bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potent Inhibitory Effects of Resveratrol Derivatives on Progression of Prostate Cancer Cells
Authors: Yoo Kyung Mi , Kim Sanghee , Moon Bo Kyung , Kim Sung Soo , Kim Kyung Tack , Kim Sun Yeou , Choi Sang Yoon
Published: April 2006

Resveratrol has been identified as a potent anticancer agent in a variety of studies. In this study, several resveratrol derivatives were synthesized and investigated in the search for an anticancer agent with higher efficacy than resveratrol. During our examination of cancer cell lines, compounds C, F, and G evidenced higher inhibitory activity than resveratrol with regard to the growth of PC‐3 and LNCaP human prostate cancer cells. Moreover, four derivatives of resveratrol evidenced potent growth inhibitory activity (IC50 0.01 ˜ 0.04 μM) in LNCaP cells. The levels of activity in these derivatives were 25 ˜ 100 times stronger than that associated with resveratrol (IC50 1.0 μM). Our results suggested that compounds C, D, F, and G might function as anticancer agents on prostate tumors. This study also contains a discussion regarding the structure‐activity relationships of several resveratrol derivatives.
Offset‐Free Inferential Feedback Control of Distillation Compositions Based on PCR and PLS Models
Authors: Zhang J.
Published: April 2006

An offset‐free inferential feedback control strategy for distillation composition control using principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares (PLS) models is presented in this paper. PCR and PLS model based software sensors are developed from process operational data so that the top and bottom product compositions can be estimated from multiple tray temperature measurements. The PCR and PLS software sensors are then used in the feedback control of the top and bottom product compositions. With this strategy the problem of substantial time delay in composition analyzer based control and of substantial bias in single tray temperature control can be overcome. A practically very important issue in software sensor based feedback control is that static control offsets often exist due to a static estimation bias, especially when the process operating condition changes. A technique for eliminating the static estimation bias and the resulting static control offsets through mean updating of process measurements is proposed in this paper. Applications to a simulated methanol‐water separation column demonstrate the effectiveness of this control strategy.
Operability of an Industrial Catalytic Naphtha Reformer in the Presence of Catalyst Deactivation
Authors: Rahimpour M. R.
Published: April 2006

Bifunctional naphtha reforming catalysts are deactivated by side reactions such as coking, sintering, and poisoning in the course of industrial operation. This results in a reduction of the octane number of the product in a commercial naphtha reforming unit. Catalyst deactivation is compensated for by increasing the operating temperature so that the primary product yields are kept constant during an operating cycle. In the present study, a deactivation model has been developed for industrial catalytic naphtha reformers. The parameters for the deactivation model have been estimated using plant data. The results of the model show that increasing the reactor weighted average inlet temperature (WAIT) can offset the decrease in aromatic yield. Concentration and temperature profiles have been obtained to provide information about the extent of conversion in the individual reactors. Reactor inlet temperature is an important parameter, which can significantly affect reformer performance, the aromatic yield increasing with an increase in temperature.
To the Core of Autocatalysis in Cyclohexane Autoxidation
Authors: Hermans Ive , Jacobs Pierre A. , Peeters Jozef
Published: April 2006

Despite their industrial importance, the detailed reaction mechanism of autoxidation reactions is still insufficiently known. In this work, complementary experimental and theoretical techniques are employed to address the radical‐chain initiation in the autoxidation of cyclohexane with a particular focus on the “lighting‐off” of the oxidation by (added) cyclohexanone. We used a newly developed method to quantify the intrinsic rate of chain initiation as well as the rate enhancement by cyclohexanone and several other (oxygenated) molecules. On the basis of first principles, the hitherto assumed perhemiketale mechanism was found to be many orders of magnitude too slow to account for the observed initiation enhancement by the ketone. Instead, it is shown that the pronounced chain‐initiation enhancement by the ketone is attributable to a newly proposed concerted reaction between cyclohexyl hydroperoxide and cyclohexanone, in which the .OH radical breaking away from the hydroperoxide abstracts an αH atom from the ketone, thereby energetically assisting in the cleavage of the ROOH bond. This reaction is highly efficient in generating radicals as it quasi‐excludes geminate in‐cage recombination. As a result, the ketone oxidation product at a level of 1 mol % increases the initiation rate by one order of magnitude, and so acts as a highly efficient “autocatalyst” in autoxidation reactions. An analogous reaction with cyclohexanol, although estimated to be even faster, has only a marginal effect on the overall kinetics, owing to the fast subsequent formation of HO2. radicals that very rapidly terminate with other ROO. radicals. Finally, solid evidence is presented that, also in absence of oxygenates, ROOH initiation is actually a bimolecular reaction, involving concerted H abstraction from the alkane substrate by the nascent .OH.
Heat shock fusion protein induces both specific and nonspecific anti‐tumor immunity
Authors: Li Dapeng , Li Hui , Zhang Peiyin , Wu Xiuli , Wei Hongfei , Wang Li , Wan Min , Deng Ping , Zhang Yi , Wang Junzhi , Liu Yongjun , Yu Yongli , Wang Liying
Published: April 2006

Mucin 1 (MUC1) is a tumor antigen, and the most important epitopes that can induce cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) reside in the variable‐number tandem repeats (VNTR). Heat shock protein (HSP) complexes isolated from tumors have been shown to induce specific anti‐tumor immunity. HSP alone can also induce nonspecific immunity. To explore the possibility to utilize the specific anti‐tumor immunity induced by MUC1 VNTR and the nonspecific immunity induced by HSP, we constructed a recombinant protein (HSP65‐MUC1) by fusing Bacillus Calmette‐Guérin‐derived HSP65 with the MUC1 VNTR peptide and tested its ability to induce anti‐tumor activities in a tumor challenge model. The growth of MUC1‐expressing tumors was significantly inhibited in mice immunized with HSP65‐MUC1, both before and after tumor challenge. A much larger percentage of immunized mice survived the tumor challenge than non‐immunized mice. Correlating with the anti‐tumor activity, HSP65‐MUC1 was shown to induce MUC1‐specific CTL as well as nonspecific anti‐tumor immunity. In the human system, HSP65‐MUC1‐loaded human DC induced the generation of autologous MUC1‐specific CTL in vitro. These results suggest that exogenously applied HSP65‐MUC1 may be used to treat MUC1 tumors by inducing the epitope‐specific CTL as well as nonspecific anti‐tumor responses mediated by the HSP part of the fusion protein.
Carbohydrate‐independent recognition of collagens by the macrophage mannose receptor
Authors: Martinez‐Pomares Luisa , Wienke Dirk , Stillion Richard , McKenzie Emma J. , Arnold James N. , Harris James , McGreal Eamon , Sim Robert B. , Isacke Clare M. , Gordon Siamon
Published: April 2006

Mannose receptor (MR) is the best characterised member of a family of four endocytic molecules that share a common domain structure; a cysteine‐rich (CR) domain, a fibronectin‐type II (FNII) domain and tandemly arranged C‐type lectin‐like domains (CTLD, eight in the case of MR). Two distinct lectin activities have been described for MR. The CR domain recognises sulphated carbohydrates while the CTLD mediate binding to mannose, fucose or N‐acetylglucosamine. FNII domains are known to be important for collagen binding and this has been studied in the context of two members of the MR family, Endo180 and the phospholipase A2 receptor. Here, we have investigated whether the broad and effective lectin activity mediated by the CR domain and CTLD of MR is favoured to the detriment of FNII‐mediated interaction(s). We show that MR is able to bind and internalise collagen in a carbohydrate‐independent manner and that MR deficient macrophages have a marked defect in collagen IV and gelatin internalisation. These data have major implications at the molecular level as there are now three distinct ligand‐binding sites described for MR. Furthermore our findings extend the range of endogenous ligands recognised by MR, a molecule firmly placed at the interface between homeostasis and immunity.
First Experimental Observation of Gas‐Phase Nitrosyl Thiocyanate
Authors: Yao Li , Zeng Xiaoqing , Ge Maofa , Wang Weigang , Sun Zheng , Du Lin , Wang Dianxun
Published: April 2006

The unstable nitrosyl thiocyanate molecule has been generated in the gas phase for the first time from an in situ heterogeneous reaction at low temperature. The product was detected and characterized by a photoelectron spectrometer‐photoionization mass spectrometer (PES‐PIMS). The electronic and geometric structures of the molecule were investigated with the help of quantum chemical calculations at the B3LYP, CBS‐QB3, and CCSD(T) levels. The joint spectroscopic and theoretical studies provided evidence for the formation of nitrosyl thiocyanate, and indicated that the molecule adopts an open‐chain, bent structure with the NO and SCN groups bonding by a relatively strong interaction. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
Stability and radical‐scavenging activity of heated olive oil and other vegetable oils
Authors: Kalantzakis Georgios , Blekas Georgios , Pegklidou Kiriaki , Boskou Dimitrios
Published: April 2006

The effect of heating at 180 °C on the antioxidant activity of virgin olive oil (VOO), refined olive oil (ROO) and other vegetable oil samples (sunflower, soybean, cottonseed oils, and a commercial blend specially produced for frying) was determined by measuring the radical‐scavenging activity (RSA) toward 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•). The RSA of the soluble (polar) and insoluble (non‐polar) in methanol/water fractions of olive oil samples was also measured. The stability of heated oils was assessed by determining their total polar compound (TPC) content. VOO was the most thermostable oil. Total polar phenol content and the RSA of VOO heated for 2.5 h decreased by up to 70 and 78%, respectively, of their initial values; an up to 84% reduction in RSA of VOO polar and non‐polar fractions also occurred. Similar changes were observed in the RSA of ROO and its non‐polar fraction after 2.5 h of heating. The other oils retained their RSA to a relatively high extent (up to 40%) after 10 h of heating, but in the meantime they reached the rejection point (25–27% TPC). The results demonstrate that VOO has a remarkable thermal stability, but when a healthful effect is expected from the presence of phenolic compounds, heating has to be restricted as much as possible.
Ester content evaluation in biodiesel from animal fats and lauric oils
Authors: Schober Sigurd , Seidl Ingrid , Mittelbach Martin
Published: April 2006

A modified method for the determination of ester contents of biodiesel based on EN 14103 has been developed. The method includes natural contents of heptadecanoic acid ester, which are found in animal fats and interfere with the standard method, into the calculation of ester content values. As a result, biodiesel samples prepared from waste animal fats and oils showed an increase in ester content between 2 and 7 wt‐% compared to values measured according to EN 14103. Furthermore, modifications of the GC temperature program made it possible to include also short‐chain fatty acid esters C8–C12, which can be found in coconut and palm kernel oil, into the calculation. Measurements showed that the ester content of such biodiesel differs by more than 40 wt‐% compared to EN 14103 determinations. However, also the stability of the internal standard solution methyl heptadecanoate influences the values of ester content. It can be demonstrated that after a period of 7 days, an ester content decrease of about 2 wt‐% can be observed. Therefore, the use of almost freshly prepared standard solutions should be recommended.
Growth Mechanisms and Electrical Conductivity of Oxide Scales on Ferritic Steels Proposed as Interconnect Materials for SOFC's
Authors: Huczkowski P. , Christiansen N. , Shemet V. , Niewolak L. , Piron‐Abellan J. , Singheiser L. , Quadakkers W. J.
Published: April 2006

The oxidation behaviour of two ferritic steel variants was studied at 800 °C in air and the results were compared with data obtained for two Cr‐based materials. The mechanisms of scale formation were investigated for oxidation times ranging from a few minutes up to 6,000 hours. A number of conventional analysis techniques such as optical metallography, scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray diffraction were used for scale characterization, in combination with two‐stage oxidation studies using an 18O‐tracer. It was found that the growth rates of the scales on the two steels were not only governed by the main scale forming alloying elements, Cr and Mn, but to a substantial extent by minor additions of Si and Al. At the test temperature of 800 °C these latter elements affect scale formation, although they are not directly incorporated in the surface scales. Independent of a detailed alloy composition, the conductivities of the scales on the ferritic steels were found to be higher than those of the surface scales formed on the Cr‐based materials studied.
Internal mammary artery perforator (IMAP) flap for tracheostoma reconstruction
Authors: Yu Peirong , Roblin Paul , Chevray Pierre
Published: April 2006

Background.

Tracheostoma reconstruction requires a thin flap to avoid occlusion. Although the deltopectoral flap has been used as a rotational flap for decades, clinical use of a true internal mammary artery perforator island flap has not been reported.

Methods.

In two cases, tracheostoma and anterior neck reconstruction were performed by use of an internal mammary artery perforator flap as a pedicled island flap. One flap was based on the perforator vessels in the second intercostal space and, the other, on the third. Donor sites were closed primarily in both patients.

Results.

The internal mammary artery perforator flaps were well perfused in both cases. Both flaps healed uneventfully, with reliable reconstruction of the tracheal stoma and coverage of the anterior neck, although overall prognoses were poor.

Conclusion.

The internal mammary artery perforator flap is a relatively thin and reliable flap for tracheostoma and lower neck reconstruction. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2006
Research on the Combustion Properties of Propellants with Low Content of Nano Metal Powders
Authors: Zhi Jiang , Shu‐Fen Li , Feng‐Qi Zhao , Zi‐Ru Liu , Cui‐Mei Yin , Yang Luo , Shang‐Wen Li
Published: April 2006

A comparison of various experimental results for combustionrelated properties evaluation, including burning rates, deflagration heat, flame structures and thermal decomposition properties, of AP/RDX/Al/HTPB composite propellants containing nano metal powders is presented. The thermal behavior of n‐Al (nano grain size aluminum) and g‐Al (general grain size aluminum i.e., 10 μm) heated in air was also investigated by thermogravimetry. The burning rates results indicate that the usage of bimodal aluminum distribution with the ratio around 4 : 1 of n‐Al to g‐Al or the addition of 2% nano nickel powders (n‐Ni) will improve the burning behavior of the propellant, while the usage of grading aluminum powders with the ratio 1 : 1 of n‐Al to g‐Al will impair the combustion of the propellant. Results show that n‐Al and n‐Ni both have a lower heating capacity, lower ignition threshold and shorter combustion time than g‐Al. In addition n‐Al is inclined to burn in single particle form. And the thermal analysis results show that n‐Ni can catalyze the thermal decomposition of AP in the propellant. The results also confirm the high reactivity of n‐Al, which will lead to a lower reaction temperature and rather higher degree of reaction ratio as compared with g‐Al in air. All these factors will influence the combustion of propellants.
Prevention of sporogony of Plasmodium vivax in Anopheles albimanus by steroids of Solanum nudum Dunal (Solanaceae)
Authors: Arango Eliana , Londoño Berlin , Segura Cesar , Solarte Yezid , Herrera Socrates , Saez Jairo , Carmona‐Fonseca Jaime , Blair Silvia
Published: April 2006

The sporontocidal activity of three steroids (SN‐1, SN‐2 and SN‐4) from Solanum nudum Dunal (Solanaceae) was determined against naturally circulating isolates of Plasmodium vivax in Anopheles albimanus. Laboratory‐reared Anopheles albimanus mosquitoes were infected with P. vivax from gametocytemic blood of volunteers resident in Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca (Colombian Pacific Coast) by using an artificial membrane feeder. Prior to mosquito feeding, gametocytemic blood was centrifuged, plasma was separated, packed blood red cells were washed with RPMI 1640 and then resuspended in non‐immune AB serum, then the steroids were added at different doses. On day 7 after infection, the presence and number of oocysts in mosquitoes was determined. The steroid SN‐2 reduced the infection of mosquitoes by 90% and the mean number of oocysts by 60%. These data confirmed that the experimental steroid is capable of interrupting the sporogonic development of P. vivax in Anopheles albimanus. This experimental steroid has potential for transmission blocking in vivax malaria. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antioxidant screening of medicinal herbal teas
Authors: Speisky Hernán , Rocco Claudia , Carrasco Catalina , Lissi Eduardo A. , López‐Alarcón Camilo
Published: April 2006

Herbal tea consumption is deeply and widely rooted amongst South‐American populations. In view of the involvement of oxygen‐ and nitrogen‐reactive species in the ethiogenesis of several diseases, the antioxidant properties of some of the herbal teas most commonly consumed in the southern regions was assessed in vitro. Around one‐third of the 13 examined herbs, displayed a substantially higher ability to scavenge ABTS+· radicals (TEAC assay), and to quench the pro‐oxidant species, hypochlorite (HClO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO−). Amongst the tested herbs, teas prepared from Haplopappus baylahuen, Rosa moschata and Peumus boldus showed the highest TEAC and HClO‐quenching activities. These herbs were around 5‐ to 7‐fold more potent than the least active herbs. Based on the TEAC assay, 150 mL of tea prepared from H. baylahuen, R. moschata and P. boldus would be equivalent to around 200 mg of Trolox®. Teas from H. baylahuen and P. boldus were also found to be particularly potent in quenching HClO. In the ONOO− assay, H. baylahuen and Buddleia globosa showed the highest activities. The results obtained suggest that the regular consumption of teas prepared from some of these herbs may be useful potentially to provide the organism with molecules capable of protecting the gastrointestinal tract against certain pathologically relevant oxidant species. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Leishmanicidal activity of Pycnoporus sanguineus
Authors: Correa Edwin , Cardona Diana , Quiñones Winston , Torres Fernando , Franco Ana E. , Vélez Ivan D. , Robledo Sara , Echeverri Fernando
Published: April 2006

In the search for antiparasite compounds from the Colombian flora, an active compound against Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis amastigotes was isolated from the fungi Pycnoporus sanguineus. The structural elucid‐ation was achieved with spectroscopic methods (1H and 13C NMR and MS). This compound was identified as ergosterol 5,8‐endoperoxide. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A single amino acid substitution on the surface of a natural hevein isoform (Hev b 6.0202), confers different IgE recognition
Authors: Reyes-López César A. , Pedraza-Escalona Martha , Mendoza Guillermo , Hernández-Santoyo Alejandra , Rodríguez-Romero Adela
Published: April 2006

Decreased immune reactivity of isoforms of major allergens has been reported. However, such claims have always been based on experiments with recombinant proteins. This work describes the molecular and physicochemical characterization of a hevein (Hev b 6.0201) natural isoform (Hev b 6.0202), which is present in rubber latex from Hevea brasiliensis. The isoallergen has a single substitution Asn14Asp, which gives rise to local differences in the surface potential, as observed from the crystal structure presented here. Besides, ELISA inhibition using serum pools of adult and pediatric patients showed reduced IgE‐binding capacity (∼27%) with the isoallergen. Overall, these results are relevant to delineate crucial residues involved in this dominant discontinuous epitope.
DEONTOLOGICAL RETRIBUTIVISM AND THE LEGAL PRACTICE OF INTERNATIONAL JURISPRUDENCE: THE CASE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR RWANDA
Authors: Fink Jason Benjamin
Published: April 2006

FINK, JASON BENJAMIN, Deontological retributivism and the legal practice of international jurisprudence: the case of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Journal of African Law, 49, 2 (2005): 101–131

Contemporary international criminal jurisprudence has fashioned a legal paradigm encoding the crime of genocide as a violation of moral law. Structured by an ethos of deontological retributivism, it has posited a set of institutional and conceptual mechanisms designed to situate and stabilize the meaning of genocide. The articulation of this paradigm has entailed the bracketing or suspending of alternative discursive strategies and institutions, particularly those inscribed with a traditional/contextual value. Configuring the social fact of genocide under a normative framework of retribution often fails to address the realities and needs of the local populations who have suffered through severe social trauma. In the intensely unstable space of post-genocidal societies, such as Rwanda, the mandating of formal legal structures by international judicial authorities may constitute a genuine barrier to the critical appropriation of the fact of genocide into the communal memory by imposing a set of privileged frameworks without recognizing the formal integrity and constructive potential of local strategies.
Brain olfactory activation measured by near-infrared spectroscopy in humans
Authors: Harada H , Tanaka M , Kato T
Published: April 2006

In recent years, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used to study functional activation of various areas of the brain. This is based on the assumption that an increase in the recorded oxygenated haemoglobin (HbO2) concentration represents an increase in blood flow, which in turn reflects neuronal activation. The aim of this preliminary study was to use NIRS to monitor the activity of the olfactory cortex, as mirrored by the haemodynamic response, when subjects were exposed to olfactory stimuli.

A NIRO 300 (Hamamatsu Photonics, Hamamatsu, Japan) device was used. The optodes were placed on the right forehead and right temporal, parietal and occipital regions. Changes in the concentration of HbO2 and deoxygenated haemoglobin during olfactory stimulation were monitored. Olfactory stimulation was performed with vanilla essence, strawberry essence and scatol.

During olfactory stimulation, cerebral HbO2 concentration increased over the frontal region. However, in the temporal, parietal and occipital regions, little or no HbO2 changes were recorded.

This study shows that human brain cortical activation following olfactory stimulation can be recorded by NIRS. This NIRS analysis may therefore provide the basis for future development of an objective olfactory test in humans.
THE GALLERY LENGTH FILLING FUNCTION AND A GEOMETRIC INEQUALITY FOR FILLING LENGTH
Authors: GERSTEN S. M. , RILEY T. R.
Published: April 2006

We exploit duality considerations in the study of singular combinatorial 2-discs (diagrams) and are led to the following innovations concerning the geometry of the word problem for finite presentations of groups. We define a filling function called gallery length that measures the diameter of the 1-skeleton of the dual of diagrams; we show it to be a group invariant and we give upper bounds on the gallery length of combable groups. We use gallery length to give a new proof of the Double Exponential Theorem. Also we give geometric inequalities relating gallery length to the space-complexity filling function known as filling length.
Colonial Hong Kong as a Cultural-Historical Place
Authors: CARROLL JOHN M.
Published: April 2006

In July 1997, when Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty, this former British colony became a new kind of place: a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China (PRC). In the several years leading up to the 1997 transition, a sudden outpouring of Mainland Chinese scholarship stressed how Hong Kong had been an inalienable part of China since ancient times. Until then, however, Hong Kong had rarely figured in Mainland Chinese scholarship. Indeed, Hong Kong suffered from what Michael Yahuda has called a “peculiar neglect”: administered by the British but claimed by China, it was “a kind of bureaucratic no-man's land.” Only one university in all of China had a research institute dedicated primarily to studying Hong Kong. As part of this new “Hong Kong studies” (Xianggangxue), in 1997 China's national television studio produced two multi-episodic documentaries on Hong Kong: “One Hundred Years of Hong Kong” (Xianggang bainian) and “Hong Kong Vicissitudes” (Xianggang cangsang). The studio also produced two shorter documentaries, “One Hundred Points about Hong Kong” (Xianggang baiti) and “The Story of Hong Kong” (Xianggang de gushi). The “Fragrant Harbor” that PRC historians had generally dismissed as an embarrassing anachronism in a predominantly postcolonial world suddenly found its way into millions of Mainland Chinese homes.
WHEN ALTRUISM LOWERS TOTAL WELFARE
Authors: CORTS KENNETH S.
Published: April 2006

Ethical theories grounded in utilitarianism suggest that social welfare is improved when agents seek to maximize others' welfare in addition to their own (i.e., are altruistic). However, I use a simple game-theoretic model to demonstrate two shortcomings of this argument. First, altruistic preferences can generate coordination problems where none exist for selfish agents. Second, when agents care somewhat about others' utility but weight their own more highly, total social welfare may be lower than with selfish agents even in the absence of coordination problems.
Interlinking the Domestic with the International: Carl Schmitt on Democracy and International Relations
Authors: BURCHARD CHRISTOPH
Published: April 2006

Carl Schmitt's Der Nomos der Erde allows us to rethink his interlinked proposals for the organization of the Weimar Republic, namely his theory of ‘democratic dictatorship’ and the ‘concept of the political’. Connecting the domestic homogeneity of an empowered people with the pluralism of the Westphalian state system, Schmitt seeks to humanize war; he objects to the renaissance of the ‘just war’ tradition, which is premised on a discriminating concept of war. Schmitt's objections are valid today, yet their Eurocentric foundations are also partially outdated. We are thus to argue with Schmitt against Schmitt to reflect on possibilities for the humanization of war.
Validierung und Normierung des Fragebogens zur Erfassung von Trendsetting (TDS)
Authors: Batinic Bernad , Haupt Christiane M. , Wieselhuber Julia
Published: April 2006

Zusammenfassung. Berichtet wird die Konstruktion, Normierung und Validierung des Fragebogens zur Erfassung von Trendsetting (TDS). Trendsetter werden definiert als Personen, die im Vergleich zu ihrer sozialen Gruppe Neuerungen besonders früh wahrnehmen, Elemente und Eigenschaften von Innovationen betonen und Neuerungen aktiv an ihr Umfeld weitergeben. Als Basis für die Normierung dient eine bevölkerungsrepräsentative face-to-face Befragung (N = 2001). Der TDS steht in einem signifikant positivem Zusammenhang zu den Konstrukten Extraversion, Offenheit für Erfahrungen, persönlicher Initiative und der allgemeinen Selbstwirksamkeit. Ein signifikant negativer Zusammenhang ergibt sich zwischen dem TDS und Gehemmtheit. Es konnte in zwei Studien gezeigt werden, dass die im TDS berichtete Selbsteinschätzung hoch signifikant positiv mit der wahrgenommenen Fremdeinschätzung korreliert (r = .47 und r = .39). Der TDS korreliert signifikant positiv mit der Internet- und Handynutzung in Monaten. In einer weiteren Validierungsstudie wurde gezeigt, dass Gruppen in der Lage sind, Personen mit niedrigem bzw. hohem Trendsetting voneinander zu differenzieren. Die Retestreliabilität des TDS beträgt r = .72.
Was messen internationale Schulleistungsstudien?
Authors: Rindermann Heiner
Published: April 2006

Zusammenfassung. Über Aufgabenanalysen und die Analyse empirischer Beziehungen lässt sich bestimmen, was Tests wie die der internationalen Schulleistungsstudien (PISA, IGLU, TIMSS u.a.) messen. Inhaltliche Aufgabenanalysen belegen, dass Aufgaben unterschiedlicher Skalenzuordnung einander sehr ähnlich sind: Leseaufgaben enthalten Tabellen und Grafiken, Naturwissenschaftsaufgaben umfangreiche Lesetexte, Mathematikitems mit viel Text versehene alltagsnahe Denkaufgaben. Problemlösen ist konzeptuell am geringsten von Intelligenz zu unterscheiden. Zur Lösung der Aufgaben sind in unterschiedlichem Maße innerhalb der Bereiche Denken, Allgemeinwissen und Schulwissen notwendig. Empirische Beziehungen in Form von Korrelationen der Skalen untereinander, mit Intelligenztests und von Faktorenanalysen lassen sich in der Literatur nur schwierig oder gar nicht finden. Skaleninterkorrelationen bei Individualdaten liegen weit über den gängigen Skaleninterkorrelationen bei Intelligenztests. Skaleninterkorrelationen auf Ebene von Staaten sind extrem hoch; Korrelationen zwischen verschiedenen Studien und mit Intelligenztestergebnissen auf Ebene von Staaten sind hoch. Es finden sich selten Belege für diskriminante Validität. Alles spricht für die Messung eines g-Faktors kognitiver Fähigkeiten. Auf makrosozialer Ebene ist eine Unterscheidung von Intelligenz empirisch nicht möglich.
Radiative transfer of elastic waves versus finite difference simulations in two‐dimensional random media
Authors: Przybilla J. , Korn M. , Wegler U.
Published: April 2006

High‐frequency seismograms mainly consist of incoherently scattered waves. Although their phases are more or less random, their envelopes show smooth and stable variations depending on frequency and distance. Envelope modeling can thus be used to infer stochastic parameters of the heterogeneous Earth medium. Radiative transfer theory (RTT) describes energy transport through a random heterogeneous medium neglecting phase information and has been frequently used to simulate observed mean square (MS) envelopes of high‐frequency waves. The radiative transfer equations can be numerically solved by Monte Carlo simulations. So far, mostly isotropic scattering and acoustic approximations have been used. Here we present an extension of the Monte Carlo method to the full elastic case including P, S, and conversion scattering where the single scattering events are described by angular‐dependent scattering coefficients in random media which follow from the Born approximation. In order to validate the method, the simulated envelopes are compared to average envelopes obtained by full waveform modeling with a finite difference method in two‐dimensional random media with Gaussian and exponential correlation functions. Envelope shapes agree remarkably well for both short and long lapse times and for a broad range of scattering parameters. We conclude that the use of Born scattering coefficients in RTT does not pose severe limits on its validity range. Even in the strong forward scattering regime, envelope broadening and peak amplitude delays can be successfully modeled if one includes the wandering effect as obtained from the parabolic wave equation and Markov approximation into RTT.
Beyond the Basics I
Authors: Bernhardt Barbara Handford , Holdgrafer Gary
Published: April 2006

One of the challenges in the assessment of children with phonological disorders is the collection of a valid and reliable speech sample. Whichever framework is used, the sample can bias the analysis, sometimes in a way that fails to elucidate key phonological patterns. This article discusses sampling in terms of a current framework, nonlinear phonological analysis. It provides an overview of the theory and relevant sampling criteria and gives suggestions for elicitation. Nonlinear analyses examine multiple aspects or levels of a child’s phonological system, providing a comprehensive basis for identifying strengths and needs. Whether or not nonlinear analyses are used, the principles and suggestions included provide general guidance for adequate sample elicitation.
A Whole-Word Approach to Phonological Analysis and Intervention
Authors: Ingram David , Ingram Kelly D.
Published: April 2006

This paper introduces a whole-word approach to phonological analysis and then demonstrates the use of the approach by conducting an analysis and outlining treatment recommendations for a child with a phonological disability. Rationale for using a whole-word approach and also for defining phonological typologies are presented using the view that children are word oriented and use different patterns to acquire their phonological systems. New measures for word complexity and target proximity are explained, and four components of a phonological analysis are outlined and subsequently demonstrated.
Comparison of Spanish, English, and Bilingual Children’s Performance Across Semantic Tasks
Authors: Peña Elizabeth , Bedore Lisa M. , Rappazzo Christina
Published: April 2006

Purpose:This study investigated predominantly Spanish-speaking, predominantly English-speaking, and Spanish-English bilingual children’s performance on a battery of semantic tasks.

Method:Six semantic tasks (associations, characteristic properties, categorization, functions, linguistic concepts, and similarities and differences) were developed in Spanish and English. The tasks contained comparable items but were not direct translations of each other. Each task consisted of expressive and receptive items. Predominantly Spanish-speaking children completed the tasks in Spanish, predominantly English-speaking children completed the tasks in English, and bilingual children completed the tasks in Spanish and English.

Results:Children in all three groups achieved similar average levels of performance on the assessment battery. However, there were differences in the patterns of performance for English and Spanish, as well as group performance differences when compared in the same language.

Clinical Implications:These findings highlight the importance of testing bilingual children in both of their languages and across a variety of semantic tasks in order to gain insight into bilingual children’s semantic knowledge.
Early Positive Predictors of Later Reading Comprehension for African American Students
Authors: Craig Holly K. , Connor Carol M. , Washington Julie A.
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
This investigation examined the performance of 50 African American children on a reading comprehension test.

Method:
Longitudinal data were compared for two groups of students who were preschoolers or kindergartners at Time 1 and elementary-grade students at Time 2. Outcomes were examined for positive predictive relationships based on their oral language and cognitive skills as preschoolers and kindergartners at Time 1. The Time 1 preschoolers were all from low-income homes, whereas the Time 1 kindergartners were all from middle-income homes. All students were urban dwellers and speakers of African American English.

Results:
Two measures predicted later reading comprehension levels for the Time 1 preschoolers: use of complex syntax and shape matching. The Time 1 preschoolers and kindergartners showed no significant differences in reading comprehension at the end of first grade, but the preschoolers were significantly ahead of the kindergartners in reading by third grade.

Clinical Implications:
The potential of preschools that emphasize early language and literacy for improving the reading outcomes of African American students is discussed.
Interactive Behaviors in Adolescent Conversation Dyads
Authors: Turkstra Lyn , Ciccia Angela , Seaton Christine
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
Verbal and nonverbal conversational behaviors often are the target of intervention for adolescents with social communication disorders. There are, however, few sources of data on the interactive conversational behaviors of typically developing adolescents that can be used as guidelines when working with clinical populations. The purpose of this study was to collect behavioral data from conversations of adolescents so as to provide comparison data for adolescents with communication disorders.

Method:
Conversational behaviors were measured in 50 typically developing African American and Caucasian adolescents (24 females, 26 males) from the Midwest United States who engaged in extemporaneous, 3-minute conversations in dyads with peers. The effects of age, race, and sex of the participant were assessed.

Results:
Behaviors occurring at relatively high frequencies included directing gaze at the partner, particularly during listening; nodding and showing neutral and positive facial expressions; using back-channel responses; and giving contingent responses. Participants rarely showed negative emotions, turned away from each other, asked for clarification, or failed to answer questions. Overall, there were few effects of race and sex of the speaker and greater variability within than between groups.

Clinical Implications:
The data may serve as a source of information for clinicians serving individuals with communication disorders, with the caveat that the conversations included here represent a subset of typical adolescent interactive conversational behaviors.
Young Children’s Letter-Sound Knowledge
Authors: Dodd Barbara , Carr Alex
Published: April 2006

Purpose:This study compares three essential skills in early literacy: letter-sound recognition, letter-sound recall, and letter reproduction. Previous research comparing these aspects of letter-sound knowledge is limited.

Method:Eighty-three normally developing children between the ages of 4:11 (years:months) and 6:4 were asked to recognize (i.e., point to the appropriate letter when the letter’s sound is given), recall (i.e., say the letter’s sound), and reproduce (i.e., write the letter when the letter’s sound is given) 32 letter sounds.

Results:The children performed better in letter-sound recognition than in letter-sound recall, and better in letter-sound recall than in letter reproduction. Girls performed no differently from boys. Younger children performed as well as older children. Socioeconomic status had significant influence on the level of development for all tasks.

Clinical Implications:Clinicians and educators need to be aware of the different aspects of letter-sound knowledge development and how it can be assessed so that intervention can follow the normal developmental sequence of acquisition.
Frameworks of Education
Authors: Hwa-Froelich Deborah A. , Westby Carol E.
Published: April 2006

Purpose:Interviews with Southeast Asian families and Head Start staff, participant observation of family and staff conferences, observations of teacher-child and parent-child interactions, and a review of all written Head Start information given to parents were used to gain information regarding how Southeast Asian parents, children, and Head Start staff make sense of early childhood education, their roles in child learning, and the identification of disabilities or learning problems.

Methods:Nine Southeast Asian families and 10 children were participants. One Vietnamese and 3 EuroAmerican Head Start staff members participated in a series of two or three semistructured individual interviews. Additionally, 3 families were observed during scheduled conferences with Head Start staff. Each child was observed at Head Start during meals, center time, and outdoor play time. All literature routinely given to parents was analyzed. Ethnomethodology (the study of how participants make sense of their world) was used in collection and analysis of the data. The constructs of organizational culture (Schein, 1987, 1992), independence/interdependence, and power/distance relationships were used to help to make sense of the data themes.

Clinical Implications:Both families and staff were unaware of differences in their beliefs and values in the areas of education, parenting, child learning, and disability, which led to confusion and misunderstanding. All early childhood staff need to be aware of their underlying assumptions and how these may affect their interactions with children and families who may have different assumptions and expectations.
Measures of Language Development in Fictional Narratives of Latino Children
Authors: Muñoz Maria L. , Gillam Ronald B. , Peña Elizabeth D. , Gulley-Faehnle Annette
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
This preliminary study was designed to determine whether commonly used measures of language productivity, sentence organization, and story structure were sensitive to developmental differences in narratives produced by Latino preschool children from a low-socioeconomic status (SES) community.

Method:
Twenty-four children, divided equally into younger and older groups, produced oral narratives that corresponded with the wordless picture book,
Frog, Where Are You?
(Mayer, 1969). Their narratives were analyzed for productivity (total number of words, total number of different words), sentence organization (number of utterances, mean length of C unit in words, and percentage of grammatically acceptable utterances), and story structure (complete and incomplete narrative episodes).

Results:
The length of children’s narratives did not differ significantly by age. However, older Latino children produced stories that contained longer sentences, a higher proportion of grammatically acceptable sentences, and more complete episodes than did younger children.

Clinical Implications:
These results suggest that measures of language productivity (such as total number of words and number of different words) that reflect developmental differences in monolingual mainstream preschoolers may not be sensitive indicators of narrative language development in young Latino children from low-SES environments. However, measures of syntactic accuracy and episodic structure are likely to be valid indicators of developmental changes in these children’s narrative abilities.
School-Age Follow-Up of Children With Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Authors: Lewis Barbara A. , Freebairn Lisa A. , Hansen Amy J. , Iyengar Sudha K. , Taylor H. Gerry
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
The primary aim of this study was to examine differences in speech/language and written language skills between children with suspected childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) and children with other speech-sound disorders at school age.

Method:
Ten children (7 males and 3 females) who were clinically diagnosed with CAS (CAS group) were followed from the preschool years (ages 4–6) to school age (ages 8–10) and were compared with children with isolated speech-sound disorders (S group;
n
=15) and combined speech-sound and language disorders (SL group;
n
=14). Assessments included measures of articulation, diadochokinetic rates, language, reading, and spelling.

Results:
At follow-up, 8 of the children with CAS demonstrated improvement in articulation scores, but all 10 continued to have difficulties in syllable sequencing, nonsense word repetition, and language abilities. The children also exhibited comorbid disorders of reading and spelling. Group comparisons revealed that the CAS group was similar to the SL group, but not the S group during the preschool years. By school age, however, the SL group made more positive changes in language skills than the CAS group.

Clinical Implications:
These findings suggest that the phenotype for CAS changes with age. Language disorders persist in these children despite partial resolution of articulation problems. Children with CAS are also at risk for reading and spelling problems.
The Effects of Verbal Support Strategies on Small-Group Peer Interactions
Authors: Girolametto Luigi , Weitzman Elaine , Greenberg Janice
Published: April 2006

Purpose:
This study investigated whether child care providers could learn to facilitate peer interactions by using verbal support strategies (e.g., prompts, invitations, or suggestions to interact) during naturalistic play activities.

Method:
Seventeen caregivers were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, stratified by center so that staff from one center could attend the training program together. The experimental group received inservice training on how to facilitate peer interaction; the control group received training on adult-child communication strategies. Caregivers in the experimental group were taught to facilitate children’s interactions with their peers by using indirect referrals (e.g., alerting children to situational information, offering praise) and direct referrals (e.g., telling a child what to say to a peer, inviting children to play together).

Results:
At posttest, the caregivers in the experimental group used more verbal supports for peer interaction than the caregivers in the control group. Specifically, they used more utterances to promote communication between peers and to invite children to interact together. In turn, the children in the experimental group initiated interactions with peers more often and engaged in extended peer sequences more often than the children in the control group.

Clinical Implications:
The results support the viability of this training model in early childhood education settings and suggest that future research of its effects with children who have disabilities is warranted.
Variable Production of African American English Across Oracy and Literacy Contexts
Authors: Thompson Connie A. , Craig Holly K. , Washington Julie A.
Published: April 2006

Many African American students produce African American English (AAE) features that are contrastive to Standard American English (SAE). The AAE-speaking child who is able to dialect shift, that is, to speak SAE across literacy contexts, likely will perform better academically than the student who is not able to dialect shift.

Method:This investigation examined the AAE productions of 50 typically developing African American third graders across three language contexts—picture description, oral reading of SAE text, and writing.

Results:All participants produced AAE during picture description. A downward shift in contrastive AAE features was evident between spoken discourse and the literacy contexts. More students produced more AAE features during picture description than writing. Both morphosyntactic and phonological features characterized the picture description context. Phonological features predominated during oral reading. In contrast, morphosyntactic features were the most dominant feature in writing.

Clinical Implications:The findings are discussed in terms of dialect-shifting abilities of African American students and the role of writing as a special context to support their entry into dialect shifting.