bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A mass vaccination campaign targeting adults and children to prevent typhoid fever in Hechi; Expanding the use of Vi polysaccharide vaccine in Southeast China: A cluster-randomized trial
Authors: Yang Jin , Acosta Camilo J , Si Guo-ai , Zeng Jun , Li Cui-yun , Liang Da-bin , Ochiai R Leon , Page Anne-Laure , Danovaro-Holliday M Carolina , Zhang Jie , Zhou Bao-de , Liao He-zhuang , Wang Ming-liu , Tan Dong-mei , Tang Zhen-zhu , Gong Jian , Park Jin-Kyung , Ali Mohammad , Ivanoff Bernard , Liang Gui-chen , Yang Hong-hui , Pang Tikki , Xu Zhi-yi , Donner Allan , Galindo Claudia M , Dong Bai-qing , Clemens John D
Published: May 2005

Background

One of the goals of this study was to learn the coverage, safety and logistics of a mass vaccination campaign against typhoid fever in children and adults using locally produced typhoid Vi polysaccharide (PS) and group A meningococcal PS vaccines in southern China.

Methods

The vaccination campaign targeted 118,588 persons in Hechi, Guangxi Province, aged between 5 to 60 years, in 2003. The study area was divided into 107 geographic clusters, which were randomly allocated to receive one of the single-dose parenteral vaccines. All aspects regarding vaccination logistics, feasibility and safety were documented and systematically recorded. Results of the logistics, feasibility and safety are reported.

Results

The campaign lasted 5 weeks and the overall vaccination coverage was 78%. On average, the 30 vaccine teams gave immunizations on 23 days. Vaccine rates were higher in those aged ≤ 15 years (90%) than in adolescents and young adults (70%). Planned mop-up activities increased the coverage by 17%. The overall vaccine wastage was 11%. The cold chain was maintained and documented. 66 individuals reported of adverse events out of all vaccinees, where fever (21%), malaise (19%) and local redness (19%) were the major symptoms; no life-threatening event occurred. Three needle-sharp events were reported.

Conclusion

The mass immunization proved feasible and safe, and vaccine coverage was high. Emphasis should be placed on: injection safety measures, community involvement and incorporation of mop-up strategies into any vaccination campaign. School-based and all-age Vi mass immunizations programs are potentially important public health strategies for prevention of typhoid fever in high-risk populations in southern China.
Influence of species and anatomical location on chondrocyte expansion
Authors: Akens Margarete K , Hurtig Mark B
Published: May 2005

Background

Bovine articular cartilage is often used to study chondrocytes in vitro. It is difficult to correlate in vitro studies using bovine chondrocytes with in vivo studies using other species such as rabbits and sheep. The aim of this investigation was to study the effect of species, anatomical location and exogenous growth factors on chondrocyte proliferation in vitro.

Methods

Equine (EQ), bovine (BO) and ovine (OV) articular chondrocytes from metacarpophalangeal (fetlock (F)), shoulder (S) and knee (K) joints were cultured in tissue culture flasks. Growth factors (rh-FGFb: 10 ng/ml; rh-TGFβ: 5 ng/ml) were added to the cultures at days 2 and 4. On day 6, cells were counted and flow cytometry analysis was performed to determine cell size and granularity. A three factor ANOVA with paired Tukey's correction was used for statistical analysis.

Results

After 6 days in culture, cell numbers had increased in control groups of EQ-F, OV-S, OV-F and BO-F chondrocytes. The addition of rh-FGFb led to the highest increase in cell numbers in the BO-F, followed by EQ-F and OV-S chondrocytes. The addition of rh-TGFβ increased cell numbers in EQ-S and EQ-F chondrocytes, but showed nearly no effect on EQ-K, OV-K, OV-S, OV-F and BO-F chondrocytes. There was an overall difference with the addition of growth factors between the different species and joints.

Conclusion

Different proliferation profiles of chondrocytes from the various joints were found. Therefore, we recommend performing in vitro studies using the species and site where subsequent in vivo studies are planned.
Intercellular communication, NO and the biology of Chinese medicine
Authors: Ralt Dina
Published: May 2005

New multiple categories of health disciplines have become popular in the west and integration between the medicinal approaches has become essential.

The hypothesis presented here suggests a novel integrative view that combines Western biochemistry with the Chinese medicinal concept of qi.

The core for this hypothesis is that transmission of qi along the meridians is based on informational molecules that travel via an intercellular communication system. Acupuncture at specific points enhances the flow of the signaling molecules through this communication system.

Nitric oxide is suggested as a prime candidate for such a signaling molecule in the meridian system. The biochemistry of nitric oxide can shed light on the biology underlying Chinese medicine while Chinese medicinal data can provide a clue to the sought after framework for nitric oxide.
A novel function for spumaretrovirus integrase: an early requirement for integrase-mediated cleavage of 2 LTR circles
Authors: Delelis Olivier , Petit Caroline , Leh Herve , Mbemba Gladys , Mouscadet Jean-François , Sonigo Pierre
Published: May 2005

Retroviral integration is central to viral persistence and pathogenesis, cancer as well as host genome evolution. However, it is unclear why integration appears essential for retrovirus production, especially given the abundance and transcriptional potential of non-integrated viral genomes. The involvement of retroviral endonuclease, also called integrase (IN), in replication steps apart from integration has been proposed, but is usually considered to be accessory. We observe here that integration of a retrovirus from the spumavirus family depends mainly on the quantity of viral DNA produced. Moreover, we found that IN directly participates to linear DNA production from 2-LTR circles by specifically cleaving the conserved palindromic sequence found at LTR-LTR junctions. These results challenge the prevailing view that integrase essential function is to catalyze retroviral DNA integration. Integrase activity upstream of this step, by controlling linear DNA production, is sufficient to explain the absolute requirement for this enzyme.

The novel role of IN over 2-LTR circle junctions accounts for the pleiotropic effects observed in cells infected with IN mutants. It may explain why 1) 2-LTR circles accumulate in vivo in mutants carrying a defective IN while their linear and integrated DNA pools decrease; 2) why both LTRs are processed in a concerted manner. It also resolves the original puzzle concerning the integration of spumaretroviruses. More generally, it suggests to reassess 2-LTR circles as functional intermediates in the retrovirus cycle and to reconsider the idea that formation of the integrated provirus is an essential step of retrovirus production.
Application of FTA technology for sampling, recovery and molecular characterization of viral pathogens and virus-derived transgenes from plant tissues
Authors: Ndunguru Joseph , Taylor Nigel J , Yadav Jitender , Aly Haytham , Legg James P , Aveling Terry , Thompson Graham , Fauquet Claude M
Published: May 2005

Background

Plant viral diseases present major constraints to crop production. Effective sampling of the viruses infecting plants is required to facilitate their molecular study and is essential for the development of crop protection and improvement programs. Retaining integrity of viral pathogens within sampled plant tissues is often a limiting factor in this process, most especially when sample sizes are large and when operating in developing counties and regions remote from laboratory facilities. FTA is a paper-based system designed to fix and store nucleic acids directly from fresh tissues pressed into the treated paper. We report here the use of FTA as an effective technology for sampling and retrieval of DNA and RNA viruses from plant tissues and their subsequent molecular analysis.

Results

DNA and RNA viruses were successfully recovered from leaf tissues of maize, cassava, tomato and tobacco pressed into FTA® Classic Cards. Viral nucleic acids eluted from FTA cards were found to be suitable for diagnostic molecular analysis by PCR-based techniques and restriction analysis, and for cloning and nucleotide sequencing in a manner equivalent to that offered by tradition isolation methods. Efficacy of the technology was demonstrated both from sampled greenhouse-grown plants and from leaf presses taken from crop plants growing in farmer's fields in East Africa. In addition, FTA technology was shown to be suitable for recovery of viral-derived transgene sequences integrated into the plant genome.

Conclusion

Results demonstrate that FTA is a practical, economical and sensitive method for sampling, storage and retrieval of viral pathogens and plant genomic sequences, when working under controlled conditions and in the field. Application of this technology has the potential to significantly increase ability to bring modern analytical techniques to bear on the viral pathogens infecting crop plants.
Increased Fas ligand expression of CD4+ T cells by HCV core induces T cell-dependent hepatic inflammation
Authors: Cruise Michael W , Melief Hendrikje M , Lukens John , Soguero Carolina , Hahn Young S
Published: May 2005

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with a high rate of viral persistence and the development of chronic liver disease. The expression of HCV core protein in T cells has previously been reported to alter T cell activation and has been linked to the development of liver inflammation. However, the molecular and cellular basis for the role of HCV core-expressing T cells in liver inflammation is not understood. Here, using double-transgenic mice of CD2/HCV-core transgenic mice and ovalbumin (OVA)-specific T cell receptor transgenic mice, we demonstrated that in vivo antigenic stimulation (OVA peptide administration) triggers a marked influx of core-expressing, antigen-specific, transgenic CD4+ T cells into the liver of these mice. Phenotypic analysis of the liver-infiltrating T cells revealed high expression levels of CD44 and Fas ligand (FasL). Adoptive transfer of liver-infiltrating, core-expressing CD4+ T cells into severe combined immunodeficiency mice directly demonstrated the capacity of these activated T cells to induce liver inflammation. It is important that anti-FasL antibody treatment of the mice at the time of cell transfer abrogated the liver inflammation induced by core-expressing CD4+ T cells. These findings suggest that activated T lymphocytes expressing elevated levels of FasL may be involved in the bystander killing of hepatocyte, as well as the induction of chronic liver inflammation, by promoting recruitment of proinflammatory cells to the liver.
Tor: Case study of a boy with autism between the age of three and eight
Authors: Wagner C Reuterskiold , Nettelbladt U
Published: May 2005

Longitudinal data are presented on a boy between the ages of three and eight. At age three he received a diagnosis of language impairment and at age six a diagnosis of high-functioning autism. Results are presented from extensive assessments at four points in time, including interviews with his mother and teachers. The results indicate that the boy s core problem was poor language comprehension, especially evident in group situations. The results also show that symptoms of his pragmatic impairment varied over time, partly as a function of contextual demands. A dimensional approach to capture pragmatic difficulties in children is suggested.
Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of the mainstream teachers of children with a preschool diagnosis of speech/language impairment
Authors: Sadler Jane
Published: May 2005

Severalfactors have been shown to influence inclusion of children with special educational needs. This paper reports on findings from a questionnaire investigating training, specialist knowledge, confidence, attitudes and beliefs of the Reception class, Year 1, and Year 2 teachers of a cohort of children with a preschool diagnosis of moderate or severe speech/language impairment. While teacher attitudes to mainstream inclusion of children with speech and language difficulties were generally positive, many of them reported having little or no training on speech and language impairment, with knowledge acquired mainly through ‘hands on’ experience and books. Overall, levels of confidence in their ability to meet the educational needs of such pupils were low, and mechanisms were not always in place to ensure that information regarding their pupils was shared amongst professionals, particularly when these children entered schoolfor the first time.
Repair in speech and language therapy interaction: Investigating pragmatic language impairment of children
Authors: Merrison Sally , Merrison Andrew John
Published: May 2005

This paper examines the repair skills of three groups of 7 to 11-year old children: 1) children with Pragmatic Language Impairments (the PLIgroup); 2) children with Specific Language Impairments with no pragmatic difficulties (the SLI group); 3) children with normally developing communication skills (the mainstream group). The data comprise one-to-one interactions with a speech and language therapist, where the participants are engaged in a task devised to provide multiple opportunities for the initiation of repair The research also included a six-week period of therapy focusing on pragmatic skills for the children with PLI. Repair skills were compared pre-and post-intervention. Initially, both the mainstream and SLI groups achievedfar greater task success than the group with PLI, whose poor performance was largely attributable to their tendency not to initiate repair After the intervention period however, this group showed marked improvement (both in initiating repair and in task success). This reveals their potential to develop pragmatic skills that they have not spontaneously acquired if they are explicitly taught them.
Two ice-core δ18O records from Svalbard illustrating climate and sea-ice variability over the last 400 years
Authors: Isaksson Elisabeth , Kohler Jack , Pohjola Veijo , Moore John , Igarashi Makoto , Karlöf Lars , Martma Tõnu , Meijer Harro , Motoyama Hideaki , Vaikmäe Rein , van de Wal Roderik S. W.
Published: May 2005

Ice cores from the relatively low-lying ice caps in Svalbard have not been widely exploited in climatic studies owing to uncertainties about the effect of meltwater percolation. However, results from two new Svalbard ice cores, at Lomonosovfonna and Austfonna, have shown that with careful site selection, high-resolution sampling and multiple chemical analyses it is possible to recover ice cores from which part of the annual signals are preserved, despite the considerable meltwater percolation. The new Svalbard ice cores are positioned in different parts of Svalbard and cover the past 800 years. In this paper we focus on the last 400 years. The 6180 signals from the cores are qualitatively similar over most of the twentieth century, suggesting that they record the same atmospheric signal. Prior to AD 1920, the Austfonna ice core exhibits more negative 6180 values than Lomonosovfonna, although there are intermittent decadal-scale periods throughout the record with similar values. We suggest that the differences reflect the effect of the inversion layer during the winter. The pattern in the 6180 records is similar to the Longyearbyen airtemperature record, but on an annual level the correlation is low. The Austfonna record correlates well with the temperature record from the more distant and southwesterly located Jan Mayen. A comparison of the ice-core and sea-ice records from this period suggests that sea-ice extent and Austfonna 6180 are related over the past 400 years. This may reflect the position of the storm tracks and their direct influence on the relatively low-altitude Austfonna. Lomonosovfonna may be less sensitive to such changes and primarily record free atmospheric changes instead of variations in sea-ice extent, the latter is probably a result of its higher elevation.
A multiproxy approach to reconstructing surface wetness changes and prehistoric bog bursts in a raised mire system at Derryville Bog, Co. Tipperary, Ireland
Authors: Caseldine Chris , Gearey Ben
Published: May 2005

Multiproxy analyses comprising peat stratigraphy, testate amoebae, pollen and humification analyses from four profiles across a complex raised mire system at Derryville Bog, Co. Tipperary, Ireland are used to demonstrate the surface wetness changes covering the period cal. BC 1500 to cal AD 1000, with special reference to a series of bog bursts identified within the stratigraphic record. Comparison of the proxies reveals varying levels and forms of response to the bursts depending on the size of the burst and the relative location of the site, and reinforces the necessity for such detailed studies in reconstructing the full palaeohydrological history of large and complex sites. Because of the heavily cut-over nature of the bog the availability of extensive sections from which peat-stratigraphic data can be obtained also reinforces the inherent weakness in relying on coring data when trying to understand the complex structure of such large systems.
Timing and climatic controls over Neoglacial expansion in the northern Coast Mountains, British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Lamoureux Scott F. , Cockburn Jaclyn M.H.
Published: May 2005

Holocene sedimentary records from two lakes in White Pass, British Columbia, show that the onset of Neoglacial sedimentation began c. 2 ka cal. BP. Prior to this time, the lakes accumulated organicrich sediments, with properties and sedimentation rates similar to adjacent lakes that have not had glacial influences during the Holocene. Neoglaciation at White Pass was coincident with the increased delivery of exotic Tsuga heterophylla (western hemlock) pollen. These results, together with regional indications for increased delivery of hemlock pollen at 2 ka BP by a deepened low pressure in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, suggest that increased moisture was important for the expansion of glaciers in the region in addition to longer-term late Holocene cooling.
Effect of chitosan on the intranasal absorption of salmon calcitonin in sheep
Authors: Hinchcliffe Michael , Jabbal-Gill Inderjit , Smith Alan
Published: May 2005

The effects of a chitosan-based delivery system on the pharmacokinetics of intranasally administered salmon calcitonin (sCT) were investigated in a sheep model. In particular, the feasibility of producing a formulation with a comparable or improved bioavailability and/or less variability than the currently marketed nasal product (Miacalcin nasal spray, Novartis Pharmaceuticals) was assessed. A comparator (control) formulation comprising sCT solution was also tested. Sheep (n = 6) were dosed intranasally according to a randomized crossover design. The intranasal sCT dose was 1100 IU (equivalent to approximately 17 IU kg−1). After completion of the nasal dosing legs, five of the sheep received 300 IU sCT (equivalent to approximately 5 IU kg−1) by subcutaneous injection to estimate relative bioavailability. After intranasal or subcutaneous dosing, serial blood samples were taken and plasma separated by centrifugation before measuring sCT concentrations by ELISA. Pharmacokinetic (non-compartmental) and statistical (analysis of variance or non-parametric alternative) analyses were performed. No systemic or local adverse effects were observed following intranasal or subcutaneous administration of sCT. The mean relative bioavailability of sCT from the chitosan solution was improved twofold compared with Miacalcin nasal spray and threefold compared with sCT control solution. Inter-animal variability in sCT absorption appeared to be lower with use of the chitosan-based solution compared with the control solution or commercial product. Based on the reported sheep data, a chitosan delivery system could offer the potential to significantly improve the intranasal absorption of sCT and reduce the variability in absorption. In the clinical setting, this may allow relatively lower doses of the drug to be given intranasally and/or lead to improvements in the efficacy or quality of intranasal therapy.
Interaction of water with different cellulose ethers: a Raman spectroscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy study
Authors: Fechner P M , Wartewig S , Kiesow A , Heilmann A , Kleinebudde P , Neubert R H H
Published: May 2005

Different non-ionic cellulose ethers like methyl cellulose (MC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) were investigated. The characterization of the cellulose ethers was carried out by thermogravimetry and sorption/desorption isotherms. Differences in the properties of the cellulose ether films were described by time-dependent contact angle measurements. Changes in molecular structure of the raw materials, gels and films caused by water contact were studied using Raman spectroscopy. Differences between the substitution types and changes due to the gel or film formation were observed. An environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) technique was used to distinguish the morphological behaviour of the cellulose ether films in contact with water. Based on in-situ ESEM experiments, the swelling and drying behaviour of the various stages of cellulose ether films (film-hydrated film-dried film) were quantified by using image analysis.
Effect of micafungin on cytochrome P450 3A4 and multidrug resistance protein 1 activities, and its comparison with azole antifungal drugs
Authors: Sakaeda Toshiyuki , Iwaki Koichi , Kakumoto Mikio , Nishikawa Mika , Niwa Toshiro , Jin Jiang-shu , Nakamura Tsutomu , Nishiguchi Kohshi , Okamura Noboru , Okumura Katsuhiko
Published: May 2005

The effects of micafungin on cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) metabolic and multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) transport activities were investigated and compared with those of amphotericin B and four azole antifungal drugs (ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole and miconazole). The effects on the metabolic activity of CYP3A4 were examined by measuring nifedipine oxidase activity in human liver microsomes and the effects on MDR1 transport activity were evaluated using [3H]digoxin in MDR1-overexpressing LLC-GA5-COL150 cells. An inhibitory effect on CYP3A4 activity was found for ketoconazole, itraconazole and miconazole, with 50% inhibitory concentrations of 11.7, 32.6 and 74.2 nM, respectively. Fluconazole and micafungin had only slight inhibitory effects and amphotericin B had no effect. The MDR1-mediated transport of [3H]digoxin was inhibited by ketoconazole and itraconazole, and slightly by miconazole. It is suggested that micafungin and amphotericin B would be unlikely to cause drug-drug interactions by inhibition of CYP3A4 and MDR1. A positive correlation between the inhibitory effects on CYP3A4 and MDR1 activities was observed, and the physicochemical mechanisms involved and impact on clinical treatment should be studied further.
Bridging the gap: ageing, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
Authors: Burton Dominick G A , Allen Marcus C , Bird Joseph L E , Faragher Richard G A
Published: May 2005

Changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in elderly patients generally result in an increase in the incidence of drug toxicity and adverse drug reactions. Molecular alterations associated with ageing could bring about biological changes, a consequence of which is an altered response to pharmacological agents. Unfortunately, research in this area has yet to progress beyond the cataloguing of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes observed in the elderly. Therefore, real progress in our understanding of pharmacogerontology could be achieved if it were possible to merge pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies with recent advances in our understanding of the causal processes bringing about ageing changes at the cellular level. Therefore, this review will focus on the mechanisms of ageing in the hope that the information will be of value to those planning independent studies.
Delivery of nebulized budesonide is affected by nebulizer type and breathing pattern
Authors: O'Callaghan C , White J , Jackson J , Barry P W , Kantar A
Published: May 2005

The aim of this study was to determine the output in-vitro of budesonide from two different nebulizers under simulated breathing conditions. The BimboNeb and Nebula nebulizers were used to nebulize 2 mL of budesonide (500 μg) suspension. Particle size was determined by inertial impaction after a 5-min nebulization. Total outputs of the drug from both nebulizers were measured using a sinus flow pump to create simulated breathing conditions. Paediatric and adult breathing patterns were used, with drug output measured after 5 and 10 min nebulization. The mass median aerodynamic diameter of budesonide using the BimboNeb (4.5 μm) was significantly greater than that from the Nebula (3.4 μm) (P < 0.01). With the simulated adult breathing pattern, the total drug output after 5 min with the BimboNeb (61.5 μg) was twice that from the Nebula (30.7 μg). For the paediatric breathing pattern, total outputs were very similar for both nebulizers. In all cases, nebulizing for 10 min produced greater drug outputs compared with those after 5 min, particularly for the paediatric breathing pattern. The amount of aerosolized drug available for inhalation needs to be assessed for each nebuliser used and the effect of the patient's breathing pattern should also be taken into account.
Cytotoxic, antiviral (in-vitro and in-vivo), immunomodulatory activity and influence on mitotic divisions of three taxol derivatives: 10-deacetyl-baccatin III, methyl (N-benzoyl-(2‘R,3’S)-3‘-phenylisoserinate) and N-benzoyl-(2’R,3‘S)-3’-phenylisoserine
Authors: Krawczyk Ewa , Łuczak Miroslaw , Kniotek Monika , Nowaczyk Maria
Published: May 2005

The aim of this study was to evaluate cytotoxic, antiviral (in-vitro and in-vivo) and immunomodulatory activity, as well as the influence on mitotic division, of three taxol derivatives representing modified parts of its molecule: 10-deacetyl-baccatin III, methyl (N-benzoyl-(2′R,3′S)-3′-phenylisoserinate) and N-benzoyl-(2′R,3′S)-3′-phenylisoserine. The cytotoxicity of the compounds, assessed by the formazane method, was relatively low, with a 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) > 500 μg mL−1. Moreover, all tested compounds inhibited Herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-1) replication in non-cytotoxic concentrations in-vitro. Selectivity indices were in the range 9.5–46.7. Anti-HSV-1 activity of the compounds may be associated with their influence on mitotic division. All of the compounds decreased the number of cell divisions. Mitotic indices ranged from 40/1000 (4.0%) to 62/1000 (6.2%). One compound, 10-deacetyl-baccatin III, influenced the growth of tumours induced in mice by infection with Moloney murine sarcoma virus. The effect of the tested compounds on T lymphocyte proliferation was evaluated by measurement of the activity of tritiated thymidine incorporated into DNA of dividing cells. One compound, methyl (N-benzoyl-(2′R,3′S)-3′-phenylisoserinate), inhibited T lymphocyte proliferation. This paper demonstrates that modified parts of the taxol molecule possess various types of biological activity in-vitro and in-vivo. Further experiments, focused on revealing their mechanisms of action, are necessary.
The influence of Surelease and sodium alginate on the in-vitro release of tamsulosin hydrochloride in pellet dosage form
Authors: Kim Min-Soo , Jun Seoung Wook , Lee Sibeum , Lee Tae Wan , Park Jeong-Sook , Hwang Sung-Joo
Published: May 2005

The objective of this study was to prepare controlled-release pellets containing 0.2 mg tamsulosin hydrochloride using a pelletizer-equipped piston extruder and double-arm counter-rotating rollers with Surelease and sodium alginate. The release of tamsulosin HCl from pellets coated with the commercial aqueous ethylcellulose dispersion (Surelease) was investigated at different coating loads. In addition, the effect of sodium alginate on drug release was investigated by varying the ratio of sodium alginate to microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). Dissolution studies were first performed in 500 mL simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2) containing 0.003% (w/w) polysorbate 80 and then in simulated intestinal fluids (pH 7.2). The morphology of pellet surfaces and cross sections were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Apparently, the spherical pellets were prepared using a pelletizer-equipped piston extruder and double-arm counter-rotating rollers. The release profiles of tamsulosin HCl from Surelease-coated pellets were significantly affected by changing the content of Surelease, the pH of the dissolution medium and the ratio of sodium alginate to MCC. The drug release rates not only decreased with increase in the coating load, but also increased when the pH of the dissolution medium was increased from 1.2 to 7.2 regardless of the sodium alginate-to-MCC ratio. Moreover, the drug release rate at pH 7.2 was gradually increased by increasing the ratio of sodium alginate to MCC. SEM showed smooth surfaces of Surelease-coated pellets. These results suggest that Surelease and sodium alginate would be useful excipients in the preparation of controlled-release pellets with the desired release profiles.
Selective laser sintering (melting) of stainless and tool steel powders: Experiments and modelling
Authors: Childs T H C , Hauser C , Badrossamay M
Published: May 2005

When a laser beam scans once across the surface of a metallic powder bed, the resulting track may be continuous with a crescent or an elliptic cross-section, irregularly broken, balled or only partially melted. This paper reports what laser powers and scan speeds lead to what types of track, for a CO2 laser beam focused to 0.55 mm and 1.1 mm diameters, scanning over beds made from M2 and H13 tool steel and 314S-HC stainless steel powders. Beds have been made with particle size ranges from 300 μm to 150 μm, from 150 μm to 75 μm, from 75 μm to 38 μm, and less than 38 μm. Measurements are also reported of bed physical properties that are used in a finite element model to predict melt pool dimensions and temperatures. Boundaries between regions of different track formation are explained in terms of melt surface temperature gradients, melt pool length-diameter ratio instabilities, and transitions from partial to complete melting. Implications for building metal parts in powder beds without supports are considered. The modelling is briefly extended to multi-track and multi-layer processing, to conclude that bonding by remelting between layers, while still maintaining control of the melt flow, places severe constraints on the maximum allowable layer thickness.
Antenatal thalassaemia carrier testing: women's perceptions of 'information' and 'consent'
Authors: Ahmed Shenaz , Green Josephine , Hewison Jenny
Published: May 2005

Objectives: To explore the attitudes of a sample of pregnant women in the UK towards informed consent for antenatal thalassaemia carrier testing and perceived pre-test information needs for such testing.

Setting: The study was conducted in two cities in the North of England, where participants were recruited via Midwifery and Genetic services.

Method: In all, 110 Pakistani women tested and not found to be thalassaemia carriers completed a questionnaire, 14 of whom were also interviewed. Thirty-six women identified as carriers or possible carriers completed a questionnaire and were interviewed. The questionnaires assessed whether women were aware that they had been tested for thalassaemia carrier status, whether they were asked for their consent for such testing, and their pre-test information preferences. The interviews explored women's beliefs about 'informed consent' in more depth.

Results: Women had received little or no pre-test information and said that they would have preferred to be informed that they were being tested, but they did not expect, or express a desire, to be asked for their informed consent.

Conclusion: While information was important to women, consenting was not. Overall, women discussed 'information' and 'consent' as two separate issues, thus challenging assumptions around the term informed consent. Women wanted pre-test information because they wanted to know more about the tests that they would be having, not to use it to make decisions about whether to have the tests.
Second reading of screening mammograms increases cancer detection and recall rates. Results in the Florence screening programme
Authors: Ciatto S , Ambrogetti D , Bonardi R , Catarzi S , Risso G , Rosselli Del Turco M , Mantellini P
Published: May 2005

Objective: To assess double reading effectiveness in mammography screening.

Design: Retrospective study of 177,631 consecutive mammograms double read during 1998–2003.

Setting: The Florence screening programme, involving 11 trained radiologists. Abnormalities reported by at least one reader prompted assessment.

Results: The referral rate was 2.89% for the first reader, 3.15% for the second reader, and 3.59% for either reader. Of 713 total cancers detected, 43 were suspected only by the second reader (6.4% relative, 0.024% increase in absolute detection rate) and had a lower stage compared to the first reader (pTis–pT1b = 65.7 versus 52.0%): 41 were reviewed and classified (error type) as 'minimal sign' in six, and 'screening error' in 35 cases, or as BI-RADS 3 in one, 4a in 20, 4b in 13, and 4c in three cases. The second reading cost was €2.70 per woman examined, or €11,168 per additional cancer detected (versus €11,585 at a single reading).

Discussion: Second reading is effective in detecting a limited number of additional cancer cases. Tumour stage (one-third over 1 cm in diameter) and review findings (high rate of 'screening errors' and BI-RADS R4b-c categories) suggest that second reading detects small 'difficult cases' as well as larger cancers missed due to fatigue or loss of attention. Second reading reduces screening specificity to a minor extent, and since cancer detection at second reading seems cost-effective the procedure is recommendable in routine practice.
Maternal anxiety and satisfaction following infant hearing screening: a comparison of the health visitor distraction test and newborn hearing screening
Authors: Crockett Rachel , Baker Holly , Uus Kai , Bamford John , Marteau Theresa M
Published: May 2005

Background: Newborn hearing screening is currently replacing the health visitor distraction test (HVDT) conducted at eight months. Our previous research indicates that recall for further tests following newborn hearing screening can have a negative impact on the emotional well being of mothers, but it is not known if this is greater than that caused by recall following the distraction test.

Objective: To compare the impact on maternal anxiety and satisfaction of recall following newborn hearing screening and the HVDT.

Methods: Four groups participated: 27 mothers of babies receiving a satisfactory result and 21 mothers of babies recalled after the HVDT 26 mothers of babies receiving a satisfactory result and 16 mothers of babies recalled after newborn hearing screening. Questionnaires assessing maternal anxiety, worry and certainty about the babies' hearing, satisfaction with and attitudes towards the screening test were sent to mothers three weeks and six months following screening.

Results: Comparison of the effects of receipt of different results showed no significant differences in maternal anxiety, worry and certainty between the two tests. Those mothers whose babies had a newborn hearing screening test were significantly more satisfied, regardless of the result received. Those who received a satisfactory result on the newborn hearing screening programme also had more positive attitudes towards that screening test than those receiving a satisfactory result following the HVDT.

Conclusion: These results suggest that newborn hearing screening does not have a more negative emotional impact than the HVDT.
Infrared Intensities of Liquids XX: The Intensity of the OH Stretching Band of Liquid Water Revisited, and the Best Current Values of the Optical Constants of H2O(l) at 25°C between 15,000 and 1 cm−1
Authors: Bertie John E. , Lan Zhida
Published: May 2005

The previously reported nonreproducibility of the intensity of the OH stretching band of liquid water has been explored. It was found that it can be eliminated in measurements with the Circle® multiple ATR cell by ensuring that the ATR rod is coaxial with the glass liquid holder. It was also found that normal laboratory temperature variations of a few degrees change the intensity by ⩽∼1% of the peak height. A new imaginary refractive index spectrum of water has been determined between 4000 and 700 cm1 as the average of spectra calculated from ATR spectra recorded by four workers in our laboratory over the past seven years. It was obtained under experimental and computational conditions superior to those used previously, but is only marginally different from the spectra reported in 1989. In particular, the integrated intensities of the fundamentals are not changed significantly from those reported in 1989. The available imaginary refractive index, k, values between 15,000 and 1 cm−1 have been compared. The values that are judged to be the most reliable have been combined into a recommended k spectrum of H2O(l) at 25 °C between 15,000 and 1 cm−1, from which the real refractive index spectrum has been calculated by Kramers–Kronig transformation. The recommended values of the real and imaginary refractive indices and molar absorption coefficients of liquid water at 25 ± 1 °C are presented in graphs and tables. The real and imaginary dielectric constants and the real and imaginary molar polarizabilities in this wavenumber range can be calculated from the tables. Conservatively estimated probable errors of the recommended k values are given. The precision with which the values can be measured in one laboratory and the relative errors between regions are, of course, far smaller than these probable errors. The recommended k values should be of considerable value as interim standard intensities of liquid water, which will facilitate the transfer of intensities between laboratories.
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Detection of Lead in Concrete
Authors: Pakhomov Andrew V. , Nichols William , Borysow Jacek
Published: May 2005

Time-resolved laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy was applied for quantitative measurement of lead content in concrete at levels down to 10 ppm. The breakdown was formed at the sample surface by a Q-switched ND:YAG laser operating at a 1.06-μm wavelength and a repetition rate of 10 Hz. Contamination levels were inferred from the ratio of the integrated emission line of lead to a known reference line of the matrix. The lead contamination can be determined on an absolute scale down to 10 ppm at an optimum delay time of 3.0 μs. These results were derived from analysis of the temporal evolution of the calibration function within a 0.1- to 19.0-μs time range. The calibration function exhibits no dependence on the incident laser pulse energy, which was varied from 250 to 400 mJ.
Mom, why isn’t there a picture of our prophet?
Authors: Sogancı Ismail Özgür
Published: May 2005

In this study I problematize the silence of Turkish art education toward the historical ‘unease’ about figurative representation in Islamic cultures. I provide readers with textual and visual evidence that calls for art teachers’ attention to this issue. This evidence
consists of examples from a variety of sources including survey results, interview transcripts, documentary photographs, and religious, official and popular texts. Taken together, they form a rationale for a comprehensive study that sets out to interpret the current situation with regard to
the long-standing beliefs about figurative representation in Turkish/Islamic culture.
Creative education through arts and crafts
Authors: Mason Rachel
Published: May 2005

The journal is being developed within the framework of the International Society for Education through Art (InSEA), initiated under the leadership of Sir Herbert Read and others in 1954. InSEA is the international non-governmental world organization for education through art in consultative
relations with UNESCO. It has as its main purpose the encouragement and advancement of creative education through arts and crafts in all countries and the promotion of international understanding.
Negotiating transformative waters: students exploring their subjectivity in art
Authors: Elsden-Clifton Jennifer
Published: May 2005

This article explores the transformative potential of art education. Specifically, it focuses on how art education provided space for two students to explore their subjectivity. To examine this issue, I have drawn upon post-structuralist theory. In the article I briefly discuss this
theory and its implications for research into the area of art education. Then I apply discourse analysis to show how students use their own art to explore their multiple subjectivities and lived experiences. As I will argue, my research highlights how art education can function as a productive
space for students to explore their social and cultural worlds, investigate the complexity of their identity and question the world around them.
Visual culture and an aesthetics of embodiment
Authors: Duncum Paul
Published: May 2005

The article provides both theoretical support to and a historical perspective on the recent shift in art education towards consideration of contemporary, global sites of visual culture, while simultaneously seeing this as problematic. Cultural sites employing violence and highly sexualized
imagery are conceptualized in terms of an aesthetics of embodiment. The article begins with an examination of modernist aesthetics as derived from Kant and his followers that focused on a narrow range of perceptual sensations and ignored the full range of bodily sensations. By contrast, an
aesthetic of embodiment reintegrates aesthetics with vulgar, crude, and sensationalist experiences. Historically, it is linked to medieval carnival, and the return of carnival in mediated form is linked to a hedonistic consumer body. The case is made that an aesthetics of embodiment is a necessary
theoretical construct for dealing with many cultural sites of corporate, global capital.
Book Review
Authors: Houghton Nicholas
Published: May 2005

Creativity, Communication and Cultural Value, Keith Negus and Michael Pickering (2004). London, Thousand Oaks CA, and New Delhi: Sage. 192 pp., Hardback, ISBN 0-7619-7075-4, £60.00.
Effect of Catechol-O-Methyltransferaseval158metGenotype on Attentional Control
Authors: Blasi Giuseppe , Mattay Venkata S. , Bertolino Alessandro , Elvevåg Brita , Callicott Joseph H. , Das Saumitra , Kolachana Bhaskar S. , Egan Michael F. , Goldberg Terry E. , Weinberger Daniel R.
Published: May 2005

The cingulate cortex is richly innervated by dopaminergic projections and plays a critical role in attentional control (AC). Evidence indicates that dopamine enhances the neurophysiological signal-to-noise ratio and that dopaminergic tone in the frontal cortex is critically dependent on catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). A functional polymorphism (val158met) in the COMT gene accounts for some of the individual variability in executive function mediated by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. We explored the effect of this genetic polymorphism on cingulate engagement during a novel AC task. We found that the COMTval158metpolymorphism also affects the function of the cingulate during AC. Individuals homozygous for the high-activity valine (“val”) allele show greater activity and poorer performance than val/methionine (“met”) heterozygotes, who in turn show greater activity and poorer performance than individuals homozygous for the low-activitymetallele, and these effects are most evident at the highest demand for AC. These results indicate thatmetallele load and presumably enhanced dopaminergic tone improve the “efficiency” of local circuit processing within the cingulate cortex and thereby its function during AC.
Mesocortical Dopamine Neurons Operate in Distinct Temporal Domains Using Multimodal Signaling
Authors: Lavin Antonieta , Nogueira Lourdes , Lapish Christopher C. , Wightman R. Mark , Phillips Paul E. M. , Seamans Jeremy K.
Published: May 2005

In vivoextracellular recording studies have traditionally shown that dopamine (DA) transiently inhibits prefrontal cortex (PFC) neurons, yet recent biophysical measurementsin vitroindicate that DA enhances the evoked excitability of PFC neurons for prolonged periods. Moreover, although DA neurons apparently encode stimulus salience by transient alterations in firing, the temporal properties of the PFC DA signal associated with various behaviors is often extraordinarily prolonged. The present study usedin vivoelectrophysiological and electrochemical measures to show that the mesocortical system produces a fast non-DA-mediated postsynaptic response in the PFC that appears to be initiated by glutamate. In contrast, short burst stimulation of mesocortical DA neurons that produced transient (<4 s) DA release in the PFC caused a simultaneous reduction in spontaneous firing (consistent with extracellularin vivorecordings) and a form of DA-induced potentiation in which evoked firing was increased for tens of minutes (consistent within vitromeasurements). We suggest that the mesocortical system might transmit fast signals about reward or salience via corelease of glutamate, whereas the simultaneous prolonged DA-mediated modulation of firing biases the long-term processing dynamics of PFC networks.
Chemical bonding in crystals: new directions
Authors: Gatti Carlo
Published: May 2005

Analysis of the chemical bonding in the position space, instead of or besides that in the wave function (Hilbert) orbital space, has become increasingly popular for crystalline systems in the past decade. The two most frequently used investigative tools, the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules and Crystal (QTAIMAC) and the Electron Localization Function (ELF) are thoroughly discussed. The treatment is focussed on the topological peculiarities that necessarily arise from the periodicity of the crystal lattice and on those facets of the two tools that have been more debated, especially when these tools are applied to the condensed phase. In particular, in the case of QTAIMAC, the physical and chemical significance of the bond paths for the very weak or the supposedly repulsive interactions, the distinctive features and the appropriateness of the several schemes that have been proposed to classify chemical bonds, and, finally, the relative importance of the local and integrated electron density properties for describing intermolecular interactions. In the case of the ELF, particular attention is devoted to how this function is formulated and to the related physical meaning, and to how can the ELF be chemically interpreted and properly analysed in crystals. Several examples are reported to illustrate all these points and for critically examine the answers obtained and the problems encountered. The discussed examples encompass the case of molecular crystals, Zintl phases, intermetallic compounds, metals, supported and unsupported metal-metal bonds in organometallics, ionic solids, crystal surfaces, crystal defects, etc. Whenever possible joint ELF and QTAIMAC studies are considered, with particular emphasis on the comparison of the bond description afforded by the ELF and the Laplacian of the electron density. Two recently proposed functions, the Localized Orbital Locator (LOL) and the Source Function in its integrated or local form are also presented, in view of their potential interest for stud ies of chemical bonding in crystals. The use of approximated ELF and LOL, as derived from the density functional form of the positive kinetic energy density, is also discussed.