bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
La mortalité en Russie : une crise sanitaire en deux temps
Authors: Meslé France , Shkolnikov Vladimir 
Published: December 2010

Dans les quinze dernières années, l'espérance de vie en Russie a été soumise à de très larges fluctuations. La forte augmentation observée en 1985-86 a été suivie d'une baisse d'ampleur équivalente jusqu'en 1992. En 1993, la détérioration s'est amplifiée. Ces différents mouvements tiennent essentiellement aux variations de la mortalité aux âges actifs. Ils sont étroitement liés, d'une part, aux mesures anti-alcooliques prises par Gorbatchev en 1985 et, d'autre part, à la dégradation des conditions socio-économiques des années récentes.
Cette évolution s'inscrit toutefois dans une tendance à long terme défavorable. En Russie, comme dans d'autres pays d'Europe de l'Est, la situation sanitaire se dégrade depuis le milieu des années soixante, faute pour ces pays d'avoir su contrôler la montée des maladies cardio-vasculaires et des cancers. La crise récente peut apparaître dans ce contexte comme le prolongement de la tendance des trois dernières décennies.
Le processus économique de reconversion et le rôle de l'État
Authors: Varley Joanna 
Published: December 2010

The economic process of conversion and the role of State.
In a shortage economy, as in a decentralized economy, the specific nature of the defence sector is governed by the particular constraints faced by defence enterprises. Conversion can then be defined as a change of the institutional environment facing defence firms, from an environment characterized by bargaining over priorities into a competitive environment. However, in the case of Russia, conversion is taking place as the economic institutions of a decentralized economy are themselves still in the making.
The specific defence institutional environment has a repercussion on the types of assets developed by defence firms. Competitive assets, especially technologies are over-developed. But technology is not the only determining factor of the conversion process. Entreprises have to develop their efficiency assets and get rid of their complementary assets. The role of the State is then to help firms in the process of conversion to overcome these difficulties. But State-action cannot only be defined in terms of the specific nature of the defence sector. Indeed, conversion is only an extreme case of any economic activity in a decentralized economy where decision-making is based on uncertain information. The role of the State is then to create the institutional and macro- economic environment facilitating appropriate decision-making. This involves establishing the rules of a decentralized economy and implementing economic and industrial policies. However, rule-making is problematical in Russia when the legitimacy of the State itself is in question.
Les lenteurs de la privatisation en Roumanie. Une analyse du comportement des acteurs publics
Authors: Labaronne Daniel 
Published: December 2010

The slow pace of privatization in Romania : An analysis of the behavior of public actors.
Privatization has not had very pronounced results in Romania as compared with other central and eastern European countries. In 1995, less than 8 % of the nominal capital of government-owned businesses was privatized. By analyzing institutional structures and the behavior of public actors (political authorities, bureaucrats or managers in state -run firms), the theory of public choice uses endogenous reasons to account for the slow pace of the privatization process in Romania. After a description of the legal framework of privatization in Romania and of statistics illustrating the difficulties encountered, the public choice theory is then used to treat public authorities' behavior as an endogenous factor and see it - through the institutional choices that are made - as a brake on privatization. Given the many institutional impediments still in place in Romania despite a recent law for speeding up privatization, questions crop up about the prospects of transferring public assets.
Approche institutionnelle de l'analyse de la transition (le cas de l'agriculture du Nord-Kazakhstan)
Authors: Yefimov Vladimir 
Published: December 2010

An institutional approach to analyzing the economic transition (the case of agriculture in North Kazakhstan).
The causes of the failure of the neoclassical approach to the economic transition in the countries formerly belonging to the Soviet Union are analyzed at a general level and then in the specific case of agriculture in North Kazakhstan. Three dimensions of Soviet-type economic institutions (legislation, organizations and culture) enter into the general analysis. Among the basic notions that are cursorily presented, attention is drawn to the economic culture. A description of the characteristics of Soviet agricultural institutions (state-owned land, collective farms, state farms, individual plots and local authorities in rural areas) completes this analysis at the general level. These paradigms then serve to analyze the first two phases (stabilization and introduction of the market) in the neoclassical transition strategy as applied to farming in North Kazakhstan. In this area, the institutions inherited from the Soviet era continue to survive, sometimes under a slightly disguised form. They account for both the noncompletion of a real transition and the gradual decline in farming. In these conditions, the third phase (structural corrections) of the transition under the neoclassical paradigm cannot be envisioned. Alternative proposals based on an institutional approach are presented.
La transition politique en Chine populaire : la libéralisation amorcée peut-elle accoucher d'une démocratisation ?
Authors: Cabestan Jean-Pierre 
Published: December 2010

The political transition in Communist China : Can the underway liberalization give birth to democracy ?
The Chinese Communist Party's leadership has launched a reform of political structures with the single objective of "perfecting the socialist democracy" that the Chinese already enjoy, as opposed to "Western parliamentary democracy", which the authorities in Peking still see as synonymous with "bourgeois democracy". Since Tiananmen in 1989, two reforms have had priority : increasing the powers of popular assemblies and holding village elections. Some observers, in China and abroad, think these reforms may eventually democratize the political system. But nothing is less certain. Despite competitive elections held here and there, Party officials still control nearly all assemblies and the large majority of villages. Nonetheless, these elections do strengthen the influence of new elites (private entrepreneurs), which the Communist Party is trying to attract (like the Kuomintang in Taiwan during the 1960s). This tends to weaken the Party's organization and make it much more vulnerable to regional and special interests. Although it does introduce a degree of plurality into the Party machine, but by giving privileges to the economically most powerful groups, this phenomenon risks installing not a democracy but an authoritarian, bureaucratic plutocracy.
131I therapy in patients with benign thyroid disease does not conclusively lead to a higher risk of subsequent malignancies
Authors: Luster M. , Lassmann M. , Reiners C. , Verburg F. A. 
Published: December 2010

SummaryDue to its excellent tolerability and low incidence of side effects, 131I therapy has been the treatment of choice for benign thyroid diseases for over 60 years. A potentially increased risk of malignancies due to this therapy is however still subject of debate. Aim: To review the literature pertaining to 131I therapy of benign thyroid diseases in order to establish whether there is an increased incidence of, or increased mortality due to malignancies of the thyroid or other organs. Methods: In order to allow for sufficient long-term follow-up time after 131I therapy, only literature after 1990 was reviewed. Two criteria were applied to consider an increased incidence of malignancies linked to 131I therapy: a) there should be a latency period of at least 5 years between 131I therapy and the observation of an increased risk b) an elevated risk should increase with increasing radiation exposure. Results: A total of 7 studies reporting cancer incidence and / or mortality in 4 different patient collectives spanning a total of 54 510 patients over an observation period varying from 2-49 years were found. Although some studies detected a slightly increased risk for malignancies of the thyroid or the digestive system, others did not find these effects - while other studies even reported a slightly lower risk of malignant (thyroid) disease after 131I therapy for benign thyroid diseases. Conclusion: As over 60 years of experience has thus far failed to produce conclusive evidence to the contrary, it can be concluded that there is no increased risk of malignancies after 131I therapy for benign thyroid disease.
Gesta Roderici: El Cid en la historiografía latina medieval del siglo XII
Authors: PEÑA PÉREZ Francisco Javier 
Published: December 2010

La memoria histórica de Rodrigo Díaz estuvo a punto de perderse tras la pérdida de Valencia a manos de los almorávides y el declive posterior del imperio levantado por éstos. Pero la llegada a la Península Ibérica de los almohades y su agresividad progresiva contra los cristianos del norte hispano desde medidos del siglo xii reavivó los recuerdos del pasado almorávide y de su verdugo más exitoso: el Cid Campeador, creando con ello las condiciones para que la memoria cidiana resurgiera de sus cenizas con renovado brío, aunque sensiblemente estilizada. Dadas las condiciones, los cronistas se ponen manos a la obra, allí donde los recuerdos del caballero castellano pudieron guardarse con más esmero: la corte Navarra, a finales del xii, y el monasterio de Cardeña, en el siglo siguiente.
Hilando un reinado. Alfonso VI y las mujeres
Authors: Martin Georges 
Published: December 2010

Uno de los aspectos más llamativos de Alfonso VI como figura histórica es el papel que desempeñaron, tanto en su destino como en su gobierno, las mujeres. Entre una Urraca, su hermana, que protagonizó su restauración en el trono, y otra Urraca, su hija, que le sucedió en éste, están las siete esposas y concubinas, alguna de las cuales contribuyó a orientar su política, así como una nutrida prole femenina que decidió de diversos e importantes aspectos de su posteridad. Este círculo de mujeres forma como una rueca en la que se hiló una parte no desdeñable del reinado de Alfonso VI.
Shark Skin Inspired Riblet Coatings for Aerodynamically Optimized High Temperature Applications in Aeroengines
Authors: Büttner Claudia C. , Schulz Uwe 
Published: December 2010

AbstractThe shark skin effect is the mechanism of wall friction reduction of a fluid due to a riblet structured surface. A new application for riblet surfaces may be jet engine blades. Riblet structured coatings on the blades would act as oxidation protection and additionally reduce the skin drag on the surface. In this study structuring surface areas of high temperature nickel‐based alloys is investigated. These alloys are used for compressor and turbine blades near the combustion chamber. Experiments are performed by depositing titanium on a nickel base alloy through particular metal grids using magnetron sputtering. For single‐digit micrometer structures, photolithography with subsequent electrodeposition of nickel as well as sputter deposition and thermal evaporation of several materials are investigated. Successfully fabricated structures are oxidized at 900–1 000 °C for up to 100 h and the resulting shape is characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The most accurate structures are obtained using photolithography and subsequent electrodeposition. The reduction of the wall shear stress was measured in an oil channel. The riblet structures prior to oxidation show a reduction of the wall shear stress of up to 4.9%.
Secular trends in height and weight for healthy Han children aged 0–7 years in China, 1975–2005
Authors: Zong Xin‐Nan , Li Hui , Zhu Zong‐Han 
Published: December 2010

AbstractObjectives: To report the secular growth changes of Chinese children aged 0–7 years between 1975 and 2005.Methods: Height and weight measurements obtained from four consecutive national surveys were used to analyze the secular trends. Urban‐rural difference and regional difference in growth were compared, respectively.Results: A rapid positive secular trend was observed in China over the last three decades, increased by 5.3 and 5.0 cm in height for urban boys and girls at age 6–7 years, respectively. Urban–rural height difference has continuously reduced, but weight difference has gradually widened after 3‐years old which results from the excessive weight increase of urban children, 2.68 kg for rural boys aged 6–7 years but 3.26 kg for urban during the 30 years. Clear regional differences in growth are not narrowing over time. Generally, the growth level in eastern China is higher than central‐western, successively higher than southern.Conclusions: The rapid positive secular trends will still continue with the rapid socio‐economic development in China. Urban‐rural height difference will further narrow. Currently no sufficient evidence indicates that growth difference in inter‐city has reduced. Weight increases rapidly for urban children, which does not match with height. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The serum leptin level and body mass index in Melanesian and Micronesian Solomon Islanders: Focus on genetic factors and urbanization
Authors: Furusawa Takuro , Naka Izumi , Yamauchi Taro , Natsuhara Kazumi , Kimura Ryosuke , Nakazawa Minato , Ishida Takafumi , Nishida Nao , Eddie Ricky , Ohtsuka Ryutaro , Ohashi Jun 
Published: December 2010

AbstractObjectives: This study examined the association between the serum leptin level and body mass index (BMI) and the effects of urbanization and polymorphisms of leptin (LEP) or leptin receptor (LEPR) genes on the leptin level in three Solomon Islands populations.Methods: A Melanesian population living in a remote area (participants: 106 males and 106 females, ages: 18–74 years), a Melanesian population in an urban area (89 and 94, 18–79 years), and a Micronesian population who migrated to a peri‐urban area in the 1960s (84 and 69, 18–71 years) were studied. Anthropometric and serum leptin measurements and genotyping for LEP G‐2548A and LEPR K109R and Q223R were performed.Results: The prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) was the highest in the Micronesian population (30.1%), followed by the urban (18.6%) and the rural (2.4%) Melanesian population. The serum leptin concentration was the highest in the urban Melanesian, followed by the Micronesian and the rural Melanesian populations (P < 0.05). Interestingly, the parameter coefficients of the leptin concentrations on the BMIs were nearly identical in the urban and rural Melanesians after adjusting for age and gender. The LEPR 223Q/Q genotype was associated with an increased leptin level only in the Micronesian population after adjusting for BMI (P = 0.0008 and 0.0016 referenced to the Q/R and the R/R types, respectively).Conclusions: These observations suggest that the increase in obesity in the Micronesians had a genetic component while that in Melanesians might have been related with the urbanization. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Brief communication: Ancient nuclear DNA and kinship analysis: The case of a medieval burial in San Esteban Church in Cuellar (Segovia, Central Spain)
Authors: Gamba Cristina , Fernández Eva , Tirado Mirian , Pastor Francisco , Arroyo‐Pardo Eduardo 
Published: December 2010

AbstractThe aim of this work was to investigate a very common situation in the archaeological and anthropological context: the study of a burial site containing several individuals, probably related genetically, using ancient DNA techniques. We used available ancient DNA and forensic protocols to obtain reliable results on archaeological material. The results also enabled molecular sex determination to be compared with osteological data. Specifically, a modified ancient DNA extraction method combined with the amplification of nuclear markers with the AmpFlSTR®MiniFiler™ kit(Applied Biosystems) was used. Seven medieval individuals buried in four niches dated in the 15th Century at San Esteban Church in Cuellar (Segovia, Central Spain) were analyzed by the proposed method, and four of seven provided complete autosomal short tandem repeat (STRs) profiles. Kinship analyses comprising paternity and sibship relations were carried out with pedigree‐specific software used in forensic casework. A 99.98% paternity probability was established between two individuals, although lower percentages (68%) were obtained in other cases, and some hypothetical kinship relations were excluded. The overall results could eventually provide evidence for reconstructing the historical record. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Insectivory of savanna chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) at Fongoli, Senegal
Authors: Bogart Stephanie L. , Pruetz Jill D. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractLittle is known about the behavior of chimpanzees living in savanna‐woodlands, although they are of particular interest to anthropologists for the insight they can provide regarding the ecological pressures affecting early hominins living in similar habitats. Fongoli, Senegal, is the first site where savanna chimpanzees have been habituated for observational data collection and is the hottest and driest site where such observation of chimpanzees occurs today. Previously, indirect evidence suggested these chimpanzees consumed termites throughout the year, an unusual occurrence for western and eastern chimpanzees. Although meat eating by chimpanzees continues to receive much attention, their use of invertebrate prey has received less emphasis in scenarios of hominin evolution. Here, we further examine the invertebrate diet of Fongoli chimpanzees using direct observational methods and accounting for potential environmental influences. Termite feeding positively correlated with high temperatures. Fongoli chimpanzees spend more time obtaining termites than any other chimpanzee population studied, and this extensive insectivory contributes to the list of distinctive behaviors they display relative to chimpanzees living in more forested habitats. We suggest that savanna chimpanzees at Fongoli differ significantly from chimpanzees elsewhere as a result of the selective pressures characterizing their harsh environment, and this contrast provides an example of a viable referential model for better understanding human evolution. Specifically, our results support the hypotheses that invertebrate prey may have figured more prominently into the diet of early hominins in similar habitats, especially given that invertebrates are an important source of protein and other essential nutrients in a highly seasonal environment. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Keys for Unlocking Photolabile Metal‐Containing Cages
Authors: Ciesienski Katie L. , Franz Katherine J. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractPhotolabile metal‐containing cages are metal complexes that undergo a change in coordination environment upon exposure to light of an appropriate wavelength. The light‐responsive functionality can either be a component of the encapsulating ligand or a property of the metal complex itself. The altered coordination properties of light‐responsive complexes can result in release of the coordinated metal ion into its surroundings, a differential reactivity of the metal center, or the liberation of a reactive molecule that had been passivated by binding to the metal center. These triggerable agents can be useful tools for manipulating the bioavailability of metals or their coordinating ligands in order to study biological pathways or for potential therapeutic purposes.
Protective Effect of Quercetin on Cadmium‐Induced Oxidative Toxicity on Germ Cells in Male Mice
Authors: Bu Tongliang , Mi Yuling , Zeng Weidong , Zhang Caiqiao 
Published: December 2010

AbstractCadmium is a toxic heavy metal that is widely distributed in the environment. As a critical process, oxidative toxicity mediates the morphological and functional damages in germ cells after cadmium exposure. In this study, the protective effect of quercetin on cadmium‐induced oxidative toxicity was investigated in mouse testicular germ cells. After oral administration of cadmium chloride at 4 mg/kg body weight for 2 weeks, damages in spermatozoa occurred in the early stage of spermatogenesis. Cadmium treatment significantly decreased the testicular antioxidant system, including decreases in the glutathione (GSH) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and GSH peroxidase (GSH‐Px) activities. Moreover, exposure to cadmium resulted in an increase of hydrogen peroxide production and lipid peroxidation in testes. In addition, cadmium provoked germ cell apoptosis by upregulating expression of the proapoptotic proteins Bax and caspase‐3 and downregulating expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl‐XL. However, combined administration of a common flavonoid quercetin at 75 mg/kg body weight significantly attenuated cadmium‐induced germ cell apoptosis by suppressing the hydrogen peroxide production and lipid peroxidation in testicular tissue. Simultaneous supplementation of quercetin markedly restored the decrease in GSH level and SOD and GSH‐Px activities elicited by cadmium treatment. Additionally, quercetin protected germ cells from cadmium‐induced apoptosis by downregulating the expression of Bax and caspase‐3 and upregulating Bcl‐XL expression. These results indicate that quercetin, due to its antioxidative and antiapoptotic characters, may manifest effective protective action against cadmium‐induced oxidative toxicity in mouse testicular germ cells. Anat Rec, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A modern Bayesian look at the multi‐armed bandit
Authors: Scott Steven L. 
Published: December 2010

AbstractA multi‐armed bandit is an experiment with the goal of accumulating rewards from a payoff distribution with unknown parameters that are to be learned sequentially. This article describes a heuristic for managing multi‐armed bandits calledrandomized probability matching, which randomly allocates observations to arms according the Bayesian posterior probability that each arm is optimal. Advances in Bayesian computation have made randomized probability matching easy to apply to virtually any payoff distribution. This flexibility frees the experimenter to work with payoff distributions that correspond to certain classical experimental designs that have the potential to outperform methods that are ‘optimal’ in simpler contexts. I summarize the relationships between randomized probability matching and several related heuristics that have been used in the reinforcement learning literature. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.