bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Economic Fragilities in Fourth‐Century Athens
Authors: Oliver G. J.
Published: September 2007

This chapter examines the question of Athenian dependency on grain imports in the ‘classical’ 4th century. It establishes the complexities, finances, and different interests that characterized commerce. Topics covered include dependency cultures, models of dependency, quantifying dependency on imported grain, the economic realities of moving grain, ateleia> — the honour given by the Athenians to significant benefactors, overseas territories, financing commerce, and Athenian economics before 322.
Encounters with the Ancient World in Nineteenth-Century Literary Culture
Authors: Hurst Isobel
Published: September 2007

This chapter examines the social and educational context of classical studies in the Victorian period. Men like Byron and Tennyson described reading authors such as Horace at school as a dull and pointless experience. The centrality of Latin and Greek in the schooling of upper- and middle-class men was increasingly challenged by newer disciplines such as science and English literature, but classical study remained prestigious in class terms. ‘Compulsory Greek’ was repeatedly debated in Oxford or Cambridge until the requirement was abolished after the First World War. In attempting to extend access to working men, universities provided classical lectures which middle-class women attended. Resources available to those whose education had not equipped them to read ancient texts in the original languages included translations, children's books, popular fiction, and travel.
Classical Training for the Woman Writer
Authors: Hurst Isobel
Published: September 2007

Although relatively few Victorian women studied Latin and Greek, earlier female classicists such as Elizabeth Carter acted as models for aspiring scholars. The support of fathers, brothers or mentors was also crucial to women's classical learning. This chapter deals with the shift from women learning classics in the home, to formal education in girls' schools and women's colleges in the second half of the 19th century. Greek was associated with the New Woman through the figure of the Girton Girl and the classical scholar Jane Ellen Harrison, who developed a new approach to the study of Greek religion. As Latin and Greek became more accessible to women, the prestige of classical study was in decline: Vera Brittain, studying in Oxford during the First World War, remarked that it could safely be left to women because it had become an irrelevance.
Toward the Relational Reconstruction of Regional Political Economy
Authors: Whitford Josh
Published: September 2007

This chapter argues that American manufacturing is mired in an altogether partial transition to a more collaborative interfirm organization of production, rife with ongoing contradictions that sit uneasily with sociological literatures on network organizational forms. Many large American manufacturers are making real efforts to follow the prescriptive tenets of the collaborative new production paradigm even as their efforts are deeply constrained by the need to hedge fundamental uncertainties caused by a history of poor relationships and a lack of institutional support. This combination of mixed motives and occasional abject failure leaves a relational structure that is neither the collaborative production network that Powell calls the very building block of the 21st century firm, nor is it an atomistic world of hostile arm's-length contracting. Rather, relationships between OEMs and suppliers in American durable manufacturing are best described as a complex mix of the two, suggesting that the possibilities are considerably less bifurcated than the existing literature would have them be.
Introduction
Authors: Forrest Ian
Published: September 2007

This introductory chapter discusses the historiography and sources used in the book, including bishops' registers, court books, and visitation records. The concept of heresy as a legal category is introduced.
Conclusion
Authors: Forrest Ian
Published: September 2007

The conclusion attempts to explain the incidence of lollardy and the fact of heresy reporting in the parish. The nature of the church and local society are discussed, and heresy is placed in the context of popular religion and religious enthusiasm. The effects of inquisition on communities and the state are discussed.
4 An Illuminating Comparison: Augustine and Ambrose on the Theology of Death
Authors: Albert Jones David
Published: September 2007

The argument of Augustine in De civitate Dei is strikingly similar to that of Ambrose in De bono mortis. However, while Ambrose treats death as something good in itself, Augustine sees it as bad in itself. Their contrasting attitudes have practical effects on how they regard virginity, marriage, and mortification; on how each reads the letters of Paul; and on their discussions of suicide and martyrdom. Furthermore, it leads to a noticeable shift in the Christian treatment of fear of death, grief, and the care of the dead (that is, prayers said for those who have died).
8 The Number of Seat‐Winning Parties and the Largest Seat Share
Authors: Taagepera Rein
Published: September 2007

The quantity to watch is the ‘seat product’ — the product of the assembly size and district magnitude. The number of parties represented in the assembly is approximately the fourth root of the seat product. The fractional seat share of the largest party is approximately the inverse of the eighth root of the seat product. This quantitatively predictive logical model agrees with the world averages. The results are approximate, because other factors are present.
9 Seat Shares of All Parties and the Effective Number of Parties
Authors: Taagepera Rein
Published: September 2007

As with Chapter 8, the ‘seat product’ is the important quantity to watch. The effective number of parties represented in the assembly is approximately the sixth root of the seat product. The average seat shares of second-largest and third-largest parties also can be calculated from the seat product. This quantitatively predictive logical model agrees with the world averages. The results are approximate, because other factors enter.
14 The Institutional Impact on Votes and Deviation from PR
Authors: Taagepera Rein
Published: September 2007

Using nothing but the product of assembly size and district magnitude, a quantitatively predictive logical model allows us to estimate the average effective number of parties based on votes. Average deviation from proportional representation can also be estimated from this seat product, within plus or minus four percentage points. When estimating the likely effect of changes in electoral laws on the party system and deviation from PR, the past tendencies in the given country also must be taken into account.
The Dance of the Muses
Authors: David A. P.
Published: September 2007

This book develops an authentic and revolutionary musical analysis of ancient Greek poetry. It brings the interpretation of ancient verse into step with the sorts of analyses customarily enjoyed by works in all the more recent poetical and musical traditions. It departs from the abstract metrical analyses of the past in that it conceives the rhythmic and harmonic elements of poetry as integral to the whole expression, and decisive in the interpretation of its meaning. Such an analysis is now possible because of a new theory of the Greek tonic accent, set out in the third chapter, and its application to Greek poetry understood as choreia — the proper name for the art and work of ancient poets in both epic and lyric, described by Plato as a synthesis of dance rhythm and vocal harmony, in disagreement moving toward agreement. The book offers a thorough-going treatment of Homeric poetics: here some remarkable discoveries in the harmonic movement of epic verse, when combined with some neglected facts about the origin of the hexameter in a ‘dance of the Muses’, lead to essential new thinking about the genesis and the form of Homeric poetry. The book also gives a foretaste of the fruits to be harvested in lyric by a musical analysis, applying the new theory of the accent and considering concretely the role of dance in performance.
2 Postmodern Place: A Frame for Appearing
Authors: McClintock Fulkerson Mary
Published: September 2007

This chapter explores postmodern place as a constructive way to think about Good Samaritan UMC. Drawing upon examples of places, it explores what is distinctive about faith community as place. The goal is to show that place theory provides a frame through which the complexities of the worldly character of the faith community can appear. The categories of place, in short, are best designed to display the shape of faith as a lived situation.
Working It Out: Homemaking Practices
Authors: McClintock Fulkerson Mary
Published: September 2007

This chapter discusses activities that people engage in, in order to maintain and sustain the community — Good Samaritan's homemaking practices. Six activities that merit particular attention as homemaking practices are considered. Following a review of these activities, the chapter considers how these activities qualify as practices, looking especially for those that might be seen to contribute to an emergent habitus.
Good Samaritan Church: The Unity of the Place
Authors: McClintock Fulkerson Mary
Published: September 2007

This chapter focuses on the practices of Good Samaritan UMC in an attempt to become place for all to appear. Having reviewed the prominent practices that made this place, the question now is what they have in common and how they diverge. First, a synchronic look at three dominant images articulated in the practices and wider conversations in the community, always attending to the contributions of bodily habituations. Then, for a diachronic sense of communal identity the chapter turns to the role of conflict in the community, asking how divergence over time helped define both identity and faithfulness to identity. Finally, the chapter explores the role of the larger social formation in producing this place.
Triangulated Categories
Authors: Huybrechts D.
Published: September 2007

Reviewing the basic notions of additive and abelian categories, left and right adjoint functors, and Serre functors, this chapter is mainly devoted to triangulated categories. In particular, criteria are established which decide when a given functor is fully-faithful or an equivalence. This is formulated in terms of spanning classes. The last section discusses exceptional objects in triangulated categories which lead naturally to the notion of orthogonal decompositions of categories.
Derived Categories: A Quick Tour
Authors: Huybrechts D.
Published: September 2007

This chapter briefly outlines the main steps in the construction of the derived category of an arbitrary abelian category. The homotopy category of complexes is considered as an intermediate step, which is then localized with respect to quasi-isomorphisms. Left and right derived functors are explained in general, and particular examples are studied in more detail. Spectral sequences are treated in a separate section.
Derived Category and Canonical Bundle – I
Authors: Huybrechts D.
Published: September 2007

This chapter is devoted to results by Bondal and Orlov which show that for varieties with ample (anti-)canonical bundle, the bounded derived category of coherent sheaves determines the variety. Except for the case of elliptic curves, this settles completely the classification of derived categories of smooth curves. The complexity of the derived category is reflected by its group of autoequivalences. This is studied by means of ample sequences.
Derived Category and Canonical Bundle --II
Authors: Huybrechts D.
Published: September 2007

Based on the work of Orlov, Kawamata, and others, this chapter shows that the (numerical) Kodaira dimension and the canonical ring are preserved under derived equivalence. The same techniques can be used to derive the invariance of Hochschild cohomology under derived equivalence. Going one step further, it is shown that the nefness of the canonical bundle is detected by the derived category. The chapter also studies the relation between derived and birational (or rather K-) equivalence. The special case of a central conjecture predicts that two birational Calabi-Yau varieties have equivalent derived categories.
Equivalence Criteria for Fourier–Mukai Transforms
Authors: Huybrechts D.
Published: September 2007

Criteria must be developed to determine whether a given Fourier-Mukai transform is in fact an equivalence. Applying the techniques from Chapter 1, this chapter explains the fully faithfulness of a Fourier-Mukai transform. It addresses the question concerning the circumstances a fully faithful Fourier-Mukai transform does define an equivalence. In a separate section, varieties with torsion canonical bundle and their canonical cover are investigated.
Abelian Varieties
Authors: Huybrechts D.
Published: September 2007

Historically, Mukai's equivalence with the Poincare bundle on the product of an abelian variety and its dual as kernel was the fist Fourier-Mukai transform. The first section in this chapter functions as a reminder of the basic facts from the rich theory of abelian varieties, and the case of principally polarized abelian varieties is studied. A general investigation of derived equivalences between abelian varieties and derived autoequivalences of a single abelian variety is included.
Early Case Grammar
Authors: Anderson John M.
Published: September 2007

This chapter describes the rejection in early case grammar of the inflexional, autonomist view of case of the main transformational tradition, and the substitution of ‘case structures’ for ‘deep structure’ as the locus of the interface of syntax with the lexicon. Case structures are converted into ‘surface structures’ by the suppression of certain semantic relations. Subject, for instance is a neutralization of different ‘case relations’ (Fillmorean semantic relations). Choice of subject is guided by a hierarchy of the semantic relations, with agentives being the preferred subject. Proposals that such syntactic representations are best expressed in a dependency formalism are also described. Heads have adjoined or subjoined (lacking difference in linearity from their heads) dependents. It is argued that these proposals allow for the different manifestations of semantic relations and their neutralizations by inflexions, adpositions, and position (i.e., by different ‘case forms’).
The Lexical Structure and Syntax of Functors
Authors: Anderson John M.
Published: September 2007

The internal strucutre and syntax of functions are investigated, including their roles as circumstantials (adjuncts) as well as participants. Circumstantials as well as participants are subject to localism. Circumstantiality includes the role of semantic relations in apposition. Particular attention is paid to appositions to incorporated categories, which play an important role in syntax. In the light of this, the status of functors in nominal structures is explored, particularly as it relates to their optionality. Amplification by various scholars of the system of semantic relations with ‘macro-roles’ is rejected. More recent attempts to dispense in the syntax with semantic relations (including appeal to the ‘universality of theta assignment hypothesis’ and to abstract syntactic solutions — ‘generative semantics’, ‘argument structure’) are examined and also rejected.
Argument-Sharing I: Raising
Authors: Anderson John M.
Published: September 2007

This chapter argues that recognition of the notional basis for syntax is one major factor in obviating an abstract syntax with transformations and ‘empty categories’. The other is admission to syntactic structure of a very restricted kind of non-projectivity. This ‘tangling’ is mediated by the sharing of arguments by two semantic relations in a higher and a lower predication, respectively. The upper relation is a free absolutive; its predicator is not subcategorized for it. It is present in response to a syntactic requirement on verbs (prototypically relational) to have a dependent absolutive (the unmarked relation). It is realized as the expletive in It rained. But the need for an argument can also be satisfied by the subject of a lower predication, as in the ‘raising’ structure: She tends to sleep. She is both a participant in the sleeppredication and satisfies the free absolutive of tends.
Interfirm networks and the management of technology and innovation in Japan
Authors: Lincoln James R.
Published: September 2007

Keiretsu are important for understanding the openness, or otherwise, of Japan's innovation system and MOT, corporate specialization, and boundary management. This chapter draws on a series of studies which portray keiretsu ties as both a cause and a consequence of innovation. They foster organizational learning and innovation, and they grow through strategies which allow spin-offs to commercialize core-company R&D. Innovation strategies can cause the ties to strengthen (as in the case of Matsushita), or weaken or become strained (Toyota-Denso). A quantitative study finds that keiretsu ties remained influential for non-R&D activities in the 1990s, while R&D relations became more strategic and less influenced by ‘legacy relations’.
Pythium spp. Isolated from Bermudagrass During Overseed Transitions in Florida and Pathogenicity of Pythium irregulare on Poa trivialis
Authors: Stiles C. M. , Datnoff L. E. , Rayside P. A.
Published: September 2007

Pythium spp. were isolated from nonoverseeded bermudagrass and from bermudagrass overseeded with cool-season turfgrass species from October 2000 to July 2001 from two sites in Florida. Pythium spp. were isolated from nonoverseeded and overseeded, and fumigated and nonfumigated, bermudagrass plots from October 2001 to July 2002 from one of the two sites. The vast majority of isolates of Pythium spp. were obtained from the bermudagrass, rather than the cool-season turfgrass species (Poa trivialis or Lolium perenne) used as overseed. In the first year at the Ft. Lauderdale site, Pythium graminicola dominated (91% of isolates obtained). In the first year at the Gainesville site, P. graminicola (56% of isolates) and P. irregulare (36%) dominated; however, after fumigation and replanting, P. graminicola comprised only 11% of all isolates. P. irregulare comprised 30% of all isolates, but was found only in nonfumigated plots. A different species, P. ultimum var. ultimum, not isolated in the first year, was recovered (34% of isolates) from the replanted field in February and March. In preemergence pathogenicity tests, three of four isolates of P. irregulare were moderately to highly pathogenic on Poa trivialis, but not on L. perenne, and isolates of Pythium graminicola and P. ultimum var. ultimum were not pathogenic on either turfgrass species. Pathogenic Pythium spp. may survive from season to season on bermudagrass and, under favorable conditions, may cause damping-off or blight on the overseeded cool-season turfgrass.
First Report on the Occurrence of Grapevine leafroll-associated viruses 5 and 9 in Tunisian Grapevines
Authors: Mahfoudhi N. , Habili N. , Masri S. A. , Dhouibi M. H.
Published: September 2007

Grapevine leafroll disease is one of the most important diseases that occurs in cultivated grapevines in the world. So far, nine serologically distinct viruses of the family Closteroviridae have been isolated from diseased vines (3). A previous study (4) has shown that Grapevine leafroll-associated viruses (GLRaV) -1, -2, and -3 are present in Tunisian grapevines and GLRaV-3 is the predominant virus associated with leafroll disease. A survey was conducted in table grapes to identify other viruses associated with this disease. Samples of dormant canes were collected and screened by indirect Biotin Steptavidin ELISA with specific antibodies to GLRaV-5 (Bio-Rad, Sanofi, France) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Serological analysis revealed that nearly 47% of the samples were infected with GLRaV-5. To confirm GLRaV-5 identification and identify other leafroll viruses, vines with severe leafroll symptoms were collected and total RNA extracts were obtained from six samples and tested at Waite Diagnostics (University of Adelaide, Australia) by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR using primers for GLRaV-5 (2), LR5-1F 5′-CCCGTGATACAAGGTAGGACA-3′ and LR5-1R 5′-CAGACTTCACCTCCTGTTAC-3′ with a resulting amplicon size of 690 bp and primers for GLRaV-9, LR9F 5′-ACAGTGGTCGGCATAAGAAAAG-3′ and LR9R 5′-ACACAAACATGCAGGCCAAAG-3′ with a resulting amplicon size of 250 bp. Results showed that 1 of 6 and 5 of 6 of the samples were infected with GLRaV-5 and GLRaV-9, respectively, by RT-PCR and comparable results were obtained by ELISA. Amplicons were cloned and sequenced to confirm the identification of GLRaV-5 and GLRaV-9. The obtained sequences showed 99.1% nt identity and 94.8% amino acid similarity with an isolate of GLRaV-5 (GenBank Accession No. AF233934) and 97.6% nt identity and 94.8% amino acid similarity with an isolate of GLRaV-9 (GenBank Accession No. AY297819). The occurrence of GLRaV-9 has previously been reported in California and Australia (1). To our knowledge, this is the first report on the occurrence of GLRaV-5 and -9 in Tunisian grapevines. The widespread occurrence of GLRaV-5 and -9 is probably due either to the presence of their putative vectors, Planococcus ficus (Signoret) and Planococcus citri (Risso), or by propagation using infected local source material. Further studies are in progress to verify the implication of indigenous mealybugs in the spread of these viruses.

References: (1) R. Alkowni et al. J. Plant Pathol. 86:123, 2004. (2) X. Good and J. Monis. Phytopathology 91:247, 2001. (3) P. Gugerli. ICVG, Extended Abstracts 14:23, 2003. (4) N. Mahfoudhi et al. EPPO Bulletin 28:197, 1998.
Society already achieves economic benefits from generic substitution but fails to do the same for therapeutic substitution
Authors: Gumbs Pearl D. , Verschuren W. M. Monique , Souverein Patrick C. , Mantel‐Teeuwisse Aukje K. , De Wit G. Ardine , De Boer Anthonius , Klungel Olaf H.
Published: September 2007

Aims

To assess the potential annual savings due to generic and therapeutic substitution of statin therapy for the general Dutch population, taking the patients medical history into account.

Methods

We conducted a population‐based costing study using the PHARMO Record Linkage System (RLS). PHARMO RLS contains drug dispensing records from a representative sample of pharmacies located in more than 50 regions in the Netherlands. We selected all statin users in the database since 2003. The cost‐savings of generic substitution of statin therapy for all simvastatin and pravastatin users, and of therapeutic substitution of statin therapy for other statin users were calculated. Substituting current users and new users of statins were considered separately. Therapeutic substitution was based on the medical history of the individual patient. Patients were only substituted if there was an appropriate substitute available. The appropriateness of substitution was based on drug–drug interactions between statins and possible comedication and the availability of an equipotent alternative.

Results

Substituting (generic and therapeutic) statin therapy for all current users would lead to potential annual savings of approximately €87 million. Substituting (generic and therapeutic) all starters on statin therapy would lead to potential annual savings of around €51 million. In the case of generic substitution only, the potential annual savings for all current simvastatin and pravastatin users would be €2.4 million and for the new users about €1.8 million.

Conclusions

From an economic point of view, society could gain a lot from substituting statin therapy, especially from therapeutic substitution.
A survey of the Wolf–Rayet population of the barred, spiral galaxy NGC 1313
Authors: Hadfield L. J. , Crowther P. A.
Published: September 2007

We present a VLT/FORS1 survey of Wolf–Rayet (WR) stars in the spiral galaxy NGC 1313. In total, 94 WR candidate sources have been identified from narrow-band imaging. Of these, 82 have been spectroscopically observed, for which WR emission features are confirmed in 70 cases, one of which also exhibits strong nebular He iiλ4686 emission. We also detect strong nebular He iiλ4686 emission within two other regions of NGC 1313, one of which is a possible supernova remnant. Nebular properties confirm that NGC 1313 has a metal content log(O/H) + 12 = 8.23 ± 0.06, in good agreement with previous studies. From continuum-subtracted Hα images we infer a global star formation rate of 0.6 M⊙ yr−1. Using template LMC WR stars, spectroscopy reveals that NGC 1313 hosts a minimum of 84 WR stars. Our census comprises 51 WN stars, including a rare WN/C transition star plus 32 WC stars. In addition, we identify one WO star which represents the first such case identified beyond the Local Group. The bright giant H ii region PES 1, comparable in Hα luminosity to NGC 595 in M 33, is found to host a minimum of 17 WR stars. The remaining photometric candidates generally display photometric properties consistent with WN stars, such that we expect a global WR population of ∼115 stars with N(WR)/N(O) ∼ 0.01 and N(WC)/N(WN) ∼ 0.4.
Transitioning health care responsibility from caregivers to patient: A pilot study aiming to facilitate medication adherence during this process
Authors: Annunziato Rachel A. , Emre Sukru , Shneider Benjamin L. , Dugan Christina A. , Aytaman Yasemin , McKay Mary M. , Shemesh Eyal
Published: September 2007

Abstract:  Transition in pediatric transplant recipients consists of both a physical shift in medical care location as well as a transition in health care responsibilities from caregivers to patients. The purpose of the present study was to test the feasibility of a pilot intervention aiming to facilitate the transition in health care responsibilities from caregivers to patients while patients are still receiving pediatric services. Twenty‐two patients were enrolled in a two‐session educational protocol aiming to facilitate transition of responsibility. Patients were recruited from an outpatient transplant clinic. Ten were referred because of suspected difficulty in transitioning of care, and 12 were consecutively recruited without any specific a priori concerns. Medication adherence, measured through the use of standard deviations of tacrolimus blood levels, and ALT levels were the medical outcome measures. Complete data are available for 20 patients. Mean ALT levels improved after the follow‐up period. For referred patients, adherence and ALT levels improved. Standard deviation of tacrolimus decreased from 3.33 to 2.23, t = 2.52, p = 0.04. Mean ALT decreased from 120.33 to 63.99, t = 3.01, p = 0.01. Maximal ALT values decreased overall from 284.10 to 101.20, t = 2.61, p = 0.03. Our findings suggest that targeted education regarding transition in responsibility for adolescents’ own health care is feasible in the outpatient environment and may assist families who are facing this potentially challenging process. A randomized, controlled study with a substantial number of enrolled patients is needed to establish the efficacy of this or other approaches.
Processing of multisensory spatial congruency can be dissociated from working memory and visuo‐spatial attention
Authors: Zimmer Ulrike , Macaluso Emiliano
Published: September 2007

Tactile stimuli at the same location as a visual target can increase activity in the contralateral occipital cortex compared with spatially incongruent bimodal stimulation. Does this cross‐modal congruency effect in the visual cortex depend on available cognitive resources? Visual attention and working memory can modulate responses to visual stimuli in the occipital cortex, with attenuation in conditions of high‐attentional or low‐memory load. Here, we asked if these two cognitive factors affect multisensory processing in the visual cortex. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging in humans, we manipulated the load of working memory or visuo‐spatial attention. Concurrently with these primary tasks we presented same‐side (congruent) or opposite‐side (incongruent) visuo‐tactile stimuli. Both experiments revealed enhancement of brain activity for congruent vs incongruent bimodal stimulation in the contralateral occipital cortex. Critically, these cross‐modal effects occurred irrespective of the level of load. We conclude that processing of visuo‐tactile spatial congruency in the visual cortex does not depend on available visuo‐spatial and memory resources.
A population of large neurons in laminae III and IV of the rat spinal cord that have long dorsal dendrites and lack the neurokinin 1 receptor
Authors: Polgár Erika , Thomson Suzanne , Maxwell David J. , Al‐Khater Khulood , Todd Andrew J.
Published: September 2007

The dorsal horn of the rat spinal cord contains a population of large neurons with cell bodies in laminae III or IV, that express the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1r) and have long dorsal dendrites that branch extensively within the superficial laminae. In this study, we have identified a separate population of neurons that have similar dendritic morphology, but lack the NK1r. These cells also differ from the NK1r‐expressing neurons in that they have significantly fewer contacts from substance P‐containing axons and are not retrogradely labelled following injection of tracer into the caudal ventrolateral medulla. We also provide evidence that these cells do not belong to the postsynaptic dorsal column pathway or the spinothalamic tract. It is therefore likely that these cells do not have supraspinal projections. They may provide a route through which information transmitted by C fibres that lack neuropeptides is conveyed to deeper laminae. The present findings demonstrate the need for caution when attempting to classify neurons solely on the basis of somatodendritic morphology.
Reflecting on Type 2 Diabetes Prevention: More Questions than Answers!
Authors: Rosenstock J.
Published: September 2007

Given the enormous public health and economic burden posed by the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), intervention in the prediabetes stage of disease to prevent progression to T2DM and its vascular complications seems the most sensible approach. Precisely how best to intervene remains the subject of much debate. Prudent lifestyle changes have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of progression in individuals with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Although lifestyle modifications are notoriously difficult to maintain, there is evidence that intensive intervention results in continued preventive benefit after the stopping of structured counselling. A number of drug therapies, including metformin, acarbose, orlistat and rosiglitazone, have also been proven effective in preventing progression from IFG/IGT, but unresolved issues still remain. Specifically, whether large numbers of individuals with glucose dysregulation who may never progress to T2DM should be exposed to the risk of pharmacological adverse effects is a topic of discussion and debate. Furthermore, there are limited data on the effectiveness of implementing interventions during the prediabetic state to prevent cardiovascular complications that may be hyperglycaemia related. A recent American Diabetes Association (ADA) consensus statement on IFG/IGT recommends lifestyle modification for individuals with IFG or IGT. Of note, the ADA consensus statement introduces the option of adding metformin treatment to lifestyle changes in those individuals who have combined IFG/IGT plus an additional risk factor for progression and who also have some features that increase the likelihood of benefiting from metformin treatment. The dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors are a new class of oral antidiabetic agents that, in addition to being effective in improving glycaemic control, may exert beneficial effects in preserving β‐cell function. These characteristics, combined with a low risk of hypoglycaemia, weight neutrality and what appears – so far – to be a relatively benign tolerability profile, make these agents intriguing candidates for preventive treatment.
TAS‐20 alexithymia in obesity, and its links to personality
Authors: ELFHAG KRISTINA , LUNDH LARS‐GUNNAR
Published: September 2007

We studied the association between alexithymia (20‐item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, TAS‐20) and obesity, and also assessed the construct validity of the TAS‐20 in terms of personality dimensions in obese patients. The TAS‐20 and its subscales were analysed for their correlations with the NEO Personality Inventory – Revised (NEO PI‐R) in an obese sample of 259 patients. Obesity was associated with higher scores on the TAS‐20 than a Swedish reference sample. Obese men furthermore scored higher on Externally Oriented Thinking than the obese women. TAS‐20 scores correlated with elevated Neuroticism and lower levels of Extraversion and Openness, in agreement with most previous research, but also somewhat unexpectedly with lower Conscientiousness and for women also with lower Agreeableness. The TAS‐20 subscales showed divergent associations with personality variables, largely in accordance with previous findings. The associations were more prominent for the women, and some gender‐specific patterns not previously reported were also revealed.
Efficacy of tolterodine in women with detrusor overactivity and anterior vaginal wall prolapse: is it the same?
Authors: Salvatore S , Serati M , Ghezzi F , Uccella S , Cromi A , Bolis P
Published: September 2007

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of tolterodine in women with overactive bladder (OAB) and concomitant anterior vaginal prolapse. In this prospective study, 235 consecutive women with OAB symptoms and urodynamic diagnosis of detrusor overactivity who either had no prolapse or had pure anterior vaginal prolapse were included: 184 women (group 1) had no prolapse and 51 women (group 2) had anterior prolapse greater than and equal to stage IIa. Tolterodine 4 mg slow release once a day was prescribed. After 12 weeks, women were reassessed using a 3‐point scale (no change, improvement and cured). A total of 158 (85.9%) women in group 1 and 31 (60.8%) women in group 2 reported improvement or cure (P= 0.0002). Women with OAB and significant anterior vaginal prolapse should be informed of a reduced efficacy of antimuscarinics in treating their urinary symptoms.
Expectations and experience of labial reduction: a qualitative study
Authors: Bramwell R , Morland C , Garden AS
Published: September 2007

Objective  To understand women’s reasons for undergoing labial reduction surgery, their expectations and experiences.

Design  A retrospective qualitative study.

Setting  British National Health Service Hospital.

Sample  Six women who had experienced surgery for labial reduction.

Method  Qualitative study using semi‐structured interviews.

Results  Results relating to ‘Normality and defect’, ‘Sex lives’ and ‘The process of accessing surgery’ are presented in this study. The women had seen their presurgery genital appearance as ‘defective’ and sought a ‘normal’ genital appearance. They thought that their presurgery genital appearance impacted on their sex lives, but their expectations of the effects of surgery on their sex lives were not all fulfilled. Information about labial surgery came from both the popular media and the health services. An emphasis on, for example, physical discomfort rather than appearance may have been used to legitimise a request for surgery. The process of accessing surgery had exposed them to potentially conflicting messages about their genital appearance.

Conclusions  Women presenting for labial reduction may have unrealistic expectations of surgery, but their perceptions and expectations are long‐standing and seem to be based on strong cultural norms. The gynaecologist is also meeting those women who have already negotiated the referral process. As demand for this surgery appears to be increasing, further research is needed. These findings may add to the case for the potential value of specialist staff to provide psychosocial interventions within gynaecology services.
Light‐dependent oxygen consumption in nitrogen‐fixing cyanobacteria plays a key role in nitrogenase protection1
Authors: Milligan Allen J. , Berman‐Frank Ilana , Gerchman Yoram , Dismukes G. Charles , Falkowski Paul G.
Published: September 2007

All colonial diazotrophic cyanobacteria are capable of simultaneously evolving O2 through oxygenic photosynthesis and fixing nitrogen via nitrogenase. Since nitrogenase is irreversibly inactivated by O2, accommodation of the two metabolic pathways has led to biochemical and/or structural adaptations that protect the enzyme from O2. In some species, differentiated cells (heterocysts) are produced within the filaments. PSII is absent in the heterocysts, while PSI activity is maintained. In other, nonheterocystous species, however, a “division of labor” occurs whereby individual cells within a colony appear to ephemerally fix nitrogen while others evolve oxygen. Using membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) in conjunction with tracer 18O2 and inhibitors of photosynthetic and respiratory electron transport, we examined the light dependence of O2 consumption in Trichodesmium sp. IMS 101, a nonheterocystous, colonial cyanobacterium, and Anabaena flos‐aquae (Lyngb.) Bréb. ex Bornet et Flahault, a heterocystous species. Our results indicate that in both species, intracellular O2 concentrations are maintained at low levels by the light‐dependent reduction of oxygen via the Mehler reaction. In N2‐fixing Trichodesmium colonies, Mehler activity can consume ∼75% of gross O2 production, while in Trichodesmium utilizing nitrate, Mehler activity declines and consumes ∼10% of gross O2 production. Moreover, evidence for the coupling between N2 fixation and Mehler activity was observed in purified heterocysts of Anabaena, where light accelerated O2 consumption by 3‐fold. Our results suggest that a major role for PSI in N2‐fixing cyanobacteria is to effectively act as a photon‐catalyzed oxidase, consuming O2 through pseudocyclic electron transport while simultaneously supplying ATP in both heterocystous and nonheterocystous taxa.
A novel characteristic of porous titanium oxide implants
Authors: Sawase Takashi , Jimbo Ryo , Wennerberg Ann , Suketa Naoki , Tanaka Yasuhiro , Atsuta Mitsuru
Published: September 2007

Objective: The anatase form of titanium dioxide (TiO2) is one of the most common crystalline forms of TiO2 and is normally produced by oxidation of titanium via thermal oxidation or anodizing. This crystalline form exhibits photocatalytic activity when it is irradiated with ultraviolet A (UVA) light. The aim of the current study was to analyze the crystal structure of anodic‐oxidized TiUnite® implants and to confirm the photocatalytic properties in vitro and in vivo.

Material and methods: Cross‐sectional observations by transmission electron microscopy were used to determine the surface crystal structure on the TiUnite implant. Subsequently, photocatalytic activity was confirmed by degradation of methylene blue, and hydrophilicity was measured based on the water contact angle. Furthermore, the in vivo effects of the photocatalytic activity of this compound were investigated.

Results: An amorphous layer that was about 10 μm thick was observed on the TiUnite implant surface. In the amorphous layer, the anatase form of the crystalline TiO2 was identified. Photocatalytic activity was clearly demonstrated by the bleaching effect of methylene blue under UVA illumination. The contact angle decreased from 44° to 11° after UVA illumination. Although these data suggest increased hydrophilicity for the TiUnite implant, the bone‐to‐metal contact at 4 weeks was not influenced.

Conclusion: The anodic‐oxidized TiUnite implant has inherent photocatalytic activity. UVA illumination increases the surface hydrophilicity of the implant. However, this increase in hydrophilicity does not improve bone apposition to the implant surface at 4 weeks.
Falls among children in the developing world: a gap in child health burden estimations?
Authors: Hyder Adnan A. , Sugerman David , Ameratunga Shanthi , Callaghan Jennifer A.
Published: September 2007

Aim: To estimate the incidence and mortality rates for unintentional fall injuries in children under 5 years of age in three developing regions of the world.

Methods: This is a systematic review of literature on unintentional childhood fall injuries. A computerized PUBMED search of literature published between 1980 and 2006 was conducted and a manual search of journals was also completed.

Results: Over 140 000 injuries to children under 19 years were reported in 56 studies (21 from Asia, 20 from Africa and 15 from South America); on an average 36% of injuries (52 575) were due to falls. The median incidence is estimated at 137.5 fall injuries per 100 000 children. The incidence of falls specific to the under‐5 age group was reported in 16 studies with a median incidence of 40.6 falls per 100 000. The overall average incidence rate for childhood falls is highest in South America at 1315 followed by Asia at 1036 and Africa at 786 per 100 000, respectively. Average mortality rates were highest for Asia at 27 followed by Africa at 13.2 per 100 000, respectively.

Conclusion: This review demonstrates that the burden of falls on children has not been well documented, and is most likely under‐reported. With the large and growing population of children in developing countries, the public health implications of the observed results are tremendous. Appropriate prevention relies on accurate statistics.
A Biological Assessment of Streams in the Eastern United States Using a Predictive Model for Macroinvertebrate Assemblages1
Authors: Carlisle Daren M. , Meador Michael R.
Published: September 2007

Abstract:  A predictive model (RIVPACS‐type) for benthic macroinvertebrates was constructed to assess the biological condition of 1,087 streams sampled throughout the eastern United States from 1993‐2003 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water‐Quality Assessment Program. A subset of 338 sites was designated as reference quality, 28 of which were withheld from model calibration and used to independently evaluate model precision and accuracy. The ratio of observed (O) to expected (E) taxa richness was used as a continuous measure of biological condition, and sites with O/E values <0.8 were classified as biologically degraded. Spatiotemporal variability of O/E values was evaluated with repeated annual and within‐site samples at reference sites. Values of O/E were regressed on a measure of urbanization in three regions and compared among streams in different land‐use settings. The model accurately predicted the expected taxa at validation sites with high precision (SD = 0.11). Within‐site spatial variability in O/E values was much larger than annual and among‐site variation at reference sites and was likely caused by environmental differences among sampled reaches. Values of O/E were significantly correlated with basin road density in the Boston, Massachusetts (p < 0.001), Birmingham, Alabama (p = 0.002), and Green Bay, Wisconsin (p = 0.034) metropolitan areas, but the strength of the relations varied among regions. Urban streams were more depleted of taxa than streams in other land‐use settings, but larger networks of riparian forest appeared to mediate biological degradation. Taxa that occurred less frequently than predicted by the model were those known to be generally intolerant of a variety of anthropogenic stressors.
Pyrrolidine Dithiocarbamate and Diethyldithiocarbamate Are Active against Growing and Nongrowing Persister
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Byrne Sean T. , Gu Peihua , Zhou Jiangbing , Denkin Steven M. , Chong Curtis , Sullivan David , Liu Jun O. , Zhang Ying
Published: September 2007

Diethyldithiocarbamate (DETC) and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) were highly active against tubercle bacilli, with MICs of 8 μg/ml and 0.13 μg/ml, respectively. DETC and PDTC were active against old cultures, enhanced pyrazinamide or pyrazinamide/rifampin activity, and had serum inhibitory titers of 1:2 and 1:4, respectively, in mice given 100 mg/kg orally.
Gamma Interferon-Independent Effects of Interleukin-12 on Immunity toSalmonella entericaSerovar Typhimurium
Authors: Price Jason D. , Simpfendorfer Kim R. , Mantena Radhakrishnam R. , Holden James , Heath William R. , van Rooijen Nico , Strugnell Richard A. , Wijburg Odilia L. C.
Published: September 2007

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-18 are both central to the induction of gamma interferon (IFN-γ), and various roles for IL-12 and IL-18 in control of intracellular microbial infections have been demonstrated. We used IL-12p40−/−and IL-18−/−mice to further investigate the role of IL-12 and IL-18 in control ofSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium. While C57BL/6 and IL-18−/−mice were able to resolve attenuatedS. entericaserovar Typhimurium infections, the IL-12p40−/−mice succumbed to a high bacterial burden after 60 days. Using ovalbumin (OVA)-specific T-cell receptor transgenic T cells (OT-II cells), we demonstrated that following oral infection with recombinantS. entericaserovar Typhimurium expressing OVA, the OT-II cells proliferated in the mesenteric lymph nodes of C57BL/6 and IL-18−/−mice but not in IL-12p40−/−mice. In addition, we demonstrated by flow cytometry that equivalent or increased numbers of T cells produced IFN-γ in IL-12p40−/−mice compared with the numbers of T cells that produced IFN-γ in C57BL/6 and IL-18−/−mice. Finally, we demonstrated that removal of macrophages fromS. entericaserovar Typhimurium-infected C57BL/6 and IL-12p40−/−mice did not affect the bacterial load, suggesting that impaired control ofS. entericaserovar Typhimurium infection in the absence of IL-12p40 is not due to reduced macrophage bactericidal activities, while IL-18−/−mice did rely on the presence of macrophages for control of the infection. Our results suggest that IL-12p40, but not IL-18, is critical to resolution of infections with attenuatedS. entericaserovar Typhimurium and that especially the effects of IL-12p40 on proliferative responses of CD4+T cells, but not the ability of these cells to produce IFN-γ, are important in the resolution of infection by this intracellular bacterial pathogen.
Australian Research in Livestock Biotechnology
Authors: Willadsen Peter
Published: September 2007

This article discusses about the importance of research and development in Australia especially agricultural sector. It touches on the funding of livestock biotech research and development.