bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The systems thinker as revolutionary
Authors: De Greene Kenyon B. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThe epoch of concern in this paper extends from about 1975 to about 2005: the phases of recession and depression of Kondratiev Cycle/Structure Number Four and the beginning of the phase of recovery of a possible fifth Kondratiev. During the past decade or so a number of meetings of international societies and a number of special issues of scientific and engineering journals have had themes like ‘science in the service of mankind’ and ‘engineering for peace’. Close examination of these themes suggests a high level of confirmation of the political, economic, and military status quo, and even the scientific and engineering status quo, coupled with a low level of novelty. This paper critically examines the traditional relationship between science and engineering on the one hand and policy‐making and decision‐making on the other. Systems theories like dissipative‐structure theory, chaos theory, and the author's field and Kondratiev theories now provide a better understanding of the evolution, instability, and structural change of human societies and of natural environments than was the case in the recent past. These theories suggest a present window of opportunity that may not recur for a long time, if ever, for the implementation of bold, even radical and revolutionary ideas. History indicates a high level of incompetence during ‘normal’, stable times that contrasts with the emergence of highly capable leaders during times of crisis like the French Revolution and the US Civil War. There is a good match between these facts and the theory of the action of fluctuations in unstable systems far from equilibrium. In the past great political and politico‐economic movements were shaped by the philosophical thinking of people like Voltaire and Hegel that preceded them. Now the questions must be forcefully addressed: can and should systems thinking best discharge its responsibilities through passive support and reconfirmation of a paradigm that provides major evidence for exhaustion? Or can and should systems thinking be directed actively and aggressively toward the implementation of a new paradigm? The author argues for the latter course. The Schumpeterian concept of creative destruction is extended. Means of accomplishing the newly defined goal are clarified.
Systems definitions and derivation based on structural data flow modelling
Authors: Razik Taher A. , Jacobs James W. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractGeneral systems definitions are often too vague or too prescriptively narrow for consistent, meaningful application by researchers across disciplines. The lack of a common, functional system definition has tended to fragment systems research and slow the advancement and general applicability of general systems theory (GST) development. This paper submits a general system definition based on a functional technique for dataflow diagramming (DFD) used in computer system analysis. This DFD‐based definition illustrates added coherence and utility for deriving many kinds of systems at different research levels, and urges wider adoption and trial of the definition and modelling technique as a basis for systems research and GST theory testing.
Chronic Pain ‐ A Psychiatrist's Perspective
Authors: Pilowsky I. 
Published: July 2007

Abstract: The frames of reference used by the psychiatrist in evaluating chronic pain are considered, including the psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioural, affective, diagnostic, interpersonal, family and social. It is stressed that the pain experience is not a purely physical phenomenon. Pain management which alleviates any component of the experience is valuable.Narcotics should rarely be used.
Interleukin‐12p40 overexpression promotes interleukin‐12p70 and interleukin‐23 formation but does not affect bacille Calmette–Guérin and Mycobacterium tuberculosis clearance
Authors: Olleros Maria L. , Vesin Dominique , Martinez‐Soria Eduardo , Allenbach Cindy , Tacchini‐Cottier Fabienne , Pache Jean‐Claude , Marchal Gilles , Rahman Jubayer , Fernández Carmen , Izui Shozo , Garcia Irene 
Published: July 2007

SummaryInterleukin (IL)‐12p40, a subunit of IL‐12p70 and IL‐23, has previously been shown to inhibit IL‐12p70 activity and interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) production. However, recent evidence has suggested that the role of IL‐12p40 is more complex. To study the contribution of IL‐12p40 to immune responses against mycobacterial infections, we have used transgenic (tg) mice overexpressing IL‐12p40 under the control of a major histocompatibility complex‐II promoter. The IL‐12p40 transgene was expressed during steady state at concentrations of 129 ± 25 ng/ml of serum and 75 ± 13 ng per spleen, while endogenous IL‐12p40 was hardly detectable in control littermates. Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) infection strongly induced the expression of IL‐12p40 transgene in infected organs, and IL‐12p40 monomeric and dimeric forms were identified in spleen of IL‐12p40 tg mice. Excessive production of IL‐12p40 resulted in a 14‐fold increase in IL‐12p70 serum levels in tg mice versus non‐transgenic mice. IL‐23 was also strongly elevated in the serum and spleens of IL‐12p40 tg mice through BCG infection. While IFN‐γ and tumour necrosis factor protein levels were similar in IL‐12p40 tg and non‐transgenic mice, Th2 type immune responses were reduced in IL‐12p40 tg mice. The number of BCG granulomas and macrophage expressing inducible nitric oxide synthase were similar in IL‐12p40 tg and non‐transgenic mice. IL‐12p40 tg mice were as resistant as non‐transgenic mice to BCG and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections as they could efficiently control bacillary growth. These data show that high amounts of IL‐12p40 promotes IL‐12p70 and IL‐23 formation, but that does not affect T helper 1 type immune responses and granuloma function, thus leading to normal mycobacterial clearance in infected organs.
Direct infection of potato tubers by the root parasiteOrobanche aegyptiaca
Authors: JOEL D M 
Published: July 2007

SummaryParasitic plants of the Orobanchaceae are known as obligate root parasites that develop haustoria that connect to roots of various host plants. This article describes, for the first time, a case where the root parasite successfully connected to potato tubers, i.e. to the swollen portion of an underground stem rather than to a root. The rhizosphere ofOrobanche aegyptiacaand of its hostSolanum tuberosum(potato) was carefully examined. In anatomical studies, the adventitious roots were directly connected to potato tubers. Numerous secondary haustoria, which developed along the adventitious roots in close vicinity to the potato tuber, penetrated the tuber epidermis and the perimedullary tuber parenchyma and developed xylem strands that are presumably connected to the minor xylem strands within the tuber cortex. These findings indicate that parasites of the Orobanchaceae that normally attack host roots may also parasitise underground stem tubers.
Determination of self‐incompatible genotypes in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) accessions and cultivars of the German Fruit Gene Bank and from private collections
Authors: Schuster M. , Flachowsky H. , Köhler D. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractSweet cherries are self‐incompatible because of a gametophytic self‐incompatibility system. S alleles in the style and pollen determine the crossing relationships. Knowledge of the S allele constitution of cultivars is very important for cherry growers and breeders, and recently, molecular methods have been developed to distinguish the S alleles in sweet cherries. The S allele genotypes of 149 sweet cherry cultivars and clones, including 126 not previously genotyped, were determined by using PCR analysis. Thirteen different S alleles in 40 combinations were distinguished and nine new incompatibility groups were documented. Two new S alleles were identified in five local sweet cherry processing cultivars from southwestern Germany using the second intron primers. The sequence of these alleles was determined and compared to all known sequences available in the NCBI database. The sequences obtained showed high similarities to the alleles S19 and S22, previously described only in wild cherries, Prunus avium L.
Dynamic analyses of rice blast resistance for the assessment of genetic and environmental effects
Authors: Li Y. B. , Wu C. J. , Jiang G. H. , Wang L. Q. , He Y. Q. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractA doubled haploid population was employed to characterize the dynamic changes of the genetic components involved in rice blast resistance, including main‐effect quantitative trait loci (QTLs), epistatic QTLs and QTL‐by‐environment interactions. The study was carried out at three different developmental stages of rice, using natural infection tests over 2 years. The number of main‐effect QTLs, epistatic QTLs and their environmental interactions differed across the various measuring stages. One QTL (d12) on chromosome 12 was detected at all stages, whereas most QTLs were active only at one or two stages in the population. These findings suggest that the unstable expression of most QTLs identified for blast resistance was influenced by the developmental status of the plants, epistatic effects between different loci and the environments in which they were grown. These findings demonstrate the complexity of expression of rice blast resistance and have important implications for durable resistance‐breeding and map‐based cloning of quantitative traits.
Spectrum of autoimmune liver diseases in western India
Authors: Amarapurkar Deepak N , Patel Nikhil D 
Published: July 2007

AbstractBackground and Aim:  The prevalence and spectrum of autoimmune liver diseases (AILDs) in India are rarely reported in comparison to the West.Method:  During a study period of 7 years, all patients with chronic liver diseases (CLDs) were evaluated for the presence of AILDs on the basis of clinical, biochemical, imaging, serological, and histological characteristics.Results:  Of a total of 1760 CLD patients (38.1% females), 102 patients (5.7%) had an AILD. A total of 75 (11.2%) female patients had an AILD. Among males, 27 (2.4%) had an AILD. The prevalence of AILDs in women increased from 11.2% to 45.7% and in men from 2.4% to 10.3%, after excluding alcohol, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus as a cause of CLD. Of the AILDs, autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) was present in 79 patients (77.4%), followed in descending order by primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in 10 patients (9.8%), PBC/AIH true overlap syndrome in six patients (5.8%), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in five patients (4.9%), and PBC/AIH switchover syndrome in two patients (1.9%). None had PSC/AIH or PBC/PSC overlap syndrome. Associated known autoimmune diseases were found in 40 (39.2%) patients.Conclusions:  AILDs are not uncommon in India. They should be suspected in all cases of CLDs, especially in middle‐aged women who do not have problems with alcoholism and who are without viral etiology, as well as in all patients with known autoimmune diseases.
Migrating neuroblasts of the rostral migratory stream are putative targets for the action of nitric oxide
Authors: Gutièrrez‐Mecinas María , Crespo Carlos , Blasco‐Ibáñez José Miguel , Nácher Juan , Varea Emilio , Martínez‐Guijarro Francisco José 
Published: July 2007

AbstractIt has been demonstrated that the gaseous messenger nitric oxide influences cell proliferation and cell migration, and therefore affects adult neurogenesis in mammals. Here, we investigated the putative targets for this action in the rostral migratory stream of the rat. We used immunocytochemical detection of the β1 subunit of the enzyme soluble guanylyl cyclase, which can be activated by nitric oxide. Our results under light and electron microscopy demonstrated that the migrating neuroblasts (type A cells) were β1‐immunopositive. The astrocytes (type B cells), immature precursors (type C cells) and ependymal cells (type E cells) were β1‐immunonegative. The neurochemical characterization of the soluble guanylyl cyclase‐containing cells confirmed these results. In this regard, the β1‐containing cells expressed doublecortin, a protein expressed by type A cells, and did not express glial fibrillary acidic protein, which is a marker for type B cells. Injection of 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine 2 h before killing demonstrated that proliferating cells did not contain soluble guanylyl cyclase. Finally, we found that β1‐containing type A cells also expressed the A3 subunit of the cyclic nucleotide‐gated ion channels. Altogether, the present results indicate that nitric oxide may influence adult neurogenesis acting on the migrating neuroblasts of the rostral migratory stream. In these cells, nitric oxide may activate the enzyme soluble guanylyl cyclase, triggering the production of the second messenger cGMP. In turn, cGMP might induce the opening of cyclic nucleotide‐gated ion channels, which are present in these cells.
Human impacts on the species–area relationship in reef fish assemblages
Authors: Tittensor Derek P. , Micheli Fiorenza , Nyström Magnus , Worm Boris 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThe relationship between species richness and area is one of the oldest, most recognized patterns in ecology. Here we provide empirical evidence for strong impacts of fisheries exploitation on the slope of the species–area relationship (SAR). Using comparative field surveys of fish on protected and exploited reefs in three oceans and the Mediterranean Sea, we show that exploitation consistently depresses the slope of the SAR for both power‐law and exponential models. The magnitude of change appears to be proportional to fishing intensity. Results are independent of taxonomic resolution and robust across coral and rocky reefs, sampling protocols and statistical methods. Changes in species richness, relative abundance and patch occupancy all appear to contribute to this pattern. We conclude that exploitation pressure impacts the fundamental scaling of biodiversity as well as the species richness and spatial distribution patterns of reef fish. We propose that species–area curves can be sensitive indicators of community‐level changes in biodiversity, and may be useful in quantifying the human imprint on reef biodiversity, and potentially elsewhere.
Growth–size scaling relationships of woody plant species differ from predictions of the Metabolic Ecology Model
Authors: Russo Sabrina E. , Wiser Susan K. , Coomes David A. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThe Metabolic Ecology Model predicts that tree diameter (D) growth (dD/dt) scales withD1/3. Using data on diameter growth and height–diameter relationships for 56 and 40 woody species, respectively, from forests throughout New Zealand, we tested one prediction and two assumptions of this model: (i) the exponent of the growth–diameter scaling relationship equals 1/3 and is invariant among species and growth forms, (ii) small and large individuals are invariant in their exponents and (iii) tree height scales withD2/3. We found virtually no support for any prediction or assumption: growth–diameter scaling exponents varied substantially among species and growth forms, correlated positively with species’ maximum height, and shifted significantly with increasing individual size. Tree height did not scale invariantly with diameter. Based on a quantitative test, violation of these assumptions alone could not explain the model's poor fit to our data, possibly reflecting multiple, unsound assumptions, as well as unaccounted‐for variation that should be incorporated.
Rural Development and Embeddedness: The Importance of Human Relations for Industrial Restructuring in Rural Areas
Authors: Fløysand Arnt , Sjøholt Peter 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThis article offers a critical reading of theories on embeddedness emphasised in discussions on restructuring and other changes in rural areas. Despite expanding globalisation, embeddedness is considered a local or regional phenomenon that generally promotes the socioeconomic development of rural areas. We argue that the ways in which different forms of embeddedness affect industrial restructuring in a rural place, and how strongly they do so are not given a priori. In addition, embeddedness may differ in geographical scale. This makes us introduce a social field approach that we argue can handle the challenge of mapping multi‐scale and multicultural forms of embeddedness and its significance for economic performance and local economic development. The empirical part of the article starts by analysing changes in the geographical embeddedness of the industrial environment in the municipality of Stryn, Norway. This is followed by a discussion of the cultural embeddedness of the environment, focusing on untraded assets in the present social field system of the industry. The case study demonstrates that industrial environments in peripheral areas should balance social fields of different untraded assets and scope to promote viable communities.
Association of insertion/deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin‐converting enzyme gene with angio‐oedema accompanying chronic urticaria but not chronic urticaria without angio‐oedema or the autologous serum skin test response
Authors: Akcali C , Ozkur M , Erbagci Z , Benlier N , Aynacioglu AS 
Published: July 2007

AbstractBackground  Chronic urticaria is defined as the daily or almost daily occurrence of weals for more than 6 weeks. The underlying pathophysiology is reported to be mast cell activation, with release of mast cell mediators, predominantly histamine. Substance P is a neuropeptide and has the capacity to provoke histamine release from skin mast cells. Angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE), widely expressed in skin, is one of the major peptidase for the degradation of substance P. An insertion/deletion polymorphism (I/D) in the ACE gene has been reported to be related to the levels of enzyme.Objective  An increase in substance P levels due to a polymorphism in ACE gene might be related to the pathology. Thus, we aimed to investigate whether there is an association between ACE I/D polymorphism and chronic ordinary urticaria.Methods Ninety‐five patients with chronic ordinary urticaria were recruited and divided into two groups according to autologous serum skin test status and accompanying angio‐oedema. One hundred and sixty‐one healthy subjects were enrolled as control group. All participants were genotyped for I/D polymorphism in intron 16 of the ACE gene by polymerase chain reaction.Results  A statistically significant association was not found between ACE I/D polymorphism and chronic ordinary urticaria. Further analyses of chronic ordinary urticaria patients showed that ACE I/D polymorphism was not associated with autologous serum skin test status of patients. However, the frequencies of II genotype and I allele were statistically significantly higher in chronic ordinary urticaria patients with accompanying angio‐oedema with regard to angio‐oedema‐negative patients (II genotype: 24% vs. 9%, P = 0.0002; I allele: 58% vs. 27%, P = 0.0001) and control group (II genotype: 24% vs. 19%, P = 0.01; I allele: 58% vs. 41%, P = 0.03).Conclusion  The results of this study suggest no evidence of an association between ACE I/D polymorphism and risk of developing chronic ordinary urticaria. However, it can be a contributing factor to susceptibility of angio‐oedema in chronic ordinary urticaria.
Molecular mechanisms in the formation of the medial longitudinal fascicle
Authors: Ahsan Mansoor , Riley Kerry‐lyn , Schubert Frank R. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThe first neurons in the vertebrate brain form a stereotypical array of longitudinal and transversal axon tracts, the early axon scaffold. This scaffold is thought to lay down the basic structure for the later, more complex neuronal pathways in the brain. The ventral longitudinal tract is pioneered by neurons located at the ventral midbrain–forebrain boundary, which form the medial longitudinal fascicle. Recent studies have shed some light on the molecular mechanisms that control the development of the medial longitudinal fascicle. Here, we show that patterning molecules, notably the ventralizing signalling molecule Shh, are involved in the formation of medial longitudinal fascicle neurons and in medial longitudinal fascicle axon guidance. Downstream of Shh, several homeobox genes are expressed in the tegmentum. We describe the expression patterns of Sax1, Emx2, Six3, Nkx2.2 and Pax6 in the mesencephalon and pretectum in detail. Furthermore, we review the evidence of their molecular interactions, and their involvement in neuronal fate specification. In particular, Sax1 plays a major role in fate determination of medial longitudinal fascicle neurons. Finally, we discuss the available data on axon guidance mechanisms for the medial longitudinal fascicle, which suggest that different guidance molecules such as class 3 Semaphorins, Slits and Netrins act to determine the caudal and ventral course of the medial longitudinal fascicle axons.
Leucine‐rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2)/PARK8 possesses GTPase activity that is altered in familial Parkinson’s disease R1441C/G mutants
Authors: Li Xianting , Tan Yin‐Cai , Poulose Shibu , Olanow C. Warren , Huang Xin‐Yun , Yue Zhenyu 
Published: July 2007

AbstractMutations in Leucine‐rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are linked to the most common familial forms and some sporadic forms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The LRRK2 protein contains two well‐known functional domains, MAPKKK‐like kinase and Rab‐like GTPase domains. Emerging evidence shows that LRRK2 contains kinase activity which is enhanced in several PD‐associated mutants of LRRK2. However, the GTPase activity of LRRK2 has yet to be formally demonstrated. Here, we produced and purified the epitope‐tagged LRRK2 protein from transgenic mouse brain, and showed that purified brain LRRK2 possesses both kinase and GTPase activity as assayed by GTP binding and hydrolysis. The brain LRRK2 is associated with elevated kinase activity in comparison to that from transgenic lung or transfected cultured cells. In transfected cell cultures, we detected GTP hydrolysis activity in full‐length as well as in GTPase domain of LRRK2. This result indicates that LRRK2 GTPase can be active independent of LRRK2 kinase activity (while LRRK2 kinase activity requires the presence of LRRK2 GTPase as previously shown). We further found that PD mutation R1441C/G in the GTPase domain causes reduced GTP hydrolysis activity, consistent with the altered enzymatic activity in the mutant LRRK2 carrying PD familial mutations. Therefore, our study shows the biochemical characteristics of brain‐specific LRRK2 which is associated with robust kinase and GTPase activity. The distinctive levels of kinase/GTPase activity in brain LRRK2 may help explain LRRK2‐associated neuronal functions or dysfunctions in the pathogenesis of PD.