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Considerable Promise (considerable + promise)
Selected AbstractsA probabilistic approach for earthquake potential evaluation based on the load/unload response ratio methodCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 12 2010Huai-Zhong Yu Abstract Previous studies indicate that the occurrence of a large earthquake might be predicted by anomalous temporal increase of the load/unload response ratio (LURR), which was often defined as the ratio of Benioff strain of small earthquakes released during loading and unloading time periods, corresponding to earth tide-induced Coulomb failure stress change on optimally oriented faults. The conventional LURR anomalous evaluation usually sets a critical LURR value, above which an earthquake may occur. In this paper a probabilistic approach for the evaluation of earthquake potential based on the LURR method is developed. In the approach, the occurrence probability of a future earthquake is quantitatively evaluated by assessing the confidence level of LURR anomaly associated with its stochastic distribution. As retrospective studies, we apply the approach to investigate the time series of LURR prior to the 50M>6.3 earthquakes that occurred in the Chinese mainland and the 21M>6.0 earthquakes in southern California over the past 30 years, and find high correlation between the confidence level of the LURR anomalies and the occurrence of the large earthquakes. We then depict all the high peaks that appeared in the LURR time series, and evaluate the earthquake occurrence rate as a function of the confidence level. The research results show considerable promise that our probabilistic approach may provide a useful tool to evaluate quantitatively the occurrence possibilities of future earthquakes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Reducing Child Labour Through Conditional Cash Transfers: Evidence from Nicaragua's Red de Protección SocialDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 6 2010Kevin A. Gee Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programmes, providing eligible households with periodic cash payments, contingent on their children's adherence to school enrolment and attendance requirements, hold considerable promise for reducing levels of child labour across the developing world. This article presents the results of an analysis of a CCT programme in Nicaragua, Red de Protección Social, and compares them with those of other CCT programmes, discussing how the structure of each programme's incentives, including differences in targeting, subsidy amounts and educational requirements, contributes to the variation in their effectiveness at reducing child labour. [source] The mid-latitude biodiversity ridge in terrestrial cave faunaECOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2006David C. Culver The world's obligate cave-dwelling fauna holds considerable promise for biogeographic analysis because it represents a large number of independent evolutionary experiments in isolation in caves and adaptation to subterranean life. We focus on seven north temperate regions of at least 2000 km2, utilizing more than 4300 records of obligate cave-dwelling terrestrial invertebrates. In North America, highest diversity was found in northeast Alabama while in Europe highest diversity was found in Ariège, France, and in southeast Slovenia. Based on these regions as well as more qualitative data from 16 other regions, we hypothesize that a ridge (ca 42°,46° in Europe and 34° in North America) of high biodiversity occurs in temperate areas of high productivity and cave density. This may reflect a strong dependence of cave communities on long term surface productivity (as reflected in actual evapotranspiration), because the subterranean fauna relies almost entirely on resources produced outside caves. This dependence may explain the unique biodiversity pattern of terrestrial cave invertebrates. [source] Electrochemical Detection for Capillary Electrophoresis Microchips: A ReviewELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 13 2005Joseph Wang Abstract Electrochemistry detection offers considerable promise for capillary-electrophoresis (CE) microchips, with features that include remarkable sensitivity, portability, independence of optical path length or sample turbidity, low cost and power requirements, and high compatibility with modern micromachining technologies. This article highlights key strategies in controlled-potential electrochemical detectors for CE microchip systems, along with recent advances and directions. Subjects covered include the design of the electrochemical detection system, its requirements and operational principles, common electrode materials, isolation from the separation voltage, derivatization reactions, typical applications, and future prospects. It is expected that electrochemical detection will become a powerful tool for CE microchip systems and will lead to the creation of truly portable (and possibly disposable) devices. [source] MCE enzyme immunoassay for carcinoembryonic antigen and alpha-fetoprotein using electrochemical detectionELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 19 2009Shusheng Zhang Abstract An MCE electrochemical enzyme immunoassay protocol for the determination of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was reported. Two antigens (Ag), CEA and AFP, were incubated simultaneously with an excess amount of horseradish peroxidase-labeled antibody (Ab*). The free Ab* and the Ab*,Ag complex produced in the solution were first separated through a postcolumn reaction and then traced by the enzyme substrate o -aminophenol. The 3-aminophenoxazine produced in enzyme reaction was detected with downstream amperometric detection. The separations were performed at a separation voltage of +1.4,kV and were completed in less than 60,s. The better analytical performance and distinct miniaturization/portability for MCE at less assay time and sample volume consumption was achieved. The detection limit of CEA and AFP was calculated to be 0.25 and 0.13,ng/mL, respectively. Therefore, MCE could be used as a sensitive and new tool in separation science and offered considerable promise in biological sample analysis or quick clinical diagnosis. [source] Strategic environmental awakening: European progress in regional environmental integrationENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2001Keith Clement In the EU Structural Funds, integrating environment and regional economic development is a challenge that is progressively being met. From a beginning characterized by conflict between these two themes, considerable progress has been made in successive rounds of programmes, accompanied by a gradual raising of awareness and the development of new mechanisms for integration. This progress has been supported by environmental guidance from the European Commission, with handbooks designed to raise new ideas and suggest innovative ways of approaching the task. Current programmes incorporate extensive environmental profiles to support programme development, and new methods of combining both horizontal and vertical integration show considerable promise for the realization of environmental objectives in programme implementation. To facilitate further integration, priorities for research include the role for environmental strategies, the production of an index of environmental integration, the identification of measurable environmental indicators and confirmation that sustainable development is acting as a catalyst for environmental gain. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [source] Biomarkers in Migraine: Their Promise, Problems, and Practical ApplicationsHEADACHE, Issue 7 2006Elizabeth Loder MD Biomarkers are physical signs or laboratory measurements that "occur in association with a pathological process and have putative diagnostic and/or prognostic utility." Biomarkers hold considerable promise for understanding and intervening in the disease process of migraine. They may permit recognition of individuals at risk of developing migraine, improve the timing, accuracy, and precision of migraine diagnosis, and serve as indicators of treatment response and disease progression. Furthermore, they hold great promise for research. At the same time, there are important limitations to the use of biomarkers in migraine, including problems with validity, reliability, accuracy, and precision. Legal, ethical, and cost considerations are also important. This review describes the potential uses and limitations of biomarkers in migraine diagnosis, treatment, and research. [source] Antiepileptic Drugs in the Management of Cluster Headache and Trigeminal NeuralgiaHEADACHE, Issue 2001Todd D. Rozen MD Cluster headache and trigeminal neuralgia are relatively rare but debilitating neurologic conditions. Although they are clinically and diagnostically distinct from migraine, many of the same pharmacologic agents are used in their management. For many patients, the attacks are so frequent and severe that abortive therapy is often ineffective; therefore, chronic preventive therapy is necessary for adequate pain control. Cluster headache and trigeminal neuralgia have several distinguishing clinical features. Cluster headache is predominantly a male disorder; trigeminal neuralgia is more prevalent in women. Individuals with cluster headaches often develop their first attack before age 25; most patients with trigeminal neuralgia are between age 50 and 70. Cluster headaches are strongly associated with tobacco smoking and triggered by alcohol consumption; trigeminal neuralgia can be triggered by such stimuli as shaving and toothbrushing. Although the pain in both disorders is excruciating, cluster headache pain is episodic and unilateral, typically surrounds the eye, and lasts 15 to 180 minutes; the pain of trigeminal neuralgia lasts just seconds and is usually limited to the tissues overlying the maxillary and mandibular divisions of the trigeminal nerve. Cluster headache is unique because of its associated autonomic symptoms. Although the pathophysiology of cluster headache and trigeminal neuralgia are not completely understood, both appear to have central primary processes, and these findings have prompted investigations of the effectiveness of the newer antiepileptic drugs for cluster headache prevention and for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. The traditional antiepileptic drugs phenytoin and carbamazepine have been used for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia for a number of years, and while they are effective, they can sometimes cause central nervous system effects such as drowsiness, ataxia, somnolence, and diplopia. Reports of studies in small numbers of patients or individual case studies indicate that the newer antiepileptic drugs are effective in providing pain relief for trigeminal neuralgia and cluster headache sufferers, with fewer central nervous system side effects. Divalproex has been shown to provide effective pain control and to reduce cluster headache frequency by more than half in episodic and chronic cluster headache sufferers. Topiramate demonstrated efficacy in a study of 15 patients, with a mean time to induction of cluster headache remission of 1.4 weeks (range, 1 day to 3 weeks). In the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, gabapentin has been shown to be effective in an open-label study. When added to an existing but ineffective regimen of carbamazepine or phenytoin, lamotrigine provided improved pain relief; it also may work as monotherapy. Topiramate provided a sustained analgesic effect when administered to patients with trigeminal neuralgia. The newer antiepileptic drugs show considerable promise in the management of cluster headache and trigeminal neuralgia. [source] Modulation of temporally coherent brain networks estimated using ICA at rest and during cognitive tasksHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 7 2008Vince D. Calhoun Abstract Brain regions which exhibit temporally coherent fluctuations, have been increasingly studied using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Such networks are often identified in the context of an fMRI scan collected during rest (and thus are called "resting state networks"); however, they are also present during (and modulated by) the performance of a cognitive task. In this article, we will refer to such networks as temporally coherent networks (TCNs). Although there is still some debate over the physiological source of these fluctuations, TCNs are being studied in a variety of ways. Recent studies have examined ways TCNs can be used to identify patterns associated with various brain disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, autism or Alzheimer's disease). Independent component analysis (ICA) is one method being used to identify TCNs. ICA is a data driven approach which is especially useful for decomposing activation during complex cognitive tasks where multiple operations occur simultaneously. In this article we review recent TCN studies with emphasis on those that use ICA. We also present new results showing that TCNs are robust, and can be consistently identified at rest and during performance of a cognitive task in healthy individuals and in patients with schizophrenia. In addition, multiple TCNs show temporal and spatial modulation during the cognitive task versus rest. In summary, TCNs show considerable promise as potential imaging biological markers of brain diseases, though each network needs to be studied in more detail. Hum Brain Mapp, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Disc structure function and its potential for repairINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES, Issue 1 2002J. Melrose The intervertebral disc (IVD) is the largest predominantly avascular, aneural, alymphatic structure of the human body. It provides articulation between adjoining vertebral bodies and also acts as a weight-bearing cushion dissipating axially applied spinal loads. The IVD is composed of an outer collagen-rich annulus fibrosus (AF) and a central proteoglycan (PG)-rich nucleus pulposus (NP). Superior and inferior cartilaginous endplates (CEPs), thin layers of hyaline-like cartilage, cover the ends of the vertebral bodies. The AF is composed of concentric layers (lamellae) which contain variable proportions of type I and II collagen, this tissue has high tensile strength. The NP in contrast is a gelatinous PG-rich tissue which provides weight-bearing properties to the composite disc structure. With the onset of age, cells in the NP progressively die as this tissue becomes depleted of PGs, less hydrated and more fibrous as the disc undergoes an age-dependent fibrocartilaginous transformation. Such age-dependent cellular and matrix changes can decrease the discs' biomechanical competence and trauma can further lead to failure of structural components of the disc. Annular defects are fairly common and include vertebral rim-lesions, concentric (circumferential) annular tears (separation of adjacent annular lamellae) and radial annular tears (clefts which initiate within the NP). While vascular in-growth around annular tears has been noted, evidence from human post-mortem studies indicate they have a limited ability to undergo repair. Several experimental approaches are currently under evaluation for their ability to promote the repair of such annular lesions. These include growth of AF fibrochondrocytes on a resorbable polycaprolactone (PCL) bio-membrane.1 Sheets of fibrochondrocytes lay down type-I collagen and actin stress fibres on PCL. These matrix components are important for the spatial assembly of the collagenous lamella during annular development and correct phenotypic expression of cells in biomatrices.1 An alternative approach employs preparation of tissue engineered IVDs where AF and NP cells are separately cultured in polyglycolic acid and sodium alginate biomatrices, either separately or within a manifold designed to reproduce the required IVD dimensions for its use as a prospective implant device.2 AF and NP cells have also been grown on tissue culture inserts after their recovery from alginate bead culture to form plugs of tissue engineered cartilage.3 A key component in this latter strategy was the stimulation of the high density disc cell cultures with osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) 200 ng/mL.3 This resulted in the production of tissue engineered AF and NP plugs with compositions, histochemical characteristics and biomechanical properties approaching those of the native disc tissues.2,3 Such materials hold reat promise in future applications as disc or annular implants. The introduction of appropriate genes into disc cells by gene transduction methodology using adenoviral vectors or ,gene-gun' delivery systems also holds considerable promise for the promotion of disc repair processes.4 Such an approach with the OP-1 gene is particularly appealing.5 The anchoring of discal implants to vertebral bodies has also been evaluated by several approaches. A 3D fabric based polyethylene biocomposite holds much promise as one such anchorage device6 while biological glues used to seal fibrocartilaginous structures such as the AF and meniscus8 following surgical intervention, also hold promise in this area. Several very promising new experimental approaches and strategies are therefore currently under evaluation for the improvement of discal repair. The aforementioned IVD defects are a common cause of disc failure and sites of increased nerve in-growth in symptomatic IVDs in man and are thus often sources of sciatic-type pain. Annular defects such as those described above have formerly been considered incapable of undergoing spontaneous repair thus a clear need exists for interventions which might improve on their repair. Based on the rapid rate of progress and the examples outlined above one may optimistically suggest that a successful remedy to this troublesome clinical entity will be developed in the not so distant future. References 1JohnsonWEBet al. (2001) Directed cytoskeletal orientation and intervertebral disc cell growth: towards the development of annular repair techniques. Trans Orthop Res Soc26, 894. 2MizunoHet al. (2001) Tissue engineering of a composite intervertebral disc. Trans Orthop Res Soc26, 78. 3MatsumotoTet al. (2001) Formation of transplantable disc shaped tissues by nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus cells: biochemical and biomechanical properties. Trans Orthop Res Soc26, 897. 4NishidaKet al. (2000) Potential applications of gene therapy to the treatment of intervertebral disc disorders. Clin Orthop Rel Res379 (Suppl), S234,S241. 5MatsumotoTet al. (2001) Transfer of osteogenic protein-1 gene by gene gun system promotes matrix synthesis in bovine intervertebral disc and articular cartilage cells. Trans Orthop Res Soc26, 30. 6ShikinamiY , Kawarada (1998) Potential application of a triaxial three-dimensional fabric (3-DF) as an implant. Biomaterials19, 617,35. [source] Regulatory issues in cellular therapiesJOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue S38 2002Adrian P. Gee, Article first published online: 23 APR 200 Cellular and gene therapies offer considerable promise as new treatment modalities. The Food and Drug Administration has been developing strategies to regulate these rapidly evolving fields in a manner that sustains progress and also ensures minimization of potential risks. The death of a patient on a gene therapy study highlighted a number of potential problems that have galvanized the agency to examine their strategy and to review current regulations for gene therapy. Meanwhile, a unified regulatory approach is emerging for cell-based therapies. This stratifies the level of regulation based upon the potential risk to the donor of the cells and the recipient. In this article the history and status of regulation of cellular therapy is briefly reviewed. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 38: 104,112, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Connective Ethnography for the Exploration of e-ScienceJOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, Issue 2 2007Christine Hine E-science comprises diverse sites, connected in complex and heterogeneous ways. While ethnography is well established as a way of exploring the detail of the knowledge production process, some strategic adaptations are prompted by this spatial complexity of e-science. This article describes a study that focused on the biological discipline of systematics, exploring the ways in which use of a variety of information and communication technologies has become a routine part of disciplinary practice. The ethnography combined observation and interviews within systematics institutions with mailing list participation, exploration of web landscapes, and analysis of expectations around information and communications technologies as portrayed in policy documents. Exploring connections among these different activities offers a means of understanding multiple dimensions of e-science as a focus of practice and policy. It is important when studying e-science to engage critically with claims about the transformative capacity of new technologies and to adopt methodologies that remain agnostic in the face of such claims: A connective approach to ethnography offers considerable promise in this regard. [source] Internet-assisted Real-time Experiments Using the Internet,Hardware and Software ConsiderationsJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE EDUCATION, Issue 1 2005R. Paul Singh ABSTRACT: The spectacular increase in Internet-based applications during the past decade has had a significant impact on the education delivery paradigms. The user interactivity aspect of the Internet has provided new opportunities to instructors to incorporate its use in developing new learning systems. The use of the Internet in carrying out live experiments has been a subject of interest that shows considerable promise. Using the common Internet browsers, it has become possible to develop engaging laboratory exercises that allow the user to operate experimental equipment from remote locations. To increase the availability of such experiments on the Internet, it would be beneficial to share methods employed in developing software and hardware of Internet-assisted experiments, among interested instructors. The objective of this paper is to present a description of the hardware and software required to create Internet-assisted laboratories. [source] Oxygen isotope analysis of phosphate: improved precision using TC/EA CF-IRMS,JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 6 2009D. F. LaPorte Abstract Oxygen isotope values of biogenic apatite have long demonstrated considerable promise for paleothermometry potential because of the abundance of material in the fossil record and greater resistance of apatite to diagenesis compared to carbonate. Unfortunately, this promise has not been fully realized because of relatively poor precision of isotopic measurements, and exceedingly small size of some substrates for analysis. Building on previous work, we demonstrate that it is possible to improve precision of ,18OPO4 measurements using a ,reverse-plumbed' thermal conversion elemental analyzer (TC/EA) coupled to a continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer (CF-IRMS) via a helium stream [Correction made here after initial online publication]. This modification to the flow of helium through the TC/EA, and careful location of the packing of glassy carbon fragments relative to the hot spot in the reactor, leads to narrower, more symmetrically distributed CO elution peaks with diminished tailing. In addition, we describe our apatite purification chemistry that uses nitric acid and cation exchange resin. Purification chemistry is optimized for processing small samples, minimizing isotopic fractionation of PO4,3 and permitting Ca, Sr and Nd to be eluted and purified further for the measurement of ,44Ca and 87Sr/86Sr in modern biogenic apatite and 143Nd/144Nd in fossil apatite. Our methodology yields an external precision of ± 0.15, (1,) for ,18OPO4. The uncertainty is related to the preparation of the Ag3PO4 salt, conversion to CO gas in a reversed-plumbed TC/EA, analysis of oxygen isotopes using a CF-IRMS, and uncertainty in constructing calibration lines that convert raw ,18O data to the VSMOW scale. Matrix matching of samples and standards for the purpose of calibration to the VSMOW scale was determined to be unnecessary. Our method requires only slightly modified equipment that is widely available. This fact, and the demonstrated improvement in precision, should help to make apatite paleothermometry far more accessible to paleoclimate researchers. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Assessment and prevention of gastrointestinal toxicity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugsJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 10 2006Majella E. Lane Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used for analgesic, anti-inflammatory and, in the case of aspirin, for anti-thrombotic actions. The serious gastrointestinal side-effects associated with these drugs are of concern and pose a significant obstacle to their use. This review discusses the pathogenic mechanisms by which the conventional acidic NSAIDs induce gastrointestinal toxicity, with particular emphasis on non-prostaglandin effects. Methods of assessment of NSAID-induced enteropathy are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the use of functional measurement of NSAID-induced changes in the gastrointestinal tract. The advances in our knowledge of the pathogenesis of these effects have resulted in the development of a range of novel NSAIDs. Where functional assessment of the effects of NSAIDs has been employed, it appears to be more useful as an indicator of early-stage changes rather than a predictor of the effects of long-term NSAID exposure. Successful pharmaceutical strategies now offer considerable promise for reducing the severity of NSAID damage to the gastrointestinal tract. The utility of intestinal permeability measurements for selection and assessment of these strategies is discussed. [source] Preparation and characterization of C16 monolithic columns for capillary electrochromatographyJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 3 2005Kai Zhang Abstract A series of methacrylamide-based C16 monolithic columns were prepared and characterized to determine how their porous structural properties and chromatographic behavior are affected by the percentages of functional monomer, base monomer, and cross-linker in the polymerization solution. Baseline separation of 6 neutral compounds can be readily obtained in an optimized column. Furthermore, the effects of organic additive in the mobile phase, operating voltages, and temperature on retention behaviors and separation efficiencies were also studied. The separation mechanism is also discussed. High column efficiency and good reproducibility indicate that the monolithic columns hold considerable promise. [source] Cartilage tissue engineering using resorbable scaffoldsJOURNAL OF TISSUE ENGINEERING AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE, Issue 6 2007Nicole Rotter Abstract Cartilage tissue engineering holds considerable promise for orthopaedic and reconstructive head and neck surgery. With an increasingly ageing population, the number of patients affected by arthritis and recurrent joint pain is constantly growing, along with the associated socio-economic costs. In head and neck surgery reconstructive procedures gain increasing importance in multimodal tumour therapies. These procedures require the harvesting of large amounts of donor tissue, which causes significant donor site morbidity. Therefore, in vitro -engineered cartilage may provide for a cost-effective and clinically valuable medical need. This article presents an overview of the clinical background as well as considerations for engineered cartilage in the head and neck, and provides examples of cartilage tissue engineering based on various scaffolds. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Mendelian randomization in nutritional epidemiologyNUTRITION REVIEWS, Issue 8 2009Lu Qi Nutritional epidemiology aims to identify dietary and lifestyle causes for human diseases. Causality inference in nutritional epidemiology is largely based on evidence from studies of observational design, and may be distorted by unmeasured or residual confounding and reverse causation. Mendelian randomization is a recently developed methodology that combines genetic and classical epidemiological analysis to infer causality for environmental exposures, based on the principle of Mendel's law of independent assortment. Mendelian randomization uses genetic variants as proxies for environmental exposures of interest. Associations derived from Mendelian randomization analysis are less likely to be affected by confounding and reverse causation. During the past 5 years, a body of studies examined the causal effects of diet/lifestyle factors and biomarkers on a variety of diseases. The Mendelian randomization approach also holds considerable promise in the study of intrauterine influences on offspring health outcomes. However, the application of Mendelian randomization in nutritional epidemiology has some limitations. [source] Gender and personality differences in conceptions of love: An interpersonal theory analysisPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 2 2001BEVERLEY FEHR Three studies tested predictions derived from interpersonal theory regarding the relations among gender, personality, and conceptions of love. It was predicted that women would conceptualize love in terms of its nurturant varieties, namely companionate kinds of love, whereas men would conceptualize love in terms of non-nurturant varieties, namely passionate kinds of love. Only the latter prediction received consistent support. Both women and men held a companionate conception of love, with the exception that women assigned higher ratings to friendship love and sisterly love. Regarding personality, it was predicted that high-nurturance traits (e.g., warm-agreeable) would be associated with a companionate conception of love whereas low-nurturance traits (e.g., cold-hearted) would be associated with a passionate conception of love. Results supported predictions. It was concluded that women's and men's conceptions of love are more similar than has been assumed and that the two robust interpersonal dimensions of dominance and nurturance hold considerable promise for integrating the literature on personality and gender differences in love. [source] Institutional pluralism in public administration and politics: applications in Bolivia and beyondPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2001Harry BlairArticle first published online: 15 MAY 200 In their book Administrative Decentralization: Strategies for Developing Countries, John Cohen and Steven Peterson construct a model they call ,institutional pluralism', which they contend is superior to more traditional modes of decentralization. It is characterized chiefly by multiple channels of service provision, thus inducing accountability into a sphere where previously there has been very little. While they restrict their analysis to the administrative realm, this article argues that the institutional pluralist model makes at least as much sense in political decentralization. Bolivia, which recently launched political reforms offering three separate structures linking citizen to state, serves as an excellent illustration of institutional pluralism in politics. This approach shows considerable promise for implementation in other settings, as can be seen in El Salvador, and a case can be made for its replication potential elsewhere as well. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Soil Ripping, Seeding, and Fertilization on the Restoration of a Tropical RangelandRESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 2010David Kinyua Rangeland degradation is a serious problem in semiarid Africa. Extensive areas of bare, compacted, nutrient-poor soils limit the productivity and biodiversity of many areas. We conducted a set of restoration experiments in which all eight combinations of soil tilling, fertilization, and seeding with native perennial grasses were carried out in replicated plots. After 6 months, little aboveground biomass was produced in plots without tilling, regardless of seeding or fertilization. Tilling alone tripled plant biomass, mostly of herbaceous forbs and annual grasses. Perennial grasses were essentially limited to plots that were both tilled and seeded. The addition of fertilizer had no significant additional effects. After 7 years, vegetation had declined, but there were still large differences among treatments. After 10 years, one tilled (and seeded) plot had reverted to bare ground, but the other tilled plots still had substantial vegetation. Only one seeded grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) was still a contributor to total cover after 10 years. We suggest that restoration efforts on these soils be directed first to breaking up the surface crust, and second to the addition of desirable seed. A simple ripping trial inspired by this experiment showed considerable promise as a low-cost restoration technique. [source] Dental topography and diets of four old world monkey speciesAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2009Jonathan M. Bunn Abstract Dental topographic analysis allows comparisons of variably worn teeth within and between species to infer relationships between dental form and diet in living primates, with implications for reconstructing feeding adaptations of fossil forms. Although analyses to date have been limited mainly to the M2s of a few primate taxa, these suggest that dental topographic analysis holds considerable promise. Still, larger samples including a greater range of species and different tooth types are needed to determine the potential of this approach. Here we examine dental topography of molar teeth of Cercocebus torquatus (n=48), Cercopithecus campbelli (n=50), Colobus polykomos (n=50), and Procolobus badius (n=50). This is the first such study of large samples of Old World monkeys, and the first to include analyses of both M1s and M2s. Average slope, relief, and surface angularity were computed and compared among tooth types, wear stages, and species. Results suggest that (1) data for M1s and M2s cannot be compared directly; (2) slope and relief decline with wear on M2s of all taxa, and M1s of the colobines, whereas angularity does not generally change except in the most worn specimens; and (3) folivorous colobines tend to have more sloping surfaces and more relief than do frugivorous cercopithecines, though angularity does not clearly separate taxa by diet. Am. J. Primatol. 71:466,477, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] When to say when: can excessive drinking explain silicon uptake in diatoms?BIOESSAYS, Issue 3 2009Kimberlee Thamatrakoln Abstract Diatoms are the single most important drivers of the oceanic silicon biogeochemical cycle. Due to their considerable promise in nanotechnology, there is tremendous interest in understanding the mechanism by which they produce their intricately and ornately decorated silica-based cell wall. Although specific proteins have been implicated in some of the key steps of silicification, the exact mechanisms are poorly understood. Silicon transporters, identified in both diatoms and silicoflagellates, are hypothesized to mediate silicon uptake. Recently, macropinocytosis, the non-specific engulfment of extracellular fluid, was proposed as a more energetically favorable uptake mechanism, which can also explain the long-observed effect of salinity on frustule morphology. We explore the bioenergetic, membrane recycling, and vacuolar volume requirements that must be satisfied for pinocytosis-mediated silicon uptake. These calculated requirements contrast starkly with existing data on diatom physiology, uptake kinetics, growth, and ultrastructure, leading us to conclude that pinocytosis cannot be the primary mechanism of silicon uptake. [source] Metabolism of a Highly Selective Gelatinase Inhibitor Generates Active MetaboliteCHEMICAL BIOLOGY & DRUG DESIGN, Issue 5 2007Mijoon Lee (4-Phenoxyphenylsulfonyl)methylthiirane (inhibitor 1) is a highly selective inhibitor of gelatinases (matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9), which is showing considerable promise in animal models for cancer and stroke. Despite demonstrated potent, selective, and effective inhibition of gelatinases both in vitro and in vivo, the compound is rapidly metabolized, implying that the likely activity in vivo is due to a metabolite rather than the compound itself. To this end, metabolism of inhibitor 1 was investigated in in vitro systems. Four metabolites were identified by LC/MS-MS and the structures of three of them were further validated by comparison with authentic synthetic samples. One metabolite, 4-(4-thiiranylmethanesulfonylphenoxy)phenol (compound 21), was generated by hydroxylation of the terminal phenyl group of 1. This compound was investigated in kinetics of inhibition of several matrix metalloproteinases. This metabolite was a more potent slow-binding inhibitor of gelatinases (matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9) than the parent compound 1, but it also served as a slow-binding inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-14, the upstream activator of matrix metalloproteinase-2. [source] ANABOLIC AGENTS FOR IMPROVING MUSCLE REGENERATION AND FUNCTION AFTER INJURYCLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 7 2008Gordon S Lynch SUMMARY 1In the present review, we describe how muscles can be injured by external factors, internal factors or during the performance of some actions during sports. In addition, we describe the injury to a muscle that occurs when its blood supply is interrupted, an occurrence common in clinical settings. An overview of muscle regeneration is presented, as well as a discussion of some of the potential complications that can compromise successful muscle repair and lead to impaired function and permanent disability. 2Improving muscle regeneration is important for hastening muscle repair and restoring muscle function and the present review describes ways in which this can be achieved. We describe recent advances in tissue engineering that offer considerable promise for treating muscle damage, but highlight the fact that these techniques require rigorous evaluation before they can become mainstream clinical treatments. 3Growth-promoting agents are purported to increase the size of existing and newly regenerating muscle fibres and, therefore, could be used to improve muscle function if administered at appropriate times during the repair process. The present review provides an update on the efficacy of some growth-promoting agents, including anabolic steroids, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and b2 -adrenoceptor agonists, to improve muscle function after injury. Although these approaches have clinical merit, a better understanding of the androgenic, IGF-I and b-adrenoceptor signalling pathways in skeletal muscle is important if we are to devise safe and effective therapies to enhance muscle regeneration and function after injury. [source] Newer risk markers and surrogate endpoints in atherosclerosis managementCLINICAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue S3 2001Christie M. Ballantyne M.D. Abstract Summary: Risk markers that allow improved and individualized assessment of atherosclerotic disease risk and response to treatment are needed. Current candidate markers include cell adhesion molecules, such as intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and E-selectin, and inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein; advances in genomics and proteomics will suggest additional candidate markers. Noninvasive imaging procedures such as electron-beam computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging also show considerable promise for monitoring disease status and response to treatment, and ultimately could provide surrogate endpoints for clinical trials of therapeutic interventions. [source] Applications of Taxometric Methods to Problems of Comorbidity: Perspectives and ChallengesCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE, Issue 4 2001Irwin D. Waldman We share Meehl's view that taxometric procedures hold considerable promise for elucidating questions regarding psychiatric comorbidity. Drawing on examples from the domain of childhood disruptive disorders, we discuss why the issues raised by Meehl are scientifically and pragmatically important and outline several profitable applications of taxometric methods to questions of comorbidity (e.g., estimating the statistical relations between latent taxa). We explain why taxometric methods and other sophisticated latent variable methods are needed to answer such questions and provide examples of how certain statistical methods have been used to make erroneous inferences regarding taxonicity. Several important unresolved issues bearing on the use of taxometric procedures and their application to questions of comorbidity are delineated, including (a) the distributional assumptions of taxometric methods, (b) the construct validation of provisional taxa identified by taxometric analyses, (c) the relation of taxometric methods to other latent variable techniques (e.g., latent class analysis), (d) the potential existence of spurious taxa, (e) the question of "fuzzy taxonicity," and (f) "configural taxa." We conclude with a discussion of analytic methods for characterizing and understanding the covariation between latent dimensions as opposed to taxa. [source] Probiotic Dairy Products as Functional FoodsCOMPREHENSIVE REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND FOOD SAFETY, Issue 5 2010Daniel Granato This growth is fueled by technological innovations, development of new products, and the increasing number of health-conscious consumers interested in products that improve life quality. Since the global market of functional foods is increasing annually, food product development is a key research priority and a challenge for both the industry and science sectors. Probiotics show considerable promise for the expansion of the dairy industry, especially in such specific sectors as yogurts, cheeses, beverages, ice creams, and other desserts. This article presents an overview of functional foods and strategies for their development, with particular attention to probiotic dairy products. Moreover, special attention is paid to the sensory properties of such products to provide important information about their most desirable attributes. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||