substrate for processing of several types of magnitudes, has been the topic of a long-standing debate. The present study addressed this question by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and event-related potentials (ERPs) together with the size-congruity paradigm, a Stroop-like task in which numerical values and physical sizes were varied independently. In the fMRI experiment, a region-of-interest analysis of the primary motor cortex revealed interference effects in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the response hand, indicating that the stimulus-stimulus conflict between numerical and physical magnitude is not completely resolved until response initiation. This result supports the assumption of distinct comparison mechanisms for physical size and numerical value. In the ERP experiment, the cognitive load was manipulated in order to probe the degree to which information processing is shared across cognitive systems. As in the fMRI experiment, we found that the stimulus-stimulus conflict between numerical and physical magnitude is not completely resolved until response initiation. However, such late interaction was found only in the low cognitive load condition. In contrast, in the high load condition, physical and numerical dimensions interacted only at the comparison stage. We concluded that the processing of magnitude can be subserved by shared or distinct neural substrates, depending on task requirements.
Impacts of El Niño and La Niña on the U.S. Climate during Northern Summer
Authors: Wang Zhuo , Chang C-P. , Wang Bin
Published: May 2007

The impacts of El Niño and La Niña on the U.S. climate during northern summer are analyzed separately. Composite analyses reveal that a continental-scale anomalous high dominates over most of North America during La Niña events and leads to hot and dry summers over the central United States. However, the impacts of El Niño over North America are weaker and more variable.

A linear barotropic model is used to explore the maintenance of the anomalous patterns. Various forcing terms derived from observations via a single-level vorticity budget analysis are used to drive the model. When the barotropic model is driven by the total forcing (Rossby wave source plus transient eddy forcing plus nonlinear interactions), the model simulations resemble the observed patterns, and a strong and extensive anticyclone is reproduced in the La Niña simulation. The model responses to the individual forcing terms suggested that the vorticity stretching term ( fD) and the transient eddy forcing contribute most to the responses over North America. The stretching term ( fD) excites a low in the El Niño simulation and a high in the La Niña simulation over North America. However, the transient eddy forcing favors an anomalous high over North America in both El Niño and La Niña simulations, such that it weakens the El Niño pattern and strengthens the La Niña pattern.
An Estimate of the Sampling Error Variance of the Gridded GHCN Monthly Surface Air Temperature Data
Authors: Shen S. S. P. , Yin H. , Smith T. M.
Published: May 2007

The sampling error variances of the 5° × 5° Global Historical Climatological Network (GHCN) monthly surface air temperature data are estimated from January 1851 to December 2001. For each GHCN grid box and for each month in the above time interval, an error variance is computed. The authors’ error estimation is determined by two parameters: the spatial variance and a correlation factor determined by using a regression. The error estimation procedures have the following steps. First, for a given month for each grid box with at least four station anomalies, the spatial variance of the grid box’s temperature anomaly, σ̂2s, is calculated by using a 5-yr moving time window (MTW). Second, for each grid box with at least four stations, a regression is applied to find a correlation factor, αs, in the same 5-yr MTW. Third, spatial interpolation is used to fill the spatial variance and the correlation factor in grid boxes with less than four stations. Fourth, the sampling error variance is calculated by using the formula E2 = αsσ̂2s/N, where N is the total number of observations for the grid box in the given month. The two parameters of the authors’ error estimation are compared with those of the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit for the decadal data. The comparison shows a close agreement of the parameters’ values for decadal data. An advantage of this new method is the generation of monthly error estimates. The authors’ error product will be available at the U.S. National Climatic Data Center.
Extratropical Atmospheric Response to Equatorial Atlantic Cold Tongue Anomalies
Authors: Haarsma Reindert J. , Hazeleger Wilco
Published: May 2007

The extratropical atmospheric response to the equatorial cold tongue mode in the Atlantic Ocean has been investigated with the coupled ocean–atmosphere model, Speedy Ocean (SPEEDO). Similar to the observations, the model simulates a lagged covariability between the equatorial cold tongue mode during late boreal summer and the east Atlantic pattern a few months later in early winter. The equatorial cold tongue mode attains its maximum amplitude during late boreal summer. However, only a few months later, when the ITCZ has moved southward, it is able to induce a significant upper-tropospheric divergence that is able to force a Rossby wave response. The lagged covariability is therefore the result of the persistence of the cold tongue anomaly and a favorable tropical atmospheric circulation a few months later. The Rossby wave energy is trapped in the South Asian subtropical jet and propagates circumglobally before it reaches the North Atlantic. Due to the local increase of the Hadley circulation, forced by the cold tongue anomaly, the subtropical jet over the North Atlantic is enhanced. The resulting increase in the vertical shear of the zonal wind increases the baroclinicity over the North Atlantic. This causes the nonlinear growth of the anomalies due to transient eddy feedbacks to be largest over the North Atlantic, resulting in an enhanced response over that region.
The different roles of cyclinD1-CDK4 in STP and mGluR-LTD during the postnatal development in mice hippocampus area CA1
Authors: Li Chenchen , Li Xinmei , Chen Weiheng , Yu Shanshan , Chen Jutao , Wang Huili , Ruan Diyun
Published: May 2007

Background

Cell-cycle-related proteins, such as cyclins or cyclin-dependent kinases, may have functions beyond that of cell cycle regulation. The expression and translocation of cyclinD1-CDK4 in post-mitotic neurons indicate that they may have supplementary functions in differentiated neurons that might be associated with neuronal plasticity.

Results

In the present study, our findings showed that the expression of CDK4 was localized mostly in nuclei and cytoplasm of pyramidal cells of CA1 at postnatal day 10 (P10); whereas at P28 staining of CDK4 could be detected predominantly in the cytoplasm but not nuclei. Basal synaptic transmission was normal in the presence of CDK4 inhibitor. Short-term synaptic plasticity (STP) was impaired in CDK4 inhibitor pre-treated slices both from neonatal (P8-15) and adolescent (P21-35) animals; however there was no significant change in paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) in slices pre-incubated with the CDK4 inhibitor from adolescent animals. By the treatment of CDK4 inhibitor, the induction or the maintenance of Long-term potentiation (LTP) in response to a strong tetanus and NMDA receptor-dependent long-term depression (LTD) were normal in hippocampus. However, long-term depression (LTD) induced either by group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) agonist or by paired-pulse low-frequency stimulation (PP-LFS) was impaired in CDK4 inhibitor pretreated slices both from neonatal and adolescent animals. But the effects of the CDK4 inhibitor at slices from adolescent animals were not as robust as at slices from neonatal animals.

Conclusion

Our results indicated that the activation of cyclinD1-CDK4 is required for short-term synaptic plasticity and mGluR-dependent LTD, and suggested that this cyclin-dependent kinase may have different roles during the postnatal development in mice hippocampus area CA1.
Hypoxic conditions increase hypoxia-inducible transcription factor 2α and enhance chondrogenesis in stem cells from the infrapatellar fat pad of osteoarthritis patients
Authors: Khan Wasim S , Adesida Adetola B , Hardingham Timothy E
Published: May 2007

Stem cells derived from the infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) are a potential source of stem cells for the repair of articular cartilage defects. Hypoxia has been shown to improve chondrogenesis in adult stem cells. In this study we investigated the effects of hypoxia on gene expression changes and chondrogenesis in stem cells from the IPFP removed from elderly patients with osteoarthritis at total knee replacement. Adherent colony-forming cells were isolated and cultured from the IPFP from total knee replacement. The cells at passage 2 were characterised for stem cell surface epitopes, and then cultured for 14 days as cell aggregates in chondrogenic medium under normoxic (20% oxygen) or hypoxic (5% oxygen) conditions. Gene expression analysis, DNA and glycosoaminoglycan assays and immunohistochemical staining were determined to assess chondrogenesis. IPFP-derived adherent colony-forming cells stained strongly for markers of adult mesenchymal stem cells, including CD44, CD90 and CD105, and they were negative for the haematopoietic cell marker CD34 and for the neural and myogenic cell marker CD56. Cell aggregates of IPFP cells showed a chondrogenic response. In hypoxic conditions there was increased matrix accumulation of proteoglycan but less cell proliferation, which resulted in 3.5-fold more glycosoaminoglycan per DNA after 14 days of culture. In hypoxia there was increased expression of hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF)2α and not HIF1α, and the expression of key transcription factors SOX5, SOX6 and SOX9, and that of aggrecan, versican and collagens II, IX, X and XI, was also increased. These results show that cells with stem cell characteristics were isolated from the IPFP of elderly patients with osteoarthritis and that their response to chondrogenic culture was enhanced by lowered oxygen tension, which upregulated HIF2α and increased the synthesis and assembly of matrix during chondrogenesis. This has important implications for tissue engineering applications of cells derived from the IPFP.
Patients with Classic Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Have Decreased Epinephrine Reserve and Defective Glycemic Control during Prolonged Moderate-Intensity Exercise
Authors: Green-Golan Liza , Yates Catherine , Drinkard Bart , VanRyzin Carol , Eisenhofer Graeme , Weise Martina , Merke Deborah P.
Published: May 2007

Context: Patients with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) have adrenomedullary dysplasia and hypofunction, and their lack of adrenomedullary reserve has been associated with a defective glucose response to brief high-intensity exercise.

Objective: Our objective was to assess hormonal, metabolic, and cardiovascular response to prolonged moderate-intensity exercise comparable to brisk walking in adolescents with classic CAH.

Subjects and Methods: We compared six adolescents with classic CAH (16–20 yr old) with seven age-, sex-, and body mass index group-matched controls (16–23 yr old) using a 90-min standardized ergometer test. Metabolic, hormonal, and cardiovascular parameters were studied during exercise and recovery.

Results: Glucose did not change throughout exercise and recovery for controls, whereas CAH patients showed a steady decline in glucose during exercise with an increase in glucose in the postexercise period. Glucose levels were significantly lower in CAH patients at 60 (P = 0.04), 75 (P = 0.01), and 90 (P = 0.03) min of exercise and 15 (P = 0.02) min post exercise, whereas glucose levels were comparable between the two groups early in exercise and at 30 min (P = 0.19) post exercise. As compared with controls, CAH patients had significantly lower epinephrine (P = 0.002) and cortisol (P ≤ 0.001) levels throughout the study and similar norepinephrine, glucagon, and GH levels. Patients with CAH and controls had comparable cardiovascular parameters and perceived level of exertion. Despite having lower glucose levels, insulin levels were slightly higher in CAH patients during the testing period (P = 0.17), suggesting insulin insensitivity.

Conclusion: CAH patients have defective glycemic control and altered metabolic and hormonal responses during prolonged moderate-intensity exercise comparable to brisk walking.
EEL-1, a Hect E3 ubiquitin ligase, controls asymmetry and persistence of the SKN-1 transcription factor in the earlyC. elegansembryo
Authors: Page Barbara D. , Diede Scott J. , Tenlen Jennifer R. , Ferguson Edwin L.
Published: May 2007

During early divisions of the C. elegans embryo, many maternally supplied determinants accumulate asymmetrically, and this asymmetry is crucial for proper cell fate specification. SKN-1, a transcription factor whose message is maternally supplied to the embryo, specifies the mesendodermal cell fate. In the 2-cell embryo, SKN-1 is expressed at a higher level in the posterior cell. This asymmetry becomes more pronounced at the 4-cell stage,when SKN-1 is high in the posterior cell's daughters and low in the daughters of the anterior blastomere. To date, the direct mechanisms that control SKN-1 distribution remain unknown. In this report, we identify eel-1, which encodes a putative Hect E3 ubiquitin ligase that shares several domains of similarity to the mammalian E3 ligase Mule. EEL-1 binds SKN-1 and appears to target SKN-1 for degradation. EEL-1 has two functions in regulating SKN-1 during early embryogenesis. First, eel-1 promotes the spatial asymmetry of SKN-1 accumulation at the 2- and 4-cell stages. Second, eel-1 acts in all cells to downregulate SKN-1 from the 12- to the 28-cell stage. Although loss of eel-1 alone causes a reduction in SKN-1 asymmetry at the 2-cell stage, the function of eel-1 in both the spatial and temporal regulation of SKN-1 is redundant with the activities of other genes. These data strongly suggest that multiple, functionally redundant pathways cooperate to ensure precise control of SKN-1 asymmetry and persistence in the early embryo.
Influence of Wind Direction on Intense Power Fluctuations in Large Offshore Windfarms in the North Sea
Authors: Akhmatov Vladislav
Published: May 2007

In certain weather conditions, intense power fluctuations have been observed in the Horns Rev offshore windfarm (160 MW) located in the North Sea. This Note presents the results showing a correlation between wind direction and power fluctuations in this large offshore windfarm.
An Analytical Framework for Offshore Wind Farm Layout Optimization
Authors: Lackner Matthew A. , Elkinton Christopher N.
Published: May 2007

A method is developed for using the levelized cost of energy as the objective function for offshore wind farm layout optimization problems. The method converts the cost of energy into a function of turbine position only. To accomplish this, wind speed data are first characterized by direction sector. Continuous functions are then fitted to the Weibull parameters for each direction sector. The wind direction probability density function and the turbine power curve are also transformed into continuous functions. For each turbine in the farm, the continuous function that describes the Weibull scale parameter can be scaled to reflect wake losses from other turbines. The function may also be adjusted according to the variation in wind speed with fetch. The annual energy production of the farm is thus modeled as a function only of the turbine positions. When combined with wind farm cost estimates, the levelized cost of energy is still only a function of turbine position and can then be used as an objective function within a variety of optimization algorithms.
Secret Correlation in Repeated Games with Imperfect Monitoring: The Need for Nonstationary Strategies
Authors: Goldberg Yair
Published: May 2007

The minmax in repeated games with imperfect monitoring can differ from the minmax of those games with perfect monitoring when two or more players are able to gain common information known only to themselves, and utilize this information at a later stage. Gossner and Tomala showed that in a class of such games, the minmax is given by a weighted average of the payoffs of two main strategies: one in which the information is gained, and the other in which the information is utilized. However, all examples analyzed to date require only one main strategy in which information is created and utilized simultaneously. We show that two strategies are indeed needed by providing and solving a concrete example of a three-player game.
Lane-Change Detection Using a Computational Driver Model
Authors: Salvucci Dario D. , Mandalia Hiren M. , Kuge Nobuyuki , Yamamura Tomohiro
Published: May 2007

Objective: This paper introduces a robust, real-time system for detecting driver lane changes. Background: As intelligent transportation systems evolve to assist drivers in their intended behaviors, the systems have demonstrated a need for methods of inferring driver intentions and detecting intended maneuvers. Method: Using a “model tracing” methodology, our system simulates a set of possible driver intentions and their resulting behaviors using a simplification of a previously validated computational model of driver behavior. The system compares the model's simulated behavior with a driver's actual observed behavior and thus continually infers the driver's unobservable intentions from her or his observable actions. Results: For data collected in a driving simulator, the system detects 82% of lane changes within 0.5 s of maneuver onset (assuming a 5% false alarm rate), 93% within 1 s, and 95% before the vehicle moves one fourth of the lane width laterally. For data collected from an instrumented vehicle, the system detects 61% within 0.5 s, 77% within 1 s, and 84% before the vehicle moves one-fourth of the lane width laterally. Conclusion: The model-tracing system is the first system to demonstrate high sample-by-sample accuracy at low false alarm rates as well as high accuracy over the course of a lane change with respect to time and lateral movement. Application: By providing robust real-time detection of driver lane changes, the system shows good promise for incorporation into the next generation of intelligent transportation systems.
Different Mechanisms Generate Maintained Activity in ON and OFF Retinal Ganglion Cells
Authors: Margolis David J. , Detwiler Peter B.
Published: May 2007

Neuronal discharge is driven by either synaptic input or cell-autonomous intrinsic pacemaker activity. It is commonly assumed that the resting spike activity of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the output cells of the retina, is driven synaptically, because retinal photoreceptors and second-order cells tonically release neurotransmitter. Here we show that ON and OFF RGCs generate maintained activity through different mechanisms: ON cells depend on tonic excitatory input to drive resting activity, whereas OFF cells continue to fire in the absence of synaptic input. In addition to spontaneous activity, OFF cells exhibit other properties of pacemaker neurons, including subthreshold oscillations, burst firing, and rebound excitation. Thus, variable weighting of synaptic mechanisms and intrinsic properties underlies differences in the generation of maintained activity in these parallel retinal pathways.
Learning-Induced Survival of New Neurons Depends on the Cognitive Status of Aged Rats
Authors: Drapeau Elodie , Montaron Marie-Françoise , Aguerre Sylvie , Abrous Djoher Nora
Published: May 2007

Aging is accompanied by an alteration of spatial memory, which has been related to an alteration in hippocampal plasticity. Within the dentate gyrus, new neurons are generated throughout the entire life of an individual. This neurogenesis seems to play a role in hippocampal-mediated learning and learning-induced changes in neurogenesis have been proposed to be involved in memory. However, in aged rats, little is known on the influence of learning on the early development of the adult-born neurons and on the possible involvement of learning-induced changes in neurogenesis in age-related memory deficits. To address this issue, we took advantage of the existence of spontaneous individual differences for performances observed in aged subjects in the water maze. In this task, learning can be divided into two phases, an early phase during which performances quickly improve, and a late phase during which asymptotic levels of performances are reached. We show that the influence of spatial learning on the survival of the newly born cells depends on their birth date and the memory abilities of the aged rats. In aged rats with preserved spatial memory, learning increases the survival of cells generated before learning whereas it decreases survival of cells produced during the early phase of learning. These results highlight the importance of learning-induced changes in adult-born cell survival in memory. Furthermore, they provide new insights on the possible neural mechanisms of aging of cognitive functions and show that an alteration to the steps leading to neurogenesis may be involved in the determination of individual memory abilities.
Haloperidol Treatment after High-Dose Methamphetamine Administration Is Excitotoxic to GABA Cells in the Substantia Nigra Pars Reticulata
Authors: Hatzipetros Theo , Raudensky Jamie G. , Soghomonian Jean-Jacques , Yamamoto Bryan K.
Published: May 2007

The therapeutic management of methamphetamine (METH)-induced psychoses often involves treatment with the typical antipsychotic drug and dopamine D2receptor antagonist haloperidol. We report here that subchronic haloperidol administration after a high-dose regimen of METH produces a heretofore unrecognized toxicity to GABAergic cells, as reflected by GAD67 mRNA expression histochemistry, in the rat substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) through an acute and persistent augmentation of glutamate release, NMDA receptor activation, and DNA fragmentation. The dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta were unaffected by METH or haloperidol alone or the combination of METH and haloperidol. These findings suggest that the current therapeutic management of METH-induced psychoses with haloperidol may be contraindicated because of a resultant GABAergic cell death in the SNr, which may predispose some individuals to the development of hyperkinetic movement disorders and seizures.
A 140Nd/140Pr radionuclide generator based on physico-chemical transitions in 140Pr complexes after electron capture decay of 140Nd-DOTA
Authors: Zhernosekov K. P. , Filosofov D. V. , Qaim Syed M. , Rösch Frank
Published: May 2007

140Nd was produced by irradiations of CeO2 and Pr2O3 targets leading to natCe(3He,xn) 140Nd and 141Pr(p,2n) 140Nd nuclear reactions. The practical yield of 140Nd at EOB in the former reaction over the energy range of E

3He = 33.5 → 0 MeV amounted to 3.5 MBq/μA h and in the latter reaction over the energy range of E
p = 18.6→16.2 MeV to 15.5 MBq/μA h. These values correspond to about 41% and 60% of the respective theoretical values. Successful separations of the radionuclide were performed by means of cation-exchange chromatography resulting in decontamination factors of ≥108 and ≥7×105 for the cerium and praseodymium target materials, respectively. With the no-carrier-added 140Nd obtained, an efficient 140Nd/140Pr radionuclide generator system was developed and evaluated. The principle of the radiochemical separation is based on physico-chemical transitions (hot-atom effects) of the daughter 140Pr following the electron decay process of 140Nd. The parent radionuclide 140Nd(III) is quantitatively adsorbed on a solid phase matrix in the form of 140Nd-DOTA-conjugated complexes. The daughter nuclide 140Pr is generated in an ionic species and is easily separated using low volumes of various aqueous eluents. The elution yield is at least 93%, if an optimized eluent, such as DTPA solution is applied. The system remains stable at least over three half-lives of 140Nd, with high radiolytic stability and low 140Nd breakthrough. This radionuclide generator system 140Nd (T
1/2 = 3.37 d) provides the short-lived positron-emitting radiolanthanide 140Pr (T
1/2 = 3.4 min) for molecular imaging using positron emission tomography (PET).
Radiochemical and biological behaviour of 153Sm and 166Ho complexes anchored by a novel bis(methylphosphonate) tetraazamacrocycle
Authors: Campello M. Paula , Marques Fernanda , Gano Lurdes , Lacerda Sara , Santos Isabel
Published: May 2007

The novel bis(methylphosphonate) 2,2′-[4,10-bis(phosphonomethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,7-diyl] diacetic acid, trans-H6DO2A2P, has been synthesized and characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C and 31P). 153Sm and 166Ho complexes with trans-H6DO2A2P have been prepared in high yield using a 1:2 metal to ligand molar ratio at 70 °C, pH 8−9. These complexes are hydrophilic, negatively charged and stable in vitro under physiological solutions, up to 48 h. They present a low plasmatic protein binding and some in vitro hydroxyapatite adsorption, mainly for 166Ho-trans-DO2A2P. Both complexes are stable in vivo, have a fast tissue clearance from most organs and a rapid total excretion from whole animal body. Moderate bone uptake was also observed but the accumulated radioactivity rapidly decreases with time.
Biological evaluation of 153Sm and 166Ho complexes with tetraazamacrocycles containing methylcarboxylate and/or methylphosphonate pendant arms
Authors: Marques Fernanda , Gano Lurdes , Campello M. Paula , Lacerda Sara , Santos Isabel
Published: May 2007

153Sm and 166Ho complexes with two series of tetraazamacrocyclic ligands containing methylcarboxylate and/or methylphosphonate pendant arms were synthesized and their charge, lipophilicity, protein binding and in vitro and in vivo behaviour evaluated. The first series has the same backbone, a 14-membered tetraazamacrocycle containing a pyridine unit with different pendant arms, namely methylcarboxylates (ac3py14) or methylphosphonates (MeP2py14 and P3py14). The second series comprises 12- to 14-membered tetraazamacrocycles having methylcarboxylates and/or methylphosphonates as pendant arms (trans-DO2A2P, TRITA, TRITP, TETA and TETP). The 153Sm/166Ho complexes with the 14-membered tetraazamacrocycles containing the pyridine unit are neutral, hydrophilic, have a significant plasmatic protein binding, are unstable in vivo and present a slow rate of radioactivity excretion and high hepatic retention. 153Sm/166Ho complexes with the 12- to 14-membered tetraazamacrocycles are quantitatively prepared, except those with TETP. These complexes are hydrophilic, have an overall negative charge and present a medium to low plasmatic protein binding.

The 153Sm/166Ho- trans-DO2A2P, 153Sm/166Ho-TRITA and 166Ho-TRITP complexes are stable in vitro and in vivo, presenting a rapid clearance from main organs and a high rate of whole body radioactivity excretion. Biological profile of 153Sm/166Ho-TRITA complexes makes them promising candidates for therapy when conjugated to a biomolecule, while 166Ho-TRITP is potentially useful for bone targeting due to its considerable uptake by bone.
Enchanting Panics and Obeah Anxieties: Concealing and Disclosing Eastern Caribbean Witchcraft
Authors: Mantz Jeffrey W.
Published: May 2007

SUMMARY
Between 1999 and 2001 on the eastern Caribbean island of Dominica, there were several panics revolving around the suspected use of Obeah, a form of Caribbean witchcraft/sorcery. My interest in Caribbean witchcraft was in fact catalyzed by one such event: a witchcraft scare in Dominica's secondary schools in mid‐1999. Some terrified parents had pulled their teenage children out of school, influenced by rumors that certain students intended to “sacrifice virgins” at a mass ritual. The timing of these panics was not incidental. Rather, the accusations coincided with the devastation of the eastern Caribbean economies by a series of foreign interventions: a WTO ruling that destroyed the market for their principal export crop, an Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development “blacklist” that decimated financial industries, and the failing of the tourism industries before and after 9/11. Accusations of witchcraft were a culturally logical response to socioeconomic anxieties. However, until this article, I never documented the school panics. Several of my closest interlocutors had been among the principal persons accused in these scares, and I had been concerned about maintaining their anonymity (even of those who had not been accused). Moreover, my interlocutors pleaded with me not to publish these events, arguing it would confer a sense of backwardness and exoticism that would damage the nation's image at a time when it was struggling to adapt to the global economy. In this article, I examine the reasons for previously concealing this information and the cultural logic behind disclosing it now.
When Did the Confederate States of America Free the Slaves?
Authors: Gallagher Catherine
Published: May 2007

There is a long tradition of counterfactual speculation about the alternative courses American history would have taken had the South won the Civil War. This essay traces counterfactual narratives of slave emancipation from a classic 1933 essay by Winston Churchill to a 2004 mockumentary by filmmaker Kevin Willmott.
"Christmas Yet To Come": Hospitality, Futurity, the Carol, and "The Dead"
Authors: Saint-Amour Paul K.
Published: May 2007

This essay reads Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol and James Joyce's "The Dead" in light of their shared concerns with hospitality. By portraying Scrooge's ethical regeneration as both guest and host, the Carol renews the openness of a future in which one can still intervene for the good in others' lives. Partly through its echoes of Dickens's story, "The Dead" critically engages the ethics of limitless welcome in the context of colonial occupation; that engagement produces an ethical relation to a future political form the story both demands and awaits but declines to portray.
Studies on phenolic resin cement
Authors: Nair P. , Thachil E. T. , Paul A.
Published: May 2007

In this study the influence of different side groups in the phenol molecule on the properties of composites made of phenolic resin and cement pastes was investigated. The three phenolic resins considered were phenol formaldehyde, resorcinol formaldehyde and m-cresol formaldehyde, which differ in the nature of the side groups in the meta position of the phenolic ring. The study shows that resorcinol formaldehyde resin cement pastes possess superior chemical resistance (a minimum of 95% retention of compressive strength after immersing the composites in acid, base and kerosene at room temperature for 24 h) in comparison with virgin cement pastes and its composites with phenol formaldehyde and m-cresol formaldehyde. Microstructural studies reveal that the properties of phenolic resin cement pastes depend on the molecular interactions between the resins and cement particles in the polymer cement matrix. The resulting interpenetrating polymer network in the composite matrix is responsible for protection against external chemical environments.
Compatibility of fluid catalytic cracking catalyst residue (FC3R) with various types of cement
Authors: Zornoza E. , Garcés P. , Monzó J. , Borrachero M. V. , Payá J.
Published: May 2007

Zeolitic catalysts are widely used in petrochemical refining. When the catalytic properties of this product are degraded, the deactivated catalyst must be replaced. Its chemical composition, based in silicoaluminates, together with its zeolitic structure, can be used in concrete, due to its high pozzolanic activity. Mortars were prepared using faujasite-based spent catalyst as a cement replacement (in quantities up to 15%). The mechanical properties (compressive and flexural strengths, and porosity) of these mortars were tested using several water/binder (w/b) ratios (0.4–0.6), curing times (7–90 days) and cement types (CEM I 52.5 R, CEM I 42.5 R, CEM II 42.5 R B-M (V-LL) and CEM II 32.5 N). Thermogravimetric analyses of the pastes were also performed. High short-term pozzolanic activity of the zeolite FC3R and high strength gains were observed in the substituted mortars. During the testing period no negative effects in the mechanical properties were observed for the range of substitutions used. It was found that when the w/b ratio is low, a plasticiser must be used because FC3R has a high water demand. This effect can be partially compensated by using fly ash in the mix, because the spherical shape of fly ash enhances the workability of the mortars.
Waldökonomik | Forest economics
Authors: Hostettler Martin , Wüest Otmar
Published: May 2007

Forest economics is a social science. Its purpose is the study of complexity surrounding forests and forestry, mainly natural production, property rights, competing uses, resource dynamics and time. The Swiss Forest Society aims to establish the science of forest economics in Switzerland, e.g. with this issue. Modern economics will be helpful in reaching this goal, owing to new approaches that take into account human behaviour,human preferences and institutional design.
Ansatzpunkte für den Strukturwandel in der Schweizer Forstwirtschaft | Starting points for structural change in Swiss forestry
Authors: Pudack Torsten
Published: May 2007

Swiss forestry is under transition. Members of the industry are searching for new business models, new organizational forms and new ways to co-operate with one another. From the economists point of view this search gives evidence to changes in the traditional industry structure. The paper presents an economic analysis of these changes and identifies starting points for re-shaping the industry. It becomes obvious that assigning harvesting decisions to the individual forest owner entails high transaction costs in the market for automated harvesting services. We suggest options to re-assign the harvesting decision and line out their consequences.
Institutionenökonomische Analyse des parzellenweisen Holzverkaufs auf dem Stock am Beispiel des öffentlichen Waldes in Frankreich | Institutional economics analysis of the sale of standing timber: the example of the public forest in France
Authors: Westphal Jörn
Published: May 2007

The economic regulatory mechanisms that govern the sale of standing timber in France's forests are subjected to an institutional economics analysis from the perspective of the seller, the Office national des forêts (ONF). French forestry laws are identified as a central institutional framework. The inventory and the marketing of the plots to be cut and the way in which the timber sale contract is handled must be seen as the main controlling mechanisms. The sale of plots of standing timber can be interpreted as contract theoretical and transaction cost theoretical. It can be placed in the systematic of control structures according to Williamson and grasped in its entirety within the context of the principal-agent relationship between the ONF and timber buyers.
Approche «fermes écologiques» et gestion durable des ressources naturelles dans le centre-ouest du Burkina Faso | « Ecological Farm» approach for the sustainable management of natural resources in mid-western Burkina Faso (reviewed paper)
Authors: Bationo Babou André , Taonda Jean-Baptiste , Ilboudo Dieudonné , Guissou Tanga , Ilboudo Blaise
Published: May 2007

The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of an «ecological farm» approach to improve the lives of the populations, as well as the conditions and management of natural resources. The study was conducted by means of surveys with key actors, the analysis of data from monitoring the ecological farms and field observations.
La forêt et le bois: des caractéristiques et des propriétés exceptionnelles face à l'effet de serre – quelques arguments décisifs | Forest and wood: some decisive arguments for characteristics and exceptional properties regarding global warming
Authors: Zürcher Ernst
Published: May 2007

In the context of the environmental problems linked to global climatic change, the latest research developments in the field of carbon sequestration through the forest seem to offer a mitigated perspective. Another picture appears if the stand is placed under active management, according to the principle of sustained yield. The presentation of the wood properties relevant for construction, compared to other building materials,enables us to define decisive advantages, both at the physical and at the ecological contribution level of this multifunctional material. New construction techniques with massive wood lead to a combination and even to an unexpected amplification of these advantages.
Schutzwaldmanagement in den Alpen – eine Übersicht | Management of protection forests in the Alps – an overview
Authors: Wehrli André , Brang Peter , Maier Bernhard , Duc Philippe , Binder Franz , Lingua Emanuele , Ziegner Kurt , Kleemayr Karl , Dorren Luuk
Published: May 2007

Many mountain forests in the Alps protect residential areas and infrastructures from natural hazards. They are described as protection forests and their management aims to permanently provide a high protective effect. The maintenance and management of these forests are continuously improved and have reached a high standard. There is now a better understanding of the protective effects of the forest against natural hazards. In the Alps, there are currently several projects being conducted which aim to harmonize the assessment of natural hazards, damage potential and a resulting classification of protection forests. It is the objective to apply funding where needed in order to prevent damage from natural hazards. Currently, there is a need for improvement in the area of monitoring with advanced technology, such as Laser-Scanning (LIDAR), in linking inventory data from different sources, in simulation modeling to better estimate the long-term benefit of measures in the protection forest, and in transboundary collaboration.
Soft Imprinting: Creating Highly Ordered Porous Anodic Alumina Templates on Substrates for Nanofabrication
Authors: Maria Chong A. S. , Tan L. K. , Deng J. , Gao H.
Published: May 2007

We demonstrate a “soft‐imprinting” method for the fabrication of highly ordered porous anodic alumina (HOPAA) templates on different substrates (such as Si, glass slides, and flexible polyimide films) over large areas (> 1.5 cm2). In this process, Ar plasma etching is employed to soft imprint an evaporated Al film on the substrates using a free‐standing HOPAA template as a mask, thus creating ordered nanoindentations on the Al surface. The ordered nanoindentations in turn guide the subsequent anodization of Al to generate HOPAA templates on the substrates (HOPAA–substrates), which inherit the pattern of the free‐standing HOPAA mask. This soft‐imprinting technique is also applicable to the fabrication of HOPAA on flexible polymer films. To demonstrate the potential uses of the HOPAA–substrates in nanofabrication, highly ordered Au nanowire arrays are fabricated on a Si substrate and TiO2 nanotube arrays are prepared on a glass substrate via solution‐ and vapor‐based fabrication processes, respectively.
A “lugged” analysis of lung cancer risks in UK carbon black production workers, 1951–2004
Authors: Sorahan Tom , Harrington J. Malcolm
Published: May 2007

Background

Previously published analyses of excess lung cancer risks in UK carbon black production workers attracted no confident interpretation.

Methods

The mortality of a cohort of 1,147 male manual workers from five UK factories manufacturing carbon black was investigated for the period 1951–2004. All subjects were first employed in the period 1947–74 and were employed for 12 months or more. Limited work histories were available to calculate estimates of individual cumulative exposure to carbon black.

Results

Based on serial rates for the general population of England and Wales, significantly elevated mortality was observed for lung cancer (Obs 67, SMR 146, P < 0.01) but not for all other causes combined (Obs 426, SMR 106). There was highly elevated lung cancer mortality at two of the plants (SMR 230, Obs 35) but no excess mortality at the other three plants combined (SMR 104, Obs 32). Analyses by period since leaving employment indicated elevated lung cancer risks were limited to those workers with some employment in the most recent 15 years. SMR analyses found an overall positive significant trend between lung cancer risks and cumulative carbon black exposure received in the most recent 15 years. Poisson regression analyses provided different results depending on which variables were adjusted for.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that carbon black, or chemicals associated with the production of carbon black, had an effect on later stages of lung cancer carcinogenesis at two of the plants but that no such effect was found at the other plants. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:555–564, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Der Verlauf des Clean‐up‐Phänomens in Wasserstoff
Authors: Hiedemann E.
Published: May 2007

Die Art des Clean‐up in Wasserstoff hängt von der Vorbehandlung der Glaswände ab. Es ist ein normaler und ein anomaler Verlauf zu unterscheiden. Beim anomalen Clean‐up bildet sich ein rekondensierbares Gas, das aus Siliciumwasserstoffen besteht. Die Druckabnahme beim anomalen Clean‐up ist z. T. durch Kondensation der gebildeten Silane verursacht.
Über Einzelfunken und Wechselstromabreißbogen und ihre Verwendbarkeit in der quantitativen Spektralanalyse
Authors: Kosbahn T.
Published: May 2007

I. Es werden optische Hilfsmittel zur quantitativen Spektralanalyse, insbesondere zur Spaltbeleuchtung, diskutiert. Eine besonders vorteilhafte Beleuchtungsart wird beschrieben. – II. und III. Der Einzelfunken und der Wechselstromabreißbogen werden auf ihre Brauchbarkeit für die quantitative Spektralanalyse untersucht. Besonderer Wert wird auf die Reproduzierbarkeit der Lichtquellen und auf die spektroskopischen Untersuchungen des Einflusses verschiedener Entladungsbedingungen gelegt. Die Untersuchungen für beide Lichtquellen werden in analoger Weise durchgeführt.