bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feedback in psychotherapy
Authors: Claiborn Charles D. , Goodyear Rodney K.
Published: December 2004

Feedback is defined as a response to an action that shapes or adjusts that action in subsequent performance. Though its pervasiveness in human behavior is noted, feedback in clinical practice is a deliberate psychological intervention that has two essential functions, information and influence. Feedback can be descriptive, evaluative, emotional, and interpretive. The role of feedback in promoting change through interpersonal influence and the role of resistance in the feedback process are discussed. We present practical examples and suggestions for maximizing the effectiveness of feedback and responding therapeutically to resistance. Current outcome research on feedback as a major component of treatment is reviewed and discussed. Implications of the feedback literature for practice are provided. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol/In Session.
Providing feedback to psychotherapists on their patients' progress: Clinical results and practice suggestions
Authors: Lambert Michael J. , Harmon Cory , Slade Karstin , Whipple Jason L. , Hawkins Eric J.
Published: December 2004

We describe and illustrate our system to measure, monitor, and feed back information about patient treatment. This clinical innovation relies on research‐based clinical decision tools that provide psychotherapists with timely warnings when a patient's deviation from an expected treatment response foretells possible treatment failure. We summarize the results of four controlled studies using this methodology; the collective results suggest that measuring, monitoring, and predicting treatment failure (feedback) enhance treatment outcomes for patients who have a negative response. Clinicians are encouraged to employ these methods in routine practice despite their confidence in their own ability to predict patient outcome. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol/In Session.
On Dirichlet's principle and Poincaré's méthode de balayage
Authors: Hildebrandt Stefan
Published: December 2004

A short proof is given for the fact that the minimizer of Dirichlet's integral continuously assumes continuous boundary values at regular boundary points. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
On the number of the cusps of cuspidal plane curves
Authors: Tono Keita
Published: December 2004

In this paper, we estimate an upper bound of the number of the cusps of a cuspidal plane curve. We prove that a cuspidal plane curve of genus g has no more than (21g +17)/2 cusps. For example, a rational cuspidal plane curve has no more than 8 cusps and an elliptic one has no more than 19 cusps. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Homogenization of the Neumann problem in thick multi‐structures of type 3 : 2 : 2
Authors: De Maio U. , Mel'nyk T. A.
Published: December 2004

Using some special extension operator, a convergence theorem is proved for the solution to the Neumann boundary value problem for the Ukawa equation in a junction Ωε, which is the union of a domain Ω0 and a large number N of ε‐periodically situated thin annular disks with variable thickness of order ε=𝒪(N‐1), as ε → 0. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhanced reinnervation after neurotization with Schwann cell transplantation
Authors: Fukuda Aki , Hirata Hitoshi , Akeda Koji , Morita Akimasa , Nagakura Takeshi , Tsujii Masaya , Uchida Atsumasa
Published: December 2004

We investigated the feasibility of using Schwann cell transplantation to enhance reinnervation after direct nerve‐to‐muscle neurotization (NMN). The denervated anterior tibial muscle was neurotized by tibial nerve implantation, and Schwann cell suspension (transplantation group) or an equivalent volume of culture medium (control group) was injected at the implantation site. In the control group, few axons invaded the muscle, demonstrating that skeletal muscle was poorly permissive to the advancement of axons. In the transplantation group, a large number of regenerating axons grew for a longer distance throughout the muscle, and reinnervated motor endplates were significantly more abundant. Enhanced reinnervation and functional recovery of the muscle in the transplantation group was confirmed by a significant increase in the compound muscle action potential and in muscle weight. These results suggest that intramuscular Schwann cell transplantation has potential as a cell therapy to improve functional recovery after NMN. Muscle Nerve, 2005
Use of muscle fibrillation for tracking nerve regeneration
Authors: Heaton James T. , Kobler James B.
Published: December 2004

Individual muscle fibers in denervated muscle demonstrate repetitive, spontaneous contraction. Such fibrillation activity disappears in denervated muscle if reinnervation occurs, but this relationship has not been formally studied. To test whether the disappearance of fibrillation can be used to track nerve regeneration, we quantified the presence and subsequent disappearance of electromyographic (EMG) fibrillation potentials and fibrillation‐related movement in the rat tongue after unilateral hypoglossal nerve crush at two locations. In mice, fibrillation movement of vibrissae were monitored after unilateral facial nerve crush and compared with the return of symmetrical vibrissae sweeping movements. In both of these rodent cranial motor systems, there was a conspicuous loss of fibrillation at a time when reinnervation is known to take place, suggesting that the visual appearance of fibrillation‐related movement can be used as a simple, noninvasive means of tracking nerve regeneration in these popular experimental motor systems. Muscle Nerve, 2005
Enhanced transverse shear strain shell formulation applied to large elasto‐plastic deformation problems
Authors: Fontes Valente R. A. , Parente M. P. L. , Natal Jorge R. M. , César de Sá J. M. A. , Grácio J. J.
Published: December 2004

In this work, a previously proposed Enhanced Assumed Strain (EAS) finite element formulation for thin shells is revised and extended to account for isotropic and anisotropic material non‐linearities. Transverse shear and membrane‐locking patterns are successfully removed from the displacement‐based formulation. The resultant EAS shell finite element does not rely on any other mixed formulation, since the enhanced strain field is designed to fulfil the null transverse shear strain subspace coming from the classical degenerated formulation. At the same time, a minimum number of enhanced variables is achieved, when compared with previous works in the field. Non‐linear effects are treated within a local reference frame affected by the rigid‐body part of the total deformation. Additive and multiplicative update procedures for the finite rotation degrees‐of‐freedom are implemented to correctly reproduce mid‐point configurations along the incremental deformation path, improving the overall convergence rate. The stress and strain tensors update in the local frame, together with an additive treatment of the EAS terms, lead to a straightforward implementation of non‐linear geometric and material relations. Accuracy of the implemented algorithms is shown in isotropic and anisotropic elasto‐plastic problems. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation and electromagnetic interference shielding characteristics of novel carbon‐nanotube/siloxane/poly‐(urea urethane) nanocomposites
Authors: Ma Chen‐Chi M. , Huang Yuan‐Li , Kuan Hsu‐Chiang , Chiu Yie‐Shun
Published: December 2004

Poly(urea urethane) (PUU) with a poly(dimethylsiloxane) soft segment was synthesized. Different types of conductive fillers—carbon nanotube (CNT), silver‐coated carbon nanotube (CNT–Ag), and nickel‐coated carbon nanotube (CNT–Ni)—were blended with PUU to form partially conductive polymer composites. The results showed that highly conductive metals could improve the conductivity of CNTs significantly. When the filler contents were 3, 4, and 5 parts per hundred parts of resin (phr), the PUU/CNT composites possessed electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (SE) at 8.5, 28.4, and 26.0 dB as the electromagnetic wave frequencies were 12.3, 16.2, and 15.9 GHz, respectively. SE of the composites that contained CNT–Ni and CNT–Ag increased with the filler loading. At the same modified‐CNT loading, the CNT–Ni‐filled composites had a higher SE than those filled with CNT–Ag. Tensile stresses ranged from 5.7 to 15.6 MPa (a 177.3% increase) when the CNT concentration reached 8 phr. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 345–358, 2005
Conservation of cis prolyl bonds in proteins during evolution
Authors: Lorenzen Stephan , Peters Björn , Goede Andrean , Preissner Robert , Frömmel Cornelius
Published: December 2004

In proteins and peptides, the vast majority of peptide bonds occurs in trans conformation, but a considerable fraction (about 5%) of X‐Pro bonds adopts the cis conformation. Here we study the conservation of cis prolyl residues in evolutionary related proteins. We find that overall, in contrast to local, protein sequence similarity is a clear indicator for the conformation of prolyl residues. We observe that cis prolyl residues are more often conserved than trans prolyl residues, and both are more conserved than the surrounding amino acids, which show the same extent of conservation as the whole protein. The pattern of amino acid exchanges differs between cis and trans prolyl residues. Also, the cis prolyl bond is maintained in proteins with sequence identity as low as 20%. This finding emphasizes the importance of cis peptide bonds in protein structure and function. Proteins 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Binding of recombinant PrPc to human plasminogen: Kinetic and thermodynamic study using a resonant mirror biosensor
Authors: Cuccioloni Massimiliano , Amici Manila , Eleuteri Anna Maria , Biagetti Massimo , Barocci Simone , Angeletti Mauro
Published: December 2004

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are a class of sporadic, genetic and transmissible neurodegenerative diseases that affect both humans and animals. Propagation of these diseases is thought to be due to the misfolding of a neuronal glyco‐protein, PrPc, into a pathological insoluble conformer, PrPSc. In earlier works, some serum components were identified as exclusive PrPSc‐interacting proteins (Fisher et al., Nature 2000;408:479), and thus those macromolecules were thought to represent a potential diagnostic endogenous factor discriminating between normal and pathological prion proteins. In contrast, in agreement with a recent work (Kornblatt et al., Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2003;305:518), in this paper we present a detailed thermodynamic and kinetic characterization of the interaction between recombinant bovine PrPc 25–242 and the human serum component plasminogen, measured using a resonant mirror technique: our results reveal a high‐affinity interaction between the two binding partners. For comparison, the complex obtained from the purified full‐length PrPc and human plasminogen was also studied: both prion proteins (the recombinant bovine PrPc 25–242 and the purified full‐length PrPc) are able to bind human plasminogen. Both kinetic and thermodynamic parameters are affected by the modulation exerted by the H+ ions in solution. Moreover, the analysis of binding, according to canonical linkage relationships, suggests the involvement of a His residue, consistent with the interaction between other serine (pro)enzymes and their ligands. Proteins 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The effect of piperonyl butoxide on pyrethroid‐resistance‐associated esterases in Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Young Susan J , Gunning Robin V , Moores Graham D
Published: December 2004

Pyrethroid resistance in field populations of Australian Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) is primarily a consequence of the overproduction of esterase isoenzymes which metabolise and sequester pyrethroid insecticides. Biochemical studies have shown that pyrethroid‐resistance‐associated esterases in H armigera are inhibited by the insecticide synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO). Esterase inhibition by PBO did not occur immediately after dosing, but exhibited maximum inhibition 3–4 h after dosage. Esterase activity subsequently recovered until full activity was restored by 24 h. Topical bioassays using a pre‐treatment of PBO showed that maximum H armigera mortality was achieved with pre‐treatment times corresponding to maximum esterase inhibition. These results demonstrated that, with correct temporal application, PBO can restore pyrethroid efficacy against H armigera. It would also be expected that restoration of efficacy with other conventional insecticides, currently compromised by esterase‐based resistance mechanisms, would occur. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry
Mass spectrometric decompositions of copper complexes with esters and amides of nicotinic acid
Authors: Borowiak‐Resterna Aleksandra , Frański Rafał , Klonowska Karolina , Olszanowski Andrzej
Published: December 2004

Mass spectrometric decompositions of complexes of nicotinic acid esters and amides with copper are discussed. Liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS) was used as an ionisation technique and metastable ion spectra were recorded by using B/E linked scans. The fragmentation pathways consist mainly of the loss of one ligand molecule and also the cleavage of amide or ester bonds. It may be possible, on the basis of cleaved neutral fragments, to determine the site of coordination in the gas phase. It was also found that the presence of a chlorine atom affects the fragmentation pathways of complexes. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determination of N9/N7‐isomer ratio of alkyl (guaninyl)acetates by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Ferenc Györgyi , Kele Zoltán , Kovács Lajos
Published: December 2004

N9‐ and N7‐Substituted (guaninyl)acetic esters were studied by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS/MS) in order to determine their ratio in alkylation reactions. The loss of ammonia is significantly different for the N9‐ and N7‐alkylated guanine regioisomer pairs. More importantly, the abundance of the [MH–17]+ ion is in linear correlation with the N9‐isomer content. Therefore, the ratio of regioisomers can be determined in a mixture containing these compounds. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A novel liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry based depletion method for measuring red blood cell partitioning of pharmaceutical compounds in drug discovery
Authors: Yu Shaoxia , Li Shelly , Yang Hua , Lee Frank , Wu Jing‐Tao , Qian Mark G.
Published: December 2004

A novel liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)‐based depletion method for measuring compound partitioning between human plasma and red blood cells (RBC) in a drug discovery environment is presented. Conventionally, RBC partitioning is determined by separate measurements of drug concentrations in equilibrating plasma and whole blood or RBC using separate standards prepared in their respective matrices, i.e., in plasma and whole blood or RBC lysates. The process is very tedious, labor‐intensive, and difficult to automate. In addition, interferences from the heme and other highly abundant cellular composites make the measurement of the drug concentration in whole blood or RBC inevitably variable even with a highly specific LC/MS/MS method. Therefore, there is an imminent need to develop a straightforward and fast method to assess the partitioning of drug‐like compounds in RBC.

This work describes an LC/MS/MS‐based depletion assay that measures the compound concentration in plasma that has been equilibrating with RBC. Compounds were spiked into fresh human whole blood and plasma respectively to a final concentration of 500 nM. Both the spiked whole blood and plasma control were incubated at 37°C for up to 60 min. During the time course, aliquots of plasma and whole blood from both incubation mixtures were sampled at 10 and 60 min. The whole blood samples were centrifuged to yield the plasma. The plasma samples from both incubations were extracted using a protein precipitation method, and analyzed using LC/MS/MS under the multiple‐reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The RBC partitioning ratio was calculated using the analyte peak area responses of the plasma samples through an equation deduced in this work.

The method was first tested using two commercial compounds, phenoprobamate and acetazolamide, to determine the optimal incubation conditions and the concentration dependency of the assay. The assay reproducibility was also assessed by three inter‐day assays for phenoprobamate. This method was further evaluated using 20 commercial compounds of different classes with a wide range of RBC partitioning coefficients and the results were compared with those reported in the literature. Excellent correlation (R2 = 0.9396) was found between the measured and literature values. In addition, several proprietary compounds were assayed using both the new and traditional methods and the measured partitioning ratios from the two methods are equivalent. The experiments in this work demonstrate that the LC/MS/MS‐based depletion method can provide direct and accurate measurement of RBC partitioning for compounds in drug discovery. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Natural water specimen preparation for TXRF analysis using a Johansson wavelength‐dispersive spectrometer
Authors: Kurunczi S. , Sakurai K.
Published: December 2004

A special method of specimen preparation is described aimed at achieving a small size of the order of 50 µm. The difficulty is especially great when preparing droplet residues from natural water on a silicon wafer as a supporting material for this experiment. We report the first promising results using an HF etching method to obtain a hydrophobic silicon surface. A specimen (residue) size of ∼ 80 µm was obtained on the modified silicon surface, making wavelength‐dispersive total reflection x‐ray fluorescence (WD‐TXRF) analysis possible for a standard reference sample of natural water (TMDA 53.2). Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
X‐ray fluorescence analysis applied to geochemistry of quartz in Argentina
Authors: Pérez D. , Rubio M. , Bonalumi A. , Sfragulla J. , López A. , Guereschi A. , Vázquez C. , Gozalvez M. , Luchesi M. , Badini R. G. , Cuffini S. L. , Sphan G. , Inga M. , Germanier A. , Servant R. E.
Published: December 2004

The growing demand for high‐purity quartz in the international market led to the systematic investigation of the geochemical quality of this mineral in deposits Argentina. This study is a contribution to the scarce information on the geochemistry of quartz in Argentina. A total of 525 multielemental chemical analyses were performed with XRF spectrometry in less than 3 months. SiO2 concentration was calculated by difference from XRF impurity determinations. As a result of this study, 36 sites over 141 sampled deposits were identified as being of desirable quality. Low‐Z oxides, considered critical impurities for quartz, were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry, only in samples of these selected sites, because of high XRF detection limits. The analytical results allowed the classification of the quality of quartz according to its environment and geological genesis. It could be determined that better purity quartz corresponds to veins far away from the Achala and Alpa Corral batholith and occurs in metamorphic rocks, followed by pegmatitic quartz from inside the batholith and lastly by quartz of well‐known hydrothermal origin. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electron shake process following inner‐shell ionization
Authors: Mukoyama Takeshi
Published: December 2004

Electron shakeup and shakeoff probabilities accompanying inner‐shell ionization of atoms were calculated for K‐, L‐ and M‐shell electrons using hydrogenic wavefunctions. The dependence of shake probabilities on atomic number Z is estimated. It is found that both shakeoff and shakeup probabilities are proportional to 1/Z2. Based on this Z‐dependence, the shakeup‐plus‐shakeoff probabilities are expressed in a simple analytical form with two parameters. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Energy‐dispersive XRF spectrometer for Ti determination (TITAN)
Authors: Cheburkin A. K. , Shotyk W.
Published: December 2004

An energy‐dispersive XRF analyser was designed and constructed for determining Ti in plant and peat materials at low (ppm) concentrations. The XRF analyzer for Ti analysis (TITAN) uses monochromatic excitation obtained from a crystal diffraction monochromator and Co target x‐ray diffraction tube. In addition to precise and sensitive analyses of Ti, other minor elements (Ca, K, Cl, S, P, Ba) in powdered plant and peat samples can be measured with only a minimum of sample preparation (drying, milling). The limits of detection obtained are K 2.5, Ca 1.5, Ti 0.9, Cr 0.7 and Mn 0.5 ppm using a 600 s acquisition time. The instrument was used to determine Ti concentrations in pre‐anthropogenic peat samples up to 9000 years old. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A High Pressure Study on NH4Pb2Br5 Type Compounds Part II: Electronic Structure and Changes under High Pressure
Authors: Becker Daniel , Beck Horst P.
Published: December 2004

In this work, we present a theoretical study (based on DFT‐calculations) of the electronic properties of compounds crystallising in a NH4Pb2Br5 type structure in a wide pressure range. The main focus of this study is to elucidate the nature of bonding of the ns2‐cations at ambient and elevated pressure.

For a better understanding of the structure and bonding, the DOS of these compounds are evaluated and discussed on the basis of a simple model assuming mainly ionic interactions. The calculations are complemented by an orbital analysis using the crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) and an analysis of the electronic density topology with the electron localisation function (ELF). Structural and theoretical investigations give results that are in excellent agreement: The DFT‐calculations confirm the existence of bonding interactions between the ns2‐cations at elevated pressure.

Our study indicates that the “character” of the additional electron pair changes with increasing pressure from nonbonding to bonding in agreement with a simple model system of two interacting ns2‐cations.
Crystal Structure Investigations on Imines derived from 3‐Ferrocenyl‐prop‐2‐enal Crystallizing in Non‐centrosymmetric Space Groups
Authors: Imhof Wolfgang
Published: December 2004

The condensation of 3‐ferrocenyl‐prop‐2‐enal with primary amines leads to the formation of the corresponding imines in good yields. The crystal structures of imines derived from p‐dimethylamino‐aniline and furfurylamine are determined by the ability of the functional groups to act as hydrogen bond donor or acceptor sites. Although N, N‐dimethyl‐N′‐(3‐ferrocenyl‐allylidene)‐benzene‐1, 4‐diamine and furan‐2‐ylmethyl‐(3‐ferrocenyl‐allylidene)‐amine are achiral molecules they crystallize in the non‐centrosymmetric space groups P21 and Pca21, respectively. The molecular architecture of N, N‐dimethyl‐N′‐(3‐ferrocenyl‐allylidene)‐benzene‐1, 4‐diamine is realized by the incorporation of dichloromethane acting as hydrogen bond donor and acceptor with both hydrogen and both chlorine atoms. On the other hand, the molecules of furan‐2‐ylmethyl‐(3‐ferrocenyl‐allylidene)‐amine are linked by hydrogen bonds towards the centroid of one of the cyclopentadienyl ligands and towards the oxygen atom of the furan ring to produce infinite chains.
Halfsandwich Complexes Containing the Tetrathiotungstate Chelate Ligand. Crystal and Molecular Structure of Cp*Rh(PMe3)[(μ‐S)2WS2] (Cp* = η5‐Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)
Authors: Herberhold Max , Jin Guo‐Xin , Rheingold Arnold L.
Published: December 2004

The reactions of Cp*M(PMe3)Cl2 (M = Rh (1a), Ir (1b)) with (NEt4)2[WS4] led to the heterodimetallic sulfido‐bridged complexes Cp*M(PMe3)[(μ‐S)2WS2] (M = Rh (2a), Ir (2b)), whereas the dimers [Cp*MCl(μ‐Cl)]2 (M = Rh (4a), Ir (4b)) reacted with (NEt4)2[WS4) to give the known trinuclear compounds [Cp*M(Cl)]2(μ‐WS4) (M = Rh (5a), Ir (5b)). Hydrolysis of the terminal W=S bonds converts 2a, b into Cp*M(PMe3)[(μ‐S)2WO2] (M = Rh (3a), Ir (3b)). Salts of a heterodimetallic anion, A[CpMo(I)(NO)(WS4)] (6) (A+ = NEt4+, NPh4+) were obtained by reactions of [CpMo(NO)I2]2 with tetrathiotungstates, A2[WS4]. The complexes were characterized by IR and NMR (1H, 13C, 31P) spectroscopy, and the X‐ray crystallographic structure of Cp*Rh(PMe3)[(μ‐S)2WS2] (2a) has been determined. The bond lengths and angles in the coordinations spheres of Rh and W in 2a (Rh···W 288.5(1) pm) are compared with related complexes containing terminal [WS42—] chelate ligands.
A new source for the biography of Ibn Taymiyya
Authors: BORI CATERINA
Published: December 2004

The student who approaches the study of the turbulent life of Ibn Taymiyya will soon realize that Shams al-Dīn al-Dhahabī, his renowned shāfi‘ī disciple, is indeed one of the main sources for the Hanbalī scholar's biographers. Al-Dhahabī wrote many biographical notices of Ibn Taymiyya and one of these has been identified with the manuscript source presented in this article. The article briefly introduces the source, discusses its content and its importance in relation to the early biographies of Ibn Taymiyya as is evident from the text, and raises some questions about the state of consensus towards the Hanbalī jurist among his traditionalist Damascene fellows. An edition and annotated translation of the Arabic text are appended to the introduction.
The Sāmavedasamhitā: a review article
Authors: WRIGHT J. C.
Published: December 2004

The historical development of Vedic exegesis, as attested in the Rgvedic and Sāmavedic commentaries, remains virtually unexplored, although those that survive have long been available in print, those of the Sāmaveda since the 1870s (the Sāmavedic Sāyana) and 1941 (the relatively early Mādhava and the later Bharatasvāmin). A new edition of the Ārcika or recitation text of the chanted Sāmaveda, currently appearing in the Harvard Oriental Series, combines some improved readings for its commentaries with several disappointing features, notably the failure (so far) to provide either the crucial melodic transcriptions (Gāna) of chanted texts or the bracketing of spurious passages in Sāyana, both of which are valuable assets of the Bibliotheca Indica edition. In this article, an attempt is made to show that the Ārcika commentators Mādhava and Bharatasvāmin have no independent value, being wholly dependent upon Skandasvāmin's Nirukta commentary and the Vedārthaprakāśa that subsists in Sāyana's Sāmavedic and Rgvedic adaptations; and that they were themselves responsible for the unhappy compromise between Gāna performance and Rgvedic poetry that the Ārcika corpus actually represents, and hence ultimately also for the two recensions of Vedārthaprakāśa that are ascribed to Sāyana in the fourteenth century.
In conversation with Sarah and Matt: perspectives on creating and performing original music
Authors: McGillen Christopher William
Published: December 2004

This paper is the result of a research project that set out to document a group of adolescent musicians in a rural Australian secondary school as they wrote and performed their own music. The processes they developed are reflective of a cooperative approach to group composition where upwards of 21 students composed and ‘jammed’ their way through a weekly rehearsal. There appeared to be strong links not only to the theoretical field of cooperative learning, but also to the ‘garage’ rock band model of peer-led composition and group processing. The participants completed a six-month programme of interviews, questionnaire and narrative writing tasks, as well as participating in the video recording of their weekly rehearsal. This paper focuses on two of the senior members, Sarah and Matt, and their reflections on the process of songwriting as a group and the significance of the relationships between the student members and the staff. The participants identified a middle ground occupied by ‘Jungle Express’, the name the students gave to themselves, between their mainstream school environment and their peer groups. This paper identifies the significance of using a cooperative approach with adolescent musicians and the high level of personal investment in, and identification with, the musical product that emerges.
Music in a hospital setting: a multifaceted experience
Authors: Preti Costanza , Welch Graham F.
Published: December 2004

The article offers an explanation of the effects of music on children within a hospital setting and points up the multifaceted nature of this experience. The nature of the client group allows the musical experience to work on many different levels, such as modifying the child's perception of pain and reducing stress, whilst at the same time having an integral educational element that supports musical development. The evidence base is drawn from an extensive review of the music/medicine literature, interfaced with the first author's experience over many years as a participant musician in a paediatric oncology ward.
Pain – an overview
Authors: Melzack R.
Published: December 2004

The neuromatrix theory of pain proposes that pain is a multidimensional experience produced by characteristic “neurosignature” patterns of nerve impulses generated by a widely distributed neural network – the “body‐self neuromatrix”– in the brain. These neurosignature patterns may be triggered by sensory inputs, but they may also be generated independently of them. Pains that are evoked by noxious sensory inputs have been meticulously investigated by neuroscientists, and their sensory transmission mechanisms are generally well understood. In contrast, chronic pain syndromes, which are often characterized by severe pain associated with little or no discernible injury or pathology, remain a mystery. The neuromatrix theory of pain, however, provides a new conceptual framework that is consistent with recent clinical evidence. It proposes that the output patterns of the neuromatrix activate perceptual, homeostatic and behavioral programs after injury or pathology, or as a result of multiple other inputs that act on the neuromatrix. Pain, then, is produced by the output of a widely distributed neural network in the brain rather than directly by sensory input evoked by injury, inflammation or other pathology. The neuromatrix, which is genetically determined and modified by sensory experience, is the primary mechanism that generates the neural pattern that produces pain. Its output pattern is determined by multiple influences, of which the somatic sensory input is only a part, that converge on the neuromatrix.
The role of psychological factors in chronic pain
Authors: Turk D. C.
Published: December 2004

The traditional view conceptualizes pain as being directly associated with the extent of physical pathology. The observations that there are a number of patients who report pain in the absence of physical pathology, the converse, asymptomatic individuals who evidence objective physical pathology, the inconsistency in response of patients with identical diagnoses, and the low association between impairments and disability suggest that factors other than physical pathology contribute to the reports of pain. The role of behavioral, cognitive, and affective factors have each been shown to have direct effects on the report of pain, adaptation, and response to treatment, as well as indirect effects by influencing sympathetic nervous system and neurochemical factors associated with nociception. The direct and indirect effects of behavioral (operant), cognitive, and affective factors in chronic pain are described.
Psychiatric approaches to non‐cancer pain
Authors: Pilowsky I.
Published: December 2004

Most pain clinic therapists would agree as to the importance of including a psychiatrist and/or a psychologist on the team. Because of the psychiatrist’s training in medicine he/she may have a useful role as a bridge between the somatically orientated clinicians and those dealing with psychosocial issues such as psychologists and social workers. This paper highlights the psychiatric and psychological approaches important for treatment of chronic non‐cancer pain conditions.
Health‐related quality of life measurements in the assessment of pain clinic results
Authors: Bech P.
Published: December 2004

Following the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of impairment, disability and subjective quality of life, chronic pain disorder has been examined. In this overview impairment has been restricted to non‐malignant pain. Disability has been subdivided into disorder‐oriented and ailment‐oriented symptoms. The disorder‐oriented symptoms are pain and depression, the latter emphasizing that pain is an unpleasant sensation. Both pain and depression are essentially subjectively reported symptoms which are unidimensionel, implying that they often are measured by use of visual analog scales. However, the Major Depression Inventory (MDI) and the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL‐90) are appropriate questionnaires itemizing the respective dimensions. The ailment‐oriented symptoms have negative social well‐being as their core‐symptoms, including reduced role‐functioning. The Short‐Form (SF‐36) is an appropriate scale in this respect. Subjective quality of life is essentially measuring positive well‐being and the most appropriate measurement instrument is the Psychological Well‐Being Schedule (PGWB) or its subscales, among which is the WHO (Five) well‐being index.
Relief of postural post dural puncture headache by an epidural blood patch 12 months after dural puncture
Authors: Klepstad P.
Published: December 2004

A 20‐year‐old previously healthy male presented at the pain clinic with chronic headache of about one year duration. Clinical examination revealed no pathological manifestations. During the consultation the patient was drinking Coca‐Cola. On direct questioning he told that drinking Coca‐Cola gave partial relief from the headache, and that the headache started after he had received two spinal anaesthetics for treatment of a lower leg fracture. Postural post dural puncture headache was now suspected and an epidural blood patch performed. Despite an interval of nearly 12 months since the dural punctures, a single epidural blood patch completely relieved the headache. This case history demonstrates that an epidural blood patch should be tried if a chronic post dural puncture headache is suspected.
Al‐Aqir near Bahlā’– an Early Bronze Age dam site with planoconvex ‘copper’ ingots
Authors: Weisgerber Gerd , Yule Paul
Published: December 2004

Some 20 years ago the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture received an important collection of planoconvex copper ingots, tools and anthropomorphic figures which came from a site at al‐Aqir near Bahlā’ in the al‐Zāhirah Wilāya. Several years elapsed before their provenance could be reconstructed and the site could be investigated. The finds had been deposited as building offerings in a prehistoric, 300 m‐long dam built to trap soil and moisture for agricultural purposes. Although the area has been intensively used since at least 3000 BC, the evidence for irrigation installations does not pre‐date 2000 BC. The finds are dedicatory rather than functional in nature.
The softstone vessels from ed‐Dur, Umm al‐Qaiwain, United Arab Emirates
Authors: Zutterman Christophe
Published: December 2004

Sixty‐two softstone vessels found at the coastal site of ed‐Dur, Umm al‐Qaiwain (U.A.E.), less than 1% of the total amount of artefacts registered at the site, are examined for evidence of (inter)regional exchange. Emphasis is laid on the vessels from the PIR C phase. In recent research much attention has been paid to the spatial distribution and trade of softstone vessels of earlier times. An attempt will be made to do the same for the dark grey softstone vessels dating ca. 300 BC–300 AD.
The influence of folate serum levels on depressive mood and mental processing in patients with epilepsy treated with enzyme-inducing anti-epileptic drugs
Authors: Rösche J. , Uhlmann C. , Weber R. , Fröscher W.
Published: December 2004

Background:

Folate deficiency is common in patients with epilepsy and also occurs in patients with depression or cognitive deficits.

Objective:

This study investigates whether low serum folate levels may contribute to depressive mood and difficulties in mental processing in patients with epilepsy treated with anti-epileptic drugs inducing the cytochrome P450.

Methods:

We analysed the serum folate levels, the score in the Self Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the results of a bedside test in mental processing in 54 patients with epilepsy.

Results:

There was a significant negative correlation between the serum folate levels and the score in SDS and significant positive correlations between the score in SDS and the time needed to process an interference task or a letter-reading task.

Conclusions:

Low serum folate levels may contribute to depressive mood and therefore to difficulties in mental processing. Further studies utilizing total plasma homocysteine as a sensitive measure of functional folate deficiency and more elaborate tests of mental processing are required to elucidate the impact of folate metabolism on depressive mood and cognitive function in patients with epilepsy.
Prevalence of insomnia in Poland — results of the National Health Interview Survey
Authors: Kiejna A. , Wojtyniak B. , Rymaszewska J. , Stokwiszewski J.
Published: December 2004

Background:

Sleep disturbances are one of the most common underdiagnosed and undertreated health problems among the adult population.

Objectives:

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of sleeping problems and their relation to sociodemographic characteristics in the Polish population, based on the results of the National Health Interview Survey carried out by the Central Statistical Office in 1996.

Methods:

A stratified sampling scheme, involving two steps, was used. Standardized prevalence ratios (SPRs and their 95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Assessment of sleep-related problems was based on six questions. A representative Polish sample (47 924 non-institutionalized, adult respondents) was interviewed.

Results:

Nearly one-fourth of Polish inhabitants suffered from insomnia. The percentage was significantly higher among women (28.1%) than among men (18.1%). The prevalence of insomnia increased with age and was highest in divorced respondents. Respondents of both sexes with higher educational levels suffered from insomnia less often than individuals with lower levels of education. The problem of insomnia applies in a similar degree to inhabitants of both rural and urban regions. About one-twentieth of inhabitants of Poland experienced recent sleep deterioration related to problems. It was associated positively with age, female gender and lower education. About 20% of the population get up not rested in the morning, women significantly more often than men, urban residents more often than rural ones.

Conclusions:

Sleep-related problems are common and the results are comparable with those from other countries. The findings have important implications, such as the necessity of better education of the public community about the identification and possibilities of treatment of sleep disturbance.
Craniopharyngeoma presenting as psychosis, disinhibition and personality change without neurological signs
Authors: Sinai J. , Wong A. H. C.
Published: December 2004

Tumors of the pituitary are associated most commonly with visual changes or endocrine abnormalities. Although a significant proportion of such tumors cause cognitive abnormalities, only a small number of cases have been reported in which the presenting symptoms are primarily ‘psychiatric’ in nature. The case described below highlights the importance of ancillary investigations in the evaluation of patients admitted to psychiatric wards. Despite the size and extension of the tumor, the patient showed no clear neurological signs, and screening serology was normal except for an elevated prolactin level. Only diagnostic imaging was able to reveal the presence of a calcified, cystic suprasellar mass that was confirmed to be a craniopharyngeoma by histopathology.
Abl‐kinase‐sensitive levels of ERK5 and its intrinsic basal activity contribute to leukaemia cell survival
Authors: Buschbeck Marcus , Hofbauer Sebastian , Di Croce Luciano , Keri Gyorgy , Ullrich Axel
Published: December 2004

It is well established that the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal is regulated through phosphorylation‐dependent activation by the three‐tiered MAPK cascade. However, our studies on the interaction of the MAPK ERK5 with the tyrosine kinase c‐Abl and its oncogenic variants v‐Abl and Bcr/Abl disclosed an alternative aspect of regulation. Independent of the MAPK cascade, Abl kinases were able to regulate the cellular amount of ERK5, at least in part, by stabilizing the protein. The resulting level of ERK5 and its intrinsic basal activity, but not necessarily its activation, were essential and sufficient to increase transformation by v‐Abl and to mediate survival of Bcr/Abl‐expressing leukaemia cells. These results suggest that the ability to regulate the cellular abundance of ERK5 contributes to the oncogenic potential of Abl kinases.
Mim1, a protein required for the assembly of the TOM complex of mitochondria
Authors: Waizenegger Thomas , Schmitt Simone , Zivkovic Jelena , Neupert Walter , Rapaport Doron
Published: December 2004

The translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane (TOM complex) is the general entry site for newly synthesized proteins into mitochondria. This complex is essential for the formation and maintenance of mitochondria. Here, we report on the role of the integral outer membrane protein, Mim1 (mitochondrial import), in the biogenesis of mitochondria. Depletion of Mim1 abrogates assembly of the TOM complex and results in accumulation of Tom40, the principal constituent of the TOM complex, as a low‐molecular‐mass species. Like all mitochondrial β‐barrel proteins, the precursor of Tom40 is inserted into the outer membrane by the TOB complex. Mim1 is likely to be required for a step after this TOB‐complex‐mediated insertion. Mim1 is a constituent of neither the TOM complex nor the TOB complex; rather, it seems to be a subunit of another, as yet unidentified, complex. We conclude that Mim1 has a vital and specific function in the assembly of the TOM complex.
Priestley, the furious free thinker of the enlightenment, and Scheele, the taciturn apothecary of Uppsala
Authors: Severinghaus John W.
Published: December 2004

‘The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate’.

Joseph Priestley
The effect of sevoflurane on glutamate release and uptake in rat cerebrocortical presynaptic terminals
Authors: Vinje M. L. , Moe M. C. , Valø E. T. , Berg‐Johnsen J.
Published: December 2004

Background: Volatile anaesthetics exert their effect in the brain mainly by reducing synaptic excitability. Isoflurane abates excitation by reducing the release and increasing the uptake of transmitter glutamate into the presynaptic terminal. The exact molecular mechanisms exerting these effects, however, are not clear. Voltage‐gated calcium channels have been proposed as the pharmacological target. The present study examines the effect of sevoflurane on synaptic glutamate release and free cytosolic calcium and the effect on high‐ and low‐affinity uptake of L‐glutamate using isolated presynaptic terminals prepared from rat cerebral cortex.

Methods: Released glutamate was measured fluorometrically in a spectrophotometer as the fluorescence of NADPH and calcium as the fluorescence of fura‐2. 4‐aminopyridine was used to induce membrane depolarization. Glutamate uptake was measured in a series of different concentrations of L‐glutamate corresponding to the high‐ and the low‐ affinity uptake systems adding a fixed concentration og radiolabelled glutamate. The labelling was measured by counting disintegrations per min in a β‐scintillation counter.

Results: Sevoflurane reduced the calcium‐dependent glutamate release in a dose‐dependent manner as sevoflurane 1.5, 2.5 and 4.0% reduced the release by 58, 69 and 94%, respectively (P<0.05). Membrane depolarization induced an increase in free cytosolic calcium by 25%. Sevoflurane did not affect this increase. Neither the high‐ nor the low‐affinity uptake transporter systems are affected by the anaesthetic.

Conclusion: These results indicate that different volatile anaesthetics may act differently on the presynaptic terminal. The exact modes of action have to be further investigated.
Childhood abuse as a risk factor for psychotic experiences
Authors: Janssen I. , Krabbendam L. , Bak M. , Hanssen M. , Vollebergh W. , de Graaf R. , van Os J.
Published: December 2004

Objective: To examine the hypothesis that individuals from the general population who report childhood abuse are at increased risk of developing positive psychotic symptoms.

Method: Data were derived from a general population sample of 4045 subjects aged 18–64 years. First ever onset of positive psychotic symptoms at 2‐year follow‐up were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and additional clinical interviews if necessary. Childhood abuse was assessed at baseline.

Results: Baseline reported childhood abuse predicted development of positive psychotic symptoms associated with need for care [odds ratio (OR) = 11.5, 95% CI 2.6–51.6]. This association remained after adjustment for demographic variables, reported risk factors and presence of any lifetime psychiatric diagnosis at baseline (OR = 7.3, 95% CI 1.1–49.0).

Conclusion: The results suggest that early childhood trauma increases the risk for positive psychotic symptoms. This finding fits well with recent models that suggest that early adversities may lead to psychological and biological changes that increase psychosis vulnerability.
Determinants of quality of life in first‐episode psychosis
Authors: Malla A. K. , Norman R. M. G. , McLean T. S. , MacDonald C. , McIntosh E. , Dean‐Lashley F. , Lynch J. , Scholten D. , Ahmed R.
Published: December 2004

Objective: To assess patient and/or illness characteristics associated with aspects of quality of life (QOL) in first‐episode psychosis (FEP).

Method: Patient characteristics, symptom ratings and Wisconsin QOL scale (client version) were assessed. Data were analysed with correlation coefficients and a hierarchical regression analysis.

Results: Patients presented with varying levels of QOL on different domains. The level of ‘general satisfaction’ was related to age of onset and social premorbid adjustment; ‘weighted index of QOL’ to social premorbid adjustment and inversely to educational premorbid adjustment; ‘social relations’ inversely to duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), length of prodrome and negative symptoms; ‘psychological well‐being’ inversely to depression and educational premorbid adjustment; ‘activities of daily living’ to social premorbid adjustment and inversely to negative symptoms; and ‘outlook on symptoms’ to level of depression.

Conclusion: Domains of self‐rated QOL in FEP patients are differentially associated with malleable and non‐malleable aspects of patient and illness characteristics.
Time patterns and seasonal mismatch in suicide
Authors: Partonen T. , Haukka J. , Pirkola S. , Isometsä E. , Lönnqvist J.
Published: December 2004

Objective:  Physical time‐givers may have a modifying effect on the time patterns of death from suicide.

Method:  Data on a total of 1397 suicides in Finland over a year were collected using the method of psychological autopsy. We linked versatile information on each individual to meteorological data adjusted for local weather conditions, and to the universal astronomic data.

Results:  The number of suicides with seasonal mismatch was greater than the expected in the northernmost region of the country (P = 0.03). The northern location was the most significant predictor of such suicides (P = 0.001). They were associated with the changes in ambient temperature during the preceding day (P < 0.00001), the changes to colder preceding suicides in the spring.

Conclusion:  Our findings show that mismatch between the changes in ambient temperature and those in the length of day may precede death from suicide in some individuals.