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Discernible
Terms modified by Discernible Selected AbstractsSemi-Authoritarian Incorporation and Autocratic Militarism in TurkeyDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 4 2005Tim Jacoby This article argues that, since the early 1980s, there have been two regimes in Turkey. The first, which is broadly akin to Michael Mann's characterization of Semi-Authoritarian Incorporation, has predominated in areas of the country not administered through emergency legislation. In keeping with his model, it has been most fully asserted in areas of key economic value , particularly the Marmara region and the environs of the capital, Ankara. In the thirteen predominantly Kurdish provinces of the south-east of the country, on the other hand, a second of Mann's regime types, Autocratic Militarism, is discernible. This was institutionalized under a new constitutional structure introduced following the 1980 coup as a means of dealing with a rise in pro-Kurdish insurgency. [source] Weeding atypical glandular cell look-alikes from the true atypical lesions in liquid-based Pap tests: A reviewDIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2007Moira D. Wood M.D. Abstract The purpose of this review is to identify features that separate atypical glandular cells (AGC) associated with glandular neoplasia from its mimickers, both benign and neoplastic. We reviewed cases of AGC diagnosed on liquid-based Pap tests (LBP) for which corresponding histological follow-up was available. A review of the literature for similar studies in LBP tests was also conducted. We find that certain benign mimics can be reliably separated from AGC, but recommend caution in attempting to increase specificity at the risk of losing sensitivity. Although accounting for only a small percentage of diagnoses AGC require a thorough clinical evaluation, including colposcopy. Most cases are ultimately found to be benign. When evaluating smears suspicious for AGC, it is important to examine the subtle features which make truly atypical cells discernible from their numerous benign mimickers. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2007;35:12,17. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] A High-Frequency Investigation of the Interaction between Volatility and DAX ReturnsEUROPEAN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2010Philippe Masset G10; G12; G13 Abstract One of the most noticeable stylised facts in finance is that stock index returns are negatively correlated with changes in volatility. The economic rationale for the effect is still controversial. The competing explanations have different implications for the origin of the relationship: Are volatility changes induced by index movements, or inversely, does volatility drive index returns? To differentiate between the alternative hypotheses, we analyse the lead-lag relationship of option implied volatility and index return in Germany based on Granger causality tests and impulse-response functions. Our dataset consists of all transactions in DAX options and futures over the time period from 1995 to 2005. Analyzing returns over 5-minute intervals, we find that the relationship is return-driven in the sense that index returns Granger cause volatility changes. This causal relationship is statistically and economically significant and can be clearly separated from the contemporaneous correlation. The largest part of the implied volatility response occurs immediately, but we also observe a smaller retarded reaction for up to one hour. A volatility feedback effect is not discernible. If it exists, the stock market appears to correctly anticipate its importance for index returns. [source] Female oxytocin gene-knockout mice, in a semi-natural environment, display exaggerated aggressive behaviorGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 4 2005A. K. Ragnauth Compared to results from a generation of neuropharmacological work, the phenotype of mice lacking the oxytocin (OT) peptide gene was remarkably normal. An important component of the current experiments was to assay OT-knockout (OTKO) and wild-type (WT) littermate control mice living under controlled stressful conditions designed to mimic more closely the environment for which the mouse genome evolved. Furthermore, our experimental group was comprised of an all-female population, in contrast to previous studies which have focused on all-male populations. Our data indicated that aggressive behaviors initiated by OTKO during a food deprivation feeding challenge were considerably more intense and diverse than aggressive behaviors initiated by WT. From the measures of continuous social interaction in the intruder paradigm, it emerged that OTKO mice were more offensively aggressive (attacking rumps and tails) than WT. In a test of parental behaviors, OTKO mice were 100% infanticidal while WT were 16% infanticidal and 50% maternal. Finally, ,alpha females' (always OTKO) were identified in each experiment. They were the most aggressive, the first to feed and the most dominant at nesting behaviors. Semi-natural environments are excellent testing environments for elucidating behavioral differences between transgenic mice and their WT littermates which may not be ordinarily discernible. Future studies of mouse group behavior should include examining female groupings in addition to the more usual all-male groups. [source] Analysis of adobe wall composition at the Chaves-Hummingbird Site, New Mexico, by diffuse reflectance spectrophotometryGEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 8 2007William Balsam This article investigates adobe wall construction materials utilized by prehistoric inhabitants of Chaves-Hummingbird Pueblo, an ancestral Pueblo village located ,20 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The walls were constructed with native clay-rich soils some time between approximately 1275,1450 A.D. Samples were analyzed with a diffuse reflectance spectrophotometer from the near ultraviolet (NUV) through the visible (VIS) and into the near infrared (NIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Cluster analysis of samples from 275 adobe walls and 36 soil locations surrounding the pueblo room blocks indicates four clusters. Comparison of typical samples from the four clusters indicates that they are very similar and are distinguished by minor variations in the three primary spectrally determined components, Na-Ca montmorillonite, bentonite, and goethite. In general, clusters correspond with room construction episodes that are discernible through patterns of wall bonding and abutment recorded during the archaeological investigation of the site. This suggests that during different phases of construction the source of the wall adobe changed. Many of the soil samples are included in wall clusters and therefore reveal a potential source of material used for adobe, adjacent soils. However, not all the soil surrounding the pueblo grouped with wall clusters indicating a preference for certain soil types and that some soils were probably unsuitable for making adobe. Therefore, diversity in spectrally identified construction materials provides insights into source locations and possible construction preferences of the site inhabitants. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] TEMPERATURE PROXY RECORDS COVERING THE LAST TWO MILLENNIA: A TABULAR AND VISUAL OVERVIEWGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2009FREDRIK CHARPENTIER LJUNGQVIST ABSTRACT. Proxy data are our only source of knowledge of temperature variability in the period prior to instrumental temperature measurements. Until recently, very few quantitative palaeotemperature records extended back a millennium or more, but the number is now increasing. Here, the first systematic survey is presented, with graphic representations, of most quantitative temperature proxy data records covering the last two millennia that have been published in the peer-reviewed literature. In total, 71 series are presented together with basic essential information on each record. This overview will hopefully assist future palaeoclimatic research by facilitating an orientation among available palaeotemperature records and thus reduce the risk of missing less well-known proxy series. The records show an amplitude between maximum and minimum temperatures during the past two millennia on centennial timescales ranging from c. 0.5 to 4°C and averaging c. 1.5,2°C for both high and low latitudes, although these variations are not always occurring synchronous. Both the Medieval Warm Period, the Little Ice Age and the 20th century warming are clearly visible in most records, whereas the Roman Warm Period and the Dark Age Cold Period are less clearly discernible. [source] ,LE STYLE, C'EST LE DIABLE': TWENTIETH-CENTURY GERMAN POETRY IN DIALOGUE WITH PAUL VALÉRYGERMAN LIFE AND LETTERS, Issue 3 2007Robert Vilain ABSTRACT This article explores the dialectic of rejection and affinity shared by the responses to Paul Valéry of three non-German German-language poets. Despite significant affinities in cultural ambition and poetics (notably between ,L'Âme et la danse' and ,Das Gespräch über Gedichte'), there is little evidence of an influence exerted by Valéry on Hofmannsthal, who was strangely suspicious of him. In contrast, Rilke was hugely enthusiastic, and although his translations of Valéry did not give the often asserted impetus for the creative flowering of 1922, other somewhat uncharacteristic poems (such as ,Zueignung an M.' and ,Der Magier') positively reflect his encounter with Valéry's Mallarméan conception of the poet. However, his versions of Charmes display less poetological proximité than the revisionary effects of a much less overtly self-conscious view of poetry, shown here with ,Les Grenades'. Celan's translation of La Jeune Parque was a systematic attempt to subvert the solipsism of the original study in self-consciousness and ostensibly incarnates his rejection of the aesthetics of an overly intellectual poetry. However, possible reasons why his initial reluctance to translate Valéry was eventually overcome are discernible in the near-contemporaneous speech, ,Der Meridian', which explores the utopian notion of ,freiwerdende Sprache', partly in response to Valéry. [source] Evidence-based librarianship: what might we expect in the years ahead?,HEALTH INFORMATION & LIBRARIES JOURNAL, Issue 2 2002Jonathan D. Eldredge Objective: To predict the possible accomplishments of the Evidence-Based Librarianship (EBL) movement by the years 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020. Methods: Predictive. The author draws upon recent events, relevant historical events and anecdotal accounts to detect evidence of predictable trends. Results: The author develops a set of probable predictions for the development of EBL. Although incomplete evidence exists, some trends still seem discernible. Conclusion: By 2020, EBL will have become indistinguishable from mainstream health sciences librarianship/informatics practices. [source] Water resources in mountain regions: a methodological approach to assess the water balance in a highland-lowland-systemHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 5 2007Rolf Weingartner Abstract Mountains and highlands are typically areas that provide considerable quantities of water, the latter being an important resource for the lowlands. These run-off quantities remain discernible in the superior-scale river systems and significantly contribute to the global water resources. Therefore, mountain regions ought to be given specific consideration with regard to management endeavours. Although well known in principle, details of water resources originating from mountains remain under discussion. A new approach has been introduced, which depicts the water balance of Switzerland in a spatially distributed manner, based on catchments of about 150 km2. The main feature of this approach is the areal precipitation, which is calculated using run-off, evaporation and storage change of glaciers, instead of being derived from gauged precipitation values. This methodology was selected because measurement and regionalization of precipitation remain subject to large uncertainties in mountainous areas. Subsequently, the view is widened to the European Alps, which, as compared with the surrounding lowlands, contribute considerably higher annual discharge, especially in the summer months. Finally, the focus is put on the hydrological significance of mountains in general. In dry regions, mountains, in particular, are indispensable contributors to the water resources downstream. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] MHC Class II epitope predictive algorithmsIMMUNOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Morten Nielsen Summary Major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) molecules sample peptides from the extracellular space, allowing the immune system to detect the presence of foreign microbes from this compartment. To be able to predict the immune response to given pathogens, a number of methods have been developed to predict peptide,MHC binding. However, few methods other than the pioneering TEPITOPE/ProPred method have been developed for MHC-II. Despite recent progress in method development, the predictive performance for MHC-II remains significantly lower than what can be obtained for MHC-I. One reason for this is that the MHC-II molecule is open at both ends allowing binding of peptides extending out of the groove. The binding core of MHC-II-bound peptides is therefore not known a priori and the binding motif is hence not readily discernible. Recent progress has been obtained by including the flanking residues in the predictions. All attempts to make ab initio predictions based on protein structure have failed to reach predictive performances similar to those that can be obtained by data-driven methods. Thousands of different MHC-II alleles exist in humans. Recently developed pan-specific methods have been able to make reasonably accurate predictions for alleles that were not included in the training data. These methods can be used to define supertypes (clusters) of MHC-II alleles where alleles within each supertype have similar binding specificities. Furthermore, the pan-specific methods have been used to make a graphical atlas such as the MHCMotifviewer, which allows for visual comparison of specificities of different alleles. [source] On the relationship between global warming, local warming in the Netherlands and changes in circulation in the 20th centuryINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 14 2003Geert Jan van Oldenborgh Abstract The temperature in De Bilt in the Netherlands has risen by 1 K over the 20th century. This rise parallels the rise in global temperature quite closely, albeit with a slightly higher amplitude. A linear relationship between the two, with a regression coefficient close to one, is an obvious first-order approximation. This is supported by the spatial homogeneity of global warming during the 20th century, the lack of seasonality in the temperature rise, and the residuals being almost white in time. The wind direction is used as a proxy for circulation type. Locally measured wind direction gives the same results as geostrophic wind direction from pressure stations, so that systematic errors are not likely to be large. The temperature in the Netherlands, on the edge of the continent, strongly depends on the wind direction. For most wind directions and seasons the average temperature per wind direction has increased. The exception is northeasterly winds in winter, in which the variability is too large to observe a trend. The increased temperature for each wind direction can explain the observed temperature rise in all seasons within the 95% error estimates. Changes in the distribution of wind directions explain most of the interannual variability of temperature. On longer time scales, these changes have led to cooler weather in the middle of the century, but no trend is discernible over the whole century. However, in late winter and spring there is clear evidence for a change in the frequency distribution of circulation patterns affecting the Netherlands over the second half of the 20th century. During the months of February to April, more days with southwesterly wind and fewer with northeasterlies have increased the temperature even more than the observed increase in temperature per wind direction. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society [source] A President for the European Union: A New Actor in Town?,JCMS: JOURNAL OF COMMON MARKET STUDIES, Issue 2 2007SPYROS BLAVOUKOS In the post-Constitution EU, the rotating Presidency would be replaced by a hybrid system combining a rotating component with the establishment of a permanent President for the European Council. Using a principal-agent framework, we look at the supply and demand for formal leadership in the new system, accounting for the substantial institutional change in the format of the Presidency. We then examine the President's effectiveness and efficiency and discuss whether the President, as a new institutional actor, has the potential to evolve into an autonomous political actor in the EU. Our analysis suggests a discernible though by no means unconditional strengthening of the President's potential for an autonomous political role in the new EU institutional architecture. [source] Messiahs, Pariahs, and Donors: The Development of Social Representations of Organ TransplantsJOURNAL FOR THE THEORY OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, Issue 2 2000Gail Moloney This longitudinal, qualitative study investigated the genesis and transformation of the social representations of organ transplants. A search of the West Australian newspaper, from 1954 to 1995 found 672 articles pertaining to organ transplants. Two distinct, but conflicting, representations emerged in the analyses. In the first representation, found from 1967/68, the surgeon was paramount and organ transplants were iconised as ,spare part surgery'. In the second representation, found from 1984/85, the role of the donor was emphasised and transplants iconised as a ,gift of life'. Both representations were discernible in 1994/95. We consider the question whether there are now two conflicting representations or one representation with two conflicting sets of beliefs at its core. The results are discussed in terms of anchoring, objectification, transformation, and structure, as well as Moscovici's (1993) notion of canonic themata. [source] AM,FM techniques in the analysis of optical coherence tomography signalsJOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS, Issue 6-7 2009Costas Pitris Abstract The subtle tissue changes associated with the early stages of malignancies, such as cancer, are not clearly discernible even at the current, improved, resolution of optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems. However, these changes directly affect the spectral content of the OCT image that contains information regarding these unresolvable features. Spectral analysis of OCT signals has recently been shown to provide additional information, resulting in improved contrast, directly related to scatterer size changes. Amplitude modulation,frequency modulation (AM,FM) analysis, a fast and accurate technique for the estimation of the instantaneous frequency, phase, and amplitude of a signal, can also be applied to OCT images to extract scatterer-size information. The proposed technique could make available an extremely valuable tool for the investigation of disease characteristics that now remain below the resolution of OCT and could significantly improve the technology's diagnostic capabilities. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Estimation of Entrainment Response Using Electrograms from Remote Sites: Validation in Animal and Computer Models of Reentrant TachycardiaJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2003PETER E. HAMMER M.S. Estimation of Entrainment Response. Introduction: Studies suggest that entrainment response (ER) of reentrant tachycardia to overdrive pacing can be estimated using signals from sites other than the paced site. Methods and Results: A formula for estimation of ER using remote sites against the difference between the postpacing interval (PPI) and tachycardia cycle length (TCL) determined solely from the paced site signal was validated in experimental data and using a simple two-dimensional cellular automata model of reentry. The model also was used to study the behavior and features of entrained surfaces, including the resetting of tachycardia phase by single premature paced stimuli. Experimental results from 1,484 remote sites in 115 pacing sequences showed the average of the median ER estimate error at each pacing site was,2 ± 5 msec, and the median ER estimate was within 10 msec of PPI,TCL for 94% of pacing sites. From simulation results, ER at the paced site was accurately estimated from >99.8% of 20,764 remote sites during pacing at 24 sites and three paced cycle lengths. Intervals measured from remote electrograms revealed whether the site was activated orthodromically or nonorthodromically during pacing, and results of simulations illustrated that the portion of the surface activated nonorthodromically during pacing increased with distance from the pacing site to the circuit. The phenomenon of nonorthodromic activation of reentrant circuits predicted by modeling was discernible in measurements taken from the animal model of reentrant tachycardia. Results also showed that, for single premature stimuli that penetrated the tachycardia circuit, phase reset of the tachycardia was linearly related to distance between the central obstacle and the paced site. Conclusion: The ER is a complex but predictable perturbation of the global activation sequence of reentrant tachycardias. This predictability allows calculations of the response from anywhere on the perturbed surface. These findings suggest new techniques for measurement of the ER, which may lend themselves to computer-based methods for accurate and rapid mapping of reentrant circuits. [source] Structure of the skin of an air-breathing mudskipper, Periophthalmus magnuspinnatusJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2002J. Y. Park The epidermis of the mudskipper Periophthalmus magnuspinnatus consisted of three layers: the outermost layer, middle layer and stratum germinativum. Extensive vascular capillary networks were present near the superficial layer of epidermis and outermost layer. The diffusion distance between the vascular capillaries and the surface of epidermis was c. 1.5 ± 0.9,m. The middle layer consisted of small or voluminous cells swollen by epidermal cells. Due to the swollen cells, the thickness of the epidermis increased and the epidermis appeared web-like. The swollen cells contained tonofilaments, lucent contents and desmosomes. Fine blood capillaries were also discernible in this layer. Well-developed lymphatic spaces containing lymphocytes existed in the stratum germinativum. Numerous blood capillaries were present under the basement membrane. The dermis consisted of a stratum laxum and stratum compactum, and there was a definite area with acid mucopolysaccharides and a small scale in the stratum laxum. The skin had an epidermal pigment cell, dendritic melanophores (-cytes) containing melanin granules within their cytoplasm, and two kinds of dermal pigment cells, melanophores and colourless pigments containing reflecting platelets. [source] Interactions of ,-carrageenan Plus Other Hydrocolloids in Fish Myosystem GelsJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 6 2001M. Pérez-Mateos ABSTRACT: Mixtures of ,-carrageenan plus other hydrocolloids (locust bean, guar, xanthan, iota-carrageenan, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and sodium alginate) were examined for their effects on the mechanical and water holding properties of heat-induced gels made from washed blue whiting mince. Gel structure and thermal behavior were also studied. No synergistic effect was detectable through functional properties except for the mixture of ,-carrageenan with locust bean gum. Light microscopy revealed that ,-carrageenan and xanthan mixed locally with locust bean at its rich domains. ,-carrageenan and xanthan presented interactions with the protein matrix, which were more discernible in the first case. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed faint interactions for the mixtures of ,-carrageenan with locust bean and with xanthan, and weakly synergistic gelling effects between the last two hydrocolloids. The blend of ,-carrageenan with sodium alginate exhibited thermally strong synergistic interactions but no particular effects were induced on corresponding functional properties. [source] Finding the Findings in Qualitative StudiesJOURNAL OF NURSING SCHOLARSHIP, Issue 3 2002Margarete Sandelowski Purpose: To describe the challenges of finding the findings in qualitative studies. Method: Review of literature on representation in qualitative research and analysis of 99 reports of qualitative studies of women with HIV infection. Findings: Factors complicating finding the findings in qualitative studies include varied reporting styles, misrepresentation of data and analytic procedures as findings, misuse of quotes and theory, and lack of clarity concerning pattern and theme. Theses and dissertations present special challenges because they often contain several of these problems. Conclusions: Given the varied beliefs about findings among qualitative researchers, the challenge is to find ways to present findings that will make them discernible to the diverse audiences for whom they are intended, including researchers and practitioners. [source] Differential localization of laminin ,2 and integrin ,4 in primary cultures of the rat gingival epitheliumJOURNAL OF PERIODONTAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2006Michie Tanno Objectives:, The aim of this study was to investigate the differential immunolocalization of laminin ,2 and integrin ,4 in primary cultures of the rat gingival epithelium. Methods:, The gingival epithelium was obtained from Sprague-Dawley rats and was cultured in serum-free keratinocyte growth medium (DK-SFM). Western blotting analysis, immunofluorescence, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and immuno-gold labeling for laminin ,2 and integrin ,4 were employed. CLSM images for laminin and integrin were analyzed in horizontal (x,y axis) and in vertical (x,z axis) sections. Results:, Both laminin ,2 and integrin ,4 were detected by Western blot analysis in the gingival epithelium. Immunolocalization of laminin ,2 was distinct in the cytoplasm to form one or two irregular rings in gingival epithelial cells. By contrast, integrin ,4 was localized diffusely in the cytoplasm. F-actin (indicating actin filaments) was clearly discernible at the periphery of the cytoplasm to form a cellular fringe. In x,z axis images obtained by CLSM, laminin ,2 was recognized as large foci in the most inner portion just above the basal plasma membrane. Integrin ,4 existed in the area where F-actin was labeled surrounding the membrane. Immuno-electron microscopy showed that 10nm colloidal gold particles indicating laminin ,2 were mainly localized at the extracellular portion and in the peripheral cytoplasm, whereas integrin ,4 was distributed in the cytoplasm close to the basal plasma membrane but not in extracellular regions. Conclusions:, In primary cultures of the rat gingival epithelium, both laminin ,2 and integrin ,4 may be produced by the epithelium, and irregular rings of laminin ,2 are formed in areas where gingival cells adhere to the extracellular matrix. [source] "The Evil State of Tepidity": Mass-Going and Absenteeism in Nineteenth-Century Australian Ecclesiastical Discourse,JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS HISTORY, Issue 1 2009GAVIN BROWN This paper sets out to explore how the Australian Catholic Church's perceptions of Mass-going and absenteeism evolved in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. By examining the Lenten pastorals of Archbishop John Polding of Sydney, along with various mission sermons, the paper argues that a decisive shift is discernible after the 1860s. Where previous emphasis had fallen on absenteeism as a breakdown in the individual's relationship with God, later understandings introduced a dominant ecclesial imperative: Catholics who failed to attend Mass were also weakening the Church and effectively aiding hostile secular and Protestant forces arrayed against her. This shift was itself the product of a critical transformation in the field of ecclesiastical discourse as it gravitated inexorably towards more agonistic expressions. [source] In vivo near-IR imaging of approximal dental decay at 1,310,nmLASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE, Issue 4 2010Michal Staninec DDS Abstract Objective The high transparency of dental enamel in the near-IR (NIR) light at 1,310-nm can be exploited for imaging dental caries without the use of ionizing radiation (X-rays). We present the results of the first in vivo imaging study in which NIR images were acquired of approximal contact surfaces. Methods NIR imaging hand-pieces were developed and attached to a compact InGaAs focal plane array and subsequently used to acquire in vivo NIR images of 33 caries lesions on 18 test subjects. The carious lesions were discernible on bitewing radiographs, but were not visible upon clinical examination. Results NIR images were acquired in vivo from three directions and the majority of lesions examined were too small to require restoration, based on accepted bitewing radiograph criteria. All but one of the 33 lesions examined were successfully imaged from at least one direction. Conclusion This first in vivo study of imaging at the 1,310-nm wavelength region shows that NIR imaging has great potential as a screening tool for the detection of approximal lesions without the use of ionizing radiation. Lasers Surg. Med. 42:292,298, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Histochemical analysis of lymphatic endothelial cells in lymphostasisMICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE, Issue 2 2001Rui-Cheng Ji Abstract The ultrastructure of endothelial cells of intestinal lymphatics and the thoracic duct (TD) and the relation to lymphostasis were examined in rats and monkeys. Localization of 5,-nucleotidase (5,-Nase) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) was studied. In normal lymphatic endothelial cells, 5,-Nase reaction product was evenly deposited on the cell surface in vivo and on cultured TD endothelial cells (TDECs), whereas eNOS was evenly distributed throughout the nucleus and cytoplasm. TDECs had a long filamentous process extending towards the subendothelial extracellular matrix but became flat and regular within 30,40 minutes after gastric perfusion with olive oil. According to their electron-density, two types of cells were found in the TD endothelial layer. The cells with low electron-density exhibited stronger 5,-Nase activity. Valves were bicuspid formations and the valvular endothelial surface of the convex side showed weaker 5,-Nase activity than the concave side. During TD blockage-induced lymphostasis in rats, the 5,-Nase product was almost not discernible in the TDECs within 2 weeks. Larger vesicles were found in the endothelial cytoplasm of the ligated TD. Their number decreased after 6,12 weeks. The small intestinal lymphatics in the mucosa and submucosa were dilated, with numerous open intercellular junctions. The endothelial lining appeared to have reduced activities for 5,-Nase and eNOS in 9 of 11 experimental animals. The results indicated that the inability of the open intercellular junctions, normally working as one-way endothelial flap valves, may be a key morphological feature after TD blockage. Reduced eNOS and 5,-Nase may functionally influence contractile activity and transport capability of the lymphatic vessels in the lymphostasis. Microsc. Res. Tech. 55:70,80, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Gender-related changes in the avian vasotocin system during ontogenyMICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE, Issue 1 2001Aleksandr Jurkevich Abstract The arginine vasotocin (AVT) system of the avian brain includes a sexually dimorphic part that extends from the caudal part of preoptic region through the medial part of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BSTm) to the lateral septum. It is composed of the parvocellular neurons located in the BSTm and the dense innervation of the medial preoptic region and lateral septum. In this part of the brain, AVT expression is stronger in males than in females in a few bird species investigated to date. This review focuses on the ontogeny of sexual differences in the vasotocinergic system of two gallinaceous species, domestic chicken and Japanese quail, and on the role of gonadal hormones in organizing during development and maintaining in adulthood these differences. Parvocellular AVT neurons become discernible in the BSTm of males and females during the second half of embryonic development. These cells undergo a profound and irreversible sexual differentiation during ontogenetic development. Recent findings demonstrate a dual role of estrogens in the organization and activation of sex differences in the AVT system. During the embryonic period of ontogeny, estrogens differentiate the AVT system in a sexually dimorphic manner in parallel with the differentiation of sexual behavior, while in adulthood estrogens, locally produced from testosterone in the male brain, activate AVT synthesis in the BSTm. The sexually dimorphic part of the AVT system is sensitive to a number of abiotic factors such as light, temperature, and water availability. It is suggested that sex dimorphic vasotocinergic systems could be implicated in processes of social recognition in various behavioral contexts. Microsc. Res. Tech. 55:27,36, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Knowledge and Artifacts: People and ObjectsMUSEUM ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Tom G. Svensson Abstract In the study of material culture, the connection between artifacts and knowledge is discernible. The knowledge derives primarily from people, the indigenous voice. To elucidate the inter-relationship between knowledge and objects, a narrative approach will be emphasized. The main argument relates to the connection of oral history, material culture, and ethnographic museums. My empirical frame of reference is the Sámi culture in Northern Fennoscandia and its basketry tradition, and the general focus will emphasize adequate knowledge-generating processes. One single object, a so-called mini kisa, collected in 2003, will be used as a case in point. The body of knowledge discussed contains both tangible and intangible heritage, thereby making the object speak for culture. And, in my view, museums have an obligation to master these demands. [source] Consequences of No Child Left Behind on evaluation purpose, design, and impactNEW DIRECTIONS FOR EVALUATION, Issue 117 2008Linda Mabry As an outgrowth of No Child Left Behind's narrow definition of scientifically based research, the priority given to certain quantitative evaluation designs has sparked debate among those in the evaluation community. Federal mandates for particular evaluation methodologies run counter to evaluation practice and to the direction of most evaluation theorists, who advocate for flexibility and adaptability in methods choices. The impact of this mandate for randomized clinical trials as the sine qua non of evaluation methods is not yet discernible, but the potential impact is explored through an analogous example involving the World Bank. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Books and Bodies, Bound and UnboundORBIS LITERARUM, Issue 2 2009Thomas Pettitt A recent trend in literary history, cultural studies and folkloristics has been a ,corporeal turn', which focuses on how bodies are constructed and understood in texts and other cultural productions. A significant contribution from Guillemette Bolens identifies two distinct corporal constructions in medieval narrative: the contained body (an envelope vulnerable to penetration) and the articulated body (limbs and joints designed for motion). This perception is here extended to include narrative constructions of the environment (enclosures versus avenues and junctions). Furthermore Bolens's suggestion that articulated and contained bodies are mainly to be found, respectively, in oral tradition and textual culture, is elaborated to the thesis that the contained constructions will be particularly at home in the printed book, whose dominance is associated with cultural containment from a variety of perspectives. And a shift from predominantly articulated constructions to predominantly contained is indeed discernible in the wonder tale ,Red Riding Hood', as it modulates from oral tradition to printed fairy tale. Concluding speculations suggest that if the cultural dominance of the printed book has been a (,Gutenberg') parenthesis, the tale should now be reverting to articulated constructions as it escapes from books into the digital media and Internet technology. [source] Nanocrystalline boron-doped diamond films, a mixture of BCS-like and non-BCS-like superconducting grainsPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (A) APPLICATIONS AND MATERIALS SCIENCE, Issue 9 2010F. Dahlem Abstract Scanning tunneling topography and spectroscopy are performed below 100,mK on granular nanocrystalline boron-doped diamond (BDD) films. We found the superconductivity behavior to follow mainly the granular features of the BDD films. The temperature dependence of the local differential conductance spectra shows our nanocrystalline BDD films as made of grains with a supercondutivity either BCS-like or non-BCS-like. Such a distribution is not discernible in transport measurements, which present a sharp macroscopic superconducting transition at a temperature of a few Kelvins. Our local scanning tunneling microscopies also confirm the good coupling between these grains: only a few opaque interfaces are detected. Such a transparency of intergrain interfaces is responsible for a proximity effect in weakly superconductive grains and an inverse proximity effect in strongly superconducting grains. [source] UV luminescence of F-centers in aluminum oxidePHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (C) - CURRENT TOPICS IN SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 1 2005A.I. Surdo Abstract Time-resolved spectra of the luminescence in oxygen-deficient ,-Al2O3 crystals were studied using synchrotron radiation. The UV luminescence with h, = 3.26 eV and , = 1.6 ns was detected in addition to the known slowly relaxing component (h, = 3 eV, , = 34 ms) of the emission transition of the F-center under excitation near 6 eV. It is observed only at T , 80 K in spectra, which are measured using the orientation of the polarized excitation light approaching E , C3. Three bands at 5.28, 5.90 and 6.41 eV are discernible in the time-resolved spectrum of the luminescence (h, = 3.26 eV) excitation at T = 8 K. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Prophylaxis with Centella asiatica confers protection to prepubertal mice against 3-nitropropionic-acid-induced oxidative stress in brainPHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 6 2010George K. Shinomol Abstract While the usage of Centella asiatica (CA) is on the increase worldwide, evidence demonstrating its protective efficacy against neurotoxicants is scarce. Hence the present study aimed to understand the neuroprotective efficacy of a standardized aqueous extract of CA against 3-nitropropionic-acid(3-NPA)-induced oxidative stress in the brain of prepubertal mice. We assessed the degree of oxidative stress in cytoplasm of brain regions of male mice (4,wk- old) given CA prophylaxis (5,mg/kg bw) for 10 days followed by 3-NPA administration (i.p.75,mg/kg bw) on the last 2 days. The neurotoxicant elicited marked oxidative stress in the brain of untreated mice as evident by enhanced malondialdehyde levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, hydroperoxides and protein carbonyls (a measure of protein oxidation) in striatum and other regions (cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus), while CA prophylaxis completely ameliorated the 3-NPA- induced oxidative stress. Depletion of glutathione (GSH) levels, total thiols, perturbations in antioxidant enzymes and cholinergic enzymes in brain discernible among 3-NPA-treated mice were predominantly restored to normalcy with CA prophylaxis. It is hypothesized that the prophylactic protection offered by CA extract against neurotoxicant exposure may be largely due to its ability to enhance GSH, thiols and antioxidant defenses in the brain of prepubertal mice. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Ethnic Composition of Families in Russia in 1989: Insights into the Soviet "Nationalities Policy"POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, Issue 4 2002Nikolai BotevArticle first published online: 27 JAN 200 A sample from the 1989 Soviet census is used to study the ethnic composition of families in the Russian Federation on the eve of the breakup of the Soviet Union. The aim is to gain insight into the consequences of the Soviet "nationalities policy" through examining the marriage patterns of different ethnic groups and the nature of the relations between these groups. The analysis is based on general log-linear models. The main findings are: there was a relatively well-pronounced tendency toward endogamy; Russians were the least endoga-mous, while Chechens were the most endoga-mous among the 11 ethnic groups included in the analysis; "zones of attraction" related to exogamy were well discernible, the two most pronounced being within the Eastern Slav and Turkic groups; testing for cohort effects revealed a decrease in endogamy when older and middle cohorts were compared, while the differences between middle and younger cohorts were in many cases not statistically significant. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||