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Selected AbstractsWittgenstein's Builders and Perry's Objection to Sentence PriorityDIALECTICA, Issue 1 2002Eli Dresner In the first section of this paper I present a view of linguistic meaning that I label 'Sentence Priority'(SP): the position that semantically primitive language-world contact is made at the level of complete sentences (rather than the level of sentence parts). Then, in the main part of the paper, I consider and reject an objection against Sentence Priority raised by John Perry, an objection that appeals to Wittgenstein's builders parable. Perry argues that the builder's utterances (,Slab',,Pillar', etc.) are utterances of self-standing nouns, and that therefore they constitute a counter-example to SP. A sound assessment of Perry's argument, however, depends on a clear distinction between two cases: one in which the four expressions mentioned in Wittgenstein's example exhaust the builders'expressive powers, and one in which they do not. Once these cases are distinguished it can be seen that in neither does Perry's argument go through. [source] Deltas in the Abisko area, northern Sweden: the Abiskojokka delta in lake TorneträskGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Issue 3-4 2002Hans Andrén Several small river deltas are found within the Abisko area. This study deals with the Abiskojokka delta in Lake Torneträsk. The aim is to describe the recent delta and its morphological development since the middle 1960s. In the apex of the delta, bars consist of boulders and cobbles while the mouth,bars are built by pebbles, gravel and to some extent sand. Birch vegetation is found on the sandy levées while willows and sedges dominate the interlevée basins. Mouth bars close to the lake generally lack vegetation. A comparison of the map in the present study with a map from 1965 shows comparatively small changes since 1964. Similar results are achieved when comparing aerial photographs from 1959 and 2000. Thus, the growth of the Abiskojokka delta is rather small compared to several other deltas in the Scandinavian mountains. This low growth rate is a result of upstream lakes trapping the major part of the fluvial sediments. Therefore, most of the delta sediment is redistributed old glaciofluvial material from the terraces within the Abiskojokka valley. Some material might also emanate from the Abiskojokka canyon. Formation of the main part of the delta is probably associated with the lowering of the Torneträsk ice,lakes, during and after the deglaciation of the region. Although some extreme rainstorm events have occurred in the area during recent decades, the effects of these on the delta are small. The result of such events is, however, visible as deposition of sand and silt on the levées after flooding. On the other hand, the shoreline and the mouth bars are continuously changing due to rather high wave energy especially during northerly winds. Along several mouth bars, spits are formed and reformed due to wave action. Minor changes of, and within, the two main distributaries have also been noticed, especially as bank erosion and redistribution of bars. The project will continue with a survey of the distal slope (foreset slope) of the delta as well as a study (including X,ray radiography) of the bottom sediments in Lake Torneträsk close to the delta front. The upstream deltas within this drainage basin as well as other deltas within the Torneträsk region will be studied. [source] Propagation of drought through groundwater,a new approach using linear reservoir theoryHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 15 2003E. Peters Abstract The effect of drought on groundwater heads and discharge is often complex and poorly understood. Therefore the propagation of a drought from groundwater recharge to discharge and the influence of aquifer characteristics on the propagation was analysed by tracking a drought in recharge through a linear reservoir. The recharge was defined as a sinusoid function with a period of 1 year. The decrease in recharge owing to drought was simulated by multiplying the recharge during 1 year with a drought fraction between 0 and 1, which represents a decrease in the recharge of 100 to 0%, respectively. The droughts were identified using the threshold level approach, with a threshold that is constant in time. For this case analytical formulations were derived, which express the drought duration and deficit in the groundwater discharge in terms of the decrease in recharge, the reservoir coefficient that characterizes aquifer properties and the height of the threshold level. The results showed that the delay in the groundwater system caused a shift of the main part of the decrease in recharge from the high-flow to the low-flow period. This resulted in an increase in drought deficit for discharge compared with the drought deficit for recharge. Also the development of multiyear droughts caused an increase in drought deficit. The attenuation in the groundwater system caused a decrease in drought deficit. In most cases the net effect of these processes was an increase of drought deficit as a result of the propagation through groundwater. Only for small droughts the deficit decreased from recharge to discharge. The amount of increase or decrease depends on the reservoir coefficient and the severity of the drought. Under most conditions a maximum in the drought deficit occurred for a reservoir coefficient of around 200 days. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Towards a distinctive body of knowledge for Information Systems experts: coding ISD process knowledge in two IS journalsINFORMATION SYSTEMS JOURNAL, Issue 4 2004Juhani Iivari Abstract., This paper introduces the idea of coding a practically relevant body of knowledge (BoK) in Information Systems (IS) that could have major benefits for the field. In its main part, the paper focuses on the question if and how an underlying body of action-oriented knowledge for IS experts could be distilled from the IS research literature. For this purpose the paper identifies five knowledge areas as the most important parts for an IS expert's BoK. Two of these are claimed as distinct areas of competence for IS experts: IS application knowledge and IS development (ISD) process knowledge. The paper focuses particularly on ISD process knowledge because it allows the organizing of practically relevant IS knowledge in an action-oriented way. The paper presents some evidence for the claim that a considerable body of practically relevant IS process knowledge might, indeed, exist, but also notes that it is highly dispersed in the IS literature. It then argues that the IS research community should take stock of this knowledge and organize it in an action-oriented way. Based on results from prior work it proposes a four-level hierarchical coding scheme for this purpose. In order to test the idea of coding action-oriented knowledge for IS experts, the paper reports the results of a coded literature analysis of ISD research articles published from 1996 to 2000 in two leading IS journals , Information Systems Journal and MIS Quarterly. The results suggest that ISD approaches form a useful framework for organizing practically relevant IS knowledge. [source] Optimal modal reduction of vibrating substructuresINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2003Paul E. Barbone Abstract A structure which consists of a main part and a number of attached substructures is considered. A ,model reduction' scheme is developed and applied to each of the discrete substructures. Linear undamped transient vibrational motion of the structure is assumed, with general external forcing and initial conditions. The goal is to replace each discrete substructure by another substructure with a much smaller number of degrees of freedom, while minimizing the effect this reduction has on the dynamic behaviour of the main structure. The approach taken here involves Ritz reduction and the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map as analysis tools. The resulting scheme is based on a special form of modal reduction, and is shown to be optimal in a certain sense, for long simulation times. The performance of the scheme is demonstrated via numerical examples, and is compared to that of standard modal reduction. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Metallosupramolecular approach toward functional coordination polymersJOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE (IN TWO SECTIONS), Issue 21 2005Rainer Dobrawa Abstract An appropriate definition of metallosupramolecular coordination polymer is offered, and the relationship between the polymer length, binding constant, and concentration is clarified. The possibility of influencing the binding constant with chelating ligands is discussed on the basis of examples of different Zn2+ complexes and their respective binding constants. In the main part, coordination polymers constructed by a supramolecular approach from different metal ions and pyridine,ligand systems are highlighted, and their applications as functional materials for artificial membrane and enzyme models, responsive gels, light-harvesting systems, and organic light-emitting diodes are discussed on the basis of individual examples. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4981,4995, 2005 [source] Corrosion behaviour of tool steels in tannic acidsMATERIALS AND CORROSION/WERKSTOFFE UND KORROSION, Issue 3 2009H. Winkelmann Abstract It is well known that cutting knifes in the wood industry often suffer from corrosion. Investigations showed that the corrosiveness of different wood types is responsible for a major part of the damage, and that different woods have a different corrosive impact. It is revealed that tannin, a water-soluble acid, which can be found in all woods in different concentrations, is the most aggressive acid contained in the wood, and so it is responsible for the main part of the corrosive attack. In view of the above, the ability of different cold-work steels to resist corrosion caused by tannic acid has been investigated. Often corrosion is measured by the mass loss of the sample divided by the surface of the sample under certain conditions during a fixed period of time. One problem with this method is that there is also a weight gain caused by oxidation or by other side reactions at the samples surface. So in some cases the weight of the sample even increases during the testing time, which makes the quantification of the corrosion impossible with this method. Due to the reasons already mentioned, another method was used to quantify the test results. This method is based on inductive coupled plasma,optical emission spectral analyses (ICP-OES), where the released Fe is quantified. The results of the corrosion resistant tests get correlated to the microstructure and the elemental composition of the analysed cold-work steels. The present investigations improve the understanding of important material parameters to enhance the corrosion resistance against tannin. It is revealed that the higher the primary carbide concentration is the more Cr or other passivating elements are necessary in the matrix to show a good protection against corrosion by tannin. Three materials with different elemental compositions have been investigated, and for one of those materials the influence of different heat treatments was also analysed. The investigations could show that annealing parameters and freeze-cycle processing (FCP) have less impact on the corrosion resistance to tannin than elemental composition and austenitising temperature. [source] On the semidiscretization and linearization of pseudoparabolic von Kármán system for viscoelastic platesMATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE APPLIED SCIENCES, Issue 5 2006Igor Bock Abstract We deal with the system of quasistationary von Kármán equations describing moderately large deflections of thin viscoelastic plates. We concentrate on a differential-type material, which gives rise to a quasistationary system with a linear pseudoparabolic main part and a non-linear differential term. This model arises when considering a special relaxation function involving only one exponential function. The existence and the uniqueness of a solution as the limit of a semidiscrete approximation is verified. The conditions for a linearization of these approximations are stated. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Euplotes daidaleos and its endocytobiontsTHE JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2005SERGEI I. FOKIN Among almost 200 endocytobiotic associations between freshwater ciliates and Chlorella -like algae (A) one Euplotes species,E. daidaleos Diller, Kounaris, 1966 is existing. It was not so far under particular investigation. Comparative study of cell morphology and behavior of "green" and derived from it "white" stocks of the ciliate (C), collected in Italy and Russia were carried out, using light and electron microscopy. The green C usually maintain 30,80 units of A and some bacteria (B), belonging to the different types,Polynucleobacter -like bacterium, ,-subgroup of Proteobacteria (size about 2,10 × 0.4,0.5 ,m) and another eubacterium (size 1,2 × 0.6,0.8 ,m). The number of the first B was much higher in the white C, but could vary between different host cells. According to data obtained with fluorescent microscopy it looks like these B can produce long chains, which consisted of quite short individuals with only one nucleoid. Association between Euplotes and Chlorella within the system is rather a close one: loss of the A after long time cultivation of C in darkness usually did not happen. The majority of the ciliates (96,100%) kept A, but this number often dropped down, apparently as a result of digestion by C of some of the A. Positive phototaxis is almost absent in green E. daidaleos in comparison with that of Paramecium bursaria,Chlorella association. The rate of division was not significantly deviated according to A presence. Moreover, cells of the green Euplotes did not like high level of illumination and in any cases needed some additional food. This situation is also quite opposite to the P. bursaria,Chlorella system. In between 2 and 3 months of cultivation, the main part of the white stocks have lost its viability partly because of disturbance in the cirral pattern. In about 90% of cells some frontal, ventral, transversal and caudal cirri disappeared in different combinations. It is the first indication on some connection between A-symbionts and host morphogenesis. Large food vacuoles almost all time presented in such cells show some kind of problems with digestion as well. E. daidaleos could be considered as three-lateral symbiotic system, promising for further investigations. [source] Hypoxia-sensing properties of the newborn rat ventral medullary surface in vitroTHE JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006N. Voituron The ventral medullary surface (VMS) is a region known to exert a respiratory stimulant effect during hypercapnia. Several studies have suggested its involvement in the central inhibition of respiratory rhythm caused by hypoxia. We studied brainstem,spinal cord preparations isolated from newborn rats transiently superfused with a very low O2 medium, causing reversible respiratory depression, to characterize the participation of the VMS in hypoxic respiratory adaptation. In the presence of 0.8 mm Ca2+, very low O2 medium induced an increase in c-fos expression throughout the VMS. The reduction of synaptic transmission and blockade of the respiratory drive by 0.2 mm Ca2+,1.6 mm Mg2+ abolished c-fos expression in the medial VMS (at the lateral edge of the pyramidal tract) but not in the perifacial retrotrapezoid nucleus/parafacial respiratory group (RTN/pFRG) VMS, suggesting the existence of perifacial RTN/pFRG hypoxia-sensing neurons. In the presence of Ca2+ (0.8 mm), lesioning experiments suggested a physiological difference in perifacial RTN/pFRG VMS between the lateral VMS (beneath the ventrolateral part of the facial nucleus) and the middle VMS (beneath the ventromedial part of the facial nucleus), at least in newborn rats. The lateral VMS lesion, corresponding principally to the most rostral part of the pFRG, produced hypoxia-induced stimulation, whereas the middle VMS lesion, corresponding to the main part of the RTN, abolished hypoxic excitation. This may involve relay via the medial VMS, which is thought to be the parapyramidal group. [source] Organoarsenic compounds in plants and soil on top of an ore veinAPPLIED ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2002Anita Geiszinger Abstract Plants and soil collected above an ore vein in Gasen (Austria) were investigated for total arsenic concentrations by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Total arsenic concentrations in all samples were higher than those usually found at non-contaminated sites. The arsenic concentration in the soil ranged from ,700 to ,4000,mg kg,1 dry mass. Arsenic concentrations in plant samples ranged from ,0.5 to 6,mg kg,1 dry mass and varied with plant species and plant part. Examination of plant and soil extracts by high-performance liquid chromatography,ICP-MS revealed that only small amounts of arsenic (<1%) could be extracted from the soil and the main part of the extractable arsenic from soil was inorganic arsenic, dominated by arsenate. Trimethylarsine oxide and arsenobetaine were also detected as minor compounds in soil. The extracts of the plants (Trifolium pratense, Dactylis glomerata, and Plantago lanceolata) contained arsenate, arsenite, methylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid, trimethylarsine oxide, the tetramethylarsonium ion, arsenobetaine, and arsenocholine (2.5,12% extraction efficiency). The arsenic compounds and their concentrations differed with plant species. The extracts of D. glomerata and P. lanceolata contained mainly inorganic arsenic compounds typical of most other plants. T. pratense, on the other hand, contained mainly organic arsenicals and the major compound was methylarsonic acid. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Distribution of the Ordovician Fluid in the Tahe Oilfield and Dynamic Response of Cave System S48 to ExploitationACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 3 2008LOU Zhanghua Abstract: The Tahe Oilfield is a complex petroleum reservoir of Ordovician carbonate formation and made up of spatially overlapping fracture-cavity units. The oilfield is controlled by a cave system resulting from structure-karst cyclic sedimentation. Due to significant heterogeneity of the reservoir, the distribution of oil and water is complicated. Horizontally, a fresh water zone due to meteoric water can be found in the north part of the Akekule uplift. A marginal freshening zone caused by water released from mudstone compaction is found at the bottom of the southern slope. Located in a cross-formational flow discharge zone caused by centripetal and the centrifugal flows, the main part of the Tahe Oilfield, featuring high salinity and concentrations of Cl, and K++Na+, is favorable for accumulation of hydrocarbon. Three types of formation water in the Tahe Ordovician reservoir are identified: (1) residual water at the bottom of the cave after oil and gas displacement, (2) residual water in fractures/pores around the cave after oil and gas displacement, and (3) interlayer water below reservoirs. The cave system is the main reservoir space, which consists of the main cave, branch caves and depressions between caves. Taking Cave System S48 in the Ordovician reservoir as an example, the paper analyzes the fluid distribution and exploitation performance in the cave system. Owing to evaporation of groundwater during cross-formational flow, the central part of the main cave, where oil layers are thick and there is a high degree of displacement, is characterized by high salinity and Br, concentration. With high potential and a long stable production period, most wells in the central part of the main cave have a long water-free oil production period. Even after water breakthrough, the water content has a slow or stepwise increase and the hydrochemistral characteristics of the produced water in the central part of the main cave are uniform. From the center to the edge of the main cave, displacement and enrichment of oil/gas become weaker, residual water increases, and the salinity and concentration of Br, decrease. At the edge of the main cave, although the wells have a high deliverability at the beginning with a short stable production period and water-free production period. After water breakthrough, the pressure and deliverability drop quickly, and the water content rises quickly. The hydrochemistral characteristics of the produced water are relatively uniform. Wells in the branch caves have a relatively low deliverability at the beginning, with a short stable production period. Water breakthrough appears quickly and then the pressure and deliverability drop quickly. The salinity and concentrations of Cl, and K++Na+ are usually fluctuant or descend slowly in the produced water. Wells in low areas of ancient karst have a low deliverability and a short stable production period. The yield drops quickly and the water content is high, while the characteristics of the produced water may vary significantly well to well. The salinity and concentrations of Cl, and K++Na+ in the produced water are usually fluctuant with a precipitous decline. [source] Calculation of resting energy expenditure in obese childrenACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2004C-E Flodmark For the calculation of resting energy expenditure, which is the main part of total energy expenditure in children with low physical activity, Fusch et al. have developed an equation. Conclusion: This equation might be useful for research but not in daily work with obese patients. [source] The influence of local heating on skin microcirculation in pressure ulcers, monitored by a combined laser Doppler and transcutaneous oxygen tension probeCLINICAL PHYSIOLOGY AND FUNCTIONAL IMAGING, Issue 6 2000Vivianne Schubert In a prospective, controlled study the skin microcirculation and transcutaneous oxygen tension were evaluated in 28 elderly patients (85 ± 0·8 years) with grade 2 and 3 pressure ulcer. Laser Doppler fluxmetry and transcutaneous oxymetry techniques were used together in a combined probe to simultaneously evaluate the influence of heat stress at 44°C, at the same time and in the same area of the ulcer edge. Total skin microcirculation was already increased at rest before heating, and increased even more during a fast and then a more gradually heat-induced hyperaemia response compared with undamaged skin. The increase showed a biphasic manner. On the other hand, the oxygen diffusibility from the capillaries to the skin surface was significantly reduced, compared with undamaged skin. One hypothesis may be that in ageing skin the main part of the increased skin microcirculation in a pressure ulcer were passing through thermoregulatory vessels in subpapillary tissue layers. Interactions between the increased blood flow and metabolic activity at the ulcer edge might be oxygen-consuming, leading to reduced oxygen content passing through the capillaries and contributing to tissue ischaemia. Disturbances of the local skin microcirculation and tissue oxygenation will influence the ulcer healing rate and may affect the healing progress. [source] Globalization from Below: Free Software and Alternatives to NeoliberalismDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 6 2007Sara Schoonmaker ABSTRACT This article explores one of the central struggles over the politics of globalization: forging alternatives to neoliberalism by developing new forms of globalization from below. It focuses on a unique facet of this struggle, rooted in the centrality of information technologies for global trade and production, as well as new forms of media and digital culture. The analysis has four main parts: examining the key role of software as a technological infrastructure for diverse forms of globalization; conceptualizing the contradictory implications of three software business models for realizing the utopian potential of digital technology to develop forms of globalization from below; exploring how three free and open source software business models were put into practice by Red Hat, IBM and the Free Software Foundation; and analysing Brazilian software policy as a form of globalization from below that challenges the historical dominance of the global North and seeks to develop new forms of digital inclusion and digital culture. [source] HAEdb: A novel interactive, locus-specific mutation database for the C1 inhibitor gene,HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 1 2005Lajos Kalmár Abstract Hereditary angioneurotic edema (HAE) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by episodic local subcutaneous and submucosal edema and is caused by the deficiency of the activated C1 esterase inhibitor protein (C1-INH or C1INH; approved gene symbol SERPING1). Published C1-INH mutations are represented in large universal databases (e.g., OMIM, HGMD), but these databases update their data rather infrequently, they are not interactive, and they do not allow searches according to different criteria. The HAEdb, a C1-INH gene mutation database (http://hae.biomembrane.hu) was created to contribute to the following expectations: 1) help the comprehensive collection of information on genetic alterations of the C1-INH gene; 2) create a database in which data can be searched and compared according to several flexible criteria; and 3) provide additional help in new mutation identification. The website uses MySQL, an open-source, multithreaded, relational database management system. The user-friendly graphical interface was written in the PHP web programming language. The website consists of two main parts, the freely browsable search function, and the password-protected data deposition function. Mutations of the C1-INH gene are divided in two parts: gross mutations involving DNA fragments >1 kb, and micro mutations encompassing all non-gross mutations. Several attributes (e.g., affected exon, molecular consequence, family history) are collected for each mutation in a standardized form. This database may facilitate future comprehensive analyses of C1-INH mutations and also provide regular help for molecular diagnostic testing of HAE patients in different centers. Hum Mutat 25:1,5, 2005. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Cosmopolitan peacekeeping and peacebuilding in Sierra Leone: what can Africa contribute?INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, Issue 6 2007DAVID CURRAN The article is organized into two main parts. First, it presents the termination of the conflict in Sierra Leone as a case-study to examine the degree to which cosmopolitan values connecting peacekeeping and peacebuilding are (or are not) evident. The case-study looks at the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) as a model of successful peacekeeping in the sense that everyday security was provided for the people of Sierra Leone through the deployment of a robust peacekeeping mission. This assessment needs to be qualified in relation to serious deficits still to be addressed in post-conflict peacebuilding, yet the success of this mission does provide encouragement for those who see the construction of a cosmopolitan security architecture for Africa as both desirable and achievable. Second, it explores the degree to which an appropriate model of cosmopolitan peacekeeping might emerge at regional and continental levels in Africa through the development of the African Standby Force (ASF). What the case-study presented here and the survey of the African Union (AU)/ASF in the second part of the article have in common is that taken together, they provide some evidence to suggest that, however fragile, the AU is beginning to define an agenda that represents a continent wide and, in that sense at least, a cosmopolitan response to African security issues. [source] Effect of a gas,liquid separator on the hydrodynamics and circulation flow regimes in internal-loop airlift reactorsJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2001Jaroslav Klein Abstract The role of the gas,liquid separator on hydrodynamic characteristics in an internal-loop airlift reactor (ALR) was investigated. Both gas holdup and liquid velocity were measured in a 30,dm3 airlift reactor with two different head configurations: with and without an enlarged separator. A magnetic tracer method using a neutrally buoyant magnetic particle as flowfollower was used to measure the liquid velocity in all sections of the internal-loop airlift reactor. Average liquid circulation velocities in the main parts of the ALR were compared for both reactor configurations. At low air flow rates the separator had no influence on gas holdup, circulation velocity and intensity of turbulence in the downcomer and separator. At higher superficial air velocities, however, the separator design had a decisive effect on the hydrodynamic parameters in the downcomer and the separator. On the other hand, the gas holdup in the riser was only slightly influenced by the separator configuration in the whole range of air flow. Circulation flow regimes, characterising the behaviour of bubbles in the downcomer, were identified and the effect of the separator on these regimes was assessed. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Accumulation and Dynamic Trends of Triterpenoid Saponin in Vegetative Organs of Achyranthus bidentataJOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Jinting Li Abstract The relationship between structural features of various vegetative organs and triterpenoid saponin accumulation in Achyranthus bidentata Blume was investigated using anatomy, histochemistry and phytochemistry. The results showed that the primary and secondary structures of roots, and the structures of stems and leaves of A. bidentata, were similar to those of ordinary dicotyledonous plants. The enlargement of its roots, however, was primarily associated with growth and differentiation of tertiary structures. There were collateral medullary vascular bundles in addition to the normal vascular bundles in the stem. The tertiary structure was not only main parts in the roots of A. bidentata, but also important storage region of triterpenoid saponin in its growth and development. The stem may be the essential transport organ of triterpenoid saponin, while palisade parenchyma may be the primary synthesis location. In November, the total quantity of triterpenoid saponin and overall biomass in the roots reach a maximum level. This was the best time, therefore, to harvest the roots and corresponded to the traditional harvest period. Despite the withered appearance of leaves, stems also contained substantial amounts of triterpenoid saponin, and it was recommended that the stems of A. bidentata should be used. [source] Decision process support for participatory democracyJOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 1-2 2008Mats Danielson Abstract This paper presents a project and case study integrating decision methods into democratic processes. The case discussed is a set of three complicated decisions in a municipality in Sweden. The decisions had been postponed on several occasions prior to bringing in the method described in the paper. The method employed consists of two main parts. The interaction part contains the communication channels directed to the stakeholders. The decision-process part consists of a three-layered working process model. As a part of the method, the project was highly visible on the web. Citizens were encouraged to submit material to the project. All intermediate results of the process were continuously published, enhancing transparency. For each decision, the analysis consisted of comparing all alternatives, taking the respective criteria into account as weighted or ranked by the participants. A method for recording compromises analytically was also used. The purpose was not to replace the political process but to support it in a structured way. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Occurrence of Bremia lactucae in Natural Populations of Lactuca serriolaJOURNAL OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 7 2004I. Petr, elová Abstract In the period 1996,2001 the natural occurrence of Bremia lactucae (lettuce downy mildew) on Asteraceae plants was studied in the Czech Republic. Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce) is the most common naturally growing host species of B. lactucae. Infection of plants was recorded during the whole vegetation season with the first occurrence in April and last in November. Bremia lactucae was found on host plants in all developmental stages. High percentages of naturally infected populations of L. serriola were recorded. Host plants exhibited broad variation in phenotypic expression of disease symptoms and degree of infection, however, the intensity of infection was rather low in the majority of populations. Geographic distribution of B. lactucae was studied in the two main parts of Czech Republic, central and southern Moravia, and eastern, northern and central Bohemia. Bremia lactucae was recorded in all these areas. Nevertheless, in the warmest parts of the Czech Republic (southern Moravia) only sporadic occurrence of the pathogen was recorded. Bremia lactucae infection on L. serriola and disease severity was judged also in relation to the type of habitat, and the size and density of host plant populations. However, no substantial differences among various habitats were found; only host plants growing in urban areas were frequently free of infection and the degree of infection was very low. Nevertheless, these plants were commonly infected with powdery mildew (Golovinomyces cichoracearum), which is most aggressive pathogen of this type of habitat. [source] Old and emerging therapies in chronic hepatitis C: an updateJOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, Issue 1 2008M. Deutsch Summary., The main goal of therapy in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is to achieve a sustained virological response currently defined as undetectable HCV-RNA in peripheral blood determined with the most sensitive polymerase chain reaction technique 24 weeks after the end of treatment. This goal is practically equivalent with eradication of HCV infection and cure of the underlying HCV-induced liver disease. The current standard in hepatitis C treatment consists in combination regimens of pegylated interferon-, (Peg-INF-,) with Ribavirin (RBV). Such treatment schemes are quite successful in patients with HCV genotypes 2 and 3 infections achieving HCV eradication rates of 75,90%. However, they are much less effective in patients with genotypes 1 and 4 infections with eradication rates ranging between 45% and 52%. Moreover, they have several, and sometimes severe, adverse effects and contraindications, further limiting their efficacy and applicability in an appreciable number of patients with chronic HCV-induced liver disease. Therefore, the need for improvement of existing therapies and for development of new effective, safe and tolerable drugs is a matter of great clinical relevance and importance. In this article, recent improvements in the current standard of therapy with IFN-, and RBV in various subsets of patients with chronic hepatitis C and in the clinical development of new emerging drugs, particularly small molecules, will be reviewed and commented. The article is divided in two main parts: (i) improvements in the standard combination therapies and schemes of approved Peg-INF-, with RBV and expectations from new interferons, interferon inducers and alternatives to RBV; (ii) new drugs for HCV in clinical development focusing mostly on specific inhibitors of HCV and less so on other drugs including immune therapies. [source] Experimental studies on microwave ablation in vitro animal tissues with microwave percutaneous coagulatorMICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 9 2008Wenquan Che Abstract The principle and geometry of the microwave percutaneous coagulator system are investigated in this article; the main parts of the system are briefly introduced. A large number of experiments on porcine liver are carried out, and the temperature distribution within the liver are measured and illustrated, for cases of different injected microwave power and ablation time. In addition, the ablation areas in cases of different input microwave powers are also measured. All these results indicate the potential validity of this system on medical treatment of liver cancer of human body. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 2426,2430, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23694 [source] Population genetic structure of rock ptarmigan in the ,sky islands' of French Pyrenees: implications for conservationANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 2 2009N. Bech Abstract Expected consequences of global warming include habitat reduction in many cool climate species. Rock ptarmigan is a Holarctic grouse that inhabits arctic and alpine tundra. In Europe, the Pyrenean ptarmigan inhabits the southern edge of the species' range and since the last glacial maximum its habitat has been severely fragmented and is restricted to high-alpine zones or ,sky islands'. A recent study of rock ptarmigan population genetic in Europe found that the Pyrenean ptarmigan had very low genetic diversity compared with that found in the Alps and Scandinavia. Habitat fragmentation and reduced genetic diversity raises concerns about the viability of ptarmigan populations in the Pyrenees. However, information on population structuring and gene flow across the Pyrenees, which is essential for designing a sound management plan, is absent. In this study, we use seven microsatellites and mitochondrial control region sequences to investigate genetic variation and differentiation among five localities across the Pyrenees. Our analyses reveal the presence of genetic differentiation among all five localities and a significant isolation-by-distance effect that is likely the result of short dispersal distances and high natal and breeding philopatry of Pyrenean ptarmigan coupled with severe habitat fragmentation. Furthermore, analysis of molecular variance, principal component analysis and Bayesian analysis of genetic structuring identified the greatest amount of differentiation between the eastern and main parts of the Pyrenean chain separated by the Sčgre Valley. Our data also show that the Canigou massif may host an isolated population and requires special conservation attention. We propose a management plan which includes the translocation of birds. If a sky island structure affects genetic divergence in rock ptarmigan, it may also affect the genetic structure of other sky island species having low dispersal abilities. [source] Putting the Pieces Together: Histone H2B Ubiquitylation Directly Stimulates Histone H3K79 MethylationCHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 14 2008Albert Jeltsch Prof. Dr. Abstract Employing an in vitro reconstitution approach, McGinty et al. studied the mechanism of stimulation of the Dot1-catalysed histone H3 methylation at Lys79 by histone H2B ubiquitylation at Lys120. To generate nucleosome particles that carry the ubiquitylation at Lys120, they chemically connected three polypeptides,the main parts of histone H3 and ubiquitin expressed in bacteria and a branched synthetic peptide. Using the semisynthetically produced nucleosome substrates and purified Dot1 enzyme, they showed that Dot1 is directly stimulated by the ubiquitylation, thus ruling out the need for further protein factors to mediate the effect. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||