bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Getting to Know Me in Theory and Practice: Negotiated Truth and Mourning in Autobiographically Based Fiction (J. G. Ballard, Virginia Woolf, Katherine Mansfield, Jack Kerouac, Louisa May Alcott and me)
Authors: Jensen Meg
Published: December 2011

Despite recent controversies over ‘faked’ memoirs, most readers of life writing continue to trust in the autobiographical pact: they believe that memoirs are a source of personal truth, a writer’s outlet for laying bare the past. But some argue that the codes and conventions of memoir inscribe a distance between self and subject. Before writers are able to tell the truth to their readers, moreover, they have to confront and process that truth themselves over and over again. Writers of autobiographically based fiction (or autofiction, autobiografiction) have long known that the work of truth‐telling must start well before publication: the practice of writing in this form demands repeated self‐revelation and intimacy with the truth of one’s own life history in a way that memoir may not. In this essay, I embrace the self‐reflective methodologies of life‐writing practice in order to identify and interrogate the ways in which writers of autobiographically based fiction, including myself, process the truth of their pasts in order to reanimate and rewrite that past via a variety of imagined potentialities. I use a self‐reflective analysis of the trajectory of truth‐telling in my own writing over time and then turn to examine the work of J. G. Ballard, Virginia Woolf, Katherine Mansfield, Jack Kerouac, and Louisa May Alcott using the revelations in their life writings to produce alternative readings of their fictions. By doing so, I will propose a practical tool for examining that most elusive textual artefact: the writer’s imagination. While the life writing of these writers reveal a single, nominalist, reading of the facts of their lives, that is, their novels demonstrate the power of fiction to unfold hidden potentialities, and further, multiplying facets of truth around those facts. I hope to demonstrate, moreover, the usefulness of the practice‐based insights that life writing practitioners can bring to textual analysis as I examine the process of writing autobiographically based fiction from the inside out.
Autobiography, Anthropomorphism, and the Science Writer: The Case of Loren Eiseley
Authors: Boardman Kathleen A.
Published: December 2011

Scientist‐memoirists, especially those who study animal behavior or evolutionary science, face a particular challenge: if they do not avoid expressing strongly felt connections with non‐human animals, they risk being accused of anthropomorphism: the imposition of human characteristics on the non‐human. For American physical anthropologist and science writer Loren Eiseley (1907–1977), strictures against anthropomorphism – particularly strong during the mid‐20th century, his most productive period – resulted in tensions that influenced not only his essays about science but also his representation of his own identity in his autobiographical writing. Rather than edit out all references to human–animal connection, Eiseley claims anthropomorphism as a strategic choice in the interpretation of the natural world: in exploring the possibility of shared characteristics, we do not just impose human traits onto other animals; instead, we may see qualities in animals that we then recognize in ourselves. Recent discussions (among cognitive ethnologists, linguists, and others) of the uses of anthropomorphism give serious attention to this and similar viewpoints. However, Eiseley’s references to animal‐human connections – even in his autobiography – tend to be defensive, resulting in a self‐representation that is alternately argumentative and elusive.
A Life as a Work of Art: W. Somerset Maugham’s Intimate Publics
Authors: Holden Philip
Published: December 2011

Since his death in 1965, the British writer W. Somerset Maugham has been the subject of numerous memoirs as well as four substantial biographies. Maugham’s long life intersected with many of the central concerns of global modernity in the late 19th and the first half of the 20th century: changing gender roles, the disintegration of colonial empires, a new identity politics of sexuality and changing media technologies. Maugham was notably reticent about his personal life, prohibiting the publication of his letters and asking friends to destroy them, and producing a number of autobiographical works that conceal much more than they reveal. At the same time, he cultivated the image and the lifestyle of a celebrity author. Maugham’s fiction – into which the author himself often intrudes as a named character or in thin disguise – remains widely read but the subject of little scholarly attention. This paper, making use of contemporary insights in auto/biography studies regarding the connection between life writing and the construction of selfhood, explores the paradox of a fictional oeuvre that, through a series of dense intertextual connections continually re‐iterates and re‐members the fragments of experience. In parallel to their attempts to conceal, Maugham’s fictional and non‐fictional texts construct an intimate public persona for his readers, a persona that then takes on an extra‐textual life.
Speaking in ‘I’: The Interface of Theory and Autobiography in Nicole Brossard’s Life Writing
Authors: Karpinski Eva C.
Published: December 2011

Nicole Brossard’s ‘fiction theory’, that is, her language‐focused, experimental prose and poetry, has influenced feminist writing in Quebec and English Canada. This article examines Brossard’s inscriptions of radical lesbian subjectivity at the interface of theory and autobiography, focusing on two texts from the mid‐1980s, which can be classified as life writing. By examining The Aerial Letter and Intimate Journal side by side, the author compares different uses and functions of the autobiographical ‘I’ in the service of theory‐making. The Aerial Letter reveals the collective, politicized ‘I’ that assumes an anti‐patriarchal stance working towards establishing a women’s community. On the other hand, Intimate Journal exposes ‘I’ as a fiction of the autobiographical subject displaced between the phenomenological, living body and the published ‘version’ of this body in writing. While remaining loyal to a feminist politics of the personal as political, Brossard’s écriture au féminin explores the subject as fractured and refracted in discourse.
Identification and functional characterization of a primate‐specific E2F1 binding motif regulating MCPH1 expression
Authors: Shi Lei , Su Bing
Published: December 2011

MCPH1 (also named BRIT1) is one of the known genes responsible for autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (small head syndrome), suggesting its important role in brain development. The interaction of MCPH1 with transcriptional factors like E2F1 is required for the activation of cell cycle checkpoint, DNA repair and apoptosis. However, the molecular mechanism of MCPH1 regulation is currently unclear. Here, we cloned the human MCPH1 promoter and we identified a novel E2F1 binding motif located in the proximal promoter region of MCPH1. The experiments using electrophoretic mobility shift and promoter assays showed that E2F1 could stimulate MCPH1 transcription by direct binding to the E2F1 motif. Overexpression of E2F1 led to the upregulation of MCPH1 transcription, and knocking down the endogenous E2F1 resulted in the inhibition of the MCPH1 promoter activity. Surprisingly, sequence comparison of vertebrate species suggested that the identified E2F1 binding motif is primate specific, consistent with the previous observation of rapid evolution of MCPH1 protein sequence in primates. We propose that during primate evolution MCPH1 has acquired a novel E2F1 binding motif in its promoter which may act as a parallel mechanism, acting together with the rapid protein sequence changes in primates, and eventually contributed to brain enlargement during primate evolution and human origin.

Database

The MCPH1 promoter region was sequenced in human, chimpanzee and rhesus macaque. Nucleotide sequence data are available in the GenBank database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank/) under accession numbers JN573214, JN573215 and JN573216
HLA alleles and drug hypersensitivity reactions
Authors: Profaizer T. , Eckels D.
Published: December 2011

The human leucocyte antigen (HLA) system is well known for its association with certain diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis, celiac disease and many others. More recently, severe and even fatal drug hypersensitivity reactions linked to particular HLA alleles have been discovered. The significance of these discoveries has led the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and its member state agencies to recommend HLA gene testing before initiation of drug treatment. To date, the following drugs have been identified as causing significant drug hypersensitivity reactions in patients who have the following HLA alleles: abacavir and HLA‐B*57:01, carbamazepine and HLA‐B*15:02/A*31:01 and finally allopurinol and HLA‐B*58:01. This review will outline and discuss these three drugs and their associated HLA alleles as well as examine the pathogenesis of the drug hypersensitivity reactions.
Synthesis and Biodistribution of a New 99mTc‐oxo Complex with Deoxyglucose Dithiocarbamate for Tumor Imaging
Authors: Lin Xiao , Jin Zhonghui , Ren Jialei , Pang Yan , Zhang Weifang , Huo Jinfeng , Wang Xuebin , Zhang Junbo , Zhang Yanyan
Published: December 2011

The deoxyglucose dithiocarbamate (DGDTC) was radiolabeled with 99mTc(V)‐glucoheptonate (GH), for the potential use as radiopharmaceuticals for tumor imaging. For labeling, 99mTcO‐DGDTC was prepared by ligand‐exchange reaction with 99mTc‐GH. The radiochemical purity of the 99mTcO‐DGDTC complex was over 90% by thin‐layer chromatography and high‐performance liquid chromatography, without any notable decomposition at room temperature over a period of 6 h. Its partition coefficient indicated that it was a hydrophilic complex. The ligand‐exchange reaction occured at neutral condition and under 100 °C for 15 min to achieve high radiochemical purity. In vitro cell studies showed there was an increase in the uptake of 99mTcO‐DGDTC as a function of incubation time and the cellular uptake of 99mTcO‐DGDTC was possibly mediated by way of a d‐glucose mechanism. The biodistribution of 99mTcO‐DGDTC in mice bearing S 180 tumor showed that the complex accumulated in the tumor with good uptake and excellent retention. As compared with other reported 99mTc radiolabeled glucose derivatives, 99mTcO‐DGDTC showed the highest tumor uptake and good tumor/muscle ratios. The tumor/muscle ratio of 99mTcO‐DGDTC uptake was higher than that of [18F] FDG uptake. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) image studies showed there was a visible accumulation in tumor sites, suggesting 99mTcO‐DGDTC would be a promising candidate for tumor imaging.
Comparative neuropsychology of adult obsessive‐compulsive disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Implications for a novel executive overload model of OCD
Authors: Abramovitch Amitai , Dar Reuven , Hermesh Haggai , Schweiger Avraham
Published: December 2011

Research implicates frontostriatal pathophysiology in both attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD). Nevertheless, ADHD is characterized with frontostriatal hypoactivity and OCD with hyperactivity. Furthermore, both disorders seem to lie on opposite ends of a clinical impulsive‐compulsive continuum. While never having directly been compared, and despite these differences, OCD and ADHD appear to share similar neuropsychological impairments especially in executive functions. This study aimed at comparing adults with OCD and adults with ADHD on neuropsychological measures and behavioural impulsivity and OC measures. Thirty OCD, 30 ADHD, and 30 matched healthy control (HC) participants were administered a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and completed several questionnaires. The groups were compared on all neuropsychological and clinical measures and correlations between neuropsychological and clinical symptoms were computed. The ADHD and OCD groups performed more poorly than HC on all neuropsychological domains and most domain subtests. The ADHD group reported significantly higher impulsivity than the OCD group. OCD patients did not differ from HC on behavioural impulsivity. A unique dissociation was found between impulsivity and response inhibition where both clinical groups showed similar response inhibition deficit, but differed significantly on impulsivity. Moreover, a negative association between OC symptoms and response inhibition and a bias in self‐perception of impulsivity was found only in the OCD group. We propose an executive overload model of OCD that views neuropsychological impairments in OCD as an epiphenomenon, according to which continuous attempts to control automatic processes are associated with obsessive thoughts overflow that causes an overload on the executive system.
Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Acidic Calcium Sulfate (Vitoxal) on Growth, Survival, Immune Response and Gut Microbiota of the Pacific White Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei
Authors: Anuta J. Davies , Buentello Alejandro , Patnaik Susmita , Lawrence Addison L. , Mustafa Ahmed , Hume Michael E. , Gatlin Delbert M. , Kemp Maurice C.
Published: December 2011

Dietary acidifiers have been recognized as beneficial in animal production including aquacultural production of fish where they confer such benefits as improved feed utilization, growth, and resistance to bacterial pathogens. If improvements in growth and immune responses by acidifier supplementation can be confirmed in shrimp, then mortalities due to diseases could be minimized, limiting the emergence of disease‐resistant bacterial pathogens as a potential result of antibiotic misuse. With this in mind, a 35‐d feeding trial was conducted to evaluate growth, enteric microbiota populations, and nonspecific immune responses of Litopenaeus vannamei fed diets containing the commercial acidifier Vitoxal, based on acidic calcium sulfate in an indoor temperature‐controlled, recirculating culture system without any natural productivity. Experimental diets were formulated to contain 0 (basal), 0.4, 1.2, 1.6, or 2.0% acidic calcium sulfate (ACS) by weight. Shrimp fed in excess, 15 times a day using automatic feeders. Weight gain and survival among treatments were excellent, but not significantly different (P > 0.05). Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that the enteric microbial community of shrimp fed the basal diet differed markedly from those fed the acidifier on the basis of 64.9% similarity coefficient. Shrimp fed the commercial acidifier at 1.2 and 2.0% responded significantly (P < 0.05) better to reduced stress and displayed enhanced immune responses including hemocyte phagocytic capacity, hemolymph protein concentration, hyaline cell counts, and hemolymph glucose, compared with shrimp fed the basal diet. These results point to an enhanced performance in terms of positive shifts in the composition of enteric microbial communities as well as improved immune performance, with no changes in growth or survival.
Effect of Temperature on Growth and Survival in Cultured Early Juvenile Pot‐bellied Seahorses, Hippocampus abdominalis
Authors: Martinez‐Cardenas Leonardo , Purser G. John
Published: December 2011

In Tasmania, Australia, commercial seahorse culture takes place in tank systems in which approximately 75% of the water is exchanged daily from the Tamar River estuary. As such, some water conditions such as temperature fluctuate on a daily and seasonal basis. The aim of this study was to examine the effect on growth, condition, survival of, and Artemia ingestion by, early juvenile seahorses, Hippocampus abdominalis, cultured for 6 wk at temperatures within the species' natural range (8–24 C) and above it (26 C). Seahorses cultured at 20 C were longer and heavier than those at 17 C, although not significantly different to 23 C. There were no differences in survival or Artemia ingestion of juveniles cultured at 17, 20, and 23 C. At 26 C, 100% mortality was reached on Day 15. This study demonstrates that H. abdominalis can be reared in captivity at a range of 17–23 C in early life stages without compromising growth and survival.
Possible Potassium and Magnesium Limitations for Shrimp Survival and Production in Low‐Salinity, Pond Waters in Thailand
Authors: Wudtisin Idsariya , Boyd Claude E.
Published: December 2011

Low‐salinity waters of inland shrimp ponds in Nakhon Nayok, Chachoengsao, Prachin Buri, and Samut Sakhon Provinces of Thailand often had concentrations of potassium and magnesium below those expected for normal seawater diluted to the same salinity. However, in Samut Sakhon Province – where the sampling area was nearer the coast – ponds typically had higher concentrations of these two cations than did ponds in the other three provinces. Studies of inland, shrimp ponds at Banglane in Nakhon Pathom Province revealed that magnesium additions to maintain a target concentration near 100 mg/L resulted in greater (P < 0.05) shrimp survival, size, and production than obtained in control ponds. Although potassium additions to ponds (75 mg/L target concentration) did not improve shrimp survival or production, the control ponds had potassium concentration higher than those previously reported for ponds in Alabama where potassium treatment was highly beneficial to shrimp survival and production. A study conducted using laboratory, soil‐water systems with soil from one site did not remove potassium and magnesium from the water, while soil from two other sites removed potassium and magnesium from water – but at different rates.
Use of Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, Pituitary as a Spawning Aid: Influence of Seasons and Preparations on Efficacy
Authors: Green Christopher C. , Yant D. Roger
Published: December 2011

Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, pituitary powder (CP) was prepared and administered to determine the effect of pituitary preparation, head selection criteria, and season of collection on the biological potency of this gonadotropic preparation. Pituitaries were harvested from three catfish processing plants throughout the months of December, February, March, and April to investigate the effect of season on CP potency. Gravid female channel catfish were injected intraperitoneally (IP) with priming (2 mg/kg) and resolving doses (8 mg/kg) of CP treatments, luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone analog (LHRHa), or saline. Pharmaceutical grade Carbopol 971P resin (CAR) was tested as a 1% aqueous dispersion in physiological saline and administered with CP (10 mg/kg) as a IP single injection at a final volume of 2 mL per kg as a slow‐release vehicle. Individual females were hand‐stripped, and eggs were fertilized with freshly harvested blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, spermatozoa. Pituitaries processed with either acetone or ethanol/acetone resulted in significantly different ovulation rates of 35 and 73%, respectively (P≤ 0.01). Ovulation success was not significantly different among CP and LHRHa treatment groups. Ovulation rates were not significantly different among treatment groups of CP collected in April (74%) or December (67%), or collected from male (69%), or small individuals (55%). The shortest latency period among CP treatment was from CP collected in December and from males at 39.1 ± 0.7 and 38.5 ± 0.4 h, respectively. The CAR vehicle treatment performed poorly resulting in an average ovulation rate of 19.0%, with 3.3% viable embryos at 36 h post‐fertilization. Pituitaries collected from channel catfish potentially represent a viable spawning aid for the production of hybrid channel × blue catfish.
Bacterial Change in the Gut and Hepatopancreas of Tiger Shrimp Reared in Bioaugmented System
Authors: Janeo Rosy L. , Corre Valeriano L.
Published: December 2011

The study was conducted in nine 150‐L capacity glass aquaria for 192 h to determine the changes in the microflora in the gut and hepatopancreas of tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, after bioaugmenting (water treatment and probiotics). Results showed that luminous bacterial counts were significantly lower in bioaugmented than in nonbioaugmented systems (range 0–5.9 × 103 cfu/g and 0–3.2 × 103 cfu/g in gut and hepatopancreas, respectively). Biochemical tests of isolates showed that the bioaugmented systems were dominated by Gram‐positive Bacillus and Streptococcus and the Gram‐negative Vibrio dominated the control. In water‐treated and probiotics‐fed bioaugmented system, the change in bacterial dominance to Bacillus became evident 2 h in the gut and 24 h in the hepatopancreas. Bacterial dominance shifted to Vibrio species after 120 h. Shrimp in the control were observed to become lethargic after 72 h as Vibrio species significantly increased in number. Dissolved oxygen and unionized ammonia levels were significantly lower in bioaugmented system compared with the control.
Mormonism and its Historians: The State of the Field
Authors: Bowman Matthew
Published: December 2011

This article introduces the history of the Mormon tradition – those churches which claim to descend from Joseph Smith – as well as, concurrently, the main currents of scholarship on Smith and Mormonism. It particularly focuses on the tensions between Mormon ecclesiastical leadership and scholars of Mormonism over the ownership of the past of a faith tradition very dependent upon a sacred history. Relatedly, it also discusses the broadening of Mormon scholarship from the first devotional histories produced during Smith’s own lifetime through the so‐called New Mormon History of the middle 20th century to the recent surge of interest in interdisciplinary studies of Mormonism.
Swords into Ploughshares? Ante‐Nicene Christianity and the Ethics of Political Violence
Authors: Gorry Jonathan
Published: December 2011

Christian attitudes to power, politics, and violence have been complex and multifaceted for over two thousand years. On the one hand, the idea that all warfare is unjust might well originate with Christianity and its teachings; on the other hand, it is true that the Church’s policies have been sufficiently flexible for Christianity to become the great crusader religion. In this context there is a contrast in thinking between what Christianity was once presumed to be and what it became but perhaps ought not to be. It is traditionally accepted that during the Ante‐Nicene Period (approximately its first three centuries) the Church was essentially pacifist before it was ‘militarised’ by Constantine’s unification of temporal and spiritual power in the early fourth century. The basic purpose of this review is to give a sense of the beliefs of Ante‐Nicene Christianity, to test the historical validity of exemplary but competing claims, and by so doing expose and unpack the quintessential normative character of the debate.
Democracy, Difference, and Reconstruction: Religion, Theology, and the Spirit of Pragmatism
Authors: Neal Ronald
Published: December 2011

This essay is an outline of the most salient themes in American pragmatism. It seeks to flesh out those themes in relation to theology and religion. In doing so it stresses the reconstructive and democratic character of pragmatic thought and the manner in which they are expressed through a variety of pragmatic voices. This essay provides a general sketch of the origins and development of American pragmatism. It offers an overview of the pragmatic worldview. It identifies select representatives and expressions of pragmatic thinking. And it lays out the enduring challenges to pragmatism as a philosophical disposition and ethical practice. Overall, this essay offers a broad survey of pragmatic thinking since its emergence after the Civil War. It stresses the significant shifts which it has undertaken during in its short history. By giving attention to matters of race, religious pluralism, and changing contexts, this essay treats pragmatism as an intellectual and ethical impulse that is committed to human progress. Democracy, difference, and reconstruction are at the center of its efforts to improve our world.
Effect of an Oxygen Scavenger on the Stability of Preservative‐Free Flour Tortillas
Authors: Antunez Priscilla D. , Botero Omary María , Rosentrater Kurt A. , Pascall Melvin , Winstone Lauren
Published: December 2011

Abstract:  Along with purge and moisture control, oxygen scavenging is a prominent active packaging technology employed by many food processors. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of an oxygen scavenger system (OSS) on the shelf life of preservative‐free tortillas stored at varying storage conditions. The shelf life of the tortillas was evaluated at accelerated storage (AS; 37 °C, 75% relative humidity [rh]), room temperature (RT; 22 °C, 57% rh), and refrigeration (R; 4 °C, 42% rh) conditions. The OSS consisted of a multilayer, coextruded bag paired with an oxygen scavenger sachet. A resealable bag made of low‐density polyethylene/linear low‐density polyethylene was used as a control. The diameter, thickness, CIELab color, water activity, pH, texture, and microbial growth within the sample tortillas were measured before and after exposure to the storage conditions. The results showed that the OSS had superiority when compared to the control. The weight and thickness under RT remained unchanged, while lightness was superior to the control under R conditions. Under AS, gradient remained constant, and force followed the same pattern under RT and R conditions. At the same time, microbial growth as measured by aerobic plate count and yeast and molds showed no changes under both AS and RT conditions. Future studies will investigate the effect of a faster acting oxygen scavenger on shelf life of this type of tortillas.

Practical Application:  The results of this study show promise for the use of oxygen scavenging technology in the packaging of natural and preservative‐free tortillas.
The Association between Perceived Sweetness Intensity and Dietary Intake in Young Adults
Authors: Cicerale Sara , Riddell Lynnette J. , Keast Russell S.J.
Published: December 2011

Abstract:  Individual differences in taste perception may influence dietary habits, nutritional status, and ultimately nutrition‐related chronic disease risk. Individual differences in sweetness intensity perception and the relationship between perceived sweetness intensity, food behaviors, and dietary intake was investigated in 85 adults. Subjects (body mass index [BMI]= 21 ± 3, 21 ± 4 y) completed a food and diet questionnaire, food variety survey, 2 24‐h food records, and a perceived sweetness intensity measurement using the general labeled magnitude scale (gLMS). There was interindividual variation in perceived sweetness intensity (0 to 34 gLMS units, mean 10 ± 7). One‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no difference between perceived sweetness intensity and degree of importance placed on not adding sugar to tea or coffee (P = 0.2) and the degree of importance placed on avoiding sugar‐sweetened or fizzy drinks (P = 1.0). Independent t‐test analysis revealed no significant association between perceived sweetness intensity and the food variety measure for sugar and confectionary intake (P = 0.6) and selected fruit and vegetable intake (P = 0.1 to 0.9). One‐way ANOVA also demonstrated no difference between tertiles of sweetness intensity and BMI (P = 0.1), age (P = 0.3), and food variety score (P = 0.5). No correlation was observed with regards to perceived sweetness intensity and mean total energy (kJ) intake (r = 0.05, P = 0.7), percent energy from total fat, saturated fat, protein, carbohydrate, and grams of fiber (r =–0.1 to 0.1, P = 0.2 to 0.8) and also for intake of the micronutrients: folate, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc (r = 0.1 to 0.2, P = 0.1 to 0.4). Only modest correlations were observed between sodium (r = 0.3, P < 0.05), vitamin C (r = 0.3, P < 0.05), and potassium (r = 0.2, P < 0.0) intake and perceived sweetness intensity. Overall, perceived sweetness intensity does not appear to play a role in food behaviors relating to sugar consumption and dietary intake in adults.
Influence of Nutritional Knowledge on the Use and Interpretation of Spanish Nutritional Food Labels
Authors: Carrillo E. , Varela P. , Fiszman S.
Published: December 2011

Abstract:  The present study analyzed the nutritional knowledge of Spanish consumers and its relationship with the correct use of food labels. Consumers were asked about their nutritional knowledge and some functional foods and about their understanding of food labeling and their use of it to select healthy food. A 2‐part questionnaire was employed. The 1st part concerned their knowledge of nutritional facts, including their knowledge about macronutrients and perception of certain functional foods, while the 2nd part addressed some questions regarding food labels. The results revealed no statistically significant differences in nutritional knowledge by either age or gender, but a direct relationship with educational level. The association between nutritional knowledge and the perception and understanding of food labeling showed that the nutritional label rarely influenced the food purchases of the group with low nutritional knowledge, who considered that this information was too technical. More than half of the consumers did not consider the calorie or sugar content important for selecting food. In addition, the group with low nutritional knowledge stated that they never or rarely looked at the food labels to check whether it was low‐fat food that they were buying.

Practical Application:  Knowing the status of the consumer's nutritional knowledge allows health campaigns to be designed; considering the influence of cultural factors and the perception of food labeling is very useful for promoting better nutritional information.
Analysis of Protein Fractions and Some Minerals Present in Chan (Hyptis suaveolens L.) Seeds
Authors: Aguirre Cesar , Torres Iovanna , Mendoza‐Hernández Guillermo , Garcia‐Gasca Teresa , Blanco‐Labra Alejandro
Published: December 2011

Abstract:  Chan (Hyptis suaveolens L.) seeds have been used as food as well as in traditional medicine in several countries of America, Asia and Africa. Chan seed protein content was 13.9% on dry weight basis. Analysis of its protein composition showed 39% globulins, 36% glutelins, 24% albumins, and 1% prolamins. By defatting the flour with chloroform/methanol, it increased the extracted proteins and improved the protein band resolution after SDS‐PAGE, showing 5 albumin bands, 8 globulin bands, and 2 prolamin and glutelin bands. The aromatic amino acid content in chan seeds is higher than those of other grains including maize, with good levels of branched chain amino acids. In general, except for lysine, it has a well‐balanced amino acid composition, providing a good supply of almost all the essential amino acids for the different age groups. Magnesium content was high, whereas calcium, potassium, and phosphorous were in the average range when compared to barley, oat, rice, and wheat. The present results indicate that seeds from the chan plant could be relevant because of their nutritional properties and they have the potential to be widely used in the production of high‐quality food.

Practical Application:  Chan seeds are presently used in a very limited manner as a food source; however, considering their high quality composition, they have the potential for a more extended use in the food industry.
Effects of Copper on the Post Acidification of Fermented Milk by St. thermophilus
Authors: Han Xue , Zhang Lanwei , Du Ming , Yi Huaxi , Li Jingyan , Zhang Lili
Published: December 2011

Abstract:  As an initial investigation of using Cu2+ to control post acidification, the fermentation time, pH and the viable counts of bacteria of fermented milk during fermentation and storage were studied. Streptococcus thermophilus was used as the starter culture to ferment the whole milk. Cu2+ was added to whole milk at a concentration ranging from 1.25 to 20 mg/kg before fermentation. It was observed that increasing the concentration of Cu2+, the fermentation time of yoghurt was prolonged, while the post acidification of fermented milk was decreased during storage. The results showed that Cu2+ at the concentration of 1.25 mg/kg could reduce the post acidification of fermented milk effectively and showed no significant effect on neither the fermentation time nor the viable counts of S. thermophilus (P > 0.05) compared with the control sample. These findings indicated that Cu2+ could be used as a potential additive to inhibit the post acidification of yoghurt.

Practical Application:  Adding copper to milk has an effect on fermented milk products such as yoghurt. Increasing the concentration of Cu2+ decreased the post acidification of fermented milk. The fermentation time is prolonged with the increase of Cu2+ concentration. Cu2+ at 1.25 mg/kg exhibited inhibition on post acidification and had no significant effect on fermentation time and the viable counts of fermented milk.
Heat and pH Stability of Alkali‐Extractable Corn Arabinoxylan and Its Xylanase‐Hydrolyzate and Their Viscosity Behavior
Authors: Rumpagaporn Pinthip , Kaur Amandeep , Campanella Osvaldo H. , Patterson John A. , Hamaker Bruce R.
Published: December 2011

Abstract:  In in vitro batch fermentations, both alkali‐extractable corn arabinoxylan (CAX) and its xylanase‐hydrolyzate (CH) were utilized by human fecal microbiota and produced similar short chain fatty acid (SCFA) contents and desirable long fermentation profiles with low initial gas production. Fortification of these arabinoxylans into processed foods would contribute desirable dietary fiber benefits to humans. Heat and pH stability, as well as viscosity behavior of CAX and CH were investigated. Size exclusion chromatography was used to analyze the molecular size distribution after treatment at different pH's and heating temperatures for different time periods. Treated under boiling and pressure cooking conditions at pH 3, CAX was degraded to a smaller molecular size, whereas the molecular size of the CH showed only a minor decrease. CAX and CH were mostly stable at neutral pH, except when CAX was treated under pressure for 60 min that slightly lowered molecular size. At 37 °C, neither CAX nor CH was adversely affected by treatment at low or neutral pH. The viscosities of solutions containing 5% and 10% of CAX were 48.7 and 637.0 mPa.s, respectively that were higher than those of solutions containing 5% and 10% of its hydrolyzate at shear rate 1 s−1. The CAX solutions showed Newtonian flow behavior, whereas shear‐thinning behavior was observed in CH solutions. In conclusion, the hydrolyzate of CAX has potential to be used in high fiber drinks due to its favorable fermentation properties, higher pH and heat stability, lower and shear‐thinning viscosity, and lighter color than the native CAX.

Practical Application:  Arabinoxylan extracted by an alkali from corn bran is a soluble fiber with a desirable low initial and extended fermentation property. Corn arabinoxylan hydrolyzate using an endoxylanase was much more stable at different levels of acidity and heat than the native arabinoxylan, and showed lower solution viscosity and shear‐thinning property that indicates its potential as an alternative functional dietary fiber for the beverage industry.
Evaluation of Overhead Spray‐Applied Sanitizers for the Reduction of Salmonella on Tomato Surfaces
Authors: Chang Alexandra S. , Schneider Keith R.
Published: December 2011

Abstract:  Efficacy of sanitizers in an overhead spray and brush roller system was examined for reducing Salmonella on unwaxed, mature green tomatoes. Surface inoculated tomatoes were treated in the overhead spray system for 5, 15, 30, and 60 s. A sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) study tested NaOCl (25, 50, and 100 mg/L) against a water control. A sanitizer study examined NaOCl (100 mg/L), chlorine dioxide (ClO2; 5 mg/L), peroxyacetic acid (PAA; 80 mg/L), and water. The overhead spray system was also compared to a scale‐model flume. All NaOCl concentrations were significantly more effective at removing Salmonella than water and achieved at least a 3‐log10 CFU/mL reduction at different treatment times (P < 0.05). NaOCl (100 mg/L) achieved a 4 ± 1.8 log10 CFU/mL reduction at 15 s. In the sanitizer study, NaOCl, ClO2, and PAA achieved at least a 3‐log10 CFU/mL reduction at 15 s and between 3.9 and 5.5 log10 CFU/mL reductions at 30 to 60 s. NaOCl (100 mg/L) in the overhead spray system significantly reduced more Salmonella than in the flume at 15 to 60 s. NaOCl flume treatment only reached a 1.3 ± 1.1 log10 CFU/mL reduction at 15 s. Results of this study demonstrate the ability of sanitizers in the laboratory model overhead spray system to reduce Salmonella on tomato surfaces. An overhead spray system could be implemented instead of flumes to achieve higher pathogen reduction with less water and sanitizer use, thereby lowering packing costs.

Practical Application:  The use of a non‐recirculating, overhead spray brush roller system could offer a cost effective and efficacious way of washing tomatoes. The use large communal dump tanks in tomato processing has been suspected as a source of contamination in the tomato processing process. If effective, the brush roller system could augment or possible replace currently used dump tanks.
Determination of Trace Nickel in Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil by Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry after Microwave‐Assisted Digestion
Authors: Zhang Gai
Published: December 2011

Abstract:  Microwave digestion of hydrogenated cottonseed oil prior to trace nickel determination by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) is proposed here for the first time. Currently, the methods outlined in U.S. Pharmacopeia 28 (USP28) or British Pharmacopeia (BP2003) are recommended as the official methods for analyzing nickel in hydrogenated cottonseed oil. With these methods the samples may be pre‐treated by a silica or a platinum crucible. However, the samples were easily tarnished during sample pretreatment when using a silica crucible. In contrast, when using a platinum crucible, hydrogenated cottonseed oil acting as a reducing material may react with the platinum and destroy the crucible. The proposed microwave‐assisted digestion avoided tarnishing of sample in the process of sample pretreatment and also reduced the cycle of analysis. The programs of microwave digestion and the parameters of ETAAS were optimized. The accuracy of the proposed method was investigated by analyzing real samples. The results were compared with the ones by pressurized‐PTFE‐bomb acid digestion and ones obtained by the U.S. Pharmacopeia 28 (USP28) method. The new method involves a relatively rapid matrix destruction technique compared with other present methods for the quantification of metals in oil.
Octarepeat peptides of prion are essential for multidrug resistance in gastric cancer cells
Authors: WANG Ji Heng , DU Jing Ping , LI Shu Jun , ZHAI Li Ping , YANG Xin Yan , WANG Zhi Hong , WU Zi Tao , HAN Ying
Published: December 2011

OBJECTIVE:  In previous studies cellular prion protein (PrPc) is confirmed to be involved in multidrug resistance (MDR) of gastric cancer. Although octarepeat peptides are important functional domains of PrPc and are closely related to the transport of Cu2+/Zn2+ and antioxidative function, the significance in MDR remains unknown. We aimed to investigate the role of octarepeat peptides in gastric cancer MDR.

METHODS:  Small interfering RNA (siRNA) against PrPc were transfected into adriamycin‐resistant gastric cancer cell lines to inhibit the expression of wild type PrPc, and then constructs encoding PrPc without octarepeat peptides and PrPc without the fifth repeat peptide were transfected, respectively, to establish the cell models. In vitro drug sensitivity, cell apoptosis, measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) and glutathione (GSH), as well as changes in glutathione S‐transferase (GST) were detected.

RESULTS:  In vitro drug sensitivity test showed that octarepeat peptides could modulate the drug resistance of gastric cancer cells, but the deletion of the fifth repeat peptide had no effect. Specifically, the anti‐apoptotic capacity of gastric cancer cells decreased significantly when the octarepeat peptides of PrPc was absent. Moreover, the activities of total SOD, Cu2+/Zn2+‐SOD, GSH‐Px, GSH, and GST detected in different stressing periods revealed that cells lacking octarepeat peptides of PrPc exhibited weakened responses to stress. However, absence of the fifth repeat peptide did not exert any effect on stress response.

CONCLUSION:  The octarepeat peptides of prion is responsible for MDR in gastric cancer cells while the fifth repeat peptide is not.
Social Baseline Theory: The Role of Social Proximity in Emotion and Economy of Action
Authors: Beckes Lane , Coan James A.
Published: December 2011

Social proximity and interaction attenuate cardiovascular arousal, facilitate the development of nonanxious temperament, inhibit the release of stress hormones, reduce threat‐related neural activation, and generally promote health and longevity. Conversely, social subordination, rejection and isolation are powerful sources of stress and compromised health. Drawing on the biological principle of economy of action, perception/action links, and the brain’s propensity to act as a Bayesian predictor, Social Baseline Theory (SBT) proposes that the primary ecology to which human beings are adapted is one that is rich with other humans. Moreover, SBT suggests that the presence of other people helps individuals to conserve important and often metabolically costly somatic and neural resources through the social regulation of emotion.
Self‐Awareness Part 2: Neuroanatomy and Importance of Inner Speech
Authors: Morin Alain
Published: December 2011

The present review of literature surveys two main issues related to self‐referential processes: (1) Where in the brain are these processes located, and do they correlate with brain areas uniquely specialized in self‐processing? (2) What are the empirical and theoretical links between inner speech and self‐awareness? Although initial neuroimaging attempts tended to favor a right hemispheric view of self‐awareness, more recent work shows that the brain areas which support self‐related processes are located in both hemispheres and are not uniquely activated during self‐reflective tasks. Furthermore, self‐awareness at least partially relies on internal speech. An activation of Broca’s area (which is known to sustain inner speech) is observed in a significant number of brain‐imaging studies of self‐reflection. Loss of inner speech following brain damage produces self‐awareness deficits. Inner speech most likely can internally reproduce social mechanisms leading to self‐awareness. Also, the process of self‐reflection can be seen as being a problem‐solving task, and self‐talk as being a cognitive tool the individual uses to effectively work on the task. It is noted that although a large body of knowledge already exists on self‐awareness, little is known about individual differences in dispositional self‐focus and types of self‐attention (e.g., rumination versus self‐reflection).
Connecting People – Renewing Power Relations? A Research Review on the Use of Mobile Phones
Authors: Kinnunen Taina , Suopajärvi Tiina , Ylipulli Johanna
Published: December 2011

The paper discusses how the power perspective has been considered and discussed in qualitative social studies on the use of mobile phones in practices at home, work and public places. Some themes relevant from the aspect of power negotiations were extrapolated from the reviewed literature: constant availability at home and work, and the mobile phone as a public status symbol in respect to its design and use in space, time, and social surroundings. The review also aims to show how social variables affecting the adoption and use of the mobile phone have so far been analyzed in research. The writers conclude that mobile phones have been interpreted to reproduce and renew traditional power hierarchies. Still, more nuanced research is needed to understand the micro‐mechanisms of power in the socio‐cultural contexts of the use of mobile phones.
Oil price shocks and economic growth in Nigeria: are thresholds important?
Authors: Adeniyi Oluwatosin , Oyinlola Abimbola , Omisakin Olusegun
Published: December 2011

The impact of oil price shocks on the economy has occupied the attention of researchers for almost four decades. Majority of studies support the existence of a negative association, while some recent evidences seem to have popularised the view that outcomes are the artefacts of misspecified functional forms. This study, although similar in spirit to this popular opinion, is, however, distinct in a number of ways. Firstly, unlike most Nigeria‐specific studies, this paper explores alternative measures of oil price shocks, which have been developed and used in the literature with a view to ascertaining the extent to which conclusions about the oil price‐growth association depend on the definition of shocks adopted. More importantly, this, to the best of our knowledge, is a pioneer attempt at introducing threshold effects into the linkage between oil price shocks and output growth in Nigeria. The relatively recent regime‐dependent multivariate threshold autoregressive model, together with the characteristic impulse response functions and forecast error variance decomposition, is adopted in this study. Using quarterly data spanning 1985–2008, a non‐linear model of oil price shocks and economic growth is estimated.

Our main results indicate that oil price shocks do not account for a significant proportion of observed movements in macroeconomic aggregates. This pattern persists despite the introduction of threshold effects. This implied the enclave nature of Nigeria's oil sector with weak linkages. Therefore, the need to spend oil revenue productively is imperative if favourable effect on real output growth is envisaged.
The impact of oil prices on the real exchange rate of the dirham: a case study of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Authors: Al‐mulali Usama , Che Sab Che Normee Binti
Published: December 2011

This study investigated the impact of oil shocks on the real exchange rate of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) dirham. Time series data were used for the period 1977–2007. Through this study, it has been found that a fixed exchange rate to the US dollar is not an appropriate exchange rate regime for the UAE. This is because when the price of oil increases, and with a fixed exchange rate regime, this would lead to rapid growth in gross domestic product and liquidity in the UAE economy. This, in turn, causes domestic prices to increase, and results in high levels of inflation.
Clinical guidelines for diagnosing and managing ocular manifestations in children with mucopolysaccharidosis
Authors: Fahnehjelm Kristina T. , Ashworth Jane L. , Pitz Susanne , Olsson Monica , Törnquist Alba Lucia , Lindahl Päivi , Summers C. Gail
Published: December 2011

The mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of rare lysosomal storage disorders characterized by the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans in several tissues and organs. This accumulation results in an array of clinical manifestations and premature death in severe cases. Ocular problems are very common in children with MPS and may involve the cornea, sclera, trabecular meshwork, retina, optic nerve and also the posterior visual pathways. The aims of this study are to give an overview of ocular problems in MPS and to provide clinical guidelines for paediatric ophthalmologists for early diagnosis and management of ocular manifestations in children with MPS. Diagnostic problems may arise in children with severe corneal clouding, hampering visualization of the fundus. Intraocular pressures may be falsely high, even leading to suspicion and unnecessary pressure‐lowering treatment. Simple interventions such as the use of prescription glasses or photochromatic glasses can considerably improve quality of life in children with MPS.