bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interactions between glutamate and capsaicin in inducing muscle pain and sensitization in humans
Authors: Arendt‐Nielsen L. , Svensson P. , Sessle B.J. , Cairns B.E. , Wang K.
Published: January 2008

The aim of the study was to investigate the interaction between glutamate and capsaicin in inducing muscle pain and sensitization in humans. Fifteen male volunteers participated. Glutamate or capsaicin or isotonic saline, in a paired‐sequence order, was injected randomly into the right or left masseter muscle. Two injections were given in a double‐blinded design 25min apart in 1session/week over 4 weeks: saline (A1) followed by glutamate (A2), capsaicin (B1) followed by glutamate (B2), saline (C1) followed by capsaicin (C2), and glutamate (D1) followed by capsaicin (D2). The subjects drew the area of perceived pain and scored pain intensity on a 0–10 visual analogue scale (VAS). Pressure pain threshold (PPT) at the injection site, at a site 2‐cm away, and on the contralateral side, as well as pressure pain tolerance (PPTol) at the injection site and contralateral site, were also measured before and after injection and subsequently at 5‐min intervals. Paired t‐test analyses showed that the pain drawing area was significantly smaller in the B2 compared to the A2 condition (P=0.028), and significantly larger in the D2 compared to the C2 condition (P=0.027). It also revealed significantly lower VAS peak pain intensity (P=0.008) and smaller VAS area under the curve (P=0.003) for the B2 compared to the A2 condition, and significantly higher VAS peak pain (P=0.015) and larger VAS area under the curve (P=0.037) for the D2 compared to the C2 condition. There was a significant PPT and PPTol decrease at the injection site after glutamate or capsaicin injection (ANOVA: P<0.028). The percentage decrease in PPT or PPTol (at the injection site) was not significantly different for the B2 compared to the A2 condition (Paired t‐test: P>0.682) or for the D2 compared to the C2 condition (P>0.133). Significant PPT changes were also observed at the site 2cm away, but not on the contralateral side. In conclusion, these findings indicate that intramuscular administrations of glutamate and capsaicin interact and influence pain and sensitization of muscle nociceptors: glutamate causes a sensitization to subsequent administration of capsaicin, whereas capsaicin is associated with a desensitization to subsequent injection of glutamate. These findings support previous animal data.
A randomized controlled trial of exposure in vivo for patients with spinal pain reporting fear of work‐related activities
Authors: Linton Steven J. , Boersma Katja , Jansson Markus , Overmeer Thomas , Lindblom Karin , Vlaeyen Johan W.S.
Published: January 2008

Background:Pain‐related fear is related to disability in persistent pain conditions. Exposure treatment has been reported to be of great benefit in replicated single case experiments.

Aim:To evaluate the effects of exposure in vivo on fear and function in patients with persistent pain and work disability.

Method:We recruited 46 patients suffering from long‐term back pain and reduced function, who also were deemed fearful according to standardized measures. Participants were randomized into either an exposure plus usual treatment or waiting list control plus usual treatment group. After the waiting period the control group crossed over and received the exposure treatment.

Results:Between group comparisons showed a significantly better result for the exposure group on function, but not for fear or pain and effect sizes were modest (function=.6; fear=.4; pain=.1). When the control group crossed over to treatment significant treatment effects were noted for fear and function. For all patients treated, the pre to post‐treatment effect sizes were large (function=.7; fear=1.1; pain=.9). There were 12 dropouts (8 in exposure and 4 in the control) during the first treatment phase and an additional 4 when the control group crossed over to exposure.

Conclusions:Compared to a group receiving usual treatment and waiting for exposure, the exposure in vivo group demonstrated a significantly larger improvement on function. Overall exposure had moderate effects on function, fear and pain intensity. We conclude that exposure may be important in treatment, but is not recommended as a “stand alone” adjunct to usual treatment.
Maternal caffeine intake affects acetylcholinesterase in hippocampus of neonate rats
Authors: da Silva Rosane Souza , Richetti Stefânia Konrad , Silveira Vanessa Gass da , Battastini Ana Maria Oliveira , Bogo Mauricio Reis , Lara Diogo R. , Bonan Carla Denise
Published: January 2008

Transcriptional factors and signalling molecules from intracellular metabolism modulate a complex set of events during brain development. Neurotransmitter and neuromodulator synthesis and their receptor expressions vary according to different stages of brain development. The dynamics of signalling systems is often accompanied by alterations in enzyme expression and activity. Adenosine is a neuromodulator that controls the release of several neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine, which is an important neurotransmitter during brain development. Caffeine is a non‐specific antagonist of adenosine receptors and can reach the immature brain. We evaluated the effects of rat maternal caffeine intake (1 g/L) on acetylcholine degradation and acetylcholinesterase expression from hippocampus of 7‐, 14‐ and 21‐day‐old neonates in caffeine‐treated and control groups. Caffeine was not able to change the age‐dependent increase of acetylcholinesterase activity or the age‐dependent decrease of acetylcholinesterase expression. However, caffeine promoted an increase of acetylcholinesterase activity (42%) without modifications on the level of acetylcholinesterase mRNA transcripts in 21‐day‐old rats. Considering the high score of phosphorylatable residues on acetylcholinesterase, this profile can be associated with a possible regulation by specific phosphorylation sites. These results highlight the ability of maternal caffeine intake to interfere on cholinergic neurotransmission during brain development.
The activation of ERK1/2 and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinases is dynamically regulated in the developing rat visual system
Authors: Oliveira Camila Salum , Rigon Ana Paula , Leal Rodrigo Bainy , Rossi Francesco Mattia
Published: January 2008

Mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are serine/threonine kinases that play an instrumental role in signal transduction from the cell surface to the nucleus. These enzymes are major intracellular mediators of developmental events and recently have been shown to control also synaptic plasticity processes [Sweatt, J.D., 2004. Mitogen‐activated protein kinases in synaptic plasticity and memory. Curr. Opin. Neurobiol. 14, 311–317; Thomas, G.M., Huganir, R.L., 2004. MAPK cascade signalling and synaptic plasticity. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 5, 173–183]. Mammalian members of this family are extracellular signal‐regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK 1/2), c‐Jun amino‐terminal kinases or stress‐activated protein kinases (JNK/SAPKs) and p38 kinases (p38MAPK). At the level of the visual system, it has been demonstrated that the ERK pathway regulates developmental plastic processes at both retino‐thalamic and thalamo‐cortical level and that p38MAPK controls a peculiar form of long‐term depression in the visual cortex [Di Cristo, G., Berardi, N., Cancedda, L., Pizzorusso, T., Putignano, E., Ratto, G.M., Maffei, L., 2001. Requirement of ERK activation for visual cortical plasticity. Science 292, 2337–2340; Naska, S., Cenni, M.C., Menna, E., Maffei, L., 2004. ERK signaling is required for eye‐specific retino‐geniculate segregation. Development 131, 3559–3570; Xiong, W., Kojic, L.Z., Zhang, L., Prasad, S.S., Douglas, R., Wang, Y., Cynader, M.S., 2006. Anisomycin activates p38 MAP kinase to induce LTD in mouse primary visual cortex. Brain Res. 1085, 68–76]. Here, as a first approach to gain more insight on the role of two MAPKs – ERK1/2 and p38MAPK – in visual system maturation, we characterized by western blot the regulation of their phosphorylation/activation in rat retina, superior colliculus and visual cortex, during postnatal development from birth to adult age. Our main results show that: (i) in the retina p38MAPK activation peaks at P4, and then, from P15 to P45, both ERK1/2 and p38MAPK phosphorylation increases; (ii) in the superior colliculus phosphorylation of both MAPKs increases between P4 and P15; (iii) in the visual cortex ERK1/2 phosphorylation increases from P15 to P45, while phosphorylation of p38MAPK increases starting from P4. The present data demonstrate a distinct regulation of the activation of ERK1/2 and p38MAPK in the three visual areas analyzed which occurs in temporal correlation with critical events for visual system maturation. These results suggest an important role for ERK1/2 and p38MAPK in the postnatal development of the rat visual system.
Assessing Near-Infrared Quantum Dots for Deep Tissue, Organ, and Animal Imaging Applications
Authors: Jiang Wen , Singhal Anupam , Kim Betty Y.S. , Zheng Jianing , Rutka James T. , Wang Chen , Chan Warren C.W.
Published: January 2008

Semiconductor quantum dots (Qdots) have emerged as novel ultrasensitive optical probes to target, detect, and image fundamental events occurring within the biological system. In particular, near-infrared (near-IR) Qdots holds great promise as in vivo contrast agents for real-time bioimaging capabilities. In this study, biocompatible near-IR Qdots are used to image organs, tissues, and cells. Compared to visible Qdots, we obtained a significant enhancement in signal detection sensitivity for imaging deep tissues and organs. In addition, biomolecules were used to target these optical contrast agents for multiplexed imaging of cells and organs in vivo. The ability to simultaneously distinguish emission profiles of multiple near-IR Qdots will likely emerge as important tools for addressing fundamental questions in molecular biology and in medical sciences.
Modular Approaches to Automation System Design Using Industrial Robots
Authors: Manley John D. , Smith Thomas J. , Holden John , Edwards Rob , Liptrot Gary
Published: January 2008

A fully automated robotic system was developed and deployed in-house in a modular way to meet the needs of a high throughput chemistry laboratory. The main system components consist of a Stäubli TX60 industrial robot and a Vapourtec V-10 evaporator, with control software by Aitken Scientific. A custom server application was written by Stäubli robotics to interface the robot and control software. The design was done using SolidWorks Computer Aided Design to speed up development, with out-sourced software development and hardware procurement or fabrication. Both hardware and software were modularized such that components could be reused in the future. An industrial robot and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) components were used to improve reliability and minimize support. A custom gripper was designed using a Schunk MPG50 pneumatic two-finger parallel actuator with stainless steel fingers. An injector station was designed to simplify and automate large volume evaporations, with built-in self-cleaning. Custom fabrication of racks, grippers, etc was done using local precision engineering firms. Providing full documentation and training allows support to be done by third-party service engineers. Initial data show that the system is both intuitive and reliable in use.
Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Crossbar Junction Formation via Microcontact Printing
Authors: Yadav Yamini , Kumar Padigi SudhaPrasanna , Prasad Shalini , Song Xiaoyu
Published: January 2008

Here, we present an approach to design, fabricate, and create a simple, low-cost, and rapid prototyping crossbar junction using a p-type and n-type multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) via microcontact printing. This is achieved using poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) molds. The parallel relief structure in order of a few micrometers is used to transfer continuous horizontal arrays of these MWCNTs in aqueous suspension. Using an alignment and the stamping process, PDMS molds are inked alternatively with p-type and n-type MWCNTs suspensions and transferred in a grid-like manner onto the base microelectrode platform. Parallel alignment of these MWCNTs is achieved due to the geometry of the mold relief structures. The hierarchical assembly results in the formation of the crossbar array structures. The functionality of this circuit has been demonstrated through the current–voltage (I–V) characteristics associated with the junction formation.
Electrical Immunoassays toward Clinical Diagnostics: Identification of Vulnerable Cardiovascular Plaque
Authors: Reddy R.K.K. , Prasad S. , Barrett T. , Carruthers J.
Published: January 2008

A technology for electrical detection of protein biomarkers has been developed. It is based on developing high-density, low-volume multiwell plate devices. The scientific core of this technology lies in integrating nanoporous membranes with microfabricated chip platforms. This results in the conversion of individual pores into wells of picoliter volume. Specific antibodies are localized and isolated into individual wells. The formation of the antibody–antigen-binding complex occurs in individual wells. The membrane allows for robust separation among individual wells.

This technology has the capability to achieve near real-time detection with improved sensitivity and selectivity. This is due to the two factors associated with the technology: (1) event-based electrochemical detection process, where the individual step in the formation of the binding complex results in a specific change to the electrochemical conductance due to the pertubation of the electrical double layer at the base of the each well. (2) The nanoporous membrane is an electrical insulator and is structurally robust throughout hence there is improved signal-to-noise ratio and cross-contamination between is minimized.

Another advantage of this technique is the use of electrical signal in protein identification as compared to the use of optical methods; hence, it is a noninvasive and a label-free technique. The signal acquisition is simple and it uses the existing data acquisition and signal analysis methods.

We have demonstrated the use of this technology for addressing a specific clinical problem: identification of vulnerable coronary plaque in the perioperative state.
An Instrument for Automated Purification of Nucleic Acids from Contaminated Forensic Samples
Authors: Broemeling David J. , Pel Joel , Gunn Dylan C. , Mai Laura , Thompson Jason D. , Poon Hiron , Marziali Andre
Published: January 2008

Forensic crime scene sample analysis, by its nature, often deals with samples in which there are low amounts of nucleic acids, on substrates that often lead to inhibition of subsequent enzymatic reactions such as PCR amplification for Short Tandem Repeat (STR) profiling. Common substrates include denim from blue jeans, which yields indigo dye as a PCR inhibitor, and soil, which yields humic substances as inhibitors. These inhibitors frequently co-extract with nucleic acids in standard column or bead-based preps, leading to frequent failure of STR profiling. We present a novel instrument for DNA purification of forensic samples that is capable of highly effective concentration of nucleic acids from soil particulates, fabric, and other complex samples including solid components. The novel concentration process, known as Synchronous Coefficient of Drag Alteration, is inherently selective for long-charged polymers such as DNA, and therefore is able to effectively reject known contaminants. We present an automated sample preparation instrument based on this process, and preliminary results based on mock forensic samples.
Detection of virulent feline herpesvirus-1 in the corneas of clinically normal cats
Authors: Stiles Jean , Pogranichniy Roman
Published: January 2008

To evaluate the clinically normal feline cornea for the presence of virulent feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1), corneas from 31 cats (25 with normal eyes and six with active disease or corneal scarring) euthanased at a shelter were collected. Corneas from two specific pathogen-free cats were included as negative controls. Virus isolation (VI), fluorescent antibody (FA) staining and real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) were performed on all samples. The presence or absence of dexamethasone in the media was evaluated for its effect on VI. VI was positive for FHV-1 in six corneas from five cats, all with clinically normal eyes. One cornea was positive for feline calicivirus (FCV) in addition to FHV-1, but only in media that included dexamethasone. Eight corneas were positive on rt-PCR for FHV-1, all from cats with clinically normal eyes. All positive VI samples were confirmed with FA staining. VI and rt-PCR were negative for FHV-1 and FCV in cats with active disease or corneal scarring. Data from this study indicate that virulent FHV-1 and FCV can be present in feline corneas that are clinically normal. Dexamethasone may enhance viral spread through a cell receptor mechanism.
Influence factors for operational control and compensation in professional service firms
Authors: Goodale John C. , Kuratko Donald F. , Hornsby Jeffrey S.
Published: January 2008

Professional service firms have distinct operational challenges due to the type of work that is transacted by the employees of these firms, and due to the nature of the employees themselves. In this paper, we develop and present factors that influence professional service operations in firms and compensation structures for professional service providers. We establish professional service influence factors, which we posit will impact agency relationships in professional service firms. That is, we hypothesize that professional service influence factors (PSIFs) will moderate the effect of task programmability and outcome measurability in predicting the use of behavior‐ or outcome‐based compensation schemes (control strategy). Logistic regression is used on data provided by 192 professional service providers in order to examine the impact of the agency variables and moderating factors on control strategies. The results indicate that company‐ and profession‐based factors have moderating effects on task programmability when predicting control strategy. We discuss the implications of our findings.
Human cutaneous melanoma; a review of NRAS and BRAF mutation frequencies in relation to histogenetic subclass and body site
Authors: Platz Anton , Egyhazi Suzanne , Ringborg Ulrik , Hansson Johan
Published: January 2008

A majority of cutaneous melanomas show activating mutations in the NRAS or BRAF proto‐oncogenes, components of the Ras‐Raf‐Mek‐Erk signal transduction pathway. Consistent data demonstrate the early appearance, in a mutually exclusive manner, of these mutations. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the literature on NRAS and BRAF activating mutations in melanoma tumors with respect to available data on histogenetic classification as well as body site and presumed UV‐exposure. Common alterations of the signal transducing network seem to represent molecular hallmarks of cutaneous melanomas and therefore should continue to strongly stimulate design and testing of targeted molecular interventions.
Drought, vegetation change, and human history on Rapa Nui (Isla de Pascua, Easter Island)
Authors: Mann Daniel , Edwards James , Chase Julie , Beck Warren , Reanier Richard , Mass Michele , Finney Bruce , Loret John
Published: January 2008

Stratigraphic records from lake sediment cores and slope deposits on Rapa Nui document prehistoric human impacts and natural environmental changes. A hiatus in sedimentation in Rano Raraku suggests that this lake basin dried out sometime after 4090–4410 cal yr BP and refilled only decades to centuries before AD 1180–1290. Widespread ecosystem changes caused by forest clearance by Polynesian farmers began shortly after the end of this drought. Terrestrial sections show a chronology of burning and soil erosion similar to the lake cores. Although changing sediment types and shifts in the pollen rain suggest that droughts occurred earlier in the Holocene, as yet there is no evidence for droughts occurring after AD 1180–1290. The timing of the agricultural colonization of Rapa Nui now seems well established at ca. AD 1200 and it was accompanied by rapid deforestation that was probably exacerbated by the island's small size, its droughty climate, and the rarity of primeval fires. Detailed records of a large interval of Rapa Nui's ecological history remain elusive due to the drought hiatus in the Rano Raraku sediment record. We find no evidence for a "rat outbreak impact" on Rapa Nui's vegetation preceding anthropogenic forest clearance.
Age constraints on the late Quaternary evolution of Qinghai Lake, Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Madsen David B. , Haizhou Ma , Rhode David , Brantingham P. Jeffrey , Forman Steven L.
Published: January 2008

Dating and geomorphology of shoreline features in the Qinghai Lake basin of northwestern China suggest that, contrary to previous interpretations, the lake likely did not reach levels 66–140 m above modern within the past ∼ 90,000 yr. Maximum highstands of ∼ 20–66 m above modern probably date to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. MIS 3 highstands are undated and uncertain but may have been at or below post-glacial highs. The lake probably reached ∼ 3202–3206 m (+ 8–12 m) during the early Holocene but stayed below ∼ 3202 m after ∼ 8.4 ka. This shoreline history implies significantly different hydrologic balances in the Qinghai Lake basin before ∼ 90 ka and after ∼ 45 ka, possibly the result of a more expansive Asian monsoon in MIS 5.
Last glacial maximum climate inferences from cosmogenic dating and glacier modeling of the western Uinta ice field, Uinta Mountains, Utah
Authors: Refsnider Kurt A. , Laabs Benjamin J.C. , Plummer Mitchell A. , Mickelson David M. , Singer Bradley S. , Caffee Marc W.
Published: January 2008

During the last glacial maximum (LGM), the western Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah were occupied by the Western Uinta Ice Field. Cosmogenic10Be surface-exposure ages from the terminal moraine in the North Fork Provo Valley and paired26Al and10Be ages from striated bedrock at Bald Mountain Pass set limits on the timing of the local LGM. Moraine boulder ages suggest that ice reached its maximum extent by 17.4±0.5 ka (± 2σ).10Be and26Al measurements on striated bedrock from Bald Mountain Pass, situated near the former center of the ice field, yield a mean26Al/10Be ratio of 5.7±0.8 and a mean exposure age of 14.0±0.5 ka, which places a minimum-limiting age on when the ice field melted completely. We also applied a mass/energy-balance and ice-flow model to investigate the LGM climate of the western Uinta Mountains. Results suggest that temperatures were likely 5 to 7°C cooler than present and precipitation was 2 to 3.5 times greater than modern, and the western-most glaciers in the range generally received more precipitation when expanding to their maximum extent than glaciers farther east. This scenario is consistent with the hypothesis that precipitation in the western Uintas was enhanced by pluvial Lake Bonneville during the last glaciation.
Out of Sight: Industrial Espionage, Ocular Authority and East German Communism, 1965–1989
Authors: ZATLIN JONATHAN R.
Published: January 2008

The Stasi continues to enjoy a reputation as one of the most effective espionage agencies in the world, especially in the area of foreign intelligence gathering. This article employs the case of Gerhardt Ronneberger, one of East Germany's most capable spies, to challenge assumptions about the Stasi's operational successes, economic relevance and methodological proficiency. In particular, it argues that East German intelligence gathering was undermined by an institutionalisd distinction between sight, or the work of observation, and vision, or the process of signification. In Ronneberger's case, the spy agency wasted considerable time and resources trying to make sense of his operational performance and political reliability. In the end, however, even his most spectacular successes, which included smuggling a laser-guided navigation system into the GDR and acquiring proscribed computer chip and microprocessor designs from Toshiba, did not matter, since they did not change East Germany's inability to narrow the technological gap with the West.
Beyond the Sterling Devaluation: The Gold Crisis of March 1968
Authors: HAMILTON ARRAN
Published: January 2008

The 1967 devaluation of sterling has been the subject of considerable academic interest. However, its aftermath represents one of the great silences in the literature. This article aims to rectify this deficiency. The principal argument is that the devaluation was not a significant event in its own right; its real importance rests in its legacy and the way in which it altered the context in which sterling's managers operated. In the aftermath, the problem of sterling was actually far greater than it had ever been before and consequently the solutions proposed were far more radical.
The American Spirit in Europe Revisited?
Authors: DANIELSEN HELGE
Published: January 2008

In 1949, the Norwegian historian Halvdan Koht opened his book The American Spirit in Europe: A Survey of Transatlantic Influences (from which the title for this review article is borrowed) with the following lines:

America in this book means the United States of America. The subject of the book, however, is not America. It is rather Europe. The plan of the book is to present a comprehensive view of the effect of American activities, struggles and efforts upon European life and progress.
Nukleare, radiologische, biologische und chemische Gefahren und Risiken
Authors: Maillard Stéphane
Published: January 2008

Im Gegensatz zu militärischen Auseinandersetzungen können natürliche Ereignisse, industrielle Katastrophen sowie terroristische Anschläge unsere Gesellschaft ohne Vorwarnzeit überraschen. Bei all diesen Ereignissen können nukleare bzw. radiologische, biologische oder chemische Gefahren auftreten. Nebst den bekannten, akuten oder verzögerten Auswirkungen dieser Gefahren entsteht in der Öffentlichkeit, bei den Einsatzkräften und in der Gesellschaft eine starke psychologische Belastung und Verunsicherung. Eine erfolgreiche Bewältigung von solchen Ereignissen setzt eine rasche Erkennung und die Einleitung von geeigneten Sofortmaßnahmen voraus. Diese rasche Erkennung ist insofern wichtig, dass diese Ereignisse nicht unbedingt mit einer Explosion, oder einer anderen rasch erkennbaren Ursache, anfangen müssen. Diese Erkennung kann möglicherweise nur auf dem verzögerten Auftreten von atypischen Symptomen oder auf einer Häufung von seltenen Erkrankungen basieren. Die Bewältigung dieser Ereignisse kann zudem die Anordnung von einschneidenden Sicherheitsmaßnahmen für das Alltagsleben wie z.B. Evakuierungen, Einschränkungen im Personenverkehr oder des Lebensmittelkonsums fordern. Diese Maßnahmen werden dann umgesetzt, wenn sie von der Öffentlichkeit auch verstanden werden. Eine objektive Information und Sensibilisierung der Öffentlichkeit und aller Beteiligten ist deshalb entscheidend; ohne Verharmlosung oder Paranoia.
Psychische Probleme bei Betroffenen und Helfern in außerordentlichen Lagen
Authors: Vetter Stefan
Published: January 2008

Außerordentliche Lagen sind dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die regulären Strukturen einer Gemeinschaft durch ein kritisches Ereignis an ihre Leistungsgrenzen geführt respektive überfordert werden. Somit spüren nicht nur die direkt Betroffenen und ihre Angehörigen sondern meist auch die gesamte Gemeinde oder Region die Auswirkungen, welche psychisch verarbeitet werden müssen und in der Regel ebenso zu psychischen Reaktionen führen, die außerhalb des normalen Erfahrungsspektrums liegen. Gleichzeitig sind aber auch die unterschiedlichen Spezialisten der eingesetzten Rettungs- und Sicherungskräfte einem großen Leistungsdruck und einer hohen psychischen Belastung ausgesetzt. In modernen Einsätzen befinden sich unter ihnen auch in psychologischer Nothilfe ausgebildete Spezialisten und Helfer (Caregiver). Trotz der oft chaotischen Ausgangslagen in Katastrophen konnte hinsichtlich der akuten Stressreaktionen und den möglichen psychischen Spätfolgen eine breite wissenschaftliche Evidenzbasis erarbeitet werden. Das Chaos birgt aber auch oft schlecht messbare und deshalb nach geltenden wissenschaftlichen Kriterien nicht vergleichbare Parameter, die eigentlich zum Verständnis und der Bewältigung von solchen Ereignissen wesentlich sein können. Deshalb sollen im folgenden Beitrag nicht nur wissenschaftliche, medizin-psychologische Fakten präsentiert werden, sondern im Speziellen auf so genanntes Grauwissen von spezifischen Ereignissen eingegangen werden.
A Negotiation Approach to Systematic Treatment Selection: An Evaluation of its Impact on the Initial Phase of Psychotherapy
Authors: Bleyen Kristel , Vertommen Hans , Van Audenhove Chantal
Published: January 2008

Since psychotherapy failures and early dropouts represent a sizable percentage of the clients who start psychotherapy, it is clearly important to devise a methodologically sound and effective process of treatment selection. In this study, a negotiation approach to treatment selection is proposed and situated in the context of an integrative viewpoint on psychotherapy. The preferences of the client, the client's control of the situation of choice, and the compatibility of differing views of client and therapist constitute the typical characteristics of this negotiation approach. The first part of this study gives a careful description of the negotiation approach. The second part examines the influence of the negotiation approach on the dropout rate and on initial therapeutical contacts. Results indicate a significant effect of negotiation on dropout, suggesting that clients who perceive treatment selection as a negotiation process are more successful in their initial therapeutical contacts.
Treatment Decisions: Types, Models and Schools
Authors: Seidenstücker Gerhard , Roth Wolfgang L.
Published: January 2008

Psychotherapy can be seen as a complex decision process. First, we clarify some distinctions that have to be made in order to adequately describe and evaluate the state of affairs. Then we illustrate decisions made by clients, semi-professionals, and professionals, and mention descriptive and prescriptive studies in treatment-related decision-making. Next, we focus on questions confronting therapists before and during psychotherapy, i. e., the selection, design, and implementation of an efficient therapy offer. These questions motivate the definition of different pragmatic indication models - the selective, inventive and adaptive models. In the next to last section we describe and comment on assessment strategies and decision rules in the context of therapeutic schools (psychoanalysis, client-centered psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy). In the last section we outline contributions towards general models of decision making in psychological treatments and formulate some conclusions for further research in clinical decision-making.
Multicultural Assessment of Personality and Psychopathology in the United States: Still Art, Not Yet Science, and Controversial
Authors: Dana Richard H.
Published: January 2008

This paper describes the status of multicultural assessment training, research, and practice in the United States. Racism, politicization of issues, and demands for equity in assessment of psychopathology and personality description have created a climate of controversy. Some sources of bias provide an introduction to major assessment issues including service delivery, moderator variables, modifications of standard tests, development of culture-specific tests, personality theory and cultural/racial identity description, cultural formulations for psychiatric diagnosis, and use of findings, particularly in therapeutic assessment. An assessment-intervention model summarizes this paper and suggests dimensions that compel practitioners to ask questions meriting research attention and providing avenues for developments of culturally competent practice.
Further Evidence Favoring Three-Option Items in Multiple-Choice Tests
Authors: Delgado Ana R. , Prieto Gerardo
Published: January 2008

This study examined the validity of an item-writing rule concerning the optimal number of options in the design of multiple-choice test items. Although measurement textbooks typically recommend the use of four or five options - and most ability and achievement tests still follow this rule - theoretical papers as well as empirical research over a period of more than half a century reveal that three options may be more suitable for most ability and achievement test items. Previous results show that three-option items, compared with their four-option versions, tend to be slightly easier (i. e., with higher traditional difficulty indexes) without showing any decrease in discrimination. In this study, two versions (with four and three options) of 90 items comprising three computerized examinations were applied in successive years, showing the expected trend. In addition, there were no systematic changes in reliability for the tests, which adds to the evidence favoring the use of the three-option test item.
Towards a Validation of Multiple Features in the Assessment of Emotions
Authors: Skiffington Suzanne , Fernandez Ephrem , McFarland Ken
Published: January 2008

This study extends previous attempts to assess emotion with single adjective descriptors, by examining semantic as well as cognitive, motivational, and intensity features of emotions. The focus was on seven negative emotions common to several emotion typologies: anger, fear, sadness, shame, pity, jealousy, and contempt. For each of these emotions, seven items were generated corresponding to cognitive appraisal about the self, cognitive appraisal about the environment, action tendency, action fantasy, synonym, antonym, and intensity range of the emotion, respectively. A pilot study established that 48 of the 49 items were linked predominantly to the specific emotions as predicted. The main data set comprising 700 subjects' ratings of relatedness between items and emotions was subjected to a series of factor analyses, which revealed that 44 of the 49 items loaded on the emotion constructs as predicted. A final factor analysis of these items uncovered seven factors accounting for 39% of the variance. These emergent factors corresponded to the hypothesized emotion constructs, with the exception of anger and fear, which were somewhat confounded. These findings lay the groundwork for the construction of an instrument to assess emotions multicomponentially.
Neuropsychological Assessment of Suspected Malingering: Research Results, Evaluation Techniques, and Further Directions of Research and Application
Authors: Heubrock Dietmar , Petermann Franz
Published: January 2008

Possibilities for neuropsychological assessment of suspected malingering are addressed. First, various forms of deception (malingering, factitious disorders, hysteria) and their implications for clinical neuropsychology are discussed. Then, threshold models for the detection of malingering as well as specially designed assessment techniques (e. g., individual tests, deficit testing, tests specifically for malingerers, and symptom validity testing) are described. Finally, the current status of clinical methods and research strategies is summarized, and recent and further developments of assessment and research are reported.
Validity of the Five Factor Personality Inventory (FFPI): An Investigation in Italy
Authors: Perugini Marco , Ercolani Anna Paola
Published: January 2008

The Big Five are nowadays the standard factors of personality dimensions. Several instruments have been proposed in the last few years for their measurement, either with adjectives or with items. A new state-of-the-art questionnaire to measure the Big Five is the Five-Factor Personality Inventory (FFPI), composed of 100 items. For this article, the questionnaire was validated in Italy with a sample of 249 subjects. Generalizibility, reliability, construct validity (convergent and discriminant), and predictive validity were investigated. Particular attention was devoted to the fifth factor, the most debated in current literature. Results fully supported the validity of FFPI and testify to its high-level psychometric properties. The fifth factor of the FFPI proved to be different from the standard definitions (Intellect or Openness to Experience), being better characterized as Autonomy.
Detection of structural inadequacy in process‐based hydrological models: A particle‐filtering approach
Authors: Smith P. J. , Beven K. J. , Tawn J. A.
Published: January 2008

In recent years, increasing computational power has been used to weight competing hydrological models in a Bayesian framework to improve predictive power. This may suggest that for a given measure of association with the observed data, one hydrological model is superior to another. However, careful analyses of the residuals of the model fit are required to propose further improvements to the model. In this paper we consider an alternative method of analyzing the shortcomings in a hydrological model. The hydrological model parameters are treated as varying in time. Simulation using a particle filter algorithm then reveals the parameter distribution needed at each time to reproduce the observed data. The resulting parameter, and the corresponding model state, distributions can be analyzed to propose improvements to the hydrological model. A demonstrative example is presented using rainfall‐runoff data from the Leaf River, United States. This indicates that even when explicitly representing the uncertainty of the observed rainfall and discharge series, the technique shows shortcomings in the model structure.
A vortex‐based model of velocity and shear stress in a partially vegetated shallow channel
Authors: White Brian L. , Nepf Heidi M.
Published: January 2008

This paper presents a method for predicting the distributions of velocity and shear stress in shallow channels with a boundary of emergent vegetation. Experiments in a laboratory channel with model vegetation show that the velocity profile exhibits a distinct two‐layer structure, consisting of a rapidly varying shear layer across the vegetation interface and a more gradual boundary layer in the main channel. In addition, coherent vortices are observed which span both layers, and are the dominant contributors to lateral momentum fluxes. From these observations, we propose a model for the vortex‐induced exchange and find expressions for the width of momentum penetration into the vegetation, the velocity and shear stress at the vegetation edge, and the width of the boundary layer in the main channel. These variables, along with a momentum balance in the main channel, comprise a modeling framework which accurately reproduces the observed velocity and shear stress distributions. The predictions for the velocity and shear stress can provide a basis for modeling flood conveyance, overbank sediment transport, and scalar residence time in the vegetated layer.
Topography of the 660‐km discontinuity beneath northeast China: Implications for a retrograde motion of the subducting Pacific slab
Authors: Li Juan , Chen Qi‐Fu , Vanacore Elizabeth , Niu Fenglin
Published: January 2008

Clear S to P converted waves at the 660‐km discontinuity (S660P) are observed at stacked seismograms of deep earthquakes occurring in northeast China and Japan Sea recorded by broadband seismic arrays in North America and Europe. Differential travel times between the S660P and P waves are used to constrain depth variations of the 660 beneath northeast China. A rapid change in the depth of the 660 is observed within a narrow longitudinal range of 130.8°E–131.4°E, where the lower boundary of the subducting slab encounters the 660. Towards the west, the 660 deepens steadily as it approaches the coldest core of the slab. The maximum depression occurs at the west end of the studied region with an amplitude of ∼20 km. To the east, the 660 appears to be flat, showing no obvious effect of the subducting slab. These observations are consistent with a scenario for a retrograde moving Pacific slab lying over the upper and lower mantle boundary progressively from west to east.
Nonlinear force‐free modeling of the solar coronal magnetic field
Authors: Wiegelmann T.
Published: January 2008

The coronal magnetic field is an important quantity because the magnetic field dominates the structure of the solar corona. Unfortunately, direct measurements of coronal magnetic fields are usually not available. The photospheric magnetic field is measured routinely with vector magnetographs. These photospheric measurements are extrapolated into the solar corona. The extrapolated coronal magnetic field depends on assumptions regarding the coronal plasma, for example, force‐freeness. Force‐free means that all nonmagnetic forces like pressure gradients and gravity are neglected. This approach is well justified in the solar corona owing to the low plasma beta. One has to take care, however, about ambiguities, noise and nonmagnetic forces in the photosphere, where the magnetic field vector is measured. Here we review different numerical methods for a nonlinear force‐free coronal magnetic field extrapolation: Grad‐Rubin codes, upward integration method, MHD relaxation, optimization, and the boundary element approach. We briefly discuss the main features of the different methods and concentrate mainly on recently developed new codes.
[Pt(O,O′‐acac)(γ‐acac)(DMS)], a new Pt compound exerting fast cytotoxicity in MCF‐7 breast cancer cells via the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway
Authors: Muscella A , Calabriso N , Fanizzi F P , De Pascali S A , Urso L , Ciccarese A , Migoni D , Marsigliante S
Published: January 2008

British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 175; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707646
Large-scale parallel configuration interaction. I. Nonrelativistic and scalar-relativistic general active space implementation with application to (Rb–Ba)+
Authors: Knecht Stefan , Jensen Hans Jørgen Aa. , Fleig Timo
Published: January 2008

We present a parallel implementation of a string-driven general active space configuration interaction program for nonrelativistic and scalar-relativistic electronic-structure calculations. The code has been modularly incorporated in the DIRAC quantum chemistry program package. The implementation is based on the message passing interface and a distributed data model in order to efficiently exploit key features of various modern computer architectures. We exemplify the nearly linear scalability of our parallel code in large-scale multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) calculations, and we discuss the parallel speedup with respect to machine-dependent aspects. The largest sample MRCI calculation includes 1.5×109 Slater determinants. Using the new code we determine for the first time the full short-range electronic potentials and spectroscopic constants for the ground state and for eight low-lying excited states of the weakly bound molecular system (Rb–Ba)+ with the spin-orbit-free Dirac formalism and using extensive uncontracted basis sets. The time required to compute to full convergence these electronic states for (Rb–Ba)+ in a single-point MRCI calculation correlating 18 electrons and using 16 cores was reduced from more than 10days to less than 1day.
Lactic acid in solution: Investigations of lactic acid self-aggregation and hydrogen bonding interactions with water and methanol using vibrational absorption and vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopies
Authors: Losada Martin , Tran Ha , Xu Yunjie
Published: January 2008

The infrared vibrational absorption (VA) and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectral features of L-(+)-lactic acid (LA) in CDCl3 solution are concentration dependent, showing evidence of oligomerization with increasing concentrations. To understand the observed spectra, geometry optimizations, vibrational frequencies, and VA and VCD intensities were evaluated for (LA)n with n=1–4 using density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP∕6-311++G(d,p), B3LYP/cc-pVTZ, and in some cases, B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ levels of theory. Comparisons with the experimental spectra indicate that the lowest energy LA dimer (AA), formed by two CO⋯HO hydrogen bonds, is one of the dominating species in solution at room temperature. Possible contributions from the LA trimer and tetramer are also discussed. To model the VA and VCD spectra of LA in water and in methanol, both implicit polarizable continuum model and explicit hydrogen bonding considerations were used. For explicit hydrogen bonding, geometry optimizations of the AA-(water)n and AA-(methanol)n complexes, with n=2,4,6, were performed, and the corresponding VA and VCD spectra were simulated. Comparisons of the calculated and experimental VA and VCD spectra in the range of 1000–1800cm−1 show that AA-(water)n with n=6 best reproduces the experimental spectra in water. On the other hand, AA-(methanol)n with n=2 reproduces well the experimental results taken in methanol solution. In addition, we found evidence of chirality transfer, i.e., some vibrational bands of the achiral water subunits gain VCD strength upon complexation with the chiral LA solute. The study is the first to use VCD spectroscopy to probe the structures of LA aggregates and hydrogen bonding solvation clusters in the solution phase.
Spectroscopic ellipsometry characterization of the optical properties and thermal stability of ZrO2 films made by ion-beam assisted deposition
Authors: Ramana C. V. , Utsunomiya S. , Ewing R. C. , Becker U. , Atuchin V. V. , Aliev V. Sh. , Kruchinin V. N.
Published: January 2008

The optical properties, interface structure, and thermal stability of the ZrO2 films grown on Si(100) were investigated in detail. A 2nm thick interfacial layer (IL) is formed at the ZrO2–Si interface for the as-grown ZrO2. The optical constants of ZrO2 films and IL correspond to amorphous-ZrO2 and amorphous-SiO2, respectively. The oxidation and IL growth at 900°C, as a function of annealing time, exhibit a two-step behavior with a slow and a fast growth-rate zones. The transition from a zone of slow to fast rate is attributed to structurally modified ZrO2 facilitating the faster oxygen transport to the ZrO2∕Si interface.
On the spin and symmetry adaptation of the density matrix renormalization group method
Authors: Zgid Dominika , Nooijen Marcel
Published: January 2008

We present a spin-adapted density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) algorithm designed to target spin and spatial symmetry states that can be difficult to obtain while using a non-spin-adapted algorithm. The algorithmic modifications that have to be introduced into the usual density matrix renormalization group scheme in order to spin adapt it are discussed, and it is demonstrated that the introduced modifications do not change the overall scaling of the method. The new approach is tested on HNCO, a model system, that has a singlet-triplet curve crossing between states of the same symmetry. The advantages of the spin-adapted DMRG scheme are discussed, and it is concluded that the spin-adapted DMRG method converges better in almost all cases and gives more parallel curves to the full configuration interaction result than the non-spin-adapted method. It is shown that the spin-adapted DMRG energies can be lower than the ones obtained from the non-spin-adapted scheme. Such a counterintuitive result is explained by noting that the spin-adapted method is not a special case of the non-spin-adapted one; consequently, the spin-adapted result is not an upper bound for the non-spin-adapted energy.