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Dependency
Kinds of Dependency Terms modified by Dependency Selected AbstractsPOWER LEARNING OR PATH DEPENDENCY?PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Issue 2 2010INVESTIGATING THE ROOTS OF THE EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY A key motive for establishing the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was restoring public confidence in the wake of multiplying food scares and the BSE crisis. Scholars, however, have paid little attention to the actual political and institutional logics that shaped this new organization. This article explores the dynamics underpinning the making of EFSA. We examine the way in which learning and power shaped its organizational architecture. It is demonstrated that the lessons drawn from the past and other models converged on the need to delegate authority to an external agency, but diverged on its mandate, concretely whether or not EFSA should assume risk management responsibilities. In this situation of competitive learning, power and procedural politics conditioned the mandate granted to EFSA. The European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council shared a common interest in preventing the delegation of regulatory powers to an independent EU agency in food safety policy. [source] Enhanced Photorefractivity of Poly(N -vinylcarbazole)-Based Composites through Electric-Field Treatments and Ionic Liquid DopingADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 3 2009José A. Quintana Abstract It is shown that the photorefractive (PR) performance of polymer composites based on poly(N -vinylcarbazole) can be improved when samples are subjected to an electric field for a certain time, i.e. conditioned, previous to the PR characterization. It is also found that for conditioned samples the addition of an organic ionic liquid to the PR composition allows to obtain PR effect without the need of using a sensitizer. The typical electric field treatment time at room temperature and at a field of 20,V µm,1 is 20,min. This procedure leads to a decrease of dark conductivity and an increase of photoconductivity, and consequently an increase of conductivity contrast. This results in higher PR two-beam-coupling gain coefficients and shorter response times, particularly at low fields. Dependencies of the process dynamics on impurities, applied field strength, temperature and the presence of an organic ionic liquid are examined in detail. It is remarkable the significant increase of the PR gain coefficients, and more drastically of the net gain coefficients, observed at low fields (<55,V µm,1), when an ionic organic liquid such as benzalkonium chloride is added to unsensitized conditioned PR composites. These findings open a new route to improve the PR performance, not only of PVK-based composites, but also of other types of organic materials, the main advantage being that no sensitizer is needed. [source] Insidious Environments: Creeping Dependencies and Urban VulnerabilitiesJOURNAL OF CONTINGENCIES AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2005Alice Hills [source] Identification and Evaluation of Local Item Dependencies in the Medical College Admissions TestJOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, Issue 4 2002April L. Zenisky Measurement specialists routinely assume examinee responses to test items are independent of one another. However, previous research has shown that many contemporary tests contain item dependencies and not accounting for these dependencies leads to misleading estimates of item, test, and ability parameters. The goals of the study were (a) to review methods for detecting local item dependence (LID), (b) to discuss the use of testlets to account for LID in context-dependent item sets, (c) to apply LID detection methods and testlet-based item calibrations to data from a large-scale, high-stakes admissions test, and (d) to evaluate the results with respect to test score reliability and examinee proficiency estimation. Item dependencies were found in the test and these were due to test speededness or context dependence (related to passage structure). Also, the results highlight that steps taken to correct for the presence of LID and obtain less biased reliability estimates may impact on the estimation of examinee proficiency. The practical effects of the presence of LID on passage-based tests are discussed, as are issues regarding how to calibrate context-dependent item sets using item response theory. [source] Considering Dependencies Amongst Genes Helps to Adjust the Significance Rank of DEGsCHINESE JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, Issue 7 2010Qi Liu Abstract Lists of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) detected often show low reproducibility even in technique replicate experiments. The reproducibility is even lower for those real cancer data with large biological variations and limited number of samples. Since existing methods for identifying differentially expressed genes treat each gene separately, they cannot circumvent the problem of low reproducibility. Considering correlation structures of genes may help to mitigate the effect of errors on individual gene estimates and thus get more reliable lists of DEGs. We borrowed information from large amount of existing microarray data to define the expression dependencies amongst genes. We use this prior knowledge of dependencies amongst genes to adjust the significance rank of DEGs. We applied our method and four popular ranking algorithms including mean fold change (FC), SAM, t-statistic and Wilcoxon rank sum-test on two cancer microarray datasets. Our method achieved higher reproducibility than other methods across a range of sample sizes. Furthermore, our method obtained higher accuracy than other methods, especially when the sample size is small. The results demonstrate that considering the dependencies amongst genes helps to adjust the significance rank of genes and find those truly differentially expressed genes. [source] Stress Resistance and Environmental Dependency of Inbreeding Depression in Drosophila melanogasterCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2000Jesper Dahlgaard Two important issues are whether stress and inbreeding effects are independent as opposed to synergistic, and whether inbreeding effects are general across stresses as opposed to stress-specific. We found that inbreeding reduced resistance to acetone and desiccation in adult Drosophila melanogaster, whereas resistance to knockdown heat stress was not affected. Inbred flies, however, experienced a greater proportional decrease in productivity than outbreds following heat stress. Correlations using line means indicated that all resistance traits were uncorrelated in the inbred as well as in the outbred flies. Recessive, deleterious alleles therefore did not appear to have any general deleterious effects on stress resistance. Inbreeding within a specific environment and selection for resistant genotypes may therefore purge a population of deleterious genes specific to only one environmental stress. Resumen: Tanto la endogamia como el estrés ambiental pueden tener efectos adversos sobre la adaptabilidad afectando la conservación de especies en peligro de extinción. Dos temas importantes son determinar si los efectos del estrés y la endogamia son independientes en lugar de ser sinérgicos, y determinar si los efectos de la endogamia son generales para distintos tipos de estrés o si son específicos para un tipo determinado de estrés. Encontramos que la endogamia reduce la resistencia a la acetona y la desecación en adultos de Drosophila melanogaster, mientras que la resistencia al efecto demoledor del estrés por calor no fue afectada. Sin embargo, las moscas endogámicas experimentaron una disminución proporcionalmente mayor en la productividad que aquellas moscas sin endogamia después de experimentar un estrés por calor. Las correlaciones obtenidas usando líneas medias indicaron que las características de resistencia no estuvieron correlacionadas ni en moscas con endogamia, ni en moscas sin ella. Aparentemente los alelos nocivos recesivos no tuvieron ningún efecto nocivo general en la resistencia al estrés. La endogamia dentro de un ambiente específico y la selección por genotipos resistentes podrían, por lo tanto, eliminar una población de genes nocivos específicos a un solo estrés ambiental. [source] Recognising the necessity for Indo-Pacific seagrass conservationCONSERVATION LETTERS, Issue 2 2010Richard K.F. Unsworth Abstract Seagrass meadows are declining globally at an unprecedented rate, yet these valuable ecosystem service providers remain marginalized within many conservation agendas. In the Indo-Pacific, this is principally because marine conservation priorities do not recognize the economic and ecological value of the goods and services that seagrasses provide. Dependency on coastal marine resources in the Indo-Pacific for daily protein needs is high relative to other regions and has been found in some places to be up to 100%. Habitat loss therefore may have negative consequences for food security in the region. Whether seagrass resources comprise an important contribution to this dependency remains largely untested. Here, we assemble information sources from throughout the Indo-Pacific region that discuss shallow water fisheries, and examine the role of seagrass meadows in supporting production, both directly, and indirectly through process of habitat connectivity (e.g., nursery function and foraging areas). We find information to support the premise that seagrass meadows are important for fisheries production. They are important fishery areas, and they support the productivity and biodiversity of coral reefs. We argue the value of a different paradigm to the current consensus on marine conservation priorities within the Indo-Pacific that places seagrass conservation as a priority. [source] Dependency of Tritium Retention in Graphite on Temperature Control of Molecular DynamicsCONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 3-5 2010A. Ito Abstract We have investigated the carbon plasma facing material and hydrogen atom interaction by the use of molecular dynamics simulation to clarify chemical erosion processes on divertor plate. The present paper is our first try at elucidation of temperature dependence by the molecular dynamics. Temperature was controlled by using Langevin thermostat method. As a result, the retention of hydrogen atom achieve steady state, and the CH4 was generated, which was not found MD simulations without a temperature control method. About 30 percent of injected hydrogen atoms are retained. CH4 yields has a peak at 600 K, which accords with experimental results. A dominant path of CH4 generation found by the present molecular dynamics simulation is as follows: a CH is detached from eroded surface and then it grows into CH4 adsorbing hydrogen atoms via CH2 and CH3. In addition, we propose the problem that the hydrogen atom retention and CH,, yields depend on the thermal relaxation time in MD simulation using temperature control methods (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Experimental analysis of Mn segregation in Bridgman-grown gallium antimonide: Dependency on the ampoule radiusCRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2004J. L. Plaza Abstract This work considered the segregation of manganese in vertical Bridgman-grown GaSb crystals for different ampoule diameters. Experimental data of the impurity distribution were obtained from atomic absorption spectrometry and also Hall measurements. It was demonstrated that the radial segregation is more pronounced in the case of thick ampoule diameters. Furthermore the manganese effective segregation coefficient, resistivity, carrier mobility and density were obtained in each case. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Age Dependency of Myocardial Structure: A Quantitative Two-Dimensional Echocardiography Study in a Normal PopulationECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2000MARIA-AURORA MORALES M.D. Histological changes of the myocardium occur with aging due to an increase in collagen content, hypertrophy of fibers, and patchy fibrosis. Quantitative analysis of conventional echocardiographic images provides an in vivo assessment of myocardial structure by the evaluation of the gray level distribution; with this technique, a relation between myocardial fibrosis and pathological ultrasonic response has been documented. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between ultrason-ically assessed myocardial structure and age in a normal population. Seventy-eight subjects (47 men; mean age, 51 years; age range, 23,87 years) without apparent cardiovascular and systemic disease underwent conventional two-dimensional echocardiographic examinations. Still frames at end-diastole from apical four-chamber view were digitized and converted in matrices of 256 × 256 pixels. First-order statistical analysis was performed to describe a region of interest in the interventricular septum. The following parameters were studied: mean (gray level amplitude), standard deviation (overall contrast), uniformity (tonal organization), and entropy (tendency of gray levels to be spread). Myocardial structure was assessed in 75 of 78 subjects, divided into three groups: I, age 23,40 years; II, age 41,65 years; and III, > 65 years. Significant differences for all the parameters were found between the age groups. Age correlated directly with mean and entropy (r = 0.77 and 0.69, respectively) and inversely with uniformity (r = 0.70). Our results suggest that quantitative echocardiography can reveal age-related changes in myocardial structure that are characterized by a greater echogenicity and loss in tonal organization, possibly due to increased collagen content within the fibers. [source] Natural Resources and Regional Development: An Assessment of Dependency and Comparative Advantage ParadigmsECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2003Thomas Gunton Abstract: The role of natural resources in regional development is the subject of a debate between dependency theorists, who argue that natural resources impede development, and comparative-advantage theorists, who argue that resources can expedite development. This debate is assessed by a case study analysis of the impact of resource development on a regional economy. The case study uses a model to estimate the comparative advantage of the resource sector. The results show that natural resources have the potential to provide a significant comparative advantage relative to other economic sectors by virtue of generating resource rent, which is a surplus above normal returns to other factors of production. The case study also shows that there are considerable risks in resource-led growth, including the propensity to dissipate rent and increase community instability by building surplus capacity. These risks are amenable to mitigation because they are largely the result of poor management of resource development. The case study demonstrates that the most productive analytical approach for understanding the role of natural resources in the development process is a synthetic approach, which combines the insights of the dependency and comparative-advantage paradigms into a unified framework. It also demonstrates that the concept of resource rent, which has frequently been ignored in development theory, must be reintegrated into the unified framework to improve the understanding of the role of natural resources in the regional development process. [source] Magnetic and Electrochemical Properties of a Heterobridged ,-Phenoxido,,1,1 -Azide Dinickel(II) Compound: A Unique Example Demonstrating the Bridge Distance Dependency of Exchange IntegralEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 33 2009Rajesh Koner Abstract The synthesis, structure, magnetic and electrochemical properties of the heterobridged ,-phenoxido,,1,1 -azide dinickel(II) compound [NiII2(HL1)3(,1,1 -N3)]·3H2O (1) derived from the tetradentate Schiff base ligand N -(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methoxysalicylaldimine (H2L1) are described. The title compound crystallizes in the triclinic system (space group P). Electrochemical analyses reveal that compound 1 exhibits two-step quasireversible couples in the reduction window with E1/2 values of ,1412 and ,1762 mV. The variable-temperature (2,300 K) magnetic susceptibilities at 1 T of the title compound were measured. The interaction between the metal centres is weak ferromagnetic (J = 5.0 cm,1, g = 2.23, D1 = 29.2 cm,1 and D2 = 10.7 cm,1). Comparison of the exchange integral of 1 with that of the only reported ,-phenoxido,,1,1 -azide dinickel(II) compound results in the emergence of a unique example of the dependence of strength of magnetic exchange interaction on the metal,ligand bridge distance. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009) [source] An Appreciation of Loves LaborHYPATIA, Issue 3 2002SARA RUDDICK This is a selective reading of Love's Labor: Essays on Women, Equality, and Dependency. My aim is twofold: to continue Love Labor's focus on dependency work and relations, adding certain distinctions and questions of my own; and to recognize the conjunction of three perspectives,theoretical, social/political, and personal,that strengthen this focus. I scant particulars of argument and ignore certain issues in the hope of providing a vivid outline of the rewards and demands of dependency as Eva Kittay envisions them. [source] Gold Catalysis: Anellated Heterocycles and Dependency of the Reaction Pathway on the Tether LengthADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 17 2009A. Stephen Abstract A series of furan-yne substrates with an arylalkynylamide substructure were prepared and subjected to catalytic amounts of phosphanegold(I) complexes. With two carbon atoms in the tether between the arylalkynylamide and the furan subunits, the formation of benzoanellated heterocycles was observed, a number of interesting heterocyclic framworks could be accessed in this way. With three carbon atoms in the tether, the outcome was quite different, cyclopentadiene derivatives anellated to tetrahydropyridine rings were isolated. The two different pathways suggested are supported by calculations regarding the selectivity-determining step. [source] Nutritional status and health outcomes for older people with dementia living in institutionsJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 5 2007Meei-Fang Lou Abstract Title.,Nutritional status and health outcomes for older people with dementia living in institutions Aim., This paper is a report of a study to determine changes over a 3-month period among older people with dementia living in long-term care settings, related to: (1) changes in body mass index, and (2) health outcomes and associated factors. Background., Nutritional deficiencies are common problems among older people, but frequently unrecognized, both in long-term care settings and in the community. Method., A cross-sectional design with repeated measures of body weights and medical record reviews was adopted. The study was conducted in 2003 in two long-term care facilities for older people with dementia in Taiwan. Fifty-five residents participated in the study. Results., Eighteen percent of the residents were under-nourished (body mass index <18·5). There was a trend toward decreasing body mass index over the 3-month study period. Residents with low body mass index tended to need assistance at mealtimes. Nineteen residents, many receiving naso-gastric tube-feeding, experienced adverse health events during the study period. Dependency in eating was the major factor differentiating residents with normal or low body mass index values, and also in distinguishing those who experienced adverse health outcomes. Conclusion., Assessment of eating ability, mode of feeding and measurement of body weight can be used by nurses in long-term care settings for early identification of the nutritional status of older people with dementia. [source] Three-Year Chemical Dependency and Mental Health Treatment Outcomes Among Adolescents: The Role of Continuing CareALCOHOLISM, Issue 8 2009Stacy Sterling Background:, Few studies have examined the effects of treatment factors, including the types of services [chemical dependency (CD), psychiatric, or both], on long-term outcomes among adolescents following CD treatment, and whether receiving continuing care may contribute to better outcomes. This study examines the effect of the index CD and ongoing CD and psychiatric treatment episodes, 12-step participation, and individual characteristics such as CD and mental health (MH) severity and gender, age, and ethnicity, on 3-year CD and MH outcomes. Methods:, Participants were 296 adolescents aged 13 to 18 seeking treatment at 4 CD programs of a nonprofit, managed care, integrated health system. We surveyed participants at intake, 1 year, and 3 years, and examined survey and administrative data, and CD and psychiatric utilization. Results:, At 3 years, 29.7% of the sample reported total abstinence from both alcohol and drugs (excluding tobacco). Compared with girls, boys had only half the odds of being abstinent (OR = 0.46, p = 0.0204). Gender also predicted Externalizing severity at 3 years (coefficients 18.42 vs. 14.77, p < 0.01). CD treatment readmission in the second and third follow-up years was related to abstinence at 3 years (OR = 0.24, p = 0.0066 and OR = 3.33, p = 0.0207, respectively). Abstinence at 1 year predicted abstinence at 3 years (OR = 4.11, p < 0.0001). Those who were abstinent at 1 year also had better MH outcomes (both lower Internalizing and Externalizing scores) than those who were not (11.75 vs. 15.55, p = 0.0012 and 15.13 vs. 18.06, p = 0.0179, respectively). Conclusions:, A CD treatment episode resulting in good 1-year CD outcomes may contribute significantly to both CD and MH outcomes 3 years later. The findings also point to the value of providing a continuing care model of treatment for adolescents. [source] "Jurisdictional Politics" in the Occupied West Bank: Territory, Community, and Economic Dependency in the Formation of Legal SubjectsLAW & SOCIAL INQUIRY, Issue 1 2006Tobias Kelly This article examines the distribution of legal rights in the Israeli occupied West Bank. It argues that legal rights are distributed through a "jurisdictional politics" that tries to stabilize the contingent relationship between political community, territory, and legal subjects. In particular, this jurisdictional politics seeks to delimit the contradictory boundaries of the Israeli state by creating distinct categories of person out of the populations that live and work in the region. These issues are addressed by examining a dispute concerning the jurisdiction of Israeli law over Palestinian workers in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The article ends by arguing that in the context of multiple movements of people, capital, and military force, attention must be paid to the often contradictory ways in which jurisdictional regimes seek to produce particular types of citizens and subjects. [source] Cellular rubber: Dependency between relaxation time and pretreatmentPROCEEDINGS IN APPLIED MATHEMATICS & MECHANICS, Issue 1 2009Nadine Koprowski In this contribution we investigate experimentally a porous carbon-filled rubber. The main focus is on the dependency of the mechanical behaviour using different pretreatments. Therfore, cyclic tests and relaxation tests with different pretreatment are performed. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Path Dependency and the Reform of English Local GovernmentPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Issue 1 2005Francesca Gains This paper uses the concept of path dependency to examine the changes to the political management structures of English local government. We note how the possible experience of decreasing returns among some local authority actors combined with the powerful intervention of politicians within New Labour at the national level led to a significant break from past policy and the imposition of measures to establish a separate executive that was claimed as a radical step forward for local democracy. Using survey data from the Evaluating Local Governance research team (http://www.elgnce.org.uk), we explore the establishment of a separate political executive in all major local authorities and map out the style of decision-making that is emerging. We find that some established institutional patterns reasserted themselves in the process of implementation, but that increasing returns are not as great as some theorists of path dependency would suggest and they may be a force for system change as well as for stability. [source] Flow Distribution During Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Dependency on the Outflow Cannula PositioningARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 11 2009Tim A.S. Kaufmann Abstract Oxygen deficiency in the right brain is a common problem during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). This is linked to an insufficient perfusion of the carotid and vertebral artery. The flow to these vessels is strongly influenced by the outflow cannula position, which is traditionally located in the ascending aorta. Another approach however is to return blood via the right subclavian artery. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study was performed for both methods and validated by particle image velocimetry (PIV). A 3-dimensional computer aided design model of the cardiovascular (CV) system was generated from realtime computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging data. Mesh generation (CFD) and rapid prototyping (PIV) were used for the further model creation. The simulations were performed assuming usual CPB conditions, and the same boundary conditions were applied for the PIV validation. The flow distribution was analyzed for 55 cannula positions inside the aorta and in relation to the distance between the cannula tip and the vertebral artery branch for subclavian cannulation. The study reveals that the Venturi effect due to the cannula jet appears to be the main reason for the loss in cerebral perfusion seen clinically. It provides a PIV-validated CFD method of analyzing the flow distribution in the CV system and can be transferred to other applications. [source] Rorschach Oral Dependency in psychopaths, sexual homicide perpetrators, and nonviolent pedophilesBEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 3 2004Steven K. Huprich Ph.D. Rorschach Oral Dependency scores (Masling, Rabie, & Blondheim, 1967) were compared among nonsexually offending psychopaths (NSOPs, n,=,32), sexual homicide perpetrators (SHPs, n,=,38), and non-violent pedophiles (NVPs, n,=,39) as initially reported by Gacono, Meloy, and Bridges (2000). The aggressive special scores of Gacono and Meloy (1994; Gacono, unpublished doctoral dissertation, 1998) were also scored and compared with ROD scores. Consistent with theory and predictions, NVPs were found to have significantly higher levels of oral dependency scores than NSOPs or SHPs. Additionally, there was a high degree of association between oral dependency and aggression in the SHP and NSOP groups. These Rorschach differences support the validity of the ROD as an implicit measure of dependency and add to the understanding of the dynamics that fuel sexually deviant violence. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Path Dependency and Comparative Industrial Relations: The Case of Conflict Resolution Systems in Ireland and SwedenBRITISH JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 3 2009Paul Teague This article uses the theory of path dependency to explain the evolution of employment conflict resolution systems in Ireland and Sweden. It argues that the traditional ,voluntarist' conflict management path followed in Ireland has fragmented as a result of a series of internal developments that have reduced trade union density, increased the importance of employment law in the settlement of workplace disputes and established social partnership as the main wage-setting mechanism. By contrast, the Swedish system has experienced reform within the boundaries of the established conflict management path, which is largely attributable to the still powerful role played by trade unions within the country. Thus, while the operating rules of the system have changed, its core underlying principles , collectivism and self-regulation , remain intact. [source] Sex Hormone Dependency of Diethylnitrosamine-induced Liver Tumors in Mice and Chemoprevention by LeuprorelinCANCER SCIENCE, Issue 3 2001Tamaki Nakatani The prevalence of liver tumors throughout the world makes it imperative to seek chemopreventive agents. This tumor appears to be hormone-responsive and hormonal manipulations may therefore be beneficial. On this basis, both sexes of 12-day-old B6C3FJ mice were injected i.p. with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) at the dose of 2.5 ,g/g body weight and observed for 32 weeks (males) or 36 weeks (females). In 100% of male mice, liver tumors were observed with an average diameter of 2.72 mm and multiplicity of 60.8. Orchidectomy at 6 weeks of age in these mice inhibited the incidence, multiplicity and size to 63%, 5.6 and 1.54 mm, respectively. By further implantation with an E2 pellet at monthly intervals, these parameters were reduced to 26%, 0.6 and 0.61 mm, respectively. Administration of a gonadotropin-blocking chemical, leuprorelin, to DEN-treated male mice significantly reduced the multiplicity and size of tumors to 18.3 and 2.54 mm (P<0.01 compared to those of DEN only). In female mice, the incidence of liver tumor was significantly smaller than that of males. However, ovariectomy and/or testosterone supplement significantly increased the occurrence of liver tumor. An anti-estrogen, toremifene, caused a marked further decrease of liver tumors. Mitotic indices with bromodeoxyuridine in tumor tissues paralleled the occurrence of liver tumors. Serum testosterone levels were significantly reduced by orchidectomy or by leuprorelin administration. These results further confirm that liver tumor is testosterone-responsive and hormonal manipulation by surgical orchidectomy or by chemical orchidectomy i.e. by leuprorelin, could substantially prevent the appearance of liver tumors. [source] ChemInform Abstract: An Efficient Asymmetric Synthesis of the Potent ,-Blocker ICI-118,551 Allows the Determination of Enantiomer Dependency on Biological Activity.CHEMINFORM, Issue 43 2010James R. Baker Abstract A highly efficient asymmetric synthesis of the title compound is developed. [source] BINOL-3,3,-Triflone N,N -Dimethyl Phosphoramidites: Through-Space 19F,31P Spin,Spin Coupling with a Remarkable Dependency on Temperature and Solvent Internal PressureCHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 26 2008Matthias Kruck Abstract A combined computational and experimental study of the effects of solvent, temperature and stereochemistry on the magnitude of the through-space spin,spin coupling between 31P and 19F nuclei which are six-bonds apart is described. The reaction of 3-trifluoromethylsulfonyl-2,,2-dihydroxy-1,1,-binaphthalene (3-SO2CF3 -BINOL) with hexamethylphosphorous triamide (P(NMe2)3) generates a pair of N,N -dimethylphosphoramidites which are diastereomeric due to their differing relative configurations at the stereogenic phosphorous centre and the axially chiral (atropisomeric) BINOL unit. Through-space NMR coupling of the 31P and 19F nuclei of the phosphoramidite and sulfone is detected in one diastereomer only. In the analogous N,N -dimethylphosphoramidite generated from 3,3,-(SO2CF3)2 -BINOL only one of the diastereotopic trifluoromethylsulfone moieties couples with the 31P of the phosphoramidite. In both cases, the magnitude of the coupling is strongly modulated (up to 400,%) by solvent and temperature. A detailed DFT analysis of the response of the coupling to the orientation of the CF3 moiety with respect to the P-lone pair facilitates a confident assignment of the stereochemical identity of the pair of diastereomers. The analysis shows that the intriguing effects of environment on the magnitude of the coupling can be rationalised by a complex interplay of solvent internal pressure, molecular volume and thermal access to a wider conformational space. These phenomena suggest the possibility for the design of sensitive molecular probes for local environment that can be addressed via through-space NMR coupling. [source] Dependency and self-criticism in post-partum depression and anxiety: a case control studyCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 1 2009Nicole Vliegen This study investigates the role of self-criticism and dependency in inpatient post-partum depressed women (n = 55) and non-depressed controls (n = 37) as well as the relationship between both personality dimensions and severity of depression and anxiety. As expected, mothers with post-partum depression showed not only increased levels of depression but also anxiety compared with non-depressed mothers. Furthermore, they had significantly higher levels of self-criticism, but not of dependency. In the post-partum depressed mothers, both personality dimensions were positively associated with severity of depression. However, in non-depressed mothers, self-criticism was positively associated with depression, while there was an inverse relationship between dependency and severity of depression. In both samples, self-criticism, but not dependency, was related to state anxiety. The cross-sectional nature of this study limits the ability to draw causal conclusions. The study was based on self-report and conducted in relatively small samples. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Parallel tiled QR factorization for multicore architecturesCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 13 2008Alfredo Buttari Abstract As multicore systems continue to gain ground in the high-performance computing world, linear algebra algorithms have to be reformulated or new algorithms have to be developed in order to take advantage of the architectural features on these new processors. Fine-grain parallelism becomes a major requirement and introduces the necessity of loose synchronization in the parallel execution of an operation. This paper presents an algorithm for the QR factorization where the operations can be represented as a sequence of small tasks that operate on square blocks of data (referred to as ,tiles'). These tasks can be dynamically scheduled for execution based on the dependencies among them and on the availability of computational resources. This may result in an out-of-order execution of the tasks that will completely hide the presence of intrinsically sequential tasks in the factorization. Performance comparisons are presented with the LAPACK algorithm for QR factorization where parallelism can be exploited only at the level of the BLAS operations and with vendor implementations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Gating of the expressed T-type Cav3.1 calcium channels is modulated by Ca2+ACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 4 2006L. Lacinová Abstract Aim:, We have investigated the influence of Ca2+ ions on the basic biophysical properties of T-type calcium channels. Methods:, The Cav3.1 calcium channel was transiently expressed in HEK 293 cells. Current was measured using the whole cell patch clamp technique. Ca2+ or Na+ ions were used as charge carriers. The intracellular Ca2+ was either decreased by the addition of 10 mm ethyleneglycoltetraacetic acid (EGTA) or increased by the addition of 200 ,m Ca2+ into the non-buffered intracellular solution. Various combinations of extra- and intracellular solutions yielded high, intermediate or low intracellular Ca2+ levels. Results:, The amplitude of the calcium current was independent of intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. High levels of intracellular Ca2+ accelerated significantly both the inactivation and the activation time constants of the current. The replacement of extracellular Ca2+ by Na+ as charge carrier did not affect the absolute value of the activation and inactivation time constants, but significantly enhanced the slope factor of the voltage dependence of the inactivation time constant. Slope factors of voltage dependencies of channel activation and inactivation were significantly enhanced. The recovery from inactivation was faster when Ca2+ was a charge carrier. The number of available channels saturated for membrane voltages more negative than ,100 mV for the Ca2+ current, but did not reach steady state even at ,150 mV for the Na+ current. Conclusions:, Ca2+ ions facilitate transitions of Cav3.1 channel from open into closed and inactivated states as well as backwards transition from inactivated into closed state, possibly by interacting with its voltage sensor. [source] Conditional Belonging: Farm Workers and the Cultural Politics of Recognition in ZimbabweDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 1 2008Blair Rutherford ABSTRACT This article examines Zimbabwean land politics and the study of rural interventions, including agrarian reform, more broadly, using the analytical framework of territorialized ,modes of belonging' and their ,cultural politics of recognition'. Modes of belonging are the routinized discourses, social practices and institutional arrangements through which people make claims for resources and rights, the ways through which they become ,incorporated' in particular places. In these spatialized forms of power and authority, particular cultural politics of recognition operate; these are the cultural styles of interaction that become privileged as proper forms of decorum and morality informing dependencies and interdependencies. The author traces a hegemonic mode of belonging identified as ,domestic government', put in place on European farms in Zimbabwe's colonial period, and shows how it was shaped by particular political and economic conjunctures in the first twenty years of Independence after 1980. Domestic government provided a conditional belonging for farm workers in terms of claims to limited resources on commercial farms while positioning them in a way that made them marginal citizens in the nation at large. This is the context for the behaviour of land-giving authorities which have actively discriminated against farm workers during the politicized and violent land redistribution processes that began in 2000. Most former farm workers are now seeking other forms of dependencies, typically more precarious and generating fewer resources and services than they had accessed on commercial farms, with their own particular cultural politics of recognition, often tied to demonstrating support to the ruling political party. [source] Post-Conditionality Politics and Administrative Reform: Reflections on the Cases of Uganda and TanzaniaDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 4 2001Graham Harrison This article contributes to the discussion of the nature of external intervention in the reform processes of indebted states. Looking at administrative reform in Uganda and Tanzania, it is argued that external involvement in sub-Saharan Africa is becoming increasingly differentiated. For some states , including the two cases dealt with here , a key set of continuities and changes allows us to conceptualize a regime of post-conditionality. Post-conditionality regimes exist where extreme external dependence and economic growth produce a set of political dynamics in which external,national distinctions become less useful, in which there emerge a set of unequal mutual dependencies, and in which donor/creditor involvement in reform becomes qualitatively more intimate, pervading the form and processes of the state. Details of this dispensation are provided in an analysis of key ministries and key interventions by donors/creditors. The article finishes by considering the contradictions of the post-conditionality regime, and its prospects. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||