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Selected AbstractsA new task scheduling method for distributed programs that require memory managementCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 9 2006Hiroshi Koide Abstract In parallel and distributed applications, it is very likely that object-oriented languages, such as Java and Ruby, and large-scale semistructured data written in XML will be employed. However, because of their inherent dynamic memory management, parallel and distributed applications must sometimes suspend the execution of all tasks running on the processors. This adversely affects their execution on the parallel and distributed platform. In this paper, we propose a new task scheduling method called CP/MM (Critical Path/Memory Management) which can efficiently schedule tasks for applications requiring memory management. The underlying concept is to consider the cost due to memory management when the task scheduling system allocates ready (executable) coarse-grain tasks, or macro-tasks, to processors. We have developed three task scheduling modules, including CP/MM, for a task scheduling system which is implemented on a Java RMI (Remote Method Invocation) communication infrastructure. Our experimental results show that CP/MM can successfully prevent high-priority macro-tasks from being affected by the garbage collection arising from memory management, so that CP/MM can efficiently schedule distributed programs whose critical paths are relatively long. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] AUSTRALIAN EARLY RETIREMENT TAX BIASES PRIOR TO JULY 2007 AND THE LIKELY EFFECTS OF TAX REFORM ON RETIREMENT PLANSECONOMIC PAPERS: A JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECONOMICS AND POLICY, Issue 3 2008BRUCE FELMINGHAM We develop a simulation model explaining the accrual of retirement wealth gained from working one year beyond retirement and from this calculate an implicit tax rate on the additional year's work. We find that the pre-July 2007 Australian tax on retirement benefits was biased in favour of ages 59 and less, while the implicit rate was positive on retirement past 59. We also use the results of a national survey of 2,500 households (ASRAM SURVEY) to determine the likely response to the tax changes implemented in July 2007 and find that half those sampled are either very likely or likely to change their expected retirement dates in response to the tax changes. [source] Electroclinical Picture of Autosomal Dominant Nocturnal Frontal Lobe Epilepsy in a Japanese FamilyEPILEPSIA, Issue 1 2000Masatoshi Ito Summary: Purpose: Autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE) is the first described partial epilepsy syndrome known to be due to a single gene mutation. We found a first Japanese ADNFLE family with a novel mutation of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) ,4 subunit (CHRNA4) gene. The aim of this report is precisely to describe the electroclinical manifestations of ADNFLE in this family and to compare these findings with those of other families reported previously in the literature. Methods: Three affected family members were investigated electroclinically by close clinical observation, interictal EEG, video-EEG monitoring, magnetic resonance imaging, and single-photon-emission tomography. Information about other affected family members was obtained from either the spouse or the parents. Mutations within the CHRNA4 gene were examined in seven family members. Results: The clinical manifestations and diagnostic findings in the members of this family were consistent with ADNFLE. However, there were intrafamilial and interfamilial variations in clinical features. The seizures of the patients were brief tonic seizures, with hyperventilation in children and secondarily generalized tonic,clonic convulsions in adults. The onset of the children's seizures began in infancy and early childhood. The children's seizures were sometimes provoked by movement and sound stimulation, and did not respond to antiepileptic drugs. On the other hand, the adults' seizures disappeared spontaneously or were easily controlled with carbamazepine. Three children showed hyperactivity, and two children had mild mental retardation. All patients had impaired consciousness during their seizures and no auras. A novel missense mutation (c755C>T) in exon 5 of the CHRNA4 gene was found in four affected family members. Conclusions: The electroclinical pictures of a Japanese family with ADNFLE were basically the same as those of other families reported, but with slight differences. ADNFLE is probably not uncommon, and it is very likely that there are unidentified patients with this inherited disorder in Japan. [source] Safety and efficacy of transdermal fentanyl in patients with cancer pain: phase IV, Turkish oncology group trialEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 1 2007. KÖMÜRCÜ md We have performed a prospective evaluation of the efficacy, safety and convenience of the transdermal therapeutic system , fentanyl (TTS-F) in Turkish cancer patients when it was newly available in Turkey. Ninety-nine patients with historically confirmed malignancy and pain entered the study; the mean age was 55.1 (16,58) years. The study duration was 28 days. Transdermal therapeutic system , fentanyl was used in opioid-naïve or pre-treated patients. Most patients reported a decrease in pain severity. Use of rescue medication decreased from day 4 to day 28. The majority of patients rated patch convenience of use as excellent. A total of 22.2% of patients experienced adverse events that were either probably related or very likely to be related to the study drug. The majority of the adverse events mentioned were related to the digestive system. Eighteen serious adverse events were reported by 13 patients. Six events were doubtfully related, and 12 events were not related to the study drug. Four patients died during the trial. None of these deaths was attributed to the study drug. In conclusion, the trial showed that TTS-F is easily managed, effective and will help to enable the appropriate opioid administration to patients who are suffering from cancer pain in Turkey. [source] Atorvastatin therapy improves exercise oxygen uptake kinetics in post-myocardial infarction patientsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, Issue 6 2007M. Guazzi Abstract Background Statins represent a modern mainstay of the drug treatment of coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndromes. Reduced aerobic work performance and slowed VO2 kinetics are established features of the clinical picture of post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. We tested the hypothesis that statin therapy improves VO2 exercise performance in normocholesterolaemic post-MI patients. Materials and methods, According to a double-blinded, randomized, crossover and placebo-controlled study design, in 18 patients with uncomplicated recent (3 days) MI we investigated the effects of atorvastatin (20 mg day,1) on gas exchange kinetics by calculating VO2 effective time constant (tau) during a 50-watt constant workload exercise, brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) as an index of endothelial function, left ventricular function (echocardiography) and C-reactive protein (CRP, as an index of inflammation). Atorvastatin or placebo was given for 3 months each. Results, Atorvastatin therapy significantly improved exercise VO2 tau and FMD, and reduced CRP levels. We did not observe changes in cardiac contractile function and relaxation properties during all study periods in either group. Conclusions, In post-MI patients exercise performance is a potential additional target of benefits related to statin therapy. Endothelial function improvement is very likely implicated in this newly described therapeutic property. [source] Catalytic cleavage of methyl oleate or oleic acidEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF LIPID SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Angela Köckritz Abstract Different reaction pathways are discussed for the Os-catalyzed oxidation of methyl oleate and oleic acid using O2/aldehyde as oxidation system. Monomethyl azelate and pelargonic acid were the main products obtained in yields of approximately 50,70% starting from methyl oleate. Besides, varying amounts of methyl 9,10-epoxystearate and methyl 9,10-dihydroxystearate were found as by-products. Azelaic acid and pelargonic acid were obtained exclusively from oleic acid used as reactant. Some mechanistic considerations led to the conclusion that the observed products are formed in parallel reaction paths. The effective oxidant for the scission of the C=C double bond seems to be very likely an in situ formed peracid generated by Os-catalysis from O2/aldehyde. Additional investigations concerning the cleavage of oleic acid and methyl oleate with in situ formed performic acid from H2O2/formic acid corroborate this assumption. [source] The Free Movement of Goods as a Possible ,Community' Limitation on Industrial ConflictEUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 4 2000Giovanni Orlandini The aim of this essay is to underline the fact that the process of achieving single market integration is very likely to influence the regulation of industrial conflict. In this perspective, the Commission v France judgment is analysed, in which the ECJ,through a combined interpretation of Article 30 (now 28) and Article 5 (now 10) of the Treaty,states that a Member State is obliged to adopt all ,appropriate measures' to remove any ,obstacles' impeding the free circulation of goods caused by private persons. A new Regulation (n. 2679/98) has followed the ECJ decision, instituting a system of notification of such obstacles arising, or the threat of them, and the right of the Commission to demand a formal reply from a State on whether it has taken, or will be taking the necessary and proportionate measures. The analysis of the principles adopted by the ECJ and of the Regulation shows that, at Community level, pressure is exerted on States to prevent the exercise of collective action as effectively as possible, if this damages inter-State trade. A transnational limit on industrial conflict thus emerges in the Community order, which may well affect the equilibria of national industrial relations in various ways. [source] Origin of planktotrophy,evidence from early molluscsEVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2006Alexander Nützel SUMMARY The size of early ontogenetic shells (protoconchs) of ancient benthic molluscs suggests that feeding larvae occurred at about 490 myr (approximately, transition from Cambrian to Ordovician). Most studied Ordovician protoconchs were smaller than Cambrian ones, indicating smaller Ordovician eggs and hatchlings. This suggests substitution of nutritious reserve matter such as yolk by plankton as an energy source for larvae. The observed size change represents the first direct empiric evidence for a late Cambrian to Ordovician switch to planktotrophy in invertebrate larvae. It corroborates previous hypotheses about a possible polyphyly of planktotrophy. These hypotheses were primarily based on molecular clock data of extant clades with different types of larva, change in the overall body size, as well as increasing predation pressure on Early Paleozoic sea floors. The Early Ordovician is characterized by an explosive radiation of benthic suspension feeders and it was suggested that planktotrophy would prolongate escape from benthic predation on hatchlings. This biological escalation hypothesis does not fully explain why planktotrophy and suspension feeding became important at the same time, during a major biodiversification. An additional factor that probably included availability of nutrients must have played a role. We speculate that an increasing nutrient supply and availability of photoautotrophic plankton in world oceans have facilitated both planktotrophy and suspension feeding, which does not exclude a contemporaneous predation-driven escalation. It is very likely that the evolution of planktotrophy as well as increasing predation contributed to the Ordovician radiation. [source] Enzyme-mediated sulfide production for the reconstitution of [2Fe,2S] clusters into apo-biotin synthase of Escherichia coliFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 9 2000Sulfide transfer from cysteine to biotin We previously showed that biotin synthase in which the (Fe,S) cluster was labelled with 34S by reconstitution donates 34S to biotin [B. Tse Sum Bui, D. Florentin, F. Fournier, O. Ploux, A. Méjean & A. Marquet (1998) FEBS Lett. 440, 226,230]. We therefore proposed that the source of sulfur was very likely the (Fe,S) centre. This depletion of sulfur from the cluster during enzymatic reaction could explain the absence of turnover of the enzyme which means that to restore a catalytic activity, the clusters have to be regenerated. In this report, we show that the NifS protein from Azotobacter vinelandii and C-DES from Synechocystis as well as rhodanese from bovine liver can mobilize the sulfur, respectively, from cysteine and thiosulfate for the formation of a [2Fe,2S] cluster in the apoprotein of Escherichia coli biotin synthase. The reconstituted enzymes were as active as the native enzyme. When [35S]cysteine was used during the reconstitution experiments in the presence of NifS, labelled (Fe35S) biotin synthase was obtained. This enzyme produced [35S]biotin, confirming the results obtained with the 34S-reconstituted enzyme. NifS was also effective in mobilizing selenium from selenocystine to produce an (Fe,Se) cluster. However, though NifS could efficiently reconstitute holobiotin synthase from the apoform, starting from cysteine, these two effectors had no significant effect on the turnover of the enzyme in the in vitro assay. [source] Fish venom: pharmacological features and biological significanceFISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 2 2009Gisha Sivan Abstract Nearly 1200 species of marine fish are venomous and they account for two-third of the population of venomous vertebrates. Fish venoms are focused as a potential source of pharmacological agents and physiological tools that have evolved to target vital processes in the human body that appear to have more electivity than many drugs. Fish venoms possess cardiovascular, neuromuscular, oedematic and cytolytic activity. Lethal toxins have been isolated and purified, with some having LD50 values comparable to that of snake venoms. Cardiovascular activity seems to be the dominant effect of fish venoms in experimental models. Piscine venom acts both pre- and post-junctionally to produce depolarization of cell membranes. Studies on cytolytic activity of fish venom found that it produces lysis by forming hydrophilic pores in cell membranes which then result in cell lysis. Almost all fish venoms with neuromuscular activity also possesses cytolytic activity, and it is very likely that the two activities are related. Fish venom is known to induce intense and sustained edematogenic response. As piscine venoms have evolved for the same purpose, they show a number of similarities pharmacologically and it seems likely that most of the biological activities of any given toxin can be traced back to its cytolytic activity. A variety of toxins have been isolated from piscine venom. Although there is a complex balance between the components present in the venom of different fish, all of them seem to share similar activity , functionally and pharmacologically as well as structurally. [source] Genetic association tests in the presence of epistasis or gene-environment interactionGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 7 2008Kai WangArticle first published online: 24 APR 200 Abstract A genetic variant is very likely to manifest its effect on disease through its main effect as well as through its interaction with other genetic variants or environmental factors. Power to detect genetic variants can be greatly improved by modeling their main effects and their interaction effects through a common set of parameters or "generalized association parameters" (Chatterjee et al. [2006] Am. J. Hum. Genet. 79:1002,1016) because of the reduced number of degrees of freedom. Following this idea, I propose two models that extend the work by Chatterjee and colleagues. Particularly, I consider not only the case of relatively weak interaction effect compared to the main effect but also the case of relatively weak main effect. This latter case is perhaps more relevant to genetic association studies. The proposed methods are invariant to the choice of the allele for scoring genotypes or the choice of the reference genotype score. For each model, the asymptotic distribution of the likelihood ratio statistic is derived. Simulation studies suggest that the proposed methods are more powerful than existing ones under certain circumstances. Genet. Epidemiol. 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Does Administrative Corporatism Promote Trust and Deliberation?GOVERNANCE, Issue 4 2002Perola Öberg How corporatist arrangements actually work has not been empirically demonstrated, despite the theoretical focus on interest intermediation. This article investigates whether corporatism affects trust and deliberation in state activities, using Swedish public administration as a case study. First, it is doubtful that corporatism directly promotes trust among citizens, but it very likely promotes trust within and between the represented organizations. Second, interest,group representation cannot be understood as a process of strict delivering of positions adopted in advance. Preferences are often transformed in discussions where other interests are involved. Furthermore, the case investigated here shows that the decision,making process within a corporatist arrangement resembles deliberation, rather than negotiations between "contesting interests." [source] Dementia and the Over-75 Check: the role of the primary care nurseHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 1 2000Heather Trickey BSc MSc (Med) Abstract Primary care nurses are very likely to provide a substantial part of the routine care for patients with dementia. In order to examine the knowledge and attitudes of the primary care nurses who undertake the Over-75 Check, towards assessing and managing patients with symptoms of dementia, and to assess their level of support for a clinical practice guideline, a postal questionnaire survey was undertaken of primary care nurses responsible for the Over-75 Check in 209 general practices in Gloucester, Avon and Somerset. The questionnaire ascertained some demographic information about the nurses, their training and the practice routine for the Over-75 Check. It also included a case vignette describing a typical presentation of dementia at an Over-75 Check. A 65% response rate was achieved. Only one-fifth of respondents ever used formal validated cognitive tests as part of the Over-75 Check. In response to the vignette, nearly 10% took no action at all and a further 25% simply referred the patient on. Amongst the remainder there was considerable variation regarding the tasks considered to be within their remit. The respondents strongly supported the introduction of guidelines. Given the variation in professional responsibilities between practices, it is proposed that a clinical practice guideline covering diagnosis, assessment and management of dementia should address the practice as a whole rather than be targeted to specific professionals. The guideline should prompt professionals carrying out an Over-75 Check to recognize symptoms of dementia and raise awareness of the range of tasks which need to be undertaken in confirming diagnosis, assessing needs and managing patients. Results from this study suggest that improved training and increased autonomy for primary care nurses would improve access to services for these patients and their carers. [source] The Reaction of Peroxynitrite with Morpholine (Secondary Amines) Revisited: The Overlooked Hydroxylamine FormationHELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA, Issue 10 2006Michael Kirsch Abstract The reaction of peroxynitrite/peroxynitrous acid with morpholine as a model compound for secondary amines is reinvestigated in the absence and presence of carbon dioxide. The concentration- and pH-dependent formation of N -nitrosomorpholine and N -nitromorpholine as reported in three previous papers ([25],[26],[14]) is basically confirmed. However, 13C-NMR spectroscopic product analysis shows that, in the absence of CO2, N -hydroxymorpholine is, at pH,,,7, the major product of this reaction, even under anaerobic conditions. The formation of N -hydroxymorpholine has been overlooked in the three cited papers. Additional (ring-opened) oxidation products of morpholine are also detected. The data account for radical pathways for the formation of these products via intermediate morpholine-derived aminyl and , -aminoalkyl radicals. This is further supported by EPR-spectrometric detection of morpholine-derived nitroxide radicals, i.e., morpholin-4-yloxy radicals. N -Nitrosomorpholine, however, is very likely formed by electrophilic attack of peroxynitrite-derived N2O4. 15N-CIDNP Experiments establish that, in the presence of CO2, N -nitro- and C -nitromorpholine are generated by radical recombination. The present results are in full accord with a fractional (28,±,2%) homolytic decay of peroxynitrite/peroxynitrous acid with release of free hydroxyl and nitrogen dioxide radicals. [source] Planarity of acetamides, thioacetamides, and selenoacetamides: Crystal structure of N,N -dimethylselenoacetamideHETEROATOM CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2002Shuqiang Niu The planarity of acetamides 1a,3a, thioacetamides 4a,6a, and selenoacetamides 7a,9a, R1R2NC(=E)CH3 where E = O, S, Se, and R1, R2 = H or CH3, was investigated using theoretical calculations at the density functional theory (DFT) level. The calculations showed that the methyl substitution on nitrogen and the change from the amide moiety (NCO) to NCS or NCSe group increased the double bond character of the NC bond. In other words, the planarity of these compounds (1a,9a) increases in the order NH2 < NHCH3 < N(CH3)2 and O < S < Se. The calculations of bending energy suggest that the planar geometry represents the lowest energy conformation for all compounds investigated in this work. N,N-Dimethyl-selenoacetamide (9a), (CH3)2NC(Se) CH3, has the largest bending energy of 10.37 kcal/mol, which suggests that it possesses the greatest planarity among the compounds 1a,9a. However, the solid phase molecular structure of 9a was found to be slightly nonplanar by X-ray crystallography. The slight nonplanarity observed experimentally is very likely the consequence of intermolecular interactions arising within the crystal packing. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 13:380,386, 2002; Published online in Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.10056 [source] El Niño Southern Oscillation link to the Blue Nile River Basin hydrologyHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 26 2009Wossenu Abtew Abstract The objective of this study is to evaluate the relationships of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indices and the Blue Nile River Basin hydrology using a new approach that tracks cumulative ENSO indices. The results of this study can be applied for water resources management decision making to mitigate drought or flood impacts with a lead time of at least few months. ENSO tracking and forecasting is relatively easier than predicting hydrology. ENSO teleconnections to the Blue Nile River Basin hydrology were evaluated using spatial average basin rainfall and Blue Nile flows at Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. The ENSO indices were sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in region Niño 3·4 and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). The analysis indicates that the Upper Blue Nile Basin rainfall and flows are teleconnected to the ENSO indices. Based on event correspondence and correlation analysis, high rainfall and high flows are likely to occur during La Niña years and dry years are likely to occur during El Niño years at a confidence level of 90%. Extreme dry and wet years are very likely to correspond with ENSO events as given above. The great Ethiopian famine of 1888,1892 corresponds to one of the strongest El Niño years, 1888. The recent drought years in Ethiopia correspond to strong El Niño years and wet years correspond to La Niña years. In this paper, a new approach is proposed on how to classify the strength of ENSO events by tracking consecutive monthly events through a year. A cumulative SST index value of ,5 and cumulative SOI value of , ,7 indicate strong El Niño. A cumulative SST index value of ,,5 and cumulative SOI index of ,7 indicate strong La Niña. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Monocytes in the rat: Phenotype and function during acute allograft rejectionIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2001Birte Steiniger Summary: Cells of the monocyte/macrophage system originate from the bone marrow, reach the organs via the blood, immigrate through post-capillary venules and further differentiate into organ-specific tissue macrophages. In rats and other species, activated monocytes/macrophages aggravate autoimmune reactions, rejection of non-vascularized allografts and chronic allograft rejection. It is very likely that they also contribute to acute allograft destruction. So far it has been impossible to distinguish the function of monocytes from that of macrophages, because cell phenotypes and their alterations upon activation are ill-defined. We have thus begun to characterize the ex vivo phenotype and function of rat monocytes in the normal state and during renal allograft rejection. Monocytes are recovered from both the central and the marginal blood pool by perfusing either the recipient's circulation or the allograft vasculature. Rat monocytes have a unique surface phenotype. During allograft rejection or after infusion of interferon-, they up-regulate class II MHC molecules, CD161 (NKR-P1A), CD62L and CD8, while CD4 and CD43 are down-modulated. Activated perfusate monocytes exert increased in vitro cytotoxicity against tumour targets, which differs from that of NK cells. We speculate that activated monocytes contribute to kidney allograft destruction by directly damaging endothelial cells or by promoting intravascular coagulation. [source] Monetary Policy Implementation: Past, Present and Future , Will Electronic Money Lead to the Eventual Demise of Central Banking?INTERNATIONAL FINANCE, Issue 2 2000FreedmanArticle first published online: 16 DEC 200 This paper examines the ways in which central banks influence the very short-term interest rate in regimes with and without reserve requirements. It then examines the implications for monetary policy implementation of the spread of electronic money and the potential for other mechanisms to compete with settlement arrangements at central banks. It concludes that it is extremely unlikely that electronic money will displace bank notes or the settlement services that are offered by central banks in the foreseeable future. Moreover, even in the extremely unlikely case that the spread of stored-value cards leads to the elimination of bank notes and that the development of network money permits alternative settlement services to be offered that effectively competes with central bank services, central banks would very likely be able to continue to influence the very short-term rate of interest. They would therefore be able to maintain their influence over aggregate demand and inflation even in such circumstances. [source] Unraveling the Genetic Component of Multifactorial Diseases: Dream or RealityINTERNATIONAL STATISTICAL REVIEW, Issue 1 2000F. Clerget-Darpoux Summary The etiology of many human diseases is complex and very likely involves a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors. A popular strategy to detect genetic risk factors is to perform a systematic screening of the genome searching for linkage. The power of such and approach depends very much on the unknown characteristics of the genetic factors and the main difficulty is to establish a good trade-off between false positives and false negatives. Besides, a precise localisation of the risk factor will generally not be obtained. The set up of a candidate gene stratery is necessary to go further in genetic factor identification. It is likely that for multicfactorioal diseases the only genetic risk factors that can be detected are those with fairly strong effect. Even in that case, it is important to design strategies which increase the power of detection and provide for a better evaluation of the associated risks. Résumé La majorité des maladies humaines ont une étiologic complexe et résultent, de I'interaction de facteurs génétiques, etd' environnment. Une stratégic, populaire pour détecter; des cacteurs de risque est la recherche systématique, de liaison sur le génome. La puissance d' une telle approch dépend essentiellement des caractéristiques, inconnues des facteurs génétiques, et la difficultéprincipale est d'établir un bon cornpromis entre faux positifs et faux négatifs. PPar ailleurs, elle ne permet généralement pas de locatiser de facon préciseles facteurs génétiques, impliqués. La misc en place d'une stratégic, de géne candidat est nécessaire pour avancer vers I; identificatin d' un facteur de risque génétique. IIest vraisemblable que pour les maladies multifactorielles, seuls les facteurs ayant un effet immportant pourront étre, détecté. Méme, dans ce cas, il est important de mettre enpalce des stratégies, qui donnent une pussance maximum de détection, et permettent d' évaluer au mieux les risques associés. [source] The Schnitzler syndrome: Chronic urticaria and monoclonal gammopathy , an autoinflammatory syndrome?JOURNAL DER DEUTSCHEN DERMATOLOGISCHEN GESELLSCHAFT, Issue 8 2008Elisabeth Eiling Summary Schnitzler syndrome describes the simultaneous occurrence of monoclonal gammopathy and chronic urticaria with at least two additional minor symptoms (arthralgia, bone pain, fever of uncertain origin, hepato- or splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, leukocytosis/thrombocytosis or increased bone density). Schnitzler syndrome is not wellknown and very likely under-recognized. Comprehensive diagnostic examinations are necessary to rule out other diseases, especially those of hematologic origin. Close interdisciplinary collaboration is mandatory. The etiology of Schnitzler syndrome is unclear, but the rapid response to the interleukin-1 receptor inhibitor anakinra underlines the pivotal role which the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 may play in the pathophysiology of this potentially autoinflammatory disorder. [source] ECONOMETRIC MODELS OF ASYMMETRIC PRICE TRANSMISSIONJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 2 2007Giliola Frey Abstract In this paper, we review the existing empirical literature on price asymmetries in commodities, providing a way to classify and compare different studies that are highly heterogeneous in terms of econometric models, type of asymmetries and empirical findings. Relative to the previous literature, this paper is novel in several respects. First, it presents a detailed and updated survey of the existing empirical contributions on price asymmetries in the transmission mechanism linking input prices to output prices. Second, this paper presents an extension of the traditional distinction between long-run and short-run asymmetries to new categories of asymmetries, such as: contemporaneous impact, distributed lag effect, cumulated impact, reaction time, equilibrium and momentum equilibrium adjustment path, regime effect, regime equilibrium adjustment path. Each empirical study is then critically discussed in the light of this new classification of asymmetries. Third, this paper evaluates the relative merits of the most popular econometric models for price asymmetries, namely autoregressive distributed lags, partial adjustments, error correction models, regime switching and vector autoregressive models. Finally, we use the meta-regression analysis to investigate whether the results of asymmetry tests are not model-invariant and find which additional factors systematically influence the rejection of the null hypothesis of symmetric price adjustment. The main results of our survey can be summarized as follows: (i) each econometric model is specialized to capture a subset of asymmetries; (ii) each asymmetry is better investigated by a subset of econometric models; (iii) the general significance of the F test for asymmetric price transmission depends mainly on characteristics of the data, dynamic specification of the econometric model, and market characteristics. Overall, our empirical findings confirm that asymmetry, in all its forms, is very likely to occur in a wide range of markets and econometric models. [source] Tenderization of Heated Sliced Beef by Succinylated Glycerol Monostearate, a Novel Meat TenderizerJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 4 2001K. Mori ABSTRACT Succinylated glycerol monostearate (SGMS) was most effective in reducing shear-force value when used as a surfactant to tenderize meat using sheep casings as a model of intramuscular connective tissue. Roasted beef slices that had been treated with 2% granular SGMS showed a marked decrease in toughness due to the penetration of SGMS along the perimysium during heating. Collagen fibrils in the perimysium were transformed into a sheet-like structure that seemed very likely to be a complex of SGMS and thermally denatured collagen. These structural changes could account for the tenderness of the roasted beef slices. [source] Substituent effect and multisite protonation in the fragmentation of alkyl benzoatesJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 3 2002Chagit Denekamp Abstract The dissociation of protonated alkyl benzoates (para H, CN, OMe and NO2) into protonated benzoic acids and alkyl cations was studied in the gas phase. It was found that the product ratio depends on the substituent at the para position of the phenyl ring. The substituent effect is probably the result of the formation of an ion,neutral complex intermediate that decomposes to an ion and a neutral, according to the relative proton affinities of the two moieties. The experimental results and theoretical calculations indicate that the favored protonation site in these compounds is the ester's carbonyl and that proton transfer from the phenyl ring to the ester group is very likely to occur under chemical ionization conditions. It is most probable that the carbonyl protonated form is a common intermediate in the fragmentation process, regardless of the protonation site. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] THE VENEZUELAN HYDROCARBON HABITAT, PART 2: HYDROCARBON OCCURRENCES AND GENERATED-ACCUMULATED VOLUMESJOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 2 2000K. H. James Venezuela's most important hydrocarbon reserves occur in the intermontane Maracaibo Basin and in the Eastern Venezuela foreland basin. Seeps are abundant in these areas. Lesser volumes occur in the Barinas-Apure foreland basin. Most of the oil in these basins was derived from the Upper Cretaceous La Luna Formation in the west and its equivalent, the Querecual Formation, in the east. Minor volumes of oil derived from Tertiary source rocks occur in the Maracaibo and Eastern Venezuela Basins and in the Falcdn area. Offshore, several TCF of methane with some associated condensate are present in the Cadpano Basin, and gas is also present in the Columbus Basin. Oil reserves are present in La Vela Bay and in the Gulf of Paria, and oil has been encountered in the Cariaco Basin. The Gulf of Venezuela remains undrilled. The basins between the Netherlands and Venezuelan Antillian Islands seem to lack reservoirs. Tertiary sandstones provide the most important reservoirs, but production comes also from fractured basement (igneous and metamorphic rocks), from basal Cretaceous sandstones and from fractured Cretaceous limestones. Seals are provided by encasing shales, unconformities, faults and tar plugs. There is a wide variety of structural and stratigraphic traps. The Orinoco Heavy Oil Belt of the Eastern Venezuela Basin, one of the world's largest accumulations (1.2 times 1012 brl) involves stratigraphic trapping provided by onlap and by tar plugging. Stratigraphic trapping involving unconformities and tar plugging also plays a major role also in the Bolivar Coastal complex of fields along the NE margin of Lake Maracaibo. Many of the traps elsewhere in the Maracaibo Basin were influenced by faulting. The faults played an extensional role during Jurassic rifting and subsequently suffered inversion and strike-slip reactivation. This created anticlines as well as fracture porosity and permeability, and influenced the distribution of sandstone reservoirs, unconformities and related truncation traps. The faults probably also provided migration paths as well as lateral seals. This is very likely the case also in the large, thrust-related traps of the Furrial Trend in Eastern Venezuela. Normal faults, many antithetic to basement dip, provide important traps in the Las Mercedes, Oficina and Emblador complexes on the southern flanks of the Eastern Venezuela Basin. Similar faults seem to control the Sinco-Silvestre complex of the Barinas-Apure Basin. Much of VenezuelaS crude (around 1.5 trillion brls original STOIIP) has been degraded and is heavy, Perhaps two to three trillion brls of precursor, lighter oil existed. While the known Upper Cretaceous La Luna and Querecual Formations are known to include prolific source rocks, a reasonable generation/accumulation efficiency of 10% implies volumes too large to have come from the reported kitchens. The country's vast reserves are perhaps better explained by recognizing that the present-day basins are remnants of much broader sedimentary areas. The source rocks originally had a much more regional distribution. They suffered widespread, earlier phases of generation that probably charged early-formed traps on a regional scale. These, together with more recent kitchens, provided oil to the present-day accumulations. This history involved long-distance migration and remigration. [source] Orientation-Control Synthesis of KTa0.25Nb0.75O3 NanorodsJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 3 2010Yong-Ming Hu Single-crystalline KTa0.25Nb0.75O3 (KTN) nanorods with an orthorhombic perovskite structure were synthesized via a polymer-assisted hydrothermal method. The preferred crystallographic orientation of the nanorods were found to be controllable by using different types of polymers in the process; that is, [001]-oriented KTN were obtained upon the use of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and [110]-oriented ones were formed with the use of a combination of polyacrylic acid and PVA. The two types of nanorods showed different properties. The [110]-oriented nanorods exhibited a better photocatalytic decolorization efficiency but very likely a lower thermal conductivity (as indicated by the Raman spectrum measurements) than the [001] nanorods. [source] Co-culture in cartilage tissue engineeringJOURNAL OF TISSUE ENGINEERING AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE, Issue 3 2007Jeanine Hendriks Abstract For biotechnological research in vitro in general and tissue engineering specifically, it is essential to mimic the natural conditions of the cellular environment as much as possible. In choosing a model system for in vitro experiments, the investigator always has to balance between being able to observe, measure or manipulate cell behaviour and copying the in situ environment of that cell. Most tissues in the body consist of more than one cell type. The organization of the cells in the tissue is essential for the tissue's normal development, homeostasis and repair reaction. In a co-culture system, two or more cell types brought together in the same culture environment very likely interact and communicate. Co-culture has proved to be a powerful in vitro tool in unravelling the importance of cellular interactions during normal physiology, homeostasis, repair and regeneration. The first co-culture studies focused mainly on the influence of cellular interactions on oocytes maturation to a pre-implantation blastocyst. Therefore, a brief overview of these studies is given here. Later on in the history of co-culture studies, it was applied to study cell,cell communication, after which, almost immediately as the field of tissue engineering was recognized, it was introduced in tissue engineering to study cellular interactions and their influence on tissue formation. This review discusses the introduction and applications of co-culture systems in cell biology research, with the emphasis on tissue engineering and its possible application for studying cartilage regeneration. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Picture of the Linguistic Brain: How Sharp Can It Be?LINGUISTICS & LANGUAGE COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 8 2010Reply to Fedorenko & Kanwisher What is the best way to learn how the brain analyzes linguistic input? Two popular methods have attempted to segregate and localize linguistic processes: analyses of language deficits subsequent to (mostly focal) brain disease and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) in health. A recent Compass article by Fedorenko and Kanwisher (FK, 2009) observes that these methods group together data from many individuals through methods that rely on variable anatomical landmarks and that results in a murky picture of how language is represented in the brain. To get around the variability problem, FK propose to import into neurolinguistics a method that has been successfully used in vision research , one that locates functional Regions Of Interest (fROIs) in each individual brain. In this note, I propose an alternative perspective. I first take issue with FK's reading of the literature. I point out that, when the neurolinguistic landscape is examined with the right linguistic spectacles, the emerging picture , while intriguingly complex , is not murky, but rather, stable and clear, parsing the linguistic brain into functionally and anatomically coherent pieces. I then examine the potential value of the method that FK propose, in light of important micro-anatomical differences between language and high-level vision areas and conclude that as things stand the method they propose is not very likely to bear much fruit in neurolinguistic research. [source] R&D spillovers and strategic delegation in oligopolistic contestsMANAGERIAL AND DECISION ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2004Matthias Kräkel Considering oligopolistic contests with R&D spillovers and strategic delegation three results can be obtained: (1) There exist multiple asymmetric equilibria where one owner highly favors sales as a basis for his manager's incentives which drives the other firm out of the market. (2) If R&D spillovers are zero, a managerial firm will have a strong strategic advantage when competing with an entrepreneurial firm. If both owners endogenously decide about delegation, each owner's dominant strategy will be to delegate, given that the manager's reservation value is not too large. (3) If R&D spillovers are maximal, collusive market outcomes become very likely, which makes strategic delegation less important. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Wage Hikes as Supply and Demand ShockMETROECONOMICA, Issue 4 2003Jürgen Jerger ABSTRACT Wage hikes affect production costs and hence are usually analysed as supply shocks. There is a long-standing debate, however, about demand effects of wage variations. In this paper, we bring together these two arguments in a Kaldorian model with group-specific saving rates and a production technology that allows for redistribution between workers and entrepreneurs following a wage hike. We thereby pinpoint the conditions under which (a) wage variations affect aggregate demand and (b) the positive demand effects of wage hikes may even overcompensate the negative supply effects on aggregate employment (,purchasing power argument'). We conclude by noting that, whereas demand effects are very likely to occur, the conditions under which the purchasing power argument does indeed hold are very unrealistic. [source] Peak energy of the prompt emission of long gamma-ray bursts versus their fluence and peak fluxMONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, Issue 2 2008L. Nava ABSTRACT The spectral-energy (and luminosity) correlations in long gamma-ray bursts are being hotly debated to establish, first of all, their reality against possible selection effects. These are best studied in the observer planes, namely the peak energy Eobspeak versus the fluence F or the peak flux P. In a recent paper, we have started to investigate this problem considering all bursts with known redshift and spectral properties. Here, we consider instead all bursts with known Eobspeak, irrespective of redshift, adding to those a sample of 100 faint BATSE bursts representative of a larger population of 1000 objects. This allows us to construct a complete, fluence-limited, sample, tailored to study the selection/instrumental effects we consider. We found that the fainter BATSE bursts have smaller Eobspeak than those of bright events. As a consequence, the Eobspeak of these bursts is correlated with the fluence, though with a slope flatter than that defined by bursts with z. Selection effects, which are present, are shown not to be responsible for the existence of such a correlation. About six per cent of these bursts are surely outliers of the Epeak,Eiso correlation (updated in this paper to include 83 bursts), since they are inconsistent with it for any redshift. Eobspeak also correlates with the peak flux, with a slope similar to the Epeak,Liso correlation. In this case, there is only one sure outlier. The scatter of the Eobspeak,P correlation defined by the BATSE bursts of our sample is significantly smaller than the Eobspeak,F correlation of the same bursts, while for the bursts with known redshift the Epeak,Eiso correlation is tighter than the Epeak,Liso one. Once a very large number of bursts with Eobspeak and redshift will be available, we thus expect that the Epeak,Liso correlation will be similar to that currently found, whereas it is very likely that the Epeak,Eiso correlation will become flatter and with a larger scatter. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||