bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blendas compatíveis de amido termoplástico e polietileno de baixa densidade compatibilizadas com ácido cítrico
Authors: Miranda Vinícius R. , Carvalho Antonio J. F.
Published: December 2011

Blendas de polietileno de baixa densidade (PEBD) e amido termoplástico (TPS) modificado foram preparadas via extrusão reativa (REX) e caracterizadas por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), espectroscopia na região do infravermelho com transformada de Fourier (FTIR), absorção de umidade em ambiente com 53% de umidade relativa e difração de raios-X. Em uma primeira etapa, foi preparado o TPS- modificado, via REX a partir de uma mistura de amido de milho, ácido cítrico e glicerol. As blendas TPS-PEBD foram preparadas pelo processamento de uma mistura do TPS modificado e PEBD, ambos em peletes, em uma extrusora de rosca simples. Foi observado um significativo efeito de compatibilização, atribuído especialmente à redução da viscosidade da fase TPS e consequente redução da tensão interfacial entre as fases de TPS e PEBD. Os espectros de FTIR apresentaram deslocamentos de bandas de absorção do amido confirmando o efeito de compatibilização pelo ácido cítrico. Observou-se também significativa alteração da morfologia das blendas, especialmente para as blendas preparadas com adição de 1,0 - 1,5 % de ácido cítrico, que apresentaram estrutura da fase dispersa mais fina e homogênea.
The epidemiology of drug use among New York State high school students: Distribution, trends, and change in rates of use.
Authors: Kandel D , Single E , Kessler R C
Published: December 2011

A two-wave panel survey was carried out on a representative sample of New York State public secondary school students in fall 1971 and spring 1972. The majority of adolsecents have drunk beer or wine (82 per cent) smoked cigarettes (72 per cent) or used hard liquor (65 per cent). Better than one third (35 per cent) report the use of one or more illegal drugs. The illicit drugs most frequently used are marijuana (29 per cent) and hashish (21 per cent). About one in eight adolescents have used pills such as amphetamines and barbiturates, and about one in 12 have tried LSD or other psychedelics. Four per cent have used cocaine and 3 per cent heroin. Use of illicit drugs tends to be experimental and sporadic rather than regular. By contrast, about one in four regularly use beer or wine or smoke cigarettes. Self-reported rates of use increase over the course of a school year, and there is considerable turnover with respect to which adolescents are users. The increased number of hard liquor and marijuana users through the high school years results predominantly from more stability among users, rather than increased conversion of nonusers to users over the teen years.
An evaluation of the utility of high blood pressure detection fairs.
Authors: Wassertheil-Smoller S , Bijur P , Blaufox M D
Published: December 2011

Our data indicate that voluntary casual screenings in essentially middle class locations may be of limited value in attracting the young, the black, and the male relative to the target population. Our screens attracted a large proportion of individuals who where already aware of their high blood pressure. Nevertheless, these screens can be useful in getting and keeping individuals under medical care: newly detected hypertensives, those who knew they have it and even some of those under treatment for it.
Paramedic programs and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: II. Impact on community mortality.
Authors: Eisenberg M , Bergner L , Hallstrom A
Published: December 2011

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was studied in suburban King County, Washington in an attempt to determine the impact of paramedic services on community cardiac mortality. A portion of the study area received paramedic services and the remainder received basic emergency medical technician (EMT) services. A surveillance system identified all prehospital cardiac arrest incidents. The etiology and outcome were determined. Deaths due to primary heart disease (ICDA) codes 410-414) were compared to community cardiac mortality figures for the same period of time and in the paramedic and EMT areas. Between April 1, 1976 and August 31, 1977, 1,449 deaths due to primary heart disease occurred (annual rate of 19.2/10,000 in the EMT area and 13.4/10,000 in the paramedic area). For the same period, 487 patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest received emergency resuscitation. The annual incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was similar in the EMT and paramedic areas (5.6 and 6.0/10,000 respectively). Proportionately more lives of persons with cardiac arrest were saved in the paramedic area than in the MET area. During this 17 month period, the reduction in community cardiac mortality was 8.4 per cent in the paramedic area and 1.3 per cent in the EMT area. These findings suggest that paramedic services have a small but measurable effect on community cardiac mortality.
Cut flowers: a potential pesticide hazard.
Authors: Morse D L , Baker E L , Landrigan P J
Published: December 2011

Following reports of ten cases of possible organophosphate pesticide poisoning in florists exposed to pesticide residues on cut flowers, we conducted a prospective random-sample survey to determine residual pesticide levels on flowers imported into the United States via Miami, Florida. A sample of all flowers imported into Miami on three days in January 1977 showed that 18 (17.7 per cent) of 105 lots contained pesticide residue levels greater than 5 ppm, and that three lots had levels greater than 400 ppm. Azodrin (monocrotophos) was the most important contaminant with levels of 7.7--4,750 ppm detected in nine lots. We examined 20 quarantine workers in Miami and 12 commercial florists exposed to contaminated flowers. Occasional nonspecific symptoms compatible with possible organophosphate exposure were noted, but we found no abnormalities in plasma or red blood cell cholinesterase levels. This study documents a previously unrecognized potential source of occupational pesticide exposure and suggests that safety standards should be set for residue levels on cut flowers.
The Accuracy of Instructor Perceptions of Student Interest and Learning: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Howell-Carter Marya , Nieman-Gonder Jennifer , Goodstone Michael S. , Robertson Rommel
Published: December 2011

Instructors adjust pace, methods, and other aspects of instruction based on their perceptions of student interest and learning. The current study is an exploratory investigation of the congruence between faculty and student perceptions within a single class session. The study examined the degree to which faculty could predict each student's self-reported interest, perceived learning and actual learning. Overall, instructors are more accurate in reading their students' level of interest than their perceived or actual learning. There is, however, great inconsistency between faculty in their ability to accurately predict interest and learning. Personal characteristics of the instructor may significantly impact predictive accuracy. Results suggest that faculty should assess the accuracy of their own student perceptions in the classroom.
Assessment of Differential Learning by Topic in Introductory Psychology
Authors: McNamara Corinne L. , Williamson Adrienne L. , Jorgensen Terrence D.
Published: December 2011

Introductory psychology students typically perform better on posttests compared to pretests; however, not all topics are learned equally well. To measure how much information students learned overall and to determine whether the level of knowledge gained differed by topic, 932 undergraduates enrolled in introductory psychology completed a multiple-choice pretest-posttest assessment. The tests included questions about 11 topics typically taught in introductory psychology. Student-, instructor-, and assessment-related variables that could affect learning were also examined. As expected, posttest scores were significantly higher than pretest scores. Importantly, there were significant differences among topics in terms of posttest scores as well as in the level of improvement. Students were most likely to answer posttest questions correctly about introduction and research methods, memory, and development, and least likely to answer questions correctly about physiological psychology. Scores improved on 9 of the 11 topics, with the greatest improvement for memory, physiological psychology, and sensation and perception. No improvement occurred for cognition and development. Regarding variables that could potentially affect learning, a significant effect for type of final exam, type of credit granted, and instructor was found. This is the first time that a pretest-posttest design has been used to demonstrate differential learning of topics in introductory psychology. Results may inform instructors' course planning regarding time allotted and techniques used to facilitate student learning.
Using the NEO-PI-R to Teach Assessment Concepts in a Graduate-Level Psychological Assessment Course
Authors: Sullivan Jeremy R.
Published: December 2011

The purpose of this brief report is to describe the use of a hands-on project designed to enhance graduate students' understanding of assessment-related concepts. The project involves students taking the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R), scoring their responses, and interpreting their scores. Students also are asked to describe the psychometric properties of the NEO-PI-R in addition to other characteristics, and to consider how the test scores might be used in treatment planning. This paper will describe the instructional objectives and components of the project, and will present data from student evaluations to support its continued use.
Acknowledgement for Vol.4 2011
Authors: Coordinator The
Published: December 2011

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/init.v4i0.5529 The Initiation Vol.4 2011
A Review of Forest Policies focusing on Fiscal Instruments in Community Forestry of Nepal
Authors: Paudel Ambika , Weiss Gerhard
Published: December 2011

Fiscal policy instruments such as royalty, tax, subsidy and market systems are core components of forest policy and have significant consequences on the management of the forest resources and their benefits to local communities. In this paper, we have examined the legal provisions of the fiscal instruments employed in Community Forestry of Nepal mainly based on the review of current policy documents. In addition, interviews and group discussions were also conducted with government units, traders and forest user groups in Parbat, Baglung and Dolakha districts. Inconsistencies and contradictions are seen mainly in handing over of community forest to local people, controlling taxation system, ban to export NTFPs and sharing revenues between government units and forest user groups. Consequently, such inconsistent provisions have affected the promotion of sustainable and market-oriented management of forest resources, coordination between local and central government authorities, and the overall financial situation of forest user groups.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/init.v4i0.5539The Initiation Vol.4 2011 82-91
Addressing the Tragedy of Common's through Community Innovation in Nepal
Authors: Paudel Shambhu , Bhatt Bharat
Published: December 2011

Hardin’s “The Tragedy of the Commons” speaks about the problems in common resources and this applies highly in the community forestry in Nepal. Annapurna Conservation Area and Community forestry have already shown the proven record of success in community participation. However, the willingness of getting high share in the common property and taking least care has been the major problem. This can be properly addressed through the proper community participation. This article speaks about the ways of addressing the tragedy of commons through community innovation and already being practiced model.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/init.v4i0.5540The Initiation Vol.4 2011 92-95
Insight into Invasive Species (Mikania micrantha), Its Control Measures and Programmes in Nepal
Authors: Paudel Rajan P
Published: December 2011

Invasive species adversely affects the ecology and habitat of the species existing in a particular region. They are one of the top threats to the biodiversity of life on Earth. Mikania micrantha is spreading like a wildfire in Nepal whose effect on Rhino habitat is being studied in Chitwan National Park. Various mechanical, chemical and biological methods of control for Mikania are available. It's likely to be more cost effective to prevent the spread of invasive species in the first place than to tackle the biodiversity crisis once they have become established.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/init.v4i0.5544The Initiation Vol.4 2011 115-119
MtDNA and nuclear data reveal patterns of low genetic differentiation for the isopods Stenosoma lancifer and Stenosoma acuminatum, with low dispersal ability along the northeast Atlantic coast
Authors: Xavier Raquel , Murias Santos António , Branco Madalena
Published: December 2011

Evidence for a general lack of genetic differentiation of intertidal invertebrate assemblages in the North Atlantic, based on mtDNA sequence variation, has been interpreted as resulting from recent colonization following the Last Glacial Maximum. In the present study, the phylogeographic patterns of one nuclear and one mtDNA gene fragments of two isopods, Stenosoma lancifer (Miers, 1881) and Stenosoma acuminatum Leach, 1814, from the northeast Atlantic were investigated. These organisms have direct development, which makes them poor dispersers, and are therefore expected to maintain signatures of past historical events in their genomes. Lack of genetic structure, significant deviations from neutrality and star-like haplotype networks have been observed for both mtDNA and nuclear markers of S. lancifer, as well as for the mtDNA of S. acuminatum. No sequence variation was observed for the nuclear gene fragment of S. acuminatum. These results suggest a scenario of recent colonization and demographic expansion and/or high population connectivity driven by ocean currents and sporadic long-distance dispersal through rafting.
Strategies Older New Zealanders Use to Participate in Day-To-Day Occupations
Authors: Hocking Clare , Murphy Juanita , Reed Kirk
Published: December 2011

Aim:

This exploratory study aimed to uncover the strategies that older adults employ to ameliorate the impact of impairments and barriers to participation.

Method:

Eight participants were interviewed in their own homes, in a town or city in New Zealand.

Findings:

Inductive analysis of data revealed four main categories of strategies: strategies to keep safe, to recruit and accept help, to meet social and biological needs (nutritional and medical), and to conserve financial, material and bodily resources.

Discussion:

The study supports some previous findings of strategies used by older people, and demonstrates that enquiring into the strategies that older people devise and adopt into their own lives is a productive line of inquiry. The strategies described differ from those that occupational therapists recommend, and do not incorporate public health messages about the benefits of physical activity or recommendations about falls prevention.

Conclusion:

The findings suggest that asking older clients about the strategies that they use will uncover valuable information for therapists giving advice or issuing equipment to help older adults to manage in the community.
The Therapeutic Benefits of Horticulture in a Mental Health Service
Authors: Parkinson Sue , Lowe Claire , Vecsey Therese
Published: December 2011

Introduction:

The use of horticulture in mental health settings is widespread. Moreover, its effectiveness is supported by a body of qualitative evidence.

Aims:

The investigators in this research study sought to determine those aspects of their horticultural projects that conferred the greatest therapeutic benefit to their clients. They used outcome measures to rate the responses of participants, paying particular attention to the participants' expressed motivation.

Method:

Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to evaluate six horticultural projects. Ten participants were interviewed, using an adapted version of the Work Environment Impact Scale (WEIS) to rate factors that supported their motivation. Fifty participants were assessed, using the Volitional Questionnaire (VQ) to observe and rate the extent of their motivation.

Findings:

The therapeutic value of horticulture arose from a complex interplay of personal factors, including gender-based preferences, individual interests and social needs.

Conclusion:

The benefits of engaging in horticultural activity are not automatic. The external environment provides challenges, which can be graded by the facilitators to maximise the therapeutic benefit.
Narrow Viewing: The Vocabulary in Related Television Programs
Authors: RODGERS MICHAEL P. H. , WEBB STUART
Published: December 2011

In this study, the scripts of 288 television episodes were analyzed to determine the extent to which vocabulary reoccurs in related and unrelated television programs, and the potential for incidental vocabulary learning through watching one season (approximately 24 episodes) of television programs. The scripts consisted of 1,330,268 running words and had a total running time of 203 hours and 49 minutes with a mean running time of 42 minutes. The vocabulary from a single season of six individual television programs (142 episodes) was compared with six sets of random television programs (146 episodes). The results indicated that, when there are an equivalent number of running words, related television programs are likely to contain fewer word families than unrelated programs. The findings also indicated that word families from the 4,000–14,000 levels were more likely to reoccur in a complete season of a television program than in random television programs. The percentage of low‐frequency word families encountered 10 or more times was higher, and the percentage of word families encountered once was fewer in all six programs than in the random television programs.
The Munich Institute for the Study of the USSR: Origin and Social Composition
Authors: O'Connell Charles T.
Published: December 2011

A lamentable shortcoming of Soviet studies in America has been the neglect of its own history. The discipline has produced no systematic, empirically grounded, critical review of itself. To be sure, there have been periodic assessments of the field measured in terms of funding monies available, Ph.D.'s produced, and research trips abroad to Soviet archives. Such quantified examinations have been periodically supplemented by critical essays which measure the strength of the field less by numbers of research articles produced and more by the fruitfulness of the theoretical and methodological assumptions guiding research. The very few pieces in this genre have chided the profession of Soviet studies for basing itself upon Cold War political assumptions and for a political self-censorship which, until the arrival of the revisionist historians, produced a sterile intellectual orthodoxy? These provocative assessments of the relationship of politics to science in Soviet studies have been quite important for raising the question of the influence of social factors upon the practice of science and for delineating the broad contours of political influence. These accomplishments notwithstanding, the critical reviews of the field suffer from the absence of empirically detailed presentations of evidence that would support their controversial claims.
Soviet Heroines and Public Identity
Authors: Chatterjee Choi
Published: December 2011

The decade of the 1930s is a notoriously diffi cult period for the historian to approach with an “objective” perspective. On the one hand, the observer has to constantly grapple with the moral caveats inherent in dealing with Stalinism; on the other, Soviet culture in the 1930s was in a profound state of fl ux. This sociopolitical fl uidity makes it diffi cult to trace enduring cultural myths that span the continuum of Stalinist ideology.The Stalinist revolution had a decisive impact, not only on the material status of Soviet women, but on the state discourse reserved for them. During the 1930s the narrative structures and symbolic imagery used to represent Soviet women in the public sphere underwent important modifi cations. Perhaps the most prominent feature in the process of reimaging public female identity was the creation of Soviet heroines. Heroines were feted and lavishly promoted by the media in a language peculiarly overladen with Stalinist hyperbole. The process of heroicization, to coin a cumbersome noun, lay at the epicenter of the Stalinist discourse about women and served as a legitimizing myth in a society of uncertain social values and cultural forms.
A Civil War Episode: General Mamontov in Tambov, August 1919
Authors: Landis Erik-C.
Published: December 2011

“Up until the 14th of August 1919, despite the number of military fronts connected with the civil war, for us in Kozlov, everything was more or less calm, at least, as calm as it gets behind the front lines.” These words introduce a brief set of reminiscences, published in the local Communist Party newspaper, Our Truth (Nasha Pravda), in the town of Kozlov, located in the central Russian province of Tambov. The occasion was the tenth anniversary of one of the most brutal episodes of the Russian civil war to take place in the province, namely “Mamantov’s Raid,” in which a force of Don Cossack cavalry, active in the anti-Bolshevik struggle in the south of Russia, advanced deep into Soviet territory, disrupting vital Red Army supply and communications links with the front line.
State and Nation Building Policies and the New Trends in Migration in the Former Soviet Union
Authors: Korobkov Andrei
Published: December 2011

Democratic transitions are especially complex in federal states and countries with multinational populations and compact, ethnic minority settlements; the increasing ethnic, linguistic, religious, and cultural heterogeneity of a society complicates the achievement of political compromises. In this sense, the post-Soviet newly independent states (NIS) face an especially complex transition pattern. Roman Szporluk, for example, enumerates three different transformations: the dissolution of the imperial structure and the resulting formation of independent states, the transition from a centralized to a market economic system, and the transition from authoritarianism to (at least ideally) a political democracy, with all three "combined or fused in the chaotic and extremely difficult process of formation and transformation of states and nations. " Thus the transition in the NIS is marked by simultaneous developments in the political, economic, social, religious, ideological, and cultural spheres, including the creation or re-creation of ethnic and other identities.
Johann Gottfried Herder and the Czech National Awakening: A Reassessment
Authors: David Zdeněk V.
Published: December 2011

The Czech national awakening is habitually linked with Herder’s influence as a Romantic and anti-Enlightenment happening. This study argues the opposite. It contradicts, at least in the Czech case, the idea, originally articulated by Hans Kohn, that European nationalism, particularly in the center and the east of the continent, was an expression of a particularist self-assertion, verging on (or passing into) xenophobia, and defying the rationalistic and cosmopolitan outlook of the Enlightenment. The objective of this study is, fi rst, to show that the pace-setters of the Czech national awakening functioned within the realistic rationalist Enlightenment, rather than within the emotional self-centeredness, growing out of the Romanticist ethos. They drew on other than the Herderian sources, primarily on the Josephist Enlightenment, and the subsequent liberal Catholicism, epitomized by Karl H. Seibt and Bernard Bolzano. The assumptions to the contrary were based on (1) the allegedly anti-national character of the Enlightenment; (2) a distaste for liberal Catholicism by both the offi cial Rome and the secularists; (3) an assumption of the obvious superiority of German culture; and (4) a confusion with the Slovak national romanticism.
Pale of the Settlement Working-Class Jewish Youth and Adoption of Revolutionary Identity During the 1905 Revolution
Authors: Shtakser Inna
Published: December 2011

This paper examines the construction of a revolutionary identity among the working-class Jewish youth of the Pale of Settlement through the prism of changes taking place in their attitudes and behavior standards. I claim that these changes, caused initially by worsening economic and social conditions for the Jewish community in the Russian empire, resulted in the creation of a new image a young Jew could choose for her/himself, that of a working-class Jewish revolutionary. This new image widened the options for secularization available to working-class Jews and signaled a greater openness within the Jewish community to an idea of a secular Jew. The availability of a new secular, activist identity also allowed the workingclass revolutionary youth to create for themselves a new political space within the hierarchy of the Jewish community, a space dependent on their combined new and old identities as revolutionaries and Jews.
Safety and Efficacy of Thrombolytic Therapy Using rt-PA (Alteplase) in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Sivanandy Palanisamy , Thomas Binny , Krishnan Vijayan , Arunachalam Sumathy
Published: December 2011

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of thrombolytic therapy. Our study enrolled 23 patients out of which 2 patients died due to ICH; we also found that only 39% of patients reached hospital within stroke window, and for those treated, mean NIHSS during admission was 14.0, but drastic improvement was shown after 24 hours of treatment, that is, 9.89 (), and at discharge, it was 5.1 () which showed a clear impact of the treatment, and around 60% of patients were discharged within an mRS score of 1 and 2. Hence, it was found that thrombolytic therapy was beneficial, efficacious, and safe if used within 3 to 4.5 hours.
Synthetic, spectroscopic, magnetic, thermal, and antimicrobial approach towards new biocidal coordination polymers
Authors: Nishat Nahid , Hasnain Sumaiya , Asma Manisha and
Published: December 2011

O‐aminophenol was reacted with glutraldehyde to obtain Schiff base, which was then reacted with formaldehyde in slight acidic medium to generate phenolic groups. Now the substituted Schiff base was reacted with the transition metal acetates of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) to get polymeric metal complexes. Their structures have been elucidated on the basis of elemental analyses, 1H NMR spectra, 13C NMR spectra, magnetic measurements, thermogravimetric analyses, electronic spectra, and infrared spectra. The results are in accordance with an octahedral environment around the central metal ion. The polychelates of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) are paramagnetic while Zn(II) polychelate was found to be diamagnetic. The synthesized Schiff base acted as a uninegative bidentate ligand and bonding occurs through the hydroxyl oxygen and nitrogen atoms. The thermal behavior of these coordinating polymers was studied by TGA in nitrogen atmosphere up to the temperature range of 800°C. All the synthesized polychelates were also screened for their biocidal activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis (bacteria), Candida albicans, and Muller species (yeast) by using agar well diffusion method. All the metal polychelates show promising antimicrobial activities. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 124:3971–3979, 2012
Biodegradable supramolecular composites of poly(ε‐caprolactone) and low‐molecular‐weight organic gelators
Authors: Shibata Mitsuhiro , Kaneko Katsuyuki , Hirayama Kazuya
Published: December 2011

When a homogeneous hot liquid of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) with (R)‐12‐hydroxystearic acid (HSA) or N‐carbobenzyloxy‐L‐isoleucylaminooctadecane (CIA) was gradually cooled to room temperature, the mixture became gelatinous material and then solidified to give a PCL/HSA or PCL/CIA composite. The rheological measurements of the mixtures of PCL with HSA and CIA revealed that the organogels are formed at around 70–50°C and 100–73°C during the cooling process, respectively. Furthermore, the formation of supramolecular fibrillar networks was confirmed by the microscopic and differential scanning calorimetric analyses. The tensile moduli of both the composites were improved by the addition of CIA and HSA. Both the composites showed so high biodegradability as PCL. The fibrillar networks of the composites were also regenerated during the repeated cooling process from the isotropic liquid. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Interfacial microvoid formation of poly(vinyl chloride)/polyacrylonitrile blend hollow‐fiber membranes
Authors: Mei Shuo , Xiao Changfa , Hu Xiaoyu
Published: December 2011

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) blend hollow‐fiber membranes were prepared by a phase‐inversion method with water as inner and outer coagulations. The influence of the compatibility of the two polymers on the formation of interfacial microvoids (IFMs) in the PVC/PAN blend hollow‐fiber membranes was investigated by the theory of thermodynamics and examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, viscometry, and scanning electron microscopy. All of the results show that good compatibility did not exist in the PVC/PAN blend systems; this led to the formation of IFMs between the two polymers. Also, the performance of the experimental results showed that the addition of PAN contributed to the enhancement of the permeability of the blend membranes; this laid the foundation for further study of PVC/PAN blend hollow‐fiber membranes with antifouling properties after hydrolysis. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Rigid polyurethane foams based on activated soybean meal
Authors: Mu Youbing , Wan Xiaobo , Han Zhengxin , Peng Yongxin , Zhong Shu
Published: December 2011

Soybean meal (SM), an abundant biomass resource, was used as the surrogate to partially replace polyols in rigid polyurethane foam synthesis. Compared with polyurethanes based on other soybean‐based resources, such as soybean protein isolate (SPI), polyurethane foams based on activated SM showed better thermal and mechanical properties. The amount of SM in the final polyurethane foams can be as high as 30 wt % (base on the total weight of foam), which dramatically decreases the cost of the foams. The results also showed that SM played a vital role in improving the foam properties, which could be attributed to the participation of the functional groups in SM in the polyurethane foam synthesis. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Immunologic characteristics of intrarenal T cells: Trafficking of expanded CD8+ T cell β‐chain clonotypes in progressive lupus nephritis
Authors: Winchester Robert , Wiesendanger Margrit , Zhang Hui‐Zhu , Steshenko Valeria , Peterson Karin , Geraldino‐Pardilla Laura , Ruiz‐Vazquez Elena , D'Agati Vivette
Published: December 2011

Objective

To better define the immunologic character of the T cell infiltrate in lupus nephritis.

Methods

We performed double immunohistochemical staining and clonotypic T cell receptor (TCR) β‐chain sequencing in multiple anatomic regions isolated by laser‐capture microdissection from renal biopsy samples.

Results

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) kidneys have a variably patterned and often extensive infiltrate of predominantly clonally expanded T cells of CD4 and CD8 lineages. CD4+ T cells were prominent in nearly two‐thirds of SLE biopsy samples and were distributed as broad periglomerular aggregates or intermixed with CD8+ T cells forming periglomerular caps. Sequencing of the TCR from periglomerular regions showed a predominance of clonally expanded T cells. The CD8+ T cells, which were present in all biopsy samples, often adhered to Bowman's capsule and infiltrated the tubular epithelium. They exhibited features that suggest participation in an adaptive immune response: differentiation into CD28null memory‐effector phenotype, trafficking of the same expanded clonotype to different regions of the kidney and to the peripheral blood, and clonal persistence for years in repeat biopsy samples. CD8+ T cell tubulitis was especially associated with progressive changes.

Conclusion

The immunologic characteristics of the infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the lupus kidney indicate that they have the potential to mediate injury, which may be relevant to development of progressive renal failure. Whereas the oligoclonality of the CD4+ T cell infiltrate is consistent with the paradigm of SLE as a class II major histocompatibility complex–associated autoimmune disease, the finding of CD8+ T cell clonality and trafficking implies participation in a distinct systemic adaptive immune response.
Pharmacokinetics, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of paquinimod (ABR‐215757), a new quinoline‐3‐carboxamide derivative: Studies in lupus‐prone mice and a multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, repeat‐dose, dose‐ranging study in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Bengtsson Anders A. , Sturfelt Gunnar , Lood Christian , Rönnblom Lars , van Vollenhoven Ronald F. , Axelsson Bengt , Sparre Birgitta , Tuvesson Helén , Öhman Marie Wallén , Leanderson Tomas
Published: December 2011

Objective

To assess the efficacy of paquinimod, a new immunomodulatory small molecule, in a murine lupus model, and to evaluate its pharmacokinetics and tolerability in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients at doses predicted to be efficacious and safe and determine the maximum tolerated dose.

Methods

The efficacy of paquinimod was studied in lupus‐prone MRL‐lpr/lpr mice and compared with that of established SLE treatments. Dose‐response data and pharmacokinetic data were used to calculate effective and safe clinical doses of paquinimod. The pharmacokinetics and tolerability of paquinimod were evaluated in a phase Ib double‐blind, placebo controlled, dose‐ranging study in which cohorts of SLE patients received daily oral treatment for 12 weeks.

Results

Paquinimod treatment resulted in disease inhibition in MRL‐lpr/lpr mice, comparable to that obtained with prednisolone and mycophenolate mofetil; prominent effects on disease manifestations and serologic markers and a steroid‐sparing effect were observed. In patients with SLE, the pharmacokinetic properties of paquinimod were linear and well suitable for once‐daily oral treatment. The majority of the adverse events (AEs) were mild or moderate, and transient. The most frequent AEs were arthralgia and myalgia, reported with the highest dose levels of paquinimod (4.5 mg/day and 6.0 mg/day). At the 4.5 mg/day dose level and higher, some AEs of severe intensity and serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusion

Paquinimod effectively inhibited disease and had a steroid‐sparing effect in experimental lupus. Results from preclinical models together with pharmacokinetic data were successfully translated into a safe clinical dose range, and doses of up to 3.0 mg/day were well tolerated in the SLE patients. Taken together, the promising combined data from a murine model and human SLE support the future clinical development of paquinimod.
Effect of visual–spatial ability on medical students' performance in a gross anatomy course
Authors: Lufler Rebecca S. , Zumwalt Ann C. , Romney Carla A. , Hoagland Todd M.
Published: December 2011

The ability to mentally manipulate objects in three dimensions is essential to the practice of many clinical medical specialties. The relationship between this type of visual–spatial ability and performance in preclinical courses such as medical gross anatomy is poorly understood. This study determined if visual–spatial ability is associated with performance on practical examinations, and if students' visual–spatial ability improves during medical gross anatomy. Three hundred and fifty‐two first‐year medical students completed the Mental Rotations Test (MRT) before the gross anatomy course and 255 at its completion in 2008 and 2009. Hypotheses were tested using logistic regression analysis and Student's t‐test. Compared with students in the lowest quartile of the MRT, students who scored in the highest quartile of the MRT were 2.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2 and 3.8] and 2.1 (95% CI 1.2 and 3.5) times more likely to score greater than 90% on practical examinations and on both practical and written examinations, respectively. MRT scores for males and females increased significantly (P < 0.0001). Measurement of students' pre‐existing visual–spatial ability is predictive of performance in medical gross anatomy, and early intervention may be useful for students with low visual–spatial ability on entry to medical school. Participation in medical gross anatomy increases students' visual–spatial ability, although the mechanism for this phenomenon is unknown. Anat Sci Educ. © 2011 American Association of Anatomists.
Noninvasive High‐Resolution Ultrasound Reveals Structural and Functional Deficits in Dimethadione‐Exposed Fetal Rat Hearts In Utero
Authors: Purssell Elizabeth , Weston Andrea D. , Thomson Jason J. , Swanson Terri A. , Brown Nigel A. , Ozolinš Terence R.S.
Published: December 2011

BACKGROUND

We previously showed dimethadione (DMO), the N‐demethylated metabolite of the anticonvulsant trimethadione, induces ventricular septation defects (VSD) and other heart anomalies in rat (Weston et al., 2011). Because of the relationship between cardiac structure and function, we hypothesized that DMO‐induced structural defects of the heart are associated with in utero functional deficits. To test the hypothesis, the goals were (1) define the parameters for ultrasound in the rat conceptus, and; (2) use ultrasound to identify structural and functional deficits following DMO treatment.

METHODS

Different ultrasound modes (B‐mode, M‐mode, and Pulse‐wave Doppler) using four high‐resolution ultrasound transducer heads of varying frequency (25–40 MHz) were tested on gestational day (GD) 14, 15, 16, 17, and 21. Having identified the optimal conditions, pregnant Sprague–Dawley rats were administered six 300 mg/kg doses of DMO every 12 hr beginning at 19:00hr on GD 8 to generate conceptuses with a high incidence of VSD.

RESULTS

The three ultrasound modalities were used to identify VSD and several novel and rare structural heart anomalies (cardiac effusions and bifurcated septum) in live rat fetuses. DMO‐treated hearts had an array of functional deficits including a decrease in mean heart rate, ejection fraction, and cardiac output and increased incidence of bradycardia and dysrhythmia.

CONCLUSIONS

The ultrasound biomicroscope is an effective tool for the real‐time characterization of the structure and function of embryo/fetal rat hearts. DMO causes significant deficits to in utero heart function for up to ten days (GD 21) following its final administration, suggesting long‐term or possible permanent changes cardiac function.
In Situ Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) Detection of Metal Dissolution during Zinc Corrosion by Means of Mercury Sphere‐Cap Microelectrode Tips
Authors: Souto Ricardo M. , González‐García Yaiza , Battistel Dario , Daniele Salvatore
Published: December 2011

This work presents a scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM)‐based in situ corrosion probing methodology that is capable of monitoring the release of zinc species in corrosion processes. It is based on the use of Hg‐coated Pt microelectrodes as SECM tips, which offer a wider negative potential range than bare platinum or other noble‐metal tips. This allows for the reduction of zinc ions at the tip to be investigated with low interference from hydrogen evolution and oxygen reduction from aqueous solutions. The processes involved in the corrosion of zinc during its immersion in chloride‐containing solutions were successfully monitored by scanning the SECM tip, set at an adequate potential, across the sample either in one direction or in the X–Y plane parallel to its surface. In this way, it was possible to detect the anodic and cathodic sites at which the dissolution of zinc and the reduction of oxygen occurred, respectively. Additionally, cyclic voltammetry (CV) or constant potential measurements were used to monitor the release of zinc species collected at the tip during an SECM scan.
Thermal Breakdown of ZnTe Nanowires
Authors: Davami Keivan , Ghassemi Hessam M. , Yassar Reza S. , Lee Jeong‐Soo , Meyyappan M.
Published: December 2011

As the applications for inorganic nanowires continuously grow, studies on the stability of these structures under high electrical/thermal stress conditions are needed. ZnTe nanowires are grown by the vapor‐liquid‐solid technique and their breakdown under Joule heating is studied through in situ monitoring in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The experimental setup, consisting of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and a movable piezotube inside the TEM, allows the manipulation of a single nanowire. A voltage applied to the STM tip in contact with a ZnTe nanowire leads to the breakdown of the nanowire into Zn and Te particles or balls which is observed in real time. These balls grow by Ostwald ripening, rendering the surface morphology of the ZnTe nanowire progressively rough. Diffraction patterns along the stem of the wire after the partial breakdown showed substantially smaller lattice spacing compared to 0.35 nm for pristine ZnTe nanowires.
Introduction to genetic analysis workshop 17 summaries
Authors: Ziegler Andreas , Ghosh Saurabh , Dyer Thomas D. , Blangero John , MacCluer Jean , Almasy Laura
Published: December 2011

Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 (GAW17) was held on October 13–16, 2010, in Boston, Massachusetts. The focus of GAW17 was on methods and challenges of the analysis of next‐generation sequence data using a mini‐exome data set. Two different study designs were simulated, unrelated individuals and large families, each with the same sample size. GAW17 was attended by 274 participants from 19 countries. The 166 contributions were organized into 15 discussion groups of 5–13 articles each. This supplement to Genetic Epidemiology provides further details on GAW17, and primary findings are highlighted in the individual group summary articles. In addition, the supplement includes two methodological articles (one on statistical approaches for collapsing methods and one on machine learning methods) to give an overview of the methods that many of the workshop participants used. We conclude the supplement with a discussion of critical aspects in the analysis of next‐generation sequencing data. Genet. Epidemiol. 35:S1–S4, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Incorporating linkage information into a common disease/rare variant framework
Authors: Hinrichs Anthony L. , Suarez Brian K.
Published: December 2011

Recent developments in sequencing technology have allowed the investigation of the common disease/rare variant hypothesis. In the Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 data set, we have sequence data on both unrelated individuals and eight large extended pedigrees with simulated quantitative and qualitative phenotypes. Group 11, whose focus was incorporating linkage information, considered several different ways to use the extended pedigrees to identify causal genes and variants. The first issue was the use of standard linkage or identity‐by‐descent information to identify regions containing causal rare variants. We found that rare variants of large effect segregating through pedigrees were precisely the bailiwick of linkage analysis. For a common disease, we anticipate many risk loci, so a heterogeneity linkage analysis or an analysis of a single pedigree at a time may be useful. The second issue was using pedigree data to identify individuals for sequencing. If one can identify linked regions and even carriers of risk haplotypes, the sequencing will be substantially more efficient. In fact, sequencing only 2.5% of the genome in carefully selected individuals can detect 52% of the risk variants that would be detected through whole‐exome sequencing in a large number of unrelated individuals. Finally, we found that linkage information from pedigrees can provide weights for case‐control association tests. We also found that pedigree‐based association tests have the same issues of binning variants and variant counting as those in tests of unrelated individuals. Clearly, when pedigrees are available, they can provide great assistance in the search for rare variants that influence common disorders. Genet. Epidemiol. 35:S74–S79, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Association between PARP‐1 V762A polymorphism and cancer susceptibility: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Yu Hongping , Ma Hongxia , Yin Ming , Wei Qingyi
Published: December 2011

Poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase‐1 (PARP‐1 catalyzes poly(ADP‐ribosyl)ation to various proteins involved in many cellular processes, including DNA damage detection and repair and cell proliferation and death. PARP‐1 has been implicated in human carcinogenesis, but the association between the most‐studied PARP‐1 V762A polymorphism (rs1136410) and risk of various cancers was reported with inconclusive results. The aim of this study was to assess the association between the PARP‐1 V762A polymorphism and cancer risk. A meta‐analysis of 21 studies with 12,027 cancer patients and 14,106 cancer‐free controls was conducted to evaluate the strength of the association using odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Overall, no significant association was found between the PARP‐1 V762A polymorphism and cancer risk. In the stratified analyses, however, it was found that the variant A allele of the PARP‐1 V762A polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of cancer among Asian populations (VA + AA vs. VV: OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.01–1.23; Pheterogeneity = 0.210), but a decreased risk of cancer (VA + AA vs. VV: OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.80–1.00; Pheterogeneity = 0.004) among Caucasian populations, especially for glioma risk (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.69–0.90; Pheterogeneity = 0.800). This meta‐analysis found evidence for an association of the PARP‐1 V 762A polymorphism with increased risk of cancer among Asians, but decreased risk of cancer among Caucasians, particularly of glioma. Further well‐designed studies with large sample sizes of different ethnic populations and different cancer types are warranted to confirm these findings. Genet. Epidemiol. 36 : 56–65 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.