bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seasonal variation in soil CO2 efflux in evergreen coniferous and broad‐leaved deciduous forests in a cool‐temperate forest, central Korea
Authors: Lee Na‐yeon , Koo Jin‐Woo , Noh Nam Jin , Kim Joon , Son Yowhan
Published: February 2010

We measured the soil surface CO2 efflux (RS) from January 2005 to December 2006 in two neighboring stands in Gwangneung Forest, central Korea: evergreen coniferous forest (Abies holophylla, stand A) and broad‐leaved deciduous forest (Quercus‐dominated, stand Q). Regarding seasonal variation, RS rate was low during the winter and early spring months in each stand and peaked in late July [1170 (stand A) and 1130 (stand Q) in 2005, and 1000 (stand A) and 740 (stand Q) mg CO2 m−2 h−1 in 2006]. RS rate was higher in stand A than in stand Q during most of the growing season. The pattern of summer rainfall differed between 2005 and 2006. RS rate for both stands was suppressed significantly by the droughts in June 2005 and September 2006. After the heavy rainfall of July 2006, RS rate was lower than in July 2005 in both stands, but this decrement was much greater in stand Q than in stand A. In midsummer (August) 2006, under higher soil temperature (ST) and lower soil water content (SWC) conditions than in August 2005, RS rate of stand A was lower than that in August 2005, whereas stand Q showed no marked change. The exponential relationship between ST and RS accounted for approximately 91–97% of the RS variability in each stand and in each year. In stand A, the application of a second‐order polynomial function indicated a significant correlation between SWC and RS when the soil was warm (ST > 15°C). Our results suggest that the seasonality of RS is strongly affected by the pattern of summer rainfall even in an Asia monsoon climate regime. In addition, the vegetation type (i.e., evergreen coniferous forest vs. broad‐leaved deciduous forest) plays a significant role in response of RS to various environmental fluctuations such as drought, heavy rainfall, and hot‐dry condition.
Trans‐Membrane Uptake and Intracellular Metabolism of Fatty Acids in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) Hepatocytes
Authors: Zhou Jishu , Stubhaug Ingunn , Torstensen Bente E.
Published: February 2010

To elucidate if the trans‐membrane uptake of fatty acids is protein‐mediated, the uptake of oleic acid (18:1n‐9), linoleic acid (18:2n‐6), alpha‐linolenic acid (18:3n‐3), eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n‐3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n‐3) was investigated in vitro in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) primary hepatocytes. Firstly, optimal fatty acid incubation time and concentration were established for trans‐membrane 18:n‐9 uptake. Based on saturation kinetics, a 2‐h incubation time and 37.5 μM were used for the following experiments. Secondly, in order to identify whether trans‐membrane fatty acid uptake in hepatocytes was mainly passive or protein mediated, hepatocytes were pre‐incubated with membrane protein inhibitors followed by 2 h of incubation with [1‐14C] labelled 18:1n‐9, 18:2n‐6, 18:3n‐3, 20:5n‐3 and 22:6n‐3. Fatty acid uptake into hepatocytes was highest with 20:5n‐3 and 22:6n‐3 and lowest with 18:1n‐9. Phloretin was the most potent fatty acid uptake inhibitor, inhibiting uptake in the following order: 20:5n‐3 > 18:3n‐3 = 22:6n‐3 > 18:2n‐6 > 18:1n‐9. The uptake of FA in Atlantic salmon hepatocytes seem to be due to both saturable and inhibitable protein mediated uptake, as well as passive uptake processes with more unsaturated and long fatty acids (20:n‐3 > 22:6n‐3 = 18:3n‐3 > 18:2n‐6) being more dependent on membrane protein mediated uptake compared to 18:1n‐9.
Vacuolar ion channels: Roles in plant nutrition and signalling
Authors: Isayenkov Stanislav , Isner Jean Charles , Maathuis Frans J.M.
Published: February 2010

Vacuoles play various roles in many physiologically relevant processes in plants. Some of the more prominent are turgor provision, the storage of minerals and nutrients, and cellular signalling. To fulfil these functions a complement of membrane transporters is present at the tonoplast. Prolific patch clamp studies have shown that amongst these, both selective and non‐selective ion channels participate in turgor regulation, nutrient storage and signalling. This article reviews the physiological roles, expression patterns and structure function properties of plant vacuolar anion and cation channels that are gated by voltage and ligands.
Where do they come from? Insights into autophagosome formation
Authors: Hamasaki Maho , Yoshimori Tamotsu
Published: February 2010

Autophagosomes (APs) are unique organelles that enwrap cytoplasmic components when necessary. APs then fuse with lysosomes and enclosed materials are degraded. Although approximately 30 autophagy‐related genes (ATG) required for AP formation have been identified, fundamental questions on the membrane source or dynamics during the formation remain unresolved. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of the putative membrane sources identified to date.
Effects of maternal hyperhomocysteinemia induced by methionine intake on oxidative stress and apoptosis in pup rat brain
Authors: Koz Sema T. , Gouwy Nevhayat T. , Demir Nevgul , Nedzvetsky Viktor S. , Etem Ebru , Baydas Giyasettin
Published: February 2010

Maternal hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with a number of complications such as preeclampsia syndrome, thromboembolic events, repeated miscarriages, abruptio placentae, in utero fetal death, intrauterine fetal growth restriction and fetal neural tube defects. However, little is known about the mechanism of homocysteine on the degeneration of fetal brain. Thus, our study is aimed to investigate the effects of maternal hyperhomocysteinemia on oxidative stress and apoptosis in pup brain. Hyperhomocysteinemia was induced in female rats by way of administrating methionine dissolved in water at a dose of 1 g/kg body weight throughout the pregnancy. After delivery, level of lipid peroxidation (LPO; as malondialdehyde + 4‐hydroxyalkenals) was determined in various fractions of pub brains. Furthermore, DNA fragmentation, levels of Bcl‐2 protein and p53 mRNA expression were determined to evaluate apoptosis. Significant elevation was found in the levels of LPO in subcellular fractions of pup brains delivered from hyperhomocysteinemic mothers. DNA fragmentation, a hallmark of apoptosis was observed in the brain of pups of homocysteine group while significant reduction was seen in the levels of anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 levels. In addition, maternal hyperhomocysteinemia increased cerebral p53 mRNA expression above the control value. As a conclusion, we demonstrate and suggest that the pups of hyperhomocysteinemic mothers have an increased oxidative stress in brain tissues. The increased oxidative stress appears to cause apoptosis and cell death. These results may be significant to understand chronic pathology of the complications of hyperhomocysteinemia and congenital malformations of fetuses.
The influence of acoustic and static stimuli on development of inner ear sensory epithelia
Authors: Rot Irena , Kablar Boris
Published: February 2010

Mechanical stimuli affect differentiation of specific cell types in several organs of mouse fetuses that develop without any skeletal musculature. To that end, we employed Myf5−/−:MyoD−/− mouse embryos that completely lack skeletal musculature, and analyzed the development of sensory fields in the inner ear. Amyogenic fetuses lack skeletal muscles that move the chain of three middle ear ossicles which normally transfers sound vibrations. They also cannot tilt their head, which prevents the perception of angular acceleration.

While our findings in the spiral organ of Corti are surprisingly normal, our results show that the development of cristae ampullaris, vestibular sensory fields sensitive to the angular acceleration, was the most affected. In cristae, hair cells and supporting cells were significantly smaller in the mutant embryos, but hair cells completely lacked tenascin, while supporting cells were more numerous. In maculae, supporting cells were significantly smaller but more numerous in the mutants. Here, we propose that our finding of a specific type I hair cell absence in the mutant's crista may now be employed in the identification of a profile of genes specific for the lacking cell type.
Drug treatment of Alzheimer's disease patients leads to expression changes in peripheral blood cells
Authors: Calciano Margaret A. , Zhou Weiyin , Snyder Peter J. , Einstein Richard
Published: February 2010

Background

Increasing cholinergic activity has been the primary mechanism for treating dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. However, the effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) is still widely debated. The identification of specific biomarkers capable of identifying patients more likely to respond to these treatments could potentially provide specific evidence to clearly address this controversy through patient stratification. The goal of this study was to determine the feasibility of discovering biomarkers specific for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Methods

Peripheral blood was collected from a cohort of patients treated with different ChEIs. Total RNA was isolated and profiled on the human Genome‐Wide SpliceArray (GWSA) to test the feasibility of discriminating the different treatment subgroups of subjects based on the expression patterns generated from the Genome‐Wide SpliceArray.

Results

Specific expression differences were identified for the various treatment groups that lead to a clear separation between patients treated with ChEIs versus naïve patients when Principal Component Analysis was performed on probe sets selected for differential expression. In addition, specific probe sets were identified to be dependent on the inhibitor used among the treated patients.

Conclusions

Distinct separation between non‐treated, galantamine, donepezil, and rivastigmine‐treated patients was clearly identified based on small sets of expression probes. The ability to identify drug‐specific treatment expression differences strengthens the potential for using peripheral gene signatures for the identification of individuals responding to drug treatment.
A mechanism model of the effect of hedonic product consumption on well‐being
Authors: Zhong Jing Yang , Mitchell Vincent‐Wayne
Published: February 2010

In response to recent calls for research into activities that may increase happiness, this study uses longitudinal data to investigate changes in within‐subject, instead of between‐subject, well‐being. In the context of hedonic product consumption, this study reveals a mechanism by which consumption influences well‐being through the mediating effect of satisfaction with associated life domains. Four years of data from a large national panel survey show that consuming hedonic products has indirect effects on well‐being, by improving consumers' satisfaction within relevant life domains. High hedonic consumption improves satisfaction with relevant life domains, primarily through more frequent consumption of low‐cost hedonic products rather than less frequent consumption of high‐cost hedonic products.
Assessing Certified Nurse‐Midwives' Attitudes Towards Planned Home Birth
Authors: Vedam Saraswathi , Aaker Jessica , Stoll Kathrin
Published: February 2010

Introduction: Certified nurse‐midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) are prepared for care in many settings and could increase access to planned home birth for American women. However, only 4% of American College of Nurse‐Midwives members offer the home as a birth setting. CNMs'/CMs' attitudes towards birth place and the factors underlying their choice of practice site are largely unstudied. This article describes the development, content validation, and psychometric testing of an instrument to assess the attitudes of CNMs towards planned home birth.

Methods: A scale was designed to measure Provider Attitudes to Planned Home Birth (PAPHB). Item generation was informed by literature review and a systematic expert panel appraisal. Reliability and validity of the scale were evaluated with a sample of 1893 CNMs.

Results: Expert review indicated high relevancy and clarity of the scale items (scale‐content validity index, 0.93). Construct validity was assessed using the Cattell scree test and factor analysis. The resultant 1‐factor, attitude scale had strong internal consistency (Cronbach α = .94). The average PAPHB scale score among CNMs was 78.77 (range, 20–100; standard deviation, 15.9), with significant differences in attitude scores according to clinical home birth experience, educational background, and external barriers reported by CNMs.

Discussion: The PAPHB scale is a reliable and valid instrument for the measurement of attitudes towards home birth. It can be used to assess the impact of education, environment, and clinical experiences on maternity practice choices.
“Midwives Are Nice, But …”: Perceptions of Midwifery and Childbirth in an Undergraduate Class
Authors: DeJoy Sharon Bernecki
Published: February 2010

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to explore college students' beliefs about childbirth and midwifery.

Methods: A critical qualitative analysis was used to identify common themes that occurred in an online class discussion about midwifery.

Results: This population of 459 college students drew on the larger social discourse of the medical model of childbirth to frame their discussion of childbirth and midwives. Common beliefs that emerged from class discussions included the perceived dangerous nature of childbirth, the necessity for technologic interventions in childbirth, and doubts about the quality of midwifery training and practice.

Discussion: To promote midwifery among this population, advocates should continue public education efforts through a variety of media and communication strategies, with an emphasis on the safety of midwifery care.

J Midwifery Womens Health 2010;55:117–123 c̊ 2010 by the American College of Nurse‐Midwives.
Frozen Hope: Fertility Preservation for Women With Cancer
Authors: Quinn Gwendolyn P. , Vadaparampil Susan T. , Jacobsen Paul B. , Knapp Caprice , Keefe David L. , Bell Geri E. ,   Moffitt Fertility Preservation Group
Published: February 2010

Young women diagnosed with cancer have the option of preserving their fertility by using assisted reproductive technology (ART) techniques prior to undergoing cancer treatment. This article presents a composite case of a young woman with cancer who had many unanswered emotional and ethical questions about her future as a parent. Fertility preservation techniques, including preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), and related patient education are described. Current literature regarding reproductive counseling for cancer survivors is reviewed. Resources for providing psychosocial support for decisions about fertility preservation are lagging behind the rapid pace of scientific advancements in cancer treatment and ART. As more young women are surviving cancer and taking steps to preserve fertility, there is great need for the provision of psychologic support services and the establishment of ethical guidelines to aid them on this path. Women's health care providers can provide support to cancer survivors facing fertility and parenting issues by becoming knowledgeable about the long‐term aspects of decision making and developing educational materials and guidelines for these patients.
Are Postpartum Women in Denmark Being Given Helpful Information About Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Floor Exercises?
Authors: Hermansen Inge Lise , O'Connell Bev , Gaskin Cadeyrn J.
Published: February 2010

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine where and from whom postpartum women recalled receiving information about urinary incontinence (UI) and pelvic floor exercises (PFEs), the helpfulness of this information, and their preferred sources of help with UI.

Methods: Women who had recently given birth in a Danish hospital (N = 439) were mailed a survey that elicited information about their experiences of receiving information about UI and PFEs.

Results: Surveys were returned from 266 women, representing a response rate of 61%. Although almost all participants recalled receiving information about PFEs (95%), only half (55%) recalled being provided with information about UI. Midwives were the health care professionals who most commonly provided women with information about UI (33%) and PFEs (55%). Women generally perceived the information as being helpful, with the information from physiotherapists obtaining the highest mean ratings for helpfulness. Postpartum women indicated that they would prefer to consult with continence nurses or general nurses if they experienced UI. Health care professionals did not consistently provide postpartum women with information on UI and PFEs.

Discussion: A coordinated multidisciplinary approach is needed to ensure that women are adequately informed about the risk of developing UI after childbirth and the ways in which this condition can be managed or resolved.

J Midwifery Womens Health 2010;55:171–174 Crown Copyright c̊ 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American College of Nurse‐Midwives. All rights reserved.
Lesbian Couples Seeking Pregnancy With Donor Insemination
Authors: Markus Elisabeth “Boo” , Weingarten Amanda , Duplessi Yira , Jones Judith
Published: February 2010

S.S. is a healthy, 29‐year‐old nulligravida who comes to the clinic with her female partner, M.S., seeking advice on becoming pregnant through the use of donor sperm from a cryobank. S.S. has been charting her fertility signs for 3 months, and both she and her partner are very excited about the prospect of becoming parents. They have done some research into donor sperm, but have questions about the different types of donor sperm available, whether to pursue intracervical or intrauterine insemination, and if the insemination should be done at home or in the clinic. They report that they have been to an obstetrician‐gynecologist seeking care. The physician was unfamiliar with donor insemination and referred them to a fertility clinic for preconception counseling. The physicians at the fertility clinic recommended that the couple pursue pregnancy using ultrasound to detect follicle growth, followed by a human chorionic gonadotropin trigger shot and then intrauterine insemination in the clinic 24 hours later. The couple felt that these interventions were unnecessary at this point, because they did not have a known fertility problem.
Antidepressant Medication Use in Pregnancy
Authors: Hackley Barbara
Published: February 2010

Depression has been estimated to occur in approximately 12% of women, making it one of the most commonly encountered medical conditions affecting pregnancy. Yet many health care providers feel unprepared to manage this condition in pregnancy. This article provides women's health providers the background needed to effectively manage depression and in particular focuses on the use of antidepressant medication in pregnancy.
The East Asian Monsoon During MIS 2 Expressed in a Speleothem δ18O Record From Jintanwan Cave, Hunan, China
Authors: Cosford Jason , Qing Hairuo , Lin Yin , Eglington Bruce , Mattey Dave , Chen Yue Gau , Zhang Meiliang , Cheng Hai
Published: February 2010

Stalagmite J1 from Jintanwan Cave, Hunan, China, provides a precisely dated, decadally resolved δ18O proxy record of paleoclimatic changes associated with the East Asian monsoon from ∽29.5 to 14.7 ka and from ∽12.9 to 11.0 ka. At the time of the last glacial maximum (LGM), the East Asian summer monsoon weakened and then strengthened in response to changes in Northern Hemisphere insolation. As the ice sheets retreated the East Asian summer monsoon weakened, especially during Heinrich event H1, when atmospheric and oceanic teleconnections transferred the climatic changes around the North Atlantic to the monsoonal regions of Eastern Asia. A depositional hiatus between ∽14.7 and 12.9 ka leaves the deglacial record incomplete, but an abrupt shift in δ18O values at ∽11.5 ka marks the end of the Younger Dryas and the transition into the Holocene. Comparisons of the J1 record to other Chinese speleothem records indicate synchronous climatic changes throughout monsoonal China. Further comparisons to a speleothem record from western Asia (Socotra Island) and to Greenland ice cores support hemispherical-scale paleoclimatic change. Spectral and wavelet analyses reveal centennial- and decadal-scale periodicities that correspond to solar frequencies and to oscillations in atmospheric and oceanic circulation.
Dietary intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in children – a workshop report
Authors: Koletzko Berthold , Uauy Ricardo , Palou Andreu , Kok Frans , Hornstra Gerard , Eilander Ans , Moretti Diego , Osendarp Saskia , Zock Peter , Innis Sheila
Published: February 2010

There is controversy whether children should have a dietary supply of preformed long-chain polyunsaturated n-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. The aims of the workshop were to review evidence for a possible benefit of a preformed EPA and/or DHA supply, of data required to set desirable intakes for children aged 2–12 years, and of research priorities. The authors concluded that EPA and DHA intakes per kg body weight may often be low in 2- to 12-year-old children, relative to intakes per kg body weight of breast-fed infants and adult intakes, but reliable data are scarce. Little information is available that increasing dietary intakes of EPA or DHA in children has benefits to physical or mental function or other health endpoints. Studies addressing EPA and DHA intakes and tissue status among groups of children with different dietary habits, and measures of relevant development and health endpoints, are needed for developing potential advice on desirable intakes of EPA and/or DHA in children. At this time it appears prudent to advise that dietary intakes in childhood are consistent with future eating patterns supporting adult health, such as prevention of metabolic disorders and CVD, supporting immune function, and reproductive health. In conclusion, the available information relating dietary EPA and DHA intakes in children aged 2–12 years to growth, development and health is insufficient to derive dietary intake recommendations for EPA and DHA. Adequately designed studies addressing dietary intakes, measures of status and relevant functional or health effects across this age group are needed.
Radiolabelled cyanidin 3-O-glucoside is poorly absorbed in the mouse
Authors: Felgines Catherine , Krisa Stéphanie , Mauray Aurélie , Besson Catherine , Lamaison Jean-Louis , Scalbert Augustin , Mérillon Jean-Michel , Texier Odile
Published: February 2010

Anthocyanins are natural pigments abundant in various fruits and berries that are involved in the prevention of various chronic diseases. Their low concentrations in plasma and urine are explained in part by their complex chemistry and the formation of still uncharacterised metabolites. The aim of the present study was to follow the distribution of anthocyanins in the body using 14C-labelled cyanidin 3-O-glucoside (Cy3G) fed by gavage to mice. After the administration of 22·2 kBq 14C-Cy3G (0·93 mg), radioactivity was detected in most organs tested over the following 24 h with a peak observed in inner tissues at 3 h. The major fraction of the radioactivity (44·5 %) was found in the faeces collected 24 h after ingestion. At 3 h after oral administration of 141 kBq 14C-Cy3G (4·76 mg), most of the radioactivity (87·9 % of intake) was recovered in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, especially in the small intestine (50·7 %) and the caecum (23 %). At this time, 3·3 % of the radioactivity was detected in urine. There was minimal accumulation (0·76 %) of radioactivity in tissues outside the GI tract. Distribution of radioactivity varied among organs, with liver, gallbladder and kidneys showing the highest radioactivity. Taken as a whole, these results show that Cy3G is poorly absorbed in the mouse.
High processed meat consumption is a risk factor of type 2 diabetes in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention study
Authors: Männistö Satu , Kontto Jukka , Kataja-Tuomola Merja , Albanes Demetrius , Virtamo Jarmo
Published: February 2010

Relatively small lifestyle modifications related to weight reduction, physical activity and diet have been shown to decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes. Connected with diet, low consumption of meat has been suggested as a protective factor of diabetes. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between the consumption of total meat or the specific types of meats and the risk of type 2 diabetes. The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention cohort included middle-aged male smokers. Up to 12 years of follow-up, 1098 incident cases of diabetes were diagnosed from 24 845 participants through the nationwide register. Food consumption was assessed by a validated FFQ. In the age- and intervention group-adjusted model, high total meat consumption was a risk factor of type 2 diabetes (relative risk (RR) 1·50, 95 % CI 1·23, 1·82, highestv.lowest quintile). The result was similar after adjustment for environmental factors and foods related to diabetes and meat consumption. The RR of type 2 diabetes was 1·37 for processed meat (95 % CI 1·11, 1·71) in the multivariate model. The results were explained more by intakes of Na than by intakes of SFA, protein, cholesterol, haeme Fe, Mg and nitrate, and were not modified by obesity. No association was found between red meat, poultry and the risk of type 2 diabetes. In conclusion, reduction of the consumption of processed meat may help prevent the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes. It seems like Na of processed meat may explain the association.
Energy and macronutrient intakes in Belgium: results from the first National Food Consumption Survey
Authors: Temme E. , Huybrechts I. , Vandevijvere S. , De Henauw S. , Leveque A. , Kornitzer Marcel , De Backer G. , Van Oyen H.
Published: February 2010

Belgium until recently lacked a systematic survey of dietary habits of its inhabitants. The present study evaluated dietary composition in Belgium with respect to energy and macronutrient intakes. Information on food intake was collected using a repeated non-consecutive 24 h recall (2–8 weeks apart) with the validated software package EPIC-SOFT, in combination with a FFQ (self-administered) covering sixty food items. The database of consumed food items was linked to food composition data. Usual macronutrient intake was estimated by the Nusser method. A representative sample of the Belgian population was randomly selected from the national register following a multi-stage procedure. Information on dietary intake was obtained from 3245 subjects aged 15 years and older. Mean energy percentage (E %) of total fat (37·9 E %) and SFA (16·0 E %) was higher than the dietary reference intakes (DRI). Mean E % of total carbohydrates (45·8 E %) was lower than the DRI, while mean E % of mono/disaccharides was 20·3. Total fat and SFA intakes were higher and total carbohydrate and sugar intakes were lower in the older age categories than in the younger age categories. The percentage of energy from SFA intake was lower and that from carbohydrates was higher than that found in an earlier Belgian study. Further efforts are necessary to improve dietary macronutrient intake, taking into account differences in age categories. In addition, it will be important to monitor its changes regularly using trend analyses.
Beneficial effect of xylo-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
Authors: Gobinath Duraiswamy , Madhu Arenahalli N. , Prashant Giribhattanavar , Srinivasan Krishnapura , Prapulla Siddalingaiya G.
Published: February 2010

The beneficial influences of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) obtained from alkali-pretreated corncob and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) obtained from cane sugar were evaluated in experimental diabetes. These oligosaccharides were supplemented at 10 % (w/w) in the basal diet of streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats, while the control rats were fed with a basal diet for a period of 6 weeks. Both the oligosaccharides exerted favourable influences in diabetic rats by significantly improving body weight and reducing hyperglycaemia and cholesterol. The characteristic diabetic complications such as severe glucosuria, proteinuria and advanced glycation end products in renal tissue, diabetic nephropathy, and blood creatinine and urea concentrations were notably reduced. Besides, these oligosaccharide supplementations significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes – catalase and glutathione reductase – in the blood of diabetic rats. Supplementation of XOS and FOS resulted in a significant increase in the bifidobacteria and lactobacilli population in the caecum. The present study indicates that XOS and FOS have an ameliorating influence on metabolic abnormalities associated with diabetes, besides conferring an optimal milieu of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, thus suggesting their potential health benefit in diabetics.
Apparent absence ofCryptosporidium, GiardiaandToxoplasma gondiiin three species of penguins along the Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Palacios Maria José , Barbosa Andrés , Pedraza-Díaz Susana , Ortega-Mora Luis Miguel , Valera Francisco , Cuervo José Javier , Benzal Jesús , De La Cruz Carlos
Published: February 2010

We carried out a study to investigate the presence of some protozoan parasites (Cryptosporidiumsp.,Giardiasp.,Toxoplasma gondii) on three species of Antarctic penguins: Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae), gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) and chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica) from different locations along the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands. Swabs and faeces samples were analysed by PCR assay forCryptosporidiumsp. andGiardiasp. whileToxoplasmawas studied using serological methods from blood samples. We did not detect the presence of these organisms in the species studied. However, based on the upper values of the confidence intervals of the observed prevalence, their presence cannot be completely excluded.
Preface to special issue: Expressiveness in Concurrency 2008
Authors: HILDEBRANDT THOMAS , GORLA DANIELE
Published: February 2010

This issue of Mathematical Structures in Computer Science contains three papers selected from the 15th International Workshop on Expressiveness in Concurrency (EXPRESS'08) held on 23 August 2008 in Toronto (Canada) as a satellite event of CONCUR'08.
Channel abstractions for network security
Authors: BUGLIESI MICHELE , FOCARDI RICCARDO
Published: February 2010

Process algebraic techniques for distributed systems are increasingly being targeted at identifying abstractions that are adequate for both high-level programming and specification and security analysis and verification. Drawing on our earlier work in Bugliesi and Focardi, (2008), we investigate the expressive power of a core set of security and network abstractions that provide high-level primitives for specifying the honest principals in a network, while at the same time enabling an analysis of the network-level adversarial attacks that may be mounted by an intruder.

We analyse various bisimulation equivalences for security that arise from endowing the intruder with:

(i)

different adversarial capabilities; and

(ii)

increasingly powerful control over the interaction among the distributed principals of a network.

By comparing the relative strength of the bisimulation equivalences, we obtain a direct measure of the intruder's discriminating power, and hence of the expressiveness of the corresponding intruder model.
Finance for renewable energy: an empirical analysis of developing and transition economies
Authors: BRUNNSCHWEILER CHRISTA N.
Published: February 2010

This paper examines the role of the financial sector in renewable energy (RE) development. Although RE can bring socio-economic and environmental benefits, its implementation faces a number of obstacles, especially in non-OECD countries. One of these obstacles is financing: underdeveloped financial sectors are unable to efficiently channel loans to RE producers. The influence of financial sector development on the use of renewable energy resources is confirmed in panel data estimations on up to 119 non-OECD countries for 1980–2006. Financial intermediation, in particular commercial banking, has a significant positive effect on the amount of RE produced, and the impact is especially large when we consider non-hydropower RE such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass. There is also evidence that the development of the RE sector has picked up significantly in the period since the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol.
Evidence on the interjurisdictional competition for polluted industries within China
Authors: TAGUCHI HIROYUKI , MUROFUSHI HARUTAKA
Published: February 2010

This study examines, with a focus on regional environmental states in China, whether regional latecomers suffer the domestically created ‘pollution haven’ effect through the interjurisdictional competition for polluted industries within China, or enjoy the spillover effect of nationwide progress in environmental management and technology, using the analytical framework of the environmental Kuznets curve. The study found that the regional latecomer's advantage was verified in the case of wastewater, while its disadvantage was identified in waste gas and solid waste. We speculate that the contrasting result on regional latecomer's effects between wastewater, waste gas, and solid waste comes from the difference in policy performances: the well-designed water pollution control may have regional latecomer's enjoy the spillover effect of nationwide progress, while the ineffective control of air and solid waste pollution may cause a ‘pollution haven’ effect through the interjurisdictional competition for polluted industries on regional latecomers.
The value of statistical life and cost–benefit evaluations of landmine clearance in Cambodia
Authors: CAMERON MICHAEL , GIBSON JOHN , HELMERS KENT , LIM STEVEN , TRESSLER JOHN , VADDANAK KIEN
Published: February 2010

Development agencies spend approximately US$ 400 million per year on landmine clearance. Yet many cost–benefit evaluations suggest that landmine clearance is socially wasteful because costs appear to far outweigh social benefits. This paper presents new estimates of the benefits of clearing landmines based on a contingent valuation survey in two provinces in rural Cambodia where we asked respondents questions that elicit their trade-offs between money and the risk of death from landmine accidents. The estimated Value of a Statistical Life (VSL) is US$ 0.4 million. In contrast, most previous studies of landmine clearance use foregone income or average GDP per capita, which has a lifetime value of only US$ 2,000 in Cambodia. Humanitarian landmine clearance emerges as a more attractive rural development policy when appropriate estimates of the VSL are used.
A FUNCTIONAL COEFFICIENT APPROACH TO MODELING THE FISHER HYPOTHESIS: WORLDWIDE EVIDENCE
Authors: Herwartz Helmut , Reimers Hans-Eggert
Published: February 2010

We pursue a semiparametric approach to examining core implications of the Fisher hypothesis, namely cointegration linking nominal interest rates and inflation, and homogeneity of the potential equilibrium relation. The sample is an unbalanced panel and comprises monthly time series from more than 100 economies. The time period of at most 45 years is subdivided into three regimes according to dominating monetary policies. To exploit the cross-sectional dimension for inference on parameter homogeneity, we apply mean group estimation of functional coefficients that allow the conditioning of key model parameters on economic states. The evidence in favor of cointegration is weakened over states of negative real interest rates that are likely to coincide with scenarios of high inflation. The ex post real interest rate is mostly diagnosed as unstable. The Fisher hypothesis is particularly confirmed for states characterized by large positive interest rate adjustments during the inflation-targeting regime.
STOCHASTIC CONVERGENCE ACROSS U.S. STATES
Authors: Mello Marcelo
Published: February 2010

Unit root tests suggest that shocks to relative income across U.S. states are permanent, which contradicts the stochastic convergence hypothesis. We suggest that this finding is due to the well-known low-power problem of unit root tests in the presence of high persistence (i.e., low speed of convergence) and small samples. First, interval estimates of the largest autoregressive root for the relative income in the 48 U.S. contiguous states are quite wide, including many alternatives that are persistent but stable. Second, interval estimates of the half-life of relative income shocks that are robust to high persistence and small samples suggest that in most cases shocks die out within zero to ten years. Third, estimation of a fractionally integrated model for the relative income process suggests strong evidence of mean reversion in the data. These findings provide ample support for the stochastic convergence hypothesis.
The Formation and Utility of Sub-Angstrom to Nanometer-Sized Electron Probes in the Aberration-Corrected Transmission Electron Microscope at the University of Illinois
Authors: Wen Jianguo , Mabon James , Lei Changhui , Burdin Steve , Sammann Ernie , Petrov Ivan , Shah Amish B. , Chobpattana Varistha , Zhang Jiong , Ran Ke , Zuo Jian-Min , Mishina Satoshi , Aoki Toshihiro
Published: February 2010

We evaluate the probe forming capability of a JEOL 2200FS transmission electron microscope equipped with a spherical aberration (Cs) probe corrector. The achievement of a real space sub-Angstrom (0.1 nm) probe for scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging is demonstrated by acquisition and modeling of high-angle annular dark-field STEM images. We show that by optimizing the illumination system, large probe currents and large collection angles for electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) can be combined to yield EELS fine structure data spatially resolved to the atomic scale. We demonstrate the probe forming flexibility provided by the additional lenses in the probe corrector in several ways, including the formation of nanometer-sized parallel beams for nanoarea electron diffraction, and the formation of focused probes for convergent beam electron diffraction with a range of convergence angles. The different probes that can be formed using the probe corrected STEM opens up new applications for electron microscopy and diffraction.
Progress in the genetics of common obesity and type 2 diabetes
Authors: Vimaleswaran Karani S. , Loos Ruth J.F.
Published: February 2010

The prevalence of obesity and diabetes, which are heritable traits that arise from the interactions of multiple genes and lifestyle factors, continues to rise worldwide, causing serious health problems and imposing a substantial economic burden on societies. For the past 15 years, candidate gene and genome-wide linkage studies have been the main genetic epidemiological approaches to identify genetic loci for obesity and diabetes, yet progress has been slow and success limited. The genome-wide association approach, which has become available in recent years, has dramatically changed the pace of gene discoveries. Genome-wide association is a hypothesis-generating approach that aims to identify new loci associated with the disease or trait of interest. So far, three waves of large-scale genome-wide association studies have identified 19 loci for common obesity and 18 for common type 2 diabetes. Although the combined contribution of these loci to the variation in obesity and diabetes risk is small and their predictive value is typically low, these recently identified loci are set to substantially improve our insights into the pathophysiology of obesity and diabetes. This will require integration of genetic epidemiological methods with functional genomics and proteomics. However, the use of these novel insights for genetic screening and personalised treatment lies some way off in the future.
How Contemporary Publics Understand and Experience Happiness: A Cross-Cultural Perspective
Authors: SHIN DOH CHULL
Published: February 2010

How do contemporary publics understand happiness? What makes them experience it? Do conceptions and sources of their happiness vary across culturally different societies? This paper addresses these questions, utilizing the 2008 round of the AsiaBarometer surveys conducted in six countries scattered over four different continents. Analyses of these surveys, conducted in Japan, China, and India from the East; and the United States, Russia, and Australia from the West, reveal a number of interesting cross-cultural differences and similarities in the way the people of the East and West understand and experience happiness. Specifically, the former are much less multidimensional than the latter in their conceptions of happiness. Yet, they are alike in that their sense of relative achievement or deprivation is the most pervasive and powerful influence on happiness.
Public Attitudes toward Government Spending in the Asia-Pacific Region
Authors: PARK CHONG-MIN
Published: February 2010

This article describes public attitudes toward government spending in Australia, China, India, Japan, Russia, and the United States, the six major economies of the Asia-Pacific region. An analysis of the 2008 AsiaBarometer Survey data shows that ordinary citizens of the sample countries favored increased, rather than reduced, government spending on a wide range of policy programs. It is also found that support for state activism was stronger in former state socialist countries than in market capitalist ones. Although economic interests, symbolic predispositions, and social positions influenced spending preferences to varying degrees, left–right ideology was particularly conspicuous in most countries surveyed. It is evident that the mass publics of the major economies of the Asia-Pacific region did not strongly endorse state contraction or retrenchment, even in the wake of economic globalization and the neoliberal reform movement.
Images of Government, Business, and Citizen Identity in the United States
Authors: STEEL GILL
Published: February 2010

This paper presents a country profile of the United States using data from the AsiaBarometer (2008) survey. I first examine how citizens see themselves, their government and big business. My findings show that Americans remain ambivalent toward politics, their government, and big business. Citizens overwhelmingly support democracy as a political system and are satisfied with a broad range of specific democratic rights, but, at the same time, they complain about the workings of their democratic system, policy output, and many distrust government and big business. I then examine the role citizens play in politics, analyzing who participates and why.
Worsening Schisms in Thai Domestic Politics
Authors: GANESAN N.
Published: February 2010

The September 2006 military coup against the Thaksin government in Thailand has had a profound impact on Thai politics. It has arrested the process of democratic consolidation that was set in motion in the country in the 1990s. Although many of Thaksin's policies lacked the spirit of democratic governance, he was democratically elected and was ousted from power unconstitutionally. The entire tenure of Thaksin has brought to the fore two deep cleavages in Thailand. The first of these is the deep divide between the rural and urban electoral constituencies. The former provided a major vote bank with little bearing on the dispersion of power and resources that was effectively dominated by the latter. Thaksin and his populist policies effectively undermined the urban electorate and strengthened the rural constituency. The second and perhaps structurally more significant tension is that which has developed between the new business elite and the old establishment elite that comprise the monarchy, military, and the bureaucracy. This old elite has been at the forefront of displacing Thaksin through its fear of loss of control over the domestic political process. The drawn out confrontation that has spawned two social movements has significantly raised the country's political temperature and there is the real potential for the situation to deteriorate into violence. Despite these changes, a number of continuities unique to the Thai political situation continue to obtain as well.
Globalization and Public Attitudes towards the State in the Asia-Pacific Region
Authors: HSIAO HSIN-HUANG MICHAEL , WAN PO-SAN , WONG TIMOTHY KA-YING
Published: February 2010

Globalization has led to a redefinition of the functions and roles of the state. Based on data drawn from a cross-national social survey, this article examines the influences of globalization on the public's attitudes towards their state in Australia, China, India, Japan, Russia, and the United States, by focusing on satisfaction with government performance and demands on the government. The six countries differ extensively in their sociopolitical and technological situations, as well as in the experiences of their people with globalization in terms of the following aspects: connectivity with the world through personal ties and digital means, English language capacity, and support for the forces of globalization. There are also huge disparities in the public rankings of government performance and demands for expanding government spending in a wide range of policy areas. Our analysis reveals that, although both intra- and inter-country variations in the influences of globalization on public attitudes towards the state are not particularly prominent, those who support globalization not only are more inclined than others to be satisfied with the government's performance, but also demand more government intervention.
WILLIAM PALEY'S MORAL PHILOSOPHY AND THE CHALLENGE OF HUME: AN ENLIGHTENMENT DEBATE?
Authors: O'FLAHERTY NIALL
Published: February 2010

This essay offers a reassessment of William Paley'sPrinciples of Moral and Political Philosophy(1785). It focuses on his defence of religious ethics from challenges laid down in David Hume'sEnquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals(1751). By restoring the context of theological/philosophical debate to Paley's thinking about ethics, the essay attempts to establish his genuine commitment to a worldly theology and to a programme of human advancement. This description of orthodox thought takes us beyond the bipolar debate about whether intellectual culture in the period was religious or secular: it was clearly religious; the question is: what kind of religion? It also makes questionable the view that England was somehow isolated from so-called Enlightenment currents of thought that were thriving elsewhere on the Continent. The “science of man”, far from being the sole preserve of Scottish and continental thinkers, also provided the basis for moral thought in eighteenth-century England.
GOBINEAU, RACISM, AND LEGITIMISM: A ROYALIST HERETIC IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY FRANCE
Authors: KALE STEVEN
Published: February 2010

The work of Arthur de Gobineau has presented scholars with a number of interpretive problems concerning his status as a race theorist, his place in the history of racial thought, and the influence of his work on subsequent thinkers. This essay addresses the particularly vexing issue of the origins of Gobineau's racism from the perspective of his affiliation with French royalists in the 1840s and challenges the existing scholarship on the derivation ofL'Essai sur l'inégalité des races humainesby placing theEssaiin the context of his international experience as a member of the French diplomatic corps. Although disillusioned with legitimist politics during the July Monarchy, Gobineau never abandoned his youthful ideological priorities. From the perspective of his royalist past, theEssaiappears as part of an extended rumination on the decadence of the French aristocracy and its failure to stem the tide of revolution and bureaucratic centralization. As such, Gobineau's racism can best be understood as a royalist heresy rather than a continuation of his aristocratic elitism or a clean break with his earlier preoccupations.