bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Starch as a Steric Stabilizer for Doping Natural Rubber: Effect on Optical, Electrical, Mechanical, and Morphological Properties
Authors: Predeep P. , Sreeja R. , Mazur Maciej , Sharma P. D.
Published: October 2006

Recently, it has been reported that prevulcanization of natural rubber (NR) latex does not hinder the formation of conjugated sequences, which is a precondition for developing intrinsic electrical conductivity in polymers. In this article, the authors report for the first time that incorporation of a steric stabilizer such as starch enhances the solution doping of the prevulcanized NR latex resulting in flexible semiconducting thin films with an optimum enhancement in the electrical conductivity behavior and a decrease in optical band gap. However, the characteristic color changes and the insulator-conductor transitions are gradual, indicating a lower doping rate and hence a longer doping period for the system. Moreover, the complexation of the doped iodine (I2) atom with the starch molecule prevents the out-diffusion of I2, and hence imparts stability in the electrical conductivity. The mechanical studies reveal desirable strength for the doped films. The formation of conjugated sequences of double bonds in the poly isoprene (PI) backbone is examined using a UV/VIS and an FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. The swelling studies indicate a reinforcement effect in starch containing composite films at low proportions. The scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of the fabricated films show a compatible phase for the composite and hence a better perfection of the surface.
Bioactivity and Mechanical Properties of Cellulose/Carbonate Hydroxyapatite Composites Prepared in situ through Mechanochemical Reaction
Authors: Yoshida Akihiko , Miyazaki Toshiki , Ashizuka Masahiro , Ishida Eiichi
Published: October 2006

Organic-inorganic composites, prepared from bone-bonding bioactive ceramics and organic polymers, are useful for novel bone substitutes having mechanical properties analogous to natural bone. We synthesized composites from cellulose and carbonate hydroxyapatite (CHAp) in situ through mechanochemical reaction. They contained B-type CHAp analogous to bone apatite. They showed a bending strengths of 10-13 MPa and Young’s modulus of 1.5-2.2 GPa. We predicted their microstructure by comparing the measured density with the theoretical one. Cellulose was assumed to be distributed in the pore of CHAp at low cellulose content, and in grain boundaries of CHAp at high cellulose content. The composites formed calcium phosphate on their surfaces in simulated body fluid, meaning that they have a potential to be bioactive.
Insulin Loaded Eudragit L100 Microspheres for Oral Delivery: Preliminary in vitro Studies
Authors: Jain Deepti , Majumdar D. K. , Panda A. K.
Published: October 2006

Eudragit L100 microspheres were prepared using water-in-oil-in water (w/o/w) emulsion-solvent evaporation with polysorbate 20 as dispersing agent in the internal aqueous phase, and PVA/PVP as stabilizer in the external aqueous phase. Smaller internal and external aqueous phases provided higher drug encapsulation. The PVA-stabilized microspheres having maximum drug encapsulation (84.5 2.8%) released 7% insulin at pH 1.0 in 2 h. In phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), microspheres showed an initial burst release of 21% in 1 h with additional 35% release in the next 5 h. The smaller the volumes of internal and external aqueous phases, the lower the initial burst release. The release of drug from microspheres followed Higuchi kinetics. Scanning electron microscopy of PVA stabilized microspheres demonstrated spherical particles with smooth surface and laser diffractometry revealed a mean particle size (Vm) of 59.11 30 m.
Chemical Composition and Lipid Fraction Characteristics of Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) Seeds Cultivated in Tunisia
Authors: Cheikh-Rouhou S. , Hentati B. , Besbes S. , Blecker C. , Deroanne C. , Attia H.
Published: October 2006

The proximate composition of Aleppo pine ( Pinus halepensis Mill.) seeds cultivated in Bizerta (Tunisia) were investigated for their fatty acid composition, and their thermal and physical properties of lipid fraction. The proximate analysis of pine seeds showed the following composition (on a dry-weight basis): protein 22.7%, oil 43.3%, ash 8.3% and total carbohydrate 25.7%. Potassium, magnesium and calcium were the predominant mineral elements present in the seeds and reached, together, about 1%. Oleic and linoleic acids were the major unsaturated fatty acids (27.3 and 48.8%, respectively), while the main saturated one was palmitic acid (8.75%). Myristic, myristoleic, palmitoleic, margaric, margaroleic, stearic, linolenic, arachidic, eicosenoic, eicosadienoic, eicosatrienoic, behenic and lignoceric acids were also detected. Thermal profile of Pinus halepensis Mill. seed oil, determined by its DSC melting curve, showed that the entire liquefaction of the Aleppo pine seed oil occurs at 8°C. CieLab colour parameters ( L*, a*, b*), oxidative stability by Rancimat test and viscosity were also determined. Physico-chemical properties of the oil include: saponification number 190, peroxide value 3.18, iodine index 117, and a low acidity of 0.61%. Results suggested that the production of oil from Pinus halepensis seeds could provide a potential use in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and other non-food industries.
Effect of Natural Stabilised Pork Haem Pigment on the Colour, Colour Stability and Texture of Cooked Hams from Pale, Soft and Exudative Meat
Authors: Oliver M. A. , Polo J. , Panella N. , Arnau J. , Contreras M. , Morera S. , Ruiz J. , Gil M.
Published: October 2006

The effect of the addition of pork haem pigment on the colour, colour stability and texture of cooked hams from pale, soft and exudative meat (PSE hams) was studied. A total of 62 hams were selected at 15h post mortem on the basis of pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and L* value in semimembranosus (SM) and biceps femoris (BF) muscles. Hams were divided into three groups to be manufactured as cooked hams: group 1 (control, with normal meat quality hams, n 20), group 2 (control, with PSE hams, n 21) and group 3 (with PSE hams to which 0.04% of pork haem pigment was added, n 21). The stability of the colour ( L*, a*, b*) was followed at 0, 30 and 120min after slicing. Pigment content and the instrumental texture of the hams were also evaluated. L* value after slicing was lower in group 3 than in group 2 for both muscles at all three times studied. Colour a* value (redness) was significantly higher for group 3 than for groups 1 and 2 at the three times and in the two muscles. Accordingly, there was an increase in visual redness in BF and SM of hams from group 3 with respect to groups 1 and 2. Iridescence was higher in PSE hams. The muscle pigment content showed no significant differences among groups - neither in the fresh nor in the cooked hams. No effect of the pork pigment was found on the texture properties studied. In conclusion, the addition of stabilised pork haem pigment in the processing of PSE hams resulted in cooked hams with lower L* values and higher a* values and more visual redness, whereas colour stability and texture of hams were not affected.
Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Olea europaea L. Fruits and Leaves
Authors: Silva S. , Gomes L. , Leitão F. , Coelho A. V. , Boas L. Vilas
Published: October 2006

Extracts of leaves, fruits and seeds of olive tree cultivars of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal) were analysed by reverse phase HPLC with diode array detection and mass spectrometry (MS). This methodology allowed the identification of some common phenolic compounds, namely, verbascoside, rutin, luteolin-7-glucoside, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. Moreover the hyphenation of HPLC with MS enabled the identification of nüzhenide in olive seeds. An oleuropein glucoside was also detected in olive tree leaves. The total phenolic content was determined with the Folin Denis reagent and the total antioxidant activity with the ABTS method. There is a correlation between total antioxidant activity and total phenolic content with the exception of the seed extracts analysed. The apparent high antioxidant activity of seed extracts may be due to nüzhenide, a secoiridoid that is the major phenolic component of olive seeds. These results suggest a possible application of olive seeds as sources of natural antioxidants.
Effects of Soluble Gas Stabilisation, Modified Atmosphere, Gas to Product Volume Ratio and Storage on the Microbiological and Sensory Characteristics of Ready-to-Eat Shrimp (Pandalus borealis)
Authors: Sivertsvik M. , Birkeland S.
Published: October 2006

The effects of storage time, modified atmospheres (30% or 60% CO2), soluble gas stabilisation and gas to product volume ( g/ p) ratio were investigated on the microbiological and sensory characteristics of cooked, peeled and brined ready-to-eat (RTE) deep-water shrimps ( Pandalus borealis). Soluble gas stabilisation (SGS) treatment prior to packaging (2h) increased the CO2 content in the packaged shrimp and counteracted package collapse, even at low g/ p ratios (0.66). SGS treatment reduced significantly (P 0.01) the aerobic plate count and psychrotrophic count. The increase of CO2 levels during modified atmosphere (MA) packaging and the application of SGS significantly enhanced (P 0.01) the sensory quality of the shrimps. The exudates in the packages (%) were significantly reduced (P 0.01) when applying SGS treatment. Therefore, SGS treatment in combination with MA packaging can be used successfully on RTE shrimps to reduce the package volume and to improve the microbiological and sensory characteristics.
Polypeptide Pattern of Apple Tissues Affected by Calcium-related Physiopathologies
Authors: Val J. , Gracia M. A. , Blanco A. , Monge E. , Pérez M.
Published: October 2006

Polypeptides from the apple pulp of Smoothee Golden Delicious and White Renete apples were resolved by 1-D denaturing sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). According to the electropherograms, there were lower concentrations of 88, 74, 70.6 and 47.5-42kDa proteins in bitter pit spots. Proteins weighing 30 and 26kDa were rare in sound pulp but frequently appeared in pits and adjacent tissue. Finally, a novel 18kDa protein was found in bitter pit spots in both varieties, and also in chemically induced corky lesions either by magnesium infiltration or ammonium oxalate cortical injections. The available data suggested that the novel protein might be an inhibitor of pectinmethylesterase, a small heat stress protein (smHSP) or a product of the Ypr-10 gene family identified with ‘Mal d 1’, the main allergen of apples. To elucidate the possible smHSP nature of the 18kDa, a set of apples were heated at 40°C for 20h, developing this protein in both the oxidised tissue and in the adjacent.
Agreeing to fight: an explanation of the democratic peace
Authors: Patty John W. , Weber Roberto A.
Published: October 2006

In this article, we extend the well-known ‘agreeing-to-disagree’ and ‘no-trade’ results from economics and game theory to international relations. We show that two rational countries should never agree to go to war when war is inefficient and when rationality is common knowledge. We argue that this result might provide one possible explanation for the empirical finding, often referred to as the ‘democratic peace’, that modern democracies rarely go to war with one another. We propose that the informational properties of pluralistic institutions (as opposed to oligarchies or dictatorships) lead to better decision-making by democracies and that democracies are therefore more likely to be the rational actors necessary for the ‘no-war’ result. We discuss empirical evidence in support of this proposition.
The circumstances of justice
Authors: Vanderschraaf Peter
Published: October 2006

In this article, I analyze the circumstances of justice, that is, the background conditions that are necessary and sufficient for justice to exist between individual parties in society. Contemporary political philosophers almost unanimously accept an account of these circumstances attributed to David Hume. I argue that the conditions of this standard account are neither sufficient nor necessary conditions for justice. In particular, I contend that both a Hobbesian state of nature and a prisoner’s dilemma are cases in which the conditions of the standard account obtain and yet no justice exists between parties. I propose an alternative set of generic circumstances of justice motivated by examples from game theory. Parties are in these generic circumstances with respect to each other when: (1) they are engaged in a conflictual coordination game with multiple strict Nash equilibrium points where, at any of these equilibria, some parties do not receive their greatest payoffs, and (2) they have common knowledge that each party is rational and follows her end of a strict equilibrium where no party receives her greatest payoff. These two conditions reflect the idea that justice requires all parties to make some sacrifices so that others can have more of the goods they need and want. I argue that these generic circumstances are necessary and sufficient conditions for parties to follow generic norms of justice, that is, mutually beneficial practices that require some sacrifices.
Corrective Justice and Reputation
Authors: Scarre Geoffrey
Published: October 2006

Courts of criminal jurisdiction commonly allow for mitigating circumstances when determining the punishment of convicted wrongdoers. This paper looks at some of the moral issues raised by mitigation, and asks in particular whether the damage that arraignment or conviction does to the good name of a previously well-reputed person may ever reasonably be considered as a circumstance justifying the imposition of a penalty lighter than is standard for the offence. It is argued that making an allowance for the loss of good name is sometimes required by justice and that a number of principled and practical objections that have been raised against the practice are unconvincing.
A Comparison of the Nordtest and Japanese Test Methods for the Moisture Buffering Performance of Building Materials
Authors: Roels Staf , Janssen Hans
Published: October 2006

Two test methods, one worked out in a Nordtest project and the other available as a Japanese Industrial Standard, both developed to characterize building materials with respect to moisture buffering performance, are analyzed in detail by a numerical study on four different materials. Both test methods are based on a similar kind of dynamic loading, but the specifications of each test protocol vary. Therefore, the sensitivity of the test protocols is investigated by varying different protocol parameters. Subsequently, the practical applicability of the obtained values is investigated by confronting the values obtained for the four materials with the dynamic response of a small room with each of the materials used in turns as finishing material. Finally, the results determined according to the dynamic test protocol are compared with values calculated from steady-state material data.
Association of socio-economic status with diabetes prevalence and utilization of diabetes care services
Authors: Rabi Doreen M , Edwards Alun L , Southern Danielle A , Svenson Lawrence W , Sargious Peter M , Norton Peter , Larsen Eric T , Ghali William A
Published: October 2006

Background

Low income appears to be associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes and diabetes related complications, however, little is known about how income influences access to diabetes care. The objective of the present study was to determine whether income is associated with referral to a diabetes centre within a universal health care system.

Methods

Data on referral for diabetes care, diabetes prevalence and median household income were obtained from a regional Diabetes Education Centre (DEC) database, the Canadian National Diabetes Surveillance System (NDSS) and the 2001 Canadian Census respectively. Diabetes rate per capita, referral rate per capita and proportion with diabetes referred was determined for census dissemination areas. We used Chi square analyses to determine if diabetes prevalence or population rates of referral differed across income quintiles, and Poisson regression to model diabetes rate and referral rate in relation to income while controlling for education and age.

Results

There was a significant gradient in both diabetes prevalence (χ2 = 743.72, p < 0.0005) and population rates of referral (χ2 = 168.435, p < 0.0005) across income quintiles, with the lowest income quintiles having the highest rates of diabetes and referral to the DEC. Referral rate among those with diabetes, however, was uniform across income quintiles. Controlling for age and education, Poisson regression models confirmed a significant socio-economic gradient in diabetes prevalence and population rates of referral.

Conclusion

Low income is associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes and a higher population rate of referral to this regional DEC. After accounting for diabetes prevalence, however, the equal proportions referred to the DEC across income groups suggest that there is no access bias based on income.
RNA editing in Drosophila melanogaster: New targets and functional consequences
Authors: Stapleton Mark , Carlson Joseph W. , Celniker Susan E.
Published: October 2006

Adenosine deaminases that act on RNA [adenosine deaminase, RNA specific (ADAR)] catalyze the site-specific conversion of adenosine to inosine in primary mRNA transcripts. These re-coding events affect coding potential, splice sites, and stability of mature mRNAs. ADAR is an essential gene, and studies in mouse, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Drosophila suggest that its primary function is to modify adult behavior by altering signaling components in the nervous system. By comparing the sequence of isogenic cDNAs to genomic DNA, we have identified and experimentally verified 27 new targets of Drosophila ADAR. Our analyses led us to identify new classes of genes whose transcripts are targets of ADAR, including components of the actin cytoskeleton and genes involved in ion homeostasis and signal transduction. Our results indicate that editing in Drosophila increases the diversity of the proteome, and does so in a manner that has direct functional consequences on protein function.
Hypoglossal — facial nerve anastomosis: A review of forty cases caused by facial nerve injuries in the posterior fossa
Authors: Gavron Joseph P. , Clemis Jack D.
Published: October 2006

Hypoglossal‐facial anastomosis has been our procedure of choice in the repair of the permanently injured facial nerve in the cerebellopontine cistern, when the nerve cannot be primarily repaired. Total failures are few and complications are rare. Most results are good to excellent, if assessment is based upon realistic expectations. These include: 1. normal facial symmetry in repose, 2. good midface voluntary motion, 3. no reflex or emotional facial movement, 4. some synkinesis and donor‐injected mass facial movement, and 5. surprisingly little functional loss from hypoglossal paralysis.

Our experience indicates better results in younger patients and in those repairs completed shortly after injury. These findings correlate well with the experience gained in peripheral nerve repair in the extremities. There appears to be no absolute time period between injury and repair beyond which this anastomosis is definitely contraindicated.

Finally, this procedure does not negate adjunctive plastic surgical procedures. Most of our patients have had tarsorrhaphy or physiologic protection of the eye, but few have had corrective cosmetic surgical procedures until the past few years. We have never used cervical sympathectomy to reduce the size of the palpebral fissure.

Better surgical procedures to correct both extracranial and intratemporal facial nerve injuries have significantly reduced the indication for anatomosis procedures. Additionally, over the past two decades, the improved diagnostic and surgical techniques for posterior fossa tumors have considerably reduced the incidence of facial paralysis. As these trends continue, the number of patients requiring nerve anastomosis for facial paralysis will continue to decline and what was once the only surgical procedure to repair the paralyzed face will become a rare operation.
Preparatory Delay Activity in the Monkey Parietal Reach Region Predicts Reach Reaction Times
Authors: Snyder Lawrence H. , Dickinson Anthony R. , Calton Jeffrey L.
Published: October 2006

To acquire something that we see, visual spatial information must ultimately result in the activation of the appropriate set of muscles. This sensory to motor transformation requires an interaction between information coding target location and information coding which effector will be moved. Activity in the monkey parietal reach region (PRR) reflects both spatial information and the effector (arm or eye) that will be used in an upcoming reach or saccade task. To further elucidate the functional role of PRR in visually guided movement tasks and to obtain evidence that PRR signals are used to drive arm movements, we tested the hypothesis that increased neuronal activity during a preparatory delay period would lead to faster reach reaction times but would not be correlated with saccade reaction times. This proved to be the case only when the type of movement and not the spatial goal of that movement was known in advance. The correlation was strongest in cells that showed significantly more activity on arm reach compared with saccade trials. No significant correlations were found during delay periods in which spatial information was provided in advance. These data support the idea that PRR constitutes a bottleneck in the processing of spatial information for an upcoming arm reach. The lack of a correlation with saccadic reaction time also supports the idea that PRR processing is effector specific, that is, it is involved in specifying targets for arm movements but not targets for eye movements.
Activity-Independent Regulation of Dendrite Patterning by Postsynaptic Density Protein PSD-95
Authors: Charych Erik I. , Akum Barbara F. , Goldberg Joshua S. , Jörnsten Rebecka J. , Rongo Christopher , Zheng James Q. , Firestein Bonnie L.
Published: October 2006

Dendritic morphology determines many aspects of neuronal function, including action potential propagation and information processing. However, the question remains as to how distinct neuronal dendrite branching patterns are established. Here, we report that postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95), a protein involved in dendritic spine maturation and clustering of synaptic signaling proteins, plays a novel role in regulating dendrite outgrowth and branching, independent of its synaptic functions. In immature neurons, overexpression of PSD-95 decreases the proportion of primary dendrites that undergo additional branching, resulting in a marked reduction of secondary dendrite number. Conversely, knocking down PSD-95 protein in immature neurons increases secondary dendrite number. The effect of PSD-95 is activity-independent and is antagonized by cypin, a nonsynaptic protein that regulates PSD-95 localization. Binding of cypin to PSD-95 correlates with formation of stable dendrite branches. Finally, overexpression of PSD-95 in COS-7 cells disrupts microtubule organization, indicating that PSD-95 may modulate microtubules to regulate dendritic branching. Whereas many factors have been identified which regulate dendrite number, our findings provide direct evidence that proteins primarily involved in synaptic functions can also play developmental roles in shaping how a neuron patterns its dendrite branches.
Functional Role of GABAergic Innervation of the Cochlea: Phenotypic Analysis of Mice Lacking GABAAReceptor Subunits α1, α2, α5, α6, β2, β3, or δ
Authors: Maison Stéphane F. , Rosahl Thomas W. , Homanics Gregg E. , Liberman M. Charles
Published: October 2006

The olivocochlear efferent system is both cholinergic and GABAergic and innervates sensory cells and sensory neurons of the inner ear. Cholinergic effects on cochlear sensory cells are well characterized, bothin vivoandin vitro; however, the robust GABAergic innervation is poorly understood. To explore the functional roles of GABA in the inner ear, we characterized the cochlear phenotype of seven mouse lines with targeted deletion of a GABAAreceptor subunit (α1, α2, α5, α6, β2, β3, or δ). Four of the lines (α1, α2, α6, and δ) were normal: there was no cochlear histopathology, and cochlear responses suggested normal function of hair cells, afferent fibers, and efferent feedback. The other three lines (α5, β2, and β3) showed threshold elevations indicative of outer hair cell dysfunction. α5 and β2 lines also showed decreased effects of efferent bundle activation, associated with decreased density of efferent terminals on outer hair cells: although the onset of this degeneration was later in α5 (>6 weeks) than β2 (<6 weeks), both lines shows normal efferent development (up to 3 weeks). Two lines (β2 and β3) showed signs of neuropathy, either decreased density of afferent innervation (β3) or decreased neural responses without concomitant attenuation of hair cell responses (β2). One of the lines (β2) showed a clear sexual dimorphism in cochlear phenotype. Results suggest that the GABAergic component of the olivocochlear system contributes to the long-term maintenance of hair cells and neurons in the inner ear.
Combination of Thrombin and Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Exacerbates Neurotoxicity in Cell Culture and Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Mice
Authors: Xue Mengzhou , Hollenberg Morley D. , Wee Yong V.
Published: October 2006

The rapid loss of neurons is a major pathological outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Several mechanisms may produce the neurotoxicity observed in ICH, and these include proteolytic enzymes such as thrombin and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). We tested the hypothesis that thrombin and MMP-9 combine to injure neurons in culture and that they interact to promote the acute neurotoxicity that occurs in ICHin vivo. We report that human fetal neurons die when exposed to thrombin or MMP-9 in isolation and that a combination of these two enzymes increased neurotoxicity. The toxicity of thrombin involved protease-activated receptor-1 and the conversion of proMMP-9 to active MMP-9. In ICH, which was induced in mice by the intracerebral injection of autologous blood, significant areas of brain damage, neuronal death, microglia/macrophage activation, and neutrophil accumulation occurred by 24 h of injury. Importantly, these neuropathological features were reduced in MMP-9 null mice compared with wild-type controls, and the concordant antagonism of thrombin using hirudin also alleviated the injury found in MMP-9 null mice. Our collective results demonstrate that thrombin and MMP-9 collaborate to promote neuronal death in culture and in ICH. To improve the prognosis of ICH, the neurotoxic actions of thrombin and MMP-9 must be inhibited early and simultaneously after injury.
NMDA-Dependent, But Not Group I Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor-Dependent, Long-Term Depression at Schaffer Collateral–CA1 Synapses Is Associated with Long-Term Reduction of Release from the Rapidly Recycling Presynaptic Vesicle Pool
Authors: Zhang Xiao-lei , Zhou Zhen-yu , Winterer Jochen , Müller Wolfgang , Stanton Patric K.
Published: October 2006

Postsynaptic alterations have been suggested to account for NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation of synaptic strength, although there is substantial evidence supporting changes in presynaptic release. Direct chemical activation of either NMDA or group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR1) elicits LTD of similar magnitudes, but it is unknown whether they share common expression mechanisms. Using dual-photon laser-scanning microscopy of FM1-43 [N-(3-triethylammoniumpropyl)-4-(4-(dibutylamino)styryl)pyridinium dibromide] to directly visualize presynaptic vesicular release from the rapidly recycling vesicle pool (RRP) at Schaffer collateral terminals in field CA1 of rat hippocampal slices, we found that a persistent reduction in vesicular release from the RRP is induced by NMDA-LTD but not by mGluR1-LTD. Variance-mean analyses of Schaffer collateral release probability (Pr) at varying extracellular calcium concentrations confirmed that NMDA-LTD was associated with reducedPr, whereas mGluR1-LTD was not. Pharmacological isolation of NMDAR-dependent and mGluR-dependent forms of stimulus-evoked LTD revealed that both are composed of a combination of presynaptic and postsynaptic alterations. However, when group I mGluR-dependent LTD was isolated by combining an NMDAR blocker with a group II mGluR antagonist, this form of LTD was purely postsynaptic. The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor Nω-nitro-l-arginine blocked the induction of NMDA-LTD but did not alter mGluR-LTD, consistent with a selective role for nitric oxide as a retrograde messenger mediating NMDA-LTD. These data demonstrate that single synapses can express multiple forms of LTD with different sites of expression, that NMDA-LTD is a combination of presynaptic and postsynaptic alterations, but that group I mGluR-LTD appears to be expressed entirely postsynaptically.
Conference Report
Authors: Takata Kou
Published: October 2006

[Report of an international conference entitled “The Wider Europe: Institutions and Transformation” at Kyoto University, 24-26 November 2005, organized by the Graduate School of Economics and the Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto University.]
Synthesis of Fe-filled carbon nanocapsules by an electric plasma discharge in an ultrasonic cavitation field of liquid ethanol
Authors: Sergiienko Ruslan , Shibata Etsuro , Akase Zentaro , Suwa Hiroyuki , Shindo Daisuke , Nakamura Takashi
Published: October 2006

Nanoparticles of iron carbides (Fe3C and χ-Fe2.5C) wrapped in multilayered graphitic sheets were synthesized by a developed method in which an electric plasma was generated in an ultrasonic cavitation field containing thousands of tiny activated bubbles in liquid ethanol. Annealing changed the phase composition, structure, and size of the carbon nanocapsules as most of the iron carbides decomposed into the α-Fe phase and graphite. Powder samples annealed at 873 and 973 K have maximal saturation magnetization values equal to 80.6 and 83.4 A m2/kg, respectively, which is approximately 40% of the value of bulk iron. Using this method, it will be possible to synthesize nanoparticles of a metal of choice encapsulated by graphite shells by selecting appropriate materials for the ultrasonic tip and electrodes.
Erratum: “Representative strain of indentation analysis” [J. Mater. Res. 20, 2225 (2005)] and “Limit analysis-based approach to determine the material plastic properties with conical indentation” [J. Mater. Res. 21, 947 (2006)]
Authors: Ogasawara Nagahisa , Chiba Norimasa , Chen Xi
Published: October 2006

We like to take this opportunity to rectify an error in the schematic drawing in two of our recently published research articles. A typographical error of a number appeared in Fig. 5 of J. Mater. Res. 20, 2225 (2005), p. 2229 and in Fig. 2 of J. Mater. Res. 21, 947 (2006), p. 948: these two figures are the same schematic drawing. In both figures, the number “1” on the slopes should be changed to “2.” The correct figure is given as Fig. 1 in this erratum.
Heat treating carbon nanofibers for optimal composite performance
Authors: Howe J.Y. , Tibbetts G.G. , Kwag C. , Lake M.L.
Published: October 2006

Partial graphitization of carbon nanofibers by high-temperature heat treatment can give improved composite properties. The intrinsic electrical conductivity of the bulk carbon nanofibers measured under compression is maximized by giving the fibers an initial heat treatment at 1500 °C. Similarly, for carbon nanofiber/polypropylene composites containing up to 12 vol% fiber, initial fiber heat treatments near 1500 °C give tensile modulus and strength superior even to composites made from fibers graphitized at 2900 °C. However, optimum composite conductivity is obtained with a somewhat lower heat-treatment temperature, near 1300 °C. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) along with x-ray diffraction (XRD) explains these results, showing that heat treating the fibers alters the exterior planes from continuous, coaxial, and poorly crystallized to discontinuous nested conical crystallites inclined at about 25° to the fiber axis.
Welfare Receipt and Substance-Abuse Treatment Among Low-Income Mothers: The Impact of Welfare Reform
Authors: Pollack Harold A. , Reuter Peter
Published: October 2006

Objectives. We explored changing relations between substance use, welfare receipt, and substance-abuse treatment among low-income mothers before and after welfare reform.

Methods. We examined annual data from mothers aged 18 to 49 years in the 1990–2001 National Household Survey of Drug Abuse and the 2002 National Survey of Drug Use and Health. Logistic regression was used to examine determinants of treatment receipt.

Results. Among low-income, substance-using mothers, the proportion receiving cash assistance declined from 54% in 1996 to 38% in 2001. The decline was much smaller (37% to 31%) among low-income mothers who did not use illicit substances. Low-income, substance-using mothers who received cash assistance were much more likely than other low-income, substance-using mothers to receive treatment services. Among 2002 National Survey of Drug Use and Health respondents deemed “in need” of substance-abuse treatment, welfare recipients were significantly more likely than nonrecipients to receive such services (adjusted odds ratio=2.31; P<.05). Controlling for other factors, welfare receipt was associated with higher prevalence of illicit drug use. Such use declined among both welfare recipients and other mothers between 1990 and 2001.

Conclusions. Welfare is a major access point to identify and serve low-income mothers with substance-use disorders, but it reaches a smaller proportion of illicit drug users than it did prereform. Declining welfare receipt among low-income mothers with substance abuse disorders poses a new challenge in serving this population.
Dangerous Journey: Documenting the Experience of Tibetan Refugees
Authors: Dolma Sonam , Singh Sonal , Lohfeld Lynne , Orbinski James J. , Mills Edward J.
Published: October 2006

Objectives. Since the 1950 invasion of Tibet by China, Tibetan refugees have attempted to flee into Nepal over the Himalayan mountains. We documented the experiences of a group of refugees making this journey.

Methods. We conducted semistructured interviews with 50 recent refugees at the Tibetan Refugee Transit Centre in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Results. Participants ranged in age from 8 to 56 years, and 21 were female. The average length of their journey from Tibet to Nepal was 34 days. During their journey, a majority of the refugees encountered authorities or became involved in altercations with Nepali Maoist groups. Most of these interactions resulted in extortion and threats of expulsion. Several Tibetans were tortured, beaten with weapons, threatened with being shot, and robbed. Three women were sexually assaulted at gunpoint.

Conclusions. The refugees who took part in this study experienced physical and mental hardships and, often, human rights abuses on their journey to Nepal. International pressure is needed to prevent human rights violations and reduce potential long-term physical and mental health effects associated with this dangerous crossing.
Making Big Tobacco Give In: You Lose, They Win
Authors: Wander Nathaniel , Malone Ruth E
Published: October 2006

Objectives. To better understand how the tobacco industry responds to tobacco control activists, we explored Philip Morris’s response to demands that consumers in developing countries be informed about smoking risks, and analyzed the implications of negotiating with a tobacco company.

Methods. We reviewed internal tobacco industry documents and related materials, constructed a case history of how Philip Morris responded to a shareholder campaign to require health warnings on cigarettes sold worldwide, and analyzed interactions between (1) socially responsible investment activists, (2) Philip Morris management, (3) institutional investors, and (4) industry competitors.

Results. After resisting for 11 years, Philip Morris unilaterally reversed direction, and proposed its own labeling initiative. While activists celebrated, Philip Morris’s president detailed privately how the company would yield little and benefit disproportionately. Activists portrayed the tobacco industry as preying on the poor and uneducated and used delegitimization to drive a wedge between the industry and its financial and political allies. When Philip Morris “gave in” to their demands, it exchanged negative publicity for positive public relations and political credibility.

Conclusions. Tobacco companies can appear to accommodate public health demands while securing strategic advantages. Negotiating with the tobacco industry can enhance its legitimacy and facilitate its ability to market deadly cigarettes without corresponding benefits to public health.
Effectiveness of Intensive Case Management for Substance-Dependent Women Receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Authors: Morgenstern Jon , Blanchard Kimberly A. , McCrady Barbara S. , McVeigh Katharine H. , Morgan Thomas J. , Pandina Robert J.
Published: October 2006

Objective. We tested the effectiveness of a long-term coordinated care strategy—intensive case management (ICM)—compared with usual care (UC) among a group of substance-dependent women receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Methods. Substance-dependent women on TANF (N=302) were recruited from welfare offices. They were assessed and randomly assigned to ICM or UC; follow-up was at 3, 9, and 15 months. UC consisted of a health assessment at the welfare office and a referral to substance abuse treatment and TANF services. ICM clients received ICM services in addition to UC services.

Results. ICM clients had significantly higher levels of substance abuse treatment initiation, engagement, and retention compared with UC clients. In some cases, ICM treatment attendance rates were double those of UC rates. Additionally, almost twice as many ICM clients were abstinent at the 15 month follow-up compared with UC clients (P<.0025).

Conclusions. ICM is a promising intervention for managing the chronic nature of substance dependence among women receiving TANF. Future research should refine long-term care strategies—such as ICM—that address the chronic nature of substance dependence among low-income populations.
Ethical Conflicts in Public Health Research and Practice
Authors: Aiello Allison E. , King Nicholas B. , Foxman B.
Published: October 2006

Since the 1960s, scientists and pharmaceutical representatives have called for the advancement and development of new antimicrobial drugs to combat infectious diseases. In January 2005, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), MD, introduced a biopreparedness bill that included provisions for patent extensions and tax incentives to stimulate industry research on new antimicrobials.

Although government stimulus for private development of new antimicrobials is important, it does not resolve long-standing conflicts of interest between private entities and society. Rising rates of antimicrobial resistance have only exacerbated these conflicts. We used methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a case study for reviewing these problems, and we have suggested alternative approaches that may halt the vicious cycle of resistance and obsolescence generated by the current model of antimicrobial production.
“It’s Like Tuskegee in Reverse”: A Case Study of Ethical Tensions in Institutional Review Board Review of Community-Based Participatory Research
Authors: Malone Ruth E. , Yerger Valerie B. , McGruder Carol , Froelicher Erika
Published: October 2006

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) addresses the social justice dimensions of health disparities by engaging marginalized communities, building capacity for action, and encouraging more egalitarian relationships between researchers and communities. CBPR may challenge institutionalized academic practices and the understandings that inform institutional review board deliberations and, indirectly, prioritize particular kinds of research.

We present our attempt to study, as part of a CBPR partnership, cigarette sales practices in an inner-city community. We use critical and communitarian perspectives to examine the implications of the refusal of the university institutional review board (in this case, the University of California, San Francisco) to approve the study.

CBPR requires expanding ethical discourse beyond the procedural, principle-based approaches common in biomedical research settings. The current ethics culture of academia may sometimes serve to protect institutional power at the expense of community empowerment.
Potential for a Rye Cover Crop to Reduce Nitrate Loss in Southwestern Minnesota
Authors: Feyereisen G. W. , Wilson B. N. , Sands G. R. , Strock J. S. , Porter P. M.
Published: October 2006

Cover cropping practices are being researched to reduce artificial subsurface drainage NO3–N losses from agricultural lands in the Upper Mississippi watershed. This study was designed to investigate the influences of fall planting date and climate on cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) biomass and N uptake in the spring, and to assess subsurface drainage NO3–N loss reductions. A soil–plant–atmosphere simulation model, RyeGro, was developed and used to predict rye cover crop establishment and growth, soil water balance, N cycling, and drainage NO3–N losses from mid‐September through May in southwestern Minnesota. An imbedded stochastic weather generator provided model climate inputs. Inclusion of a rye cover crop sown on 15 September reduced N losses by 11.1 kg N ha−1 or 45% for a corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] crop rotation. Fall sowing dates of 1, 15, and 30 October resulted in reductions of 7.8, 5.8, and 4.6 kg N ha−1, respectively, by the end of May. Desiccation of the rye on 1 May resulted in reductions of 4.5, 2.2, 1.2, and 0.7 kg N ha−1, for the 15 September and 1, 15, and 30 October sowing dates, respectively. Cover cropping practice provides promising opportunities for reductions in N losses for cropping rotations wherein the primary crops are harvested before mid‐September and planted after mid‐May. We predict that a winter rye crop can reduce drainage NO3–N losses on average 7.4 kg N ha−1 for southwestern Minnesota if planted on 15 September and desiccated on 15 May.
Biomass Yield and Biofuel Quality of Switchgrass Harvested in Fall or Spring
Authors: Adler Paul R. , Sanderson Matt A. , Boateng Akwasi A. , Weimer Paul J. , Jung Hans‐Joachim G.
Published: October 2006

Seasonal time of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) harvest affects yield and biofuel quality and balancing these two components may vary depending on conversion system. A field study compared fall and spring harvest measuring biomass yield, element concentration, carbohydrate characterization, and total synthetic gas production as indicators of biofuel quality for direct combustion, ethanol production, and gasification systems for generation of energy. Switchgrass yields decreased almost 40% (from about 7–4.4 Mg ha−1) in winters with above average snowfall when harvest was delayed over winter until spring. The moisture concentration also decreased (from about 350–70 g kg−1) only reaching low enough levels for safe storage by spring. About 10% of the yield reduction during winter resulted from decreases in tiller mass; however, almost 90% of the yield reduction was due to an increase in biomass left behind by the baler. Mineral element concentrations generally decreased with the delay in harvest until spring. Energy yield from gasification did not decrease on a unit biomass basis, whereas ethanol production was variable depending on the assessment method. When expressed on a unit area basis, energy yield decreased. Biofuel conversion systems may determine harvest timing. For direct combustion, the reduced mineral concentrations in spring‐harvested biomass are desirable. For ethanol fermentation and gasification systems, however, lignocellulose yield may be more important. On conservations lands, the wildlife cover provided by switchgrass over the winter may increase the desirability of spring harvest along with the higher biofuel quality.
Corn Yield and Nitrate Loss in Subsurface Drainage from Midseason Nitrogen Fertilizer Application
Authors: Jaynes D. B. , Colvin T. S.
Published: October 2006

Whether in response to remotely sensed plant N status or as a rescue treatment when previously applied N has been lost to denitrification or leaching, there is growing interest in applying N to corn at midseason. While the yield benefits of this practice are variable, little information is available as to the impacts of midseason N application on water quality. We compared grain yields and NO3 losses in drainage water as a result of applying N either once after emergence or equally split between just after emergence and midseason (V16). Nitrogen treatments consisted of 199 (H), 138 (M), and 69 (L) kg ha−1 applied postemergence (V1–V3), and 69 kg ha−1 applied postemergence and again at midseason (R). Grain yield for corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], grown in a 2‐yr rotation, and drainage water NO3 concentrations were measured on replicated tile‐drained plots in a producer's field from 2002 through 2005. Midseason application of additional N resulted in 0.9 and 2.5 Mg ha−1 greater yield than the L treatment in 2002 and 2004, respectively; however, yield was greater when the same total amount of N was applied in one application shortly after emergence (M treatment) vs. the split treatment. There was no carryover effect on subsequent soybean yields for any of the N treatments. Annual flow‐weighted NO3 concentrations in tile drainage were consistently greater (0.3–1.3 mg L−1) for the R treatment than the M treatment and significantly greater when averaged across all years. Residual soil NO3 at the end of the year also indicated that some of the midseason N application was not taken up by the crop and was available for leaching. Thus, midseason N application was beneficial for recovering some of the potential yield in corn when initial N applications are insufficient for optimum yield, but the practice did not benefit water quality in this study compared with a single application at emergence.