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Re-examination

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	32%
Life Sciences	19%
Humanities and Social Sciences	14%
Earth and Environmental Science	14%
Chemistry	9%
Psychology	2%
Law and Criminology	2%
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting	2%
2 Other Domains	6%

Distribution within Medical Sciences

Dermatology	9%
Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical Medicine	6%
17 Other Subdomains	85%

Selected Abstracts

Re-Examination of the Structure of Ba2MIrO6 (M: La, Y): Space Group Revised.

CHEMINFORM, Issue 31 2005
W. T. Fu
Abstract For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text. [source]

Neural Regulation Of Renal Blood Flow: A Re-Examination

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 12 2000
Simon C Malpas
SUMMARY 1. The importance of renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) in the regulation of renal function is well established. However, it is less clear how the renal vasculature responds to the different mean levels and patterns of RSNA. While many studies have indicated that small to moderate changes in RSNA preferentially regulate renin secretion or sodium excretion and only large changes in RSNA regulate renal blood flow (RBF), other experimental evidence suggests that small changes in RSNA can influence RBF 2. When RSNA has been directly measured in conjunction with RBF, it appears that a range of afferent stimuli can induce reflex changes in RBF. However, many studies in a variety of species have measured RBF only during stimuli designed to reflexly increase or decrease sympathetic activity, but have not recorded RSNA. While this approach can be informative, it is not definitive because the ability of the vasculature to respond to RSNA may, in part, reflect the resting level of RSNA and, therefore, the vasoconstrictive state of the vasculature under the control conditions. 3. Further understanding of the control of RBF by RSNA has come from studies that have analysed the underlying rhythms in sympathetic nerve activity and their effect on the cardiovascular system. These studies show that the frequency,response characteristic of the renal vasculature is such that higher frequency oscillations in RSNA (above 0.6 Hz) contribute to setting the mean level of RBF. In comparison, lower frequency oscillations in RSNA can induce cyclic vasoconstriction and dilation in the renal vasculature, thus inducing oscillations in RBF. 4. In summary, the present review discusses the neural control of RBF, summarizing evidence in support of the hypothesis that RBF is under the influence of RSNA across the full range of RSNA. [source]

Emotions in Solution-Focused Therapy: A Re-examination

FAMILY PROCESS, Issue 1 2000
Gale Miller Ph.D.
This article re-examines whether and how emotions are an aspect of solution-focused therapy. A major theme in the article focuses on the usual ways that therapists define and discuss emotions in solution-focused and other therapies. We argue that these discussions are a source of much confusion about emotions and about solution-focused therapy, including the confusing idea that emotions are neglected in solution-focused therapy. The second major theme describes an alternative approach to these issues, one that we believe better fits with the assumptions and concerns of solution-focused therapy. The approach is based on Wittgenstein's writings about language games, private experience, and how emotions are rule-following activities. Viewed from this perspective, solution-focused therapists take account of their clients' emotions by helping clients to create new emotion rules to follow. [source]

Two-stage kinetic analysis of fragrance evaporation and absorption from skin

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE, Issue 5 2003
P. Saiyasombati
Synopsis Human in vivo fragrance evaporation data from a previously published study are reanalysed in terms of compartmental pharmacokinetic models in which the microscopic rate constants are functions of the physicochemical properties of the fragrance components. According to the proposed analysis, which is restricted to low doses, absorption and evaporation of each component are first-order processes occurring from either the skin (one-compartment model) or the skin and a more rapidly depleted vehicle layer (two-compartment models). Evaporation rates of ingredients from a 12-component mixture containing a musk fixative followed single exponential decays that were well described by the one-compartment model. An otherwise identical mixture without fixative yielded evaporation rates that could be characterized as biexponential decays associated with loss from two compartments. This result shows that ingredient interactions qualitatively and quantitatively change evaporation rate profiles of fragrance components; however, an attempt to account for these interactions explicitly by means of activity coefficients inserted as multipliers for the microscopic rate constants was unsuccessful. Re-examination of this approach in the context of a diffusion/evaporation model is suggested. The developed models have potential utility for dermal risk assessment and for prediction of aroma evolution following topical application of complex fragrances. Résumé Des données d'une étude publiée précédemment sur l'évaporation de parfum de humaine in vivo sont réanalysées en utilisant des modèles pharmacocinétiques compartimentés dont les constants microscopiques de taux sont des functions des propriétés physio-chimiques des composants de parfum. Selon l'analyse proposée, qui est limitée aux petites doses, l'absorption et l'évaporation de chaque composant sont des processus de premier ordre se produisant l'un de la peau (modèle d'un compartiment), ou l'autre de la peau et d'une couche de véhicule plus rapidement épuisée (modèles de deux compartiments). Les taux d'évaporation d'ingrédients d'un mélange de 12 composants contenant un fixatif de musc suivi par des décompositions exponentielles uniques qui ont été bien décrites par le modèle d'un compartiment. Un mélange sans fixatif mais identique pour le reste a rapporté des taux d'évaporation qui pourraient être caractérisés commes des décompositions bi-exponentielles avec une perte de deux compartiments. Ce résultat montre que les interactions d'ingrédient changent qualitativement et quantitativement les profils de taux d'évaporation des composants de parfum. Cependant, une tentative d'expliquer précisement ces interactions au moyen des coefficients d'activité insérés comme multiplicateurs pour les constants microscopiques de taux n'a pas été réussie. Le réexamen de cette approche dans le contexte d'un modèle de diffusion/evaporation est suggéré. Les modèles développés ont une utilité potentielle dans l'évaluation des risques cutané et pour la prévision de l'évolution d'arome suivant l'application topique des parfums complexes. [source]

A Re-examination of Disclosure Level and the Expected Cost of Equity Capital

JOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 1 2002
Christine A. Botosan
This paper examines the association between the cost of equity capital and levels of annual report and timely disclosure, and investor relations activities. We estimate the cost of equity capital using the classic dividend discount model. We find that the cost of equity capital decreases in the annual report disclosure level but increases in the level of timely disclosures. The latter result is contrary to theory but is consistent with managers' claims that greater timely disclosures may increase the cost of equity capital, possibly through increased stock price volatility. We find no association between the cost of equity capital and the level of investor relations activities. We conclude that aggregating across different disclosure types results in a loss of information. Failing to include all disclosure types in regression analyses may lead to a correlated omitted variable bias and erroneous conclusions. [source]

A New Species of Glypheoid Lobster, Pseudoglyphea Foersteri (Decapoda: Astacidea: Mecochiridae) from the Lower Jurassic (Pliensbachian) of Raasay, Inner Hebrides, UK

PALAEONTOLOGY, Issue 1 2002
Rodney M. Feldmann
Mecochirid lobsters assigned to the genus Pseudoglyphea Oppel, 1861 have previously been recorded from several localities in Europe. In this paper Pseudoglyphea foersteri sp. nov. is described from the Lower Jurassic of Raasay, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, providing the first evidence of a vagile benthic predator/scavenger in the Scalpa Sandstone Formation. Re-examination of the systematic placement of the genus supports allying the Mecochiridae with the Glypheidae within the Astacidea, not the Palinura as traditionally done. [source]

Re-examination of ultrastructures of the stellate chloroplast organization in brown algae: Structure and development of pyrenoids

PHYCOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2007
Atsuko Tanaka
SUMMARY Some taxa of brown algae have a so-called ,stellate' chloroplast arrangement composed of multiple chloroplasts arranged in a stellate configuration, or else a single chloroplast with radiating lobes. The fine structures of chloroplasts and pyrenoids have been studied, but the details of their membrane configurations as well as pyrenoid ontogeny have not been well understood. The ultrastructure of the single stellate chloroplast in Splachnidium rugosum and Scytothamnus australis were re-examined in the present study, as well as the stellate arrangement of chloroplasts in Asteronema ferruginea and Asterocladon interjectum, using freeze-substitution fixation. It was confirmed that the chloroplast envelope invaginated into the pyrenoid in Splachnidium rugosum, Scytothamnus australis and Asteronema ferruginea, but chloroplast endoplasmic reticulum (CER) remained on the surface of the chloroplast. The space between the invaginated chloroplast envelope and CER was filled with electron-dense material. In Asteronema ferruginea, CER surrounding each pyrenoid was closely appressed to the neighboring CER over the pyrenoids, so that the chloroplasts formed a stellate configuration; however, in the apical cells chloroplasts formed two or more loose groups, or were completely dispersed. The pyrenoids of Asterocladon interjectum did not have any invagination of the chloroplast envelope, but a unique membranous sac surrounded the pyrenoid complex and occasionally other organelles (e.g. mitochondria). Immunolocalization of ,-1,3-glucans showed that the membranous sac in Asterocladon interjectum did not contain photosynthetic products such as chrysolaminaran. Observations in the dividing cells of Splachnidium rugosum and Scytothamnus australis indicated that the pyrenoid in the center of the chloroplast enlarged and divided into two before or during chloroplast division. [source]

Sulfur Isotope Study and Re-examination of Ore Mineral Assemblage of the Hol Kol and the Tul Mi Chung Skarn-type Copper,Gold Deposits of the Suan Mining District, Korean Peninsula

RESOURCE GEOLOGY, Issue 4 2000
Akira Imai
Abstract: Ore specimens collected by the late Professor Takeo Watanabe from the Hol Kol and the Tul Mi Chung deposits, Suan mining district, Korean peninsula, were examined. In addition, measurements of sulfur isotopic ratio of ores and preliminary fluid inclusion microthermometry were carried out. Ores from the New orebody of the Hol Kol deposit consist mainly of bornite, wittichenite and chalcopyrite presently, which exhibit lamellae intergrowth texture, associated with native bismuth and electrum. Bismuthian bornite solid solution is considered to be a principal initial phases, while native bismuth was nucleated as molten bismuth melt initially. The occurrence of cubanite, miharaite, carrollite, siegenite, hessite and geikielite are recognized from the New orebody. Ores from the Eastern orebody of the Hol Kol deposit consist chiefly of chalcopyrite, occasionally associated with trace amounts of pyrrhotite, pyrite, bismuthinite and rare tellurobismuthite, while an ore specimen from the Western orebody consists mainly of sphalerite associated with chalcopyrite, pyrite and galena. Ores from the Tul Mi Chung deposit consist mainly of chalcopyrite and pyrite, occasionally associated with magnetite, sphalerite, galena and rare molybdenite. Some portions of magnetite are revealed to be silician magnetite. Sulfur fugacity is supposed to be below the stability field of bismuthinite in the New orebody. A reducing condition is suggested by the occurrence of geikielite without Fe3+ content. The sulfur and oxygen fugacities for the Eastern and Western orebodies of the Hol Kol deposit and for the Tul Mi Chung deposit were higher than the New orebody of the Hol Kol deposit. On the other hand, the Suan granite (porphyritic granodiorite) and the Chil Sing Dai granite (biotite granite porphyry) from the Hol Kol area can be classified as weakly magnetic magnetite-series. Polyphase fluid inclusions are observed in gangue diopside associated with Cu ore of two specimens. The dissolution temperatures of daughter crystals are 394±26°C and 442±45°C, while the disappearing temperatures of vapor bubble were 475±25°C and > 500°C. Highly saline fluids were responsible for the mineralization at the Hol Kol deposit. The ,34S values of ore sulfides of the Hol Kol and the Tul Mi Chung deposit range from +11. 5% to +16. 1%, having anomalous lower values mainly from the Tul Mi Chung deposit. Such anomalous lower 634S values can be caused by isotopic fractionation against oxidized sulfur species. The ,34S value of bulk sulfur in the ore solutions responsible for the Hol Kol and the Tul Mi Chung deposit is estimated to be +13.5±2.5,. [source]

Spheroidal coordinate systems for modelling global atmospheres

THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 630 2008
A. A. White
Abstract In meteorological dynamics it is common practice to represent the potential surfaces of apparent gravity (the geopotentials) as spheres, and consequently the use of spherical polar coordinates in models of the global atmosphere is widespread. Several writers have considered how oblate spheroidal coordinates might be used instead, thus enabling the Figure of the Earth to be better represented. It is observed here that oblate spheroidal coordinate systems are conventionally defined using confocal oblate spheroids, and that such spheroids are inappropriate representations of the geopotentials because they imply the wrong sign for the latitudinal variation of apparent gravity. Re-examination of a classical problem of Newtonian gravitation shows that, near the Earth, the geopotentials are to a very good approximation spheroids, but not spheroids of an analytically simple type. However, similar oblate spheroids are a qualitatively correct model of the near-Earth geopotentials, and are a quantitatively good approximation in so far as Newton's uniform-density model adequately describes the real Earth. An orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system based on similar oblate spheroids is proposed and examined. © Crown Copyright 2008. Reproduced with the permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [source]

Thyroid hormones and their effects: a new perspective

BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 4 2000
A. J. HULBERT
ABSTRACT The thyroid hormones are very hydrophobic and those that exhibit biological activity are 3,,5,,3,5-Ltetraiodothyronine (T4), 3,,5,3-L-triiodothyronine (T3), 3,,5,,3-L-triiodothyronine (rT3) and 3,5,-Ldiiodothyronine (3,5-T2). At physiological pH, dissociation of the phenolic -OH group of these iodothyronines is an important determinant of their physical chemistry that impacts on their biological effects. When non-ionized these iodothyronines are strongly amphipathic. It is proposed that iodothyronines are normal constituents of biological membranes in vertebrates. In plasma of adult vertebrates, unbound T4 and T3 are regulated in the picomolar range whilst protein-bound T4 and T3 are maintained in the nanomolar range. The function of thyroid-hormone-binding plasma proteins is to ensure an even distribution throughout the body. Various iodothyronines are produced by three types of membrane-bound cellular deiodinase enzyme systems in vertebrates. The distribution of deiodinases varies between tissues and each has a distinct developmental profile. Thyroid hormones have many effects in vertebrates. It is proposed that there are several modes of action of these hormones.(1) The nuclear receptor mode is especially important in the thyroid hormone axis that controls plasma and cellular levels of these hormones.(2) These hormones are strongly associated with membranes in tissues and normally rigidify these membranes.(3) They also affect the acyl composition of membrane bilayers and it is suggested that this is due to the cells responding to thyroid-hormone-induced membrane rigidification. Both their immediate effects on the physical state of membranes and the consequent changes in membrane composition result in several other thyroid hormone effects. Effects on metabolism may be due primarily to membrane acyl changes. There are other actions of thyroid hormones involving membrane receptors and influences on cellular interactions with the extracellular matrix. The effects of thyroid hormones are reviewed and appear to be combinations of these various modes of action. During development, vertebrates show a surge in T4 and other thyroid hormones, as well as distinctive profiles in the appearance of the deiodinase enzymes and nuclear receptors. Evidence from the use of analogues supports multiple modes of action. Re-examination of data from the early 1960s supports a membrane action. Findings from receptor ,knockout' mice supports an important role for receptors in the development of the thyroid axis. These iodothyronines may be better thought of as ,vitamone' -like molecules than traditional hormonal messengers. [source]

A strained DNA binding helix is conserved for site recognition, folding nucleation, and conformational modulation,

BIOPOLYMERS, Issue 6 2009
Diana E. Wetzler
Abstract Nucleic acid recognition is often mediated by ,-helices or disordered regions that fold into ,-helix on binding. A peptide bearing the DNA recognition helix of HPV16 E2 displays type II polyproline (PII) structure as judged by pH, temperature, and solvent effects on the CD spectra. NMR experiments indicate that the canonical ,-helix is stabilized at the N-terminus, while the PII forms at the C-terminus half of the peptide. Re-examination of the dihedral angles of the DNA binding helix in the crystal structure and analysis of the NMR chemical shift indexes confirm that the N-terminus half is a canonical ,-helix, while the C-terminal half adopts a 310 helix structure. These regions precisely match two locally driven folding nucleii, which partake in the native hydrophobic core and modulate a conformational switch in the DNA binding helix. The peptide shows only weak and unspecific residual DNA binding, 104 -fold lower affinity, and 500-fold lower discrimination capacity compared with the domain. Thus, the precise side chain conformation required for modulated and tight physiological binding by HPV E2 is largely determined by the noncanonical strained ,-helix conformation, "presented" by this unique architecture. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 91: 432,443, 2009. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The "Published Online" date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com [source]

Variables influencing Platelet Function Analyzer-100TM closure times in healthy individuals

BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2005
Hannelore Haubelt
Summary We investigated the relationship between platelet function analyzer (PFA-100TM) closure times (CT) and bleeding time (BT), platelet aggregation (PA) induced by ADP, arachidonic acid, and collagen, blood cell counts, and von Willebrand factor (VWF) in 120 well-characterised healthy individuals. Pre-analytical and analytical conditions were standardised comprehensively. In a substantial number of cases the differences between duplicate measurements exceeded 15%. The reference range (5th and 95th percentiles) for CT with the collagen/epinephrine (CEPI) and the collagen/ADP (CADP) cartridge was 93,223 s and 64,117 s respectively. Re-examination of 11 individuals with CEPI-CT above the 95th percentile revealed considerable batch-to-batch variation of CEPI-CT. Males had significantly longer CADP than females (P = 0·002). CEPI and CADP-CT measured pm were significantly longer than corresponding values determined am (P = 0·003 and P < 0·0001 respectively). Blood group O was associated with greater CEPI and CADP-CT and lower VWF levels compared with non-O blood groups (P = 0·008, P = 0·0003 and P < 0·0001 respectively). Linear regression analysis revealed association between CEPI-CT, CADP-CT and VWF (P < 0·0001), but no relationship was found between CT and BT or between CT and PA. We conclude that VWF plasma levels modulate PFA-100TM CT to a greater extent than platelet function. Establishment of reliable reference ranges and careful standardisation of pre-analytical and analytical conditions is a prerequisite for obtaining reliable PFA-100TM results. Duplicate measurements are necessary. [source]

Re-examination of organ-cultured, cryopreserved human corneal grafts after 27 years

ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2 2009
Charlotte Corydon
Abstract. Purpose:, To determine the long-term fate of cryopreserved corneas. Review of 17 organ-cultered cryopreserved corneas grafted in 1978,1979. Methods:, We measured visual acuity and refraction and performed biomicroscopy, applanation tonometry and optical pachometri (CCT). Endothelial photos were taken, cells were counted and morphology was studied. Results:, Four of 16 grafted corneas were still clear after 27 years. Mean CCT was 0.52 mm, endothelial cell density was 882 cells/mm2 and visual acuity was 0.25 or better with an average of 0.6 in the four patients. Cell morphology showed irregularity in shape and size. Conclusion:, This study shows that cryopreserved endothelium can function as well as non-frozen corneas and that a regular hexagonal pattern is not essential for corneal clarity. The four grafts showed long-term durability despite the irregularity in shape and size. [source]

Pulp and periodontal healing of laterally luxated permanent teeth: results after 4 years

DENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2008
Elena C. Ferrazzini Pozzi
Material and methods:, Patients presenting with lateral luxation of permanent teeth during 2001,2002 were enrolled in this clinical study. Laterally luxated teeth were repositioned and splinted with a TTS/composite resin splint for 4 weeks. Immediate (prophylactic) root-canal treatment was performed in severely luxated teeth with radiographically closed apices. All patients received tetracycline for 10 days. Re-examinations were performed after 1, 2, 3, 6, 12 and 48 months. Results:, All 47 laterally luxated permanent teeth that could be followed over the entire study period survived. In 10 teeth (21.3%), a prophylactic root-canal treatment was performed within 2 weeks following injury. The remaining 37 teeth showed the following characteristics at the 4-year re-examination: 19 teeth (51.4%) had pulp survival (no clinical or radiographic signs or symptoms), nine teeth (24.3%) presented with pulp canal calcification, and pulp necrosis was seen in another nine teeth (24.3%), within the first year after trauma. None of the teeth with a radiographically open apex at the time of lateral luxation showed complications. External root resorption was only seen in one tooth. Conclusions:, Laterally luxated permanent teeth with incomplete root formation have a good prognosis, with all teeth surviving in this study. The most frequent complication was pulp necrosis that was only seen in teeth with closed apices. [source]

Evaluation of a holistic treatment and teaching programme for patients with Type 1 diabetes who failed to achieve their therapeutic goals under intensified insulin therapy

DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 9 2000
U. Bott
SUMMARY Aims To evaluate a treatment and teaching programme including psychosocial modules for patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus on intensified insulin therapy who failed to achieve their treatment goals despite participation in standard programmes. Methods The 5-day inpatient programme comprises small groups of 4,6 patients, focusing on individual needs and problems. Beyond the teaching lessons (most topics are deliberately chosen by the patients), the programme provides intensive group discussions and offers individual counselling concerning motivational aspects, psychosocial problems and coping strategies. Of the first consecutive 83 participants, 76 were re-examined after 17.5 ± 5.5 months (range 9,31 months). Results At follow-up, HbA1c was not improved compared to baseline (8.0 ± 1.3% vs. 8.1 ± 1.5%). However, the incidence of severe hypoglycaemia per patient/year (glucose i.v., glucagon injection) was substantially decreased: 0.62 ± 1.5 episodes at baseline compared to 0.16 ± 0.9 at follow-up (P < 0.001). Twenty-six per cent of the patients at baseline, and 4% at re-examination had experienced at least one episode of severe hypoglycaemia during the preceding year (P < 0.001). Sick leave days per patient/year decreased from 17.0 ± 38.5,7.7 ± 13.6 days (P < 0.05). Patients improved their perceptions of self-efficacy, their relationship to doctors and felt less externally controlled (P < 0.001). The majority of patients perceived an improved competence regarding diet (80.6%) and adaptation of insulin dosage (82.4%), an improved knowledge (82.2%), and a renewed motivation for the treatment (84.5%). Treatment success was significantly associated with baseline HbA1c, stability of motivation, frequency of blood glucose self-monitoring, control beliefs and change in subsequent outpatient care. Conclusions The programme improved glycaemic control mainly as a result of a substantial reduction in the incidence of severe hypoglycaemia. Patients with persistent poor glycaemic control may benefit from structured follow-up care focusing on motivational aspects of self-management and psychosocial support. [source]

Minting in Vandal North Africa: coins of the Vandal period in the Coin Cabinet of Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum

EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE, Issue 3 2008
Guido M. Berndt
This paper offers a re-examination of some problems regarding the coinage of Vandal North Africa. The coinage of this barbarian successor state is one of the first non-imperial coinages in the Mediterranean world of the fifth and sixth centuries. Based on the fine collection in the Coin Cabinet of Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum, this article questions the chronology of the various issues and monetary relations between the denominations under the Vandal kings, especially after the reign of Gunthamund (484,96). The Vandals needed and created a solid financial system. In terms of political, administrative and economic structures they tried to integrate their realm into the changing world of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages. [source]

Species pool size and invasibility of island communities: a null model of sampling effects

ECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 9 2005
Herben
Abstract The success of alien species on oceanic islands is considered to be one of the classic observed patterns in ecology. Explanations for this pattern are based on lower species richness on islands and the lower resistance of species-poor communities to invaders, but this argument needs re-examination. The important difference between islands and mainland is in the size of species pools, not in local species richness; invasibility of islands should therefore be addressed in terms of differences in species pools. Here I examine whether differences in species pools can affect invasibility in a lottery model with pools of identical native and exotic species. While in a neutral model with all species identical, invasibility does not depend on the species pool, a model with non-zero variation in population growth rates predicts higher invasibility of communities of smaller pools. This is because of species sampling; drawing species from larger pools increases the probability that an assemblage will include fast growing species. Such assemblages are more likely to exclude random invaders. This constitutes a mechanism through which smaller species pools (such as those of isolated islands) can directly underlie differences in invasibility. [source]

A Bridge Too Far?

ENGLISH IN EDUCATION, Issue 2 2001
Floppy Fail the Apprentice Reader, How Biff, Kipper
Abstract This article is the result of a re-examination of reading scheme books. Taking a literary perspective, the implied reader was investigated in the most popular scheme, The Oxford Reading nee, in order to ascertain how the reader is constructed by the text. It is argued that such texts covertly construct a passive, struggling reader. As such, this has important implications for the National Literacy Strategy, particularly in the selection of texts for Guided Reading. Summary Reading scheme books are designed to bridge the gap between the oral language of the child and the literary language of the book. What is considered important is a recognisable primary world. There is little dialogue yet the language is supposed to reflect that of the child. Short simple sentences devoid of cohesive devices are considered easier to read because the apprentice reader is deemed not to have stamina. Key words such as nouns and verbs are emphasised and little attention is paid to rhythm, hence few elisions and much repetition. As such the reading scheme does not reflect the language of the child for there is little colloquial expression and the lack of literary features actually makes the text very difficult to read. Implied is a reader who is going to find the whole process difficult and has little to bring to the text. On the other hand the children's literature analysed enjoys a variety of narratives and subject matter yet all support the apprentice reader. Such literary texts employ cohesive devices, the third person has a sense of telling with echoes of the oral tradition while those in first person offer a sense of a teller close to the reader. Direct speech is used, which acts as a bridge from the oral to the literary world. The reader is being guided and helped and not left to struggle. Ironically, it is the literary text that offers more support than the supposedly carefully constructed reading scheme. Furthermore, it can be seen that the reading scheme examined constructs a passive reader to whom things happen. The construction of childhood itself is without joy, excitement and wonder. There is a dullness in the text and a dullness in the characters and the plot that constructs a negative view of reading and a negative construction of the child. The model in Figure 1 summarises the difference between the two types of text: Clearly this has implications for texts selected for pupils to read in the National Literacy Strategy, particularly for Guided Reading. There is no shortage in the UK of appropriate, well-written and superbly illustrated children's books that challenge, support and create an interest in literature. It remains a mystery why the dull reading scheme still has such a strong place in the primary classroom. [source]

"A mercer ye wot az we be": The Authorship of the Kenilworth Letter Reconsidered

ENGLISH LITERARY RENAISSANCE, Issue 2 2008
Elizabeth Goldring
The authorship of the Kenilworth Letter, an account of the festivities staged at Kenilworth Castle during Queen Elizabeth I's 1575 progress, has long been a matter of debate, with some scholars suggesting that the work was a pseudonymous hoax foisted upon an unwitting Robert Langham. New findings, together with a re-examination of the existing evidence, suggest the following: first, that the Letter began life as a bona fide missive from Langham to his fellow mercer Humphrey Martin, which, though envisioned for circulation in manuscript, was almost certainly not , in the first instance at least , intended for publication; and second, that William Patten, to whom the Letter sometimes has been attributed in the past, may have been instrumental in the initial efforts to print the work, albeit without Langham's knowledge or permission. Also considered is the wider context of Elizabethan mercery, with particular reference to the close (but often overlooked) political, economic, and cultural ties between the court and the City of London. In addition, this article explores the extent to which the Letter offers a reliable guide to the people, places, and events it describes. [source]

Abundance of intrinsic disorder in SV-IV, a multifunctional androgen-dependent protein secreted from rat seminal vesicle

FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 4 2008
Silvia Vilasi
The potent immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and procoagulant properties of protein no. 4 secreted from the rat seminal vesicle epithelium (SV-IV) have previously been found to be modulated by a supramolecular monomer,trimer equilibrium. More structural details that integrate experimental data into a predictive framework have recently been reported. Unfortunately, homology modelling and fold-recognition strategies were not successful in creating a theoretical model of the structural organization of SV-IV. It was inferred that the global structure of SV-IV is not similar to that of any protein of known three-dimensional structure. Reversing the classical approach to the sequence,structure,function paradigm, in this paper we report novel information obtained by comparing the physicochemical parameters of SV-IV with two datasets composed of intrinsically unfolded and ideally globular proteins. In addition, we analyse the SV-IV sequence by several publicly available disorder-oriented predictors. Overall, disorder predictions and a re-examination of existing experimental data strongly suggest that SV-IV needs large plasticity to efficiently interact with the different targets that characterize its multifaceted biological function, and should therefore be better classified as an intrinsically disordered protein. [source]

Assignment of a single disulfide bridge in rat liver methionine adenosyltransferase

FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 1 2000
María L. Martínez-Chantar
Rat liver methionine adenosyltransferase incorporated 8 mol of N -ethylmaleimide per mol of subunit upon denaturation in the presence of 8 m urea, whereas 10 such groups were labelled when dithiothreitol was also included. This observation prompted a re-examination of the state of the thiol groups, which was carried out using peptide mapping, amino acid analysis and N-terminal sequencing. The results obtained revealed a disulfide bridge between Cys35 and Cys61. This disulfide did not appear to be conserved because cysteines homologous to residue 61 do not exist in methionine adenosyltransferases of other origins, therefore suggesting its importance for the differential aspects of the liver-specific enzyme. [source]

International Media's Role on U.S.,Small State Relations: The Case of Nepal

FOREIGN POLICY ANALYSIS, Issue 4 2008
Jason Miklian
U.S. foreign policy relationships toward states with which it assumes limited geostrategic significance are often simplistic in design and misguided in their calculations because of the disproportionate weight given to the limited information from which policy is synthesized. International media outlets exacerbate this problem by underreporting, improperly framing stories, combining distinct events, piggybacking upon their domestic counterparts, encouraging simplifications, and misrepresenting reality on the ground. Recent U.S.,Nepal policy is a prototypical example, as a complex civil war with multiple actors was reduced in the eyes of U.S. policy makers to a simplistic terrorist uprising and treated as such until additional media attention propagated a substantial re-examination of policy. Although this case is more explanatory than predictive, this basic framework may enlighten a more nuanced overall understanding of U.S.,small state relations. [source]

Records of Bursaphelenchus spp. intercepted in imported packaging wood at Ningbo, China

FOREST PATHOLOGY, Issue 5 2006
J. Gu
Summary From January 2003 to June 2005, samples from 3416 batches of wooden packaging material were inspected for the presence of nematodes in the Ningbo Entry,Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, China. Bursaphelenchus spp. were detected in 202 batches from 25 different countries. The following species were identified on the basis of their morphology and their intergenic transcribed spacer-restriction fragment length polymorphism (ITS-RFLP) patterns: B. xylophilus, B. fungivorus, B. rainulfi, B. hylobianum, B. thailandae, B. mucronatus, B. aberrans, B. lini, B. singaporensis, B. doui, B. conicaudatus, B. vallesianus, B. pinasteri, B. hofmanni and B. arthuri. The most frequently found species were B. mucronatus (57 batches), B. xylophilus (40 batches), B. fungivorus (21 batches), B. rainulfi (19 batches) and B. thailandae (nine batches). The pine wood nematode B. xylophilus was not only found in packaging wood imported from areas where it is known to occur (i.e. The United States of America, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan), but also from countries considered to be free of this dangerous pest (i.e. Brazil, Thailand, Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy and Spain). The occurrence of B. xylophilus in packaging wood from countries regarded as being free of the nematode can most likely be explained by the global circulation of wooden packaging material among infested and non-infested countries. Our findings emphasize the need to fully implement international standards on phytosanitary treatment of packaging wood, in order to prevent further spread of the pine wood nematode, and the need for careful re-examination of the current heat treatment measures. Résumé De Janvier 2003 à Juin 2005, des échantillons de 3416 lots de matériel d'emballage en bois ont été inspectés pour rechercher la présence de nématodes au bureau de quarantaine de Ningbo, en Chine. Des Bursaphelenchus spp. ont été détectés dans 202 lots en provenance de 25 pays différents. Les espèces suivantes ont été identifiées sur la base de leur morphologie et des profils de restriction de l'ITS: B. xylophilus, B. fungivorus, B. rainulfi, B. hylobianum, B. thailandae, B. mucronatus, B. aberrans, B. lini, B. singaporensis, B. doui, B. conicaudatus, B. vallesianus, B. pinasteri, B. hofmanni, et B. arthuri. Les espèces les plus fréquemment trouvées sont B. mucronatus (57 lots), B. xylophilus (40 lots), B. fungivorus (21 lots), B. rainulfi (19 lots) et B. thailandae (9 lots). Le nématode du pin, B. xylophilus, a été trouvé dans du bois d'emballage en provenance non seulement de zones où sa présence est connue (Etats-Unis, Japon, République de Corée, Hongkong et Taïwan) mais aussi de pays considérés comme indemnes de ce redoutable pathogène (Brésil, Thaïlande, Belgique, Pays-Bas, Italie et Espagne). La présence de B. xylophilus dans du bois d'emballage de pays considérés comme indemnes s'explique probablement par la circulation généralisée de matériel d'emballage en bois entre pays infestés ou non. Nos résultats soulignent la nécessité d'appliquer pleinement les normes de traitement phytosanitaire du bois d'emballage, afin d'éviter une plus grande dissémination du nématode du pin, et de réexaminer de façon approfondie les mesures actuelles de traitement thermique. Zusammenfassung Von Januar 2003 bis Juni 2005 wurde im Quarantäne-Inspektionsbüro in Ningbo, China, das Verpackungsholz von 3416 Sendungen nematologisch untersucht. Bursaphelenchus spp. wurden in 202 Sendungen aus 25 verschiedenen Ländern festgestellt. Folgende Arten wurden morphologisch und mit Hilfe der ITS-RFLP-Methode identifiziert: B. xylophilus, B. fungivorus, B. rainulfi, B. hylobianum, B. thailandae, B. mucronatus, B. aberrans, B. lini, B. singaporensis, B. doui, B. conicaudatus, B. vallesianus, B. pinasteri, B. hofmanni, und B. arthuri. Die am häufigsten gefundenen Arten waren B. mucronatus (57 mal), B. xylophilus (40), B. fungivorus (21), B. rainulfi (19) and B. thailandae (9). Der Quarantäneschädling B. xylophilus wurde nicht nur in Verpackungsholz aus Gebieten mit bekannter Verbreitung des Nematoden (USA, Japan, Republik Korea, Hongkong, Taiwan) gefunden, sondern auch aus Ländern, die als frei vom Kiefernholznematoden gelten (Brasilien, Belgien, Niederlande, Italien, Spanien). Die Feststellung von B. xylophilus in Verpackungsholz aus Nichtbefallsländern kann nur durch Zirkulation des Verpackungsholzes zwischen Befalls- und Nichtbefallsländern erklärt werden. Der mittlere prozentuale Anteil der jegliche Nematoden enthaltenden Packholzproben lag im Zeitraum von Januar 2000 bis August 2005 bei 21,3 %; eine klare Tendenz zur Zu- oder Abnahme war während dieser Jahre nicht erkennbar. Die Befunde unterstreichen die Notwendigkeit der strikten Anwendung international erarbeiteter Standards der phytosanitären Behandlung von Verpackungsholz zur Verhinderung der Verschleppung des Kiefernholznematoden und der Überprüfung der Wirksamkeit der zur Zeit angewandten Maßnahmen. [source]

Current status of malaria chemotherapy and the role of pharmacology in antimalarial drug research and development

FUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 4 2009
Kesara Na-Bangchang
Abstract Antimalarial drugs have played a mainstream role in controlling the spread of malaria through the treatment of patients infected with the plasmodial parasites and controlling its transmissibility. The inadequate armory of drugs in widespread use for the treatment of malaria, development of strains resistant to currently used antimalarials, and the lack of affordable new drugs are the limiting factors in the fight against malaria. In addition, other problems with some existing agents include unfavorable pharmacokinetic properties and adverse effects/toxicity. These factors underscore the continuing need of research for new classes of antimalarial agents, and a re-examination of the existing antimalarial drugs that may be effective against resistant strains. In recent years, major advances have been made in the pharmacology of several antimalarial drugs both in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics aspects. These include the design, development, and optimization of appropriate dosage regimens of antimalarials, basic knowledge in metabolic pathways of key antimalarials, as well as the elucidation of mechanisms of action and resistance of antimalarials. Pharmacologists have been working in close collaboration with scientists in other disciplines of science/biomedical sciences for more understanding on the biology of the parasite, host, in order to exploit rational design of drugs. Multiple general approaches to the identification of new antimalarials are being pursued at this time. All should be implemented in parallel with focus on the rational development of new agents directed against newly identified parasite targets. With major advances in our understanding of malaria parasite biology coupled with the completion of the malaria genome, has presented exciting opportunities for target-based antimalarial drug discovery. [source]

Lopingian (Late Permian) high-resolution conodont biostratigraphy in Iran with comparison to South China zonation

GEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Issue 2-3 2010
Shu-Zhong Shen
Abstract Lopingian (Late Permian) conodonts and stratigraphy in northwest and central Iran have become hotly debated issues recently. We here use a sample-population approach, to develop a high-resolution conodont biostratigraphic framework for the Lopingian of Iran based on a re-examination of collections studied by Sweet from the Kuh-e-Ali Bashi area, northwest Iran; samples from the Abadeh C section and a nearby Permian-Triassic boundary section in the Abadeh area; and on published data. Six Wuchiapingian conodont zones, the Clarkina dukouensis, C. asymmetrica, C. leveni, C. guangyuanensis, C. transcaucasica and C. orientalis zones, and eight Changhsingian conodont zones, the Clarkina wangi, C. subcarinata, C. changxingensis, C. bachmanni, C. nodosa, C. yini, C. abadehensis and C. hauschkei zones, are described and figured. Diagnoses of ontogenetic characteristics to population variations of all the zone-naming species are re-described based on a sample-population taxonomic concept. The high-resolution Lopingian conodont zonation in Iran is closely correlative with its counterpart in South China. However, slightly different evolutionary trends in Clarkina populations existed at the very end of the Changhsingian in Iran and South China. This reflects a geographical cline and/or facies dependence and endemism in Clarkina populations rather than stratigraphic incompleteness of sections in either Iran or South China. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Campanile trevorjacksoni sp. nov., (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the Eocene of Jamaica: at last, a name for the first fossil used in intercontinental biostratigraphic correlation (de la Beche 1827)

GEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Issue 5 2008
Roger W. Portell
Abstract A new species of giant fossil gastropod belonging to the genus Campanile, Campanile trevorjacksoni sp. nov., is described from the Lower Eocene Stettin Formation of the Yellow Limestone Group of Jamaica. Over 180 years ago, internal moulds of these giant gastropods were first reported from the Eocene of Jamaica and referred to as Cerithium; it is only with the discovery of an external mould of the shell spire that it can now be removed from open nomenclature. The ornate shell of C. trevorjacksoni has flat-sided to slightly rounded whorls; straight, impressed sutures; seven beaded, spiral cords per whorl and a nodose subsutural ridge in the more adapertural part of the shell. This sculpture differentiates C. trevorjacksoni from other Paleogene Campanile species. In 1827, de la Beche included C. trevorjacksoni (as Cerithium) in a list of over 20 taxa with which he correlated his white limestone formation (including the Yellow Limestone Group of modern use) with the (Eocene) Calcaire grossier of the Paris Basin. These specimens are lost, but re-examination of de la Beche's list suggests his identifications were mostly reasonable. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Fault interactions and subduction tectonics: a re-examination of the Weber, New Zealand, earthquake sequence of 1990

GEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2003
Russell Robinson
SUMMARY Two moderate magnitude (Mw= 6.2 and 6.4) earthquakes in the Hikurangi subduction margin, North Island, New Zealand, occurred 3 months apart in 1990. The epicentres are nearly coincident, but the first (Weber 1, primarily normal faulting) occurred within the subducting Pacific Plate (depth about 28 km) and the second (Weber 2, a mix of thrusting and right-lateral motion) occurred within the overlying Australian Plate (depth about 13 km), the plate interface in between. The plate interface is interpreted to be locked trenchward (SE) from about the position of these events, with a transition to aseismic slip further down-dip to the NW. Several stress interaction questions are examined. First, to see whether Weber 1 triggered Weber 2, a range of possible mainshock parameters are used to calculate induced changes in the static Coulomb failure stress (,CFS). In most cases the results are consistent with triggering. Secondly, previous work showed that the rate of aftershock occurrence for Weber 1 decreased markedly about 35 days before Weber 2, recovering afterwards. To see whether aseismic pre-slip on the Weber 2 fault, as predicted by rate and state friction, could be the cause of the decrease, the same fault parameters have been used in reverse. The results are ambiguous, some fault parameters giving results consistent with the hypothesis and others not. The amount of pre-slip required for significant inhibition, however, is about equal to that in the mainshock and distributed over the entire fault plane. Thirdly, observations of episodic, aseismic slip down-dip from locked sections of other plate interfaces are becoming more common. Could such slip have triggered both Weber events? The induced changes in CFS for such slip are uniformly positive on the Weber 1 fault plane, and mostly positive on the Weber 2 fault plane, so the answer is yes. Although there is no independent evidence for aseismic slip prior to the Weber sequence, this case shows that such slip may trigger events on other nearby faults, besides loading the locked section of the plate interface. Static stress triggering considerations are thus likely to be important in subduction environments. [source]

A re-examination of distance as a proxy for severity of illness and the implications for differences in utilization by race/ethnicity ,,

HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 7 2007
Jayasree Basu
Abstract The study analyzes the hospitalization patterns of elderly residents to examine whether the relation between distant travel and severity of illness is uniform across racial/ethnic subgroups. A hypothesis is made that severity thresholds could be higher for minorities than whites. Hospital discharge data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP-SID) of the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality for New York residents is used, with a link to the Area Resource File and American Hospital Association's survey files. Logistic models compare the association of distant admission with severity corresponding to each local threshold level, race, and type of hospital admission. The study uses four discrete distance thresholds in contrast to recent work. Also, an examination of severity thresholds for distant travel for different types of admission may clarify different sources of disparities in health care utilization. The findings indicate that minorities are likely to have higher severity thresholds than whites in seeking distant hospital care, although these conclusions depend on the type of condition. The study results imply that if costly elective services were regionalized to get the advantages of high volume for both cost and quality of care, some extra effort at outreach may be desirable to reduce disparities in appropriate care. Published in 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Health care reform in Belgium

HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue S1 2005
Erik Schokkaert
Abstract Curbing the growth of public sector health expenditures has been the proclaimed government objective in Belgium since the 1980s. However, the respect for freedom of choice for patients and for therapeutic freedom for providers has blocked the introduction of microeconomic incentives and quality control. Therefore , with some exceptions, particularly in the hospital sector , policy has consisted mainly of tariff and supply restrictions and increases in co-payments. These measures have not been successful in curbing the growth of expenditures. Moreover, there remains a large variation in medical practices. While the structure of health financing is relatively progressive from an international perspective, socioeconomic and regional inequalities in health persist. The most important challenge is the restructuring of the basic decision-making processes; i.e. a simplification of the bureaucratic procedures and a re-examination of the role of regional authorities and sickness funds. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Conflict and identity shape shifting in an online financial community

INFORMATION SYSTEMS JOURNAL, Issue 5 2009
John Campbell
Abstract., This paper challenges traditional explorations of online communities that have relied upon assumptions of trust and social cohesion. In the analysis presented here, conflict becomes more than just dysfunctional communication and provides an alternative set of unifying principles and rationales for understanding social interaction and identity shape shifting within an online community. A model is advanced that describes the systematic techniques of hostility and aggression in technologically enabled communities that take the form of contemporary tribalism. It is argued that this tribe-like conflict embodies important rituals essential for maintaining and defining the contradictory social roles sometimes found in online environments. This research offers a critical interpretive perspective that focuses on the link between identity shape shifting behaviours and the power relations within an online financial community. The analysis reveals how conflict between positions of power can help to align the values and ideals of an online community. With this study we seek to motivate a re-examination of the design and governance of online communities. [source]