bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antihypertensive Role of Tissue Kallikrein in Hyperaldosteronism in the Mouse
Authors: Waeckel Ludovic , Potier Louis , Chollet Catherine , Taveau Christopher , Bruneval Patrick , Roussel Ronan , Alhenc-Gelas François , Bouby Nadine
Published: June 2012

Tissue kallikrein (TK) is synthesized in arteries and distal renal tubule, the main target of aldosterone. Urinary kallikrein excretion increases in hyperaldosteronism. We tested the hypothesis that TK is involved in the cardiovascular and renal effects of high aldosterone. Kallikrein-deficient mice (TK−/−), and wild-type (WT) littermates, studied on two different genetic backgrounds, were treated with aldosterone and high-NaCl diet for 1 month. Control mice received vehicle and standard NaCl diet. Treatment induced 5- to 7-fold increase in plasma aldosterone, suppressed renin secretion, and increased urinary TK activity. In 129SvJ-C57BL/6J mice, blood pressure monitored by radiotelemetry was not different between control TK−/− and WT mice. In TK−/− mice, aldosterone induced larger increases in blood pressure than in WT mice (+47 vs. +27 mm Hg; genotype-treatment interaction, P < 0.05). Night-day difference was also exacerbated in treated TK−/− mice (P < 0.01). Moderate cardiac septal hypertrophy was observed in hypertensive animals without major change in heart function. Aldosterone-salt increased kidney weight similarly in both genotypes but induced a 2-fold increase in renal mRNA abundance of epithelial sodium channel subunits only in TK−/− mice. The hypertensive effect of TK deficiency was also documented in treated C57BL/6J mice. In this strain, aldosterone-induced hypertension was only observed in TK−/− mice (+16 mm Hg, P < 0.01). These findings show that TK deficiency exacerbates aldosterone-salt-induced hypertension. This effect may be due at least in part to enhanced sodium reabsorption in the distal nephron aggravating sodium retention. The study suggests that kallikrein plays an antihypertensive role in hyperaldosteronism.
Hormones and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Low-Dose Effects and Nonmonotonic Dose Responses
Authors: Vandenberg Laura N. , Colborn Theo , Hayes Tyrone B. , Heindel Jerrold J. , Jacobs David R. , Lee Duk-Hee , Shioda Toshi , Soto Ana M. , vom Saal Frederick S. , Welshons Wade V. , Zoeller R. Thomas , Myers John Peterson
Published: June 2012

For decades, studies of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have challenged traditional concepts in toxicology, in particular the dogma of “the dose makes the poison,” because EDCs can have effects at low doses that are not predicted by effects at higher doses. Here, we review two major concepts in EDC studies: low dose and nonmonotonicity. Low-dose effects were defined by the National Toxicology Program as those that occur in the range of human exposures or effects observed at doses below those used for traditional toxicological studies. We review the mechanistic data for low-dose effects and use a weight-of-evidence approach to analyze five examples from the EDC literature. Additionally, we explore nonmonotonic dose-response curves, defined as a nonlinear relationship between dose and effect where the slope of the curve changes sign somewhere within the range of doses examined. We provide a detailed discussion of the mechanisms responsible for generating these phenomena, plus hundreds of examples from the cell culture, animal, and epidemiology literature. We illustrate that nonmonotonic responses and low-dose effects are remarkably common in studies of natural hormones and EDCs. Whether low doses of EDCs influence certain human disorders is no longer conjecture, because epidemiological studies show that environmental exposures to EDCs are associated with human diseases and disabilities. We conclude that when nonmonotonic dose-response curves occur, the effects of low doses cannot be predicted by the effects observed at high doses. Thus, fundamental changes in chemical testing and safety determination are needed to protect human health.
Illumination preference, illumination constancy and colour discrimination by bumblebees in an environment with patchy light
Authors: Arnold Sarah E. J. , Chittka Lars
Published: June 2012

Patchy illumination presents foraging animals with a challenge, as the targets being sought may appear to vary in colour depending on the illumination, compromising target identification. We sought to explore how the bumblebee Bombus terrestris copes with tasks involving flower colour discrimination under patchy illumination. Light patches varied between unobscured daylight and leaf-shade, as a bee might encounter in and around woodland. Using a flight arena and coloured filters, as well as one or two different colours of artificial flower, we quantified how bees chose to forage when presented with foraging tasks under patchy illumination. Bees were better at discriminating a pair of similar colours under simulated unobscured daylight illumination than when foraging under leaf-shade illumination. Accordingly, we found that bees with prior experience of simulated daylight but not leaf-shade illumination initially preferred to forage in simulated daylight when all artificial flowers contained rewards as well as when only one colour was rewarding, whereas bees with prior experience of both illuminants did not exhibit this preference. Bees also switched between illuminants less than expected by chance. This means that bees prefer illumination conditions with which they are familiar, and in which rewarding flower colours are easily distinguishable from unrewarding ones. Under patchy illumination, colour discrimination performance was substantially poorer than in homogenous light. The bees' abilities at coping with patchy light may therefore impact on foraging behaviour in the wild, particularly in woodlands, where illumination can change over short spatial scales.
Divergence of desiccation-related traits in two Drosophila species of the takahashii subgroup from the western Himalayas
Authors: Parkash Ravi , Ramniwas Seema , Kajla Babita , Aggarwal Dau Dayal
Published: June 2012

Drosophila nepalensis is more abundant under colder and drier montane habitats in the western Himalayas compared with Drosophila takahashii, but the mechanistic basis of such a climatic adaptation is largely unknown. We tested the hypothesis that divergence in the physiological basis of desiccation-related traits is consistent with species-specific adaptations to climatic conditions. Drosophila nepalensis showed approximately twofold higher desiccation resistance, hemolymph content as well as carbohydrate content than D. takahashii despite a modest difference in rate of water loss (0.3% h–1). Water loss before succumbing to death (dehydration tolerance) was much higher in D. nepalensis (82.32%) than in D. takahashii (∼50%). A greater loss of hemolymph water under desiccation stress until death is associated with higher desiccation resistance in D. nepalensis. In both species, carbohydrates were utilized under desiccation stress, but a higher level of stored carbohydrates was evident in D. nepalensis. Further, we found increased desiccation resistance in D. nepalensis through acclimation whereas D. takahashii lacked such a response. Thus, species-specific divergence in water-balance-related traits in these species is consistent with their adaptations to wet and dry habitats.
Differential effects of chronic hypoxia and feed restriction on the expression of leptin and its receptor, food intake regulation and the endocrine stress response in common carp
Authors: Bernier Nicholas J. , Gorissen Marnix , Flik Gert
Published: June 2012

Appetite suppression is a common response to hypoxia in fish that confers significant energy savings. Yet little is known about the endocrine signals involved in the regulation of food intake during chronic hypoxia. Thus, we assessed the impact of chronic hypoxia on food intake, the expression of the potent anorexigenic signal leptin and its receptor (lepr), the mRNA levels of key hypothalamic appetite-regulating genes, and the activity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–interrenal (HPI) axis in common carp, Cyprinus carpio. Fish exposed to 10% O2 saturation for 8 days were chronically anorexic and consumed on average 79% less food than normoxic controls. Hypoxia also elicited gradual and parallel increases in the expression of liver leptin-a-I, leptin-a-II, lepr and erythropoietin, a known hypoxia-responsive gene. In contrast, the liver mRNA levels of all four genes remained unchanged in normoxic fish pair-fed to the hypoxia treatment. In the hypothalamus, expression of the appetite-regulating genes were consistent with an inhibition and stimulation of hunger in the hypoxic and pair-fed fish, respectively, and reduced feed intake led to a decrease in lepr. Although both treatments elicited similar delayed increases in plasma cortisol, they were characterized by distinct HPI axis effector transcript levels and a marked differential increase in pituitary lepr expression. Together, these results show that a reduction in O2 availability, and not feed intake, stimulates liver leptin-a expression in common carp and suggest that this pleiotropic cytokine is involved in the regulation of appetite and the endocrine stress response during chronic hypoxia.
Further insight into the sound-producing mechanism of clownfishes: what structure is involved in sound radiation?
Authors: Colleye Orphal , Nakamura Masaru , Frédérich Bruno , Parmentier Eric
Published: June 2012

It was recently demonstrated that clownfishes produce aggressive sounds by snapping their jaw teeth. To date, only the onset of the sound has been studied, which raises the question, what structure is involved in sound radiation? Here, a combination of different approaches has been used to determine the anatomical structure(s) responsible for the size-related variations observed in sound duration and frequency. Filling the swimbladder with physiological liquid specifically modified size-related acoustic features by inducing a significant decrease in pulse duration of approximately 3 ms and a significant increase in dominant frequency of approximately 105 Hz. However, testing the acoustics of the swimbladder by striking it with a piezoelectric impact hammer showed that this structure is a highly damped sound source prevented from prolonged vibrations. In contrast, the resonant properties of the rib cage seems to account for the size-related variations observed in acoustic features. For an equivalent strike on the rib cage, the duration and dominant frequency of induced sounds changed with fish size: sound duration and dominant frequency were positively and negatively correlated with fish size, respectively. Such relationships between sonic features and fish size are consistent with those observed in natural sounds emitted by fish. Therefore, the swimbladder itself does not act as a resonator; its wall just seems to be driven by the oscillations of the rib cage. This set of observations suggests the need for reassessment of the acoustic role of swimbladders in various fish species.
Differences in critical thermal maxima and mortality across life stages of the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor
Authors: Vorhees Ashley S. , Bradley Timothy J.
Published: June 2012

Thermal limits to activity profoundly affect the abundance and distribution of ectothermic animals. Upper thermal limits to activity are typically reported as the critical thermal maximum (CTmax), the temperature at which activity becomes uncontrolled. Thermolimit respirometry is a new technique that allows CTmax to be quantified in small animals, such as insects, as the point of spiracular failure by measuring CO2 release from the animal as temperature increases. Although prior studies have reported a characteristic pattern of CO2 release for insects during thermolimit respirometry trials, no studies have been carried out to determine the universality of this pattern across development, or at what point death occurs along this pattern. Here, we compared the CTmax and patterns of CO2 release among three life stages of a beetle species, Tenebrio molitor, and mapped heat death onto these patterns. Our study is the first to report distinct patterns of CO2 release in different life stages of an insect species during thermolimit respirometry. Our results show that CTmax was significantly higher in adult beetles than in either larvae or pupae (P<0.001) and, similarly, death occurred at higher temperatures in adults than in larvae and pupae. We also found that death during heating closely follows CTmax in these animals, which confirms that measuring the loss of spiracular control with thermolimit respirometry successfully identifies the point of physiological limitation during heat stress.
Maturity Assessment of Severely Biodegraded Marine Oils from the Halahatang Depression in Tarim Basin
Authors: Chang Xiangchun , Wang Tieguan , Li Qiming , Cheng Bin , Zhang Liping
Published: June 2012

Seventeen Ordovician oil samples from Halahatang Depression are investigated for their thermal maturation. On the basis of GC analysis of the alkane fraction as well as GC-MS analysis of the demethylated hopanes, it is assumed that the oils are mixtures of severely biodegraded and nonbiodegraded oils. Therefore, their maturation is assessed on the basis of the distribution and abundance of compounds strongly resistant to biodegradation. The P1 together with the P2 values of C7 light hydrocarbons suggest that the late filled nonbiodegraded oils for Halahatang are super mature. Triterpane and sterane isomerization maturation parameters indicate they barely reached the peak oil generation stage, consistent with the results obtained from the equivalent vitrinite reflectance Rc1 (0.80–0.95%), while the Rc2 (1.28–1.60%) delineate a high maturity of Halahatang oils. However these conventional triterpane and sterane isomerization maturation parameters gave only general information and a comparatively narrow range of maturity. Correlation between the maturation parameters of Pr/nC17 and Ph/nC18, Ts/(Ts + Tm) and C29Ts/(C29Ts + C29H), MPI1 and MPI3, 4-/1-MDBT and 4, 6-/1,4-DMDBT are rather good, confirming the validity to assess and differentiate the maturity of the severely biodegraded oils examined, with the exception of naphthalene maturation parameters(DNR1 and TNR2). According to the maturation classification assembled with selected effective maturity parameters, such as the MPI3 together with the corresponding [P], the thermal maturities of Halahatang oils are moderate, while Ts/(Ts + Tm) together with 4-/1-MDBT demonstrate a moderate-high maturity.
Utilizing Solar Energy Instead of Fossil Fuels as Domestic Energy (Case Study: Dehloran City, Ilam Province, Iran)
Authors: Hosseini Afshar Ali , Hosseini Seyyed Hossein
Published: June 2012

Solar energy is the cleanest and the most environmental friendly available power source. The use of solar energy in the recent years has reached a remarkable edge. Solar energy collectors are special kinds of heat exchangers that transform solar radiation energy to internal energy of the transport medium. The main objective of this work is evaluation of the advantages of the solar energy for securing domestic energy in the city of Dehloran, Ilam province, Iran. The mean ambient temperature of this region in the summer and winter are in the range of 28–48.9°C and 16.4–24.9°C, respectively. Because of its sunny sky almost throughout the year, the temperature of this city is high. The results showed that by considering the specific condition of Dehloran city, utilizing solar collectors is useful for securing domestic energy in economical aspects.
Well Log Denoising and Geological Enhancement Based on Discrete Wavelet Transform and Hybrid Thresholding
Authors: Honório Bruno C. Z. , Drummond Rodrigo D. , Vidal Alexandre C. , Sanchetta Alexandre C. , Leite Emilson P.
Published: June 2012

Well logging is an important tool for the characterization of subsurface rocks, being commonly used in the study of reservoir geology. It is well known that signals obtained as responses from geological media contain noise that can affect their interpretation, and that wavelet transform is more suitable than the Fourier transform to denoise non-stationary signals, as the ones obtained from well logs. On the other hand, there are several parameters that must be considered when working with wavelet transform, such as the choice of the wavelet basis function (mother wavelet), the decomposition level and also the function and rules that “control” which and how the coefficients will be used for signal reconstruction. This study analyzes the process of denoising well log data by discrete wavelet transform. Since the well log data are usually used in lithological classification, we propose a method associated with the k-nearest neighbor classification algorithm to investigate how different combinations of parameters affect the output signals and its performance in the classification, thus making it a data driven process. We propose a new thresholding function that shows better results when compared with traditional ones. The potential of wavelet transform as a tool to aid geological interpretation is evidenced by the identification of important geological features of the Namorado Field, Campos Basin, Brazil.
Coal Consumption and Economic Growth Revisited: Structural Breaks, Cointegration and Causality Tests for Pakistan
Authors: Kumar Saten , Shahbaz Muhammad
Published: June 2012

A global profusion of coal provides many countries with opportunities for economic growth. The direction of causality between coal consumption and economic growth is useful for policy making, however, existing empirical evidence have failed to reach a consensus. This paper examined the liaison between coal consumption and economic growth for Pakistan over the period 1971–2009. The endogenous two-break LM unit root test, derived in Lee and Strazicich (2003), is used to assess the order of integration of the variables and structural breaks in the data series. Application of the autoregressive distributed lag ( ARDL) bounds test reveals a cointegrating relationship between real income, real capital stock, labour and coal consumption, and further application of general to specific ( GETS), Engle and Granger ( EG), Stock Watson's dynamic ordinary least squares ( DOLS) and Phillip Hansen's fully modified ordinary least squares ( FMOLS) methods show statistical robustness of the estimates. The elasticity with respect to coal consumption is positive and significant. The vector error correction model ( VECM) based Granger causality test and innovative accounting procedures (variance decomposition and impulse response functions) are also applied.
Bioresorbable Plates and Screws for Clinical Applications: A Review
Authors: Pina Sandra , Ferreira José M. F.
Published: June 2012

Bioresorbable implants are being widely used for fracture fixation in orthopaedic surgery and the market is expanding rapidly worldwide. Bioresorbable materials slowly dissolve in the human body, such that a second operation to remove the synthetic material is not needed. Bioresorbable implants have expanded the armamentarium of the surgeon, especially in the field of sports medicine. Interference screws, plates, pins, suture anchors, meniscal repair implants, and simple fracture fixation implants are the most commonly used resorbable implants for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, shoulder surgery, meniscal repair, and fracture care. However, many clinicians continue to rely on metal fixation, mainly due to the high mechanical strength and to the complications reported with some of the available resorbable implant materials. The goal of the present paper is to present an overview on the available resorbable materials and their applications with a particular focus on new developments and trends in the field.
Tool Sequence Trends in Minimally Invasive Surgery: Statistical Analysis and Implications for Predictive Control of Multifunction Instruments
Authors: Nelson Carl A. , Luxon Evan , Oleynikov Dmitry
Published: June 2012

This paper presents an analysis of 67 minimally invasive surgical procedures covering 11 different procedure types to determine patterns of tool use. A new graph‐theoretic approach was taken to organize and analyze the data. Through grouping surgeries by type, trends of common tool changes were identified. Using the concept of signal/noise ratio, these trends were found to be statistically strong. The tool‐use trends were used to generate tool placement patterns for modular (multi‐tool, cartridge‐type) surgical tool systems, and the same 67 surgeries were numerically simulated to determine the optimality of these tool arrangements. The results indicate that aggregated tool‐use data (by procedure type) can be employed to predict tool‐use sequences with good accuracy, and also indicate the potential for artificial intelligence as a means of preoperative and/or intraoperative planning. Furthermore, this suggests that the use of multifunction surgical tools can be optimized to streamline surgical workflow.
Corporate Strategy, Analyst Coverage, and the Uniqueness Paradox
Authors: Litov Lubomir P. , Moreton Patrick , Zenger Todd R.
Published: June 2012

In this paper, we argue that managers confront a paradox in selecting strategy. On one hand, capital markets systematically discount uniqueness in the strategy choices of firms. Uniqueness in strategy heightens the cost of collecting and analyzing information to evaluate a firm's future value. These greater costs in strategy evaluation discourage the collection and analysis of information regarding the firm, and result in a valuation discount. On the other hand, uniqueness in strategy is a necessary condition for creating economic rents and should, except for this information cost, be positively associated with firm value. We find empirical support for both propositions using a novel measure of strategy uniqueness in a firm panel data set between 1985 and 2007.

This paper was accepted by Bruno Cassiman, business strategy.
Empirical Investigation of Retail Expansion and Cannibalization in a Dynamic Environment
Authors: Pancras Joseph , Sriram S. , Kumar V.
Published: June 2012

Managers of retail chains who seek to add new stores or close existing ones need to know the net impact of a store's opening/closure on the overall chain performance. This requires inferring the extent to which each store generates incremental sales as opposed to competing with other stores belonging to the chain for the same set of customers. However, when the chain is experiencing a growth or a decline in sales, not accounting for these dynamics in goodwill is likely to yield misleading estimates of incremental sales versus cannibalization. Moreover, firms might have been strategic in opening outlets in locations with favorable characteristics. We need to control for this location endogeneity while inferring the marginal effect of store opening/closure. In this paper, we develop a demand model that accounts for dynamics in goodwill, location endogeneity, and spatial competition between geographically proximate retail outlets. We calibrate the model parameters on both attitudinal and behavioral data for a fast food chain in a large U.S. city. The results imply that consumers perceive a travel cost of $0.60 per mile. As regards the composition of sales at individual stores, on average, 86.7% of sales constitute incremental purchases with the rest derived from cannibalized sales from nearby stores belonging to the chain. We also find significant decay in cannibalization with distance such that when the distance between stores increases by one mile, the sales lost due to cannibalization decreases by 28.1%; there is virtually no cannibalization at a distance of 10 miles. In terms of managerial applications, we discuss how managers can use the model presented in this paper to make two key decisions: (a) isolating locations that can be closed by identifying stores that yield the lowest marginal benefit to the chain and (b) dealing with franchisees' potential concerns about cannibalization.

This paper was accepted by Preyas Desai, marketing.
Continuity and change in mass-mediated crime coverage: Content analyses of newspapers, television and web media
Authors: Lund Anker Brink , Jensen Henrik
Published: June 2012

This article maps the development of the crime coverage in Danish mass media from 2002 to 2008. Fictional entertainment programmes as well as factual news representations have been systematically studied. Empirical data include samples from newspapers, television and web media. We find
that editorial differentiation has increased in competing newspapers and television channels. Web media, on the other hand, show no signs of such segmentation. On the contrary, we detect a high degree of similarity between online crime presentations across the board. In terms of fiction, the
traditional detective stories still prevail on public service television, while forensics-driven crime series of the CSI type are increasing their relative share of commercial TV channels. We claim that these aspects of continuity and change may be interpreted as a domestication of the so-called
CSI effect, and discuss how fictional crime mediation influences factual reporting and vice versa.
Mediatization and mothers accused of murder in Sophie Hannah’s crime novel A Room Swept White
Authors: Beyer Charlotte
Published: June 2012

This article explores representations of media reporting and cot death in the British writer Sophie Hannah’s recent crime novel A Room Swept White. The article argues that Hannah’s novel interrogates the mediatization of cot death and maternal identity, in order to probe
notions of gender and power. Hannah’s representations are closely linked to the figure of the female detective, whose own identity is challenged by what she discovers during the course of her investigation. Recent media coverage of cot death, and mothers accused of infanticide, suggests
that this controversial subject is capable of provoking a re-evaluation of conventional constructions of motherhood. The article concludes that the complex relationship between the mediatization of cot death, maternal identity and the probing of crime in Hannah’s novel allows the reader
to reassess the role of the female investigator and the nature of authority.
Water-assisted Flow of Heavy Oil in a Vertical Pipe: Pilot-scale Experiments
Authors: Bannwart Antonio C. , Rodriguez Oscar M. H. , Biazussi Jorge L. , Martins Fabio N. , Selli Marcelo F. , de Carvalho Carlos H. M.
Published: June 2012

The use of the core-annular flow pattern, where a thin fluid surrounds a very viscous one, has been suggested as an attractive artificial-lift method for heavy oils in the current Brazilian ultra-deepwater production scenario. This paper reports the pressure drop measurements and the core-annular flow observed in a 2 7/8-inch and 300 meter deep pilot-scale well conveying a mixture of heavy crude oil (2000 mPa.s and 950 kg/m3 at 35 C) and water at several combinations of the individual flow rates. The two-phase pressure drop data are compared with those of single-phase oil flow to assess the gains due to water injection. Another issue is the handling of the core-annular flow once it has been established. High-frequency pressure-gradient signals were collected and a treatment based on the Gabor transform together with neural networks is proposed as a promising solution for monitoring and control. The preliminary results are encouraging. The pilot-scale tests, including long-term experiments, were conducted in order to investigate the applicability of using water to transport heavy oils in actual wells. It represents an important step towards the full scale application of the proposed artificial-lift technology. The registered improvements in terms of oil production rate and pressure drop reductions are remarkable.
A Numerical and Experimental Survey of a Liquid-Liquid Axial Cyclone
Authors: van Campen Laurens , Mudde Robert Frank , Slot Jesse , Hoeijmakers Harry
Published: June 2012

An inline oil/water separator based on an axial cyclone is studied numerically and experimentally. Single phase measurements were done with LDA and compared with numerical data, obtained with Reynolds avaraged Navier-Stokes equations with the Reynolds-stress model SSG. Results show an annular region with reversed axial flow and declining rotation due to friction at the wall, giving a qualitative agreement between numerical and experimental data. A method is introduced to determine the phase distribution inside a liquid-liquid axial cyclone, based on electric conductivity. Preliminary results indicate a time-dependent oil-rich kernel. Presented results for the separation efficiency of the tested axial cyclone indicate the need for better understanding of swirling flow.
The Bottle and The Border: What Can America's Failed Experiment With Alcohol Prohibition in The 1920s Teach us About The Likely Effects of Anti-Immigration Legislation Today?
Authors: Caves Kevin
Published: June 2012

Alcohol prohibition is now distant memory, although it’s direct descendant—the War on Drugs, first declared by Richard Nixon in the early 1970s—appears to have inherited many of the ugly features of its predecessor. Economists, policymakers, and others (filmmakers, journalists, etc.) have taken note of the obvious parallels and called for reform. Yet there exists another clear historical parallel that seems to have been overlooked in the public imagination: Our political system remains fixated on what amounts to a de facto prohibition on economically realistic levels of immigration.
Study on Chemical Constituents and Antioxidant Activity of Anthocyanins from Purple Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.)
Authors: Jiao Yuzhi , Yang Zhendong , Jiang Yingjie , Zhai Weiwei
Published: June 2012

The radical scavenging effects by α,α-Diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide anions of anthocyanin extract from purple sweet potato were investigated. The antioxidation experiments showed that the reducing power of the anthocyanin extract reduced 0.572 at 0.5 mg/ml, while those of L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) reduced 0.460 and 0.121, respectively. They also displayed potent antioxidant effects against the DPPH radical and superoxide anions radical, showing the IC50 values of 6.94 and 3.68 µg/ml, respectively. Moreover, this anthocyanin extract also could significantly inhibit the formation of lipid peroxidation compound. Sixteen kinds of anthocyanins in purple sweet potato were detected by HPLC-DAD, most of the anthocyanins were acylated.
Timing of Retirement Plan Contributions and Investment Returns: The Case of Defined Benefit versus Defined Contribution
Authors: Dvorak Tomas
Published: June 2012

This paper examines the impact of the timing of contributions to defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) plans on investment returns. I show that net contributions to DB plans are counter-cyclical, while net contributions to DC plans are uncorrelated with the business cycle. Given the past mean reversion in equity prices, the counter-cyclicality of net contributions to DB plans means that dollar-weighted returns on DB plans are higher than the geometric average of annual returns. Therefore, using dollar-weighted returns as a measure of investment performance, the advantage of DB plans over DC plans is greater than using geometric average returns. Overall, I find that dollar-weighted returns on DB plans are more than one percentage point higher than that on DC plans.
Trends of body composition among adolescents according to maturation stage and body mass index
Authors: Castilho Silvia D. , Bento Caroline A. , Pinheiro Caroline D. , Barros-Filho Antônio A. , Cocetti Monize
Published: June 2012

Background: Excessive increases in percentage body fat (%BF) according to sex may pose greater risks of chronic diseases.

Objective: To evaluate trends of body composition according to sexual maturation stage and body mass index (BMI) of adolescents.

Method: Data about weight, height, lean mass, fat mass, %BF, BMI and sexual maturation of 1345 private school students (685 girls) aged from 7 to 18 years were collected in 2001 and compared with data of 1450 students (750 girls) collected in 2010 in Campinas, Brazil. χ2-test, ANOVA and logistic regression were used for statistical analyses (p<0.05).

Results: Obesity prevalence increased, and number of boys and girls with normal BMI (p=0.0183 and p=0.0041) decreased. Differences in the median values of the study variables according to time point and nutritional diagnosis were not significant, except for lean mass (p=0.0484) and height (p=0.0275) in B2 (Breast stage) and %BF (p=0.0324) in G5 (Genitalia stage).

Conclusion: Body composition did not change significantly, although overweight increased.
Das Gebot der Nächstenliebe in seinem Kontext (Lev 19,17–18): Lieben ohne Falschheit
Authors: Schenker Adrian
Published: June 2012

Lev 19,18.34 contain the Lord’s commandment to love one’s neighbour and the foreigner »as yourself/he is like you«. In the history of interpretation most often the context was not taken into account. Rather, the explanations concentrated their attention on the meaning of the expressions »neighbour, foreigner« and »as yourself/he is like you«. The context of Lev 19,11–18 is about deceitful vengeance, that of Lev 19,33–34 about brute force against the defenceless. In this light the comparison »to love as yourself« means the impossibility to deceive one-self by cunning or to exploit one-self.

Lev 19,18.34 donnent le commandement de Yhwh d’aimer le prochain et l’étranger »comme toi-même/il est comme toi«. L’histoire de l’interprétation montre que celle-ci n’a pas souvent tenu compte du contexte. Elle s’est plutôt concentrée sur la signification des expressions »prochain, étranger«, »comme toi-même/il est comme toi«. Le contexte de Lev 19,11–18 traite de la vengeance sournoise, celui de 19,33–34 de la brutalité du plus fort. Dans cette lumière la comparaison »aimer comme toi-même« signifie l’impossibilité d’ourdir un complot contre soi-même ou de s’exploiter soi-même.

Lev 19,18.34 enthalten das Gebot Jhwhs, den Nächsten und den Fremden zu lieben »wie dich/er ist wie du«. Die Interpretationsgeschichte zeigt, dass die Deutung den Kontext meistens ausgeblendet und sich auf die Bestimmung von »Nächster, Fremder« und »wie dich/er ist wie du« konzentriert hat. Der Kontext Lev 19,11–18 handelt von arglistiger Rache, Lev 19,33–34 von Brutalität des Stärkeren. In diesem Licht bedeutet der Vergleich »lieben wie dich« die Unmöglichkeit, sich selbst zu hintergehen oder auszubeuten.
American Processed Kosher
Authors: yoskowitz jeffrey
Published: June 2012

As America's food system became increasingly industrialized in the twentieth century, it became increasingly difficult for the Jewish community to regulate the foods it ate to comply with kosher law. As American Jews strayed from religious lives, major Orthodox Jewish organizations sought to win back adherents by adapting the ancient ritual of Jewish dietary law to the most complex, modern processing techniques. The result was an elaborate third-party certification system, the first of its kind, which is now the backbone of a billion-dollar industry that thrives today. Within a short span of time, major food corporations were printing kosher certification labels on their packages. Today, two-fifths of food sold in the supermarket come kosher certified. How Jews eat—purchasing packaged products with kosher seals of approval—has fundamentally transformed from the immigrant days on the Lower East Side and the shtetls of Eastern Europe. Consequently, kosher food has become overly reliant on large-scale food production. Small efforts to further adapt the kosher industry to small-scale production and fair-labor rights are underway, though a long way off.
Sahadi's: A Family Affair
Authors: leahey jason
Published: June 2012

This story details the history, wares, and business philosophy of the Sahadi Importing Company, a third-generation Lebanese-American family food business in Brooklyn. It begins by noting the ways Brooklyn's commercial and cultural landscapes have drastically changed over the past few years, positioning Sahadi's as a local throwback to the borough of yore still thriving next to the powerful and national businesses that are now its neighbors. It then relates the history of the store and the family, starting in 1895 up until 2012, relating the growth from small ethnic importer on the Lower East Side of Manhattan to the successful importer/manufacturer with a broad customer base that it is today. The essay attributes credit for the health of the business to the owner's emphasis on the personal touch in customer service, noting that he considers his business’ character as a family institution, not its financial success, his proudest accomplishment. Lastly, the essay relates the owner's pride in having an ethnically diverse staff and his belief that the people who comprise a family need not necessarily be related by blood, positing that Sahadi's family business may more accurately be considered business-as-family, and that such a warm attitude that emphasizes the individual is a small taste of the locally oriented America of the past.
Music as an Aid to Learn New Verbal Information in Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Moussard Aline , Bigand Emmanuel , Belleville Sylvie , Peretz Isabelle
Published: June 2012

the goal of this study is to assess whether new lyrics are better learned and memorized when presented in a spoken or sung form. In normal young adults, mixed results have been reported, with studies showing a positive, a negative, or a null effect of singing on verbal recall. Several factors can account for this limited aid of music. First, the familiarity of the melody might play a role. Second, successive learning sessions and long-term retention intervals may be necessary. These two factors are considered here in a case study of a participant who suffers from mild Alzheimer's disease. As expected, initial learning of new lyrics showed better performance for the spoken condition over the sung version unless the lyrics are learned on a familiar melody. After repeated learning episodes, learning sung lyrics – even on an unfamiliar melody – led to better retention of words. Thus, music may provide a more robust aid for consolidation in memory than spoken lyrics alone. The therapeutic implications of these results are discussed.
Early and late mortality of patients with community acquired pneumonia
Authors: Losonczy György
Published: June 2012

Community acquired pneumonia is the most frequent infective cause of severe sepsis and death. The risk of mortality in community acquired pneumonia is predictable by the ”pneumonia severity index” and various biomarkers (e.g., procalcitonin, troponin-I). Quantitative testing of pneumococcal load (DNA) in blood has also become possible recently. Early death due to acute myocardial infarction is more frequent among patients with previous community acquired pneumonia. The 1-year and the 5–6 year survival is shorter among these patients. Pro-inflammatory cytokines synthesized during community acquired pneumonia accelerate chronic inflammation ongoing in atherosclerotic plaques. The pro-thrombotic condition present in atherosclerosis is also potentiated by community acquired pneumonia. These pathophysiological mechanisms may explain the epidemiologic fact that community acquired pneumonia is an independent risk factor of cardiovascular mortality. Orv. Hetil., 2012, 153, 884–890.
Personalized treatment in non-small cell lung cancer: from diagnostics to therapy
Authors: Moldvay Judit
Published: June 2012

Molecular targeted treatment, with broadening opportunities, plays an important role in the management of lung cancer patients, which renders molecular mapping of the tumor tissue crucial. In case of cytotoxic chemotherapy, there is no patient selection according to tissue biomarkers; however, there are expanding results that might help oncologists to use personalized chemotherapy in the near future. This may be of great importance when patients’ age, performance status and/or co-morbidity make the applicability of chemotherapy uncertain. Nowadays, molecular targeted treatment gives hope mainly for patients with adenocarcinoma; however, promising therapeutic targets have already been outlined due to intensive research. In these days, we are experiencing a turbulent era of onco-pulmonology, which – despite all difficulties – gives hope for both patients and clinicians. Orv. Hetil., 2012, 153, 909–916.
Secular Buddhist Lineages
Authors: Deeg Max
Published: June 2012

Although the Buddhists, according to the logic of the life-story of the Buddha, could not claim a direct lineage of descent from the Exalted One himself—his only direct offspring, Rahula, having become a celibate monk—the family background of the Buddha could not escape the general temptation to create a family connection, as in the case of other important religious or cultural founding figures. This paper traces and discusses these attempts, expressed in and transformed into narratives, which are spread across a broad variety of Buddhist sources. It argues that the urge to create such (mostly incomplete) lineages resulted from another necessity: that of political and religious legitimation.
The Female Past in Early Indian Buddhism
Authors: Collett Alice
Published: June 2012

The Apadana is a well-known but relatively little-studied text. The Theri-Apadana, the section of the text on women, tells of the lives of female disciples of Gotama Buddha. Alongside versified narrative accounts of the lives of these women during the time of Gotama Buddha, the text reveals the past lives of these women, under former buddhas. These past-life accounts of women as disciples of former buddhas add a new dimension to the notion of female discipleship in early Buddhism. Gotama was not alone in having a fourfold community of monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen; former buddhas had the same. The Theri-Apadana establishes a narrative recounting that women were motivated and enabled to practise in the remote past, and that former buddhas allowed for the ordination of women just as Gotama did. In order to highlight this, in this paper I look at a section of past life narrative in the Theri-Apadana that is repeated in the accounts of six nuns.
In the Name of the Fathers
Authors: Lefévre Corinne
Published: June 2012

Genealogy has always been a kingly preoccupation, especially in the Indic world where ksatriya status (whether genuine or fabricated) was a sine qua non for the exercise of legitimate power. It was no less true of the Turco-Mongol dynasty known as ‘Mughal’ which came to dominate vast expanses of the subcontinent from the sixteenth century onwards. True, the Mughals could boast of such illustrious ancestors as the world-conquerors Chingiz Khan and Timur. Yet, from the moment they set foot in India, they became aware of the limited legitimacy they would be able to derive from such genealogical credentials in a region where neither Chingiz Khan and his successors nor Timur had left very good memories. On the other hand, their descent from such famous figures constituted a real asset vis-à-vis their Ottoman, Safavid and Uzbek competitors and among the Turco-Mongol and Iranian elements of their nobility. The fact that the Mughals could afford neither to alienate their Indian subjects nor to dispense with the international prestige they derived from their lineage explains to a large extent the fluctuating genealogical strategies they adopted during the first century or so of their dominance.
On the Evolution of Genealogical Narratives in the Western Himalayas
Authors: Moran Arik
Published: June 2012

How do genealogical accounts in sparsely literate regions come into being, and what forms do they take? What are the factors that help sustain their appeal over centuries of oral transmission? Finally, what happens to their content when the story is committed to writing? This article addresses these questions by examining the evolutionary stages of a martial-historic oral epic from the western Himalayas. In looking into the details of the events that brought a local lineage to dominance, it delineates the multiple strands of bardic composition—acculturative, sociological and mythic—that address social, political and religious issues of relevance to its audience so as to produce an account of the past that is both credible and efficient as a tool for legitimating political dominance. Although largely faithful to the oral tradition, the story’s transition to script is shown to produce changes that affect its historicity and its capacity to deliver a persuasive explanation of the past.
Elk migration patterns and human activity influence wolf habitat use in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Authors: Nelson Abigail A. , Kauffman Matthew J. , Middleton Arthur D. , Jimenez Michael D. , McWhirter Douglas E. , Barber Jarrett , Gerow Kenneth
Published: June 2012

Identifying the ecological dynamics underlying human–wildlife conflicts is important for the management and conservation of wildlife populations. In landscapes still occupied by large carnivores, many ungulate prey species migrate seasonally, yet little empirical research has explored the relationship between carnivore distribution and ungulate migration strategy. In this study, we evaluate the influence of elk (Cervus elaphus) distribution and other landscape features on wolf (Canis lupus) habitat use in an area of chronic wolf–livestock conflict in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, USA. Using three years of fine‐scale wolf (n = 14) and elk (n = 81) movement data, we compared the seasonal habitat use of wolves in an area dominated by migratory elk with that of wolves in an adjacent area dominated by resident elk. Most migratory elk vacate the associated winter wolf territories each summer via a 40–60 km migration, whereas resident elk remain accessible to wolves year‐round. We used a generalized linear model to compare the relative probability of wolf use as a function of GIS‐based habitat covariates in the migratory and resident elk areas. Although wolves in both areas used elk‐rich habitat all year, elk density in summer had a weaker influence on the habitat use of wolves in the migratory elk area than the resident elk area. Wolves employed a number of alternative strategies to cope with the departure of migratory elk. Wolves in the two areas also differed in their disposition toward roads. In winter, wolves in the migratory elk area used habitat close to roads, while wolves in the resident elk area avoided roads. In summer, wolves in the migratory elk area were indifferent to roads, while wolves in resident elk areas strongly avoided roads, presumably due to the location of dens and summering elk combined with different traffic levels. Study results can help wildlife managers to anticipate the movements and establishment of wolf packs as they expand into areas with migratory or resident prey populations, varying levels of human activity, and front‐country rangelands with potential for conflicts with livestock.