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Terms modified by Notable Selected Abstracts3133: Planar patch-clamping in human corneal endothelial cells: a new tool for clinical application?ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2010S MERGLER Purpose Identification of apoptotic or damaged human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs) is limited to morphological evaluation such as phase contrast microscopy and vital staining. The molecular mechanisms of corneal endothelial cell loss are not fully understood. Special investigations in cellular signalling and ion channel research are necessary to elucidate the mechanisms of corneal cell loss. In this context, it is known that this cell loss is often caused by apoptosis in oxidative stress. Methods Automated planar patch-clamp has become common in drug development and safety programs because it enables efficient and systematic testing of compounds against ion channels during voltage-clamp. A particularly successful automated approach is based on planar patch-clamp chips and this is the basis for the technology used here. Routine intracellular or extracellular perfusion opens possibilities for studying the regulation and pharmacology of ion channels. Previously, these studies were available only to highly skilled and dedicated experimenters. Results Notable, definite ion channel activities could be demonstrated by conventional as well as by planar patch-clamp in HCECs for the first time. In particular, temperature-sensing transient receptor potential (TRP)-like non-selective cation channel currents as well as capsaicin-sensitive ion channel currents could be detected. The expression of TRPV1-3 ion channels in HCEC could also be confirmed by RT-PCR, Western blot analysis and fluorescence cell imaging. Conclusion The administration of this novel measuring technology opens new perspectives in the investigation of the physiology of HCEC. The findings may have direct clinical implication (eye banking procedures, keratoplasty). [source] The Need to Rationalize and Prioritize Threatening Processes Used to Determine Threat Status in the IUCN Red ListCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2009MATT W. HAYWARD carnivora; competencia; estatus de conservación; procesos amenazantes Abstract:,Thorough evaluation has made the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List the most widely used and accepted authority on the conservation status of biodiversity. Although the system used to determine risk of extinction is rigorously and objectively applied, the list of threatening processes affecting a species is far more subjectively determined and has not had adequate review. I reviewed the threats listed in the IUCN Red List for randomly selected groups within the three most threatened orders of mammals: Artiodactyla, Carnivora, and Primates. These groups are taxonomically related and often ecologically similar, so I expected they would suffer relatively similar threats. Hominoid primates and all other terrestrial fauna faced similar threats, except for bovine artiodactyls and large, predatory carnivores, which faced significantly different threats. Although the status of bovines and hominoids and the number of threats affecting them were correlated, this was not the case for large carnivores. Most notable, however, was the great variation in the threats affecting individual members of each group. For example, the endangered European bison (Bison bonasus) has no threatening processes listed for it, and the lion (Panthera leo) is the only large predator listed as threatened with extinction by civil war. Some threatening processes appear spurious for the conservation of the species, whereas other seemingly important factors are not recorded as threats. The subjective nature of listing threatening processes, via expert opinion, results in substantial biases that may be allayed by independent peer review, use of technical manuals, consensus among multiple assessors, incorporation of probability modeling via decision-tree analysis, and adequate coordination among evaluators. The primary focus should be on species-level threats rather than population-level threats because the IUCN Red List is a global assessment and smaller-scale threats are more appropriate for national status assessments. Until conservationists agree on the threats affecting species and their relative importance, conservation action and success will be hampered by scattering scarce resources too widely and often by implementing conflicting strategies. Resumen:,La evaluación exhaustiva ha hecho que la Lista Roja de la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (UICN) sea la autoridad más aceptada y ampliamente utilizada respecto al estatus de conservación de la biodiversidad. Aunque el sistema utilizado para determinar el riesgo de extinción es aplicado rigurosa y objetivamente, la lista de procesos amenazantes que afectan a las especies es determinado muy subjetivamente y no es revisado adecuadamente. Revisé las amenazas consideradas en la Lista Roja UICN para grupos seleccionados aleatoriamente en los tres órdenes de mamíferos más amenazados: Artyodactila, Carnivora y Primates. Estos grupos están relacionados taxonómicamente y a menudo son ecológicamente similares, así que esperaba que tuvieran amenazas relativamente similares. Los primates homínidos y toda la demás fauna terrestre enfrentan amenazas similares, excepto por los bovinos artiodáctilos y los carnívoros depredadores mayores, que enfrentan amenazas significativamente diferentes. Aunque el estatus de los bovinos y homínidos y el número de amenazas que los afectan estuvieron correlacionados, este no fue el caso para los carnívoros mayores. Sin embargo, lo más notable fue la gran variación en las amenazas que afectan a miembros individuales de cada grupo. Por ejemplo, no hay procesos amenazantes enlistados para el bisonte europeo (Bison bonasus), y el león (Panthera leo) es el único depredador mayor enlistado como amenazado de extinción por la guerra civil. Algunos procesos amenazantes parecen espurios para la conservación de las especies, mientras que otros factores aparentemente importantes no están registrados como amenazas. La naturaleza subjetiva de los procesos de enlistado, por medio de la opinión de expertos, resulta en sesgos sustanciales que pueden disiparse por la revisión independiente por pares, el uso de manuales técnicos, el consenso de múltiples asesores, la incorporación del modelado probabilístico mediante análisis de árboles de decisión y la adecuada coordinación entre evaluadores. El enfoque principal debería ser sobre amenazas a nivel de especies en lugar de amenazas a nivel de poblaciones porque la Lista Roja UICN es una evaluación global y las amenazas a menor escala son más apropiadas para evaluaciones nacionales de estatus. Hasta que los conservacionistas estén de acuerdo sobre las amenazas que afectan a las especies y su importancia relativa, las acciones de conservación y su éxito estarán obstaculizados por la dispersión demasiado amplia de recursos limitados y a menudo por la implementación de estrategias contrapuestas. [source] Corporate Governance in South Africa: a bellwether for the continent?CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 5 2006Melinda Vaughn The recent onslaught of corporate scandals has compelled the world to acknowledge the profound impact of corporate governance practices on the global economy. Corporate governance is of particular concern in developing economies, where the infusion of international investor capital and foreign aid is essential to economic stability and growth. This paper focuses attention on corporate governance initiatives in South Africa, given its significance as an emerging market, its potential leadership role on the African continent and the country's notable corporate governance reform since the collapse of apartheid in 1994. The evolution of the country's corporate structure and the forces driving corporate governance reform over the past decade will be examined, followed by a review of the most notable reform initiatives in place today. Finally, an assessment of those initiatives will be presented, along with recommendations concerning how South Africa's initiatives can serve as models of enhanced corporate governance standards for the African continent. [source] NO COMMUNITY IS AN ISLAND: THE EFFECTS OF RESOURCE DEPRIVATION ON URBAN VIOLENCE IN SPATIALLY AND SOCIALLY PROXIMATE COMMUNITIES,CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 3 2006DANIEL P. MEARS The link between resource deprivation and urban violence has long been explored in criminological research. Studies, however, have largely ignored the potential for resource deprivation in particular communities to affect rates of violence in others. The relative inattention is notable because of the strong theoretical grounds to anticipate influences that extend both to geographically contiguous areas and to those that, though not contiguous, share similar social characteristics. We argue that such influences,what we term spatial and social proximity effects, respectively,constitute a central feature of community dynamics. To support this argument, we develop and test theoretically derived hypotheses about spatial and social proximity effects of resource deprivation on aggregated and disaggregated homicide counts. Our analyses indicate that local area resource deprivation contributes to violence in socially proximate communities, an effect that, in the case of instrumental homicides, is stronger when such communities are spatially proximate. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for theories focused on community-level social processes and violence, and for policies aimed at reducing crime in disadvantaged areas. [source] Botulinum-A Toxin Treatment of the Lower Eyelid Improves Infraorbital Rhytides and Widens the EyeDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 8 2001Timothy Corcoran Flynn MD Botulinum-A exotoxin (BTX-A) can be used cosmetically to improve rhytides, particularly of the upper one-third of the face. In this study, fifteen women had BTX-A (BOTOX, Allergan, Inc.) injected into the orbicularis oculi muscle. One lower eyelid received two units just subdermally in the midpupillary line three millimeters below the ciliary margin. The opposite periocular area received two units BTX-A in the lower eyelid with 12 units BTX-A injected into the lateral orbital ("crow's foot") area. Three injections of four units each were placed 1.5 cm from the lateral canthus, each 1 cm apart. Patients and physicians independently evaluated the degree of improvement (grade 0 = no improvement, grade 1 = mild improvement, grade 2 = moderate improvement, and grade 3 = dramatic improvement). An independent photographic analysis was performed. Patients reported a grade of 0.73 when two units were injected alone into the lower lid, and a grade of 1.9 when the lower eyelid and the lateral orbital areas were injected. Physician assessment was grade 0.7 with injection of the eyelid alone and grade 1.8 with injection of the lower eyelid and lateral orbital area. Single investigator photographic analysis demonstrated that 40% of the subjects who had injection of the lower eyelid alone had an increased palpebral aperture (IPA), while 86% of the subjects who had injection of the lower eyelid and lateral orbital area had an IPA. Subjects receiving two units alone had an average 0.5 mm IPA and a mean 1.3 mm IPA at full smile. Concomitant treatment of the lateral orbital area produced a mean 1.8 mm IPA at rest and a mean 2.9 mm IPA at full smile. The results were more notable in the Asian eye. Two units of BTX-A injected into the lower eyelid orbicularis oculi muscle improves infraorbital wrinkles, particularly when used in combination with BTX-A treatment of the lateral orbital area. [source] Validity of ,post-traumatic stress disorder with secondary psychotic features': a review of the evidenceACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2009M. H. Braakman Objective:, To review the evidence from empirical studies regarding the validity of ,post-traumatic stress disorder with secondary psychotic features' (PTSD-SP) as a separate diagnostic entity. Method:, The authors performed a review tracing publications between 1980 and January 2008. Results:, Twenty-four comparative studies were included. These studies indicate that PTSD-SP is a syndrome that comprises PTSD-symptoms followed in time by the additional appearance of psychotic features. The psychotic features are not confined to episodes of re-experiencing, but remain present continuously. PTSD-SP seems to have some biological features differentiating it from schizophrenia and PTSD, e.g. there are differences in smooth pursuit eye movement patterns, concentrations of corticotropin-releasing factor and dopamine ,-hydroxylase activity. Conclusion:, There is currently not yet full support for PTSD-SP as a nosological entity. However, the delineation of PTSD-SP from other psychiatric syndromes is notable and biological studies seem to support the validity as a separate diagnostic entity. [source] Insight in early psychosis: a 1 year follow-upACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2002A. Mintz Insight is an important prognostic indicator in early psychosis, as its presence can enhance treatment compliance, thus reducing the risk of clinical deterioration. The Calgary Early Psychosis Programme (EPP) is a comprehensive treatment programme for individuals experiencing their first episode of psychosis. Purpose, (i) to examine insight on admission and determine if change occurred in the first year of treatment and (ii) to determine if insight was associated with other symptoms. Methods, Participants were 180 consecutive admissions to EPP who completed a 1-year follow-up. Insight, positive and negative symptoms were measured with the PANSS. Depression was measured with the Calgary Depression Scale. Results, There was a significant improvement in insight from initial to 1-year follow-up (P < 0.001). Insight was positively correlated with positive and negative symptoms (P < 0.001) over time. Insight was negatively correlated with depression (P < 0.001) at the initial assessment. Conclusions, In these first episode patients, there is a significant improvement in insight over time. Insight is significantly related to positive and negative symptoms and to depression in the initial stages of the illness when the presence of depression is notable. [source] Sale, price and valuation in Galicia and Castile,León in the tenth centuryEARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE, Issue 2 2002Wendy Davies The number of sale transactions recorded by northern Spanish charters of the tenth century is very striking, especially in the 930s to 960s. A record of price paid was a consistent element of such documents, although words used to express price varied from silver solidi to goats, shirts and grain. Valuations, in solidi and in other units of account such as cattle, were often stated when objects were used as payment. While it looks as if some silver was really used in deals in urban León and its hinterland, using pieces of silver called argenzos, argenteos etc., elsewhere this was rare. Comparing the transactions in the three very different monastic collections of Celanova in the north,west, Sahagún in the central meseta and Cardeña in the foothills of the sierras in the north,east, regional difference is also striking. Sahagún is notable for the volume and early date of its sales and for increasing use of silver,based expressions of price and value. Round Celanova, by contrast, although there were also many sales, people used several modes of valuation simultaneously, but metal,based notions very rarely. Round Cardeña, close to urban Burgos, far fewer sales are recorded, and they come later in the century, but silver,based notions of value were the only ones used. This latter sub,urban context seems to have been much less commercially active than that of León and Sahagún, with exchange by gift and countergift a more prominent characteristic. [source] Seismic performance and new design procedure for chevron-braced framesEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 4 2006Edoardo M. Marino Abstract The paper is concerned with the seismic design of steel-braced frames in which the braces are configured in a chevron pattern. According to EuroCode 8 (EC8), the behaviour factor q, which allows for the trade-off between the strength and ductility, is set at 2.5 for chevron-braced frames, while 6.5 is assigned for most ductile steel moment-resisting frames. Strength deterioration in post-buckling regime varies with the brace's slenderness, but EC8 adopts a unique q value irrespective of the brace slenderness. The study focuses on reevaluation of the q value adequate for the seismic design of chevron-braced frames. The present EC8 method for the calculation of brace strength supplies significantly different elastic stiffnesses and actual strengths for different values of brace slenderness. A new method to estimate the strength of a chevron brace pair is proposed, in which the yield strength (for the brace in tension) and the post-buckling strength (for the brace in compression) are considered. The new method ensures an identical elastic stiffness and a similar strength regardless of the brace slenderness. The advantage of the proposed method over the conventional EC8 method is demonstrated for the capacity of the proposed method to control the maximum inter-storey drift. The q values adequate for the chevron-braced frames are examined in reference to the maximum inter-storey drifts sustained by most ductile moment-resisting frames. When the proposed method is employed for strength calculation, the q value of 3.5 is found to be reasonable. It is notable that the proposed method does not require larger cross-sections for the braces compared to the cross-sections required for the present EC8 method. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Temperance, alcohol, and the American evangelical: a reassessmentADDICTION, Issue 7 2009Jessica Warner ABSTRACT Abstinence from alcohol is a way of life for many American evangelicals, with rates of abstention running at over 70% among some Pentecostal denominations. This paper examines the religious beliefs that, historically, have supported teetotalism. The most notable of these is Christian perfection, a doctrine that originated in 18th-century England, that was then radicalized in America in the early 19th century. Abstinence from alcohol is highest among denominations that make Christian perfection the cornerstone of their teachings, and lowest among those that discount human agency. The paper also argues that 19th-century American evangelicals were by no means committed uniformly to temperance as a way of life, and that this was especially true of the various Methodist churches. [source] Mechanisms of change in motivational interviewing: a review and preliminary evaluation of the evidenceADDICTION, Issue 5 2009Timothy R. Apodaca ABSTRACT Aims Motivational interviewing (MI) is an efficacious treatment for substance use disorders. However, little is known about how MI exerts its therapeutic effects. This review is a first attempt to summarize and evaluate the evidence for purported within-session mechanisms of change. The primary question of interest was: which MI constructs and variables appear to be the most promising candidates for mechanisms of change? Methods Literature searches were conducted to identify studies delivering MI in an individual format for the treatment of substance use disorders. Our search identified a total of 152 studies for review; 19 studies met inclusion criteria by providing data on at least one link in the causal chain model under examination. Effect size estimates were calculated for every possible step in the causal model where sufficient data were provided by study authors. Results Four constructs of therapist behavior were evaluated: MI-Spirit, MI-Consistent behaviors, MI-Inconsistent behaviors and therapist use of specific techniques. Five constructs of client behavior were evaluated: change talk/intention, readiness to change, involvement/engagement, resistance and the client's experience of discrepancy. The absence of experimental and full mediation studies of mechanisms of change was notable. Effect sizes were generally mixed. Conclusions The most consistent evidence was found for three constructs: client change talk/intention (related to better outcomes); client experience of discrepancy (related to better outcomes); and therapist MI-Inconsistent behavior (related to worse outcomes). Regarding therapist use of specific techniques, use of a decisional balance exercise showed the strongest association to better outcomes. [source] Older patients' experiences of treatment for colorectal cancer: an analysis of functional status and service useEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 5 2004C. BAILEY msc, rgn Age and ageing are an important part of the context within which the care and treatment of people with cancer is provided. More information is needed about the effects of cancer treatment on the lives of older people following inpatient care. We conducted a 3-year study in which older people with colorectal cancer completed a detailed questionnaire on multidimensional function and service use before and after elective treatment. Here we present an analysis of changes in functional status and service use over the pre- to post-treatment period, and set out a detailed picture of older people's experiences before and after treatment. In total, 337 patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma aged 58,95 years were interviewed before treatment using the OARS Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire (OMFAQ), Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL) and a severity of morbidity score. Study end points were defined as post-treatment functional status, symptom distress, severity of morbidity and frequency of service use. Pre- and post-treatment data were compared using matched analyses. Logistic regression was used to assess associations between age and the main outcome measures, and frequency of service use after treatment was compared between age groups using the ,2 test. Overall, patients experienced both positive and negative outcomes following treatment. It was notable that patients aged ,,75 years showed improvement in only one of the principal outcome measures. Patterns of service use following treatment suggest that support at home is a key issue for patients. With the exception of nursing care, however, help at home is provided on a majority of occasions by families themselves. This raises important questions about how much preparation patients and families receive or would like before they leave hospital after treatment for cancer. A collaborative, family-centred approach to meeting people's needs is called for in the months following inpatient care. [source] Dimeric 2,2,-Bipyridylruthenium(II) Complexes Containing 2,2,-Bis(1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-4,4,-bipyridine-Like Bridging Ligands: Syntheses, Characterization and DNA BindingEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2004Cai-Wu Jiang Abstract Three new bridging ligands 2,2,-bis(1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-4,4,-bipyridine (btb), 2,2,-bis(1,2,4-triazino[5,6-f]acenaphthylen-3-yl)-4,4,-bipyridine (btapb), 2,2,-bis(5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-4,4,-bipyridine (bdptb) and their dimeric 2,2,-bipyridylruthenium(II) complexes [Ru(bpy)2(btb)Ru(bpy)2]4+ (1), [Ru(bpy)2(btapb)Ru(bpy)2]4+ (2), [Ru(bpy)2(bdptb)Ru(bpy)2]4+ (3) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry or electrospray mass spectrometry (ES-MS), 1H NMR and UV/Visible spectroscopy. The binding behavior of these dimeric complexes with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) was investigated by electronic absorption spectroscopy, viscosity measurements, and equilibrium dialysis experiments. The hypochromism of the metal-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) band in the electronic absorption spectra of the dinuclear complexes 1, 2, and 3 is 8.7%, 19% and 33%, respectively, with bathochromic shifts of 5, 5 and 14 nm, respectively. The binding constants are 7.5×104M,1, 4.8×105M,1 and 7.6×105M,1, respectively. Increasing the size of the plane of the bridging ligand increases the hydrophobicity of their complexes, leading to stronger binding by the complexes to calf thymus DNA. The effect of increasing concentrations of these novel dimeric ruthenium(II) complexes on the relative viscosities of CT-DNA is less notable than that of well-known intercalators such as [Ru(bpy)2(dppz)]2+. The equilibrium experiments showed that ,,,3 binding is stronger than ,,,3 binding to CT-DNA. This is the first example of a dinuclear complex binding enantioselectively to CT-DNA measured by equilibrium dialysis. The experiments suggest that the three complexes may be DNA groove binders. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004) [source] Ultra-rapid opiate detoxification: from clinical applications to basic scienceADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2003EMMANUEL STREEL Rapid or ultra-rapid opiate detoxification has become increasingly popular in both private and public addiction centres. These techniques seem to facilitate the transfer of opiate-dependent patients from opiate agonist to opiate antagonist. Despite the probable complex neuropharmacological aspects involved in these procedures, their development over nearly three decades is notable for the almost complete absence of clinically relevant animal studies. This paper discusses the historical background of this occurrence, and reviews the small number of animal studies that have been conducted. Many discussions and arguments about the techniques seem to underscore their true purpose, which is not "simply to detoxify" opiate-addicted patients but to initiate long-term management with naltrexone. For this reason, it may be better to conceptualize these techniques not as "rapid detoxification" but as "rapid antagonist induction". [source] National territory in European space: Reconfiguring the island of IrelandEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 6 2006KATY HAYWARD Uncovering such connections in a case study notable for its recent transformation, this article explores the way in which the narratives and models of European integration have been used in the discourse of Irish official nationalism. Its central thesis is that participation in the space of European Union has facilitated the conceptualization of a common Irish space in which borders (specifically the Irish border) are not conceived as barriers to be overcome, but rather as bridges to the fulfilment of interests. Thus, the Irish governmental elite have used the language of European integration to reconfigure traditional ideals of latent anti-partitionism for a context of peaceful settlement. [source] Functional role of fumarate site Glu59 involved in allosteric regulation and subunit,subunit interaction of human mitochondrial NAD(P)+ -dependent malic enzymeFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 4 2009Ju-Yi Hsieh Here we report on the role of Glu59 in the fumarate-mediated allosteric regulation of the human mitochondrial NAD(P)+ -dependent malic enzyme (m-NAD-ME). In the present study, Glu59 was substituted by Asp, Gln or Leu. Our kinetic data strongly indicated that the charge properties of this residue significantly affect the allosteric activation of the enzyme. The E59L enzyme shows nonallosteric kinetics and the E59Q enzyme displays a much higher threshold in enzyme activation with elevated activation constants, KA,Fum and ,KA,Fum. The E59D enzyme, although retaining the allosteric property, is quite different from the wild-type in enzyme activation. The KA,Fum and ,KA,Fum of E59D are also much greater than those of the wild-type, indicating that not only the negative charge of this residue but also the group specificity and side chain interactions are important for fumarate binding. Analytical ultracentrifugation analysis shows that both the wild-type and E59Q enzymes exist as a dimer,tetramer equilibrium. In contrast to the E59Q mutant, the E59D mutant displays predominantly a dimer form, indicating that the quaternary stability in the dimer interface is changed by shortening one carbon side chain of Glu59 to Asp59. The E59L enzyme also shows a dimer,tetramer model similar to that of the wild-type, but it displays more dimers as well as monomers and polymers. Malate cooperativity is not significantly notable in the E59 mutant enzymes, suggesting that the cooperativity might be related to the molecular geometry of the fumarate-binding site. Glu59 can precisely maintain the geometric specificity for the substrate cooperativity. According to the sequence alignment analysis and our experimental data, we suggest that charge effect and geometric specificity are both critical factors in enzyme regulation. Glu59 discriminates human m-NAD-ME from mitochondrial NADP+ -dependent malic enzyme and cytosolic NADP+ -dependent malic enzyme in fumarate activation and malate cooperativity. [source] The role of group bulkiness in the catalytic activity of psychrophile cold-active protein tyrosine phosphataseFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 17 2008Hiroki Tsuruta The cold-active protein tyrosine phosphatase found in psychrophilic Shewanella species exhibits high catalytic efficiency at low temperatures as well as low thermostability, both of which are characteristics shared by many cold-active enzymes. The structure of cold-active protein tyrosine phosphatase is notable for the presence of three hydrophobic sites (termed the CA, Zn-1 and Zn-2 sites) behind the loop structures comprising the catalytic region. To identify the structural components responsible for specific enzyme characteristics, we determined the structure of wild-type cold-active protein tyrosine phosphatase at high resolution (1.1 Å) and measured the catalytic efficiencies of enzymes containing mutations in the three hydrophobic sites. The bulkiness of the amino acid side chains in the core region of the Zn-1 site strongly affects the thermostability and the catalytic efficiency at low temperatures. The mutant enzyme I115M possessed a higher kcat at low temperatures. Elucidation of the crystal structure of I115M at a resolution of 1.5 Å revealed that the loop structures involved in retaining the nucleophilic group and the acid catalyst are more flexible than in the wild-type enzyme. [source] Men Making Home: Masculinity and Domesticity in Eighteenth-Century BritainGENDER & HISTORY, Issue 3 2009Karen Harvey Eighteenth-century England is, for many scholars, the time and place where modern domesticity was invented; the point at which ,home' became a key concept sustained by new literary imaginings and new social practices. But as gendered individuals, and certainly compared to women, men are notable for their absence in accounts of the eighteenth-century domestic interior. In this essay, I examine the relationship between constructs of masculinity and meanings of home. During the eighteenth century, ,home' came to mean more than one's dwelling; it became a multi-faceted state of being, encompassing the emotional, physical, moral and spatial. Masculinity intersected with domesticity at all levels and stages in its development. The nature of men's engagements with home were understood through a model of ,oeconomy', which brought together the home and the world, primarily through men's activities. Indeed, this essay proposes that attention to how this multi-faceted eighteenth-century ,home' was made in relation to masculinity shifts our understanding of home as a private and feminine space opposed to an ,outside' and public world. [source] Bronze Age paleohydrography of the southern Venetian PlainGEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 1 2010Silvia Piovan The Bronze Age paleohydrography of the distal Adige and Po alluvial plain (northeastern Italy) is notable for its relations with protohistoric human activities in this area. This paper regards the stratigraphy and petrography of the Saline,Cona alluvial ridge, upon which the Saline, Sarzano, and Cantarana Bronze Age sites lie, and the petrography of Fratta alluvial ridge, upon which the Frattesina complex (Bronze,Iron Age) lies. Sand analyses indicate the Po River as the source for sediments underlying the alluvial ridge that runs through Fratta Polesine, Rovigo, Sarzano, and Cona. Radiometric ages indicate that the branch of the Saline,Cona ridge was formed by the Po River between the second half of the 3rd millennium B.C. and the end of 2nd millennium B.C. This ridge represents the maximum northward expansion of the Po alluvial system, through the same area of coastal plain crossed by the Adige and Brenta paleochannels. This paleohydrographic setting implies that fluvial connections between the Central Po Plain settlements, the Venetian Plain and Alps were relatively less complex in the Early and Middle Bronze Age than in the Late Bronze Age, when the terminal reach of the Po River was separated by the Adige River by hundreds of km2 of swampy terrain. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] The fate of the homoctenids (Tentaculitoidea) during the Frasnian,Famennian mass extinction (Late Devonian)GEOBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2006DAVID BONDArticle first published online: 18 AUG 200 ABSTRACT The homoctenids (Tentaculitoidea) are small, conical-shelled marine animals that are among the most abundant and widespread of all Late Devonian fossils. They were a principal casualty of the Frasnian,Famennian (F-F, Late Devonian) mass extinction, and thus provide an insight into the extinction dynamics. Despite their abundance during the Late Devonian, they have been largely neglected by extinction studies. A number of Frasnian,Famennian boundary sections have been studied, in Poland, Germany, France, and the USA. These sections have yielded homoctenids, which allow precise recognition of the timing of the mass extinction. It is clear that the homoctenids almost disappear from the fossil record during the latest Frasnian ,Upper Kellwasser Event'. The coincident extinction of this pelagic group, and the widespread development of intense marine anoxia within the water column, provides a causal link between anoxia and the F-F extinction. Most notable is the sudden demise of a group, which had been present in rock-forming densities, during this anoxic event. One new species, belonging to Homoctenus is described, but is not formally named here. [source] From clergymen to computers,the advent of virtual palaeontologyGEOLOGY TODAY, Issue 3 2010Russell J. Garwood Palaeontology was established as a science in the Victorian era, yet has roots that stretch deeper into the recesses of history. More than 2000 years ago, the Greek philosopher Aristotle deduced that fossil sea shells were once living organisms, and around 500 ad Xenophanes used fossils to argue that many areas of land must have previously been submarine. In 1027, the Persian scholar Avicenna suggested that organisms were fossilized by petrifying fluids; this theory was accepted by most natural philosophers up until the eighteenth century Enlightenment, and even beyond. The late 1700s were notable for the work of Georges Cuvier who established the reality of extinction. This, coupled with advances in the recognition of faunal successions made by the canal engineer William Smith, laid the framework for the discipline that would become known as palaeontology. As the nineteenth century progressed, the scientific community became increasingly well organized. Most fossil workers were gentleman scientists and members of the clergy, who self-funded their studies in a new and exciting field. Many of the techniques used to study fossils today were developed during this ,classical' period. Perhaps the most fundamental of these is to expose a fossil by splitting the rock housing it, and then conduct investigations based upon the exposed surface (Fig. 1). This approach has served the science well in the last two centuries, having been pivotal to innumerable advances in our understanding of the history of life. Nevertheless, there are many cases where splitting a rock in this way results in incomplete data recovery; those where the fossils are not flattened, but are preserved in three-dimensions. Even the ephemeral soft-tissues of organisms are occasionally preserved in a three-dimensional state, for example in the Herefordshire, La Voulte Sûr Rhone and Orsten ,Fossil Lagerstätten' (sites of exceptional fossil preservation). These rare and precious deposits provide a wealth of information about the history of life on Earth, and are perhaps our most important resource in the quest to understand the palaeobiology of extinct organisms. With the aid of twenty-first century technology, we can now make the most of these opportunities through the field of ,virtual palaeontology',computer-aided visualization of fossils. Figure 1. A split nodule showing the fossil within, in this case a cockroachoid insect. Fossil 4 cm long (From Garwood & Sutton, in press). [source] Anterior cranial base reconstruction using free tissue transfer: Changing trends,HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 2 2003Joseph Califano MD Abstract Introduction. A consecutive series of 135 patients undergoing resection for malignant tumors involving the anterior cranial base between 1976 and 1999 was reviewed. Patient and Methods. In the years from 1976,1991, free-tissue transfer was used in 5 of 76 or 6.6% of cases, whereas free-tissue reconstruction was used in 24 of 59 or 40% of cases in the years 1992,1999. Of those cases reconstructed with free-tissue transfer in 1976,1991, 60% (three of five) underwent a complex resection defined as involving dura, brain, or more than one major structure adjacent to skull base. Of those patients reconstructed with conventional (pericranial or pericranial/galeal) pedicled flaps in this time period, 35% (25 of 71) underwent a complex resection. From 1992,1999, 75% (18 of 24) of patients reconstructed with free-tissue transfer received a complex resection, whereas only 6% (2 of 35) of patients reconstructed by other means received a complex resection. Outcomes. For those patients reconstructed by free-tissue transfer, there were no instances of flap loss. Comparison of these two time periods was notable for a similar patient composition in terms of age, histologic findings, and extent of resection. Major complication rates for patients who are reconstructed with free-tissue transfer for anterior cranial base resections (31%) are similar compared with patients who have been reconstructed with conventional pedicled flaps (35%). This was noted despite an increased extent and complexity of resection in those patients who underwent free-tissue transfer reconstruction (72%) compared with those patients reconstructed by more conventional means (26%) p < .001. Conclusion. In our institution, the use of vascularized, free-tissue transfer has replaced pedicled flaps as the preferred modality for reconstructing complex anterior cranial base defects involving resection of dura, brain, or multiple major structures adjacent to local skull base, including the orbit, palate, and other structures. Complication rates for patients reconstructed with free-tissue transfer techniques is similar to those patients reconstructed by conventional techniques, despite an increase in complexity of resection in this group. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 24: 000,000, 2002 [source] The addition of mood and anxiety domains to the University of Washington quality of life scale,HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 6 2002Simon N. Rogers FDS Abstract Background There are numerous head and neck specific quality of life questionnaires, each having its own merits and disadvantages. The University of Washington questionnaire has been widely used and is notable by the inclusion of a shoulder dysfunction domain, domain importance ratings, and patient free text. It is short, simple to process, and provides clinically relevant information. However, it has lacked any psychological dimension of quality of life. The aim of this study was to report the inclusion of two psychological domains (mood, anxiety) to the most recent refinement of the questionnaire (version 3). Method A cross-sectional survey was performed in April 2000. Questionnaires were sent to 183 patients alive and disease free after surgery for oral and oro-pharyngeal malignancy. Replies were received from 145 patients (79% response rate). Results The new domains (mood and anxiety) correlated significantly with the emotional functioning domains from the EORTC C30 and with the pain and appearance domains of UW-QOL. There were also significant correlations between the "global quality of life" item and the two new domains. Mood (p = .005) and anxiety (p < .001) scores were associated with patient age but with no other clinicodemographic variable. Conclusion The addition of mood and anxiety domains makes the UW-QOL version 4 a single broad measure suitable for effective health-related quality of life evaluation in the routine clinical setting. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 24: 521,529, 2002 [source] Advances in river ice hydrology 1999,2003HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 1 2005Brian Morse Abstract In the period 1999 to 2003, river ice has continued to have important socio-economic impacts in Canada and other Nordic countries. Concurrently, there have been many important advances in all areas of Canadian research into river ice engineering and hydrology. For example: (1) River ice processes were highlighted in two special journal issues (Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering in 2003 and Hydrological Processes in 2002) and at five conferences (Canadian Committee on River Ice Processes and the Environment in 1999, 2001 and 2003, and International Association of Hydraulic Research in 2000 and 2002). (2) A number of workers have clearly advanced our understanding of river ice processes by bringing together disparate information in comprehensive review articles. (3) There have been significant advances in river ice modelling. For example, both one-dimensional (e.g. RIVICE, RIVJAM, ICEJAM, HEC-RAS, etc.) and two-dimensional (2-D; www.river2d.ca) public-domain ice-jam models are now available. Work is ongoing to improve RIVER2D, and a commercial 2-D ice-process model is being developed. (4) The 1999,2003 period is notable for the number of distinctly hydrological and ecological studies. On the quantitative side, many are making efforts to determine streamflow during the winter period. On the ecological side, some new publications have addressed the link to water quality (temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrients and pollutants), and others have dealt with sediment transport and geomorphology (particularly as it relates to break-up), stream ecology (plants, food cycle, etc.) and fish habitat. There is the growing recognition, that these types of study require collaborative efforts. In our view, the main areas requiring further work are: (1) to interface geomorphological and habitat models with quantitative river ice hydrodynamic models; (2) to develop a manager's toolbox (database management, remote sensing, forecasting, intervention methodologies, etc.) to enable agencies to intervene better at the time of ice-jam-induced floods; and (3) finalize ice-jam prevention methods on the St Lawrence River to safeguard its $2 billion commercial navigation industry. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The highly compact structure of the mitochondrial DNA polymerase genomic region of Drosophila melanogaster: functional and evolutionary implicationsINSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2000E. Lefai Abstract The structure of a Drosophila melanogaster genomic region containing five tightly clustered genes has been determined and evaluated with regard to its functional and evolutionary relationships. In addition to the genes encoding the two subunits (, and ,) of the DNA polymerase , holoenzyme, the key enzyme for mitochondrial DNA replication, other genes contained in the cluster may be also involved in the cellular distribution of mitochondria and in the coordination of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA replication. The gene cluster is extremely compact, with very little intergenic space. It contains two bidirectional promoter regions, and particularly notable is the 5, end overlap detected in two of its genes, an exceptional situation in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic genome organization. [source] Biological aggressiveness of prostate cancer in the Finnish screening trialINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 3 2009Marita Laurila Abstract Prostate cancer aggressiveness was evaluated based on pathologic characterization of cases detected in the Finnish prostate cancer screening trial. The trial population consists of 80,458 men aged 55,67 years. A total of 32,000 men were randomized to the screening arm. The remaining 48,000 men formed the control arm. The interval cases and cancers among nonparticipants and in the control arm were identified from the Finnish Cancer Registry. Random samples were selected from screen-detected cases (126 of 543 in the first and 133 of 508 in the second round) and control arm cancers (133 out of 863), in addition to all 92 interval cancers and 106 cases among nonparticipants. All the biopsies were regraded according to the Gleason system. The expression of the proliferation antigen Ki-67 was determined in 479 cases (72%). More than half of the tumors diagnosed in the first round of screening were high-grade cancers (Gleason 7 or higher). In the second round, the proportion of low-grade cancers increased from 47% to 70%. Cancers in the screening arm were more commonly focal and fewer bilateral cancers were detected. The cancers among nonparticipants were the most aggressive group. The aggressiveness of the interval cancers was between the cancers detected in the first and the second round. Our results indicate that prostate cancers detected through screening are less biologically aggressive. This was most notable after the first screening round. Nonparticipants had more aggressive cancers. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Comparison of different earth radiation budget experiment data sets over tropical oceansINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2002Chang-Hoi Ho Abstract We compare radiation budgets derived from different Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) archives over the tropical oceans (30S and 30N) from 1985 to 1989. Two ERBE data sets are used. One is taken from the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), and the other from the combined ERBS, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 9, and NOAA 10 satellites. The domain-mean all-sky outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) derived from the combined data set shows a notable change in early 1987 when NOAA 10 replaced NOAA 9. This change is also found in longwave (LW) cloud radiative forcing (CRF), all-sky shortwave (SW) radiation, and SWCRF. The ERBS, however, does not show such changes. We also examine the sensitivity of cloud,radiation interaction to the sea surface temperature (SST) of the tropical oceans. In general, each component of radiative feedbacks derived from the two ERBE data have the same sign, although they show a certain degree of discrepancy in the magnitude. The discrepancy is more notable for averaged quantities over the entire tropical oceans, particularly over the subtropics where convective activities are relatively weak. The combined data show a larger sensitivity of LWCRF and SWCRF to SST than those of the ERBS, consistent with the above results. The response of clouds to an increase in SST has a net cooling effect when using the combined data but has a net heating effect when using the ERBS data (,0.80 W m,2 K,1 versus 0.48 W m,2 K,1). Most of the discrepancies of the net CRF between the two ERBE data sets can be accounted for by the difference in the sensitivity of all-sky OLR (4.52 W m,2 K,1 versus 1.73 W m,2 K,1). Copyright © 2002 Royal Meteorological Society. [source] Duchenne's muscular dystrophy: animal models used to investigate pathogenesis and develop therapeutic strategiesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2003C.A. Collins Summary., Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal childhood disease caused by mutations of the dystrophin gene, the protein product of which, dystrophin, has a vital role in maintaining muscle structure and function. Homologues of DMD have been identified in several animals including dogs, cats, mice, fish and invertebrates. The most notable of these are the extensively studied mdx mouse, a genetic and biochemical model of the human disease, and the muscular dystrophic Golden Retriever dog, which is the nearest pathological counterpart of DMD. These models have been used to explore potential therapeutic approaches along a number of avenues including gene replacement and cell transplantation strategies. High-throughput screening of pharmacological and genetic therapies could potentially be carried out in recently available smaller models such as zebrafish and Caenorhabditis elegans. It is possible that a successful treatment will eventually be identified through the integration of studies in multiple species differentially suited to addressing particular questions. [source] Breast lymphoma in Sjögren's syndrome complicated by acute monocular blindnessINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES, Issue 2 2010Helmar F. SOLDEVILLA Abstract A 69-year-old hypertensive woman presented with eye and mouth dryness, bilateral parotid gland enlargement, associated with anasarca and proteinuria. Family history was notable for malignancies including breast, nasopharyngeal and colon cancers. Physical exam disclosed hypertension, bilaterally enlarged, firm, non-tender parotid glands, fine bibasilar crackles and bipedal edema. Anti Ro/Sjögren's syndrome antigen A antibody was positive, with negative tests for anti La/Sjögren's syndrome antigen B and anti-nuclear antibody (ANA). Chest radiographs showed basal infiltrates. Sjögren's syndrome associated with glomerulonephritis and interstitial lung disease was diagnosed, and she received pulse methylprednisololone followed by oral prednisone with dramatic improvement. Two months later, while on prednisone 5 mg/day, she returned to the clinic with an enlarging fixed non-tender right breast mass. She underwent modified radical mastectomy of the right breast, and pathologic report revealed diffuse, small cell, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the breast; axillary lymph nodes were negative for tumor. She opted for alternative therapy and did not return to the clinic until 7 months later when she developed sudden monocular blindness in the right eye with no other systemic manifestations. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed swelling and enhancement of intracanalicular and pre-chiasmatic segments of the right optic nerve and right side of the optic chiasm. Considerations were Devic's disease versus metastases. She received pulse methylprednisolone therapy (1 g/day for 3 days) with partial recovery of vision. She is scheduled for lymphoma chemotherapy to include rituximab. [source] The Contributions of Stewart Myers to the Theory and Practice of Corporate Finance,JOURNAL OF APPLIED CORPORATE FINANCE, Issue 4 2008Franklin Allen In a 40-plus year career notable for path-breaking work on capital structure and innovations in capital budgeting and valuation, MIT finance professor Stewart Myers has had a remarkable influence on both the theory and practice of corporate finance. In this article, two of his former students, a colleague, and a co-author offer a brief survey of Professor Myers's accomplishments, along with an assessment of their relevance for the current financial environment. These contributions are seen as falling into three main categories: ,Work on "debt overhang" and the financial "pecking order" that not only provided plausible explanations for much corporate financing behavior, but can also be used to shed light on recent developments, including the reluctance of highly leveraged U.S. financial institutions to raise equity and the recent "mandatory" infusions of capital by the U.S. Treasury. ,Contributions to capital budgeting that complement and reinforce his research on capital structure. By providing a simple and intuitive way to capture the tax benefits of debt when capital structure changes over time, his adjusted present value (or APV) approach has not only become the standard in LBO and venture capital firms, but accomplishes in practice what theorists like M&M had urged finance practitioners to do some 30 years earlier: separate the real operating profitability of a company or project from the "second-order" effects of financing. And his real options valuation method, by recognizing the "option-like" character of many corporate assets, has provided not only a new way of valuing "growth" assets, but a method and, indeed, a language for bringing together the disciplines of corporate strategy and finance. ,Starting with work on estimating fair rates of return for public utilities, he has gone on to develop a cost-of-capital and capital allocation framework for insurance companies, as well as a persuasive explanation for why the rate-setting process for railroads in the U.S. and U.K. has created problems for those industries. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||