bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Review of Current Issues in State-of-Art of Wind Farm Overvoltage Protection
Authors: Sarajčev Petar , Goić Ranko
Published: April 2011

This paper elaborates on several important outstanding issues in the state-of-art of overvoltage protection selection for modern wind farms. The lack of experience with this still-new technology, together with the inherent complexity of wind farm electrical systems, entails several unresolved issues pertinent to the topic of overvoltage protection, particularly in relation to lightning-initiated surges. Firstly, several aspects of the wind turbine lightning incidence, along with the issues related to the selection of lightning current parameters (pertinent to the wind farm overvoltage protection), are addressed in this paper. Secondly, several issues in the state-of-art models of the wind farm electrical systems—for the lightning surge analysis—are addressed and discussed. Here, a well-known ElectroMagnetic Transients Program (EMTP) software package is often employed, with all of its benefits and some limitations. Thirdly, the metal-oxide surge arrester energy capability and the issues related to the selection of the surge arrester rated energy—in relation to the direct lightning strikes to wind turbines—is addressed. Finally, some general considerations concerning the overvoltage protection selection for wind farm projects, particularly regarding the installation of the metal-oxide surge arresters, are provided as well.
Malnutrition and Gastrointestinal and Respiratory Infections in Children: A Public Health Problem
Authors: Rodríguez Leonor , Cervantes Elsa , Ortiz Rocío
Published: April 2011

Infectious disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, particularly in children. Increasing evidence suggests that protein-calorie malnutrition is the underlying reason for the increased susceptibility to infections observed in these areas. Moreover, certain infectious diseases also cause malnutrition, which can result in a vicious cycle. Malnutrition and bacterial gastrointestinal and respiratory infections represent a serious public health problem. The increased incidence and severity of infections in malnourished children is largely due to the deterioration of immune function; limited production and/or diminished functional capacity of all cellular components of the immune system have been reported in malnutrition. In this review, we analyze the cyclical relationship between malnutrition, immune response dysfunction, increased susceptibility to infectious disease, and metabolic responses that further alter nutritional status. The consequences of malnutrition are diverse and included: increased susceptibility to infection, impaired child development, increased mortality rate and individuals who come to function in suboptimal ways.
Effect of Temperature on the Physico-Chemical Properties of a Room Temperature Ionic Liquid (1-Methyl-3-pentylimidazolium Hexafluorophosphate) with Polyethylene Glycol Oligomer
Authors: Wu Tzi-Yi , Chen Bor-Kuan , Hao Lin , Peng Yu-Chun , Sun I-Wen
Published: April 2011

A systematic study of the effect of composition on the thermo-physical properties of the binary mixtures of 1-methyl-3-pentyl imidazolium hexafluorophosphate [MPI][PF6] with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) [Mw = 400] is presented. The excess molar volume, refractive index deviation, viscosity deviation, and surface tension deviation values were calculated from these experimental density, ρ, refractive index, n, viscosity, η, and surface tension, γ, over the whole concentration range, respectively. The excess molar volumes are negative and continue to become increasingly negative with increasing temperature; whereas the viscosity and surface tension deviation are negative and become less negative with increasing temperature. The surface thermodynamic functions, such as surface entropy, enthalpy, as well as standard molar entropy, Parachor, and molar enthalpy of vaporization for pure ionic liquid, have been derived from the temperature dependence of the surface tension values.
Antioxidant Effects of the Ethanol Extract from Flower of Camellia japonica via Scavenging of Reactive Oxygen Species and Induction of Antioxidant Enzymes
Authors: Piao Mei Jing , Yoo Eun Sook , Koh Young Sang , Kang Hee Kyoung , Kim Junoh , Kim Yong Jin , Kang Hak Hee , Hyun Jin Won
Published: April 2011

The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant properties of the ethanol extract of the flower of Camellia japonica (Camellia extract). Camellia extract exhibited 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activity in human HaCaT keratinocytes. In addition, Camellia extract scavenged superoxide anion generated by xanthine/xanthine oxidase and hydroxyl radical generated by the Fenton reaction (FeSO4 + H2O2) in a cell-free system, which was detected by electron spin resonance spectrometry. Furthermore, Camellia extract increased the protein expressions and activity of cellular antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase. These results suggest that Camellia extract exhibits antioxidant properties by scavenging ROS and enhancing antioxidant enzymes. Camellia extract contained quercetin, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercitrin and kaempferol, which are antioxidant compounds.
Biodegradable and Biocompatible Biomaterial, Polyhydroxybutyrate, Produced by an Indigenous Vibrio sp. BM-1 Isolated from Marine Environment
Authors: Wei Yu-Hong , Chen Wei-Chuan , Wu Ho-Shing , Janarthanan Om-Murugan
Published: April 2011

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is one of the polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) which has biodegradable and biocompatible properties. They are adopted in the biomedical field, in, for example, medical implants and drug delivery carriers. This study seeks to promote the production of PHB by Vibrio sp. BM-1, isolated from a marine environment by improving constituents of medium and implementing an appropriate fermentation strategy. This study successfully developed a glycerol-yeast extract-tryptone (GYT) medium that can facilitate the growth of Vibrio sp. BM-1 and lead to the production of 1.4 g/L PHB at 20 h cultivation. This study also shows that 1.57 g/L PHB concentration and 16% PHB content were achieved, respectively, when Vibrio sp. BM-1 was cultivated with MS-GYT medium (mineral salts-supplemented GYT medium) for 12 h. Both cell dry weight (CDW) and residual CDW remained constant at around 8.2 g/L and 8.0 g/L after the 12 h of cultivation, until the end of the experiment. However, both 16% of PHB content and 1.57 g/L of PHB production decreased rapidly to 3% and 0.25 g/L, respectively from 12 h of cultivation to 40 h of cultivation. The results suggest that the secretion of PHB depolymerase that might be caused by the addition of mineral salts reduced PHB after 12 h of cultivation. However, work will be done to explain the effect of adding mineral salts on the production of PHB by Vibrio sp. BM-1 in the near future.
Kaempferol and Kaempferol Rhamnosides with Depigmenting and Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Authors: Rho Ho Sik , Ghimeray Amal Kumar , Yoo Dae Sung , Ahn Soo Mi , Kwon Sun Sang , Lee Keun Ha , Cho Dong Ha , Cho Jae Youl
Published: April 2011

The objective of this study was to examine the biological activity of kaempferol and its rhamnosides. We isolated kaempferol (1), a-rhamnoisorobin (2), afzelin (3), and kaempferitrin (4) as pure compounds by far-infrared (FIR) irradiation of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) leaves. The depigmenting and anti-inflammatory activity of the compounds was evaluated by analyzing their structure-activity relationships. The order of the inhibitory activity with regard to depigmentation and nitric oxide (NO) production was kaempferol (1) > a-rhamnoisorobin (2) > afzelin (3) > kaempferitrin (4). However, a-rhamnoisorobin (2) was more potent than kaempferol (1) in NF-kB-mediated luciferase assays. From these results, we conclude that the 3-hydroxyl group of kaempferol is an important pharmacophore and that additional rhamnose moieties affect the biological activity negatively.
Identification of Diterpenoid Alkaloids from the Roots of Aconitum kusnezoffii Reihcb.
Authors: Xu Ning , Zhao De-Feng , Liang Xin-Miao , Zhang Hua , Xiao Yuan-Sheng
Published: April 2011

Three diterpenoid alkaloids, including an unreported compound, were isolated from the roots of Aconitum kusnezoffii Reichb. On the basis of spectral analysis, these three compounds were determined to be 1,15-dimethoxy-3-hydroxy-14-benzoyl-16-ketoneoline, benzoylaconine and aconitine.
Simple and Efficient Synthesis of Racemic 2-(tert-Butoxycarbon-ylamino)-2-methyl-3-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propanoic Acid, a New Derivative of β-(1,2,4-Triazol-1-yl)alanine
Authors: Aouine Younas , Faraj Hassane , Alami Anouar , El-Hallaoui Abdelilah , Elachqar Abdelrhani , Kerbal Abdelali
Published: April 2011

A simple synthetic approach to racemic N-tert-butyloxycarbonyl-2-methyl-3-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)alanine (5) in four steps and 68% overall yield starting from oxazoline derivative 1 is reported. This synthesis involves the alkylation of 1H-1,2,4-triazole with an O-tosyloxazoline derivative, followed by an oxazoline ring-opening reaction and oxidation of the N-protected β‑aminoalcohol by potassium permanganate.
Human Folate Bioavailability
Authors: Ohrvik Veronica E. , Witthoft Cornelia M.
Published: April 2011

The vitamin folate is recognized as beneficial health-wise in the prevention of neural tube defects, anemia, cardiovascular diseases, poor cognitive performance, and some forms of cancer. However, suboptimal dietary folate intake has been reported in a number of countries. Several national health authorities have therefore introduced mandatory food fortification with synthetic folic acid, which is considered a convenient fortificant, being cost-efficient in production, more stable than natural food folate, and superior in terms of bioavailability and bioefficacy. Other countries have decided against fortification due to the ambiguous role of synthetic folic acid regarding promotion of subclinical cancers and other adverse health effects. This paper reviews recent studies on folate bioavailability after intervention with folate from food. Our conclusions were that limited folate bioavailability data are available for vegetables, fruits, cereal products, and fortified foods, and that it is difficult to evaluate the bioavailability of food folate or whether intervention with food folate improves folate status. We recommend revising the classical approach of using folic acid as a reference dose for estimating the plasma kinetics and relative bioavailability of food folate.
Synthesis of 5-(2-methoxy-1-naphthyl)- and 5-[2-(methoxymethyl)-1-naphthyl]-11H-benzo[b]fluorene as 2,2'-disubstituted 1,1'-binaphthyls via benzannulated enyne–allenes
Authors: Wang Yu-Hsuan , Bailey Joshua F , Petersen Jeffrey L , Wang Kung K
Published: April 2011

5-(2-Methoxy-1-naphthyl)- and 5-[2-(methoxymethyl)-1-naphthyl]-11H-benzo[b]fluorene were synthesized by treatment of the corresponding benzannulated enediynes with potassium tert-butoxide in refluxing toluene to give benzannulated enyne–allenes for the subsequent Schmittel cascade cyclization reactions. The structures of these two 5-(1-naphthyl)-11H-benzo[b]fluorenes could be regarded as 2,2'-disubstituted 1,1'-binaphthyls with the newly constructed benzofluorenyl group serving as a naphthyl moiety.
Bisphosphonate-associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw in Ontario: A Survey of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Authors: KHAN ALIYA A. , RIOS LORENA P. , SÁNDOR GEORGE K.B. , KHAN NAZIR , PETERS EDMUND , RAHMAN MOHAMMED O. , CLOKIE CAMERON M.L. , DORE EDWARD , DUBOIS SACHA
Published: April 2011

Objective.

Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) in association with use of bisphosphonate (BP) has been described primarily in cancer patients receiving high-dose intravenous BP. The frequency of the condition in patients with osteoporosis appears to be low. We evaluated the frequency of BP-associated ONJ in Ontario in the cancer population and in those receiving BP for osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease.

Methods.

A survey developed by representatives of the Ontario Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons was mailed to Ontario oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFS) in December 2006, asking oral surgeons to provide information on cases of ONJ seen in the previous 3 calendar years (2004 to 2006). OMFS were subsequently contacted by telephone if they had not responded or if they had reported cases of ONJ. The frequency of ONJ in association with BP use was estimated from the number of patients with filled prescriptions for BP in Ontario between 2004 and 2006. The cumulative incidence of ONJ was calculated separately for patients using intravenous (IV) BP for cancer treatment and for patients using oral or IV BP for osteoporosis or other metabolic bone disease.

Results.

Between 2004 and 2006, 32 ONJ cases were identified. Nineteen patients received IV BP for cancer treatment and 13 patients received oral or IV BP for osteoporosis or metabolic bone disease. Over a 3-year period the cumulative incidence of BP-associated ONJ was 0.442% of cancer patient observations (442 per 100,000) and 0.001% of osteoporosis or other metabolic bone disease observations (1.04 per 100,000). The relative risk of low dose IV/oral BP-associated ONJ was 0.002 (95% CI 0.001, 0.005) compared to high-dose IV BP. Other risk factors for ONJ were present in all cases in whom detailed assessment was available. The median duration of exposure to BP was 42 months (range 36 to 120 mo) and 42 months (range 11 to 79 mo) in osteoporosis patients and cancer patients, respectively.

Conclusion.

Over a 3-year period, the cumulative incidence for BP-associated ONJ was 0.442% of cancer patient observations (442 per 100,000) and 0.001% of osteoporosis or metabolic bone disease observations (1.04 per 100,000). This study provides an approximate frequency of BP-associated ONJ in Canada. These data need to be quantified prospectively with accurate assessment of coexisting risk factors.
Longterm Followup After Tapering Mycophenolate Mofetil During Maintenance Treatment for Proliferative Lupus Nephritis
Authors: LASKARI KATERINA , TZIOUFAS ATHANASIOS G. , ANTONIOU ANNA , MOUTSOPOULOS HARALAMPOS M.
Published: April 2011

Objective.

To determine the timing for safe reduction of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) dose during remission-maintenance therapy of proliferative lupus nephritis.

Methods.

The study population consisted of 44 patients evaluated retrospectively; MMF dose was empirically tapered in 18/44 patients until the latest observation.

Results.

Patients reducing MMF ≤ 18 months after remission/complete remission had a 6.8-fold/6.3-fold higher risk of relapse compared to those taking a stable dose (p = 0.001, p = 0.011, respectively). Reducing MMF later than 18 months was not associated with increased relapse rates.

Conclusion.

Reducing MMF > 1.5 years after remission/complete remission seems to warrant drug tapering without increased risk of disease flare in proliferative lupus nephritis.
Moderniser le parti-État en Chine et au Vietnam
Authors: Womack Brantly
Published: April 2011

Résumé Il y a d’importantes différences dans la situation et le développement politique entre la Chine et le Vietnam, mais tous les deux sont si distants du modèle parlementaire qu’ils apparaissent comme tout à fait similaires pour la science politique. Ils sont les robustes survivants des partis-États dans un monde-postcommuniste. La Chine et le Vietnam posent un défi réciproque aux attentes communes concernant la modernisation. D’un côté, leur croissance économique et leur stabilité politique sapent les notions d’étapes du développement convergent (sauf si l’État cale ou échoue) vers une “fin de l’histoire” libérale démocratique. D’un autre côté, les notions reliant développement et démocratie parlementaire sont communes parce qu’il y a pour l’instant aucune exception. Dans le développement économique, la Chine et le Vietnam ont été capables d’appliquer les leçons venant des États développés, mais le développement politique durable des partis-États pose un nouveau défi.
Putin ex machina : La Russie post-soviétique dans une perspective comparative et historique
Authors: Lynch Allen C.
Published: April 2011

Résumé L’auteur situe la Russie de Putin dans plusieurs contextes historiques et comparatifs : post-totalitaire, post-impérial, l’échec de la démocratie de marché dans les années 1990 et la logique de l’État pétrolier. Il affirme que la meilleure façon de comprendre la “démocratie Potemkine” de Putin, qui combine un gouvernement autoritaire avec les formes de la démocratie, une économie partiellement libre et une société largement ouverte, consiste à se référer à la dynamique de la “machine politique”. Une pratique large et complexe de la politique à l’échelle internationale (par exemple, le pouvoir du parti libéral-démocrate au Japon, celui de la démocratie chrétienne en Italie, le Sud des États Unis entre 1878 et 1965, la politique urbaine au Nord des États Unis entre le début et le milieu du 20ème siècle, etc.) démontre comment une faction, en s’emparant des rouages de l’administration publique, en dominant les secteurs clés de l’économie et en déterminant la manière dont les médias couvrent la politique, peut respecter les formes de la démocratie tout en minimisant la véritable obligation démocratique de rendre des comptes. La machine de Putin a eu l’effet paradoxal d’aider la Russie à échapper à la crise des années 1990 tout en minimisant ses chances d’échapper à la logique de l’État pétrolier.
Detoxification of aflatoxin B1 by certain bacterial species isolated from Egyptian soil
Authors: Elaasser M. , El Kassas R.
Published: April 2011

Aflatoxin contamination of food and grain poses a serious economic and health problem worldwide. Aflatoxin B1
(AFB1) is extremely mutagenic, toxic and a potent carcinogen to both humans and livestock. A safe, effective and
environmentally sound detoxification method is needed for controlling this toxin. In this study, 21 soil samples
were screened from various sources with vast microbial populations using a coumarin containing medium. Eleven
bacterial isolates showing AFB1 reduction activity in a liquid culture medium were selected from the screening
experiments. Isolate 12-3 and 12-5, obtained from soil samples of Kafr-Zaiat Pesticide company drainage and
identified to be Pseudomonas putida and Escherichia coli, reduced AFB1 by 69.3% and 58.8%, respectively, after
incubation in the liquid medium at 37 °C for 72 h. The culture supernatant of these isolates was able to reduce AFB1
effectively by 76.2% and 62.5%, respectively, whereas the viable cells and cell extracts were far less effective. Factors
influencing AFB1 detoxification by the culture supernatant were investigated. The highest detoxification activity for
P. putida and E. coli was 83.3% and 63.8%, respectively, at pH 8 and 30 °C for 72 h. The detoxification activity was
reduced at 10, 20 and 45 °C. The Mg2+, Mn2+, Se and Cu2+ ions were activators for AFB1 detoxification. However,
Zn2+ ion was a strong inhibitor. Treatments with proteinase K, proteinase K plus SDS and heating significantly
reduced or eradicated the detoxification activity of the culture supernatant. In conclusion, the detoxification of
AFB1 by P. putida 12-3 was enzymatic and the enzymes responsible for the detoxification of AFB1 are constitutively
extracellular produced. Also, the AFB1 detoxification by E. coli was conducted by enzymes as well as by cell wall
binding mechanism. Both bacteria could have great potential in industrial applications.
Survey of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in soybean and soy meal from Argentina using immunoaffinity clean-up and high performance liquid chromatography
Authors: Barros G. , García D. , Oviedo M. , Ramirez M. , Torres A. , Lattanzio V. , Pascale M. , Chulze S.
Published: April 2011

Soybean and soy meal samples collected during the harvest season 2008-2009 in the soybean-growing area of Córdoba
Province in Argentina were analysed for T-2 and HT-2 toxins occurrence. These mycotoxins were detected using
HPLC analysis with fluorescence detection after derivatisation with 1-anthronylnitrile and immunoaffinity column
clean-up. Characteristics of in-house validated method such as accuracy, precision, detection and quantification
limits were defined by means of recovery test with spiked soybean and soy meal samples. Mean recoveries for T-2
within the spiking range 125-500 µg/kg, were 90.9 and 81.3% for soybean and soy meal, respectively with a withinlaboratory
relative standard deviation <10%. Analysis of samples spiked with HT-2 in the same range gave a mean
recovery of 70.2 and 77.5% for soybean and soy meal, respectively, with relative standard deviations <12%. The
limit of detection for the method was 25 µg/kg for T-2 and HT-2, based on a signal-to-noise ratio 3:1 and the limit
of quantification was established as three times the detection limit. Out of 64 samples, only two soybean samples
showed contamination with A-type trichothecenes evaluated. Confirmatory analyses of the contaminated samples
were performed by LC-MS/MS. This study demonstrated low incidences and levels of T-2 and HT-2 in soybean
harvested among the areas in the Cordoba Province.
Impaired Response to Influenza Vaccine Associated with Persistent Memory B Cell Depletion in Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Patients Treated with Rituximab-Containing Regimens
Authors: Bedognetti Davide , Zoppoli Gabriele , Massucco Carlotta , Zanardi Elisa , Zupo Simonetta , Bruzzone Andrea , Sertoli Mario Roberto , Balleari Enrico , Racchi Omar , Messina Marco , Caltabiano Graziano , Icardi Giancarlo , Durando Paolo , Marincola Francesco M. , Boccardo Francesco , Ferrarini Manlio , Ansaldi Filippo , De Maria Andrea
Published: April 2011

Influenza vaccination is generally recommended for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) patients, but no data are available about the activity of this vaccine after treatment with rituximab-containing regimens. We evaluated the humoral response to the trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine in a group of NHL patients in complete remission for ≥6 mo (median, 29 mo) after treatment with rituximab-containing regimens (n = 31) compared with age-matched healthy subjects (n = 34). B cell populations and incidence of influenza-like illness were also evaluated. For each viral strain, the response was significantly lower in patients compared with controls and was particularly poor in patients treated with fludarabine-based regimens. In the patient group, the response to vaccination did not fulfill the immunogenic criteria based on the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use requirements. Among the patients, CD27+ memory B cells were significantly reduced, and their reduction correlated with serum IgM levels and vaccine response. Episodes of influenza-like illness were recorded only in patients. These results showed that NHL patients treated with rituximab-containing regimens have persisting perturbations of B cell compartments and Ig synthesis and may be at particular risk for infection, even in long-standing complete remission.
Centella asiatica Attenuates D‐Galactose‐Induced Cognitive Impairment, Oxidative and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Mice
Authors: Kumar Anil , Prakash Atish , Dogra Samrita
Published: April 2011

D‐galactose induced neurotoxicity is well known model
for studying aging and related oxidative damage and memory impairment.
Aging is a biological process, characterized by the gradual loss of physiological
functions by unknown mechanism. Centella asiatica, Indian pennywort has been documented
in the treatment of various neurological disorders including aging. Therefore,
present study has been conducted in order to explore the possible role of Centella
asiatica against D‐galactose induced cognitive impairment, oxidative and mitochondrial
dysfunction in mice. Chronic administration of D‐galactose (100 mg/kg s.c.) for
a period of six weeks significantly impaired cognitive task (both in both Morris water
maze and elevated plus maze) and oxidative defense (Increased lipid peroxidation,
nitrite concentration and decreased activity of superoxide dismutase,
catalase and non‐protein thiols) and impaired mitochondrial complex
(I, II and III) enzymes activities as compared to sham group. Six weeks Centella asiatica
(150 and 300 mg/kg, p.o) treatment significantly improved behavioral alterations,
oxidative damage and mitochondrial enzyme complex activities as compared to contro
l (D‐galactose). Centella asiatica also attenuated enhanced acetylcholine esterase
enzyme level in D‐galactose senescence mice. Present study highlights the protective
effect of Centella asiatica against D‐galactose induced behavioral, biochemical and mitochondrial dysfunction in mice.
Management of Concomitant Cancer and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Jibawi Abdullah , Ahmed Islam , El-Sakka Karim , Yusuf Syed Waquar
Published: April 2011

Background. The coexistence of neoplasm and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) presents a real management challenge. This paper reviews the literature on the prevalence, diagnosis, and management dilemmas of concurrent visceral malignancy and abdominal aortic aneurysm.Method. The MEDLINE and HIGHWIRE databases (1966-present) were searched. Papers detailing relevant data were assessed for quality and validity. All case series, review articles, and references of such articles were searched for additional relevant papers.Results. Current challenges in decision making, the effect of major body-cavity surgery on an untreated aneurysm, the effects of major vascular surgery on the treatment of malignancy, the use of EVAR (endovascular aortic aneurysm repair) as a fairly low-risk procedure and its role in the management of malignancy, and the effect of other challenging issues such as the use of adjuvant therapy, and patients informed decision-making were reviewed and discussed.Conclusion. In synchronous malignancy and abdominal aortic aneurysm, the most life-threatening lesion should be addressed first. Endovascular aneurysm repair where possible, followed by malignancy resection, is becoming the preferred initial treatment choice in most centres.
The Sphingolipid Biosynthetic Pathway Is a Potential Target for Chemotherapy against Chagas Disease
Authors: Koeller Carolina Macedo , Heise Norton
Published: April 2011

The protozoan parasiteTrypanosoma cruziis the causative agent of human Chagas disease, for which there currently is no cure. The life cycle ofT. cruziis complex, including an extracellular phase in the triatomine insect vector and an obligatory intracellular stage inside the vertebrate host. These phases depend on a variety of surface glycosylphosphatidylinositol-(GPI-) anchored glycoconjugates that are synthesized by the parasite. Therefore, the surface expression of GPI-anchored components and the biosynthetic pathways of GPI anchors are attractive targets for new therapies for Chagas disease. We identified new drug targets for chemotherapy by taking the available genome sequence information and searching for differences in the sphingolipid biosynthetic pathways (SBPs) of mammals andT. cruzi. In this paper, we discuss the major steps of the SBP in mammals, yeast andT. cruzi, focusing on the IPC synthase and ceramide remodeling ofT. cruzias potential therapeutic targets for Chagas disease.
Identification of Genes Regulating Gene Targeting by a High-Throughput Screening Approach
Authors: Delacôte Fabien , Perez Christophe , Guyot Valérie , Mikonio Catherine , Potrel Pierrick , Cabaniols Jean-Pierre , Delenda Christophe , Pâques Frédéric , Duchateau Philippe
Published: April 2011

Homologous gene targeting (HGT) is a precise but inefficient process for genome engineering. Several methods for increasing its efficiency have been developed, including the use of rare cutting endonucleases. However, there is still room for improvement, as even nuclease-induced HGT may vary in efficiency as a function of the nuclease, target site, and cell type considered. We have developed a high-throughput screening assay for the identification of factors stimulating meganuclease-induced HGT. We used this assay to explore a collection of siRNAs targeting 19,121 human genes. At the end of secondary screening, we had identified 64 genes for which knockdown affected nuclease-induced HGT. Two of the strongest candidates were characterized further. We showed that siRNAs directed against the ATF7IP gene, encoding a protein involved in chromatin remodeling, stimulated HGT by a factor of three to eight, at various loci and in different cell types. This method thus led to the identification of a number of genes, the manipulation of which might increase rates of targeted recombination.
Comparison of LDA and SPRT on Clinical Dataset Classifications
Authors: Lee Chih , Nkounkou Brittany , Huang Chun-Hsi
Published: April 2011

In this work, we investigate the well-known classification algorithm LDA as well as its close relative SPRT. SPRT affords many theoretical advantages over LDA. It allows specification of desired classification error rates α and β and is expected to be faster in predicting the class label of a new instance. However, SPRT is not as widely used as LDA in the pattern recognition and machine learning community. For this reason, we investigate LDA, SPRT and a modified SPRT (MSPRT) empirically using clinical datasets from Parkinson's disease, colon cancer, and breast cancer. We assume the same normality assumption as LDA and propose variants of the two SPRT algorithms based on the order in which the components of an instance are sampled. Leave-one-out cross-validation is used to assess and compare the performance of the methods. The results indicate that two variants, SPRT-ordered and MSPRT-ordered, are superior to LDA in terms of prediction accuracy. Moreover, on average SPRT-ordered and MSPRT-ordered examine less components than LDA before arriving at a decision. These advantages imply that SPRT-ordered and MSPRT-ordered are the preferred algorithms over LDA when the normality assumption can be justified for a dataset.
Browder's Convergence for One-Parameter Nonexpansive Semigroups
Authors: Akiyama Shigeki , Suzuki Tomonari
Published: April 2011

We give the sufficient and necessary conditions of Browder's convergence theorem for one-parameter nonexpansive semigroups which was proved by Suzuki. We also discuss the perfect kernels of topological spaces.
Spatial, seasonal, and ontogenetic variations in the significance of detrital pathways and terrestrial carbon for a benthic shark, Chiloscyllium plagiosum (Hemiscylliidae), in a tropical estuary
Authors: Wai Tak-Cheung , Leung Kenneth M. Y. , Sin Shadow Y. T. , Cornish Andy , Dudgeon David , Williams Gray A.
Published: April 2011

Using a combination of stable isotope analyses (SIA), fatty acid profiling (FAP), and FA‐specific SIA, we investigated the relative importance of terrestrial‐ and marine‐derived carbon, and spatial (inshore vs. offshore), seasonal (wet vs. dry season), and ontogenetic variations, in the relative contribution of detrital pathways to the white‐spotted bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium plagiosum in the Pearl River estuary. SIA and FAP suggested the sharks acquired carbon from both marine‐ and terrestrial‐derived detritus via consumption of polychaetes and small crustaceans, with carbon from terrestrial sources being more important to juveniles (25–50 cm long) at inshore locations. Juveniles generally had significantly higher levels of diatom FA, bacterial FA, and long‐chain‐carbon–saturated FA biomarkers than adults (> 65 cm), especially during the wet season, suggesting that they relied on primary consumers which assimilated a mixture of autotrophic and detrital carbon sources. Levels of zooplankton and animal‐derived FA biomarkers generally increased with shark size, indicating an ontogenetic dietary shift. Utilizing the results of FA‐specific SIA (i.e., δ13C values of individual bacterial FA of detritus) from four sources (i.e., terrestrial plant litter, macroalgae, phytoplankton, and sediments), Bayesian mixing models revealed juveniles in the inner estuary assimilated significantly higher amounts of terrestrial carbon (37–45%) than adults (22–37%) or sharks in the outer estuary (1–36%). The combined use of multiple dietary tracers effectively revealed the interaction of various detrital pathways to marine predators in the Pearl River estuary, and highlighted the importance of terrestrial–marine linkages for interpretation of energy flow in coastal ecosystems.
Sedimentary phosphorus dynamics and the evolution of bottom‐water hypoxia: A coupled benthic–pelagic model of a coastal system
Authors: Reed Daniel C. , Slomp Caroline P. , Gustafsson Bo G.
Published: April 2011

The present study examines oxygen and phosphorus dynamics at a seasonally hypoxic site in the Arkona basin of the Baltic Sea. A coupled benthic–pelagic reactive‐transport model is used to describe the evolution of bottom‐water solute concentrations, as well as pore‐water and sediment profiles. Aerobic respiration dominates remineralization, with iron reduction, denitrification, and sulphate reduction playing secondary roles, while other pathways are negligible. Sediments represent a significant oxygen sink chiefly due to the aerobic degradation of organic matter, as well as nitrification and iron oxyhydroxide precipitation. Most phosphorus deposited in sediments is in organic matter, yet cycling is dominated by iron‐bound phosphorus due to rapid dissimilatory iron reduction coupled with aerobic iron oxyhydroxide formation. Sustained hypoxia results in an initial decrease in sediment phosphorus content due to dissolution of phosphorus‐bearing iron oxyhydroxides, resulting in a pulse of phosphate to overlying waters. Although an organic‐rich layer is formed under low‐oxygen conditions, enhanced remineralization of organic phosphorus relative to organic carbon tempers sedimentary phosphorus accumulation. Upon reoxygenation of bottom waters after a decade of sustained hypoxia, oxygen concentrations do not immediately achieve values observed prior to hypoxia because the organic‐rich layer creates a higher benthic oxygen demand. Artificial reoxygenation of bottom waters leads to a substantial increase in the iron‐bound phosphorus pool; the total phosphorus content of the sediment, however, is unaffected. A relapse into hypoxia would consequently produce a large pulse of phosphate to the overlying waters potentially exacerbating the situation.
Red maple dominance enhances fungal and shredder growth and litter processing in temporary ponds
Authors: Mehring Andrew S. , Maret Timothy J.
Published: April 2011

We used in situ and laboratory mesocosm experiments to test the effects of red maple (Acer rubrum), white oak (Quercus alba), and northern red oak (Q. rubra) leaf litter on microbial biomass and detritivore (Limnephilus indivisus) growth, survival, and organic matter processing in temporary forest ponds. Fungal biomass was highest in red maple leaf litter but was reduced in both maple and oak litter by detritivore presence, indicating a foraging preference based on fungal biomass. Organic matter processing and fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) generation rates were highest in red maple treatments containing detritivores, and red maple diets allowed for rapid larval growth and development to adulthood, while oak diets (Q. alba or Q. rubra) resulted in slower development and increased mortality of larvae. Red maple dominance around pond margins may have positive effects on detritivore growth and generation of FPOM in temporary ponds. Because many of the organisms that feed on FPOM also serve as prey for larval amphibians, the effects of increased FPOM production resulting from red maple dominance may travel through the food web to affect higher trophic levels.
2010 Local Elections- A Serious Warning to Parliamentary Political Parties
Authors: Brezovšek Marjan , Smerkolj Lea
Published: April 2011

The fundamental principle of the modern local self-government system is the transfer of decision-making on public matters to the lowest possible level, enabling citizens to identify themselves with the local political environment as much as possible. Local government is considered democratic if its performance is decisively and directly or indirectly influenced (through elected representatives that are entrusted with local-level tasks) by the citizens themselves. Local elections are frequently compared to national elections, even though data show that local elections have their own peculiarities that cannot be applied to the national level. This is especially true regarding the dominant role of non-partisan candidates, and the ever decreasing support for political parties. Without the latter, one cannot even imagine the national level of government because they represent the key actors in national democratic political systems. Regarding the degree of trust in political parties at the local level, one can identify a trend indicating that citizens have gained a greater awareness that local-level politics is not related to party adherence, and that individuals’ personalities and their alleged apolitical character is coming increasingly to the fore, which is reflected by a high number of eligible non-partisan candidates. Therefore, one can see in Slovenia that people have become frustrated over the politicisation of local-level politics by expressing an ever-greater desire to support non-partisan candidates for the leaders of their local communities. Thus, they seek the candidates whose performance is not politically marked so that they can more easily identify themselves with them.

Keywords: • local democracy • local elections • parliamentary elections • political parties • non-partisan candidates • Slovenia
Rethinking Democracy: A Discourse on Municipalised Democracy and Translocal Citizenship
Authors: Vodovnik Ziga
Published: April 2011

This paper discusses a genuinely new political alternative. It is about the alter-globalization movement (AGM) founded on municipalized -yet global- democracy, horizontalism, and decentralization. The paper starts from the assumption that for a long time, the most important political innovations have not come from the traditional centres of political power, but they have instead been invented by the “newest social movements”. It tackles some of the topical debates on global, world and cosmopolitan citizenship in the light of a conceptualization of translocal citizenship that, in the long run, may prove to be the single most subversive thing the AGM has ever recuperated.

Keywords: alter-globalisation movement • translocal citizenship • direct democracy • municipalisation
Cross Border Economic Convergence and EU Integration Process
Authors: Oplotnik Žan Jan , Vojinović Borut , Acharya Sanjaya
Published: April 2011

The real benefits of integrating different economic areas and regions into one common economic, monetary, and sometimes also fiscal area are among the most important issues to be resolved because the win-win situation for all participants should prevail unless the Member States or local authorities lose their interest in further participation. In this study, we compare the speed and the real benefits of economic integration between the three groups of Member States that emerged following the last big EU enlargement. The first group is composed of the so-called old EU Member States. The second group represents the countries that achieved full membership in 2004 (the so-called new Member States), and in the third group, there are the countries that are now in the negotiation process for EU membership. We then draw from the experience of these new Member States to derive implications for a possible new round of EU enlargement. The conclusion of this paper is therefore supposed to be some kind of direction for the new candidate countries. The results offer an answer to the question of what degree of convergence the new EU10 Member States reached within certain macroeconomic fundamentals during the period of their accession negotiations.

Keywords: • economic convergence • EU integration • transition economies • integration • EU accession • economic trends
Effects of aging on organic aerosol from open biomass burning smoke in aircraft and lab studies
Authors: Cubison M. J. , Ortega A. M. , Hayes P. L. , Farmer D. K. , Day D. , Lechner M. J. , Brune W. H. , Apel E. , Diskin G. S. , Fisher J. A. , Fuelberg H. E. , Hecobian A. , Knapp D. J. , Mikoviny T. , Riemer D. , Sachse G. W. , Sessions W. , Weber R. J. , Weinheimer A. J. , Wisthaler A. , Jimenez J. L.
Published: April 2011

Abstract. Biomass burning (BB) is a large source of primary and secondary organic aerosols (POA and SOA). This study addresses the physical and chemical evolution of BB organic aerosols. Firstly, the evolution and lifetime of BB POA and SOA signatures observed with the Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer are investigated, focusing on measurements at high-latitudes acquired during the 2008 NASA ARCTAS mission, in comparison to data from other field studies and from laboratory aging experiments. The parameter f60, the ratio of the integrated signal at m/z 60 to the total signal in the organic component mass spectrum, is used as a marker to study the rate of oxidation and fate of the BB POA. A background level of f60~0.3% ±0.06% for SOA-dominated ambient OA is shown to be an appropriate background level for this tracer. Using also f44 as a tracer for SOA and aged POA, a novel graphical method is presented to characterise the aging of BB plumes. Similar trends of decreasing f60 and increasing f44 with aging are observed in most field and lab studies. At least some very aged BB plumes retain a clear f60 signature. A statistically significant difference in f60 between highly-oxygenated OA of BB and non-BB origin is observed using this tracer, consistent with a substantial contribution of BBOA to the springtime Arctic aerosol burden in 2008. Secondly, a summary is presented of results on the net enhancement of OA with aging of BB plumes, which shows large variability. The estimates of net OA gain range from ΔOA/ΔCO(mass) =−0.01 to ~0.07, with a mean ΔOA/POA ~25%. With these ratios and global inventories of BB CO and POA a global net OA source due to aging of BB plumes of ~9 Tg OA yr−1 is estimated, of the order of 5% of recent total OA source estimates. Further field data following BB plume advection should be a focus of future research in order to better constrain this potentially important contribution to the OA burden.
Atmospheric impacts of the 2010 Russian wildfires: integrating modelling and measurements of the extreme air pollution episode in the Moscow megacity region
Authors: Konovalov I. B. , Beekmann M. , Kuznetsova I. N. , Yurova A. , Zvyagintsev A. M.
Published: April 2011

Abstract. Numerous wildfires provoked by an unprecedented intensive heat wave caused continuous episodes of extreme air pollution in several Russian cities and densely pullulated regions, including the Moscow megacity region. This paper analyzes the chemical evolution of the atmosphere over the Moscow region during the 2010 heat wave by integrating available ground based and satellite measurements with results of meso-scale modeling. The state-of-the-art CHIMERE CTM is used, which is modified to take into account air pollutant emissions from wildfires and the shielding effect of smoke aerosols. The wild fire emissions are derived from satellite measurements of the fire radiative power and are optimized by assimilating data of ground measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM10) into the model. It is demonstrated that the optimized simulations reproduce independent observations, which were withheld during the optimisation procedure, quite adequately (specifically, the correlation coefficient of daily time series of CO and PM10 exceeds 0.8) and that inclusion of the fire emissions into the model significantly improves its performance. The results of the analysis show that wildfires were a principal factor causing the observed air pollution episodes associated with the extremely high level of daily mean CO and PM10 concentrations (up to 10 mg m−3 and 700 μg m−3 in the averages over available monitoring sites, respectively) in the Moscow region, although accumulation of anthropogenic pollution was also favoured by a stagnant meteorological situation. In contrast, diagnostic model runs indicate that ozone concentrations could reach very high values even without fire emissions which provide "fuel" for ozone formation, but, at the same time, inhibit it as a result of absorption and scattering of solar radiation by smoke aerosols. The analysis of MOPITT CO measurements and of corresponding simulations indicates that the observed episodes of extreme air pollution in Moscow were only a part of a very strong perturbation of the atmospheric composition, caused by wildfires, over the largest part of European Russia. It is estimated that 2010 fires in the European part of Russia emitted ~9.7 Tg CO, that is more than 85% of the total annual anthropogenic CO emissions in this region. About 30% of total CO fire emissions in European Russia are identified as emissions from peat fires.
Modeling anthropogenically-controled secondary organic aerosols in a megacity: a simplified framework for global and climate models
Authors: Hodzic A. , Jimenez J. L.
Published: April 2011

Abstract. A simplified parameterization for secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in polluted air and biomass burning smoke is tested and optimized in this work, towards the goal of a computationally inexpensive method to calculate pollution and biomass burning SOA in global and climate models. A regional chemistry-transport model is used as the testbed for the parameterization, which is compared against observations from the Mexico City metropolitan area during the MILAGRO 2006 field experiment. The empirical parameterization is based on the observed proportionality of SOA concentrations to excess CO and photochemical age of the airmass. The approach consists in emitting an organic gas as lumped SOA precursor surrogate proportional to anthropogenic or biomass burning CO emissions according to the observed ratio between SOA and CO in aged air, and reacting this surrogate with OH into a single non-volatile species that condenses to form SOA. An emission factor of 0.08 g of the lumped SOA precursor per g of CO and a rate constant with OH of 1.25 × 10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 reproduce the observed average SOA mass within 30% in the urban area and downwind. When a 2.5 times slower rate is used (5 × 10−12 cm3 molecule−1 s−1) the predicted SOA amount and temporal evolution is nearly identical to the results obtained with SOA formation from semi-volatile and intermediate volatility primary organic vapors according to the Robinson et al. (2007) formulation. Our simplified method has the advantage of being much less computationally expensive than Robinson-type methods, and can be used in regions where the emissions of SOA precursors are not yet available. As the aged pollution SOA/ΔCO ratios are rather consistent globally, this parameterization could be reasonably tested in and applied to other regions. The potential enhancement of biogenic SOA by anthropogenic pollution, which has been suggested to play a major role in global SOA formation, is also tested using two simple parameterizations. Our results suggest that the pollution enhancement of biogenic SOA could provide several μg m−3 of additional SOA, but does not however explain the concentrations or especially the spatial and temporal variations of measured SOA mass in the vicinity of Mexico City, which appears to be controlled by anthropogenic sources. The contribution of the biomass burning to the predicted SOA is less than 10% during the study period.