Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Research Papers (research + paper)
Selected AbstractsRESEARCH PAPER: The antihyperalgesic effect of levetiracetam in an inflammatory model of pain in rats: mechanism of actionBRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 2 2010A Micov BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Levetiracetam, a novel antiepileptic drug, has recently been shown to have antinociceptive effects in various animal models of pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antihyperalgesic effect of levetiracetam and its mechanism of action, by examining the involvement of GABAergic, opioidergic, 5-hydroxytryptaminergic (5-HTergic) and adrenergic systems in its effect, in a rat model of inflammatory pain. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Rats were intraplantarly injected with the pro-inflammatory compound carrageenan. A paw pressure test was used to determine: (i) the effect of levetiracetam on carrageenan-induced hyperalgesia; and (ii) the effects of bicuculline (selective GABAA receptor antagonist), naloxone (non-selective opioid receptor antagonist), methysergide (non-selective 5-HT receptor antagonist) and yohimbine (selective ,2 -adrenoceptor antagonist) on the antihyperalgesic action of levetiracetam. RESULTS Levetiracetam (10,200 mg·kg,1; p.o.) significantly reduced, in a dose-dependent manner, the inflammatory hyperalgesia induced by carrageenan. The antihyperalgesic effect of levetiracetam was significantly decreased after administration of bicuculline (0.5,2 mg·kg,1; i.p.), naloxone (1,3 mg·kg,1; i.p.), methysergide (0.25,1 mg·kg,1; i.p.) and yohimbine (1,3 mg·kg,1; i.p.). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These results show that levetiracetam produced antihyperalgesia which is at least in part mediated by GABAA, opioid, 5-HT and ,2 -adrenergic receptors, in an inflammatory model of pain. The efficacy of levetiracetam in this animal model of inflammatory pain suggests that it could be a potentially important agent for treating inflammatory pain conditions in humans. [source] RESEARCH PAPER: Effects of drug interactions on biotransformation and antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel in vitroBRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Anja Zahno BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The conversion of clopidogrel to its active metabolite, R-130964, is a two-step cytochrome P450 (CYP)-dependent process. The current investigations were performed to characterize in vitro the effects of different CYP inhibitors on the biotransformation and on the antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Clopidogrel biotransformation was studied using human liver microsomes (HLM) or specific CYPs and platelet aggregation using human platelets activated with ADP. KEY RESULTS Experiments using HLM or specific CYPs (3A4, 2C19) revealed that at clopidogrel concentrations >10 µM, CYP3A4 was primarily responsible for clopidogrel biotransformation. At a clopidogrel concentration of 40 µM, ketoconazole showed the strongest inhibitory effect on clopidogrel biotransformation and clopidogrel-associated inhibition of platelet aggregation with IC50 values of 0.03 ± 0.07 µM and 0.55 ± 0.06 µM respectively. Clarithromycin, another CYP3A4 inhibitor, impaired clopidogrel biotransformation and antiplatelet activity almost as effectively as ketoconazole. The CYP3A4 substrates atorvastatin and simvastatin both inhibited clopidogrel biotransformation and antiplatelet activity, less potently than ketoconazole. In contrast, pravastatin showed no inhibitory effect. As clopidogrel itself inhibited CYP2C19 at concentrations >10 µM, the CYP2C19 inhibitor lansozprazole affected clopidogrel biotransformation only at clopidogrel concentrations ,10 µM. The carboxylate metabolite of clopidogrel was not a CYP substrate and did not affect platelet aggregation. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS At clopidogrel concentrations >10 µM, CYP3A4 is mainly responsible for clopidogrel biotransformation, whereas CYP2C19 contributes only at clopidogrel concentrations ,10 µM. CYP2C19 inhibition by clopidogrel at concentrations >10 µM may explain the conflicting results between in vitro and in vivo investigations regarding drug interactions with clopidogrel. [source] Cover Picture: Electrophoresis 17/2008ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 17 2008Article first published online: 19 SEP 200 Issue no. 17 is a Special Issue on "Pharmaceutical Analysis" consisting of 25 papers that are arranged into five parts. This issue contains reviews on impurity profiling of pharmaceuticals, quality control of herbal medicines, and quality assurance of the glycosylation of antibodies. Research papers illustrate examples of enantioseparations, protein and macromolecule analysis, drug impurity profiling, determination of enzymatic activity by CE, and bioanalysis. [source] The appropriate use of references in a scientific research paperEMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 2 2002David McD Taylor Abstract References have an important and varied role in any scientific paper. Unfortunately, many authors do not appreciate this importance and errors within reference lists are frequently encountered. Most reference errors involve spelling, numerical and punctuation mistakes, although the use of too many, too few or even inappropriate references is often seen. The consequences of reference errors include difficulty in reference retrieval, limitation for the reader to read more widely, failure to credit the cited authors, and inaccuracies in citation indexes. This paper discusses the value of accurate reference lists and provides guidelines for their preparation. [source] A detailed analysis of hotspots and insulation breakdown phenomena in power inductor windings at high frequency regimes: overcurrents and overvoltagesEUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL POWER, Issue 6 2008J. A. Brandão Faria Abstract This research paper is the last of a group of three papers dedicated to the analysis and computation of the high-frequency electromagnetic behaviour of inductor windings where a multiconductor transmission line approach is used. The present work is essentially concerned with application aspects linked up with the important engineering problem of windings insulation damage, which can occur either because of excessive temperature (winding hotspots) or because of excessive electric field strength (dielectric breakdown). For single and multilayer windings we present here a wealth of information in graphical and tabular form concerning the distribution of voltages, currents, electric charges, charge densities, electric field components and power losses along the inductor winding turns, operating at the critical resonance frequencies characteristic of the structure (which is the worst possible scenario). This information is analysed and processed in order to allow for a detection of the winding zones where breakdown phenomena and hotspots could most probably occur. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Optimal Control of Rigid-Link Manipulators by Indirect MethodsGAMM - MITTEILUNGEN, Issue 1 2008Rainer Callies Abstract The present paper is a survey and research paper on the treatment of optimal control problems of rigid-link manipulators by indirect methods. Maximum Principle based approaches provide an excellent tool to calculate optimal reference trajectories for multi-link manipulators with high accuracy. Their major drawback was the need to explicitly formulate the complicated system of adjoint differential equations and to apply the full apparatus of optimal control theory. This is necessary in order to convert the optimal control problem into a piecewise defined, nonlinear multi-point boundary value problem. An accurate and efficient access to first- and higher-order derivatives is crucial. The approach described in this paper allows it to generate all the derivative information recursively and simultaneously with the recursive formulation of the equations of motion. Nonlinear state and control constraints are treated without any simplifications by transforming them into sequences of systems of linear equations. By these means, the modeling of the complete optimal control problem and the accompanying boundary value problem is automated to a great extent. The fast numerical solution is by the advanced multiple shooting method JANUS. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Systematic review and meta-analysis in anatomic pathologyHISTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2000M K Heatley Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are techniques of data retrieval and analysis which complement traditional narrative reviews. They are widely used in clinical medicine and are finding an increasing role in anatomical pathology. Performing high quality systematic review and meta-analysis requires the accumulation of large numbers of cases from well planned and executed studies and is facilitated if data is presented in a standardized manner. Techniques which allow data from individual patients included in a variety of different studies are now being developed indicating that in future research papers may require a more detailed description of results than in the past. This need may be met by posting anonymised data on the Internet. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are never complete since data are continually contributed and analyses constantly updated. As with any research paper, the results of these techniques require careful evaluation and the role of the expert reviewer is enlarged by these methodologies. [source] Thermoeconomic optimization of the geometry of an air conditioning precooling air reheater dehumidifierINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 4 2006Rahim K. Jassim Abstract Exergy method of optimization for the geometrical parameters of an air conditioning precooling air reheater with turbulent flow is developed in this paper. The method is based on exergy, economic analysis and optimization theory. As there are humid air streams involved in the heat transfer process, then there are irreversibilities or exergy destruction, which is due to pressure losses, temperature difference and specific humidity gradient. These principle components of total irreversibility are not independent and there is a trade-off between them. Therefore, the purpose of this research paper is to study the effect of the geometry and the specific humidity of the two streams on the irreversibilities of a crossflow precooling air reheater dehumidifier. Also, the optimum balance between the three components of irreversibility is determined thereby giving the optimum solution for heat exchanger area. The total cost function is expressed on an annualized basis of the sum of the precooler capital cost and the running cost attributable to the precooler irreversibility. This total cost function is optimized in this paper according to the optimum heat transfer area and the total irreversibilities. Two optimum heat transfer areas were found for minimum total irreversibility and minimum total annual cost for a specific example. Finally, the relations between the typical operational variables such as heat transfer area, Reynolds numbers and the total annual cost for the precooler is developed and presented in graphs, which allow the calculation of the optimal heat transfer area, which gives the optimum irreversibility and minimum total annual cost. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A novel approach to excellent UV protecting cotton fabric with functionalized MWNT containing water vapor permeable PU coatingJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 5 2007S. Mondal Abstract This research paper presented a novel approach of developing excellent protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation of cotton fabrics by means of water vapor permeable (WVP) coatings containing multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT), a stable and strongly UV absorbing species. The WVP of MWNT containing UV protective coatings of the present development are formed from solution polymer of hydrophilic polyurethane (HPU). MWNTs were dispersed in HPU solution by functionalization of MWNT. The nanotube containing HPU coating shows excellent protection against UV radiation, with only 1 wt % of MWNT (calculated based on solid content of the polymer), a UV Protection Factor (UPF) of 174 and with 2.5 wt % of MWNT a UPF of 421 was obtained, which stated excellent protection (UPF ,50) according to the Australian/New Zealand standards. Scanning electron micrographs of coated fabrics surface showed a film like polymer coating, confirming the fabric surface was successfully coated by polyurethane. The coated fabrics would maintain very good water vapor permeability, hence confirmed the wearing comfort. Room temperature (20,23°C) range soft segment crystal melting of HPU enhances the permeability of coated fabrics. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 3370,3376, 2007 [source] Palm oil mill effluent pretreatment using Moringa oleifera seeds as an environmentally friendly coagulant: laboratory and pilot plant studiesJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 12 2006Subhash Bhatia Abstract This research paper covers the suitability of the coagulation,flocculation process using Moringa oleifera seeds after oil extraction as a natural and environmentally friendly coagulant for palm oil mill effluent treatment. The performance of M. oleifera coagulant was studied along with the flocculant KP 9650 in removal of suspended solids, organic components and in increasing the floc size. The optimum values of the operating parameters obtained from the laboratory jar test were applied in a pilot-scale treatment plant comprised of coagulation,flocculation and filtration processes. Pilot-scale pretreatment resulted in 99.7% suspended solids removal, 71.5% COD reduction, 68.2% BOD reduction, 100% oil and grease removal and 91% TKN removal. In pilot plant pretreatment, the percentage recovery of water was 83.3%, and 99.7% sludge was recovered after dewatering in a filter press. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Triangulation mobility of auto-theft offendersJOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND OFFENDER PROFILING, Issue 2 2007Kelly Westerberg Abstract This research paper presents an examination of the journey to and from crime for auto-theft offenders in the UK. For 852 offences, ,wheel' distances are calculated for triangles formed by offenders' home location, theft location, and vehicle disposal location. The study demonstrates typical isosceles mobility triangles; distances travelled to and from home locations are roughly equal, whereas distances between theft and disposal points were shorter. Distances travelled by offenders under 17 years old and offences involving drug and drink were shown to be shorter than comparison groups. Prolific offenders tend to travel further, although there is significant variation in this subgroup. Explanations and implications are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Writes of Passage: Writing an Empirical Journal ArticleJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 4 2005Lynn White This article provides advice about preparing research reports for submission to professional journals in general and Journal of Marriage and Family in particular. In addition to working through all the major parts of a research paper, I provide some general advice about writing, editing, and revising. The article is intended to help new professionals improve the quality of their journal submissions and the likelihood of successful publication. [source] Hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of gallic acid in paracetamol-induced liver damage in miceJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 5 2010Mahaboob Khan Rasool Abstract Objectives The aim of this research paper was to investigate the hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of gallic acid in paracetamol-induced liver damage in mice. Methods In the present study, the hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of gallic acid were evaluated against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in mice and compared with the silymarin, a standard hepatoprotective drug. The mice received a single dose of paracetamol (900 mg/kg body weight i.p.). Gallic acid (100 mg/kg body weight i.p.) and silymarin (25 mg/kg body weight i.p.) were administered 30 min after the injection of paracetamol. After 4 h, liver marker enzymes (aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase) and inflammatory mediator tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-,) were estimated in serum, while the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione- S -transferase and glutathione) were determined in liver homogenate of the control and experimental mice. Key findings Increased activities of liver marker enzymes and elevated TNF-, and lipid peroxidation levels were observed in mice exposed to paracetamol (P < 0.05), whereas the antioxidant status was found to be depleted (P < 0.05) when compared with the control group. However gallic acid treatment (100 mg/kg body weight i.p.) significantly reverses (P < 0.05) the above changes by its antioxidant action compared to the control group as observed in the paracetamol-challenged mice. Conclusions The results clearly demonstrate that gallic acid possesses promising hepatoprotective effects. [source] A CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THEORY-BUILDING RESEARCH: GUIDELINES FOR SCIENTIFIC THEORY BUILDING,JOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2008JOHN G. WACKER Business academics have focused their attention on empirical investigation of programs' effect on organizational competitive performance. These studies primarily emphasize theory building. With the many definitions of theory, academics are not certain whether their research papers meet the specific requirements for theory development required by the academic field of the philosophy of science. Certainly, supply chain academics generally believe that their academic articles fulfill the requirements of theory building. Although many of these articles do have elements of theory, more focus is needed on the specific requirements of theory to assure that academic research is "good" theory building. The primary purpose of this research paper is to logically develop a set of guidelines to assist empirical researchers to assure that their studies fulfill the requirements of good theory based upon traditional scientific theory building. By fulfilling the requirements of good theory, researchers will develop studies that will have a lasting impact on their academic field. To achieve a lasting impact on an academic field, it is necessary to follow a logical plan. This article provides a plan for logical guidelines for developing an understanding of how and why "good" theory building is achieved. This article logically develops a formal conceptual definition of theory along with its related properties to understand these guidelines. Next, it analyzes the requirements of theory, "good" theory, and their properties. These guidelines are included in the existing philosophy of science publications. However, this article consolidates these sources and logically explains why these guidelines are needed. In the conclusion, the guidelines are summarized to serve as a summary checklist for supply chain researchers to use for ensuring their articles will be recognized as a contribution to the academic field. So in that sense, this article does not develop a revolutionary new insight into theory-building empirical articles, but rather integrates diverse traditional philosophy of science requirements into a much simpler set of guidelines. Through logical development of these guidelines, researchers will understand the structure of theory and how to ensure their studies can be modified to have a lasting impact on the field of supply chain management. [source] Re-constructing the urban landscape through community mapping: an attractive prospect for sustainability?AREA, Issue 2 2009Frances Fahy Community mapping is a relatively new tool with considerable potential in giving practical effect at the local level to sustainable development rhetoric. As a repository of socially constructed knowledge, it has considerable value in democratizing information both in terms of what is recorded and public access to it, in a manner that facilitates more meaningful participation of non-experts in planning and advocacy processes. Focusing on a community mapping project in Galway, Ireland, this research paper explores how the city's municipal authority is employing community mapping not just to record and promote the city's social, environmental, economic and cultural assets but also as a practical tool to bolster public participation in policy-making and to improve local communities' trust in the municipal authority, thereby shaping sustainability practices through enhanced governance. [source] research paper: Role of the cold shock domain protein A in the transcriptional regulation of HBG expressionBRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2010Raffaella Petruzzelli Summary Impaired switching from fetal haemoglobin (HbF) to adult globin gene expression leads to hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin (HPFH) in adult life. This is of prime interest because elevated HbF levels ameliorate ,-thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia. Fetal haemoglobin levels are regulated by complex mechanisms involving factors linked or not to the ,-globin gene (HBB) locus. To search for factors putatively involved in the expression of the ,-globin genes (HBG1, HBG2), we examined the reticulocyte transcriptome of three siblings who had different HbF levels and different degrees of ,-thalassaemia severity although they had the same ,BA - and ,,B cluster genotypes. By mRNA differential display we isolated the cDNA coding for the cold shock domain protein A (CSDA), also known as dbpA, previously reported to interact in vitro with the HBG2 promoter. Expression studies performed in K562 and in primary erythroid cells showed an inverse relationship between HBG and CSDA expression levels. Functional studies performed by Chromatin Immunoprecipitation and reporter gene assays in K562 cells demonstrated that CSDA is able to bind the HBG2 promoter and suppress its expression. Therefore, our study demonstrated that CSDA is a trans-acting repressor factor of HBG expression and modulates the HPFH phenotype. [source] A Content Analysis of Risk Management Disclosures in Canadian Annual ReportsCANADIAN JOURNAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES, Issue 2 2005Kaouthar Lajili Abstract This research paper examines risk information disclosures in Canadian annual reports to provide insights into the current risk disclosure environment, its characteristics, and the analytical usefulness of the information disclosed to the firm's stakeholders. Following a content analysis, the authors describe and then analyze in greater detail the subject matter of risk disclosures of TSE 300 Canadian companies by summarizing and classifying disclosed risk-related information. Results show a high degree of risk disclosure intensity reflecting both mandatory and voluntary risk management disclosures. However, the analytical power of such disclosures, as captured by the risk assessment analysis, appears to lack uniformity, clarity, and quantification, thus potentially limiting their usefulness. The authors conclude that more formalized and comprehensive risk disclosures might be desirable in the future to effectively reduce information asymmetries between management and stakeholders. Résumé La présente étude analyse les divulgations d'informations sur le risque dans les rapports annuels canadiens. Elle se propose de jeter une lumière sur l'environnement actuel de divulgation des risques, ses caractéristiques, et l'utilité analytique des informations divulguées pour les acteurs de l'industrie canadienne. Grâce à la méthode de l'analyse du contenu, les auteurs décrivent puis analysent de fa,on plus détaillée le contenu actuel des divulgations d'informations sur le risque des entreprises du TSE 300. Ils y parviennent en synthétisant et en catégorisant les informations divulguées. Les résultats montrent que les divulgations se font à une fréquence assez élevée, consécutive aux divulgations obligatoires et volontaires de gestion des risques. Cependant, vu la manière dont l'analyse d'évaluation des risques divulgue ces informations, leur pouvoir analytique semble manquer d'homogénéité, de clarté, et de quantification, ce qui limite potentiellement leur utilité. Les auteurs concluent qu'à l'avenir, les divulgations de risques gagneraient à être plus formalisées et plus complètes. Ceci permettrait de réduire l'asymétrie des informations entre les gestionnaires des risques et les investisseurs. [source] Publishing in the Majors: A Comparison of Accounting, Finance, Management, and Marketing,CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 1 2004EDWARD P. SWANSON Abstract Business schools evaluate publication records, especially for the promotion and tenure decision, by comparing the quality and quantity of a candidate's research with those of peers within the same discipline (intradisciplinary) and with those of academics from other business disciplines (interdisciplinary). A recently developed analytical model of the research review process provides theory about the norms used by editors and referees in deciding whether to publish research papers. The model predicts that interdisciplinary differences exist in quality norms, which could result in disparity among business disciplines in the number of top-tier articles published. I examine the period from 1980 to 1999 and, consistent with the theory, find that significant differences exist in the number of articles and proportion of doctoral faculty who published in the "major" journals in accounting, finance, management, and marketing. Most notably, the proportion of doctoral faculty publishing a major article is 1.4 to 2.4 times greater in the other business disciplines than in accounting (depending on the set of journals). The theory also predicts an upward drift over time in the quality norms used by referees. Consistent with a drift, the number of articles published has declined substantially in marketing and, to a lesser extent, in the other business disciplines. [source] Cover Picture: Electrophoresis 14'2010ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 14 2010Article first published online: 21 JUL 2010 Issue no. 14 is a "mini special issue" on "Microscale Separation Methods for Metabolomics" comprising 9 manuscripts on metabolomics and 12 manuscripts on various topics in nucleic acids, biomarkers, proteomics, miniaturization, etc. Part I has 9 manuscripts on metabolomics featuring new technological developments and the potential of CE-MS, targeted analysis of one class of metabolites and non-targeted analysis, and data interpretation that is essential to acquire useful biological information. In short, the importance of CE and, generally, of microscale separation methods for metabolomics is rapidly increasing and the papers published in this issue give an overview of this field. Part II has 2 research papers on biomarkers while Part III is on various aspects of nucleic acids including but not limited to genotyping, PCR, SSCP, PCR and detection of DNA. Part IV describes various aspects of fundamentals and methodology in microfluidics, cell lysates by 2-DE, CE-LIF of plasmid DNA, whole blood assay of trypsin activity, etc. [source] Cover Picture: Electrophoresis 12'2010ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 12 2010Article first published online: 18 JUN 2010 Issue no. 12 is a regular issue comprising 19 contributions distributed over five distinct parts. Part I has 7 articles describing novel methodologies pertaining to proteins and proteomics. Part II has 3 research papers on CEC stationary phases and CEC-MS. Part III is on detection approaches including a review article on the advances and applications of chemiluminescence coupled to CE. Part IV has two papers on enantioseparations, and Part V has four contributions on aptamers, human genetic, preparative FFE and microchannels. Featured articles include: Simplified method for concentration of mitochondrial membrane protein complexes ((10.1002/elps.201000019)) Analysis of low-molecular mass aldehydes in drinking waters through capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection ((10.1002/elps.200900734)) Selection of aptamers for signal transduction proteins by capillary electrophoresis ((10.1002/elps.200900543)) [source] Cover Picture: Electrophoresis 11'2010ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 11 2010Article first published online: 26 MAY 2010 Issue no. 11 is a special issue on "Bioanalysis" comprising 18 manuscripts distributed over six distinct parts. Part I has 3 review articles describing a novel approach for biopolymer focusing, free flow electrophoresis and mass spectrometry analysis of deamidation of proteins. Part II has 2 research papers on some fundamentals and methodology. Part III is on microRNA while Part IV is on protein and protein complex analysis using CE and microfluidics. Part V, which is on gel based protein analysis and proteomic profiling, has 7 contributions making the bulk of the special issue. Finally, Part VI is on metabolic and toxicological profiling and has 3 contributions. [source] Cover Picture: Electrophoresis 6'2010ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 6 2010Article first published online: 22 MAR 2010 Issue no. 6 is a regular issue consisting of 18 full research papers. The first paper is a "Fast Track" contribution involving microchip electrophoresis of Alu elements for gender determination and inference of human ethnic origin. The remaining 17 papers are distributed over 5 different parts: Part I is on some trends in CEC; Part II deals with enantioseparations; Part III describes some novel detection approaches; Part IV has investigations on proteomics and proteins; Part V tackles the subjects related to pathogens, bacteria and the binding of aptamers to small solutes. [source] Cover Picture: Electrophoresis 5'2010ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 5 2010Article first published online: 26 FEB 2010 Issue no. 5 is a Special issue on "Fundamentals of Electrophoresis". Part I has 5 review articles on the various fields of electrophoresis. Separation in nano-channels is treated in 3 articles in Part II. Part III has 3 research papers on computer simulation of electromigration and Part IV also has 3 articles on stacking and focusing. Interaction in electrophoretic systems is the subject of Part V which has 6 research papers. Finally, electroosmotic flow is described in 1 paper in part VI. [source] Cover Picture: Electrophoresis 16'09ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 16 2009Article first published online: 18 AUG 200 Issue no. 16 is a special on "Enantioseparations". It consists of 19 research papers and 2 review articles distributed over 4 different parts. The two review articles make up Part I and focus on recent developments in microchip enantioseparations and chiral analysis of drugs, metabolites and biomarkers in biological samples. The 19 research papers are distributed over the remaining 3 parts including "Fundamentals and Methodologies", "Chiral Capillary Electrochromatography" and "Biomedical, Pharmaceutical, Food and Environmental Applications of Electromigration Techniques". Issue no. 16 also includes a Fast Track paper on the "Analysis of genetic variation in Globocephaloides populations from macropodid marsupials using a mutation scanning-based approach". [source] Anaphylaxis: Clinical concepts and research prioritiesEMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 2 2006Simon GA Brown Abstract Anaphylaxis is a severe immediate-type hypersensitivity reaction characterized by life-threatening upper airway obstruction bronchospasm and hypotension. Although many episodes are easy to diagnose by the combination of characteristic skin features with other organ effects, this is not always the case and a workable clinical definition of anaphylaxis and useful biomarkers of the condition have been elusive. A recently proposed consensus definition is ready for prospective validation. The cornerstones of management are the supine position, adrenaline and volume resuscitation. An intramuscular dose of adrenaline is generally recommended to initiate treatment. If additional adrenaline is required, then a controlled intravenous infusion might be more efficacious and safer than intravenous bolus administration. Additional bronchodilator treatment with continuous salbutamol and corticosteroids are used for severe and/or refractory bronchospasm. Aggressive volume resuscitation, selective vasopressors, atropine (for bradycardia), inotropes that bypass the ,-adrenoreceptor and bedside echocardiographic assessment should be considered for hypotension that is refractory to treatment. Management guidelines continue to be opinion- and consensus-based, with retrospective studies accounting for the vast majority of clinical research papers on the topic. The clinical spectrum of anaphylaxis including major disease subgroups requires clarification, and validated scoring systems and outcome measures are needed to enable good-quality prospective observational studies and randomized controlled trials. A systematic approach with multicentre collaboration is required to improve our understanding and management of this disease. [source] Dietary specialization and infochemical use in carnivorous arthropods: testing a conceptENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA, Issue 3 2003Johannes L. M. Steidle Abstract For the location of hosts and prey, insect carnivores (i.e., parasitoids or predators) often use infochemical cues that may originate from the host/prey itself but also from the food of the host/prey, a food plant, or another feeding substrate. These cues can be either specific for certain host/prey complexes or generally present in various complexes, and the reaction of the carnivores to these cues is either innate or learned. According to the concept on dietary specialization and infochemical use in natural enemies, the origin and specificity of the infochemical cues used and the innateness of the behavioural response are dependent on the degree of dietary specialization of the carnivore and its host/prey species. This concept has been widely adopted and has been frequently cited since its publication. Only few studies, however, have been explicitly designed to test predictions of the concept. Thus, more than 10 years after publication and despite of its broad acceptance, the general validity of the concept is still unclear. Using data from about 140 research papers on 95 species of parasitoids and predators, the present literature study comparatively scrutinises predictions from the concept. In accordance with the concept, learning to react to infochemicals and the use of general host and host plant cues was more often found in generalists than in specialists. In addition, more specialists were using specific infochemicals than generalists. In contrast to the concept, however, there was no significant difference between specialists and generalists in the proportion of carnivore species that use infochemicals during foraging and also extreme generalists are using infochemical cues for foraging. Likewise, an innate reaction to infochemicals was found in both specialists and generalists. Several reasons why infochemical use, including an innate reaction to infochemicals, is adaptive in generalist carnivores are discussed . We conclude that the concept has been a useful paradigm in advancing the chemical ecology of arthropod carnivores, but needs to be modified: the use of infochemicals is expected in all arthropod carnivores, regardless of dietary specialization. [source] Report from the Working Group of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan for the investigation of fraud in research papersGENES TO CELLS, Issue 8 2009Toshiki Tsurimoto First page of article [source] On the intertemporal value relevance of conventional financial accounting in AustraliaACCOUNTING & FINANCE, Issue 4 2007Mark Brimble G10; G14; M41 Abstract This paper examines whether the relevance of conventional (earnings focused) accounting information for valuation has declined in Australia over a recent period of 28 years. Motivation is provided by the anecdotal concerns of financial analysts, accounting regulators, and a cluster of US centric academic research papers that conclude that the relevance of financial accounting (and earnings in particular) has declined over time. After controlling for nonlinearities and stock price inefficiencies, we find that the value relevance of core accounting earnings has not declined. A possible exception is found for small stocks. We also observe that net book values are relatively less important in Australia when compared to the USA. Our results are informative for investors who require feedback on valuation issues and the International Accounting Standards Board regulators in any further moves towards a balance sheet focus. [source] Systematic review and meta-analysis in anatomic pathologyHISTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2000M K Heatley Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are techniques of data retrieval and analysis which complement traditional narrative reviews. They are widely used in clinical medicine and are finding an increasing role in anatomical pathology. Performing high quality systematic review and meta-analysis requires the accumulation of large numbers of cases from well planned and executed studies and is facilitated if data is presented in a standardized manner. Techniques which allow data from individual patients included in a variety of different studies are now being developed indicating that in future research papers may require a more detailed description of results than in the past. This need may be met by posting anonymised data on the Internet. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are never complete since data are continually contributed and analyses constantly updated. As with any research paper, the results of these techniques require careful evaluation and the role of the expert reviewer is enlarged by these methodologies. [source] Tribute to Professor Michael GibbinsACCOUNTING PERSPECTIVES, Issue 1 2009Karim Jamal ABSTRACT On May 2-3, 2008, the Alberta School of Business and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta (ICAA) sponsored a dinner and a one-day research workshop in Professor Michael Gibbins's honor. At the dinner on May 2, three presentations were made on the contribution of Professor Gibbins to accounting education, research, and the profession. At the research workshop on May 3, three research papers were presented, a panel discussed professional judgment issues in accounting and auditing, and a CFO gave a luncheon speech on the new financial presentation project of the Financial Accounting Standards Board. The dinner and symposium attracted participants from across Canada, the United States, Australia, and Singapore, which is not surprising given Professor Gibbins's global reputation. This paper summarizes the presentations and discussion that took place during the May 2 dinner and May 3 research workshop. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||