bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Educational Nurturing in Underdeveloped Contexts Unraveling the Dynamics of Student Teachers’ Holistic Development
Authors:   Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur, Khoso Farzana Jabeen , Shaikh Neelofar ,   College Education Department, Government of Sindh, Dahri Khadim Hussain ,   Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University, Lyari, Imran Muhammad ,   SZABIST, Karachi
Published: April 2024

Introduction: The paper underscores the crucial necessity of providing effective guidance to student teachers, referred to as "Pre-Service," to effectively address and navigate classroom challenges and overcome issues related to teaching practicum. Study explores the experiences of 08 student teachers focusing on their mentoring experiences during teaching practicum in rural areas of Sindh. Methodology: The study was conducted in schools situated in rural Sindh, involving participants who were new teachers in their fourth year of the Bachelor of Education program. The qualitative approach utilized structured open interviews to gather insights into the challenges faced by pre-service teachers during their teaching practicum, specifically exploring the guidance provided by mentors in underprivileged schools. Findings: The findings disclose a common experience among interviewed student teachers who lacked awareness of the challenges confronted by in-service teachers in underprivileged schools, particularly in rural areas with limited resources such as electricity,computers, whiteboards, and data projectors. The study highlights the concerns expressed by pre-service teachers regarding insufficient guidance from trained mentors and a lack of mentor motivation when assigned to schools in challenging environments. Implication/Future Direction: Drawing on the "Situativity theory" as a framework, the implications suggest the need for enhanced mentorship programs and support mechanisms to better prepare pre- service teachers for the challenges in diverse educational settings. Future directions include developing comprehensive mentor training programs and refining existing mentorship structures to ensure the successful integration of pre-service teachers into underprivileged school environments.
Evaluación de actitudes hacia la biodiversidad y su conservación como contenidos de aprendizaje en los zoológicos. Estado del arte entre los años 2011 y 2016
Authors:   , Álvarez Morales Sonia Patricia
Published: April 2024

Las actitudes son uno de los tipos de aprendizaje que menos se evalúan en el contexto educativo informal y menos aún en los procesos de alfabetización ambiental, donde son tan necesarias para orientar la toma de decisiones informadas. El presente estudio da cuenta de las principales características que han tenido las evaluaciones de actitudes hacia la biodiversidad y su conservación realizadas por los parques zoológicos a sus distintos públicos objetivo en el marco de sus actividades de educación informal entre los años 201l y 2016. Utilizando el estado de arte como metodología de investigación documental, se recopilaron y analizaron 15 documentos de distintas bases de datos publicados entre dicho período de tiempo. Los principales resultados dan cuenta de una falta de conceptualización de las actitudes y sus componentes, así como una falta de precisión y calidad en los instrumentos utilizados para medirlas, que en su mayoría corresponden a escalas de tipo Likert. A partir de lo anterior, se concluye la importancia de superar estas debilidades a corto plazo para que repercutan en sus procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje informal y se aproveche todo el potencial educativo que tienen los parques zoológicos como escenarios únicos, para que las personas generen actitudes positivas hacia la biodiversidad y sus acciones de conservación.
Hacia la mejora de la autoeficacia estudiantil en matemáticas para fortalecer la aptitud y actitud de aprendizaje y logros académicos de los alumnos de 8º básico del Colegio Santa María de Ovalle
Authors:   , Camposano Ibarra Marcela Teresa
Published: April 2024

El proyecto de magister de intervención se implementó para estudiantes de 8° básico del colegio Santa María de Ovalle, RBD: 11106-6, en la disciplina de matemática dado que esta generación presentó insatisfactorios resultados para las expectativas institucionales, tanto en autoestima académica y motivación escolar como desempeño en aprendizaje en SIMCE 2015. El objetivo del plan de intervención consistió en un plan piloto de intervención de la estrategia didáctica y relacional en las aulas de matemáticas de la unidad de observación con el fin de mejorar la autoeficacia estudiantil expresada como la aptitud y actitud al aprendizaje y los logros de resultados académicos. Para ello se trabajó una fase de diagnóstico para detectar aquellos componentes a abordar, mediante la revisión y análisis cualitativo de fuentes secundaria, registros institucionales y aplicación de encuestas de apreciación a los alumnos referente al desempeño docente en relación a los dominios para fortalecer la autoeficacia estudiantil, así como también, conocer las expectativas de resultados y metas de rendimiento en matemáticas propias de los alumnos de la unidad de análisis. Posteriormente con los resultados del diagnóstico se procedió a diseñar en forma colaborativa el plan de intervención de aula a través de metodología Design Thinking, es decir divergir para converger. El plan abordó el fortalecimiento de la 1. Gestión de grupos de enseñanza, de las transiciones y materiales, así como la ejecución de rutinas de aula; 2. Retroalimentación positiva y altas expectativas del docente; 3. Retroalimentación y Seguimiento del progreso de los estudiantes, así como también, Ajustes clase a clase en función de los aprendizajes. Todos los mecanismos de seguimiento de implementación del plan, tanto cuantitativo como cualitativo, reportan una transformación del clima de aula hacia uno más propicio y estimulante por efecto de éste. Esto se observó en incrementos significativos de los resultados a través de las encuestas de apreciación, resultados académicos y metas de rendimiento en matemáticas de los estudiantes.
Estudio de caso: Caracterización de las prácticas del director que ha liderado una escuela hacia un proceso de mejora institucionalizado. Colegio Cristian and Caren school
Authors:   , Catalán Carrasco René
Published: April 2024

Este estudio es una indagación que explora en las prácticas de liderazgo que reportan diversos actores y que son ejercidas por el director de la escuela Cristian and Caren School, la cual está compuesta por estudiantes de alta vulnerabilidad y ha presentado buenos resultados educativos durante la última década. Para indagar en las prácticas del director, se diseña un estudio de casos, que a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas y observación, permite levantar información relevante sobre el ejercicio de su liderazgo. Como resultado, se obtuvo que el director realiza prácticas específicas para implementar y mantener estrategias de mejora en la escuela, las cuales además se pueden asociar fácilmente a dimensiones de liderazgo exitoso que influyen en los logros de aprendizaje de los estudiantes, halladas en estudios de nivel internacional. Se destaca que a estas prácticas agrega matices propios y adaptados a su contexto, que le permiten ser reconocido por los docentes como uno de los principales responsables del éxito educativo de la escuela.
Prácticas de instrucción de vocabulario de educadoras chilenas y su relación con el vocabularios de los niños de prekinder
Authors:   , Pizarro Laborda Paulina
Published: April 2024

El programa de desarrollo profesional, Un Buen Comienzo (UBC), se implementó en Chile para mejorar las prácticas de alfabetización inicial en niños de sectores vulnerables de prekínder y kínder. Del conjunto de prácticas que implementó este programa, el presente estudio, analizó las prácticas de instrucción de vocabulario que fueron realizadas por las educadoras que lo recibieron, así como también se analizó la relación de estas prácticas de instrucción con el nivel de vocabulario de los niños de prekínder. El primer objetivo de esta investigación, fue identificar grupos de educadoras que implementaron determinadas prácticas de instrucción de vocabulario por sobre otras. Específicamente, hay ciertas prácticas que están focalizadas en el adulto, lo que significa que el adulto se expresa oralmente durante la mayor parte de la instrucción de vocabulario. Asimismo, hay ciertas prácticas de instrucción de vocabulario centradas en la interacción adulto-niño, es decir, es el niño el que se expresa oralmente en interacción con la educadora durante la mayor parte de la práctica. El segundo objetivo fue relacionar las características de desarrollo profesional de las educadoras con estos grupos encontrados. El tercer objetivo fue determinar la probabilidad que un niño logre un alto nivel final de vocabulario, dependiendo de la interacción entre el tipo de prácticas de vocabulario a la que estuvo expuesto y el nivel inicial de vocabulario. Para lograr los objetivos propuestos, se realizó un análisis secundario de datos del estudio experimental que investigó la fidelidad de implementación del programa UBC (Mendive, Weiland, Yoshikawa, & Snow, 2016). Se realizó un análisis de clases latentes con una muestra de 31 educadoras de prekínder del grupo experimental, quienes presentaron al menos un evento de vocabulario en el estudio de fidelidad. Además, se realizó una regresión logística para identificar si el nivel de vocabulario de los niños era predicho por su nivel inicial y/o los grupos de prácticas de educadoras, controlando por la escolaridad de la madre, cantidad de libros de adultos en el hogar y cantidad de libros infantiles en el hogar. Contrario a lo que se esperaba, se identificó otra forma de clasificar, y como resultado hubo dos clases latentes. La primera clase fue un grupo de educadoras de párvulos que presentó una alta probabilidad de implementar las prácticas de instrucción de vocabulario, y la segunda, fue un grupo de educadoras con una baja probabilidad de implementar dichas prácticas. Además, la única variable de desarrollo profesional que se pudo analizar fue la edad, la que no caracterizó a ninguno de los dos grupos de educadoras. Finalmente, las variables que predicen los resultados de vocabulario de los niños a finales de prekínder solo fueron el nivel inicial de vocabulario de los párvulos y la escolaridad de la madre. Los resultados son discutidos a la luz de la literatura nacional e internacional.
Uncertainty quantification for dynamical systems via Tikhonov regularization
Authors:   ,   Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Escuela de Ingeniería, Villalón Sepúlveda Elena
Published: April 2024

En esta tesis se propone un método convexo y de dimensión finita para estimar la función de densidad de probabilidad (FDP) de las condiciones iniciales de un sistema dinámico basado en las observaciones que estimamos o forzamos sobre los momentos futuros de los estados. El método interpreta un problema de optimización de dimensión infinita que estima una densidad de mínima norma sujeta a que las estimaciones sean equivalentes a los valores esperados de los observables, como un problema de regresión regularizado que estima los valores esperados directamente. Esto se logra introduciendo en la función objetivo un término de regularización implícito sobre los valores esperados y un termino de pérdida entre las estimaciones y los valores esperados. El método propuesto se resuelve utilizando un algoritmo de optimización de primer orden y se evalúa en cuatro casos diferentes.El estudio investiga el impacto de la forma del soporte de FDP en el valor óptimo de FPD y su capacidad para reconstruir momentos de estados futuros. También se evalúa el desempeño de tres métodos numéricos para la aproximación del gradiente en el algoritmo, siendo Monte Carlo el más eficiente en problemas de baja dimensión. Además, el estudio demuestra que aumentar el orden de los momentos genera estimaciones de FPD más complejas, y el método propuesto puede estimar la FPD tanto de los estados iniciales como de los parámetros de un sistema dinámico no lineal al restringir con datos agregados. El método proporciona una forma de cuantificar la incertidumbre con un problema de optimización de dimensión finita que se puede resolver con algoritmos de optimización de primer orden, y que tiene aplicaciones potenciales en problemas de ingeniería como en modelos de población y en ingeniería de control.
La importancia del análisis fonémico y el principio alfabético en el proceso de aprendizaje de la lectoescritura en etapas iniciales
Authors:   , Álvarez Durán Fernando Raimundo
Published: April 2024

En el aprendizaje lector inicial se pueden presentar diversas situaciones que afectan el adecuado desarrollo del proceso. La pandemia mundial originada por el Covid-19 y el uso de prácticas pedagógicas poco enriquecedoras han sido identificados como algunos de los factores relacionados con las dificultades que muchos niños de todo el mundo presentan en su proceso de aprendizaje de la lectura y la escritura. En este contexto, el presente trabajo pretende destacar la importancia de dos habilidades fundamentales en la lectura inicial: el análisis fonémico (segmentación de fonemas) y el principio alfabético (conocimiento de los sonidos de las letras), mediante la realización de un programa de intervención de 40 días. Además, se pretende validar la estrategia fonológica de alargamiento de fonemas para el éxito de tareas de análisis fonémico (AF).El principio alfabético (PA) es considerado una habilidad fundamental en el proceso de aprendizaje lector inicial en habla hispana, puesto que permite la generación de automatismo al leer, lo que posibilita la comprensión lectora. Por su parte, el análisis fonémico (AF) también ha sido descrito como una habilidad fundamental en el proceso de aprendizaje lector inicial, especialmente en lengua inglesa. Por esta razón, en el presente trabajo se ha propuesto evaluar el impacto de la manipulación suprasegmental experimental en tareas de análisis fonémico (AF) y de un programa combinado de entrenamiento del principio alfabético (AGF) y del análisis fonémico. Para el cumplimiento de estos objetivos se procedió a realizar la investigación en tres fases: pilotaje, experimentación e intervención. En la fase de pilotaje se obtuvieron valores referenciales sobre la discriminación auditiva de fonemas modificados experimentalmente, datos que fueron utilizados luego en las etapas posteriores. En la fase de experimentación se evaluó el desempeño de un grupo de niños en tareas de análisis fonémico con fonemas alargados en duración. Finalmente, en la fase de intervención se implementó un programa de enseñanza y práctica de 40 días centrado en el principio alfabético y el análisis fonémico. Los resultados evidencian que la duración del fonema resulta ser un factor relevante en el éxito de tareas de AF. La intervención combinada de PA y AF genera un impacto significativo en la escritura, la lectura, la conciencia fonémica y la cantidad de letras conocidas.
Factors Influencing the Struggle towards Reduction of Gender-Based Violence in Meru District Council, Arusha Region, Tanzania
Authors: Mhango Solomon S. , Matemba Godlove Barikiel
Published: April 2024

It is important to end Gender-Based Violence because of its consequences in communities but there are factors influencing the efforts toward Reduction of Gender-Based Violence. Tanzania Police Gender and Child Desk fight against gender violence among different communities whereby gender violence survivors report cases with assurance of professional treatment by trained police officers. Main objective was to analyze factors the Performance of Police Gender and Children Desk on Reduction of Gender-Based Violence in Meru District Council, Arusha Region. Tanzania. A cross-sectional research design involving 324 heads of households was adopted for the study. Data were collected using household survey questionnaire and analysed using Multiple linear regression model. Factors; Gender-based Violence cases resolved, number of Gender-based Violence cases reported per annum, increased number of Police officers trained on Gender-based Violence, Level of community awareness and community members trained on Gender-based Violence per annum were statistically significant at 1% level. It is concluded that Police Gender and Children Desk had significant contribution in reduction of gender-based violence in Meru District Council of Arusha Region. The study recommends that the gender issues related stakeholders at the country and international levels support the Police Gender and Children Desk to end as Gender-based Violence.
Exploring Differences in Elderly Satisfaction with Outpatient Services at Suak Ribee and Meutulang Community Health Centers
Authors: Susanti Meri , Marniati  , Duana Maiza , Mulyani Itza , Putri Enda Silvia , Jihad Fikri Faidul , Anwar Sufyan
Published: April 2024

Background: Elderly individuals are vulnerable groups with high morbidity and mortality rates. Some of them suffer from degenerative diseases that are chronic in nature, thus requiring high-quality healthcare services. As preliminary data collected through interviews with 10 elderly patients revealed, 3 individuals expressed dissatisfaction with healthcare services due to long waiting times for medication collection. Additionally, 3 individuals reported dissatisfaction with the services provided by healthcare personnel at the Community Health Center. This study aims to demonstrate the differences in the level of satisfaction among elderly patients in outpatient care between the general clinic and the elderly clinic at the Community Health Center.
Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional design. The research was conducted in July 2023 with a sample size of 148 elderly individuals. The data was collected through interviews with the elderly who visited the Community Health Center. Two Community Health Centers were included as research sites: Meutulang Community Health Center to assess satisfaction with healthcare services at the general clinic, and Suak Ribee Community Health Center to assess satisfaction with healthcare services at the elderly clinic.
Results: The study findings indicated that the average patient satisfaction score at the elderly clinic was 28.07, whereas the average patient satisfaction score at the general clinic was 27.17. Statistical testing revealed a p-value of 0.024.
Conclusion: This study concludes that there is a difference in the level of satisfaction among elderly patients who utilize outpatient healthcare services at the elderly clinic and those at the general clinic of the Community Health Center. It is recommended that Community Health Centers without an elderly clinic unit as part of their outpatient services should consider providing such services, thereby focusing more on the elderly population.
Strategic Assessment of Intricacies in Healthcare Cyber Security: Analyzing Distinctive Challenges, Evaluating Their Ramifications on Healthcare Delivery, and Proposing Advanced Mitigation Strategies
Authors: Alade Oluwaseun Modupe , Amusan Elizabeth Adedoyin , Ojo Omotayo Job
Published: April 2024

Healthcare firms have access to highly sensitive and valuable data, such as patient health records and payment card information. They are also becoming more reliant on Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices to provide treatment, and assaults on this networked equipment can result in data breaches or disruptions to crucial care of patients. Hence there is need to critically assess the intricacies in healthcare cyber security by analyzing the unique challenges facing healthcare sector, their impact on healthcare delivery and suggest some effective cyber security measures to mitigate the identified Cyber security challenges facing health care sector. The research employs a quantitative method by using the descriptive and survey approach through the use of questionnaires to elicit and gather relevant information regarding the Unique Cyber security Challenges in the Healthcare Industry. The descriptive method was used to achieve the objectives of the study while the survey technique was used to get qualitative information from respondents about effect of those cyber security challenges in the health care industry. The target sample size used for this study was 1300. However, only 980 responses were recovered and used for the analysis. Future research work suggested that strong encryption procedures can be developed and implemented for healthcare security, sophisticated anomaly detection tools can be incorporated, and cooperative frameworks for information exchange across the healthcare ecosystem could be established. Also the suggested effective measures to mitigate cyber security challenges in healthcare sector can be implemented in order to secure the patient sensitive and valuable data.
Growth Analysis of Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) as Influenced by Different Sowing Dates and Planting Geometry in Chhattisgarh Plains Zone
Authors: Painkara Sandeep Kumar , Chandrakar D. K. , Langangmeilu Golmei , Paraye P. M. , Verma A. K. , Patel Anjali
Published: April 2024

An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of different sowing dates and planting geometry on coriander during the winter seasons of 2020-21 and 2021-22 at Instructional farm, College of Agriculture and Research Station, IGKV, Raigarh, Chhattisgarh. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design, comprised of four date of sowing viz., D1: 25th October, D2: 10th November, D3: 25th November and D4: 10th December as main plot and four planting geometries viz., S1: 30 x 5 cm, S2: 30 x 7.5 cm, S3: 30 x 10 cm and S4: 30 x 12.5 cm as sub-plot, and replicated trice. Influence of above treatments on crop was studied regarding growth parameters of coriander and analyzed statistically. The result showed that the crop sown on 25th October recorded significantly higher growth parameters viz., plant height, number of branches, dry matter accumulation, crop growth rate and relative growth rate. Among planting geometry, sowing of coriander at 30 x 12.5 cm spacing produced significantly taller plants, higher number of branches plant-1, dry matter accumulation plant-1, crop growth rate and relative growth rate. Coriander sown on 25th October interacted with the 30 x 12.5 cm spacing and registered significantly higher dry matter accumulation.
Clinical application of deferasirox: Practical patient management
Authors: Vichinsky Elliott
Published: December 2007

Deferasirox (Exjade®, ICL670) is a once‐daily, oral iron chelation agent that is now widely available for the treatment of transfusional hemosiderosis in adult and pediatric patients aged ≥2 years of age. Clinical evaluation has established the efficacy and safety of this novel agent in patients with a variety of chronic anemias. Deferasirox represents a significant advance in the treatment of iron overload, as the availability of an effective oral therapy has the potential to relieve many patients from the burden of frequent parenteral therapy with the previous reference standard iron chelator, deferoxamine. The most common drug‐related adverse events seen in the core registration trials were gastrointestinal disturbances, rash, mild and nonprogressive increases in serum creatinine levels, and elevations in liver enzyme levels. Most events were transient, mild‐to‐moderate in severity, and easily managed without discontinuation of treatment. As with any new agent, it is important that treating physicians are familiar with the adverse event profile of deferasirox and how the associated effects can be readily managed to ensure optimal use of this important treatment. Am. J. Hematol., 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Metadata harvesting for content‐based distributed information retrieval
Authors: Simeoni Fabio , Yakici Murat , Neely Steve , Crestani Fabio
Published: December 2007

We propose an approach to content‐based Distributed Information Retrieval based on the periodic and incremental centralization of full‐content indices of widely dispersed and autonomously managed document sources. Inspired by the success of the Open Archive Initiative's (OAI) Protocol for metadata harvesting, the approach occupies middle ground between content crawling and distributed retrieval. As in crawling, some data move toward the retrieval process, but it is statistics about the content rather than content itself; this grants more efficient use of network resources and wider scope of application. As in distributed retrieval, some processing is distributed along with the data, but it is indexing rather than retrieval; this reduces the costs of content provision while promoting the simplicity, effectiveness, and responsiveness of retrieval. Overall, we argue that the approach retains the good properties of centralized retrieval without renouncing to cost‐effective, large‐scale resource pooling. We discuss the requirements associated with the approach and identify two strategies to deploy it on top of the OAI infrastructure. In particular, we define a minimal extension of the OAI protocol which supports the coordinated harvesting of full‐content indices and descriptive metadata for content resources. Finally, we report on the implementation of a proof‐of‐concept prototype service for multimodel content‐based retrieval of distributed file collections.
Subjectivity and information ethics1
Authors: Frohmann Bernd
Published: December 2007

In “A Brief History of Information Ethics,” Thomas Froehlich (2004) quickly surveyed under several broad categories some of the many issues that constitute information ethics: under the category of librarianship—censorship, privacy, access, balance in collections, copyright, fair use, and codes of ethics; under information science, which Froehlich sees as closely related to librarianship—confidentiality, bias, and quality of information; under computer ethics—intellectual property, privacy, fair representation, nonmaleficence, computer crime, software reliability, artificial intelligence, and e‐commerce; under cyberethics (issues related to the Internet, or “cyberspace”)—expert systems, artificial intelligence (again), and robotics; under media ethics—news, impartiality, journalistic ethics, deceit, lies, sexuality, censorship (again), and violence in the press; and under intercultural information ethics—digital divide, and the ethical role of the Internet for social, political, cultural, and economic development. Many of the debates in information ethics, on these and other issues, have to do with specific kinds of relationships between subjects. The most important subject and a familiar figure in information ethics is the ethical subject engaged in moral deliberation, whether appearing as the bearer of moral rights and obligations to other subjects, or as an agent whose actions are judged, whether by others or by oneself, according to the standards of various moral codes and ethical principles. Many debates in information ethics revolve around conflicts between those acting according to principles of unfettered access to information and those finding some information offensive or harmful. Subjectivity is at the heart of information ethics. But how is subjectivity understood? Can it be understood in ways that broaden ethical reflection to include problems that remain invisible when subjectivity is taken for granted and when how it is created remains unquestioned? This article proposes some answers by investigating the meaning and role of subjectivity in information ethics.2

In an article on cyberethics (2000), I asserted that there was no information ethics in any special sense beyond the application of general ethical principles to information services. Here, I take a more expansive view.
A national picture of part‐time community college faculty: Changing trends in demographics and employment characteristics
Authors: Eagan Kevin
Published: December 2007

This chapter provides a descriptive analysis of the demographic, employment, and attitudinal similarities and differences found among part‐ and full‐time faculty at community colleges.
Multiple judgments: Institutional context and part‐time faculty
Authors: Levin John S.
Published: December 2007

Part‐time faculty are best understood as extensions of institutional identity. In the twenty‐first century, the identity of community colleges makes part‐time faculty central to the organization's goals.
Globalization, the new economy, and part‐time faculty
Authors: Wagoner Richard L.
Published: December 2007

This chapter analyzes data from the 1999 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty to suggest that community college part‐time faculty can be understood as temporary labor in the new economy.
Part‐time faculty and professional development: Notes from the field
Authors: Wallin Desna L.
Published: December 2007

As community colleges become dependent on a contingent workforce, the recruitment, retention, and motivation of quality part‐time faculty become an institutional priority. This chapter presents an overview of the practices of three exemplary colleges in providing innovative professional development for part‐time faculty.
Sources and information: Community colleges and part‐time faculty
Authors: Liu Amy
Published: December 2007

This chapter summarizes resources from the recent literature on part‐time community college faculty.
Photostable, Amino Reactive and Water‐Soluble Fluorescent Labels Based on Sulfonated Rhodamine with a Rigidized Xanthene Fragment
Authors: Boyarskiy Vadim P. , Belov Vladimir N. , Medda Rebecca , Hein Birka , Bossi Mariano , Hell Stefan W.
Published: December 2007

Highly water soluble fluorescent dyes were synthesized and transformed into new amino reactive fluorescent labels for biological microscopy. To this end, rhodamine 8 (prepared from 7‐hydroxy‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinoline (7) and phthalic anhydride in 85 % aq. H3PO4) was sulfonated with 30 % SO3 in H2SO4 and afforded the water soluble disulfonic acid 3 a (64 %). Amidation of the carboxy group in 3 a with 2‐(methylamino)ethanol in the presence of O‐(7‐azabenzotriazol‐1‐yl)‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethyluronium⋅PF6− (HATU) led to alcohol 3 b (66 %), which was transformed into the amino reactive mixed carbonate 3 d with di(N‐succinimidyl)carbonate and Et3N. Reaction of the carboxy group in 3 a with MeNH(CH2)2CO2Me and N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethyl‐O‐(N‐succinimidyl)‐uronium⋅BF4− (TSTU) yielded methyl ester 13. After saponification of the aliphatic carboxy group in 13, the compound was converted into NHS‐ester 3 e (using HATU and Et3N). Heating of 7 with trimellitic anhydride in H3PO4 gave a mixture of dicarboxylic acids 14 and 15 (1:1). Regioisomer 15 was isolated, sulfonated with 30 % SO3 in H2SO4, and disulfonic acid 3 f was used for the synthesis of the mono NHS‐ester 3 g, in which the sterically unhindered carboxy group was selectively activated (with N‐hydroxysuccinimide, HATU, and Et3N). The sulfonated rhodamines 3 b, c and f are soluble in water (up to 0.1 M), have excellent photostabilities and large fluorescence quantum yields. Subdiffraction resolution images of tubulin filaments of mammalian cells stained with these dyes illustrate their applicability as labels for stimulated emission depletion microscopy and other fluorescence techniques.
Indium–Silver‐ and Zinc–Silver‐Mediated Barbier–Grignard‐Type Alkylation Reactions of Imines by Using Unactivated Alkyl Halides in Aqueous Media
Authors: Shen Zhi‐Liang , Cheong Hao‐Lun , Loh Teck‐Peng
Published: December 2007

In the presence of In or Zn/AgI/InCl3, an efficient and practical method for the Barbier–Grignard‐type alkylation reactions of simple imines by using a one‐pot condensation of various aldehydes, amines (including the aliphatic and chiral version), and secondary alkyl iodides has been developed. The reaction proceeded more efficiently in water than in organic solvents. Without the use of CuI, it mainly gave the imine self‐reductive coupling product, which was not the alkylated product. Good diastereoselectivities (up to 92:8 dr) were obtained when L‐valine methyl ester was used as the substrate.
Facile Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles with Narrow Size Distribution by Using AuCl or AuBr as the Precursor
Authors: Lu Xianmao , Tuan Hsing‐Yu , Korgel Brian A. , Xia Younan
Published: December 2007

Gold(I) halides, including AuCl and AuBr, were employed for the first time as precursors in the synthesis of Au nanoparticles. The synthesis was accomplished by dissolving AuI halides in chloroform in the presence of alkylamines, followed by decomposition at 60 °C. The relative low stability of the AuI halides and there derivatives eliminated the need for a reducing agent, which is usually required for AuIII‐based precursors to generate Au nanoparticles. Controlled growth of Au nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution was achieved when AuCl and oleylamine were used for the synthesis. FTIR and mass spectra revealed that a complex, [AuCl(oleylamine)], was formed through coordination between oleylamine and AuCl. Thermolysis of the complex in chloroform led to the formation of dioleylamine and Au nanoparticles. When oleylamine was replaced with octadecylamine, much larger nanoparticles were obtained due to the lower stability of [AuCl(octadecylamine)] complex relative to [AuCl(oleylamine)]. Au nanoparticles can also be prepared from AuBr through thermolysis of the [AuBr(oleylamine)] complex. Due to the oxidative etching effect caused by Br−, the nanoparticles obtained from AuBr exhibited an aspect ratio of 1.28, in contrast to 1.0 for the particles made from AuCl. Compared to the existing methods for preparing Au nanoparticles through the reduction of AuIII compounds, this new approach based on AuI halides offers great flexibility in terms of size control.
Palladium Catalysts for Highly Selective Sonogashira Reactions of Aryl and Heteroaryl Bromides
Authors: Torborg Christian , Zapf Alexander , Beller Matthias
Published: December 2007

Palladium catalysts have been studied for the Sonogashira–Hagihara coupling of aryl and heteroaryl bromides with terminal alkynes. Among the different biarylphosphines tested, 2‐(di‐tert‐butylphosphino)‐N‐phenylindole (cataCXium PIntb) allows the efficient coupling of both activated and deactivated (hetero)aryl bromides in the presence of sodium tetrachloropalladate in tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) at 80 °C. The catalyst system gives high turnover numbers (up to 14 100) and shows a broad tolerance towards functional groups such as OH and NH2, as well as heterocycles.
Expression of ERK signaling inhibitors Dusp6, Dusp7, and Dusp9 during mouse ear development
Authors: Urness Lisa D. , Li Chaoying , Wang Xiaofen , Mansour Suzanne L.
Published: December 2007

The levels of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling play important roles in coordinating development of the mouse inner, middle, and outer ears. Extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERKs) are among the effectors that transduce the FGF signal to the nucleus and other cellular compartments. Attenuation of ERK activity by dephosphorylation is necessary to modulate the magnitude and duration of the FGF signal. Recently, we showed that inactivation of the ERK phosphatase, dual specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6), causes partially penetrant postnatal lethality, hearing loss and skeletal malformations. To determine whether other Dusps may function redundantly with Dusp6 during otic development, we surveyed the expression domains of the three ERK‐specific DUSP transcripts, Dusp6, Dusp7, and Dusp9, in the embryonic mouse ear. We show that each is expressed in partially overlapping patterns that correspond to regions of active FGF signaling, suggesting combinatorial roles in negative regulation of this pathway during ear development. Developmental Dynamics 237:163–169, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Asymmetric Strecker Reaction of N‐Benzhydrylimines Utilising New Tropos Biphenyldiol‐Based Ligands
Authors: Wünnemann Stefan , Fröhlich Roland , Hoppe Dieter
Published: December 2007

The synthesis of a library of N‐arenesulfonyl‐1,3‐oxazolidinyl‐substituted biphenyldiols is presented. A set of two central intermediates together with easily accessible N‐arenesulfonylamino alcohols furnish a broad variety of 1,3‐oxazolidines. These are applied as chiral tropos ligands in a titanium‐mediated Strecker‐type reaction of N‐benzhydrylimines. A correlation between the ee values in the product and the diastereomeric ratio concerning the chiral axis of the ligand is made. Those substituents in the ligand which proved to lead to a higher preference for one diastereomeric conformer of the chiral axis in related compounds now provide the most selective ligands. Two privileged ligands are identified that afford superior results in 8 of 13 screenings.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Bis(diamido)‐Bridged Basket Resorcin[4]arenes as Enantioselective Receptors for Amino Acids and Amines (Eur. J. Org. Chem. 36/2007)
Authors: Botta Bruno , D'Acquarica Ilaria , Nevola Laura , Sacco Fabiola , Lopez Zara Valbuena , Zappia Giovanni , Fraschetti Caterina , Speranza Maurizio , Tafi Andrea , Caporuscio Fabiana , Letzel Matthias C. , Mattay Jochen
Published: December 2007

The cover picture shows two low‐energy geometries of a new bis(diamido)‐bridged basket resorcin[4]arene, which features two (1R,2R)‐(+)‐1,2‐diphenylethylenediamine bridges in its structure. The first “drops” schematically show the geometry assumed by the molecule in chloroform solution, tentatively designated as the “folded wings” structure (bottom left); the top right structure represents the geometry adopted when the solvent is removed and is named the “open wings” structure. Stochastic dynamics simulations run at 300 K, which demonstrate the irreversible conversion of the latter structure into the former one, support the “folded wings” geometry as the most likely 3D structure of the basket resorcin[4]arene in chloroform. It can be shown by FT‐ICR mass spectrometry that such a receptor can selectively accommodate the enantiomers of amino acid derivatives and amphetamine in its chiral cavity. Details are discussed in the article by B. Botta, M. Speranza et al. on p. 5995 ff. The authors thank Dr. Giovanna Cancelliere and Dr. Deborah Subissati for their contribution in designing the cover page.
The police officer's terrorist dilemma: trust resilience following fatal errors
Authors: White Mathew P. , Cohrs J. Christopher , Göritz Anja S.
Published: December 2007

Suicide attacks have raised the stakes for officers deciding whether or not to shoot a suspect (‘Police Officer's Terrorist Dilemma’). Despite high‐profile errors we know little about how trust in the police is affected by their response to the terrorist threat. Building on a conceptualisation of lay observers as intuitive signal detection theorists, a general population sample (N = 1153) were presented with scenarios manipulated in terms of suspect status (Armed/Unarmed), officer decision (Shoot/Not Shoot) and outcome severity (e.g. suspect armed with Bomb/Knife; police shoot suspect/suspect plus child bystander). Supporting predictions, people showed higher trust in officers who made correct decisions, reflecting good discrimination ability and who decided to shoot, reflecting an ‘appropriate’ response bias given the relative costs and benefits. This latter effect was moderated by (a) outcome severity, suggesting it did not simply reflect a preference for a particular type of action, and (b) preferences for a tough stance towards terrorism indexed by Right‐Wing Authoritarianism (RWA). Despite loss of civilian life, failure to prevent minor terror attacks resulted in no loss of trust amongst people low in RWA, whereas among people high in RWA trust was positive when police erroneously shot an unarmed suspect. Relations to alternative definitions of trust and procedural justice research are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated with disability in cognitively impaired Latino elderly with and without dementia: results from the Sacramento Area Latino study on Aging
Authors: Hinton Ladson , Tomaszewski Farias Sarah , Wegelin Jacob
Published: December 2007

Objective

To examine the relationship between neuropsychiatric symptoms burden and disability in cognitively impaired older Latinos.

Methods

Subjects in the cross‐sectional study were 95 cognitively impaired (both demented and non‐demented) non‐institutionalized Latino elderly participating in an epidemiological cohort study and their family caregivers. Care recipient neuropsychiatric symptoms (Neuropsychiatric Inventory) and level of functional impairment (i.e. impairment in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living) were assessed through interviews with family caregivers.

Results

Both NPI total score and NPI depression subscale score were significantly associated with disability before and after controlling for potential confounding variables. The strength of the association between higher neuropsychiatric symptom levels and higher disability was similar for both the cognitively impaired not demented and demented groups.

Conclusions

Neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated with increased disability in a community sample of cognitively impaired Latino elderly. More effective identification and treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms may improve functioning in older Latinos and reduce health disparities for this population. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lower airway humidification in spontaneously breathing tracheostomized patients: Comparative study of trachea spray versus heated humidifier
Authors: Keck Tilman , Rozsasi Ajnacska , Leiacker Richard , Scheithauer Marc Oliver
Published: December 2007

Background.

Our aim was to compare inhalation with molecular water (vaporizing humidifier) and particulate water (trachea spray) in spontaneously breathing tracheostomized patients.

Methods.

We performed a randomized, 2‐way crossover study and a prospective, comparative, nonblinded study. Tracheal humidity and temperature were measured before and after use of a humidifier and spray for 1 week.

Results.

After both inhalation and spray, the tracheal temperature and total water content increased significantly (study 1). The temperature gradient between ambient and tracheal air was significantly higher after spray, but not after inhalation (study 2). The water gradient increased nonsignificantly after spray and inhalation. The water gradient after inhalation or spray did not differ significantly.

Conclusions.

Molecular water is not superior to particulate water because of temperature and humidity increase after both forms of water delivery. Because of its easy use, portability, and moisturizing effect, a trachea spray may offer additional options in postoperative tracheostomy care. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2008
Invasive breast cancer cells exhibit increased mobility of the actin‐binding protein CapG
Authors: Renz Malte , Betz Beate , Niederacher Dieter , Bender Hans Georg , Langowski Jörg
Published: December 2007

The CapG protein, a Gelsolin‐related actin‐binding protein, is expressed at higher levels in breast cancer, especially in metastasizing breast cancer, than in normal breast epithelium. Furthermore, it is known that an increased expression of the CapG protein triggers an increase in cell motility. According to in vitro experiments, it was supposed that it is the nuclear fraction of the protein, which causes the increase in cell motility. Here, we examined the dynamical distribution of the CapG protein within the living cell, i.e. the import of the CapG protein into the nucleus. The nuclear import kinetics of invasive, metastasizing breast cancer cells were compared to the import kinetics of non‐neoplastic cells similar to normal breast epithelium. FRAP kinetics showed a highly significant increase in the recovery of photobleached CapG–eGFP in the cancer cells, so that a differentiation of invasive, metastasizing cells and non‐invasive, non‐metastasizing cells on the basis of transport processes of the CapG protein between the nucleus and the cytoplasm seems to be possible. Comprehension of the mobility and compartmentalization of the CapG protein in normal and in cancer cells in vivo could constitute a new basis to characterize the invasiveness and metastasizing potential of breast cancer. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Aminoflavone induces oxidative DNA damage and reactive oxidative species‐mediated apoptosis in breast cancer cells
Authors: McLean Lancelot , Soto Ubaldo , Agama Keli , Francis Jawad , Jimenez Randi , Pommier Yves , Sowers Lawrence , Brantley Eileen
Published: December 2007

Aminoflavone (5‐amino‐2‐(4‐amino‐3‐fluorophenyl)‐6,8‐difluoro‐7‐methylchromen‐4‐one; AF; NSC 686288), a novel anticancer candidate agent, is undergoing clinical evaluation. AF induces DNA‐protein cross‐links (DPCs), γ‐H2AX phosphorylation, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling, apoptosis and its own metabolism via cytochrome P4501A1 and 1A2 (CYP1A1/1A2) activation in sensitive estrogen receptor positive (ER+) MCF7 breast cancer cells. Estrogen receptor negative (ER−) breast cancer is typically more aggressive with a poorer prognosis. In this investigation, we evaluated the ability of AF to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, oxidative DNA damage and apoptosis in ER− MDA‐MB‐468 breast cancer cells. The antioxidant, N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC), attenuated the cytotoxic effects of AF in MDA‐MB‐468 cells; an effect is also observed in ER+ T47D breast cancer cells. Nonmalignant MCF10A breast epithelial cells were resistant to the cytotoxic effects of AF. AF increased intracellular ROS, an effect blocked by NAC and the CYP1A1/1A2 inhibitor, α‐Naphthoflavone (α‐NF). AF induced oxidative DNA damage as evidenced by increased 8‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydroguanine (8‐oxodG) levels and DPC formation in these cells. AF caused S‐phase arrest corresponding to an increase in p21(waf1/cip1) protein expression. AF induced caspase 3, 8 and 9 activation, caspase‐dependent apoptotic body formation and poly [ADP‐ribose] polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Pretreatment with the pan‐caspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl‐Val‐Ala‐DL‐Asp(OMe)‐fluoromethylketone inhibited apoptosis and partially inhibited ROS formation and oxidative DNA damage. Pretreatment with NAC attenuated AF‐induced apoptotic body formation and caspase 3 activation. These studies suggest AF inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells in part, by inducing ROS production, oxidative DNA damage and apoptosis and has the potential to treat hormone‐independent breast cancer. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A case‐control study of the association of the polymorphisms and haplotypes of DNA ligase I with lung and upper‐aerodigestive‐tract cancers
Authors: Lee Yuan‐Chin Amy , Morgenstern Hal , Greenland Sander , Tashkin Donald P. , Papp Jeanette , Sinsheimer Janet , Cao Wei , Hashibe Mia , You Nai‐Chieh Y. , Mao Jenny T. , Cozen Wendy , Mack Thomas M. , Zhang Zuo‐Feng
Published: December 2007

Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for lung and upper‐aerodigestive‐tract (UADT) cancers. One possible mechanism for the associations may be through DNA damage pathways. DNA Ligase I (LIG1) is a DNA repair gene involved in both the nucleotide excision repair (NER) and the base excision repair (BER) pathways. We examined the association of 4 LIG1 polymorphisms with lung and UADT cancers, and their potential interactions with smoking in a population‐based case‐control study in Los Angeles County. We performed genotyping using the SNPlex method from Applied Biosystems. Logistic regression analyses of 551 lung cancer cases, 489 UADT cancer cases and 948 controls showed the expected associations of tobacco smoking with lung and UADT cancers and new associations between the LIG1 haplotypes and these cancers. For lung cancer, when compared to the most common haplotype (rs20581‐rs20580‐rs20579‐rs439132 = T‐C‐C‐A), the adjusted odds ratio (OR) is 1.2 (95% confidence limits (CL) = 0.95, 1.5) for the CACA haplotype, 1.4 (1.0, 1.9) for the CATA haplotype and 1.8 (1.1, 2.8) for the CCCG haplotype, after controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education and tobacco smoking. We observed weaker associations between the LIG1 haplotypes and UADT cancers. Our findings suggest the LIG1 haplotypes may affect the risk of lung and UADT cancers. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.