bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serotonin and Stress: Protective or Malevolent Actions in the Biobehavioral Response to Repeated Trauma?
Authors: HARVEY BRIAN H. , NACITI CARLA , BRAND LINDA , STEIN DAN J.
Published: January 2005

Abstract: Structural hippocampus and prefrontal cortex changes occur in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that appears correlated with cognitive dysfunction. In these brain regions, serotonin (5HT) plays a prominent role in symptom presentation and treatment of PTSD. However, 5HT is both anxiogenic and anxiolytic, and while 5HT reuptake inhibitors are effective in treatment, the role of 5HT in the development of PTSD remains uncertain. Using a model of repeated trauma in rats, we observed significant spatial memory impairment together with significantly increased 5HT1A receptor density (Bmax), decreased 5HT1A receptor affinity (Kd), and significantly increased 5HT2A receptor affinity on day 7 poststress. The serotonergic agent fluoxetine (FLX; 10 mg/kg/d ip) administered 1 week before stress and continuing throughout the stress procedure, but not the 5HT depleter p‐chloro‐phenylalanine (PCPA; 300/100/50mg/kg/d ip), prevented stress‐induced cognitive dysfunction. PCPA, however, reversed stress‐induced hippocampal 5HT1A receptor affinity changes, with FLX narrowly missing significance. Neither drug reversed stress effects on 5HT2A receptor affinity. Thus, 5HT plays an important part in the cognitive‐behavioral changes evoked by repeated trauma. That raised 5HT activity may mediate hippocampal 5HT1A receptor changes evoked by stress suggests a bidirectional role for 5HT in the development of PTSD.
The Number of Previous Depressive Episodes Is Positively Associated with Cortisol Response to Fenfluramine Administration
Authors: SHER LEO , OQUENDO MARIA A. , GALFALVY HANGA C. , COOPER THOMAS B. , MANN J JOHN
Published: January 2005

Abstract: Multiple reports document hypothalamic‐pituitary‐axis (HPA) hyperactivity in depressed patients. Measurement of cortisol levels after ingestion of fenfluramine, a specific serotonin releaser/uptake inhibitor agent, provides an index of HPA activity. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the effect of a number of previous depressive episodes on cortisol responses to fenfluramine administration. Thirty‐one unipolar depressed patients and 23 healthy volunteers entered the study. Demographic and clinical parameters were assessed and recorded. Response to fenfluramine administration was measured by the difference between maximum hourly plasma cortisol measurements after fenfluramine administration and baseline levels measured before fenfluramine administration. The number of previous major depressive episodes was a predictor of cortisol response to fenfluramine administration in depressed subjects. Higher cortisol responses were associated with more prior episodes of major depression. The relationship of cortisol to the number of previous depressive episodes remained significant after controlling for age. Our finding highlights the importance of possible cumulative effects of repeated episodes of major depression. Prevention and early recognition of depressive episodes may prevent these cumulative adverse effects.
Does Substitution of T4 with T3 Plus T4 for T4 Replacement Improve Depressive Symptoms in Patients with Hypothyroidism?
Authors: JOFFE RUSSELL T. , SAWKA ANNA M. , MARRIOTT MICHAEL J. , MACQUEEN GLENDA M. , GERNSTEIN HERTZL C.
Published: January 2005

Abstract: Substitution of T4 with T3 for T4 replacement in patients with hypothyroidism was undertaken using a randomized placebo controlled study design. Forty individuals were included who had depressive symptoms on stable doses of levothyroxine. Combined T4 plus T3 did not have a significantly different effect on mood and well‐being scores than did T4 alone.
Sexual Dysfunction Associated with Neuroleptic‐Induced Hyperprolactinemia Improves with Reduction in Prolactin Levels
Authors: AHL JONNA , KINON BRUCE J. , LIU‐SEIFERT HONG
Published: January 2005

Abstract: We attempt to demonstrate the association between neuroleptic‐induced hyperprolactinemia and sexual dysfunction in schizophrenic patients treated with prolactin‐elevating antipsychotics. Our findings indicate that sexual function improved with euprolactinemia in patients switched from treatment with prolactin‐elevating antipsychotics to olanzapine.
Longitudinal Effect of Olanzapine on Fasting Serum Lipids: A Randomized, Prospective, 4‐Month Study
Authors: KINON BRUCE J. , LIU‐SEIFERT HONG , AHL JONNA , AHMED SAEEDUDDIN , BAKER ROBERT W.
Published: January 2005

Abstract: Our objective was to compare lipid profiles of schizophrenic patients treated with conventional antipsychotics or risperidone to those of patients switched to olanzapine. Our results indicate that in patients switched to olanzapine, fasting serum lipids initially increased then returned to pretreatment levels, and endpoint lipid levels were not significantly different from those in patients remaining on conventional antipsychotics or risperidone.
Ode to B‐Flat: Questing with Quintessential Colleagues
Authors: DALLMAN MARY F.
Published: January 2005

Abstract: A brief summary of the trajectory of the lab. It includes where the work of the lab has been, where it is now, and, perhaps, where we are going in the next decade.
Mineralocorticoid and Glucocorticoid Receptor‐Mediated Effects on Serotonergic Transmission in Health and Disease
Authors: JOÉLS MARIAN , van RIEL ELS
Published: January 2005

Abstract: Corticosterone is released in large amounts from the rat and mouse adrenal gland after stress. The hormone enters the brain and binds to intracellular receptors. Previously, we found that rises in the corticosterone level, as after acute stressors, enhance the response of hippocampal CA1 neurons to serotonin (5‐HT), which hyperpolarizes the membrane via the 5‐HT1A receptor. Recently, we examined how 5‐HT responses are affected by more persistent changes in circulating hormone levels. In chronically stressed rats, we observed that 5‐HT responses with both basal and high corticosterone levels are attenuated compared to those in the controls; 5‐HT1A receptor expression was not altered. Similarly, in long‐attack latency mice, which are characterized by a hyperresponsive hypothalamus‐pituitary‐adrenal axis, 5‐HT responses were diminished, accompanied by reduced receptor expression. Finally, rats that for 24 h were deprived of their mother at postnatal day 3 exhibited attenuated 5‐HT responses when tested at 3 months of age, in the absence of changes in the 5‐HT1A receptor expression. We conclude that prolonged exposure to elevated corticosterone levels attenuates 5‐HT responses in the hippocampus through an unresolved mechanism. This may be relevant to the observation that hypercortisolism in humans is a risk factor for the precipitation of major depression in genetically predisposed individuals.
Accelerated Barnes Maze Test in Mice for Assessment of Stress Effects on Memory
Authors: DAWOOD M Y. , LUMLEY L A. , ROBISON C L. , SAVIOLAKIS G A. , MEYERHOFF J L.
Published: January 2005

Abstract: Repeated restraint stress in rodents impairs spatial memory in a Y‐maze test and induces hippocampal neuronal changes that last up to 5 d after the stressor ends. Our goal was to implement a Barnes maze spatial memory test in mice that could be used to validate our findings of social stress induced Y‐maze impairment. We measured performance of mice in 5‐ and 9‐day test paradigms previously used in rats and mice, respectively. Selecting features from each paradigm, we implemented a 5‐d test (pre‐training, training (4 trials/d/3 d) and probe testing for assessment of spatial memory in mice. Stress consisted of placing each test mouse in a stainless steel perforated box (25.5 cm × 21.5 cm × 16.5 cm) within an aggressor's home cage for 6 h/d for 21 d; direct agonistic encounters occurred randomly throughout stress periods. Barnes maze pre‐training (habituation) was on day 21 of the stress exposures. In a preliminary experiment, mice that habituated following their last stressor performed poorly relative to unstressed and to those not habituated prior to the last stressor, as demonstrated by a greater latency to escape and more errors. We conclude that acute stress in a chronic stress paradigm may impair spatial memory acquisition.
Localization of mRNA Expression of P‐Glycoprotein at the Blood‐Brain Barrier and in the Hippocampus
Authors: KARSSEN A M , MEIJER O , PONS D , de KLOET E R
Published: January 2005

Abstract: The multidrug resistance (mdr) P‐glycoprotein is an energy‐dependent efflux transporter that protects the brain against a wide variety of neurotoxic compounds. This transmembrane protein is a well‐known functional component of the blood‐brain barrier and might be present in other brain cells as well. We have developed a riboprobe against the murine mdr1 mRNA recognizing both isoforms of the rodent mdr1 gene to determine the exact localization of P‐glycoprotein expression. We have also studied the effects of treatment with a known inducer of P‐glycoprotein expression. In situ mRNA hybridization demonstrates that mdr1 mRNA is present in the endothelial cells of brain capillaries throughout the rat brain, indicating that P‐glycoprotein is expressed at the endothelial cells forming the blood‐brain barrier. Surprisingly, specific mdr1 mRNA expression was also found in neuronal layers of hippocampal fields, particularly in the granule cells of the dentate gyrus. Kainic acid treatment decreased the expression levels of mdr1 mRNA in the dentate gyrus 6 and 24 h after treatment. Our data indicate that P‐glycoprotein is expressed by endothelial cells and possibly dentate gyrus neurons The functional role of P‐glycoprotein at dentate gyrus neurons is presently unknown.
Preliminary Evidence of Altered Sensitivity to Benzodiazepines as a Function of Maternal Care in the Rat
Authors: FRIES EVA , MORAGUES NATHALIE , CALDJI CHRISTIAN , HELLHAMMER DIRK H. , MEANEY MICHAEL J.
Published: January 2005

Abstract: Variations in maternal care over the first week of life alter the expression of genes encoding for various subunits of the GABAA/benzodiazepine (BZ) receptor in the amygdala, a brain region associated with fear behavior. Increased maternal licking/grooming and arched‐back nursing are associated with decreased fearfulness and enhanced expression of the subunits that confer BZ sensitivity. In these studies we found that the offspring of high licking/grooming‐arched‐back nursing mothers also showed increased behavioral sensitivity to acute BZ treatment, suggesting a functional relation between the effect on gene expression and fear behavior.
Physical and functional association of migfilin with cell-cell adhesions
Authors: Gkretsi Vasiliki , Zhang Yongjun , Tu Yizeng , Chen Ka , Stolz Donna B. , Yang Yanqiang , Watkins Simon C. , Wu Chuanyue
Published: January 2005

Cell-cell junctions are essential for epithelial and endothelial tissue formation and communication between neighboring cells. We report here that migfilin, a recently identified component of cell-extracellular matrix adhesions, is recruited to cell-cell junctions in response to cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesions. Migfilin is detected at cell-cell junctions in both epithelial and endothelial cells. It forms detergent-resistant, discrete clusters that associate with actin bundles bridging neighboring cells. Immunoelectron microscopic analyses reveal that migfilin is closely associated with β-catenin, but not desmosomes, at cell-cell junctions. Furthermore, we show that the C-terminal LIM domains, but not its N-terminal domain, mediates migfilin localization to cell-cell junctions. The site mediating the localization of migfilin to cell-cell junctions at least partially overlaps with that mediating the localization of migfilin to cell-ECM adhesions. Finally, siRNA-mediated depletion of migfilin compromised the organization of adherens junctions and weakened cell-cell association. These results identify migfilin as a component of adherens junctions and suggest an important role for migfilin in the organization of the cell-cell adhesion structure.
Characterization of human epiplakin: RNAi-mediated epiplakin depletion leads to the disruption of keratin and vimentin IF networks
Authors: Jang Shyh-Ing , Kalinin Alexandr , Takahashi Kaoruko , Marekov Lyuben N. , Steinert Peter M.
Published: January 2005

Epiplakin is a member of the plakin family with multiple copies of the plakin repeat domain (PRD). We studied the subcellular distribution and interactions of human epiplakin by immunostaining, overlay assays and RNAi knockdown. Epiplakin decorated the keratin intermediate filaments (IF) network and partially that of vimentin. In the binding assays, the repeat unit (PRD plus linker) showed strong binding and preferentially associated with assembled IF over keratin monomers. Epiplakin knockdown revealed disruption of IF networks in simple epithelial but not in epidermal cells. In rescue experiments, the repeat unit was necessary to prevent the collapse of IF networks in transient knockdown; however, it could only partially restore the keratin but not the vimentin IF network in stably knocked down HeLa cells. We suggest that epiplakin is a cytolinker involved in maintaining the integrity of IF networks in simple epithelial cells. Furthermore, we observed an increase of epiplakin expression in keratinocytes after the calcium switch, suggesting the involvement of epiplakin in the process of keratinocyte differentiation.
Integrin-dependent interaction of lipid rafts with the actin cytoskeleton in activated human platelets
Authors: Bodin Stéphane , Soulet Carine , Tronchère Hélène , Sié Pierre , Gachet Christian , Plantavid Monique , Payrastre Bernard
Published: January 2005

Dynamic connections between actin filaments and the plasma membrane are crucial for the regulation of blood platelet functions. Protein complexes associated with αIIbβ3 integrin-based cytoskeleton structures are known to play a role in these processes. However, mechanisms involving lateral organizations of the plasma membrane remain to be investigated. Here, we demonstrate that a large fraction of platelet lipid rafts specifically associates with the actin cytoskeleton upon activation. This association was inhibited by antagonists of fibrinogen-αIIbβ3 binding and did not occur in type I Glanzman's thrombasthenic platelets. The raft-cytoskeleton interaction is a reversible process correlating with the intensity and stability of platelet aggregation. Although only a minor fraction of αIIbβ3 was recovered in rafts upon activation, this integrin specifically upregulated the level of PtdIns(4,5)P2 in membrane microdomains and induced the recruitment of several actin-modulating proteins known to directly or indirectly interact with this lipid. Controlled disruption of rafts did not affect αIIbβ3-mediated platelet aggregation in response to high concentrations of thrombin but significantly inhibited fibrin clot retraction. We propose that rafts participate in the organization of membrane-cytoskeleton interactions where αIIbβ3-mediated tension forces apply during the late phase of platelet activation.
Repeated exposure of human skin fibroblasts to UVB at subcytotoxic level triggers premature senescence through the TGF-β1 signaling pathway
Authors: Debacq-Chainiaux Florence , Borlon Céline , Pascal Thierry , Royer Véronique , Eliaers François , Ninane Noëlle , Carrard Géraldine , Friguet Bertrand , de Longueville Françoise , Boffe Sophie , Remacle José , Toussaint Olivier
Published: January 2005

Premature senescence of human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) can be induced by exposures to a variety of oxidative stress and DNA damaging agents. In this study we developed a robust model of UVB-induced premature senescence of skin HDFs. After a series of 10 subcytotoxic (non-proapoptotic) exposures to UVB at 250 mJ/cm2, the so-called biomarkers of senescence were markedly expressed: growth arrest, senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, senescence-associated gene overexpression, deletion in mitochondrial DNA. A set of 44 stress- and senescence-associated genes were found to be differentially expressed in this model, among which clusterin/apolipoprotein J (apo J) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Transfection of apo J cDNA provided protection against premature senescence-inducing doses of UVB and other stressful agents. Neutralizing antibodies against TGF-β1 or its receptor II (TβRII) sharply attenuated the senescence-associated features, suggesting a role for TGF-β1 in UVB-induced premature senescence. Both the latent and active forms of TGF-β1 were increased with time after the last UVB stress. Proteasome inhibition was ruled out as a potential mechanism of UVB-induced stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS). This model represents an alternative in vitro model in photoaging research for screening potential anti-photoaging compounds.
RNAi of FACE1 protease results in growth inhibition of human cells expressing lamin A: implications for Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome
Authors: Gruber Jens , Lampe Tina , Osborn Mary , Weber Klaus
Published: January 2005

FACE 1 is the endoprotease responsible for cleavage of prelamin A to lamin A. Transfection of HeLa cells with siRNA for human FACE 1 results in a strong phenotype. Protein and mRNA levels for FACE 1 are knocked down and cell division stops abruptly. Two populations of cells are detected. The first form aberrant mitotic spindles, arrest in mitosis and later enter apoptosis. The second show dramatic changes in nuclear morphology with extensive formation of lobulated nuclei and micronuclei. Using antibodies that specifically recognise prelamin A, but not lamin A, we show that prelamin A accumulates at the nuclear lamina in FACE1 silenced cells, whereas in control cells prelamin A is found in many small nuclear dots, but not at the nuclear lamina. In double knockdown experiments with FACE 1 and lamin A siRNAs, the results depend on which protein is knocked down first. FACE1 knockdown 24 hours prior to lamin A knockdown gives results similar to the single FACE1 knockdown. By contrast, lamin A knockdown 24 hours prior to FACE1 knockdown results in none of the changes described above. Silencing of FACE1 in HL60, a cell line that lacks lamin A, also has no effect. The combined results suggest that prelamin A is a poison in cells subjected to FACE 1 knockdown. Finally, we draw attention to similarities in phenotype between FACE1-silenced HeLa cells and fibroblasts from patients with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome containing prelamin A mutations that prevent cleavage by the FACE1 endoprotease.
Regulation of cortactin/dynamin interaction by actin polymerization during the fission of clathrin-coated pits
Authors: Zhu Jianwei , Zhou Kang , Hao Jian-Jiang , Liu Jiali , Smith Nicole , Zhan Xi
Published: January 2005

Separation of clathrin-coated pits from the plasma membrane, a key event during endocytosis, is thought to be driven by dynamin and the actin cytoskeleton. However, the mechanism for the actin-mediated endocytosis remains elusive. RNA interference-mediated suppression of cortactin, an F-actin binding protein that promotes Arp2/3 complex-mediated actin polymerization, effectively blocked transferrin uptake. Depletion of cortactin in brain cytosol inhibited formation of clathrin-coated vesicles by 70% as analyzed in a cell-free system. Interestingly, the interaction between cortactin and dynamin 2 in cells was dependent on actin polymerization and was attenuated upon cell exposure to cytochalasin D as analyzed by immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation. Moreover, a cortactin mutant deficient in Arp2/3 binding colocalized less efficiently with dynamin 2 and inhibited the uptake of transferrin. The effect of actin polymerization on the interaction between cortactin and the dynamin proline-rich domain (PRD) was further evaluated under a condition for actin polymerization in vitro. Cortactin binds to the dynamin PRD with an equilibrium dissociation constant of 81 nM in the presence of the Arp2/3 complex and actin, and 617 nM in the absence of actin polymerization. Taken together, these data demonstrate that Arp2/3-mediated actin polymerization regulates the accessibility of cortactin to dynamin 2 and imply a novel mechanism by which cortactin and dynamin drive the fission of clathrin-coated pits in an actin polymerization dependent manner.
ZnO Microspheres Self-assembled by Hexagonal Nanoplates
Authors: Wang Huihu , Xie Changsheng , Zeng Dawen
Published: January 2005

Because of the polar growth manner ZnO of different shapes has been synthesized. However, the isotropic shapes of ZnO have not reported yet. In this paper, the novel ZnO microspheres were synthesized by the complex system in which starting reagents, Zn(AC)2, H2O, and HMT, were kept in methanol solution at 60 °C for 12 h. The FE-SEM images and XRD pattern results show that the microspheres are formed by ZnO nanoplates that align in a regular periodicity via self-assembly. The formation mechanism of this nanostructure was discussed briefly.
Strong Base Catalysis of Sulfated Mesoporous Alumina for the Tishchenko Reaction in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Seki Tsunetake , Onaka Makoto
Published: January 2005

Heterogeneous strong base catalysis for the Tishchenko reaction in acidic scCO2 solvent has been realized with mesoporous alumina modified with SO42−, while a conventional solid base like CaO showed almost no catalytic performance in scCO2.
Very Short and Efficient Syntheses of the Spermine Alkaloid Kukoamine A and Analogs Using Isolable Succinimidyl Cinnamates
Authors: Garnelis Thomas , Athanassopoulos Constantinos M , Papaioannou Dionissios , Eggleston Ian M , Fairlamb Alan H
Published: January 2005

Direct selective acylation of the primary amino functions of spermine and spermidine with a variety of isolable succinimidyl cinnamates, followed by catalytic hydrogenation, gave high yields of the spermine alkaloid kukoamine A and analogs suitable for structure-activity relationship studies. Suitable succinimidyl cinnamates were readily obtained through Wittig reaction of aromatic aldehydes with the ylides Ph3P=CRCO2Me, followed by saponification and activation with N-hydroxysuccinimide in the presence of N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide.
Electron Beam-Induced Fries Rearrangement of Sulfonamide and Sulfonate Crystals
Authors: Kato Jun , Maekawa Yasunari , Yoshida Masaru
Published: January 2005

The electron beam (EB) sensitivity of sulfonic acid derivatives in the crystalline state was much higher than that of the corresponding carboxylic acid derivatives, which was distinct from the results using other energy sources such as heat and UV; especially, sulfonamide derivatives could undergo the chemoselective Fries rearrangement to give ortho and para products in the ratio of ca. 7/3 without the meta isomer.
Direct Addition of Glycine Derivatives to Enamines
Authors: Kobayashi Jun , Yamashita Yasuhiro , Kobayashi Shu
Published: January 2005

Direct addition of glycine derivatives to enamines proceeded smoothly in the presence of a catalytic amount of a Lewis acid to afford the corresponding α,β-diamino acid derivatives in excellent yields. In this reaction, enamines would initially act as a base and subsequently as a C=N electrophile. This is the first example of Mannich-type reactions using enamines as imine equivalents.
Barotropic Phase Transitions of 1-Palmitoyl-2-stearoylphosphatidylcholine Bilayer Membrane
Authors: Matsuki Hitoshi , Goto Masaki , Kusube Masataka , Tamai Nobutake , Kaneshina Shoji
Published: January 2005

The barotropic phase transitions of an asymmetric phosphatidylcholine, 1-palmitoyl-2-stearoylphosphatidylcholine (PSPC), bilayer membrane were observed by the methods of high-pressure light transmittance and differential scanning calorimetry. The temperature–pressure phase diagram and thermodynamic quantities of the phase transitions were compared with those of three kinds of symmetric phosphatidylcholines. The different transition properties of PSPC bilayer from those of symmetric phosphatidylcholines may be attributable to the enhanced cohesive interaction between acyl chains in the gel state of the bilayer membrane.
Effect of Lipid-Lowering Drug Therapy on Small-Dense Low-Density Lipoprotein
Authors: Backes James M , Gibson Cheryl A
Published: January 2005

OBJECTIVE:

To review the effects of lipid-lowering therapy on small-dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C).

DATA SOURCES:

Literature was obtained from MEDLINE (1989–September 2004) and references of selected articles. Key search terms included small-dense LDL-C and lipid-lowering drug therapy.

DATA SYNTHESIS:

Statins, fibrates, and niacin have demonstrated favorable effects on sdLDL-C, especially among patients with mixed dyslipidemia or hypertriglyceridemia. These effects include a reduction of sdLDL-C and/or a shift to the larger, less atherogenic LDL-C.

CONCLUSIONS:

Data suggest that statins, fibrates, and niacin are effective at reducing concentrations of sdLDL-C and possibly normalizing LDL-C subclasses.
Evaluation of Toxic Agent Effects on Lung Cells by Fiber Evanescent Wave Spectroscopy
Authors: Lucas Pierre , Le Coq David , Juncker Christophe , Collier Jayne , Boesewetter Dianne E. , Boussard-Plédel Catherine , Bureau Bruno , Riley Mark R.
Published: January 2005

Biochemical changes in living cells are detected using a fiber probe system composed of a single chalcogenide fiber acting as both the sensor and transmission line for infrared optical signals. The signal is collected via evanescent wave absorption along the tapered sensing zone of the fiber. We spectroscopically monitored the effects of the surfactant Triton X-100, which serves as a toxic agent simulant on a transformed human lung carcinoma type II epithelial cell line (A549). We observe spectral changes between 2800–3000 cm−1 in four absorptions bands, which are assigned to hydrocarbon vibrations of methylene and methyl groups in membrane lipids. Comparison of fiber and transmission spectra shows that the present technique allows one to locally probe the cell plasma membrane in the lipid spectral region. These optical responses are correlated with cellular metabolic activity measurements and LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) release assays that indicate a loss of cellular function and membrane integrity as would be expected in response to the membrane solubilizing Triton. The spectroscopic technique shows a significantly greater detection resolution in time and concentration.
Rapid Forensic Analysis and Identification of “Lilac” Architectural Finishes Using Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Bell Steven E. J. , Fido Louise A. , Speers S. James , Armstrong W. James
Published: January 2005

The potential of Raman spectroscopy to discriminate between architectural finishes (household paint) has been investigated using a test set of 51 “lilac” paints and three different excitation wavelengths. The spectra obtained with visible excitation typically displayed a series of intense Raman bands on a featureless fluorescence background but the spectra of all the paints studied had essentially identical bands. With 785 nm excitation, although the same bands that dominated the 514 nm spectra were still observed, other bands with comparable intensity also appeared. The two strongest scattering constituents were identified as a dioxazine dye, Violet 23 and β-Cu(phthalocyanine). A scatter plot of the intensities of marker bands for these constituents (normalized to the strong rutile bands that were always present) showed that, despite the fact that the sample set spanned a wide range of rutile: dioxazine dye: phthalocyanine ratios, many of the samples had very similar ratios and could not be discriminated. However, all the samples (even those with similar relative proportions of the main constituents) could be discriminated on the basis of their minor constituents, either by manually measuring band intensities or through the creation and searching of spectral libraries.
Near-Infrared Spectra of Penicillium Camemberti Strains Separated by Extended Multiplicative Signal Correction Improved Prediction of Physical and Chemical Variations
Authors: Decker Marianne , Nielsen Per Væggemose , Martens Harald
Published: January 2005

Different methods for spectral preprocessing were compared in relation to the ability to distinguish between fungal isolates and growth stages for Penicillium camemberti grown on cheese substrate. The best classification results were obtained by temperature- and wavelength-extended multivariate signal correction (TWEMSC) preprocessing, whereby three patterns of variation in near-infrared (NIR) log(1/ R) spectra of fungal colonies could be separated mathematically: (1) physical light scattering and its wavelength dependency, (2) differences in light absorption of water due to varying sample temperature, etc., and (3) differences in light absorption between different fungal isolates. With this preprocessing, discriminant partial least squares (PLS) regression yielded 100% correct classification of three isolates, both within the cross-validated calibration set and in two independent test sets of samples.
Multivariate Analysis of Infrared Spectra for Monitoring and Understanding the Kinetics and Mechanisms of Adsorption Processes
Authors: Zhang Anding , Zeng Wenxiang , Niemczyk Thomas M. , Keenan Michael R. , Haaland David M.
Published: January 2005

Water adsorption onto thin zeolite 3A wafers has been investigated as a function of time, water vapor concentration, and zeolite sample mass using mid-infrared spectroscopy coupled with multivariate data analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the spectral region of the water combination band was used for quantitative characterization of water adsorption onto the zeolite. The kinetics of the adsorption of water are found to be very reproducible and nearly linear with time. The kinetics of water adsorption based on data from different masses of zeolite are consistent with a diffusion/immobilization model for which the interparticle diffusion rate is comparable to the rate of adsorption. The infrared zeolite bands (1340–1550 cm−1) change during the adsorption process and yield more detail about the adsorption sites of the material. PCA applied to the zeolite bands was not directly interpretable. However, multivariate curve resolution applied to the spectral region containing the zeolite bands readily demonstrates that zeolite 3A has three water adsorption sites or environments that are sequentially occupied. Potential explanations for the observations of the multivariate curve resolution (MCR) analysis of these infrared (IR) kinetic adsorption experiments are presented. The explanation most consistent with our data suggests that water adsorbs sequentially on the zeolite to form single, double, and triple water adsorption on single zeolite adsorption sites. The combination of infrared spectroscopy and multivariate analysis is therefore demonstrated to be a powerful method to study detailed adsorption kinetics and mechanisms of the adsorption of molecules onto surfaces.
Atomic Hydrogen Emission Induced by TEA CO2 Laser Bombardment on Solid Samples at Low Pressure and its Analytical Application
Authors: Idris Nasrullah , Terai Sumito , Lie Tjung Jie , Kurniawan Hendrik , Kobayashi Takao , Maruyama Tadashi , Kagawa Kiichiro
Published: January 2005

Hydrogen emission has been studied in laser plasmas by focusing a TEA CO2 laser (10.6 μm, 500 mJ, 200 ns) on various types of samples, such as glass, quartz, black plastic sheet, and oil on copper plate sub-target. It was found that Hα emission with a narrow spectral width occurs with high efficiency when the laser plasma is produced in the low-pressure region. On the contrary, the conventional well-known laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), which is usually carried out at atmospheric air pressure, cannot be applied to the analysis of hydrogen as an impurity. By combining low-pressure laser-induced plasma spectroscopy with laser surface cleaning, a preliminary quantitative analysis was made on zircaloy pipe samples intentionally doped with hydrogen. As a result, a good linear relationship was obtained between Hα emission intensity and its concentration.
In situ Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Study of the Thermal Degradation of Isotactic Poly(Propylene)
Authors: He Peng , Xiao Yan , Zhang Puming , Zhu Na , Zhu Xinyuan , Yan Deyue
Published: January 2005

The conformational change of isotactic poly(propylene) (iPP) during the thermal degradation process has been carefully studied by in situ Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. This new method of studying thermal degradation of iPP not only shows the conventional kinetic parameter information of thermal degradation such as the degradation activation energy Δ E and the degradation factor n, which are in accord with the results of traditional thermogravimetry experiments, but also indicates that many significant molecular structure changes occur during the thermal degradation process that come from some characteristic absorption band changes of in situ FT-IR. A multivariate approach, principal components analysis (PCA), is applied to the analysis of infrared (IR) data, and the results further confirm the multi-step processes of the thermal degradation of iPP. Above all, this is a new application to polymer thermal degradation by in situ FT-IR that connects the intermediate conformational change with final results during thermal degradation.
Implementation of LOCAL Algorithm with Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Compliance Assurance in Compound Feedingstuffs
Authors: Pérez-Marín D. , Garrido-Varo A. , Guerrero J. E.
Published: January 2005

Seven thousand four hundred and twenty-three compound feed samples were used to develop near-infrared (NIR) calibrations for predicting the percentage of each ingredient used in the manufacture of a given compound feedingstuff. Spectra were collected at 2 nm increments using a FOSS NIRSystems 5000 monochromator. The reference data used for each ingredient percentage were those declared in the formula for each feedingstuff. Two chemometric tools for developing NIRS prediction models were compared: the so-called GLOBAL MPLS (modified partial least squares), traditionally used in developing NIRS applications, and the more recently developed calibration strategy known as LOCAL. The LOCAL procedure is designed to select, from a large database, samples with spectra resembling the sample being analyzed. Selected samples are used as calibration sets to develop specific MPLS equations for predicting each unknown sample. For all predicted ingredients, LOCAL calibrations resulted in a significant improvement in both standard error of prediction (SEP) and bias values compared with GLOBAL calibrations. Determination coefficient values ( r2) also improved using the LOCAL strategy, exceeding 0.90 for most ingredients. Use of the LOCAL algorithm for calibration thus proved valuable in minimizing the errors in NIRS calibration equations for predicting a parameter as complex as the percentage of each ingredient in compound feedingstuffs.
Turner and Anti‐Turner in the image of Christian pilgrimage in Brazil
Authors: Greenfield Sidney M.
Published: January 2005

Victor Turner's view of pilgrimage is reexamined and questioned using data collected at the shrine to Saint Francis of Assisi in Canindi, a small town in northeast Brazil. Turner's view of pilgrimage as a liminal state in which the pilgrim is out of structure is summarized in terms of his major theoretical assumptions and objectives. The shrine in Canindé and the pilgrimage there are described. Pilgrimage is examined in terms of the symbolic assumptions of Brazilian "Popular" Catholicism and culture. The author shows it to be a product of a relationship between the pilgrim and the saint in which the pilgrimage is made in fulfillment of a promise made. The pilgrim to Canindi, and other shrines in Brazil, is shown to be fulfilling the obligations of a patron‐client type of exchange with the saint and consequently not out of structure. The author concludes that the patron‐client exchange imagery is better suited to the analysis of pilgrimage in Brazil and Latin America than Turner's view of liminality.
Bharata Natyam: A Hindu Fractal
Authors: Diaz Sofia
Published: January 2005

Theterm, fractal, coined by Benoit B. Mandelbrot, describes a shape or pattern within a greater pattern of which it is a scaling piece identical to the greater pattern and in which are reproduced an infinite number of parts or fragments which are also identical to it, thus, identical to the whole at all scales. In this paper, the author describes Hindu cosmology as it is replicated in the elements of the Bharata Natyam, drawing the analogy to fractal patterning.
Magic, Witchcraft, and Paganism in America: A Bibliography
Authors: Wautischer Helmut
Published: January 2005

J. Gordon Melton. Magic, Witchcraft, and Paganism in America:. Bibliography. New York: Garland. 1982. Pp. xi. 231. $44.00. cloth. L.C. 81‐43343. ISBN 0‐8240‐9377‐1.
Conscious Evolution
Authors: Winkelman Michael
Published: January 2005

Janet Lee Mitchell. Conscious Evolution. Ballantine Books, 1990, 210 pages.
Language the Loaded Weapon
Authors: Funk Joel
Published: January 2005

Language the Loaded Weapon by Dwight Bolinger. London and New York: Longman, 1980, 214 pp.
State-Funded Comprehensive Primary Medical Care Service Programs for Medically Underserved Populations: 1995 vs 2000
Authors: Wilensky Sara , Rosenbaum Sara , Hawkins Dan , Mizeur Heather
Published: January 2005

Objectives. We analyzed responses to the 2000 Comprehensive Primary Medical Care programs for Medically Underserved Populations Survey and compared them with the 1995 survey results to identify trends.

Methods. Surveys were mailed to all primary care program offices. State primary care program associations reviewed primary care program offices’ responses and completed surveys for offices that did not respond.

Results. We identified 30 qualified primary care programs in 24 states that had an overall funding level of $215 million. Most states allowed funds to be spent on expanding service areas, buying equipment, and hiring and training staff.

Conclusions. Although state funding has increased overall, many states do not have comprehensive primary care programs, and an increasing number of states are experiencing budget deficits that may lead to reductions in existing programs.
Barriers to Medicaid Enrollment: Who Is at Risk?
Authors: Stuber Jennifer , Bradley Elizabeth
Published: January 2005

Objectives. We identified factors associated with levels of knowledge about Medicaid eligibility rules and perceived Medicaid enrollment barriers.

Methods. Community health center patients who were parents of children potentially eligible for Medicaid (n=901) were interviewed in person during their clinic visit between April and December 1999.

Results. Individuals reporting physical health problems were more likely to be misinformed as were non-Hispanic Black individuals, compared with non-Hispanic White individuals. In states where more policies had been enacted to simplify Medicaid enrollment procedures, individuals were less likely to be misinformed. Individuals reporting mental health problems, those with less education, and women were more likely to perceive Medicaid enrollment barriers. Prior experience in Medicaid was associated with both a reduced risk of perceiving Medicaid enrollment barriers and being misinformed.

Conclusions. Findings highlight target groups for whom additional outreach and additional simplification policies may be most needed.
Welfare Reform and Health Insurance: Consequences for Parents
Authors: Holl Jane L. , Slack Kristen Shook , Stevens Amy Bush
Published: January 2005

Objectives. We assessed the relation between the work promotion, welfare reduction, and marriage goals of welfare reform and the stability of health insurance of parents in transition from welfare to work.

Methods. We analyzed a panel survey (1999–2002) of a stratified random sample of Illinois families receiving welfare in 1998 (n=1363).

Results. Medicaid remains the foremost source of health insurance despite a significant decline in the proportion of parents with Medicaid. Regardless of work/welfare status in year 1, transitioning to work only or no work/no welfare increased the likelihood of having unstable health insurance in years 2 and 3 compared with those who remained on welfare only.

Conclusions. Parents who meet the welfare reform goals of work promotion and reduction of welfare dependence experience significant loss and instability of health insurance.
A Community-Based Intervention Designed to Increase Preventive Health Care Seeking Among Adolescents: The Gonorrhea Community Action Project
Authors: VanDevanter Nancy L. , Messeri Peter , Middlestadt Susan E. , Bleakley Amy , Merzel Cheryl R. , Hogben Matthew , Ledsky Rebecca , Malotte C. Kevin , Cohall Renee M. , Gift Thomas L. , St. Lawrence Janet S.
Published: January 2005

Objectives. We evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase preventive health care seeking among adolescents.

Methods. Adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 21 years, recruited from community-based organizations in 2 different communities, were randomized into either a 3-session intervention or a control condition. We estimated outcomes from 3-month follow-up data using logistic and ordinary least squares regression.

Results. Female intervention participants were significantly more likely than female control participants to have scheduled a health care appointment (odds ratio [OR]=3.04), undergone a checkup (OR=2.87), and discussed with friends or family members the importance of undergoing a checkup (OR=4.5). There were no differences between male intervention and male control participants in terms of outcomes.

Conclusions. This theory-driven, community-based group intervention significantly increased preventive health care seeking among female adolescents. Further research is needed, however, to identify interventions that will produce successful outcomes among male adolescents.
Painting a Truer Picture of US Socioeconomic and Racial/Ethnic Health Inequalities: The Public Health Disparities Geocoding Project
Authors: Krieger Nancy , Chen Jarvis T. , Waterman Pamela D. , Rehkopf David H. , Subramanian S.V.
Published: January 2005

Objectives. We describe a method to facilitate routine monitoring of socioeconomic health disparities in the United States.

Methods. We analyzed geocoded public health surveillance data including events from birth to death (c. 1990) linked to 1990 census tract (CT) poverty data for Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Results. For virtually all outcomes, risk increased with CT poverty, and when we adjusted for CT poverty racial/ethnic disparities were substantially reduced. For half the outcomes, more than 50% of cases would not have occurred if population rates equaled those of persons in the least impoverished CTs. In the early 1990s, persons in the least impoverished CT were the only group meeting Healthy People 2000 objectives a decade ahead.

Conclusions. Geocoding and use of the CT poverty measure permit routine monitoring of US socioeconomic inequalities in health, using a common and accessible metric.
Effects of an Intensive Street-Level Police Intervention on Syringe Exchange Program Use in Philadelphia, Pa
Authors: Davis Corey S. , Burris Scott , Kraut-Becher Julie , Lynch Kevin G. , Metzger David
Published: January 2005

Repeated measurements and mixed-effects models were used to analyze the effects of an intensive long-term street-level police intervention on syringe exchange program use. Utilization data for 9 months before and after the beginning of the intervention were analyzed. Use fell across all categories and time periods studied, with significant declines in use among total participants, male participants, and Black participants. Declines in use among Black and male participants were much more pronounced than decreases among White and female participants.
Prevalence of Active Commuting at Urban and Suburban Elementary Schools in Columbia, SC
Authors: Sirard John R. , Ainsworth Barbara E. , McIver Kerri L. , Pate Russell R.
Published: January 2005

We directly observed the prevalence of walking and bicycling (active commuting) to 8 randomly selected urban and suburban elementary schools. When school was used as the unit of analysis, only 5.0% of the students actively commuted to or from school across all observed trips. Active commuting was not affected (P ≥; 18) by school urbanization level, school socioeconomic status, time of day, day of week, weather conditions, or temperature. These results indicate a need for school- and community-based interventions.
Equitable Child Health Interventions
Authors: Burström Bo , Macassa Gloria , Öberg Lisa , Bernhardt Eva , Smedman Lars
Published: January 2005

Today, many of the 10 million childhood deaths each year are caused by diseases of poverty—diarrhea and pneumonia, for example, which were previously major causes of childhood death in many European countries. Specific analyses of the historical decline of child mortality may shed light on the potential equity impact of interventions to reduce child mortality.

In our study of the impact of improved water and sanitation in Stockholm from 1878 to 1925, we examined the decline in overall and diarrhea mortality among children, both in general and by socioeconomic group. We report a decline in overall mortality and of diarrhea mortality and a leveling out of socioeconomic differences in child mortality due to diarrheal diseases, but not of overall mortality. The contribution of general and targeted policies is discussed.
Health Services Research Tools for Public Health Professionals
Authors: Whitener B. Lynn , Van Horne Virginia V. , Gauthier Anne K.
Published: January 2005

Although the fields of public health and health services research have much in common, public health practitioners—in their daily encounters with practical, frontline challenges—may not be aware of the quantity and the quality of information generated by health services research that is directly related to public health activities.

We describe a number of health services research resources that public health practitioners may find useful, including an overview of these resources and several in-depth examples.
Maternal Mortality in Resource-Poor Settings: Policy Barriers to Care
Authors: Mavalankar Dileep V. , Rosenfield Allan
Published: January 2005

Maternal mortality remains one of the most daunting public health problems in resource-poor settings, and reductions in maternal mortality have been identified as a prominent component of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The World Health Organization estimates that 515000 women die each year from pregnancy-related causes, and almost all of these deaths occur in developing countries.

Evidence has shown that access to and utilization of high-quality emergency obstetric care (EmOC) is central to efforts aimed at reducing maternal mortality. We analyzed health care policies that restrict access to life-saving EmOC in most resource-poor settings, focusing on examples from rural India, a country of more than 1 billion people that contributes approximately 20% to 24% of the world’s maternal deaths.