Global Journalist: Japan's new trade relations with Africa

In this October 2, 2003 Global Journalist program, guests discuss Japan effort to make new trade partners in Africa. How could this shift the world trading order and relations? The group also discusses Japan's billion-dollar aid pledge to Africa. Host: Stuart Loory. Guests: Eric Due, Shaowen Lin, Tommy Ngidi (?). Directors: Pat Akers. Producers: Sara Andrea Fajardo, Un Teck Han (?). Web Master: Radha Ravi (?)

Global Journalist: Global perception of U.S.'s stance on Iraq War build-up

In this February 20, 2003 conversation on the Global Journalist, Stuart Loory interviews several journalists on the relations between the U.S. and Australia, the Netherlands, Japan, and Venezuela concerning the build-up toward the Iraq War. They discuss whether each country supports or opposes the U.S.'s position on the war, as well as internal controversaries occurring in the countries, such as Middle Eastern oil exports. Host: Stuart Loory. Guests: Ben English (Australia), Wendy Bronker (?) (Netherlands), Eric Due (Japan), Andrés Izarra (Venezuela). Producers: Sara Andrea Fajardo. Director: Pat Akers

Composite-Fermion Picture for the Spin-Wave Excitation in the fractional quantum Hall system

Spin-wave excitation mode from the spin-polarized ground state in the fractional quantum Hall liquid with odd fractions ($\nu=1/3,1/5$) numerically obtained by the exact diagonalization of finite systems is shown to be accurately described, for wavelengths exceeding the magnetic length, in terms of the composite-fermion mean-field approximation for the spin-wave (magnon) theory formulated in the spherical geometry. This indicates that the composite picture extends to excited states, and also provides the spin stiffness in terms of peculiar exchange interactions.Comment: 10 pages, typeset in LATEX, NA-94-05, 2 figures available upon request at [email protected]

Double blockade of CD14 and complement C5 abolishes the cytokine storm and improves morbidity and survival in polymicrobial sepsis in mice

Sepsis and septic shock, caused by an excessive systemic host-inflammatory response, are associated with high morbidity and mortality. The complement system and TLRs provide important pattern recognition receptors initiating the cytokine storm by extensive cross-talk. We hypothesized that double blockade of complement C5 and the TLR coreceptor CD14 could improve survival of experimental polymicrobial sepsis. Mice undergoing cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)–induced sepsis were treated with neutralizing anti-CD14 Ab biG 53, complement C5 inhibitor coversin (Ornithodoros moubata C inhibitor), or a combination thereof. The inflammatory study (24-h observation) revealed statistically significant increases in 22 of 24 measured plasma biomarkers in the untreated CLP group, comprising 14 pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and 8 chemokines, growth factors, and granulocyte activation markers. Single CD14 or C5 blockade significantly inhibited 20 and 19 of the 22 biomarkers, respectively. Combined CD14 and C5 inhibition significantly reduced all 22 biomarkers (mean reduction 85%; range 54–95%) compared with the untreated CLP group. Double blockade was more potent than single treatment and was required to significantly inhibit IL-6 and CXCL1. Combined inhibition significantly reduced morbidity (motility and eyelid movement) and mortality measured over 10 d. In the positive control CLP group, median survival was 36 h (range 24–48 h). Combined treatment increased median survival to 96 h (range 24–240 h) (p = 0.001), whereas survival in the single-treatment groups was not significantly increased (median and range for anti-CD14 and anti-C5 treatment were 36 h [24–48 h] and 48 h [24–96 h]). Combined with standard intervention therapy, specific blockade of CD14 and C5 might represent a promising new therapeutic strategy for treatment of polymicrobial sepsis

Climate, people and faunal succession on Java, Indonesia: evidence from Song Gupuh

Song Gupuh, a partially collapsed cave in the Gunung Sewu Limestones of East Java, Indonesia, contains over 16 m of deposits with a faunal sequence spanning some 70 ka. Major changes in the range of animals represented show the impact of climate change and humans. The Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene was a period of maximum biodiversity. Human use of Song Gupuh and other cave sites in the region also intensified significantly from ca. 12 ka, together with a new focus on exploitation of small-bodied species (macaque monkeys and molluscs), the first evidence for import of resources from the coast, and use of bone and shell tools. Human activity, especially after the onset of the Neolithic around 2.6 ka, subsequently contributed to a progressive loss of many species from the area, including tapir, elephant, Malayan bear, rhino and tiger, and this extinction process is continuing. We conclude by discussing the biogeographical significance of Song Gupuh in the context of other sites in Java (e.g. Punung, Wajak) and further afield (e.g. Liang Bua)