bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Azerbaijan in transition to the “New Age of Democracy’”☆
Authors: Rasizade Alec
Published: September 2003

After the demise of the USSR, Azerbaijan has been relegated to the category of a third world nation. The short-lived euphoria of independence has been replaced by the somber realization that the so-called “transition period” from communism to capitalism could extend well beyond most people’s lifetimes. The principal outcome of the first decade of Azeri independence is that the country has moved backward rather than forward since the beginning of “free market” reforms. In their studies and analyses of contemporary Azerbaijan, Western scholars and foreign policy establishment tend to neglect the forces of social discontent. Azerbaijan is a country of brutal and potentially explosive social divisions. For any visitor spending a few weeks in Baku, it is this contrast in lifestyles between the Aliev’s elite and ordinary Azeris that seems to be the major characteristic of Azerbaijan, contrary to the prevalent comments in Western media about the alleged Caspian oil wealth and export pipelines. The US government assumes that the abstract Azerbaijan in its energy assessments and strategic designs has reached a certain level of stability, democracy and economic sufficiency. But the process of introducing democracy into Azerbaijan may turn out to be more formidable than mere free elections. If Washington would pressure the post-Aliev government for change in the “new age of democracy”, it might run into certain intrinsic oddities, which could freeze the effort.
THE INVENTION OF THE RUSSIAN RURAL COMMUNE: HAXTHAUSEN AND THE EVIDENCE
Authors: DENNISON T. K. , CARUS A. W.
Published: September 2003

In the 1840s the German Romantic August von Haxthausen originated the idea, in a book reporting on his travels through Russia, that collective ownership of land and other assets was integral to the traditional culture of the Russian rural commune. Russian intellectuals accepted this idea and made it the basis for political ideals and social theories (even after 1917, as in the case of Aleksandr Chayanov). The 1861 Emancipation Act had brought collective ownership of land into existence by law, but Haxthausen's own theory – which related to Yaroslavl' province in the first half of the nineteenth century – has never been tested. This article does that, and finds that nearly all parts of Haxthausen's theory, insofar as they are testable, are false. This does not mean that Haxthausen's theory was false everywhere in Russia, but it was false for the place he advanced it about, and may therefore be false elsewhere. No cultural or ownership pattern of rural society, therefore, should be assumed a priori to hold for the whole of Russia. Only painstaking, detailed local studies will tell us which patterns held in which parts of this vast and heterogeneous country.
THE FISCHER CONTROVERSY OVER GERMAN WAR AIMS IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND ITS RECEPTION BY EAST GERMAN HISTORIANS, 1961–1989
Authors: STIBBE MATTHEW
Published: September 2003

The Fischer controversy of the 1960s was a major landmark in post-war West German historiography. Surprisingly few historians to date have devoted their attention to the East German reception of Fischer's work, however. This article seeks to fill this gap by looking at some of the critical reviews published in East German academic journals and also at internal records from the Socialist Unity Party archive. Particular emphasis is placed on the period after 1965 when East German scholars began to explore the historiographical and national implications of the Fischer controversy with a greater degree of sensitivity but also with a greater degree of caution (for strategic political reasons). A mutually beneficial exchange of ideas between Fischer and German Democratic Republic scholars working on the First World War continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s, although ironically this was at a time when both sides were moving ever further away from the idea of a possible reunification of the two Germanies in the future.
FIVE RECENT WORKS ON FRENCH POLITICAL HISTORY FROM 1789 TO 1851 Radicals: politics and republicanism in the French Revolution. By Leigh Whaley. Phoenix Mill: Sutton, 2000. Pp. x+212. ISBN 0-7509-2238-9. £20.00. Massacre at the Champ de Mars: popular dissent and political culture in the French Revolution. By David Andress. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer Ltd, 2000. Pp. x+239. ISBN 0-86193-247-1. £35.00. Napoleon and Europe. Edited by Philip G. Dwyer. London: Longman, 2001. Pp. xxi+328. ISBN 0-582-31837-8. £14.99. Politics and theater: the crisis of legitimacy in Restoration France, 1815–1830. By Sheryl Kroen. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000. Pp. xiv+394. ISBN 0-520-22214-8. £35.00. Paris between empires, 1814–1852. By Philip Mansel. London: John Murray, 2001. Pp. xi+559. ISBN 0-7195-5627-9. £25.00.
Authors: ALEXANDER R. S.
Published: September 2003

Study of French political history for the period of 1789 to 1851 is exceedingly complex. Not only must one possess knowledge of a succession of regimes (with their varying constitutions, institutions, laws, and conventions), one must also grasp the essentials of political traditions such as royalism, republicanism, and liberalism, all of which altered over time, and familiarize oneself with a plethora of groups or sub groups, such as Montagnards and Girondins, authoritarian and Revolutionary Bonapartists, moderate and ultra royalists, that often adjusted their beliefs and positions according to circumstance. Matters become further complicated when one takes foreign relations into account, assessing the impact of France abroad or the role of foreign relations in shaping French domestic politics.
Tunicate feeding filters
Authors: Bone Q. , Carré C. , Chang P.
Published: September 2003

This review discusses the structure and operation of the fine mesh ‘mucous’ feeding filters of tunicates. The function of the endostyle in producing the feeding filter and the different ways in which the filter is deployed are also described.

The fine structure of the filter includes new data, and the ultrastructural dimensions of the filter mesh and filament thickness are tabulated for the different tunicate groups. Histochemical data suggest that a peptide core is surrounded by a mucopolysaccharide sheath, and endostyle gland cell histochemistry and ultrastructure indicates protein synthesis. The construction of the filter by the endostyle was first considered in ascidians, and has been updated by observations on the simpler endostyle in salps, where there is evidence that secretions of gland cells pass to the bases of a fence of cilia, there to fuse and pass off the ciliary tips as fine filaments composing the filter net. Although all filters that have been examined when deployed have a rectangular mesh, reasons are given for supposing that when formed in the endostyle they have a square mesh in which both longitudinal and transverse filaments are of similar thickness and that the transverse filaments are stretched as the filter is deployed, so becoming thinner.

Finally, some ecological consequences of the filter parameters in the different tunicate groups are considered.
Massive recruitment of the barnacle Semibalanus balanoides in the Clyde Sea (Scotland, UK) in the spring of 2000
Authors: Hansson Lars J. , Hudson Ian R. , Seddon Russell J. , Shaw Oliver , Thomason Jeremy C.
Published: September 2003

In April 2000 a massive recruitment of the barnacle Semibalanus balanoides was observed in the Clyde Sea. At one location 700 cyprids 1−1 of this species were recorded. This is ∼3500 times more abundant than previously recorded, and resulted in metamorphosis of some cyprids whilst still in the plankton, as well as massive settlement, with recruits found on adults and in the splash zone. The maximum density recorded was 109 settlers cm−2. Over the next 60 d mortality averaged 85%, resulting in a mean density of 8.4 recruits cm−2 in June 2000. Recruitment varied spatially at the km and m scale (site, shore height) but there was no evidence that it was affected by the presence of adult conspecifics.
Female rock shrimp prefer dominant males
Authors: Díaz Eliecer R. , Thiel Martin
Published: September 2003

Evidence of female preference for dominant males during mating is reported for the rock shrimp Rhynchocinetes typus. Two sexually mature males of different ontogenetic stage were tethered at opposite sides of a large tank. Tethering restricted males from actively pursuing the receptive female but allowed females to choose between males. Surprisingly most (10 out of 11) females first approached the subordinate typus male, but after these initial contacts all females chose the dominant robustus male. Following antennal and corporal contacts of variable duration seven (out of 11) females initiated the mating process with the robustus male, while four females did not initiate mating during the 90 min observation period. The fact that all mating females selected the robustus shows strong female preferences for these males. It is suggested that female preference for large and dominant males is common among crustaceans with sexual size-dimorphism.
Comparison of non-invasive methods for quantifying population density of the fiddler crab Uca tangeri
Authors: Jordão Joana M. , Oliveira Rui F.
Published: September 2003

Excavation counts (absolute density), burrow counts and surface active individuals visual counts in a Uca tangeri population were compared. Population density estimated from burrow counts was not significantly different from population density estimated by excavation, but the population density estimated with visual counts was significantly lower than the absolute density. Ovigerous females should be the main cause of these differences because they frequently remain underground, but other groups of crabs are also contributing to this difference. Burrow counting is an accurate and quick non-invasive method for the census of U. tangeri. Other population measures (e.g. sex ratio) are not obtainable by burrow counting and only further understanding of the activity patterns of this species along the tide cycle, moon phase and reproductive season will allow visual counting of surface active individuals to be used as quick, efficient and non-invasive method for crab density and population structure estimation.
Moult cycle and growth ofMaja squinado(Decapoda: Majidae) in coastal habitats of Galicia, north-west Spain
Authors: Sampedro María-Paz , González-Gurriarán Eduardo , Freire Juan
Published: September 2003

Over the course of the moult cycle ofMaja squinado, the spider crab changes in the hardness and colour of the carapace were assessed and used as methods to identify the intermoult stage in each individual. This intermoult staging was later verified by means of the microscopic observation of the maxilla. These staging techniques made it possible for the prompt identification of the principal intermoult stages—postmoult, intermoult and premoult. In 90% of the cases analysed, there was a correlation between the presence of an underlying carapace and a pink colour of the abdominal vein in crabs in advanced premoult stages.

The seasonality of the moult was studied based on the number of specimens in the postmoult stage. There were two main moulting periods—the first occurring in April, and the second, longer period was between July and November. A hypothetical growth model was established and growth rates were determined by length–frequency distribution analyses. Three groups of juveniles and one group of adults were identified. The adults were only found among the population between July and October. In both males and females, the moult increment rate was lower in terminal moults (mean=22%) than in juvenile or prepubertal moults (mean=27%).
Limb autotomy, epibiosis on embryos, and brooding care in the crabCyrtograpsus angulatus(Brachyura: Varunidae)
Authors: Silva Paola , Luppi Tomás A. , Spivak Eduardo D.
Published: September 2003

The effects of the multiple autotomy on epibiosis infestation on embryos, on the survival of embryos, and on brooding care behaviour were examined in females ofCyrtograpsus angulatus, a south-western Atlantic intertidal and subtidal crab. The population ofC. angulatusin Mar Chiquita, a coastal lagoon, presents a high incidence of limb autotomy. Newly laid embryos of both healthy and autotomized females were immediately colonized by bacteria and filamentous fungi, peritrichid ciliates, and few small animal species, while detritus was accumulated. The periphery of the embryo mass was more infested by epibionts and accumulated more detritus than the central region. Multiple autotomy in femaleC. angulatusincreased the epibiosis and detritus accumulation in embryos and pleopods, decreased the chance of embryos to complete their development. The following behaviours related to brooding care were observed in both healthy and autotomized females: standing, chela and pereiopod probing, abdominal flapping, pleopod beating and maxilliped beating. However, the time devoted to standing and abdominal flapping was significantly higher in healthy and autotomized females, respectively. Brooding care behaviour in non-ovigerous females and in females with early and late embryos, suggests the presence of different signalling systems that trigger them. We propose that multiple autotomy modifies brood care, decreases the success of embryonic development and, consequently, reduces the contribution of autotomized females (approximately 30% of the potentially reproductive females ofC. angulatusin Mar Chiquita) to the following generation.
Further observations on a population of dog-whelks, Nucella lapillus (Gastropoda) recolonizing a site following amelioration of tributyltin (TBT) pollution
Authors: Crothers J.H.
Published: September 2003

Tributyltin (TBT) leaching from the antifouling paint on hulls of pleasure craft eliminated a population of dog-whelks Nucella lapillus from Watermouth Cove in the Bristol Channel but outside the Cove the number of snails was apparently unaffected. Following the ban on TBT in antifouling paints, the species has recovered most of its former range in the Cove. It is postulated that the recolonization was from a subtidal population of unusually large and elongated individuals. It was observed that it had taken some 13 years to recolonize a distance of 30 metres.
Oogenesis inAmiantis Umbonella(Mollusca: Bivalvia) in Kuwait Bay, Kuwait
Authors: Al-Mohanna S.Y. , Al-Rukhais L.B. , Meakins R.H.
Published: September 2003

The morphology of the cells during oogenesis inAmiantis umbonella(Mollusca: Bivalvia) was investigated from collections made between November 1997 and January 1999. Each stage is described and prominent features noted. A unique arrangement of auxiliary cells around the oocyte is described.
Allozyme variation and genetic divergence in the sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus (Teleostei: Gobiidae)
Authors: Stefanni S. , Gysels E.S. , Volckaert F.A.M. , Miller P.J.
Published: September 2003

Samples of the widely distributed sand goby Pomatoschistus minutus have been investigated genetically from ten localities in the north-eastern Atlantic, North Sea, western Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea. Levels of genetic diversity and differentiation were assessed with starch (SGE) and cellulose acetate (CAGE) gel electrophoresis for 13 enzyme systems. Genetic differentiation between spatial samples points to a reduction or even absence of gene flow between the Adriatic and the other samples, including the western Mediterranean Sea (pair-wise FST=0.37 and 0.32 for SGE and CAGE respectively). The sample from the Adriatic Sea was clearly differentiated from the other samples at the lactate dehydrogenase loci LDH-A* (SGE and CAGE) and LDH-C* (CAGE). Values for genetic differentiation between Venetian and other sand gobies were of the same order of magnitude as between P. minutus and its closest relative P. lozanoi, suggesting allopatric speciation in the lagoon of Venice. At locations outside the Adriatic Sea, the sand goby has the typical features of a marine fish with a high level of gene flow and a low degree of genetic differentiation.
Size-related habitat use, aggregation patterns and abundance of anglerfish (Lophius budegassa) in the Mediterranean Sea determined by generalized additive modelling
Authors: Maravelias Christos , Papaconstantinou Costas
Published: September 2003

Spatial distribution patterns of black anglerfish, Lophius budegassa were examined in relation to size category, bathymetry, locational covariates, and season. Data were collected during a 2-y period (1998–1999) of quasi-synoptic seasonal sampling using demersal trawl surveys in the Aegean Sea. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to test the hypotheses that there was size-related variation in species' habitat associations and that the study area might serve as a nursery ground for black anglerfish. The current results supported these hypotheses. Data are presented that reveal size-dependent aggregation patterns of black anglerfish and an important habitat utilization of the north-eastern Aegean area. The modelled anglerfish abundances showed a strongly non-linear dependence on the explanatory covariates. The different size-classes exhibited significant seasonal effects and preferences for specific regions and distinct water depths. The present results also suggested that 1-y-old fish and potential spawners appeared to concentrate in the vicinity of the same areas. Two main areas of juvenile aggregations were detected in the deeper water regions of the study area on a seabed of around 300 m depth; both emerged in the proximity of the locations of larger fish. The bathymetric distribution of intermediate size anglerfish followed an inverse trend, with fish captured mainly in shallower waters. Results indicated a preferential aggregation of 1-y-old L. budegassa in the study area that is hypothesized to influence the supply of recruits to distant regions of the Aegean Sea.
‘Blood Red Roses’: John McGrath and Lukácsian Realism
Authors: Lacey Stephen
Published: September 2003

John McGrath spurned the easy road to television fame that seemed open to him early in his career, but remained concerned throughout his life to develop the creative potential of the medium, and to exploit what made it distinctive from the forms of film and theatre in which he was also engaged. Unlike many of his contemporaries, McGrath's work was thus underpinned by a strong sense of the differing qualities of the performing media, and nowhere is this more evident than in Blood Red Roses, which began its life as a stage play for 7:84 Scotland in 1980, was adapted into a three-part television serial for Channel 4 in 1985, and re-edited for the version directed by McGrath for Freeway Films. In exploring the differing sensibilities and structures of the different versions, Stephen Lacey draws on ideas – notably the concept of realism – as formulated by George Lukács largely in relation to yet another genre, that of the novel, in which he often found himself in conflict with the ideas of Bertolt Brecht. Stephen Lacey is Principal Lecturer in the Department of Contemporary Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University, and co-director of a major AHRB-funded research project, ‘Cultures of British TV Drama: 1960–82’.
Tomorrow's Theatre – and How to Get There from Today's
Authors: Brown John
Published: September 2003

Taking a wide-ranging look at the aesthetics and economics of theatre on both
sides of the Atlantic, and highlighting the increasing interest in learning about
theatre in the educational sphere at a time when institutional theatre appears to
be floundering, John Russell Brown here draws on his own visits over the past decade
to traditional and contemporary theatres in China, India, Japan, Korea, and Indonesia
to suggest how new approaches to and locations for theatre might build on forms which
continue to draw audiences worldwide. John Russell Brown founded the Department of
Drama and Theatre Arts at Birmingham University, and for fifteen years was an
Associate Director of the Royal National Theatre. His New Sites for Shakespeare:
Theatre, the Audience, and Asia was published by Routledge in 1999. His articles
on Asian theatres and their influence in Europe and America have appeared in recent
years in New Theatre Quarterly and several Indian journals. He edited and
contributed to The Oxford Illustrated History of Theatre (1995) and has been
General Editor of the ‘Theatre Production Studies’ and ‘Theatre
Concepts’ series, both for Routledge. This article is based upon his inaugural
lecture at Middlesex University, where he is currently Visiting Professor.
Curriculum development at the African Regional Wildlife Colleges, with special reference to the Ecole de Faune, Cameroon
Authors: Scholte Paul
Published: September 2003

Regional colleges in Tanzania, Cameroon and, recently, South Africa have trained some 4000 wildlife managers. Training need assessments called for major curriculum reforms, which were developed and implemented in the late 1990s. This is an analysis of the factors that influenced this curriculum reform in the colleges' endeavour to respond to new developments in African wildlife management. Since 1979, the curriculum of Garoua Wildlife College, Cameroon, has changed only gradually, whereas work placement subjects, selected by students and their employers, have quickly responded to developments in wildlife management, with an increase in the number of people-oriented subjects amongst other things. In the new curriculum, Garoua's mid-career students appreciated biology and inventory disciplines for their relevance, as well as courses in other disciplines tailored to conservation practice. The curriculum reforms implemented at Garoua depended on the presence of interested lecturers with an appropriate background, often obtained by additional training. The curricula of the regional wildlife colleges at Garoua (Cameroon) Mweka (Tanzania) and SAWC (South Africa) showed important differences, as a result of regional differences and differing visions of the wildlife management profession. All three colleges have struggled to establish a feedback system for continuous curriculum review. Increasing the exchanges between the colleges could further develop the curricula. While pursuing necessary changes in curriculum and institutions, care should be taken to avoid reducing the colleges' sustainability.
Amphibian assemblages in undisturbed and disturbed areas of Kudremukh National Park, central Western Ghats, India
Authors: Krishnamurthy S.V.
Published: September 2003

Human activities have fragmented amphibian habitats and affected amphibian diversity and distribution, but the ecology is poorly known. A four-year study assessed the diversity and distribution of amphibians in undisturbed and disturbed sites of the Kudremukh National Park (KNP), India. Iron-ore mining and associated activities in the KNP have induced habitat fragmentation. The disturbed sites had ranges of habitat variables clearly distinguishable from undisturbed sites. Thirty-six species of anurans and six species of caecilians have been recorded in the KNP and the total amphibian species richness represents 20% of the whole Indian amphibian fauna. Among these, 20 species were distributed in both disturbed and undisturbed sites, while 22 were found only in undisturbed sites indicating they may be threatened by further habitat fragmentation. Species diversity and richness formed two distinct groups clearly associated with disturbed and undisturbed habitats, respectively.
Development, trade, and the environment: how robust is the Environmental Kuznets Curve?
Authors: Cole Matthew A.
Published: September 2003

This paper assesses the strength of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) which posits an inverted-U relationship between per capital income and pollution. Specifically, answers are sought to the following related questions: (1) How robust is the EKC relationship?; (2) To what extent can the EKC relationship be explained by changing trade patterns as opposed to growth-induced pollution abatement? With regard to question (1), the alleged weaknesses with the EKC are assessed and new EKCs are estimated using more appropriate econometric techniques. Turning to question (2), it is argued that the impact of trade liberalization on the environment will differ from country to country depending on whether or not they have a comparative advantage in pollution-intensive production. In turn, it is argued that this depends on a country's relative factor endowments and/or its relative environmental regulations. EKCs are therefore estimated in a manner that allows the impact of trade liberalization on pollution to depend on these country characteristics. The results indicate that the inverted-U relationship between per capita income and emissions is reasonably robust and little evidence is found to suggest that trade patterns are a significant determinant of the inverted-U shape.
Epitope mapping on E1α subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex with autoantibodies of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis
Authors: Mori Tsutomu , Ono Kazuo , Hakozaki Masatoshi , Kochi Hideo
Published: September 2003

Background: A major mitochondrial autoantigen recognized by sera of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (E2) of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH). The α subunit of pyruvate decarboxylase (E1α) of PDH is also recognized in some E2‐reactive PBC sera, suggesting that the occurrence of autoimmunity against E1α is subsequent to that against E2.

Methods: To investigate the mechanism inducing autoimmunity against E1α, we surveyed immunoreactive sequences of E1α by ELISA with synthesized oligopeptides, and determined minimum amino acid residues for each determinant.

Results: The major determinants of E1α appeared to reside in its N‐terminal region, apparently forming ‘nested epitopes’, and all E1α‐reactive PBC sera tested recognized these regions. Minor epitopes were also found scattered throughout the entire sequence. The reactivities of these minor epitopes to individual PBC sera were proportional to those of the major epitopes. All the epitopes were located in hydrophilic regions of E1α, and many of them were out of the known functional domains (TPP‐binding domain, subunit interaction site, and phosphorylation sites) whose structures are phylogenically well conserved. Furthermore, the sequences of many epitopes appeared to be specific to humans.

Conclusion: These observations suggest that determinant spreading might underlie the autoimmunity against E1α.
The hemodynamic effects of ATP in retrograde perfusion of the bivascularly perfused rat liver
Authors: Fernandes Talma R. L. , Suzuki‐Kemmelmeier Fumie , Bracht Adelar
Published: September 2003

Aims/Background: In the sinusoidal bed the distribution of water is flow‐limited, but it becomes partly barrier‐limited when adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is introduced. This effect could be exerted either directly by ATP or by substances released from presinusoidal regions. Furthermore, portally infused ATP seems to be able to diffuse in the direction of the arterial bed. It is not known if this diffusion route is specific. Answers to these questions can be obtained from indicator‐dilution experiments in retrograde perfusion.

Methods: Indicator‐dilution experiments, using [14C]sucrose and [3H]water, were conducted. Rat livers were perfused in the retrograde mode (hepatic vein+hepatic artery→portal vein).

Results: When ATP was infused into the hepatic vein, the distribution of [3H]water remained essentially flow‐limited. The infusion of ATP into the hepatic artery increased the sucrose and extra‐sucrose spaces of the arterial bed, but infusion into the hepatic vein was without effect.

Conclusions: The results indicate that the induction of barrier‐limited distribution of [3H]water is not a direct effect of ATP. Furthermore, if the transhepatic diffusion of ATP can occur from presinusoidal regions to the arterial bed, as shown by previous work, a similar diffusion does not occur from postsinusoidal regions.
Effect of apoE/ATP‐containing liposomes on hepatic energy state
Authors: Chaïb S. , Charrueau C. , Neveux N. , Nakib S. , Chaumeil J.‐C. , Cynober L. , De Bandt J.‐P.
Published: September 2003

Background/Aims: ATP‐containing liposomes partially prevent ATP depletion in the cold‐stored liver. As hepatocytes can specifically bind apoE, we investigated whether the addition of apoE to large (200 nm) ATP‐containing liposomes increases their uptake by the liver and further improves hepatic energy stores.

Methods: Livers from fasted male Hartley guinea‐pigs (231±3 g) were perfused for 90 min under our standard conditions (Control, n=6) or after a single bolus addition of plain liposomes (Lip, n=6), ATP (5 μmol)‐containing liposomes (ATP‐Lip, n=6) or apoE/ATP‐containing liposomes (0.8 or 8 mg apoE/g phospholipids; apoE1‐Lip and apoE10‐Lip, respectively, n=6 in each group). Liposome uptake and its impact on energy and nitrogen metabolism were studied.

Results: At its highest concentration, apoE significantly increased liposome uptake (apoE10‐Lip:−9.17±0.69 vs apoE1‐Lip:−6.18±0.44 vs ATP‐Lip:−6.40±0.88 nmol min−1 g−1; P<0.05). This was associated with a significant increase in intrahepatic ATP (apoE10‐Lip: 1033±137 vs apoE1‐Lip: 811±98 and ATP‐Lip: 648±36 nmol g−1; P<0.05), which was restored to its level in non‐perfused livers. Hepatic viability and nitrogen metabolism were not affected.

Conclusions: Hepatic ATP content being a key factor in the maintenance of liver graft function, apoE/ATP‐containing liposomes should be useful in liver preservation for transplantation.
Local antigen‐driven oligoclonal expansion of B cells in the liver portal areas of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis
Authors: Sugimura Takashi , Shiokawa Satoshi , Haraoka Seiji , Fujimoto Kyoko , Ohshima Koichi , Nakamuta Makoto , Nishimura Junji
Published: September 2003

Background/aims: The antigen‐driven clonal proliferation of B cells within target tissue has been reported in some autoimmune diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine the clonal characteristics of B cells in the liver portal area of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).

Methods: The liver portal area was microdissected from liver biopsy sections from two PBC patients. Genomic DNA was extracted and rearranged immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (VH) genes were amplified and sequence analyzed.

Results: Sixteen VH sequences from portal area 1A of patient 1 had three different rearrangements. Nineteen VH sequences from portal area 1B of this patient had three different rearrangements. In three sequences from the portal area 1B, a stepwise accumulation of somatic mutations was observed. Between the sequences from the two portal areas, no common VH sequence was observed. In patient 2, 15 VH sequences from portal area 2A had three different rearrangements. Fourteen VH sequences from portal area 2B had two different rearrangements. One rearrangement was present both in the portal area 2A and portal area 2B.

Conclusion: The oligoclonal B cell proliferation and stepwise accumulation of somatic mutations suggested that an antigen‐driven B cell response had occurred in the portal area of PBC.
Expression of 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine in chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Ichiba Miho , Maeta Yoshiko , Mukoyama Tomoyuki , Saeki Toshiya , Yasui Sakiko , Kanbe Takamasa , Okano Jun‐Ichi , Tanabe Yoshinao , Hirooka Yasuaki , Yamada Sadako , Kurimasa Akihiro , Murawaki Yoshikazu , Shiota Goshi
Published: September 2003

Abstract: Reactive oxygen species may be involved in the progression of chronic liver disease and the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To clarify whether clinicopathological findings in liver diseases are related to oxidative DNA damage, hepatic expression of the 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG) was examined in 75 liver disease patients, which included 32 chronic hepatitis (CH), 13 liver cirrhosis (LC) and 30 HCC patients. The CH patients had higher 8‐OHdG‐positive hepatocytes than LC (P<0.05). In CH and LC, the number of 8‐OHdG‐positive hepatocytes was correlated with alanine aminotransferase and asparate aminotransferase (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively). Of 30 HCC cases, 25 cases (83%) showed stronger immunoreactivity than non‐cancerous counterparts. The patients with poorly differentiated HCC had a larger tumor size and higher levels of AFP, and exhibited higher labeling indices of PCNA‐, TUNEL‐ and 8‐OHdG‐positive cells than those with well and moderately differentiated HCC. Our findings suggest that oxidative DNA damage is increased in association with necroinflammation in chronic liver disease and determination of 8‐OHdG is useful in assessing high‐grade malignancy in HCC.
Three–way interactions between Acacia, large mammalian herbivores and bruchid beetles ‐ a review
Authors: Or K. , Ward D.
Published: September 2003

Large mammalian herbivores are both predators and dispersers of Acacia seeds. While some of the seeds are destroyed during passage through the herbivore's digestive tract, others are defecated unharmed. Ingestion by large herbivores facilitates germination by scarification of the seed coat. The extent of the influence of herbivores on seed dispersal and germination depends on seed retention time and tooth size, which are both positively correlated with body size. Infestation by bruchid beetles (Bruchidae) reduces Acacia germination. Herbivores may reduce bruchid infestation in several ways. Larvae in recently infested seeds are killed by stomach acids penetrating the seed through the larval entry hole. Seeds that are partly excavated by burrowing larvae in more advanced stages may be crushed by the herbivore's teeth. Lastly, but probably most crucially, herbivores simply remove seeds from the natal tree prior to infestation or at least prior to reinfestation. The timing and magnitude of herbivory is crucial for both the reduction of bruchid infestation and Acacia seedling establishment. Although it is widely agreed that a three–way interaction exists between bruchid beetles, Acacia trees and large mammalian herbivores, it is also apparent that the relationship is highly complex and is not yet completely understood.
Enteric nervous system disorders: genetic and molecular insights for the neurogastroenterologist
Authors: Camilleri M.
Published: September 2003

The goals of this review are to summarize some of the novel observations on the genetic and molecular basis of enteric nervous system disorders, with particular emphasis on the relevance of these observations to the practicising neurogastroenterologist. In the last two decades, there has been a greater understanding of genetic loci involved in congenital forms of pseudo‐obstruction and Hirschsprung’s disease; and the contribution of endothelins and nuclear transcription factors to the development of the enteric nervous system. In addition, clarification of the molecules involved in the activation of the peristaltic reflex, the disorders of the interstitial cells of Cajal, the clinical manifestations of mitochondrial cytopathies affecting the gut, and the application of neurotrophic factors for disorders of colonic function have impacted on practical management of patients with gut dysmotility.
Sequence stratigraphic distribution of diagenetic alterations in coal‐bearing, paralic sandstones: evidence from the Rio Bonito Formation (early Permian), southern Brazil
Authors: Ketzer J. Marcelo , Holz Michael , Morad S. , Al‐Aasm I. S.
Published: September 2003

Abstract Linking siliciclastic diagenesis to sequence stratigraphy allows a better understanding of the parameters controlling the spatial and temporal distribution of diagenetic alterations, and hence of reservoir quality. A study of the coal‐bearing, alluvial, deltaic, estuarine and shallow‐marine sandstones of the Rio Bonito Formation, early Permian, Paraná Basin (southern Brazil), reveals that the distribution of diagenetic alterations and of related reservoir quality evolution can be constrained within a sequence stratigraphic framework. Calcite, dolomite, siderite, kaolinite and pyrite cementation is consistently linked to sequence and parasequence boundaries, transgressive and maximum flooding surfaces and is systematically distributed within lowstand, transgressive and highstand systems tracts. Diagenesis of coal layers at parasequence boundaries has promoted the formation of stratabound calcite (detectable in resistivity wire line logs), concretionary pyrite and kaolinite and of silicate grain dissolution in sandstones located above and below these boundaries, particularly in the transgressive systems tract. Meteoric water diagenesis caused grain dissolution and the formation of kaolinite in sandstones below sequence boundaries and in lowstand systems tract sandstones. Carbonate bioclasts and low sedimentation rates in lag deposits at parasequence boundaries, transgressive and maximum flooding surfaces favoured the formation of grain‐rimming siderite. The results of this study are relevant to the exploration of coal‐bed methane and other coal‐bearing reservoirs, where it is crucial to unravel and predict the distribution and quality of reservoirs and compartments.
Effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on the fatty acid profile of rabbit longissimus dorsi muscle (preliminary report)
Authors: Szabó A. , Husvéth F. , Szendrǫ Zs. , Repa I. , Romvári R.
Published: September 2003

This study was designed to investigate whether transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) of the longissimus dorsi muscle (MLD) of rabbits induces specific proportional changes in the muscle fatty acid composition. Ten 4‐week‐old Pannon White rabbits were exposed to TENS treatment two times a day, with the following settings: 30 Hz, 20 μs impulse length, 10 mA, 2 × 20 min. After a treatment period of 50 days rabbits were slaughtered and the fatty acid composition of the MLD was determined by gas chromatography. The TENS treatment increased the proportions of linoleic (C18:2 n‐6), linolenic (C18:3 n‐3) and gondoic acids (C20:1 n‐9), compared with the control group. The level of palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0), oleic (C18:1 n‐9) and eicosapentaenoic (C20:5 n‐3) acids significantly decreased. The proportion of total unsaturated fatty acids significantly increased. On the basis of the results obtained, TENS may have similar effects on the muscle fatty acid profile like physical training. Based on the supposal that the composition of membrane structure was also affected, the electrical stimulation of muscles may have further consequences, e.g. on membrane properties.
Nährstoffgehalte von Muskel‐, Fett‐ und Knochengewebe des Schlachtkörpers im Wachstumsverlauf von Lämmern der Rasse Merinolandschaf bei unterschiedlicher Fütterungsintensität
Authors: Bellof G. , Wolf A. , Schuster M. , Hollwich W.
Published: September 2003

In einem Wachstumsversuch mit 108 Schaflämmern (Rasse Merinolandschaf) sollte untersucht werden, wie sich der Einfluss von Geschlecht, Mastendgewicht und Fütterungsintensität auf die Nährstoffgehalte der Schlachtkörper bzw. deren Gewebe auswirkt. Die Lämmer (jeweils 50% weibliche und männliche Tiere) wurden in drei Fütterungsintensitätsstufen (,,hoch“, ,,mittel“ und ,,niedrig“; variierte Kraftfutter‐ und Heutagesmengen) gemästet und bei unterschiedlichen Mastendgewichten (30, 45 oder 55 kg) geschlachtet. Jeweils sechs männliche und weibliche Tiere wurden bereits mit einem Gewicht von 18 kg geschlachtet, welches das Anfangsgewicht der Masttiere darstellte. Von jedem Schlachttier wurde die linke Schlachthälfte nach der DLG‐Schnittführung in Teilstücke zerlegt. Für jedes Teilstück erfolgte anschließend die grobgewebliche Zerlegung in Muskelfleisch, Fettgewebe und Knochen/Sehnen sowie die Ermittlung des prozentualen Anteils zum Teilstück. Das Probenmaterial der Gewebe bzw. Teilstücke wurde auf Trockenmasse, Rohprotein, Gesamtfett und Rohasche analysiert.

Zwischen weiblichen und männlichen Tieren bestanden erhebliche Unterschiede bezüglich des Trockenmasse‐, Rohprotein‐ und Fettgehaltes im Schlachtkörper. Schlachtkörper von Bocklämmern wiesen höhere Protein‐ und niedrigere Fettgehalte auf. Mit zunehmender Fütterungsintensität und steigendem Mastendgewicht vergrößerten sich die geschlechtsbedingten Unterschiede für diese Nährstoffe.

Das Muskelgewebe von Lämmerschlachtkörpern wies bei marktüblichen Schlachtgewichten (45 kg) relativ geringe Fettgehalte auf (weniger als 10%). Dies galt insbesondere für Schlachtkörper von Bocklämmern (weniger als 8%).
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniaein Thai Pig Herds. Prevalence of Serum Antibodies and Relation to Performance
Authors: Assavacheep P. , Persson M. , Luengyosluechakul S. , Watanaphansak S. , Laohasinnarong D. , Pungkhun P. , Wallgren P.
Published: September 2003

The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence ofActinobacillus pleuropneumoniaeinfections in market weight pigs in Thailand. ELISA systems employing purified lipopolysaccharide antigens were used to detect antibodies in 549 serum samples collected from pigs of 22 herds. Relevant cut‐off values were established from three herds defined seronegative. Serum antibodies were detected to all serotypes except serotype 10. Almost 60% of the samples were seropositive to at least one serotype and 45% of the pigs were seropositive to more than one serotype. Antibodies to the cross‐reacting serotypes 1, 9 or 11 were found in 29% of the pigs. Other common serotypes included the cross‐reacting serotypes 3, 6 or 8 (26% seropositive pigs) and serotype 5a (also 26%). Antibodies to serotypes 2, 5b and 12 were low in prevalence (<10%). Three herds were regarded to be seronegative and six to have a low pathogen load with respect to the prevalence of seropositive pigs. The remaining 13 herds had a high incidence of pigs with antibodies toA. pleuropneumoniae, dominated by serotypes 1‐9‐11 and 5a (n = 6), serotypes 3‐6‐8, and 5a (n = 4) or 1‐9‐11, 3‐6‐8, 5a and 4‐7 (n = 3). A low pathogen load with respect toA. pleuropneumoniae, as well as small herd size and age‐segregated rearing, tended to improve the performance of growers.
Comparison of Selected Diagnostic Methods for Identification of Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium andersoni in Routine Examination of Faeces
Authors: Kváč M. , Květoňová D. , Půžová G. , Ditrich O.
Published: September 2003

This study involved the comparison of suitability of different methods for routine diagnostics of Cryptosporidium spp. Two staining methods, one concentration–sedimentation method, seven concentration–floatation methods and one combined floatation–sedimentation method were compared. The methods were tested with two concentrations (1 × 105 and 1 × 106/g) of C. parvum and C. andersoni. The methods were evaluated using light microscope, magnification 400× for concentration methods and 1000× for stained samples respectively. Specificity of both staining methods was 95–100%. Ziehl‐Neelsen with P < 0.01 is more suitable for identification of C. andersoni and modified Miláček‐Vítovec with P < 0.01 for identification of C. parvum. Concerning specificity and sensitivity, the floatation–concentration method by Sheather was found to provide the best results of all selected methods. The merthiolate iodine formaldehyde concentration (MIFC) method was the least specific one. The least suitable method concerning sensitivity and costs was the floatation method with caesium chloride (CsCl) with a specificity of 29%.
Generalized deficits in visual selective attention after V4 and TEO lesions in macaques
Authors: De Weerd Peter , Desimone Robert , Ungerleider Leslie G.
Published: September 2003

To test the role of areas V4 and TEO in the attentional filtering of distracting information, we studied the effects of lesions in these areas, in monkeys discriminating target stimuli surrounded by irrelevant distracters. The lesions were restricted, such that a single visual field quadrant was affected by a V4 lesion alone, a TEO lesion alone, or a combined lesion in V4 and TEO, while one quadrant served as a normal control. The monkeys fixated a spot while discriminating the orientation, colour or motion of target stimuli presented extrafoveally in each quadrant. When the target was presented alone, discrimination deficits in the quadrants affected by the lesions were generally small. However, these deficits were substantially increased by surrounding the target with luminance, colour or motion distracters. The discrimination of target orientation was more impaired than the discrimination of target colour or motion, irrespective of distracter type. The discrimination of target motion was strongly affected only by motion distracters. The magnitude of the impairments increased with distracter strength and with the extent to which the distracters conveyed information conflicting with the target. Deficits in the quadrant affected by combined V4 and TEO lesions were twice as large as those in quadrants affected by V4 or TEO lesions alone. The results suggest that in the absence of V4 and TEO, information from both relevant and irrelevant stimuli is ‘averaged’ together across several different feature domains, impairing the discrimination of the relevant target features. The results suggest a broad role of V4 and TEO in visual selective attention.
Respiratory survival mechanisms in acetylcholinesterase knockout mouse
Authors: Chatonnet Fabrice , Boudinot Éliane , Chatonnet Arnaud , Taysse Laurent , Daulon Sébastien , Champagnat Jean , Foutz Arthur S.
Published: September 2003

Cholinergic neurotransmission ensures muscle contraction and plays a role in the regulation of respiratory pattern in the brainstem. Inactivation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) by organophosphates produces respiratory failure but AChE knockout mice survive to adulthood. Respiratory adaptation mechanisms which ensure survival of these mice were examined in vivo by whole body plethysmography and in vitro in the neonatal isolated brainstem preparation. AChE−/− mice presented no AChE activity but unaffected butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity. In vivo, bambuterol (50–500 µg/kg s.c.) decreased BChE activity peripherally but not in brain tissue and induced apnea and death in adult and neonate AChE−/− mice without affecting littermate AChE+/+ and +/− animals. In vitro, bath‐applied bambuterol (1–100 µm) and tetraisopropylpyrophosphoramide (10–100 µm) decreased BChE activity in the brainstem but did not perturb central respiratory activity recorded from spinal nerve rootlets. In vitro, the cholinergic agonists muscarine (50–100 µm) and nicotine (0.5–10 µm) induced tonic activity in respiratory motoneurons and increased the frequency of inspiratory bursts in AChE+/+ and +/− animals. These effects were greatly attenuated in AChE−/− animals. The results suggest that, in mice lacking AChE, (i) BChE becomes essential for survival peripherally but plays no critical role in central rhythm‐generating structures and (ii) a major adaptive mechanism for respiratory survival is the down‐regulated response of central respiratory‐related neurons and motoneurons to muscarinic and nicotinic agonists.