bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of drawings in children with pervasive developmental disorder during hospitalization: a developmental perspective
Authors: Stefanatou Athena
Published: December 2008

The level and nature of emotional upheaval and relationship to developmental stage was studied in children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) hospitalized for head injury. The sample consisted of 25 hospitalized children aged 5—12 years. Children were asked to make the drawing of a `person in hospital'. The drawings were evaluated by Koppitz's emotional indicators. Punishment and persecution were the main cognitive constructs of children in order to explain hospitalization.
Hospitalized children drawing their pain: the contents and cognitive and emotional characteristics of pain drawings
Authors: Kortesluoma Riitta-Liisa , Punamäki Raija-Leena , Nikkonen Merja
Published: December 2008

Describing pain is difficult. Children like to draw, and through their drawing they reveal worrying issues. This study aimed to examine how hospitalized children express pain through drawings, and was carried out by examining children's thematic drawings of pain. A comparison was made between hospitalized children and healthy control groups with respect to the thematic contents and cognitive and emotional characteristics of pain drawings. The drawings were sorted in categories on the basis of content, and cognitive competence and emotional disturbances by the Draw-a-Person procedure. The hospitalized children showed a lower level of cognitive capacity than their healthy controls. The control group children revealed a higher level of emotional disturbance than the hospitalized children. The groups differed in the contents of their drawings. The drawings of the hospitalized children frequently depicted medical procedures, whereas the drawings of the healthy controls depicted more consoling human and family relations.
The Elusive Search for Definitive Evidence on Routine Screening for Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Spangaro Jo , Zwi Anthony B. , Poulos Roslyn
Published: December 2008

Routine screening for intimate partner violence (IPV) has been introduced in many health settings to improve identification and responsiveness to IPV. The debate about the level of evidence required to warrant routine screening continues. Three assumptions have impeded progress in measuring the impact of screening. The first is that routine screening is a test only which does not of itself have an impact on patients. The second is that it can be assessed by evaluating interventions provided to women after abuse is identified through screening. The third is that there can be an agreed appropriate intervention for IPV. Each of these assumptions is problematic. In addition, there are significant impediments to evaluating screening as an intervention through a randomized control trial. These include identification of the study group, isolating the control group from the intervention, ethics, lack of baseline data, and recall bias. A range of study designs is required and a rethink of assumptions is needed in researching this area.
Game Time
Authors: Tychsen Anders , Hitchens Michael
Published: December 2008

Game time is a core feature of game design and study, and forms part of the gaming experience on a variety of levels. It can be viewed from multiple perspectives, for example, the time of the playing of the game or the flow of time in a game world. In this article, a comprehensive game time model based on empirical research as well as recent theory is presented. It proposes various perspectives on game time and integrates them to allow coherent representation of the same events in the different perspectives. The model has been tested across tabletop and digital formats, and its applicability across game formats is demonstrated. Emphasis is placed on multiplayer and massively multiplayer role-playing games because these feature complex game time behavior not previously evaluated. The model considers game time as an interactively created and nonlinear feature of games and game play.
Targeted inhibition of the immunoproteasome is a potent strategy against models of multiple myeloma that overcomes resistance to conventional drugs and nonspecific proteasome inhibitors
Authors: Kuhn Deborah J. , Hunsucker Sally A. , Chen Qing , Voorhees Peter M. , Orlowski Marian , Orlowski Robert Z.
Published: December 2008

Proteasome inhibition is a validated strategy for therapy of multiple myeloma, but this disease remains challenging as relapses are common, and often associated with increasing chemoresistance. Moreover, nonspecific proteasome inhibitors such as bortezomib can induce peripheral neuropathy and other toxicities that may compromise the ability to deliver therapy at full doses, thereby decreasing efficacy. One novel approach may be to target the immunoproteasome, a proteasomal variant found predominantly in cells of hematopoietic origin that differs from the constitutive proteasome found in most other cell types. Using purified preparations of constitutive and immunoproteasomes, we screened a rationally designed series of peptidyl-aldehydes and identified several with relative specificity for the immunoproteasome. The most potent immunoproteasome-specific inhibitor, IPSI-001, preferentially targeted the β1i subunit of the immunoproteasome in vitro and in cellulo in a dose-dependent manner. This agent induced accumulation of ubiquitin-protein conjugates, proapoptotic proteins, and activated caspase-mediated apoptosis. IPSI-001 potently inhibited proliferation in myeloma patient samples and other hematologic malignancies. Importantly, IPSI-001 was able to overcome conventional and novel drug resistance, including resistance to bortezomib. These findings provide a rationale for the translation of IPSIs to the clinic, where they may provide antimyeloma activity with greater specificity and less toxicity than current inhibitors.
Relevance of the immunoglobulin VH somatic mutation status in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR) or related chemoimmunotherapy regimens
Authors: Lin Katherine I. , Tam Constantine S. , Keating Michael J. , Wierda William G. , O'Brien Susan , Lerner Susan , Coombes Kevin R. , Schlette Ellen , Ferrajoli Alessandra , Barron Lynn L. , Kipps Thomas J. , Rassenti Laura , Faderl Stefan , Kantarjian Hagop , Abruzzo Lynne V.
Published: December 2008

Although immunoglobulin VH mutation status (IgVH MS) is prognostic in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who are treated with alkylating agents or single-agent fludarabine, its significance in the era of chemoimmunotherapy is not known. We determined the IgVH somatic mutation status (MS) in 177 patients enrolled in a phase 2 study of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR) and in 127 patients treated with subsequent chemoimmunotherapy protocols. IgVH MS did not impact significantly on the complete remission (CR) rate of patients receiving FCR or related regimens. However, CR duration was significantly shorter in patients with CLL that used unmutated IgVH than those whose CLL used mutated IgVH (TTP 47% vs 82% at 6 years, P < .001). In a multivariate model considering all baseline characteristics, IgVH MS emerged as the only determinant of remission duration (hazard ratio 3.8, P < .001). Our results suggest that postremission interventions should be targeted toward patients with unmutated IgVH status.
Potassium Bicarbonate Attenuates the Urinary Nitrogen Excretion That Accompanies an Increase in Dietary Protein and May Promote Calcium Absorption
Authors: Ceglia Lisa , Harris Susan S. , Abrams Steven A. , Rasmussen Helen M. , Dallal Gerard E. , Dawson-Hughes Bess
Published: December 2008

Context: Protein is an essential component of muscle and bone. However, the acidic byproducts of protein metabolism may have a negative impact on the musculoskeletal system, particularly in older individuals with declining renal function.

Objective: We sought to determine whether adding an alkaline salt, potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3), allows protein to have a more favorable net impact on intermediary indices of muscle and bone conservation than it does in the usual acidic environment.

Design: We conducted a 41-d randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of KHCO3 or placebo with a 16-d phase-in and two successive 10-d metabolic diets containing low (0.5 g/kg) or high (1.5 g/kg) protein in random order with a 5-d washout between diets.

Setting: The study was conducted in a metabolic research unit.

Participants: Nineteen healthy subjects ages 54–82 yr participated.

Intervention: KHCO3 (up to 90 mmol/d) or placebo was administered for 41 d.

Main Outcome Measures: We measured 24-h urinary nitrogen excretion, IGF-I, 24-h urinary calcium excretion, and fractional calcium absorption.

Results: KHCO3 reduced the rise in urinary nitrogen excretion that accompanied an increase in protein intake (P = 0.015) and was associated with higher IGF-I levels on the low-protein diet (P = 0.027) with a similar trend on the high-protein diet (P = 0.050). KHCO3 was also associated with higher fractional calcium absorption on the low-protein diet (P = 0.041) with a similar trend on the high-protein diet (P = 0.064).

Conclusions: In older adults, KHCO3 attenuates the protein-induced rise in urinary nitrogen excretion, and this may be mediated by IGF-I. KHCO3 may also promote calcium absorption independent of the dietary protein content.
Identification of GW182 and its novel isoform TNGW1 as translational repressors in Ago2-mediated silencing
Authors: Li Songqing , Lian Shang L. , Moser Joanna J. , Fritzler Mark L. , Fritzler Marvin J. , Satoh Minoru , Chan Edward K. L.
Published: December 2008

RNA interference is triggered by small interfering RNA and microRNA, and is a potent mechanism in post-transcriptional regulation for gene expression. GW182 (also known as TNRC6A), an 182-kDa protein encoded by TNRC6A, is important for this process, although details of its function remain unclear. Here, we report a novel 210-kDa isoform of human GW182, provisionally named trinucleotide GW1 (TNGW1) because it contains trinucleotide repeats in its mRNA sequence. TNGW1 was expressed independently of GW182 and was present in human testis and various human cancer cells. Using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, we detected TNGW1 in only ∼30% of GW bodies. Expression of EGFP-tagged TNGW1 in HeLa cells was colocalized to cytoplasmic foci enriched in Ago2 (also known as EIF2C2) and RNA decay factors. Tethering TNGW1 or GW182 to the 3′-UTR of a luciferase-reporter mRNA led to strong repression activity independent of Ago2, whereas the tethered Ago2-mediated suppression was completely dependent on TNGW1 and/or GW182. Our data demonstrated that GW182 and, probably, TNGW1 acted as a repressor in Ago2-mediated translational silencing. Furthermore, TNGW1 might contribute to diversity in the formation and function of GW and/or P bodies.
A new mechanism for the regulation of Gab1 recruitment to the plasma membrane
Authors: Eulenfeld René , Schaper Fred
Published: December 2008

Adaptor proteins involved in signal transduction fulfil their cellular functions by bringing signalling molecules together and by targeting these signalling components to defined compartments within the cell. Furthermore, adaptor proteins represent a molecular platform from which different signalling pathways are initiated. Gab1 is an adaptor protein that recruits the p85 subunit of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, the adaptor Grb2, the adaptor and phosphatase SHP2 and the GTPase-activating protein Ras-GAP. Gab1 thus contributes to the activation of the PI3K cascade and the MAPK cascade through many growth factors and cytokines. The recruitment of Gab1 to phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate within the plasma membrane by its pleckstrin-homology domain is regarded as a major regulatory step for the activation of Gab1. Here, we present a new more complex mechanism for Gab1 translocation that involves and depends on the activation of ERK. We demonstrate that the presence of PI3K activity in the cell is not sufficient for binding Gab1 to the plasma membrane. Instead, additional MAPK-dependent phosphorylation of Ser551 in Gab1 is crucial for the recruitment of Gab1 to the plasma membrane. This mechanism represents a new mode of regulation for the function of PH domains.
Testing natural turf sports surfaces: The value of performance quality standards
Authors: Bartlett M D , James I T , Ford M , Jennings-Temple M
Published: December 2008

The performance of a sports surface is quantified for a number of reasons and by a range of methods. Four categories of surface performance testing are proposed: category 1, to determine compliance with minimum standards; category 2, to assess the overall quality of surfaces across different tiers of sport; category 3, to inform management intervention (construction and maintenance); category 4, to inform research into sports surface engineering, equipment development, the biomechanics of sports performance, and sports injury. The majority of testing in the UK falls into category 1, particularly for synthetic surfaces. Performance quality standards (PQSs) are a system for the quantification of natural turf surface performance and are suitable for category 1 testing but in this study the suitability of the PQS approach for category 2 and category 3 testing was considered in the objective statistical analysis of data from football (soccer) and cricket in the UK. Analysis determined that a PQS is suitable for category 2 testing but that a weighting system for individual components should be developed. Development of a system of decision support based upon PQS data will enable PQS systems to be used for category 3 approaches, although a coherent decision support system is not currently available. The limitation of this type of testing for category 4 was also considered.
P2Y12 Inhibitors in Cardiovascular Disease: Focus on Prasugrel
Authors: Scott Day Marice , Norwood Rhonda M , Parra David
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVE

To review the literature describing the pharmacology, pharmacokinetic properties, efficacy, and adverse effects of prasugrel, a new thienopyridine.

DATA SOURCES

A literature search was conducted (1966–November 2008) of the MEDLINE, Current Contents, EMBASE, and International Pharmaceutical Abstract databases using the key words prasugrel, CS-747, LY640315, and P2Y12. Bibliographies of identified literature were also reviewed for additional references.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION

All reports published in English that evaluated prasugrel (or its chemical synonyms) were reviewed. Abstracts without subsequently published reports were excluded.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Given the high rate of recurrent coronary events despite current antiplatelet therapies, agents with potentially greater efficacy are under investigation. Prasugrel is a novel thienopyridine prodrug that is rapidly metabolized to its active platelet-inhibitory metabolite (R-138727) and exerts antiplatelet activity through antagonism of P2Y12 receptors. Prasugrel is very similar in structure and mechanism of action to clopidogrel, as they both possess a methoxycarbonyl group that provides increased pharmacologic activity and an improved hematologic safety profile when compared with ticlopidine. In addition, when compared with clopidogrel, prasugrel demonstrates greater potency and less interpatient variability in the inhibition of platelet aggregation, less in vitro hyporesponsiveness, and, in patients with acute coronary syndromes, a reduced rate of ischemic events. However, this reduction in ischemic events was accompanied by an increased risk of major and fatal bleeding.

CONCLUSIONS

Prasugrel appears to be a promising antiplatelet agent, with emerging clinical data in direct comparison with clopidogrel supporting its role in reducing recurrent ischemic events. Further studies are needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of prasugrel across various patient populations and clinical scenarios.

THIS ARTICLE IS APPROVED FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT ACPE UNIVERSAL PROGRAM NUMBER

407-000-09-001-H01-P
Effects of peer group rejection and a new group's norms on children's intergroup attitudes
Authors: Nesdale Drew , Maass Anne , Kiesner Jeff , Durkin Kevin , Griffiths Judith , James Bre
Published: December 2008

This study examined the effects of peer group rejection and a new group's norms on 7‐ and 9‐year old children's intergroup attitudes. Children (N =82) were rejected or accepted by an initial group, then accepted by a new group that had a norm of inclusion versus exclusion towards others. Results showed that rejected compared with accepted children had a more negative attitude towards the initial group, that they were equally positive towards their new group, but that the rejected children were more negative towards an outgroup. Results also revealed an age × target group × group norm effect that indicated that the younger children's attitudes towards the three groups were more negative in the exclusion versus acceptance norm condition. The older children were also more negative towards the initial and new groups in the exclusion condition, but their more positive attitudes towards the outgroup were unaffected by the group norms. The bases of the effects of peer group rejection and group norms are discussed.
DVD Reviews
Authors: Berra John
Published: December 2008

I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK (2006) South Korea Directed by Chan-Wook Park Screenplay by Seo-Gyeong Jeong, Chan-Wook Park Produced by Chun-Yeong Lee Cinematography by Jeong-hun Jeong Film Editing by Jae-beom Kim, Sang-Beom Kim Original music
by Yeongwook Jo With Su-jeong Lim (Cha Young-goon), Ji-Hoon Jung (Park Il-sun), Hie-Jin Choi (Choi Seul-gi), Byeong-ok Kim (Judge) Runtime 105 Minutes DVD UK, 2008 Distributed by Tartan Video Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 Extras Making of. Exclusive interview
with director. Music video. Original theatrical trailer. Film notes by Justin Bowyer.

The World (2004) China Written and Directed by Jia Zhangke Cinematographer Yu Likwai Art Director Wu Lizhong Sound Zhang Yang Editor Kong Jiniei Music Lim
Gong With Zhao Tao (Tao), Cheng Taisheng (Taisheng), Jing Jue (Wei), Jiang Zhongwei (Niu), Huang Yiqun (Qun), Wang Hongwei (Sanlai), Laing Jingdong (Liang), Ji Shuai (Erxiao), Xiang Wan (Youyou), Anna (Alla Chtcherbakova) Associate Producers Yu Likwai, Xu Pengle Executive
Producers Masayuki Mori, Hengameh Panahi, Chow Keung Producers Takio Yoshida, Hengameh Panahi, Chow Keug Director's Label Office Kitano, Lumen Films DVD USA, 2005 Distributed by Zeitgeist Films Ltd. Details 139 minutes, Colour, in Mandarin and Shanxi
with English subtitles Cinemascope aspect ratio 2.35:1 Extras and Special Features New 16:9 transfer, created from hi-def elements. Video interview with film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum. Original theatrical trailer. On-set photo gallery. Character sketches and an essay on the real
World Park. Production notes by director Jia Zhangke. Optional English subtitles.
Imaginaires de la dpartementalisation: les indpendances en miroir
Authors: Kemedjio Cilas
Published: December 2008

This essay analyses the texts of Glissant and Confiant to explore the consequences of departementalization on the representation of Africa in the Antillean imagination. The patient and methodic exploration of Africa allows Glissant to produce a critical and complex perspective on Africa
whereas Confiant, following up on the theorized indifference promoted by Crolit towards Africa, does not distance himself from a stereotypical representation of the continent. The departmentalization of the Antillean imagination, defined here as the assimilation of its discourse by the franco-centric
gaze, is a consequence of the 1946 departmentalization of the Antilles.
Memory as reparation? The politics of remembering slavery in France from abolition to the Loi Taubira (2001)
Authors: Garraway Doris L
Published: December 2008

This article charts the parallel evolution of the memory of slavery and the political status of French people from thevieilles coloniesin relation to the problem of justice and reparation in a post-slavery society. By examining legal texts and political discourse produced at three critical junctures in the history of France's overseas departments: the 1848 abolition, the 1946 law of departmentalization and the 1998 national commemoration of the 150thanniversary of the abolition of slavery in French territories, the author situates the current will to remember in the context of a history in which slavery has been, in the words of one prominent Caribbean writer, a crime without process. The aim is to demonstrate the ways in which both the official recollection and the forgetting of slavery have been instrumental to attempts on the part of the French state and of the framers of departmentalization to resolve or to displace the question of France's possible obligations legal, ethical, material and symbolic towards those it once enslaved, as the political status of these groups has changed over time. The French case is considered with respect to current theoretical debates around questions of memory, law and reparation of gross human rights violations.
Book Reviews
Authors: Bolfek-Radovani Jasmina , Brning Angela , Francis Terri , Gyssels Kathleen , McIlvanney Siobhn , Parris David L , Zayzafoon Lamia Ben Youssef , Zayzafoon Lamia Ben Youssef
Published: December 2008

Des Voix contre le silence, Anne Marie Miraglia (2005) Durham: Durham Modern Languages Series, 156 pp., ISBN 0-907310-60-5 (pbk), 14.50

Breadfruit or Chestnut? Gender Construction in the French Caribbean Novel, Bonnie Thomas (2006) Lanham, Boulder, New
York, Toronto, Oxford: Lexington Books, 201 pp., ISBN 0-7391-1583-9 (hbk), $60.00

Josephine Baker in Art and Life: The Icon and the Image, Bennetta Jules-Rosette (2007) Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 368 pp., ISBN 9780252074127 (pbk), US$25

L'Illusion
de l'altrit. tudes de littrature africaine, Bernard Mouralis (2007) Paris: ditions Honor Champion, coll. Bibliothque de Littrature Gnrale et Compare, dir. Jean Bessire, 784 pp., ISBN 978-2-7453-1483-3 (hbk), 125

Sheer Presence: The Veil in Manet's Paris, Marni Reva Kessler
(2006) Minneapolis and London: University of Minnesota Press, 215 pp., ISBN 0-8166-4782-8 (pbk), $22.50

Diplomates crivains du Canada, Jean-Franois de Raymond (2007) Brussels, Bern, Frankfurt, New York, Oxford, Vienna: Peter Lang, 164 pp., ISBN 978-90-5201-346-6
(pbk), SFR36, 14.90

Tunisie: Rve de partages, edited by Guy Dugas (2005) Lonrai: Omnibus, 1065 pp., ISBN 2-258-06679-4 (pbk), 23.75

Victims and Victimization in French and Francophone Literature, edited by Buford Norman (2005) Amsterdam: Rodopi, Francophone
Literature Series, xii + 184 pp., ISBN: 9-0420-1615-9 (pbk), $54
Reviews
Authors: King Andrew , Oliver Rowan , Savage Jonathan , Wilde Howard
Published: December 2008

Music Education with Digital Technology, John Finney and Pamela Burnard (eds) (2007), pp. 223. London: Continuum, pp. 223, ISBN 978-0-8264-9414-5, hardback, 80
Sonic Synergies: Music, Technology, Community, Identity, Gerry Bloustien, Margaret Peters and Susan
Luckman (eds), 2008 Aldershot: Ashgate, 236 pp. ISBN 978-0-7546-5721-7, hardback, 55.00
Music, Informal Learning and the School: A New Classroom Pedagogy, Lucy Green, (2008) Aldershot: Ashgate, 213 pp., ISBN 978-0-7546-6242-6 (hbk), 40.00; ISBN 978-0-7546-6522-9 (pbk),
16.99
Pop Idols and Pirates: Mechanisms of Consumption and the Global Circulation of Popular Music, (Ashgate Popular and Folk Music Series), Charles Fairchild, 2008 Aldershot: Ashgate, 182 pp., ISBN 978-0-7546-6383-6, Hardback, 45.00
Mapping the formative dynamics of the 13th Constitutional Government: from General Estates to the governmental mandate and beyond
Authors: Ferreira-Pereira Laura C
Published: December 2008

This paper delves into the background of the formative dynamics of the 13th Constitutional Government led by the socialist Antnio Guterres and aims primarily at providing insight into the genuine criteria governing Guterres's selection of ministers and portfolio allocation. It will
also shed light upon the background causes leading to the six reshuffles that the cabinet went through in its lifetime. This work argues that Guterres's selection of ministers was a priori conditioned by the dynamics and success of the Estados Gerais. Eventually, however, it came to obey a
tripartite formula the formula of the three Ps: old pals, party allies and prominent independents. With the unfolding of the governmental mandate, as the meritocratic logic underlying that formula exhibited major limitations, the process of de-selection of ministers led to the retrenchment
of the distinguished independents in favour of the party allies within the cabinet.
Properties of wood surfaces – characterisation and measurement. A review COST Action E35 2004–2008: Wood machining – micromechanics and fracture
Authors: Sinn Gerhard , Sandak Jakub , Ramananantoandro Tahiana
Published: December 2008

Wood surfaces might be considered as geometrical structures combined with position dependent chemical properties. It is possible to access surface properties only from a methodical point of view, e.g., by measuring roughness, colour, surface energy and other features. This type of characterisation remains incomplete because it does not account for the complex interactions of the properties, which are caused by the machining process. A better approach might be to describe the surface as a system of time dependent properties including the history of machining operations performed for a specific purpose. This work presents the advancements in the understanding of wood surfaces achieved in the course of the COST Action E35. The interaction between raw material, machining, and techniques of measurement will be discussed in terms of surface characteristics including the tactile properties of wood surfaces.
Addition of bisulphite to lignin α-carbonyl groups: A study on model compounds and lignin-rich pulp
Authors: Warsta Elina , Vuorinen Tapani , Pitkänen Maija
Published: December 2008

Lignin α-carbonyl groups play an important role in light-induced yellowing as initial absorber of UV light. The model compounds vanillin, verataldehyde, and acetovanillone were studied and the reaction rate coefficient k was calculated for the addition of bisulphite to carbonyls. UV-Vis spectra of the model compounds in bisulphite solution were measured between 200 and 400 nm and at a single wavelength of 305 nm. The reaction was fastest with vanillin, but only a minor part of acetovanillone reacted, which can be explained with different reactivity of aldehydes and ketones. Calculated reaction rate coefficients were 26×10-3 s-1 and 18×10-3 s-1 for vanillin and verataldehyde, respectively. Sheets from chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP) were treated with bisulphite solutions (10 mM, 20 mM and 0.1 M; for 1 and 5 min) in order to study the potential of this treatment in retarding yellowing of CTMP. Initial brightness was improved with the treatments, but as the brightness loss was even more drastic, stabilization was not achieved. FT-IR spectra of bisulphite treated samples revealed that only part of the carbonyl groups reacted. The unsuccessful light stabilization of the pulp originated probably from an inadequate carbonyl addition, a problem which could not be resolved.
On the energy consumption for crack development in fibre wall in disc refining – A micromechanical approach
Authors: Berg Jan-Erik , Gulliksson Mårten E. , Gradin Per A.
Published: December 2008

An analytical model has been applied to calculate the acquired strain energy density in order to achieve a certain damage state in a softwood fibre by uniaxial tension or shear load. The energy density was found to be dependent on the microfibril angle in the middle secondary wall, the loading case, the thicknesses of the fibre cell wall layers, and conditions, such as moisture content and temperature. At conditions, prevailing at the entrance of the gap between the plates in a refiner and at relative high damage states, more energy is needed to create cracks at higher microfibril angles. The energy density was lower for earlywood compared to latewood fibres. For low microfibril angles, the energy density was lower for loading in shear compared to tension for both earlywood and latewood fibres. Material parameters, such as initial damage state and specific fracture energy, were determined by fitting of input parameters to experimental data.
Reactions of aromatic structures in brightness reversion of fully-bleached eucalyptus kraft pulps
Authors: Jääskeläinen Anna-Stiina , Toikka Katri , Lähdetie Anni , Liitiä Tiina , Vuorinen Tapani
Published: December 2008

The role of aromatic structures in brightness reversion of fully bleached pulps was studied by UV resonance Raman (UVRR) and reflectance UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results clearly showed that ageing increased the aromatic band at approximately 1600 cm-1 in the UVRR spectra and the lignin band at approximately 280 nm in the UV-Vis spectra. This increase was probably due to increased conjugation of lignin and it was observed for all pulps regardless of the bleaching sequence. In addition to these lignin reactions, other unsaturated structures, such as hexenuronic acid groups, reacted during ageing.
International Consumer Product Testing Across Cultures and Countries: Poland
Authors: Mazur Jagoda , Komanska Henryka , Jablonska Malgorzata
Published: December 2008

Marketing and product research are new phenomena in Poland. Until 1990, the country had a centrally planned economy and there were few choices in each category of consumable goods. The change in the economic and political system spurred fast economic growth. Many multi-national companies moved quickly into the Polish market. Polish consumers enjoy a living standard among the highest of the former Eastern-block countries. On May 1, 2004, Poland joined the EU and became part of the EU commonmarket. Prior to the accession, Poland had to implement all necessary political, judiciary, and economical reforms to be able to cope with market forces within the Union.

Polish consumers have many similarities to those in the market economies, but there are some cultural differences that may affect research results. For example, many older Poles (55+) have not adapted to the new language of the market and may not be reliable respondents. The response rates to self-administered questionnaires have been rising; however, face-to-face contact is more effective.

Marketing research is well developed in Poland. Most of the major western market research firms have offices in Poland (especially in Warsaw, the country capital). Many independent local market research firms also exist.
International Consumer Product Testing Across Cultures and Countries: United States
Authors: Karow Sheryl , Klawien Bree , Lessard Leisa
Published: December 2008

All comments regarding the United States consumer and culture will be representative of a range of customs, habits, and underlying implicit values for the culture. This document is being written for use with all consumer products.

To conduct successful quantitative and qualitative consumer research in the United States, you must know your test objective, who you want to survey, length of the interview, and testing requirements. Initially, a proposal should be submitted to several research vendors for costing and timing projections. The preliminary vendor proposal should include seven main items-screening requirements, test type and design, length of interview, incidence, list of test cities, product storage requirements, questionnaire details, facility and timing requirements, and services required.

Knowing what services each vendor provides will help manage time and money when preparing for consumer research. There are three types of research vendors-field services only, consumer-testing facilities that outsource the field, and full-service consumer testing facilities with field services.

The screening requirements are essential for recruiting the right consumer to test the product. The more specific the screening requirements, the lower the incidence (% out of 100 contacted who qualify). For example, at a 10 % incidence, it will take five times longer to recruit qualified respondents than at a 50 % incidence and would also cost proportionally more. This time difference must be accounted for when determining the project timing and ultimate cost of the project.

The type of test and test design will vary depending on your test objective and monetary funds available. Prerecruiting respondents over the telephone to participate in a CLT is more expensive than a mall recruit.

The incentive or amount a person is paid for participating is typically dependent on the length of the interview and the incidence of finding a qualified respondent. The longer the interview and the lower the incidence the more the project will cost.

It is important that for national introductions, products are tested in the northeast, midwest, south and west to cover any regional preferences that may occur. Both the northeast and west tend to have higher testing costs than either the midwest or south.
Oil Spill Response Performance Review of Skimmers
Authors: Schulze R
Published: December 2008

Description

ASTM Manual 34 provides you with all the information necessary for selecting skimmers for various applications.

In assembling reports to develop this publication, government agencies were able to find and provide single copies of many test reports-copies that were available no where else but in government archives-to use for analysis. This never-before published information is now available in condensed form to the user. The data is easily accessible, meaningful, and quickly understood.

Fifteen chapters cover the following skimmer types:• broom; • brush (chain and drum brush); • disc; • drum; • paddle belt; • stationary rope mop; • suspended rope mop; • ZRV rope mop; • sorbent belt; • fixed submersion plane; • submersion moving plane; • suction; • air conveyors; • weir and induced flow weir; • and advancing weir.

A valuable reference for spill response professionals working in oil companies, government agencies, consulting firms, oil spill co-ops, and spill recovery contracting firms.
Formin Proteins of the DAAM Subfamily Play a Role during Axon Growth
Authors: Matusek Tamás , Gombos Rita , Szécsényi Anita , Sánchez-Soriano Natalia , Czibula Ágnes , Pataki Csilla , Gedai Anita , Prokop Andreas , Raskó István , Mihály József
Published: December 2008

The regulation of growth cone actin dynamics is a critical aspect of axonal growth control. Among the proteins that are directly involved in the regulation of actin dynamics, actin nucleation factors play a pivotal role by promoting the formation of novel actin filaments. However, the essential nucleation factors in developing neurons have so far not been clearly identified. Here, we show expression data, and use true loss-of-function analysis and targeted expression of activated constructs to demonstrate that theDrosophilaforminDAAMplays a critical role in axonal morphogenesis. In agreement with this finding, we show that dDAAM is required for filopodia formation at axonal growth cones. Our genetic interaction, immunoprecipitation and protein localization studies argue that dDAAM acts in concert with Rac GTPases, Profilin and Enabled during axonal growth regulation. We also show that mouse Daam1 rescues the CNS defects observed indDAAMmutant flies to a high degree, and vice versa, thatDrosophilaDAAM induces the formation of neurite-like protrusions when expressed in mouse P19 cells, strongly suggesting that the function of DAAM in developing neurons has been conserved during evolution.
The Cortical Dynamics of Intelligible Speech
Authors: Leff Alexander P. , Schofield Thomas M. , Stephan Klass E. , Crinion Jennifer T. , Friston Karl J. , Price Cathy J.
Published: December 2008

An important and unresolved question is how the human brain processes speech for meaning after initial analyses in early auditory cortical regions. A variety of left-hemispheric areas have been identified that clearly support semantic processing, although a systematic analysis of directed interactions among these areas is lacking. We applied dynamic causal modeling of functional magnetic resonance imaging responses and Bayesian model selection to investigate, for the first time, experimentally induced changes in coupling among three key multimodal regions that were activated by intelligible speech: the posterior and anterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS and aSTS, respectively) and pars orbitalis (POrb) of the inferior frontal gyrus. We tested 216 different dynamic causal models and found that the best model was a “forward” system that was driven by auditory inputs into the pSTS, with forward connections from the pSTS to both the aSTS and the POrb that increased considerably in strength (by 76 and 150%, respectively) when subjects listened to intelligible speech. Task-related, directional effects can now be incorporated into models of speech comprehension.
Olfactory Information Processing in theDrosophilaAntennal Lobe: Anything Goes?
Authors: Silbering Ana F. , Okada Ryuichi , Ito Kei , Galizia C. Giovanni
Published: December 2008

When an animal smells an odor, olfactory sensory neurons generate an activity pattern across olfactory glomeruli of the first sensory neuropil, the insect antennal lobe or the vertebrate olfactory bulb. Here, several networks of local neurons interact with sensory neurons and with output neurons—insect projection neurons, or vertebrate mitral/tufted cells. The extent and form of information processing taking place in these local networks has been subject of controversy. To investigate the role of local neurons in odor information processing we have used the calcium sensor G-CaMP to performin vivorecordings of odor-evoked spatiotemporal activity patterns in five genetically defined neuron populations of the antennal lobe ofDrosophila melanogaster: three distinct populations of local neurons (two GABAergic and one cholinergic), as well as sensory neurons and projection neurons. Odor-specific and concentration dependent spatiotemporal response patterns varied among neuron populations. Activity transfer differed along the olfactory pathway for different glomerulus–odor combinations: we found cases of profile broadening and of linear and complex transfer. Moreover, the discriminability between the odors also varied across neuron populations and was maximal in projection neurons. Discriminatory power increased with higher odor concentrations over a wide dynamic range, but decreased at the highest concentration. These results show the complexity and diversity of odor information processing mechanisms across olfactory glomeruli in the fly antennal lobe.
Tuning Thalamic Firing Modes via Simultaneous Modulation of T- and L-Type Ca2+Channels Controls Pain Sensory Gating in the Thalamus
Authors: Cheong Eunji , Lee Sukchan , Choi B. Jiwon , Sun Minjeong , Lee C. Justin , Shin Hee-Sup
Published: December 2008

Two firing modes of thalamocortical (TC) neurons, tonic and burst firings, are thought to reflect the divergent states of sensory signal transmission from the thalamus to the cortex. However, the behavioral consequences of changes in the thalamic firing between the two modes have not been well demonstrated. Moreover, although the firing modes of TC neurons are known to be affected by corticothalamic inputs via thalamic metabotropic glutamate receptor type 1 (mGluR1)–phospholipase C β4 (PLCβ4) pathway, its molecular mechanisms have not been well elucidated. We addressed these questions using PLCβ4-deficient mice, which show decreased visceral pain responses. We demonstrate that burst and tonic firings of TC neurons are concomitantly regulated by PLCβ4 pathway. Blocking of this pathway by the mutation simultaneously increases bursting and decreases tonic firing of TC neurons through concurrent upregulation of T- and L-type Ca2+currents. The mice with increased bursting and decreased tonic firing of TC neurons showed reduced visceral pain responses. Furthermore, we show that modulation of the Ca2+channels or protein kinase C (PKC), a downstream molecule of PLCβ4, altered the firing modes of TC neurons and pain responses in the predicted ways. Our data demonstrate the molecular mechanism and behavioral consequences of altered firing modes of TC neurons in relaying the visceral pain signals. Our study also highlights the thalamic PLCβ4–PKC pathway as a “molecular switch” for the firing modes of TC neurons and thus for pain sensory gating.
Central Amygdala Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Signaling Pathway Is Critical to Incubation of Opiate Craving
Authors: Li Yan-Qin , Li Fang-Qiong , Wang Xiao-Yi , Wu Ping , Zhao Mei , Xu Chun-Mei , Shaham Yavin , Lu Lin
Published: December 2008

Cue-induced drug-seeking in rodents progressively increases after withdrawal from operant self-administration of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and alcohol, a phenomenon termed “incubation of drug craving.” Here, we used the opiate drug morphine and explored whether incubation of drug craving also occurs in a pavlovian conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure in which rats learn to associate drug effects with a distinct environmental context. We also explored the role of amygdala extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in this incubation. We found that the expression of morphine CPP progressively increases over the first 14 d after the last drug exposure in rats receiving four pairings of low-dose (1 or 3 mg/kg) but not high-dose (10 mg/kg) morphine with a distinct environment. The progressive increase in low-dose (3 mg/kg) morphine CPP was associated with increased ERK phosphorylation (a measure of ERK activity) and CREB (a downstream target of ERK) phosphorylation in central but not basolateral amygdala. Furthermore, inhibition of central but not basolateral amygdala ERK and CREB phosphorylation by U0126 [1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis(o-aminophenylmercapto)butadiene] decreased the enhanced (incubated) drug CPP after 14 d of withdrawal from morphine. Finally, stimulation of central amygdala ERK and CREB phosphorylation by NMDA enhanced drug CPP after 1 d of withdrawal from morphine, an effect reversed by U0126. These findings indicate that the rat's response to environmental cues previously paired with morphine progressively increases or incubates over the first 14 d of withdrawal from low but not high morphine doses. Additionally, this “incubation of morphine craving” is mediated by acute activation of central amygdala ERK pathway.
Unique Luminal Localization of VGAT-C Terminus Allows for Selective Labeling of Active Cortical GABAergic Synapses
Authors: Martens Henrik , Weston Matthew C. , Boulland Jean-Luc , Grønborg Mads , Grosche Jens , Kacza Johannes , Hoffmann Anke , Matteoli Michela , Takamori Shigeo , Harkany Tibor , Chaudhry Farrukh A. , Rosenmund Christian , Erck Christian , Jahn Reinhard , Härtig Wolfgang
Published: December 2008

Neurotransmitter uptake into synaptic vesicles is mediated by vesicular neurotransmitter transporters. Although these transporters belong to different families, they all are thought to share a common overall topology with an even number of transmembrane domains. Using epitope-specific antibodies and mass spectrometry we show that the vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) possesses an uneven number of transmembrane domains, with the N terminus facing the cytoplasm and the C terminus residing in the synaptic vesicle lumen. Antibodies recognizing the C terminus of VGAT (anti-VGAT-C) selectively label GABAergic nerve terminals of live cultured hippocampal and striatal neurons as confirmed by immunocytochemistry and patch-clamp electrophysiology. Injection of fluorochromated anti-VGAT-C into the hippocampus of mice results in specific labeling of GABAergic synapsesin vivo. Overall, our data open the possibility of studying novel GABA release sites, characterizing inhibitory vesicle trafficking, and establishing their contribution to inhibitory neurotransmission at identified GABAergic synapses.
Large-Scale Organization of Rat Sensorimotor Cortex Based on a Motif of Large Activation Spreads
Authors: Frostig Ron D. , Xiong Ying , Chen-Bee Cynthia H. , Kvašňák Eugen , Stehberg Jimmy
Published: December 2008

Parcellation according to function (e.g., visual, somatosensory, auditory, motor) is considered a fundamental property of sensorimotor cortical organization, traditionally defined from cytoarchitectonics and mapping studies relying on peak evoked neuronal activity. In the adult rat, stimulation of single whiskers evokes peak activity at topographically appropriate locations within somatosensory cortex and provides an example of cortical functional specificity. Here, we show that single whisker stimulation also evokes symmetrical areas of suprathreshold and subthreshold neuronal activation that spread extensively away from peak activity, effectively ignoring cortical borders by spilling deeply into multiple cortical territories of different modalities (auditory, visual and motor), where they were blocked by localized neuronal activity blocker injections and thus ruled out as possibly caused by “volume conductance.” These symmetrical activity spreads were supported by underlying border-crossing, long-range horizontal connections as confirmed with transection experiments and injections of anterograde neuronal tracer experiments. We found such large evoked activation spreads and their underlying connections regardless of whisker identity, cortical layer, or axis of recorded responses, thereby revealing a large scale nonspecific organization of sensorimotor cortex based on a motif of large symmetrical activation spreads. Because the large activation spreads and their underlying horizontal connections ignore anatomical borders between cortical modalities, sensorimotor cortex could therefore be viewed as a continuous entity rather than a collection of discrete, delineated unimodal regions, an organization that could coexist with established specificity of cortical organization and that could serve as a substrate for associative learning, direct multimodal integration and recovery of function after injury.
Norepinephrine Is Coreleased with Serotonin in Mouse Taste Buds
Authors: Huang Yijen A. , Maruyama Yutaka , Roper Stephen D.
Published: December 2008

ATP and serotonin (5-HT) are neurotransmitters secreted from taste bud receptor (type II) and presynaptic (type III) cells, respectively. Norepinephrine (NE) has also been proposed to be a neurotransmitter or paracrine hormone in taste buds. Yet, to date, the specific stimulus for NE release in taste buds is not well understood, and the identity of the taste cells that secrete NE is not known. Chinese hamster ovary cells were transfected with α1Aadrenoceptors and loaded with fura-2 (“biosensors”) to detect NE secreted from isolated mouse taste buds and taste cells. Biosensors responded to low concentrations of NE (≥10 nm) with a reliable fura-2 signal. NE biosensors did not respond to stimulation with KCl or taste compounds. However, we recorded robust responses from NE biosensors when they were positioned against mouse circumvallate taste buds and the taste buds were stimulated with KCl (50 mm) or a mixture of taste compounds (cycloheximide, 10 μm; saccharin, 2 mm; denatonium, 1 mm; SC45647, 100 μm). NE biosensor responses evoked by stimulating taste buds were reversibly blocked by prazosin, an α1Areceptor antagonist. Together, these findings indicate that taste bud cells secrete NE when they are stimulated. We isolated individual taste bud cells to identify the origin of NE release. NE was secreted only from presynaptic (type III) taste cells and not receptor (type II) cells. Stimulus-evoked NE release depended on Ca2+in the bathing medium. Using dual biosensors (sensitive to 5-HT and NE), we found all presynaptic cells secrete 5-HT and 33% corelease NE with 5-HT.