bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heat equation with singular potential and singular data
Authors: Nedeljkov M. , Pilipović S. , Rajter-Ćirić D.
Published: July 2007

Nets of Schrödinger C0-semigroups (Sε)ε with the polynomial growth with respect to ε are used for solving the Cauchy problem (∂t − Δ)U + VU = f(t, U), U(0, x) = U0(x) in a suitable generalized function algebra (or space), where V and U0 are singular generalized functions while f satisfies a Lipschitz-type condition. The existence of distribution solutions is proved in appropriate cases by the means of white noise calculus as well as classical energy estimates.
Optimal coercivity inequalities in W1,p(Ω)
Authors: Auchmuty Giles
Published: July 2007

This paper describes the characterization of optimal constants for some coercivity inequalities in W1,p(Ω), 1 < p < ∞. A general result involving inequalities of p-homogeneous forms on a reflexive Banach space is first proved. The constants are shown to be the least eigenvalues of certain eigenproblems with equality holding for the corresponding eigenfunctions. This result is applied to three different classes of coercivity results on W1,p(Ω). The inequalities include very general versions of the Friedrichs and Poincaré inequalities. Scaling laws for the inequalities are also described.
A description of (Cp[Lp(M)], Rp[Lp(M)])θ
Authors: Xu Quanhua
Published: July 2007

We give a simple explicit description of the norm in the complex interpolation space (Cp[Lp(M)], Rp[Lp(M)])θ for any von Neumann algebra M and any 1 ≤ p ≤ ∞.
The existence and asymptotic behaviour of the unique solution near the boundary to a singular Dirichlet problem with a convection term
Authors: Zhang Zhijun
Published: July 2007

We show the existence and exact asymptotic behaviour of the unique solution u ∈ C2(Ω)∩C(Ω̄) near the boundary to the singular nonlinear Dirichlet problem −Δu = k(x)g(u) + λ|∇u|q, u > 0, x ∈ Ω, u|∂Ω = 0, where Ω is a bounded domain with smooth boundary in RN, λ ∈ R, q ∈ [0, 2], g(s) is non-increasing and positive in (0, ∞), lims→0+g(s) = +∞, k ∈ Cα(Ω) is non-negative non-trivial on Ω, which may be singular on the boundary.
Long-time behaviour of solutions to a chemotaxis model with volume-filling effect
Authors: Wrzosek Dariusz
Published: July 2007

The Lyapunov functional is constructed for a quasilinear parabolic system which models chemotaxis and takes into account a volume-filling effect. For some typical case it is proved that the ω-limit set of any trajectory consists of regular stationary solutions. Some lower and upper bounds on the stationary solutions are found. For a given range of parameters there are stationary solutions which are inhomogeneous in space.
A necessary and sufficient condition for the weak lower semicontinuity of one-dimensional non-local variational integrals
Authors: Bevan Jonathan , Pedregal Pablo
Published: July 2007

In this short note we prove that the functional I : W1,p(J;R) → R defined by

is sequentially weakly lower semicontinuous in W1,p(J,R) if and only if the symmetric part W+ of W is separately convex. We assume that W is real valued, continuous and bounded below by a constant, and that J is an open subinterval of R. We also show that the lower semicontinuous envelope of I cannot in general be obtained by replacing W by its separately convex hull Wsc.
Contact between nonlinearly elastic bodies
Authors: Habeck Daniel , Schuricht Friedemann
Published: July 2007

We study the contact between nonlinearly elastic bodies by variational methods. After the formulation of the mechanical problem, we provide existence results based on polyconvexity and on quasiconvexity. We then derive the Euler—Lagrange equation as a necessary condition for minimizers. Here Clarke's generalized gradients are an essential tool for treating the nonsmooth obstacle condi
Role of follicle stimulating hormone and epidermal growth factor in the development of porcine preantral follicle in vitro
Authors: Wu Ji , Tian Qi
Published: July 2007

The aim of the present study was to assess the role of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), epidermal growth factor (EGF) or a combination of EGF and FSH on the in vitro growth of porcine preantral follicles, estradiol secretion, antrum formation, oocyte maturation and subsequent embryonic development. Porcine preantral follicles were cultured for 3 days in the absence or in the presence of FSH or EGF. Oocytes from these follicles were then matured, fertilized in vitro and embryos were cultured. Estradiol secretion and histological analysis of cultured follicles were also carried out. The results showed that when FSH, or a combination of EGF and FSH, was added to the culture medium, most of preantral follicles grew to antral follicles with high estradiol secretion and the oocytes from these antral follicles could mature, fertilize and develop to the blastocyst stage. Without FSH, or a combination of EGF and FSH, preantral follicles were unable to develop to the antral stage. Histology demonstrated that the resulting follicles were nonantral, estradiol production was reduced and none of their oocytes matured after in vitro maturation. The results indicate the essential role of FSH in promoting in vitro growth of porcine preantral follicle, estradiol secretion, antrum formation, oocyte maturation and subsequent embryonic development. EGF with FSH treatment of porcine preantral follicles improves the quality of oocytes, shown by a higher frequency of embryonic development.
DON'T SAY IT WITH NIGHTSHADES: SENTIMENTAL BOTANY AND THE NATURAL HISTORY OFATROPA BELLADONNA
Authors: Campbell Elizabeth A.
Published: July 2007

THE VICTORIANS' PASSION FORplants has been well established as a defining feature of the period, and scholars from the humanities and the sciences – from literature, history, anthropology, botany, art, and religion – have lavishly documented how this obsession pervaded every aspect of nineteenth-century British life, creating what was truly the golden age for the “Culture of Flowers,” to borrow the title of Jack Goody's ethnobotanical study tracing traditional and ceremonial uses of flowers through history and around the globe. As Brent Elliott argues, improvements in greenhouse design beginning in 1817 and the use of the Wardian case from the 1830s for transporting plants by ship led to an unprecedented number of plant introductions to England, especially those intended for ornamental purposes (8–13). Decorative plants either of the indigenous, old-fashioned varieties or exotic new species were now widely available and visible everywhere – in vast public garden beds or small cottage plots; in pots or cut arrangements in the homes and on the window sills of the middle class and the well-to-do; in theaters, meeting halls, and fashionable shops; in churches for weddings, funerals, and holidays; in the boutonnieres of dandies and at the wrists, bosoms, and in the hair of ladies; for sale on the streets in flower carts and stalls; and in the shops of the burgeoning florist trade.
Biological networks and epistasis in genome-wide association studies
Authors: Emily Mathieu , Schauser Leif , Mailund Thomas , Schierup Mikkel
Published: July 2007

Over the last few years, technological improvements have made possible the genotyping of hundreds of thousands of SNPs, enabling whole-genome association studies. The first genome-wide association studies have recently been completed to detect causal variant for complex traits. Although increasing evidence suggests that interaction between loci, such as epistasis between two loci, should be considered, most of these studies proceed by considering each SNP independently. One reason for this choice is that looking at all pairs of SNPs increases dramatically the number of tests (approximatively 50 billions of tests for a 300,000 SNPs data set) that faces with computational limitation and strong multiple testing correction.We proposed to reduce the number of tests by focusing on pairs of SNPs that belong to genes known to interact in some metabolic network. Although some interactions might be missed, these pairs of genes are good candidates for epistasis. Furthermore the use of protein interaction databases (such as the STRING database) may reduce the number of tests by a factor of 5,000.Results using this approach will be presented on simulated data sets and on public data sets.
Fluvastatin inhibits regulated secretion of endothelial cell von Willebrand factor in response to diverse secretagogues
Authors: Fish Richard J. , Yang Hong , Viglino Christelle , Schorer Raoul , Dunoyer-Geindre Sylvie , Kruithof Egbert K. O.
Published: July 2007

Regulated secretion of EC (endothelial cell) vWF (von Willebrand factor) is part of the haemostatic response. It occurs in response to secretagogues that raise intracellular calcium or cAMP. Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs used for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. We studied the effect of fluvastatin on regulated secretion of vWF from HUVEC (human umbilical-vein ECs). Secretion in response to thrombin, a protease-activated receptor-1 agonist peptide, histamine, forskolin and adrenaline (epinephrine) was inhibited. This inhibition was reversed by mevalonate or geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, and mimicked by a geranylgeranyl transferase inhibitor, demonstrating that the inhibitory mechanism includes inhibition of protein geranylgeranylation. To investigate this mechanism further, calcium handling and NO (nitric oxide) regulation were studied in fluvastatin-treated HUVEC. Intracellular calcium mobilization did not correlate with vWF secretion. Fluvastatin increased eNOS [endothelial NOS (NO synthase)] expression, but NOS inhibitors failed to reverse the effect of fluvastatin on vWF secretion. Exogenous NO did not inhibit thrombin-induced vWF secretion. Many small GTPases are geranylgeranylated and some are activated by secretagogues. We overexpressed DN (dominant negative) Rho GTPases, RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42 (cell division cycle 42), in HUVEC. DNCdc42 conferred inhibition of thrombin- and forskolin-induced vWF secretion. We conclude that, via inhibition of protein geranylgeranylation, fluvastatin is a broadspectrum inhibitor of regulated vWF secretion. Geranylgeranylated small GTPases with functional roles in regulated secretion, such as Cdc42, are potential targets for the inhibitory activity of fluvastatin.
No-tillage and conservation farming practices in grain growing areas of Queensland - a review of 40 years of development
Authors: Thomas G. A. , Titmarsh G. W. , Freebairn D. M. , Radford B. J.
Published: July 2007

Early agricultural practices in Queensland inadvertently led to accelerated soil erosion. During the 1940s, the Queensland Government initiated a soil conservation service that worked with the principles of matching land use with its capability, as well as runoff management using earth structures such as contour banks and grassed waterways. A concerted effort began in the 1960s to develop and adapt farming systems that maximised retention of crop residues to maintain surface cover to complement the earthworks. Investigation and promotion of farm machinery capable of dealing with high stubble levels commenced in the mid-1970s. Demonstrations of the benefits of reduced and no-tillage conservation farming practices for improved productivity and soil conservation also began at this time.
The combined research, development and extension efforts of farmers, grower organisations, agribusiness and government agencies have contributed to an increase in the understanding of soil–water–crop interactions that have led to the adoption of no-tillage and conservation farming practices in Queensland. In 2005, the overall area under no-tillage was ~50% of the cropping land in the main grain growing areas of southern and central Queensland, but was potentially as high as 85% among some groups of farmers. Conservation farming practices, in their many forms, are now regarded as standard practice, and the agricultural advisory industry is involved considerably in providing advice on optimum herbicide application and crop rotation strategies for these practices.
Factors hindering greater adoption of no-tillage include: farmer attitudes and aspirations, machinery conversion or replacement costs, buildup of soil and stubble-borne plant diseases, use of residual herbicides that may limit crop options, dual use of land for grazing and cropping, herbicide resistance, buildup of hard-to-kill weeds, the need for soil disturbance in some situations, and concerns by farmers about the effects of herbicides on the environment and human health.
Developments that may aid further adoption of no-tillage systems include: ongoing machinery modifications that allow greater flexibility in the cropping systems, refinement of controlled traffic farming and precision agriculture, improved crop resistance or tolerance to plant diseases associated with stubble retention, availability of more crop options and rotations, development of a broader spectrum of effective herbicides and the use of genetic modification technologies to breed herbicide-resistant crops.
TGF-β signaling-mediated morphogenesis: modulation of cell adhesion via cadherin endocytosis
Authors: Ogata Souichi , Morokuma Junji , Hayata Tadayoshi , Kolle Gabriel , Niehrs Christof , Ueno Naoto , Cho Ken W.Y.
Published: July 2007

The molecular mechanisms governing the cell behaviors underlying morphogenesis remain a major focus of research in both developmental biology and cancer biology. TGF-β ligands control cell fate specification via Smad-mediated signaling. However, their ability to guide cellular morphogenesis in a variety of biological contexts is poorly understood. We report on the discovery of a novel TGF-β signaling-mediated cellular morphogenesis occurring during vertebrate gastrulation. Activin/nodal members of the TGF-β superfamily induce the expression of two genes regulating cell adhesion during gastrulation: Fibronectin Leucine-rich Repeat Transmembrane 3 (FLRT3), a type I transmembrane protein containing extracellular leucine-rich repeats, and the small GTPase Rnd1. FLRT3 and Rnd1 interact physically and modulate cell adhesion during embryogenesis by controlling cell surface levels of cadherin through a dynamin-dependent endocytosis pathway. Our model suggests that cell adhesion can be dynamically regulated by sequestering cadherin through internalization, and subsequent redeploying internalized cadherin to the cell surface as needed. As numerous studies have linked aberrant expression of small GTPases, adhesion molecules such as cadherins, and TGF-β signaling to oncogenesis and metastasis, it is tempting to speculate that this FLRT3/Rnd1/cadherin pathway might also control cell behavior and morphogenesis in adult tissue homeostasis.
Co‐ordination between localized wound‐induced Ca2+ signals and pre‐wound serum signals is required for proliferation after mechanical injury
Authors: Tran P. O. T. , Tran Q.‐H. P. , Hinman L. E. , Sammak P. J.
Published: July 2007

Abstract. The signals which initiate proliferation of endothelial cells after injury are important for selective blood vessel growth during wound healing or tumour growth. Upon mechanically wounding quiescent cells, a transient [Ca2+]; increase was induced in cells at the wound edge. These same cells proliferated 18‐24 h post wounding, as measured by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. The localized Ca2+ signal was required specifically during wounding since blocking Ca2+ influx reduced proliferation by 40‐50%. Proliferation also required serum since starvation reduced proliferation by 80%. Serum‐starved cells proliferated if briefly primed with serum prior to wounding. The signals derived from serum and [Ca2+]j combined at least additively to induce proliferation. Therefore, serum priming followed by a single, transient Ca2+ signal induced by mechanical injury must occur in a temporally and spatially regulated manner for normal proliferation. Co‐ordination between signalling cascades induced by growth factors and release from contact inhibition might be obligatory for localized re‐endothelialization after injury.
Transcriptional regulation and biological significance of the insulin like growth factor II gene
Authors: Engström W. , Shokrai A. , Otte K. , Granerus M. , Gessbo A. , Bierke P. , Madej A. , Sjolund M. , Ward A.
Published: July 2007

Abstract.The insulin like growth factors I and II are the most ubiquitous in the mammalian embryo. Moreover they play a pivotal role in the development and growth of tumours. The bioavailability of these growth factors is regulated on a transcriptional as well as on a posttranslational level. The expression of non‐signalling receptors as well as binding proteins does further tune the local concentration of IGFs. This paper aims at reviewing how the transcription of the IGF genes is regulated. The biological significance of these control mechanisms will be discussed.
B cells modulate T cells so as to favour T helper type 1 and CD8+ T‐cell responses in the acute phase of Trypanosoma cruzi infection
Authors: Cardillo Fabiola , Postol Edilberto , Nihei Jorge , Aroeira Luiz S. , Nomizo Auro , Mengel José
Published: July 2007

In this study, we have evaluated the production of pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokines and the formation of central and effector memory T cells in mice lacking mature B cells (muMT KO). The results show that Trypanosoma cruzi infection in C57Bl/6mμ MT KO mice is intensified in relation to control mice and this exacerbation is related to low levels of inflammatory cytokines produced during the acute infection and the lower numbers of central and effector memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells generated during the acute phase of the infection. In addition, a marked reduction in the CD8+ T‐cell subpopulation was observed in muMT KO infected mice. In agreement to this, the degree of tissue parasitism was increased in muMT mice and the tissue inflammatory response was much less intense in the acute phase of the infection, consistent with a deficit in the generation of effector T cells. Flow cytometry analysis of the skeletal muscle inflammatory infiltrate showed a predominance of CD8+ CD45Rb low in B‐cell‐sufficient C57Bl/6 mice, whereas the preponderant cell type in muMT KO skeletal muscle inflammatory infiltrate was CD4+ T cells. In addition, CD8+ T cells found in skeletal muscle from muMT KO infected mice were less activated than in control B‐cell sufficient infected mice. These results suggest that B cells may participate in the generation of effector/memory T cells. In addition and more importantly, B cells were crucial in the maintenance of central and effector memory CD8+ T cell, as well as the determination of the T cell cytokine functional pattern, and they may therefore account for critical aspects of the resistance to intracellular pathogens, such as T. cruzi.
Sublingual ‘Oral Tolerance’ Induction with Antigen Conjugated to Cholera Toxin B Subunit Generates Regulatory T Cells that Induce Apoptosis and Depletion of Effector T Cells
Authors: Sun J.‐B. , Czerkinsky C. , Holmgren J.
Published: July 2007

Sublingual (s.l.) immunotherapy has in the last decade emerged as an effective approach to desensitize patients with pollen, food and insect sting allergies. This treatment has recently also attracted interest as a potential modality to control self‐reactive T‐cell responses associated with autoimmune disorders. Here, we show that s.l. administration of ovalbumin (OVA) conjugated to cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) (OVA/CTB) can efficiently suppress peripheral effector T (Teff) cell responses to OVA in mice that had adoptively received OVA‐specific T‐cell receptor (TCR) transgenic CD4+ T cells, and that the suppression was associated with the development of OVA‐specific Foxp3+CD25+CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells as well as with apoptosis (Annexin V+) and depletion of OVA‐specific Teff cells in peripheral lymph nodes. The induction of Teff cell apoptosis by s.l. OVA/CTB administration was found to be critically dependent on CD25+ Treg cells but independent of IL‐10 production. Our results suggest that s.l administration of a CTB‐conjugated antigen can efficiently induce peripheral Teff cell tolerance through the induction of antigen‐specific Treg cells that both inhibit Teff cell proliferation and cytokine production and induce Teff cell apoptosis and depletion.
An apparent KIR2DS2‐negative KIR2DL2‐positive genotype discloses the novel allele KIR2DS2*00104
Authors: Gómez‐Lozano N. , Vilches C.
Published: July 2007

KIR2DS2*00104 lacks a distinctive synonymous substitution of KIR2DS2 in nucleotide 418 that affects KIR genotyping.
Transcranial Doppler and anesthetics
Authors: Fodale V. , Schifilliti D. , Conti A. , Lucanto T. , Pino G. , Santamaria L. B.
Published: July 2007

Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is widely used to investigate the effects of anesthetic drugs on cerebral blood flow. Its repeatability and non‐invasivity makes it an ideal, first choice method. Anesthesia providers are required to be conscious of the cerebral hemodynamic effects of drugs given in their practice, especially in neurosurgery and in subjects with impaired brain functions. The purpose of this review is to present the basic concepts of the TCD technique and the effects on cerebral hemodynamics of the most popular anesthetic drugs evaluated using TCD ultrasonography.
Low antibiotic resistance rates in Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp but not in Enterobacter spp and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a prospective observational study in 14 Swedish ICUs over a 5‐year period
Authors: Hanberger H. , Burman L. G. , Cars O. , Erlandsson M. , Gill H. , Nilsson L. E. , Nordlinder D. , Walther S. M. ,   ICU STRAMA study group
Published: July 2007

Background:  Intensive care units (ICUs) are hot zones for emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance because of frequent invasive procedures, antibiotic usage and transmission of bacteria. We report prospective data on antibiotic use and bacterial resistance from 14 academic and non‐academic ICUs, participating in the ICU‐STRAMA programme 1999–2003.

Methods:  The quantity of antibiotics delivered to each ICU was calculated as defined daily doses per 1000 occupied bed days (DDD1000). Specimens for culture were taken on clinical indications and only initial isolates were considered. Species‐related breakpoints according to the Swedish Reference Group for Antibiotics were used. Antibiotic resistance was defined as the sum of intermediate and resistant strains.

Results:  Mean antibiotic use increased from 1245 DDD1000 in 1999 to 1510 DDD1000 in 2003 (P = 0.11 for trend). Of Staphylococcus aureus, 0–1.8% were methicillin resistant (MRSA). A presumptive extended spectrum beta‐lactamase (ESBL) phenotype was found in <2.4% of Escherichia coli, based on cefotaxime susceptibility, except a peak in 2002 (4.6%). Cefotaxime resistance was found in 2.6–4.9% of Klebsiella spp. Rates of resistance among Enterobacter spp. to cefotaxime (20–33%) and among Pseudomonas aeruginosa to imipenem (22–33%) and ciprofloxacin (5–21%) showed no time trend.

Conclusion:  MRSA and cefotaxime‐resistant E. coli and Klebsiella spp strains were few despite high total antibiotic consumption. This may be the result of a slow introduction of resistant strains into the ICUs, and good infection control. The cause of imipenem and ciprofloxacin resistance in P. aeruginosa could reflect the increased consumption of these agents plus spread of resistant clones.
Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest: implementation and outcome in Finnish intensive care units
Authors: Oksanen T. , Pettilä V. , Hynynen M. , Varpula T. ,   Intensium Consortium study group
Published: July 2007

Background:  Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) has been shown to increase survival after out‐of‐hospital resuscitation. The aim of our study was to find out nationwide implementation and the actual utilization of TH after cardiac arrest in Finnish intensive care units (ICUs). We also determined the outcomes and describe demographic variables of the patients treated with TH.

Methods:  We analyzed a nationwide prospective database and included all adult patients (1555) treated in ICUs after cardiac arrest during 2004 and 2005.

Results:  During 2004 and 2005, 407 patients were treated with TH and TH was used in 19 out of the 20 ICUs. The proportion of cardiac arrest patients treated with TH had increased from 4% in 2002 to 28% in 2005. The incidence of cardiac arrest patients admitted to ICUs was 15/100,000 inhabitants/year. The use of TH varied in different areas of the country from 3.4 to 5.0/100,000 inhabitants/year. In‐hospital mortality of TH patients was 32.7% and increased from 13.2% in age group <45 years to 46.0% in age group >75 years (P = 0.0002). Six‐month survival was 55.3%. Median (interquartile range) length of stay in the ICU was 3.7 (2.7–5.3) days.

Conclusion:  In Finland, TH is implemented in almost all ICUs but it is applied only to a selected group of patients. Six months after cardiac arrest, more than half of the patients treated with TH were alive. Among patients treated with TH, younger patients had lower in‐hospital mortality.
Policy statement on iron deficiency in pre‐school‐aged children
Authors: Grant Cameron C , Wall Clare R , Brewster David , Nicholson Ross , Whitehall John , Super Leanne , Pitcher Lydia
Published: July 2007

Aim: We aimed to develop policy in relation to three areas: (i) the diagnosis of iron deficiency; (ii) maternal–infant issues and the prevention of iron deficiency; and (iii) the treatment of iron deficiency.

Methods: Within each of these topic areas we completed a literature review and developed recommendations to help direct activities of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, update paediatricians and guide clinical practice.

Results: Iron deficiency can be defined using cut‐off values for laboratory measures of iron status or, if an intercurrent infection is not present, by demonstrating a response to a therapeutic trial of iron. The appropriate measures of iron status vary depending upon the presence of intercurrent infection. Full‐term babies are born with iron stores sufficient to meet their needs to age 4–6 months but premature infants are not. After age 6 months infants are dependent upon dietary iron from complementary foods even with continued breastfeeding. Infants <33 weeks gestation or <1800 g birthweight should receive iron from 4 weeks of age. In most settings recommended treatment of iron deficiency is with oral ferrous sulphate as a single or twice daily dose of between 3 and 6 mg/kg/day.

Conclusions: Iron deficiency is prevalent and an important determinant of child health. Precise and accurate diagnosis remains challenging. Iron supplementation is required for premature and low‐birthweight infants. Oral iron salts remain the recommended treatment of choice in most instances.
‘Take my hand, help me out’: Mental health service recipients' experience of the therapeutic relationship
Authors: Shattell Mona M. , Starr Sharon S. , Thomas Sandra P.
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACT:  The purpose of this study was to describe mental health service recipients' experience of the therapeutic relationship. The research question was ‘what is therapeutic about the therapeutic relationship?’ This study was a secondary analysis of qualitative interviews conducted with persons with mental illness as part of a study of the experience of being understood. This secondary analysis used data from 20 interviews with community‐dwelling adults with mental illness, who were asked to talk about the experience of being understood by a health‐care provider. Data were analysed using an existential phenomenological approach. Individuals experienced therapeutic relationships against a backdrop of challenges, including mental illness, domestic violence, substance abuse, and homelessness. They had therapeutic relationships with nurses (psychiatric/mental health nurses and dialysis nurses), physicians (psychiatrists and general practitioners), psychologists, social workers, and counsellors. Experiences of the therapeutic relationship were expressed in three figural themes, titled using participants' own words: ‘relate to me’, ‘know me as a person’, and ‘get to the solution’. The ways in which these participants described therapeutic relationships challenge some long‐held beliefs, such as the use of touch, self‐disclosure, and blunt feedback. A therapeutic relationship for persons with mental illness requires in‐depth personal knowledge, which is acquired only with time, understanding, and skill. Knowing the whole person, rather than knowing the person only as a service recipient, is key for practising nurses and nurse educators interested in enhancing the therapeutic potential of relationships.
Emergence and disappearance of microarcsecond structure in the scintillating quasar J1819+3845
Authors: Macquart J.-P. , De Bruyn A. G.
Published: July 2007

The 4.8-GHz light curves of the scintillating intraday variable quasar J1819+3845 during 2004–2005 exhibit sharp structure, down to a time-scale of 15 min, that was absent from light curves taken prior to this period and from the 2006 light curves. Analysis of the light curve power spectra show that the variations must be due to the emergence of new structure in the source. The power spectra yield a scattering screen distance of 3.8 ± 0.3 pc for a best-fitting vISS= 59 ± 0.5 km s−1 or 2.0 ± 0.3 pc for the scintillation velocity reported by Dennett-Thorpe & de Bruyn. The scattering medium is required to be exceptionally turbulent, with C2N≳ 0.7 ΔL−1pc m−20/3 for scattering material of thickness ΔLpc pc along the ray path. The 2004 power spectrum can be explained in terms of a double source with a component separation 240 ± 15 μas in 2004.
Fetal Alcohol Exposure Alters Cerebrovascular Reactivity to Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide in Adult Sheep
Authors: Ngai Al C. , Mondares Robin L. , Mayock Dennis E. , Gleason Christine A.
Published: July 2007

Chronic fetal alcohol exposure impairs neural and vascular development. We have previously shown that fetal alcohol exposure is associated with attenuated hypoxic cerebral vasodilation and reduced neuronal vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) expression in fetal sheep. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that fetal alcohol exposure alters vascular development, leading to altered cerebral vascular reactivity to VIP in adulthood. Penetrating intracerebral arterioles were harvested from the brains of adult (10–13 months old) offspring of ewes that had received intravenous infusions of alcohol (1.5 g/kg) or same-volume saline (90 min/day, 5 days/week) during days 30–82 of gestation (full term = 145 days). The isolated arterioles were cannulated with a micropipette system that allowed luminal perfusion and control of luminal pressure and developed spontaneous tone at 40°C and 60 mm Hg luminal pressure. There was no difference in myogenic tone between arterioles exposed prenatally to alcohol (n = 18) and saline controls (n = 17). However, fetal alcohol exposure significantly (p = 0.03) enhanced the dilator responses of adult intracerebral arterioles to VIP [0.1 nM to 1 µM, logEC50: –8.6 ± 0.2 (alcohol) vs. –7.4 ± 0.8 (saline)]. In contrast, there was no difference in dilator responses to H+ (pH 6.8 buffer), to adenosine (10 nM to 0.1 mM), or to CGS21680 (an adenosine A2A receptor agonist, 0.01 nM to 10 µM). Thus, fetal alcohol exposure alters vasomotor sensitivity to VIP in adult intracerebral arterioles – perhaps a compensatory response to alcohol-induced underdevelopment of neurotransmitter pathways involved in cerebral vascular regulation.
20(S)-Hydroxycholesterol Inhibits PPARγ Expression and Adipogenic Differentiation of Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Through a Hedgehog-Dependent Mechanism
Authors: Kim Woo-Kyun , Meliton Vicente , Amantea Christopher M , Hahn Theodore J , Parhami Farhad
Published: July 2007

Specific oxysterols have been shown to be pro-osteogenic and anti-adipogenic. However, the molecular mechanism(s) by which oxysterols inhibit adipogenic differentiation is unknown. We show that the anti-adipogenic effects of osteogenic oxysterol, 20(S)-hydroxycholesterol, are mediated through a hedgehog-dependent mechanism(s) and are associated with inhibition of PPARγ expression.

Introduction: Multipotent bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) are common progenitors of osteoblasts and adipocytes. A reciprocal relationship between osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation may explain the increased adipocyte and decreased osteoblast formation in aging and osteoporosis. We have previously reported that specific oxysterols stimulate osteogenic differentiation of MSCs while inhibiting their adipogenic differentiation.

Materials and Methods: The M2–10B4 (M2) murine pluripotent bone MSC line was used to assess the inhibitory effects of 20(S)-hydroxycholesterol (20S) and sonic hedgehog (Shh) on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and adipogenic differentiation. All results were analyzed for statistical significance using ANOVA.

Results and Conclusions: Treatment of M2 cells with the osteogenic oxysterol 20S completely inhibited adipocyte formation induced by troglitazone after 10 days. PPARγ mRNA expression assessed by RT-qPCR was significantly induced by Tro after 48 (5-fold) and 96 h (130-fold), and this induction was completely inhibited by 20S. In contrast, 20S did not inhibit PPARγ transcriptional activity in M2 cells overexpressing PPARγ and retinoid X receptor (RXR). To elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) by which 20S inhibits PPARγ expression and adipogenic differentiation, we focused on the hedgehog signaling pathway, which we previously showed to be the mediator of osteogenic responses to oxysterols. The hedgehog signaling inhibitor, cyclopamine, reversed the inhibitory effects of 20S and Shh on troglitazone-induced adipocyte formation in 10-day cultures of M2 cells by 70% and 100%, respectively, and the inhibitory effect of 20S and Shh on troglitazone-induced PPARγ expression was fully reversed at 48 h by cyclopamine. Furthermore, 20S and Shh greatly inhibited PPARγ2 promoter activity induced by CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α overexpression. These studies show that, similar to the induction of osteogenesis, the inhibition of adipogenesis in murine MSCs by the osteogenic oxysterol, 20S, is mediated through a hedgehog-dependent mechanism(s).
Effect of the Specific Surface Area of Li/MgO Catalysts in the Oxidative Coupling of Methane
Authors: Kuo Yunfei , Behrendt Frank , Lerch Martin
Published: July 2007

The specific surface area is a key factor in heterogeneous catalysis. Lithium-doped MgO is well known as one of the best catalysts for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) with respect to activity and selectivity. Doping with Li causes MgO to sinter severely resulting in a dramatic decrease of the specific surface area. Li/MgO catalysts prepared from Li2CO3 and MgO in addition with charcoal have been examined by several surface characterization techniques. The addition of activated charcoal was found to increase the specific surface area and to modify the morphology of the Li/MgO catalysts. As a result, the specific activity on a per gram basis increased.
Expression of adrenergic receptors in mouse preimplantation embryos and ovulated oocytes
Authors: Čikoš Štefan , Rehák Pavol , Czikková Soňa , Veselá Jarmila , Koppel Juraj
Published: July 2007

Epinephrine and norepinephrine can play an important role in basic developmental processes such as embryogenesis and morphogenesis, regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. We showed that β-adrenergic receptors can mediate the effects of catecholamines on preimplantation embryos in our previous work. In the present study, we designed specific oligonucleotide primers which can distinguish among all members of the α-adrenergic receptor family, and showed (using RT-PCR) that the α2C-adrenergic receptor is transcribed in ovulated oocytes, 8- to 16-cell morulae and expanded blastocysts. We did not detect the α2C-adrenoceptor transcript in 4-cell embryos. Our immunohistochemical study showed the presence of α-2C-adrenoceptor protein in ovulated oocytes, 8- to 16- cell embryos and blastocysts, but the signal in 4-cell embryos was weak, and probably represents remaining protein of maternal origin. We did not detect any other α-adrenergic receptor in preimplantation embryos and oocytes. Exposure of mouse preimplantation embryos to the α2-adrenergic agonist UK 14 304 led to significant reduction of the embryo cell number, and the effect was dose dependent. Our results suggest that epinephrine and norepinephrine could affect the embryo development in the oviduct via adrenergic receptors directly and support the opinion that maternal stress can influence the embryo even in very early pregnancy.
Germinal vesicle position and meiotic maturation in mouse oocyte
Authors: Brunet Stéphane , Maro Bernard
Published: July 2007

During meiotic maturation, mammalian oocytes undergo an asymmetric division which is crucial for the formation of a functional gamete. In various organisms, accurate positioning of the nucleus before M-phase plays a major role in asymmetric cell divisions. However, the role of the position of the nucleus (or germinal vesicle, GV) during the prophase I arrest has not been investigated in mammalian oocytes. Here, we show that incompetent mouse oocytes possess a peripheral GV, while competent oocytes mainly exhibit a central position of the GV. At that time, the position of the GV correlates with the ability of the oocyte to complete meiotic maturation. Moreover, a lower efficiency in GV centering and a reduced ability to progress through meiosis are observed in oocytes from old mice. Thus, the position of the GV could be used as a simple morphological marker of oocyte quality.
The conceptus increases secreted phosphoprotein 1 gene expression in the mouse uterus during the progression of decidualization mainly due to its effects on uterine natural killer cells
Authors: Herington Jennifer L , Bany Brent M
Published: July 2007

Within the mouse endometrium, secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) gene expression is mainly expressed in the luminal epithelium and some macrophages around the onset of implantation. However, during the progression of decidualization, it is expressed mainly in the mesometrial decidua. To date, the precise cell types responsible for the expression in the mesometrial decidua has not been absolutely identified. The goal of the present study was to assess the expression of SPP1 in uteri of pregnant mice (decidua) during the progression of decidualization and compared it with those undergoing artificially induced decidualization (deciduoma). Significantly (P<0.05) greater steady-state levels of SPP1 mRNA were seen in the decidua when compared with deciduoma. Further, in the decidua, the majority of the SPP1 protein was localized within a subpopulation of granulated uterine natural killer (uNK) cells but not co-localized to their granules. However, in addition to being localized to uNK cells, SPP1 protein was also detected in another cell type(s) that were not epidermal growth factor-like containing mucin-like hormone receptor-like sequence 1 protein-positive immune cells that are known to be present in the uterus at this time. Finally, decidual SPP1 expression dramatically decreased in uteri of interleukin-15-deficient mice that lack uNK cells. In conclusion, SPP1 expression is greater in the mouse decidua when compared with the deciduoma after the onset of implantation during the progression of decidualization. Finally, uNK cells were found to be the major source of SPP1 in the pregnant uterus during decidualization. SPP1 might play a key role in uNK killer cell functions in the uterus during decidualization.
Bull Trout Population Responses to Reductions in Angler Effort and Retention Limits
Authors: Parker Brian R. , Schindler David W. , Wilhelm Frank M. , Donald David B.
Published: July 2007

We compared historical (1977–1980) and recent (1997–2001) abundance, catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE), and growth data to assess whether the implementation of restrictive sportfishing regulatory regimes in the 1990s led to changes in abundance and population structure of bull trout Salvelinus confluentus in two small Rocky Mountain lakes in Alberta, Canada. For remote Harrison Lake, we used changes in gill-net CPUE to infer a fivefold increase in bull trout abundance after closure of an access road and implementation of catch-and-release (CR) regulations. Bull trout growth rates decreased as their abundance increased. All large (fork length > 420 mm), old (age >12) bull trout were eliminated after regulatory changes were imposed. Reductions in prey abundance and size as bull trout abundance increased probably contributed to the demise of the large bull trout. For road-accessible Osprey Lake, no change in bull trout mark–recapture abundance estimates or growth rates were observed despite implementation of CR regulations and, later, closure of the lake to angling. We speculate that illegal angling and migration of bull trout between Osprey Lake and its tributary streams limited abundance responses at this site. A variety of site-specific factors, including ease of access, angler noncompliance with regulations, and local metapopulation structure of bull trout, led to variable bull trout population responses to the implementation of restrictive angling regulations. Active advertisement and enforcement of regulations may be required to achieve increased bull trout abundance at small, easily accessible waterbodies.
On Macintyre, Modernity and The Virtues: A Response to Dobson
Authors: Wicks Andrew C.
Published: July 2007

After reading John Dobson’s thoughtful latest response to our ongoing discussion, I thought it important to clarify and reiterate a few key points.
Leadership Ethics: Mapping the Territory
Authors: Ciulla Joanne B.
Published: July 2007

In this paper I argue that a greater understanding of the part of ethics in leadership will improve leadership studies. Debates over the definition of leadership are really debates over what researchers think constitutes good leadership. The ultimate question is not “What is leadership?” but “What is good leadership?” The word good is refers to both ethics and competence. Research into leadership ethics would explore the ethical issues of current leadership research, serve as a critical study of the field, analyze and expand normative theories of leadership, and develop new theories, research questions and ways of thinking about leadership.
Promoting Honesty in Negotiation: An Exercise in Practical Ethics
Authors: Cramton Peter C. , Dees J. Gregory
Published: July 2007

In a competitive and morally imperfect world, business people are often faced with serious ethical challenges. Harboring suspicions about the ethics of others, many feel justified in engaging in less-than-ideal conduct to protect their own interests. The most sophisticated moral arguments are unlikely to counteract this behavior. We believe that this morally defensive behavior is responsible, in large part, for much undesirable deception in negotiation. Drawing on recent work in the literature of negotiations, we present some practical guidance on how negotiators might build trust, establish common interests, and secure credibility for their statements, thereby promoting honesty. We also point out the types of social and institutional arrangements, many of which have become commonplace, that work to promote credibility, trust, and honesty in business dealings. Our approach is offered not only as a specific response to the problem of deception in negotiation, but as one model of how research in business ethics might offer constructive advice to practitioners.

…there is such a gap between how one lives and how one ought to live that anyone who abandons what is done for what ought to be done learns his ruin rather than his preservation …

—Niccolo Machiavelli

We must make the world honest before we can honestly say to our children that honesty is the best policy.

—George Bernard Shaw
The Challenge of Wealth: Jewish Business Ethics
Authors: Tamari Meir
Published: July 2007

Jewish business ethics in Israel addresses two major sources of economic immorality—unbounded desire and fear of economic uncertainty—through enforcement and spiritual education. Business is seen as a path to sanctity, when time is set apart for religious study, wealth is seen as originating from God, the vulnerable are protected against fraud and theft, charity is seen as an obligation, and mercy towards debtors is tempered by justice.
Catholic Social Teaching in an ERA of Economic Globalization: A Resource for Business Ethics
Authors: McCann Dennis P.
Published: July 2007

The paper attempts to provide a basis for exploring the continued relevance of Catholic social teaching to business ethics, by interpreting the historic development of a Catholic work ethic and the traditions of Catholic social teaching in light of contemporary discussions of economic globalization, notably those of Robert Reich and Peter Drucker. The paper argues that the Catholic work ethic and the Church’s tradition of social teaching has evolved dynamically in response to the structural changes involved in the history of modern economic development, and thus is well poised to speak to the ethical challenges implicit in the advent of a knowledge-based society. In order to test this thesis, the author sketches an approach to the ethical challenge of corporate downsizing that he believes illustrates the continued relevance of Catholic social teaching to business ethics.
Moral Hazards on the Road to the “Virtual” Corporation
Authors: Jones Thomas M. , Bowie Norman E.
Published: July 2007

In recent years, two topics have made prominent debuts in the management literature—“virtual” corporations and trust within and among organizations. These two themes are related in that trust is important to the success of the virtual corporation. This article argues that confidence in the development of virtual corporations may be premature because of what we call the Virtual Corporation Paradox. This paradox can be succinctly stated: the short-term, transient deal-making on which the efficiency of the virtual corporation rests greatly impedes the development of the mutually trusting and cooperative relationships on which its success depends. We examine both economic and sociological explanations for the emergence of trust in similar situations and find both deficient. We conclude that the success of virtual corporations will ultimately depend on an ethics-based form of corporate “character” that allows firms to develop trusting relationships without the usual safeguards or social norms.
Stakeholders and the Moral Responsibilities of Business
Authors: Langtry Bruce
Published: July 2007

This paper discusses the normative ethical theory of the business firm advanced principally by William E. Evan and R. Edward Freeman. According to their stakeholder theory, the firm should be managed for the benefit of its stakeholders: indeed, management has a fiduciary obligation to stakeholders to act as their agent. In this paper I seek to clarify the theory by discussing the concept of a stakeholder and by distinguishing stakeholder theory from two varieties of stockholder theory—I call them ‘pure’ and ‘tinged.’ I argue that the distinctive claims of stakeholder theory, as contrasted with tinged stockholder theories, have been inadequately supported by argument.
Social Contract Theory and Gender Discrimination: Some Reflections on the Donaldson/Dunfee Model
Authors: Mayer Don , Cava Anita
Published: July 2007

This paper relates Donaldson and Dunfee’s Integrative Social Contracts Theory to the problem of gender discrimination. We make the assumption that multinational managers might seek some guidance from ISCT to resolve ethical issues of gender discrimination in countries indifferent or hostile to gender equality. The role of Donaldson and Dunfee’s “hypernorms” seems especially crucial, and we find that, under their writings thus far, no “hypernorms” exist to make unethical the most blatant acts of sex discrimination in a host country whose local norms tolerate such discrimination. The genesis of “hypernorms” as “global moral minimums” is recounted, and specific application of ISCT to a familiar ethics case (“A Foreign Assignment”) is provided.