bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How long range is contour integration in human color vision?
Authors: BEAUDOT WILLIAM H.A. , MULLEN KATHY T.
Published: April 2003

We quantified and compared the effect of element spacing on contour
integration between the achromatic (Ach), red–green (RG), and
blue–yellow (BY) mechanisms. The task requires the linking of
orientation across space to detect a contour in a stimulus composed of
randomly oriented Gabor elements (1.5 cpd, σ = 0.17 deg), measured
using a temporal 2AFC method. A contour of ten elements was pasted into
a 10 × 10 cells array, and background elements were randomly
positioned within the available cells. The effect of element spacing
was investigated by varying the mean interelement distance between two
and six times the period of the Gabor elements (λ = 0.66 deg) while
the total number of elements was fixed. Contour detection was measured
as a function of its curvature for jagged contours and for closed
contours. At all curvatures, we found that performance for chromatic
mechanisms declines more steeply with the increase in element
separation than does performance for the achromatic mechanism. Averaged
critical element separations were 4.6 ± 0.7, 3.6 ± 0.4,
and 2.9 ± 0.2 deg for Ach, BY, and RG mechanisms, respectively.
These results suggest that contour integration by the chromatic
mechanisms relies more on short-range interactions in comparison to the
achromatic mechanism. In a further experiment, we looked at the
combined effect of element size and element separation in contour
integration for the Ach mechanism.
OUT OF THE PALACE DUMPS
Authors: Reents-Budet Dorie , Bishop Ronald L. , Taschek Jennifer T. , Ball Joseph W.
Published: April 2003

An interdisciplinary approach to Late Classic Maya
polychrome-painted ceramics from Buenavista del Cayo and
Cahal Pech, Belize allows for preliminary observations
relevant to a better understanding of elite pottery production
and use in the western Belize Valley. The combination of
typological and contextual data from archaeological investigations
of ceramics along with art-historical stylistic analyses
and ceramic-paste chemical-composition data identifies
ordinary and special-purpose vessels excavated from palace-midden
contexts as having been created in the same elite-oriented
or “palace” workshop(s) at Buenavista del Cayo.
The method allows for the identification of unslipped,
monochrome, and polychrome pottery excavated from “palace”
contexts at nearby Cahal Pech as products of the “palace”
school workshop(s) at Buenavista del Cayo, which implies
movement of the ruling elite of the site between the two
locales. The method also allows for the identification
of a group of multiphase special-purpose ceramics excavated
from Buenavista del Cayo “palace” middens whose
chemical divergence from the other “palace-school”
pottery provides evidence for the existence of different
ceramic-paste recipes existing simultaneously within the
same “palace” ceramic school or pottery tradition.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DEPOSITS FROM THE AZTEC NEW FIRE CEREMONY
Authors: Elson Christina M. , Smith Michael E.
Published: April 2003

The New Fire Ceremony is one of the few Aztec rituals documented
in both the archaeological and historical records. The Spanish
chroniclers described the New Fire Ceremony as an imperial
celebration of the renewal of cosmic time that was observed
on the local level by the renewal of household goods. George
C. Vaillant first proposed the identification of artifact dumps
at Aztec sites with descriptions of these local celebrations.
We describe unpublished artifact dumps excavated by Vaillant
at Chiconautla and Nonoalco in the Basin of Mexico and by Smith
at Cuexcomate in Morelos and show that their context and content
support Vaillant's hypothesis. Our data suggest that the
New Fire Ceremony was an ancient and widespread ritual in
Postclassic central Mexico that was appropriated by the Aztec
empire as part of its program of ideological legitimization
and control.
CARVED MONUMENTS AND CALENDRICAL NAMES
Authors: Urcid Javier , Joyce Arthur A.
Published: April 2003

This paper describes 15 stone monuments documented until the
1995 field season at Río Viejo, the largest settlement
in the alluvial plains of the Río Verde drainage in Coastal
Oaxaca from 100 B.C. to A.D. 1100. The monuments, all seemingly
dating to the Classic period (A.D. 600–900), include mainly
carved stelae that most often depict elaborately dressed human
figures accompanied by their calendrical names. The large size of
these monuments and the political primacy of Río Viejo
strongly suggest that the named individuals were local rulers. We
posit that additional flattened sculptures and slabs riddled with
small circular depressions were foci of sacred activities aimed at
petitioning favors from supernatural forces. The analysis of the
inscriptions is framed in terms of graphic similarities with highland
scribal traditions in the central valleys of Oaxaca, the Mixteca Baja,
and the Mexican Highlands.
PITS AND BONES: Identifying Maya ritual behavior in the
archaeological record
Authors: Kunen Julie L. , Galindo Mary Jo , Chase Erin
Published: April 2003

In this article, we examine the traditional classificatory
terms of cache and burial as they are used in Lowland Maya
archaeology and argue that, rather than forming mutually exclusive
categories, these ritual deposits are members of a continuum.
After discussing the intertwined concepts of dedication and
termination and the cosmology of caches, we summarize burgeoning
evidence that not all deposits classified as caches are votive
offerings. We also discuss the role played by household refuse
in ritual contexts. We then describe the investigation of a
pit excavated into bedrock beneath a residential structure at
the Maya site of La Caldera, in northwestern Belize. Our
interpretation of the ritual importance of the pit is based
on a series of behaviors that activated, terminated, and then
reactivated the ritual pathway defined by the feature. We suggest
that this behavioral approach to special deposits is more
compelling than attempts to classify the material traces of
ritual actions according to narrowly defined terms.
EL IMPACTO DEL CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO EN LA REGIÓN
DEL RÍO CANDELARIA, CAMPECHE, MÉXICO
Authors: Pacheco Ernesto Vargas
Published: April 2003

La región del río Candelaria se vio en varias
ocasiones afectada por los cambios climáticos. Los niveles
del río variaron en el transcurso de los siglos
significativamente y esto afectó a los chontales de Acalan
que vivieron a filo del agua para bien o para mal, ya que su
vida giraba alrededor de ella. Sus casas, campos de cultivo
y ciudades fueron afectadas por los niveles que alcanzó
el río. Las evidencias paleoecológicas conocidas
todavía son escasas y los comentarios que se hacen son
tentativos, sin embargo, por ser una región de ríos,
lagunas y pantanos se sabe que estuvo sometida a momentos
críticos y problemáticos, que de alguna manera
queda reflejada en la ocupación prehispánica de
la región.
NEW PERSPECTIVES ON THE LATE CLASSIC POLITICAL HISTORY OF
QUIRIGUA, GUATEMALA
Authors: Looper Matthew G.
Published: April 2003

This article summarizes the Late Classic history
of the Maya city of Quirigua, Izabal, Guatemala, emphasizing
its relations with other polities. Quirigua's origins
as a kingdom are traced to a.d. 426, when the
rulers of nearby Copan established it as a colony. For
the next three centuries, the site apparently mediated
an intense interaction between Copan and Tikal. In a.d.
736, a personage from Tikal's rival city, Calakmul,
acted with the current king of Quirigua—Buts'
Tiliw—shortly before his a.d. 738 revolt
against Copan. This suggests that Quirigua's revolt
may have been, in part, externally stimulated. The revolt
of Quirigua against Copan initiated a series of wars by
Buts' Tiliw and his successor, Sky Xul, directed against
two unknown sites. At least one of these sites was probably
within the Copan hegemony. In contrast to the reigns of
Buts' Tiliw and Sky Xul, that of the last known king
of Quirigua, Jade Sky, seems to have been free of warfare.
In fact, in his final monumental text, Jade Sky indicated
his reconciliation with Copan. This interpretation of the
texts of Quirigua suggests that changes in alliance and
wars played an important role in the development of the
site during the Late Classic period.
STATES OF HEART
Authors: Hill Robert M. , Fischer Edward F.
Published: April 2003

This article examines early colonial Kaqchikel
Maya notions of the self, souls, and the heart. By integrating
ethnohistorical data and contemporary ethnographic observations,
we show that Kaqchikeles viewed the self as contingent
on a dynamic balance of cosmic forces acting on the individual.
The ways in which these forces are seen to effect one's
state of being are documented through an extensive discussion
of Kaqchikel metaphors of the heart and soul. We conclude
by noting the importance of understanding processes of
continuity (as well as change) in cultural constructions
and argue for the continued utility of such approaches
in ethnohistorical research.
Population sizes and the conservation status of endemic and restricted-range bird species on Karakelang, Talaud Islands, Indonesia
Authors: Riley Jon
Published: April 2003

Karakelang, largest of the Talaud Islands, Indonesia, was visited in 1999 with the aim of producing population estimates of globally threatened and Restricted-range bird species. Density estimates were calculated from primary forest and secondary habitats using the variable circular plot method. Eight of the nine restricted-range or threatened species resident on Karakelang were recorded and density estimates calculated for five of these. Two species of rail are endemic to Karakelang, Talaud Bush-hen Amaurornis magnirostris and Talaud Rail Gymnocrex talaudensis. The bush-hen was encountered in secondary habitat but occurred at higher densities in primary forest and the estimated population was 2,350–9,560 birds. The less vocal, cryptic G. talaudensis was noted just twice, in primary forest close to rivers. Both have small populations, are threatened by habitat degradation, hunting, and possibly predation by introduced rats and should be classified as threatened. Population densities of the Endangered, endemic Red-and-blue Lory Eos histrio had remained stable since the last survey in 1997. They occurred at higher densities in primary forest, but were also common in human-made habitats. The estimated population was 8,230–21,400 birds, threatened by habitat loss and trapping for the wild bird trade. Although more commonly encountered in forest, the Near Threatened Blue-naped Parrot Tanygnathus lucionensis was found at higher densities in secondary habitats, and the population was estimated at 8,130–20,700 birds. The Restricted-range Blue-tailed Imperial Pigeon D. concinna was very common on Karakelang (14,500–27,700 birds), whilst the Vulnerable Grey Imperial Pigeon D. pickeringii was recorded rarely; both species were more frequently recorded in primary forest. The endemic Talaud Kingfisher Halcyon enigma occurred at low densities (5,290–8,690 birds), in primary forest and adjacent disturbed areas. It is heavily dependent on primary forest and threatened by habitat loss, and should be classified as Vulnerable. Approximately 350 km2 of primary forest on Karakelang is protected, 250 km2 as a wildlife reserve. However, at present, management is absent and forest is threatened by agricultural encroachment, illegal logging, and fire. Given that all endemic and threatened species were encountered more frequently or occurred at higher densities in primary forests, future conservation efforts should target these protected areas. Management of reserves should involve local stakeholders from government and representatives of island communities. Wildlife trade is a major threat to Eos histrio and strict enforcement of the species' protected status should include monitoring of roost sites, patrols of harbours and markets in Talaud, Sulawesi and the Philippines, and the control of Philippine fishing boats involved in the wild bird trade. Further species-specific research and monitoring is also required.
Conflicting Professional Values in Medical Education
Authors: COULEHAN JACK , WILLIAMS PETER C.
Published: April 2003

Ten years ago there was little talk about adding
“professionalism” to the medical curriculum. Educators
seemed to believe that professionalism was like the studs of
a building—the occupants assume them to be present,
supporting and defining the space in which they live or work,
but no one talks much about them. Similarly, educators assumed
that professional values would just “happen,” as
trainees spent years working with mentors and role models, as
had presumably been the case in the past. To continue the metaphor,
when educators did discuss ethics and values, they tended to
focus more on external building codes than on the nature of
construction materials. Building codes are designed to ensure
the public's safety by establishing procedures and standards.
Likewise, the “new” bioethics of autonomy and informed
consent that entered the medical curriculum in the 1970s and
1980s was oriented primarily toward protecting human rights
(e.g., protecting patients from clinicians and clinicians from
patients) by codification (e.g., who should decide and under
what circumstances). In fact, educators explicitly warned students
against acting on their personal or professional values in a
misguided way—that is, in the absence of adequate ethical
constraints, a type of behavior that came to be labeled,
pejoratively, as paternalism.
The Best Lack All Conviction: Biomedical Ethics,
Professionalism, and Social Responsibility
Authors: COULEHAN JACK , WILLIAMS PETER C. , VAN McCRARY S. , BELLING CATHERINE
Published: April 2003

Robert Coles' sentiment characterizes well the moral tenor
of medical education today. Indeed, medical educators are
frequently “seized by spasms of genuine moral
awareness,” as they try to cope with the massive social
and economic problems that face medical schools and teaching
hospitals. The perception among educators that we currently
fail to adequately teach several core aspects of doctoring,
including professional values and behavior, constitutes one
such spasm. In this case, the proposed remedy has generated
considerable enthusiasm, but whether the “core
competencies” curriculum will make a difference, or simply
“accommodate to the prevailing rhythms of the world we
inhabit,” remains to be seen.
Unethical Author Attribution
Authors: Anonymous M.D/Ph.D. student  , Weijer Charles , Akabayashi Akira
Published: April 2003

I am an M.D/Ph.D. student and work as a research assistant
for the director of a division of the school of medicine who
is an M.D. He assigned me to research a certain topic and gave
me no guidelines or guidance as to how to do it. Nevertheless,
I did the research and wrote it up. My supervisor liked the
report and said that he thought it was so good that “I
would like to offer you the opportunity to publish it and list
you as the primary author.” Some bells went off when he
so grandly offered to let me author the report for which I had
done 100% of research and writing. I consulted some other people
in the field and they said that, as long as I was the primary
author, it was legitimate for him to list himself as secondary
author if he did some editing later. After editing the abstract
only, he e-mailed his revisions to me and in a note at the bottom
he asked me what I thought of his revised author order. His
name was first, mine second, and the name of his girlfriend
(who had no part in this research or its revision) was third.
I was shocked by what seemed to be a case of unethical author
attribution and confronted him asking why he changed the order
when we had agreed that I was primary author. He said that he
had put in several hours of work.
Frontal-striatal circuit functions: Context, sequence, and
consequence
Authors: SAINT-CYR JEAN A.
Published: April 2003

The exact role of the basal ganglia in both the motor and
non-motor domains has proven elusive since it is virtually
impossible to refer to its function in isolation of cortical,
and especially frontal cortical circuits. The result is that
we often speak of frontal-striatal circuits and functions but
this still leaves us in the dark when trying to specify basal
ganglia information processing. A critical review of the data
from both basic science and clinical studies suggests that we
should break down processing along a temporal continuum, including
the domains of context, sequential information processing, and
feedback or reinforcement (i.e., the consequences of action).
This analysis would cut across other theoretical constructs,
such as attention, central executive, memory, and learning
functions, traditionally employed in the neuropsychological
literature. Under specified behavioral constraint, the basal
ganglia can then be seen to be involved in fundamental aspects
of attentional control (often covert), in the guidance of the
early stages of learning (especially reinforcement-based, but
also encoding strategies in explicit paradigms), and in the
associative binding of reward to cue salience and response
sequences via dopaminergic mechanisms. Parkinson's disease
is considered to offer only a limited view of basal ganglia
function due to partial striatal depletion of dopamine and the
potential involvement of other structures and transmitters in
its pathology. It is hoped that the present formulation will
suggest new heuristic research strategies for basal ganglia
research, permitting a closer link to be established between
neurophysiological, functional imaging and neuropsychological
paradigms. (JINS, 2003, 9, 103–128.)
DYNAMIC EQUIVALENCE PRINCIPLE IN LINEAR RATIONAL EXPECTATIONS MODELS
Authors: Gauthier Stéphane
Published: April 2003

Linear models with infinite horizon generally admit infinitely many rational expectations solutions. Consequently, some additional selection devices are needed to narrow the set of relevant solutions. The viewpoint of this paper is that a solution will be more likely to arise if it is locally determinate (i.e., locally isolated), locally immune to sunspots, and locally stable under learning. These three criteria are applied to solutions of linear univariate models along which the level of the state variable evolves through time. In such models the equilibrium behavior of the level of the state variable is described by a linear recursive equation characterized by the set of its coefficients. The main innovation of this paper is to define new perfect-foresight dynamics whose fixed points are these sets of coefficients, thus allowing us to study the property of determinacy of these sets, or, equivalently, of the associated solutions. It is shown that only one solution is locally determinate in the new dynamics. It is also locally immune to sunspots and locally stable under myopic learning. This solution corresponds to the saddle path in the saddle-point case.
Introduction: Themed Section on Consumerism and Social Policy
Authors: Shaw Ian
Published: April 2003

In constructing this edition in the role as ‘guest editors’ Alan Aldridge and I believe that the theme of consumerism to be both stimulating and timely for social policy. The implications of consumerism – as a political ideology, as a set of social movements, and as the values of a consumer society – are being felt in a wide range of policy areas. Within social policy analysis, consumerism, along with welfarism, clientism and privatism has been advanced as one of the four key elements in the provision of and public orientation towards welfare services. Within sociology, there has been a rapid growth of books and journal articles addressing consumption as a key concept in the analysis of contemporary culture. One manifestation of this is the recent launch of the international Journal of Consumer Culture.
Political Literacy and the Teaching of Social Policy. A Study into the Political Awareness and Political Vocabularies of First Year Undergraduates
Authors: Heron Emma , McManus Mike
Published: April 2003

This article explores the findings of a research project carried out into the political awareness and attitudes of first year social science undergraduates. The results initially suggested that students generally lacked understanding of, and interest in, political structures and concepts and possessed poor news awareness and information-gathering skills. However, a more complex picture emerged that indicates a degree of engagement through responses to personal, moral and social questions, suggesting some degree of politicisation, yet such issues seem dislocated from their studies. This mixed picture poses serious challenges for social policy teachers seeking to enhance political awareness among their students.
Abandoned Consumers: Deregulation and Fraud in the California Auto Insurance Industry
Authors: Tillman Robert
Published: April 2003

This paper presents a case study of frauds committed by offshore companies in the California auto insurance market in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The opportunities for these crimes were created by two factors: the departure of legitimate insurance companies from the market and the adoption of deregulatory policies by state regulators. The case study illustrates some of the consequences of the increasingly common situation in the US in which consumers find themselves abandoned both by government and by legitimate providers of goods and services. The criminal consequences of this situation have also been observed in other markets.
Enzymatic Dipeptide Synthesis by Surfactant‐Coated α‐Chymotrypsin Complexes in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Mishima Kenji , Matsuyama Kiyoshi , Baba Masayoshi , Chidori Masuhiro
Published: April 2003

Enzymatic dipeptide synthesis by surfactant‐coated α‐chymotrypsin complexes was performed in supercritical CO2 and liquid CO2 at 308.2 and 333.2 K at pressures of 6.1 and 10.1 MPa. The enzymatic activity of coated α‐chymotrypsin complexes for dipeptides synthesis at 10.1 MPa in supercritical CO2 (SC‐CO2) was higher than that in a liquid CO2 and ethyl acetate solution at 6.1 MPa. The behavior of α‐chymotrypsin in SC‐CO2 was similar to that in liquid ethyl acetate. And increasing the pressure and temperature increased the maximum conversion and the enzymatic reaction rate in SC‐CO2. Furthermore, the control of the water content in the reaction media had a dominant effect on the enzymatic activity. The maximum conversion for the dipeptide synthesis by the surfactant‐coated α‐chymotrypsin was obtained at 4% water content. The α‐chymotrypsin complexes exhibited a higher enzymatic activity than native α‐chymotrypsin in SC‐CO2. The nonionic surfactants l‐glutamic acid dialkyl ester ribitol amide and sorbitan monostearate were more favored than the anionic surfactant sodium bis(2‐ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate.
Fedbatch Operation Using Clostridium acetobutylicum Suspension Culture as Biocatalyst for Enhancing Hydrogen Production
Authors: Chin Hsien‐Long , Chen Zu‐Shia , Chou C. Perry
Published: April 2003

We demonstrated the feasibility of fedbatch operation using Clostridium acetobutylicum suspension culture as a biocatalyst for the continuous production of hydrogen. The optimum operating pH and temperature of the current cultivation system for hydrogen production were pH 6.0 and 37 °C, respectively. The volumetric loading of the bioreactor for hydrogen production can be as high as 650 mmol hydrogen/L culture with a yield at approximately 2.0 mol hydrogen/mol glucose. Acetate and butyrate made up approximately 80% of the total metabolites. The inhibitory effect from the two metabolites on the hydrogen production process was investigated. Butyrate at a concentration higher than 13 g/L significantly inhibited not only cell growth but also hydrogen production (i.e., specific hydrogen production rate). Acetate appears to be less toxic than butyrate to the hydrogen production process. While significantly inhibiting cell growth, acetate hardly affected hydrogen production. Finally, the factors limiting cultivation performance were discussed and possible strategies for enhancing the production of hydrogen were proposed.
Containment of Biogenic Sulfide Production in Continuous Up‐Flow Packed‐Bed Bioreactors with Nitrate or Nitrite
Authors: Hubert Casey , Nemati Mehdi , Jenneman Gary , Voordouw Gerrit
Published: April 2003

Produced water from the Coleville oil field in Saskatchewan, Canada was used to inoculate continuous up‐flow packed‐bed bioreactors. When 7.8 mM sulfate and 25 mM lactate were present in the in‐flowing medium, H2S production (souring) by sulfate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) was prevented by addition of 17.5 mM nitrate or 20 mM nitrite. Changing the sulfate or lactate concentration of the in‐flowing medium indicated that the concentrations of nitrate or nitrite required for containment of souring decreased proportionally with a lowered concentration of the electron donor lactate, while the sulfate concentration of the medium had no effect. Microbial communities were dominated by SRB. Nitrate addition did not give rise to changes in community composition, indicating that lactate oxidation and H2S removal were caused by the combined action of SRB and nitrate‐reducing, sulfide‐oxidizing bacteria (NR‐SOB). Apparently the nitrite concentrations formed by these NR‐SOB did not inhibit the SRB sufficiently to cause community shifts. In contrast, significant community shifts were observed upon direct addition of high concentrations (20 mM) of nitrite. Strains NO3A and NO2B, two newly isolated, nitrate‐reducing bacteria (NRB) emerged as major community members. These were found to belong to the ϵ‐division of the Proteobacteria, to be most closely related to Campylobacter lari, and to oxidize lactate with nitrate or nitrite as the electron acceptor. Thus the mechanism of microbial H2S removal in up‐flow packed‐bed bioreactors depended on whether nitrate (SRB/NR‐SOB) or nitrite (SRB/NR‐SOB as well as NRB) was used. However, the amount of nitrate or nitrite needed to completely remove H2S was dictated by the electron donor (lactate) concentration, irrespective of mechanism.
Asymmetric Synthesis with Immobilized Yeast in Organic Solvents: Equilibrium Conversion and Effect of Reactant Partitioning on Whole Cell Biocatalysis
Authors: Gervais Thomas R. , Carta Giorgio , Gainer John L.
Published: April 2003

A newly isolated strain of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is investigated for the biocatalytic reduction of ketones and the oxidation of alcohols in organic solvents. The yeast cells are immobilized by entrapment within calcium alginate beads and are found to possess the ability to stereoselectively reduce prochiral ketones and oxidize chiral alcohols to equilibrium conversions. The effect of reactant partitioning on the initial rate of the reactions is also investigated. The observed initial rates are found to vary inversely with reactant partitioning between the organic solvent and the biocatalyst beads. A kinetic model is developed to describe the initial reaction rate of hexanone reduction as a function of substrate concentration within the alginate beads.
Oxidative Degradation of Azo Dyes by Manganese Peroxidase under Optimized Conditions
Authors: Mielgo I. , López C. , Moreira M. T. , Feijoo G. , Lema J. M.
Published: April 2003

The application of enzyme‐based systems in waste treatment is unusual, given that many drawbacks are derived from their use, including low efficiency, high costs and easy deactivation of the enzyme. The goal of this study is the development of a degradation system based on the use of the ligninolytic enzyme manganese peroxidase (MnP) for the degradation of azo dyes. The experimental work also includes the optimization of the process, with the objective of determining the influence of specific physicochemical factors, such as organic acids, H2O2 addition, Mn2+ concentration, pH, temperature, enzyme activity and dye concentration. A nearly total decolorization was possible at very low reaction times (10 min) and at high dye concentration (up to 1500 mg L−1). A specific oxidation capacity as high as 10 mg dye degraded per unit of MnP consumed was attained for a decolorization higher than 90%. Among all, the main factor affecting process efficiency was the strategy of H2O2 addition. The continuous addition at a controlled flow permitted the progressive participation of H2O2 in the catalytic cycle through a suitable regeneration of the oxidized form of the enzyme, which enhanced both the extent and the rate of decolorization. It was also found that, in this particular case, the presence of a chelating organic acid (e.g., malonic) was not required for an effective operation. Probably, Mn3+ was chelated by the dye itself. The simplicity and high efficiency of the process open an interesting possibility of using of MnP for solving other environmental problems.
Integration of Cell Culture and Microfabrication Technology
Authors: Park Tai Hyun , Shuler Michael L.
Published: April 2003

Recent progress in cell culture and microfabrication technologies has contributed to the development of cell‐based biosensors for the functional characterization and detection of drugs, pathogens, toxicants, and odorants. The cell‐based biosensors are composed of two transducers, where the primary transducer is cellular and the secondary transducer is typically electrical. Advances in gene manipulation and cell culture techniques have contributed to the development of the cell as a transducer, while microfabrication techniques have been applied to the development of integrating the cell with the second transducer. Cellular patterning using microfabrication techniques is essential for cell‐based biosensors, cell culture analogues, tissue engineering, and fundamental studies of cell biology. The photolithographic technique is highly developed and has been widely used for patterning cells. Recently, a set of alternative techniques, largely based on soft lithoghraphy, has been developed for biological applications. Those techniques include microcontact printing, microfluidic patterning using microchannels, and laminar flow patterning. A classical metallic stencil patterning method has been improved by employing a rubber‐like stencil. These cellular micropatterning techniques have been usefully employed to understand questions in fundamental cell biology, especially cellular interactions with various materials and other cells. Using these micropatterning tecchniques and insights into the interaction of cellular biology with surfaces, a wide array of biosensors have been developed. In this manuscript examples of cell‐based biosensors are described. Neurons have a great potential for use in a cell‐based biosensor because they are electrically excitable cells, from which electrical signals are generated with the binding of detecting molecules. Consequently, the electrical signals generated in the cell can be determined in a noninvasive manner. A microphysiometer is a device to detect functional responses from cells by measuring the change of extracellular pH. The main application of the microphysiometer is the analysis of functional responses of cells upon receptor stimulation. Development of a microscale cell culture analogue system, an in vitro animal or human surrogate, is another promising area using cell culture and microfabrication technologies. Such devices are potentially very useful in the fields of toxicology and drug testing because they may increase the accuracy of in vitro predictions, simplify testing procedures, and reduce the cost of such tests, allowing many more tests to be done with a limited set of resources.
Effect of Reaction Parameters on Synthesis of Citronellyl Methacrylate by Lipase‐Catalyzed Transesterification
Authors: Athawale Vilas , Manjrekar Narendra , Athawale Manoj
Published: April 2003

The methacrylate ester of citronellol was synthesized using various lipases as catalyst. The effect of different reaction parameters such as amount of lipase, solvent, temperature, and acylating agent on the conversion of citronellol to citronellyl methacrylate was studied. Methyl methacrylate, vinyl methacrylate, and 2,3‐butanedione mono‐oxime methacrylate were used as acylating agents. Porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL), Candida rugosa lipase (CRL), and Pseudomonas cepacia lipase (Amano‐PS) were used as biocatalysts. Diisopropyl ether (DIPE) was found to be the most suitable solvent. The stereoselectivity of CRL in transesterification of (±)‐citronellol was tested for the optimized reaction parameters.
Hydrolysis of Proteins by Immobilized‐Stabilized Alcalase‐Glyoxyl Agarose
Authors: Tardioli Paulo W. , Pedroche Justo , Giordano Raquel L. C. , Fernández‐Lafuente Roberto , Guisán José M.
Published: April 2003

This paper presents stable Alcalase‐glyoxyl derivatives, to be used in the controlled hydrolysis of proteins. They were produced by immobilizing‐stabilizing Alcalase on cross‐linked 10% agarose beads, using low and high activation grades of the support and different immobilization times. The Alcalase glyoxyl derivatives were compared to other agarose derivatives, prepared using glutaraldehyde and CNBr as activation reactants. The performance of derivatives in the hydrolysis of casein was also tested. At pH 8.0 and 50 °C, Alcalase derivatives produced with 1 h of immobilization time on agarose activated with glutaraldehyde, CNBr, and low and high glyoxyl groups concentration presented half‐lives of ca. 10, 29, 60, and 164 h, respectively. More extensive immobilization monotonically led to higher stabilization. The most stabilized Alcalase‐glyoxyl derivative was produced using 96 h of immobilization time and high activation grade of the support. It presented half‐life of ca. 23 h, at pH 8.0 and 63 °C and was ca. 500‐fold more stable than the soluble enzyme. Thermal inactivation of all derivatives followed a single‐step non‐first‐order kinetics. The most stable derivative presented ca. 54% of the activity of the soluble enzyme for the hydrolysis of casein and of the small substrate Boc‐Ala‐ONp. This behavior suggests that the decrease in activity was due to enzyme distortion but not to wrong orientation. The hydrolysis degree of casein at 80 °C with the most stabilized enzyme was 2‐fold higher than that achieved using soluble enzyme, as a result of the thermal inactivation of the latter. Therefore, the high stability of the new Alcalase‐glyoxyl derivative allows the design of continuous processes to hydrolyze proteins at temperatures that avoid microbial growth.
Yeast Metallothionein in Transgenic Tobacco Promotes Copper Uptake from Contaminated Soils
Authors: Thomas John C. , Davies Elizabeth C. , Malick Farah K. , Endreszl Charles , Williams Chandra R. , Abbas Mohammed , Petrella Sally , Swisher Krystal , Perron Mike , Edwards Ryan , Ostenkowski Pam , Urbanczyk Nicolas , Wiesend Wendy N. , Murray Kent S.
Published: April 2003

Metallothioneins (MTs) are metal‐binding proteins that confer heavy metal tolerance and accumulation in yeast. To augment higher plant metal sequestration, the yeast metallothionein (CUP 1) was introduced into tobacco plants. The CUP 1 gene expression and copper and cadmium phytoextraction were determined. To confirm transformation, selfed and kanamycin‐resistant third generation plants were subjected to DNA blot and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. A 4 mM CuSO4 stress for 7 days resulted in a decline in CUP 1 transcripts versus nonstress conditions. Despite low mRNA levels, CUP 1 transformants accumulated up to seven times more copper in older versus younger leaves during copper stress. Pooled leaves of transgenic plants grown in soils from copper stamp‐sands contained two to three times the copper content as that of the control plants. Unlike some previous reports featuring MT overexpression in plants, CUP 1 seedlings did not significantly sequester or demonstrate tolerance to CdCl2. Using this transgenic approach, yeast CUP 1 expression under nonstressed conditions contributed to copper metal phytoextraction during a subsequent copper challenge. This strategy could be incorporated into plants designed for enhanced phytoremediation of metal contaminants.
Fed‐Batch Cultivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a Hyperbaric Bioreactor
Authors: Belo I. , Pinheiro R. , Mota M.
Published: April 2003

Fed‐batch is the dominating mode of operation in high‐cell‐density cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisaein processes such as the production of bakerapos;s yeast and recombinant proteins, where the high oxygen demand of these cultures makes its supply an important and difficult task. The aim of this work was to study the use of hyperbaric air for oxygen mass transfer improvement on S. cerevisiaefed‐batch cultivation. The effects of increased air pressure up to 1.5 MPa on cell behavior were investigated. The effects of oxygen and carbon dioxide were dissociated from the effects of total pressure by the use of pure oxygen and gas mixtures enriched with CO2. Fed‐batch experiments were performed in a stirred tank reactor with a 600 mL stainless steel vessel. An exponential feeding profile at dilution rates up to 0.1 h−1 was used in order to ensure a subcritical flux of substrate and, consequently, to prevent ethanol formation due to glucose excess. The ethanol production observed at atmospheric pressure was reduced by the bioreactor pressurization up to 1.0 MPa. The maximum biomass yield, 0.5 g g−1 (cell mass produced per mass of glucose consumed) was attained whenever pressure was increased gradually through time. This demonstrates the adaptive behavior of the cells to the hyperbaric conditions. This work proved that hyperbaric air up to 1.0 MPa (0.2 MPa of oxygen partial pressure) could be applied to S. cerevisiaecultivation under low glucose flux. Above that critical oxygen partial pressure value, i.e., for oxygen pressures of 0.32 and 0.5 MPa, a drastic cell growth inhibition and viability loss were observed. The increase of carbon dioxide partial pressure in the gas mixture up to 48 kPa slightly decreased the overall cell mass yield but had negligible effects on cell viability.
Continuation of Pregnancy Following the Diagnosis of a Fetal Sex Chromosome Abnormality: A Study of Parents' Counseling Needs and Experiences
Authors: Petrucelli Nancie , Walker Martha , Schorry Elizabeth
Published: April 2003

Parents who decide to continue a pregnancy diagnosed with a sex chromosome abnormality (SCA) experience a variety of emotions as they deal with complex medical and genetic information. To better understand these individuals' psychosocial, educational, and support needs, 26 parents who received prenatal diagnosis of an SCA after 1989 and who had decided to continue their pregnancy were interviewed by telephone. Twenty (77%) reported they initially had a “poor” understanding of the predicted syndrome. All parents later met with a genetics professional. Twenty‐two (92%) parents considered sterility and underdevelopment of secondary sexual characteristics to be the most negative aspects of SCAs. Contact with other parents of children with SCAs and with support organizations were generally viewed as helpful experiences. Insight gained from this study should be useful for genetic counselors and other health care providers involved with patients who have received abnormal prenatal diagnosis results.
Attitudes Toward Cystic Fibrosis Carrier and Prenatal Testing and Utilization of Carrier Testing Among Relatives of Individuals with Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Lafayette DeeDee , Abuelo Dianne , Passero Mary Ann , Tantravahi Umadevi
Published: April 2003

A questionnaire and an offer of free carrier testing was mailed to 173 relatives of individuals with CF. The questionnaire addressed their knowledge of clinical and genetic aspects of CF, as well as their attitudes toward carrier testing, prenatal diagnosis, and pregnancy termination for CF. Eighty‐one individuals returned the questionnaire (47%) and 50 elected carrier testing (29%). Most respondents underestimated their carrier risk (60%), but overestimated their risk to have a child with CF (63%). Most (93%) indicated they would utilize carrier testing, and 70% would use prenatal testing; however, only 7% would consider terminating a pregnancy for CF. The intention to use prenatal testing was correlated with the perceived health of the proband and whether the respondent was planning to have (more) children. The acceptability of abortion was correlated with the respondent's perceived impact or burden of CF.
The Risk and Protective Functions of Perceived Family and Peer Microsystems Among Urban Adolescents in Poverty
Authors: Seidman Edward , Chesir-Teran Daniel , Friedman Jennifer L. , Yoshikawa Hirokazu , Allen LaRue , Roberts Ann , Aber J. Lawrence
Published: April 2003

Utilized a pattern‐based approach to discover the different constellations of perceived social transactions separately for family and peer systems and explored the risk and protective functions of these microsystem profiles for both depression and antisocial behavior among a sample of ethnically and racially diverse urban adolescents living in poverty. Measures of perceived social support, involvement and hassles with family and peers, as well as perceived social acceptance and peers' values were entered into two sets of iterative cluster analyses to identify distinct profiles of family and peer transactions. From each of the perceived family and peer transactional analyses, six replicated profiles emerged. Several of the profiles were consistent with expectations from prior literature such as Enmeshing families and Rejecting peer networks, while others were novel and intriguing such as Entangling peers. Family profiles were consistent in their risk and protective associations for both depression and antisocial behavior, while the peer profiles varied in their effects for each developmental outcome. For example, the Rejecting peer profile placed adolescents at increased risk for depression but protected them from antisocial behavior. Implications for future research and preventive intervention are discussed.
Assessing experiences and responses of crime victims
Authors: Carlson Eve B. , Dutton Mary Ann
Published: April 2003

This paper reviews strategies and methods for assessing crime victims with an emphasis on assessments for clinical purposes. In terms of outcomes, this paper primarily focuses on assessing posttraumatic symptoms of PTSD, dissociation, and traumatic grief as these are all quite disabling and may be mediators of other responses. Additional topics reviewed include reasons to assess experiences and responses of crime victims, issues to bear in mind when conducting assessments for different purposes, considerations for use of various sources of information about a client, characteristics of measures and of clinents to take into account when selecting measures, recommended domains of experiences and symptoms to assess, and suggestions about the process of administering measures and conducting therapeutic assessments.
Development of the Critical Elements of Genetic Evaluation and Genetic Counseling for Genetic Professionals and Perinatologists in Washington State
Authors: Marymee Kathi , Dolan Cynthia R. , Pagon Roberta A. , Bennett Robin L. , Coe Sandra , Fisher Nancy L.
Published: April 2003

We present a method for the development of consensus documents describing the components of genetic evaluation and genetic counseling for various diagnoses. These documents were developed to encourage consistency among genetic professionals in Washington State. Other possible uses of these documents are to provide information regarding genetic evaluations for health care practitioners and payers, and to assist in quality assurance and genetic training programs. A working group of six genetic professionals developed two templates for the “critical elements of genetic evaluation and genetic counseling,” for clinical (nonprenatal) and prenatal patients. The working group then completed prototype templates for several specific genetic disorders. The templates and prototypes were sent to interested genetic professionals and perinatologists who submitted a total of 76 draft “critical elements” (CE's) to the working group. At two statewide meetings, participating practitioners modified and unanimously approved the CE templates, then unanimously approved the 21 draft CEs that had been finalized in small group discussions. Approved CE's were distributed to genetic professionals and perinatologists within the state.
Demographic Studies from a National Gaucher Disease Screening Program
Authors: Gagnon Deborah M. , Pergament Eugene , Fine Beth A.
Published: April 2003

In May 1993, the National Gaucher Foundation initiated a nationwide Gaucher disease screening program in an attempt to promote recognition of the disease and to detect previously undiagnosed individuals. The program was based on self‐selection by clinical symptoms of individuals who wanted to be tested for Gaucher disease. Information about symptoms, age, ancestry, gender, and family history was obtained via a self‐report screening form completed by 700 individuals. Individuals designated at “high risk” for Gaucher disease were offered beta‐glucocerebrosidase enzyme assay testing. Twenty‐four of the respondents (3.4%) had Gaucher disease. The most commonly reported symptoms were fatigue (79.4%), bone pain (73.7%), and tendency to bruise (67.8%). The symptoms which showed a statistical difference between the “high risk” and “low risk” groups were liver enlargement (p < 0.005) and unexplained bone fractures (p < 0.03). The mean number of positive symptoms also showed a statistical difference between the groups (4.38 symptoms vs. 3.86 symptoms; p < 0.02). Due to the small sample size, no statistical comparisons were made on the symptomatology of affected vs. unaffected persons, but a descriptive analysis of these two groups is reported.
Client Advocacy and Collaboration with Insurance and Laboratory Testing Agencies: A Case Study Illustrating Genetic Counselor Roles
Authors: Lea Dale Halsey
Published: April 2003

Genetic counseling and the many roles a genetic counselor must assume to provide quality genetic health care are becoming increasingly complex, especially when the genetic condition is rare, and DNA testing is costly and not yet routinely used. A case study of a couple with a family history of retinoblastoma and their pursuit of DNA testing for prenatal diagnosis is presented. The case study illustrates the instrumental role of the genetic counselor in advocating for clients for genetic services such as DNA testing and in educating insurance companies in the nature and importance of such services to achieve improved client health care outcomes.
Psychological Aspects of Genetic Counseling: XII. More on Counseling Skills
Authors: Kessler Seymour
Published: April 2003

Three brief excerpts of genetic counseling sessions are analyzed to illustrate difficulties in applying counseling skills. Suggestions are advanced as to how genetic counselors might improve their competence in counseling practices and handle such issues as transference more effectively.
A note on the construction of nonseparable wavelet bases and multiwavelet matrix filters of 𝐿²(ℝⁿ), where 𝕟≥2
Authors: Karoui Abderrazek
Published: April 2003

In this note, we announce a general method for the construction of nonseparable orthogonal wavelet bases of

L
2

(

R

n

)
,

L^2(\mathbb {R}^n),

where

n
≥
2.

n\geq 2.

Hence, we prove the existence of such type of wavelet bases for any integer

n
≥
2.

n\geq 2.

Moreover, we show that this construction method can be extended to the construction of

n
n

-D multiwavelet matrix filters.