bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Catalytic Decomposition of 1,2-Dichlorobenzene Using Pt-Loaded Nanoporous Zeolite MFI Catalyst
Authors: Cho Sung June , Park Young-Kwon , Jeon Jong-Ki , Ko Young Soo , Yim Jin-Heong , Yoo Kyung-Seun
Published: December 2007

Nanoporous zeolite MFI was prepared by using HClO4 as a promoter. A significant proportion of the synthesized zeolite MFI nanoparticles exhibited nanoporous characteristics. Although the synthesis of the zeolite MFI was completed within 6 h, the crystallinity of all the zeolite
MFI was shown to be high. The synthesis time of approximately 6 h used in this study was much shorter than the conventional hydrothermal method. The feasibility of the new nanoporous zeolite MFI towards the gas phase catalytic oxidation of a model for dioxin, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, was tested
by comparing the catalytic activity of Pt/nanoporous zeolite MFI with that of a Pt/γ-Al2O3 catalyst. The catalytic activity of the Pt/nanoporous zeolite MFI was higher than that of the Pt/γ-Al2O3 catalyst. The internal surface
area and acidity appears to be a major factor for the decomposition of 1,2-dichlorobenzene.
Microbial Synthesis of Magnetite and Mn-Substituted Magnetite Nanoparticles: Influence of Bacteria and Incubation Temperature
Authors: Roh Yul , Jang Hee-Dong , Suh Yongjae
Published: December 2007

Microbial synthesis of magnetite and metal (Co, Cr, Ni)-substituted magnetites has only recently been reported. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of Mn ion on the microbial synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles. The reductive biotransformation of an akaganeite
(β-FeOOH) or a Mn-substituted (2–20 mol%) akaganeite (Fe1–xMnxOOH) by Shewanella loiha (PV-4, 25 °C) and Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus (TOR-39, 60 °C) was investigated under anaerobic conditions at circumneutral
pH (pH = 7–8). Both bacteria formed magnetite nanoparticles using akaganeite as a magnetite precursor. By comparison of iron minerals formed by PV-4 and TOR-39 using Mn-mixed akaganeite as the precursor, it was shown that PV-4 formed siderite (FeCO3, green rust [Fe2+Fe3+(OH)16CO3·4H2O],
and magnetite at 25 °C, whereas TOR-39 formed mainly nm-sized magnetite at 60 °C. The presence of Mn in the magnetite formed by TOR-39 was revealed by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) is indicative of Mn substitution into magnetite crystals. EDX analysis of iron minerals formed
by PV-4 showed that Mn was preferentially concentrated in the siderite and green rust. These results demonstrate that coprecipitated/sorbed Mn induced microbial formation of siderite and green rust by PV-4 at 25 °C, but the synthesis of Mn-substituted magnetite nanoparticles proceeded
by TOR-39 at 60 °C. These results indicate that the bacteria have the ability to synthesize magnetite and Mn-substituted magnetite nano-crystals. Microbially facilitated synthesis of magnetite and metal-substituted magnetites at near ambient temperatures may expand the possible use of
specialized ferromagnetic nano-particles.
Characterization of Nanoporous Structures of Polyphenylene Oxide Derived Carbon Membranes by Means of 129Xe NMR
Authors: Lee Young Ju , Park Ki-Deok , Huang Shing-Jong , Liu Shang-Bin , Lee Hong-Joo
Published: December 2007

The 129Xe NMR spectroscopy has become a powerful technique of materials characterization because the xenon atom has a very large polarizability. It is well known that the signal of xenon sorbed in porous media is sensitively affected by the surrounding environments such as
the chemistry of material surface. In this study, the pore properties of nanoporous PPO (polyphenylene oxide) derived carbon membranes were characterized by means of the variable temperature (VT)-hyperpolarized Xe NMR. The Xe NMR results showed good agreements with the adsorption results of
CO2 for the PPO derived nanoporous carbon membranes. It was clearly shown that the 129Xe NMR could be used as one of the promising characterization methods of nanoporous materials with low surface area and small pore volume.
Processes Controlling the Mean Tropical Pacific Precipitation Pattern. Part II: The SPCZ and the Southeast Pacific Dry Zone
Authors: Takahashi Ken , Battisti David S.
Published: December 2007

The nature of the South Pacific convergence zone (SPCZ) is addressed by focusing on the dry (and cool) zone bounded by it and the coast of South America through numerical experiments. As shown in a companion paper, this dry zone is due, to a large extent, to orographically forced subsidence. Here it is shown that the northwestward expansion of this dry zone can be explained by advection of low moist static energy by the trade winds. These results provide an explanation of the geometry of the western edge of the dry zone and, therefore, of the eastern edge of the adjacent SPCZ. Sea surface temperature underneath the SPCZ is enhanced by relatively high near-surface humidity through evaporative processes, which feeds back into its organization. However, in this model, this feedback is not critical for the existence of the SPCZ. The subsidence associated with the ITCZ in the North Hemisphere negatively affects the precipitation rate in the SPCZ. It was also found that the sensitivity of the forced response is largest for peak orographic heights below 3000 m, which indicates that the exact representation of the Andes in numerical models might not be as critical as that of lower orography such as that in southern Africa.
Assessing Risk for Violence in Adolescents Who Have Sexually Offended
Authors: Viljoen Jodi L. , Scalora Mario , Cuadra Lorraine , Bader Shannon , Chávez Verónica , Ullman Daniel , Lawrence Lisa
Published: December 2007

As the youth justice system has evolved, clinicians have been increasingly asked to make judgments about the likelihood that a youth who has committed a sexual offense will reoffend. However, there is an absence of well-validated tools to assist with these judgments. This study examined the ability of the Juvenile Sexual Offense Recidivism Risk Assessment Tool—II (J-SORRAT-II), Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY), and Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol—II (J-SOAP-II) to predict violent behavior in 169 male youth who were admitted to a residential adolescent sex offender program. Total scores on the SAVRY and J-SOAP-II significantly predicted nonsexual violence but none of the instruments predicted sexual violence. The J-SOAP-II and SAVRY were less effective in predicting violent reoffending in youth aged 15 and younger than in older youth. The implications of these findings are discussed.
The Coming of the Secular in Indian Polity
Authors: Chakraborty Trinanjan , Kundu Abhijit
Published: December 2007

Instead of searching for a definitive connotation of what is ‘secular’, the present essay explores how secular concepts gradually arrived on the scene of the Indian polity from a variety of areas and re-examines possibilities of probing the place of the secular in Indian polity by problematising its practice over time. Our methodology involves a shift of focus in searching for the roots of this concept in local and peripheral arenas rather than central texts and events. The dynamics of Indian centre-periphery relations have been dominantly historicised by the struggle for independence. This essay highlights the relevance of peripheral texts in defining secular aspects of polity, examining the dominant texts of the centre from the vantage point of the margin. While documenting an alternative discursive construction of secular politics in India, a sociologically informed reading on the question of ‘the secular’ argues that it will never dominate Indian politics without multiple challenges.
A Systematic Review of Cost-Utility Analyses in HIV/AIDS: Implications for Public Policy
Authors: Hornberger John , Holodniy Mark , Robertus Katherine , Winnike Michael , Gibson Erin , Verhulst Eric
Published: December 2007

Objectives . To determine whether gaps exist in published cost-utility analyses as measured by their coverage of topics addressed in current HIV guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Design . A systematic review of US-based cost-effectiveness analyses of HIV/AIDS prevention and management strategies, based on original, published research. Methods . Predefined criteria were used to identify all analyses pertaining to prevention and management of HIV/AIDS; information was collected on type of strategy, patient demographics, study perspective, quality of the study, effectiveness measures, costs, and cost-effectiveness ratios. Results . One hundred and six studies were identified; 62 described strategies for averting new HIV infections, and 44 dealt with managing persons who are HIV positive. The quality of studies was generally high, but gaps were found in all studies. Especially common were omissions in reporting data abstraction methodology and discussions of direction and magnitude of potential biases. Among the 22 most highly rated papers (score of 90 or higher), only 1 was cited in the guidelines, and 3 papers reported on interventions that were superseded by newer approaches. Using a $100,000 threshold, the guidelines usually endorsed interventions found to be cost-effective. Exceptions included recommending postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) for populations in which PEP is unlikely to be cost-effective and not recommending primary resistance testing in treatment-naive persons, although the intervention was reported to have a cost-effectiveness ratio of less than $50,000. Conclusions . Despite an abundant literature on the cost-utility of HIV/AIDS-targeted strategies, guidelines cite relatively few of these papers, and gaps exist regarding assessments of some strategies and special populations.
A 'Pataphysics Engine
Authors: Giddings Seth
Published: December 2007

This article plays a game with Jean Baudrillard's thought and the intellectual traditions on which it draws. Or rather, it plays Baudrillard's game but with a cheat code. The game or program here is the hyperreality of the contemporary world—Baudrillard's integral or virtual reality characterized by the dominance of things—of objects over subjects. The cheat code identifies and accentuates the development, application, and interconnection of theories of play, waste, technology, and multiple realities in aspects of 20th-century French avant-garde and social scientific thought and practice. It suggests ways in which everyday technoculture, not least videogame culture, can be addressed as at once playful and simulacral.
microRNAs outwit immune limitations in gene therapy
Authors: Kay Mark A.
Published: December 2007

In this issue of Blood, Brown and colleagues deliver lentiviral vectors that express human factor IX from the livers of mice.
Hematopoiesis and immunity of HOXB4-transduced embryonic stem cell–derived hematopoietic progenitor cells
Authors: Chan Kun-Ming , Bonde Sabrina , Klump Hannes , Zavazava Nicholas
Published: December 2007

The ability of embryonic stem (ES) cells to form cells and tissues from all 3 germ layers can be exploited to generate cells that can be used to treat diseases. In particular, successful generation of hematopoietic cells from ES cells could provide safer and less immunogenic cells than bone marrow cells, which require severe host preconditioning when transplanted across major histocompatibility complex barriers. Here, we exploited the self-renewal properties of ectopically expressed HOXB4, a homeobox transcription factor, to generate hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) that successfully induce high-level mixed chimerism and long-term engraftment in recipient mice. The HPCs partially restored splenic architecture in Rag2−/−γc−/−–immunodeficient mice. In addition, HPC-derived newly generated T cells were able to mount a peptide-specific response to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus and specifically secreted interleukin-2 and interferon-γ upon CD3 stimulation. In addition, HPC-derived antigen presenting cells in chimeric mice efficiently presented viral antigen to wild-type T cells. These results demonstrate for the first time that leukocytes derived from ES cells ectopically expressing HOXB4 are immunologically functional, opening up new opportunities for the use of ES cell–derived HPCs in the treatment of hematologic and immunologic diseases.
Stress‐Mediated Hormetic Modulation of Aging, Wound Healing, and Angiogenesis in Human Cells
Authors: RATTAN SURESH I. S. , SEJERSEN HENRIK , FERNANDES RICARDO A. , LUO WEIWEI
Published: December 2007

Abstract:  Aging is amenable to intervention and prevention by mild stress‐induced hormesis. Previously, we have reported that repeated mild heat stress has antiaging and other beneficial effects on growth and a range of cellular and biochemical characteristics of normal human skin fibroblasts and keratinocytes undergoing aging in vitro. We have also established a model system of sugar‐induced premature senescence in human cells, which can be useful for monitoring the protective and hormetic effects of other treatments. We have now initiated studies on testing the hormetic effects of glyoxal and heat shock on the wound‐healing capacity of skin fibroblasts and on the angiogenic ability of endothelial cells. The effects of glyoxal on the extent of wound closure in vitro showed a typical biphasic hormetic curve with 20‐40% stimulation at lower doses (up to 0.125 mmol) and more than 50% inhibition at concentrations above 0.5 mmol. In the case of angiogenesis by endothelial cells, measured by the standard tube formation assay on Matrigel, a prior exposure to mild heat shock at 41°C for 1 h increased the total tube length and total number of junctions by 30–60% and 10–14%, respectively. In contrast, a severe heat shock at 42.5°C had slightly inhibitory effects on total tube length and the number of junctions. These data add to the ever‐growing body of evidence in support of the view that mild stress‐induced hormesis can be a useful approach for the modulation, intervention, and prevention of aging and age‐related impairments.
Functional Significance of Minor Structural and Expression Changes in Stress Chaperone Mortalin
Authors: DEOCARIS CUSTER C. , WIDODO NASHI , ISHII TETSURO , KAUL SUNIL C. , WADHWA RENU
Published: December 2007

Abstract:  Mortalin is one of the highly conserved heat‐shock chaperones.
Some of the established features of mortalin include its various subcellular localizations, multiple binding partners, and differential subcellular distribution in normal and immortal cells. It inhibits nuclear translocation, transcriptional activation, and control of centrosome‐duplication functions of p53. It also functions as an adaptive protein in a variety of stress–response mechanisms and contributes to human carcinogenesis. Interestingly, minor alterations in its structure and level of expression may lead to drastic biological consequences (for example, Myelodysplastic syndrome and old age pathologies, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease). Besides being validated as a reliable target for cancer therapy, mortalin also warrants attention from the perspectives of management of old‐age diseases and healthy aging.
GRO‐α
Authors: FIMMEL SABINE , DEVERMANN LENA , HERRMANN ANKE , ZOUBOULIS CHRISTOS
Published: December 2007

Abstract:  Age‐regulated genes may serve as markers of aging, enabling assessment of physiological aging independent of chronological age. One gene with transcripts that increase in abundance with age in human organs, inter alia in epithelial skin cells, is the chemokine growth‐regulated protein alpha (GRO‐α). When chemokines, such as GRO‐α, become disregulated so that they are chronically expressed, tissue damage, angiogenesis, and tumorigenesis can follow. To consider the role of GRO‐α as a potential marker for aging and cancer, we compared the transient knockdown of GRO‐α by RNA interference in the human sebaceous gland cell line SZ95, which behaves like normal human sebocytes, and in the melanoma cell line A375, which originates from a primary human tumor. The reduced GRO‐α RNA expression, of about 75% in SZ95 sebocytes and 58% in A375 melanoma cells, has functional consequences in normal aged cells and in cancer cells. Silencing of the proangiogenic chemokine GRO‐α is proportionally correlated with interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), IL‐8 and vascular endothelial growth factor secretion in both cell types. Thus, GRO‐α may be a novel diagnostic marker for age‐related pathology, including cancer.
Sex‐specific Effects of the DAF‐12 Steroid Receptor on Aging in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: McCULLOCH DIANA , GEMS DAVID
Published: December 2007

Abstract:  Sex differences in longevity and aging are seen throughout the animal kingdom. These are likely to result, in part, from sex differences in endocrinology. In the nematode Caenorhabditis

elegans, males are the longer‐lived sex. Here we explore the possibility that sex differences in insulin/insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1)
and steroid endocrinology contribute to this sex difference in aging by studying C. elegans populations in liquid culture. We report that in hermaphrodite populations, mutational loss of the DAF‐12 steroid receptor affected life span as in previous plate‐culture studies: mutant longevity is suppressed in a weak daf‐2 insulin/IGF‐1 receptor mutant but enhanced in a stronger daf‐2 mutant. However, in males, mutation of daf‐12 had little effect on aging in either weak or strong daf‐2 mutants. Moreover, while mutation of daf‐12 marginally reduced life span in daf‐2(+) hermaphrodites, as in plate‐cultured populations, it did not in daf‐2(+) males. These results could imply that in C. elegans, as in mammals, sex differences in steroid endocrinology contribute to sex differences in aging.
Nonpathological Senescence Arises from Unsuitable External Influences
Authors: KHALYAVKIN ALEXANDER V. , YASHIN ANATOLI I.
Published: December 2007

Abstract:  One of the most exciting events in current biogerontology is the elucidation of environmental control over the rate of aging. Many observations suggest that appropriate external stimuli can ameliorate the state of various biological entities and even rejuvenate them. Recent findings support the possibility that nonpathological aging of cells may be caused solely by external signals and moreover that this aging might be reversible. We have extended this principle to the level of the whole organism. We have suggested that a range of natural environmental conditions exists that corresponds to adequate vital activity within which an organism can maintain optimal functioning, renew itself, and remain ageless. But the environmental mortality of such organisms in natural niches is rather high. To reduce this mortality, the organism requires a milder but less stimulating environment in the presence of which (below some threshold level), the organism's renewal process becomes incomplete and the organism starts to age. Nevertheless, an age‐dependent increase in the mortality rate due to senescence can be compensated for by a significant initial reduction in mortality due to environmental causes. The moderate present‐day increase of life expectancy is the result of just such an initial mortality reduction. Living in a safe environment along with simulation of natural external positive influences or adequate responses to negative influences can decelerate, stop, and even reverse aging as well as considerably extend mean and extreme life span.
ProNGF, Sortilin, and Age‐related Neurodegeneration
Authors: AL‐SHAWI RAYA , HAFNER ANGELA , CHUN SOYON , RAZA SABA , CRUTCHER KEITH , THRASIVOULOU CHRISTOPHER , SIMONS PAUL , COWEN TIMOTHY
Published: December 2007

Abstract:  Several studies have sought to demonstrate that neurodegeneration during disease and in old age is associated with reduced neurotrophic support. Little positive evidence has been forthcoming, either in relation to the availability of neurotrophins or to expression and function of the relevant receptors. Recently, a novel way in which neurotrophins could contribute to neurodegeneration has been suggested. In contrast to the well‐known neurotrophic functions of the mature β‐form of nerve growth factor (mNGF), its precursor proNGF has recently been shown to be abundant in the adult brain and in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. proNGF is synthesized as 25 and 32 kDa isoforms, which are glycosylated to form a principal 40 kDa species. Studies of the cortical targets of NGF‐responsive basal forebrain neurons show that the 40 kDa form of proNGF is secreted in response to nerve stimulation, along with the proteases needed to generate the 13 kDa mNGF, or to degrade it. We have recently found that levels of 40 kDa proNGF are elevated in the aging brain and also in targets of peripheral NGF‐responsive neurons. proNGF has been shown to be neurotoxic when bound in a heterotrimer with the p75 receptor and the receptor sortilin (identical to the neurotensin receptor NTS3). Interestingly, we find that sortilin levels increase in aged central and peripheral neurons, perhaps making these neurons more vulnerable to age‐related increases in proNGF. Whether elevated levels of proNGF in targets or of sortilin in neurons contribute to known patterns of age‐ and disease‐related neurodegeneration has not been previously investigated. Using in vitro models, our preliminary data now indicate that proNGF is indeed neurotoxic for aged, but not young, NGF‐responsive basal forebrain and sympathetic neurons and that blockade of sortilin rescues proNGF‐induced cell death. We therefore propose that increased proNGF in targets combined with increased sortilin expression in projecting neurons contributes to age‐related neuronal atrophy and degeneration.
Zinc, Metallothioneins, and Longevity:
Authors: MOCCHEGIANI EUGENIO , GIACCONI ROBERTINA , CIPRIANO CATIA , COSTARELLI LAURA , MUTI ELISA , TESEI SILVIA , GIULI CINZIA , PAPA ROBERTA , MARCELLINI FIORELLA , MARIANI ERMINIA , RINK LOTHAR , HERBEIN GEORGE , VARIN AUDREY , FULOP TAMAS , MONTI DANIELA , JAJTE JOLANTA , DEDOUSSIS GEORGE , GONOS EFSTATHIOS S. , TROUGAKOS IOANNIS P. , MALAVOLTA MARCO
Published: December 2007

Abstract: Aging is an inevitable biological process that is associated with gradual and spontaneous biochemical and physiological changes and increased susceptibility to diseases. Because nutritional factors are involved in improving immune functions, metabolic harmony, and antioxidant defense, some nutritional factors, such as zinc, may modify susceptibility to disease and promote healthy aging.In vitro(human lymphocytes exposed to endotoxins) andin vivo(old or young mice fed with low zinc dietary intake) studies revealed that zinc is important for immune efficiency (innate and adaptive), antioxidant activity (supeoxide dismutase), and cell differentiation via clusterin/apolipoprotein J. Intracellular zinc homeostasis is regulated by metallothioneins (MT) via ion release through the reduction of thiol groups in the MT molecule. This process is crucial in aging because high MT levels are not able to release zinc, resulting in low intracellular free ion availability for biological functions. Improvement in these functions occurs in the elderly after physiological zinc supplementation. In this study, the selection of elderly subjects for zinc supplementation is discussed in relation to the genetic background of MT and pro‐inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin‐6, because the latter is involved both in MT‐gene expression and in intracellular zinc homeostasis.
An Immortalized Human Cell Line Bearing a PRKAR1A-Inactivating Mutation: Effects of Overexpression of the Wild-Type Allele and Other Protein Kinase A Subunits
Authors: Nesterova Maria , Bossis Ioannis , Wen Feng , Horvath Anelia , Matyakhina Ludmila , Stratakis Constantine A.
Published: December 2007

Context: Inactivating mutations of PRKAR1A, the regulatory subunit type 1A (RIα) of protein kinase A (PKA), are associated with tumor formation.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the role of PKA isozymes on proliferation and cell cycle.

Methods: A cell line with RIα haploinsufficiency due to an inactivating PRKAR1A mutation (IVS2+1 G→A) was transfected with constructs encoding PKA subunits. Genetics, PKA subunit mRNA and protein expression and proliferation, aneuploidy, and cell cycle status were assessed. To identify factors that mediate PKA-associated cell cycle changes, we studied E2F and cyclins expression in transfected cells and E2F’s role by small interfering RNA; we also assessed cAMP levels and baseline and stimulated cAMP signaling in transfected cells.

Results: Introduction of PKA subunits led to changes in proliferation and cell cycle: a decrease in aneuploidy and G2/M for the PRKAR1A-transfected cells and an increase in S phase and aneuploidy for cells transfected with PRKAR2B, a known PRKAR1A mutant (RIαP), and the PKA catalytic subunit. There were alterations in cAMP levels, PKA subunit expression, cyclins, and E2F factors; E2F1 was shown to possibly mediate PKA effects on cell cycle by small interfering RNA studies. cAMP levels and constitutive and stimulated cAMP signaling were altered in transfected cells.

Conclusion: This is the first immortalized cell line with a naturally occurring PRKAR1A-inactivating mutation that is associated in vivo with tumor formation. PKA isozyme balance is critical for the control of cAMP signaling and related cell cycle and proliferation changes. Finally, E2F1 may be a factor that mediates dysregulated PKA’s effects on the cell cycle.
Hydrothermal Production of SrTiO3 Nanotube Arrays
Authors: Jitputti Jaturong , Charoensirithavorn Patcharee , Yoshikawa Susumu
Published: December 2007

Strontium titanate (SrTiO3) nanotube arrays were produced through a simple hydrothermal process from amorphous TiO2 nanotubes arrays. The resulting samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). During the hydrothermal treatment, the TiO2 nanotube arrays retained their shape to produce SrTiO3 nanotube arrays. The formation mechanism can be explained by the nanoscale Kirkendall effect.
Risk management issues in postmenopausal health care
Authors: Edozien Leroy C
Published: December 2007

As in other areas of clinical activity, unintended harm to patients may occur in the course of postmenopausal health care, and measures to ensure patient safety should be actively promoted. This paper discusses the application of some basic principles of risk management to postmenopausal health care. To facilitate communication and reduce errors in diagnosis and treatment, risk management should be incorporated in the development of a dedicated menopause service.
Rates of fracture in participants and non-participants in the Osteoporosis Prospective Risk Assessment Study
Authors: Gerdhem P. , åkesson K.
Published: December 2007

We invited 1604 randomly selected women, all 75 years of age, to participate in a study on the risk factors for fracture. The women were divided into three groups consisting of 1044 (65%) who attended the complete study, 308 (19%) respondents to the study questionnaire only and 252 (16%) who did not respond. The occurrence of the life-time fracture was ascertained from radiological records in all groups and by questionnaires from the attendees and respondents.

According to the radiological records, fewer of the questionnaire respondents (88 of 308, 28.6%) and non-respondents (68 of 252, 27%) had sustained at least one fracture when compared with the attendees (435 of 1044, 41.7%; chi-squared test, p < 0.001). According to the questionnaire, fewer of the respondents (96 of 308, 31.1%) had sustained at least one previous fracture when compared with the attendees (457 of 1044, 43.7%; chi-squared test, p < 0.001).

Any study concerning the risk of fracture may attract those with experience of a fracture which explains the higher previous life-time incidence among the attendees. This factor may cause bias in epidemiological studies.
The influence of the presence and severity of pre-existing patellofemoral degenerative changes on the outcome of the Oxford medial unicompartmental knee replacement
Authors: Beard D. J. , Pandit H. , Gill H. S. , Hollinghurst D. , Dodd C. A. F. , Murray D. W.
Published: December 2007

Patellofemoral joint degeneration is often considered a contraindication to medial unicompartmental knee replacement. We examined the validity of this preconception using information gathered prospectively on the intra-operative status of the patellofemoral joint in 824 knees in 793 consecutive patients who underwent Oxford unicondylar knee replacement for anteromedial osteoarthritis. All operations were performed between January 1998 and September 2005. A five-point grading system classified degeneration of the patellofemoral joint from none to full-thickness cartilage loss. A subclassification of the presence or absence of any full-thickness cartilage loss was subsequently performed to test selected hypotheses. Outcome was evaluated independently by physiotherapists using the Oxford and the American Knee Society Scores with a minimum follow-up of one year.

Full-thickness cartilage loss on the trochlear surface was observed in 100 of 785 knees (13%), on the medial facet of the patella in 69 of 782 knees (9%) and on the lateral facet in 29 of 784 knees (4%). Full-thickness cartilage loss at any location was seen in 128 knees (16%) and did not produce a significantly worse outcome than those with a normal or near-normal joint surface. The severity of the degeneration at any of the intra-articular locations also had no influence on outcome.

We concluded that, provided there is not bone loss and grooving of the lateral facet, damage to the articular cartilage of the patellofemoral joint to the extent of full-thickness cartilage loss is not a contraindication to the Oxford mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee replacement.
Ankle joint pressure in pes cavovarus
Authors: Krause F. , Windolf M. , Schwieger K. , Weber M.
Published: December 2007

A cavovarus foot deformity was simulated in cadaver specimens by inserting metallic wedges of 15° and 30° dorsally into the first tarsometatarsal joint. Sensors in the ankle joint recorded static tibiotalar pressure distribution at physiological load.

The peak pressure increased significantly from neutral alignment to the 30° cavus deformity, and the centre of force migrated medially. The anterior migration of the centre of force was significant for both the 15° (repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), p = 0.021) and the 30° (repeated measures ANOVA, p = 0.007) cavus deformity. Differences in ligament laxity did not influence the peak pressure.

These findings support the hypothesis that the cavovarus foot deformity causes an increase in anteromedial ankle joint pressure leading to anteromedial arthrosis in the long term, even in the absence of lateral hindfoot instability.
Accuracy of Oral Liquid Measuring Devices: Comparison of Dosing Cup and Oral Dosing Syringe
Authors: Sobhani Parisa , Christopherson Jaydi , Ambrose Peter J , Corelli Robin L
Published: December 2007

Background:

Previous studies have found that teaspoons are commonly used to administer liquid medications to children. The capacity of household teaspoons ranges from 1.5 mL to 9 mL, potentially leading to errors in dosing. There are few studies evaluating alternative measuring devices.

Objective:

To assess adult consumers’ previous experience with measuring devices for oral liquids, compare the accuracy of an oral syringe with that of a dosing cup, and determine consumer perceptions of accuracy and ease of use of an oral syringe and a dosing cup.

Methods:

Individuals at least 18 years of age were shown a picture of 5 commonly used measurement devices and asked their perceptions of and experience with the devices. They were then asked to measure a 5 mL (1 teaspoon) dose of Tylenol (acetaminophen) suspension, using the EZY Dose oral syringe and the dosing cup provided by the manufacturer. An acceptable dose was defined as 5.0 ± 0.5 mL. Following the measurement, participants completed a 5 item survey that assessed their perceptions of the accuracy and ease of use of the syringe and dosing cup.

Results:

A total of 96 subjects completed the study. Participants more commonly reported use of droppers (68%), dosing cups (67%), and teaspoons (62%) versus cylindrical spoons (49%) or oral syringes (49%) for measuring oral liquids. Sixty-four (66.7%) subjects measured an acceptable dose using the syringe versus 14 subjects (14.6%) using the cup (p < 0.001). The mean volumes ± SD measured with the syringe and cup were 4.5 ± 0.7 mL and 6.3 ± 0.7 mL, respectively (p < 0.001). After using both devices, the majority of subjects believed that the syringe (80%) and cup (71%) would measure an accurate dose. Most (87%) participants perceived that the cup was easy to use; 63% believed that the syringe was easy to use.

Conclusions:

Droppers and dosing cups were the most commonly used devices in the home for measuring liquid medications. Subjects were more likely to measure an acceptable dose with an oral syringe when compared with a dosing cup. However, a large proportion of study participants were unable to measure an accurate dose with either device. Community pharmacists should educate caregivers on the selection and proper use of measuring devices to improve the accuracy of medication administration in the home.
Paper dry strength improvement by xyloglucan addition: Wet-end application, spray coating and synergism with borate
Authors: Ahrenstedt Lage , Oksanen Antti , Salminen Kristian , Brumer Harry
Published: December 2007

The polysaccharide xyloglucan as a wet-end additive improves paper properties. In the present study, paper strength improvement was analysed for dry handsheets made from chemical, mechanical and recycled pulps coated with xyloglucan in a spray application. Results are compared with sheets made from the same pulps treated with xyloglucan in the wet-end. Kraft pulp handsheets of bleached hardwood and softwood showed significant improvements of tensile, tear and Z-strength by xyloglucan spray treatment versus wet-end application, whereas handsheets of de-inked and thermomechanical pulp were improved only slightly. In both wet-end and spray applications, the effect of xyloglucan addition was intimately related to the presence of non-cellulosic components on the fibre surface. Further strength improvements were obtained for chemical pulps by addition of borax to the spray solution, which were likely to be due to the formation of borate-mediated xyloglucan cross-links. Spray coating of xyloglucan, with or without borax, thus represents a potential new application of this polysaccharide to increase paper dry strength.
The effect of (induced) dislocations on the tensile properties of individual Norway spruce fibres
Authors: Eder Michaela , Terziev Nasko , Daniel Geoffrey , Burgert Ingo
Published: December 2007

Axial compressive stresses can cause distortion of the cellulose fibril alignment in the wood cell wall. These deformations are thought to occur in the living tree and/or to develop during wood processing and seem to adversely affect the mechanical properties of pulp and paper and other fibre-based products. To characterise the influence of dislocations on the mechanical properties of the unmodified cell wall, dislocations were artificially created by applying high compression loads to wood blocks parallel to the fibre axis. Mechanically isolated fibres containing different levels of dislocations were then subjected to tensile tests. Comparison between micromechanical properties of reference fibres and fibres that were artificially loaded in compression revealed the importance of dislocations for the mechanics of both earlywood and latewood. However, the tensile strength (decrease ∼19% for earlywood and ∼26% for latewood) was less affected than expected from structural observations of the pre-compressed zones.
Laboratory screening of tropical hardwoods for natural resistance to the marine borer Limnoria quadripunctata: The role of leachable and non-leachable factors
Authors: Borges Luisa M.S. , Cragg Simon M. , Bergot Julien , Williams John R. , Shayler Ben , Sawyer Gervais S.
Published: December 2007

The marine borer Limnoria ingests essential wood components including the extractives the wood contains. Some extractives may confer borer resistance on certain timbers. Feeding by Limnoria correlates with the rate of production of faecal pellets. The faecal pellet production rate and mortality on over 40 test timbers and non-resistant Pinus sylvestris sapwood was measured over 15 days. By placing animals in leachate from wood and with wood in flowing seawater, the effects of leaching-resistant and water-soluble compounds were measured. Some previously untested timbers affected Limnoria as strongly as timbers reputed for durability in marine construction. Wood of Minquartia guianensis, Nectandra rubra and Bruguiera gymnorhiza caused high mortality, and pellet production on them was less than 10% of production on P. sylvestris. Suppressed feeding rates, but with no heavy mortality, were observed on known durable species such as Chlorocardium rodiei, Dicorynia guianensis, Lophira alata and Nauclea trillesii, but also on Cynometra ananta, Distemonanthus benthamianus, Enterolobium schomburgkii, Goupia glabra, Hymenaea courabil, Mammea africana, Shorea sp. and Sacoglottis guianensis. Leachate from B. gymnorhiza, G. glabra, H. coubaril, N. rubra and Shorea sp. caused high mortality. These short-term bioassays thus detected clear differences between wood species in their resistance to Limnoria that matched findings from long-term marine trials, while indicating new species worthy of detailed testing.
Hydrothermal treatment of mixed preservative-treated wood waste
Authors: Catallo W. James , Shupe Todd F.
Published: December 2007

This paper describes the hydrothermal treatment (HT) treatment of a mixture of samples treated with three wood preservatives. During HT treatment, creosote-derived hydrocarbon (HC) residues were recovered in the decommissioned treated wood and the wood mass itself was transformed with 95% yield into a mixture of HCs, including substituted benzenes, phenolics and light polyaromatic HCs (PAHs). The metals from the CCA-treated wood were partially recovered (up to 48–88%) either in an acidified AQ phase or as a coating on the internal walls of the reactor. Some arsenic was probably transformed to arsine gas, which could be trapped and recovered under basic conditions. Pentachlorophenol was dechlorinated and removed to below detection limits. The HT process also resulted in the generation of industrially useful mixed HCs with substantial reduction in substrate mass. Thus, the preservative-treated wood as a hazardous waste was transformed into a complimentary mixture of liquid products. Creosote and CCA were recovered, and penta was degraded. It is important to note that this work was performed in large reactors, which were heated with hot air in a muffle furnace. Hence, the incubation time was long. Our current work with small reactors heated instantaneously in tin baths to 400°C has confirmed that HT reactions occur in the order of seconds to minutes. Future publications will address kinetic and mechanistic aspects of these reactions.
Variation of tracheid length within annual rings of Scots pine and Norway spruce
Authors: Mäkinen Harri , Jyske Tuula , Saranpää Pekka
Published: December 2007

Variation of tracheid length was studied within individual annual rings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestrisL.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies(L.) Karst.) from the pith to the bark. The material consisted of six Scots pine and six Norway spruce trees growing on sites of both low and high fertility. Microtome sections of 0.25 mm thick were cut from annual rings 7, 20 and 50 counted from the pith outwards, i.e., juvenile, transition and mature wood, respectively. After maceration, tracheid lengths were separately measured in each sample. In juvenile wood of Scots pine, tracheids were on average 17% longer in the latewood than in earlywood. However, in juvenile wood, the first formed earlywood tracheids were slightly longer than those in the middle of the earlywood zone. In the transition and mature wood of Scots pine, the increase in tracheid length was more gradual from earlywood to latewood, and no significant differences were found between earlywood and latewood. In Norway spruce, tracheids were 2–4% longer in the latewood than in earlywood. In general, tracheid length is highly variable within annual rings and the variation can differ from ring-to-ring even within the same tree.
Liberated jokes: Sexual humor in all-female groups
Authors: Bing Janet
Published: December 2007

Females have formerly been under-represented in jokes. Many scholars have claimed that joke making is primarily a male activity, particularly in the domain of sexual jokes. In this paper, I discuss sexual jokes that women share with each other both in all-female groups and by e-mail. After reviewing some widely held assumptions about women and jokes, I explore liberated women's jokes, including their structure, use of stereotypes, and subversive ideas. Finally, I discuss why humor theory is incomplete without the inclusion of a female perspective and suggest that women should tell more jokes.
Interdiscourse humor: Contrast, merging, accommodation
Authors: Norrick Neal R
Published: December 2007

How do we communicate forms of humor across cultures, languages and styles? What are the common features of accommodation and translation of humor between groups and languages? How do we exploit differences between cultures and languages to create humor? This article addresses these and related questions based on data from conversation, interviews, canned jokes, the electronic media and literature.
Digitization, Donor Relations, and Undergraduate Instruction
Authors: Blessing Matt
Published: December 2007

Collection development archivists know that building a partnership with a potential donor may take years, occasionally decades. From the perspective of a donor, contributing unique materials to an archival repository – a local historical society, academic archives, or a research library – can be an emotionally complicated process. A donor must have acquired a degree of separation from the material, but also have a deep sense of trust in the repository soliciting the records. Often, the initial contribution to a repository consists of records void of sentimental or financial value. As the relationship between a donor and a repository strengthens, donors (hopefully) begin contributing more noteworthy and revealing materials, including personal correspondence, diaries, and photographs. This scenario is routine not only with the acquisition of personal papers, but the records of businesses, membership organizations, and all other kinds of archival records.
Conversion of Paper-based Newspaper Indexes
Authors: Bear Risa
Published: December 2007

In the fall of 2000, during a review of the University of Oregon Libraries' Document Center departmental resources, it was noted that the indexes for the student newspaper, the
Experimental Investigation of Antibody-Mediated Clearance Mechanisms of Amyloid-β in CNS of Tg-SwDI Transgenic Mice
Authors: Vasilevko Vitaly , Xu Feng , Previti Mary Lou , Van Nostrand William E. , Cribbs David H.
Published: December 2007

Novel amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice, which contain the Swedish as well as the vasculotropic Dutch and Iowa mutations (Tg-SwDI), were used to investigate the mechanisms of antibody-mediated clearance of amyloid-β (Aβ) from the brain. Export of the Aβ-DI peptide across the blood–brain barrier is severely reduced because of the vasculotropic mutations. Therefore, antibody-mediated clearance of Aβ-DI is dependent on antibodies entering the brain. In this report, we immunized Tg-SwDI mice with various peptide antigens, including Aβ40-DI, Aβ42, and an Aβ epitope vaccine. Immunization of Tg-SwDI mice with substantial cortical diffuse and vascular fibrillar deposits failed to promote clearance of parenchymal or vascular amyloid deposits. We then immunized young Tg-SwDI mice before the accumulation of Aβ and saw no evidence that anti-Aβ antibodies could diminish deposition of parenchymal or vascular amyloid deposits. However, injection of anti-Aβ antibodies, affinity-purified from immunized Tg-SwDI mice, into the hippocampus induced a rapid clearance of diffuse Aβ deposits but not vascular amyloid deposits. These results further support the “peripheral sink hypothesis” as a legitimate mechanism of antibody-mediated clearance of Aβ when the blood–brain barrier remains intact. Thus, approaches that deliver immunotherapy to the brain may be more effective at clearing Aβ than immunization strategies in which the majority of the antibodies are in the periphery.
Nav1.6 Sodium Channels Are Critical to Pacemaking and Fast Spiking in Globus Pallidus Neurons
Authors: Mercer Jeff N. , Chan C. Savio , Tkatch Tatiana , Held Joshua , Surmeier D. James
Published: December 2007

Neurons in the external segment of the globus pallidus (GPe) are autonomous pacemakers that are capable of sustained fast spiking. The cellular and molecular determinants of pacemaking and fast spiking in GPe neurons are not fully understood, but voltage-dependent Na+channels must play an important role. Electrophysiological studies of these neurons revealed that macroscopic activation and inactivation kinetics of their Na+channels were similar to those found in neurons lacking either autonomous activity or the capacity for fast spiking. What was distinctive about GPe Na+channels was a prominent resurgent gating mode. This mode was significantly reduced in GPe neurons lacking functional Nav1.6 channels. In these Nav1.6 null neurons, pacemaking and the capacity for fast spiking were impaired, as was the ability to follow stimulation frequencies used to treat Parkinson's disease (PD). Simulations incorporating Na+channel models with and without prominent resurgent gating suggested that resurgence was critical to fast spiking but not to pacemaking, which appeared to be dependent on the positioning of Na+channels in spike-initiating regions of the cell. These studies not only shed new light on the mechanisms underlying spiking in GPe neurons but also suggest that electrical stimulation therapies in PD are unlikely to functionally inactivate neurons possessing Nav1.6 Na+channels with prominent resurgent gating.
A Selective Role for Neuronal Activity Regulated Pentraxin in the Processing of Sensory-Specific Incentive Value
Authors: Johnson Alexander W. , Crombag Hans S. , Takamiya Kogo , Baraban Jay M. , Holland Peter C. , Huganir Richard L. , Reti Irving M.
Published: December 2007

Neuronal activity regulated pentraxin (Narp) is a secreted neuronal product which clusters AMPA receptors and regulates excitatory synaptogenesis. Although Narp is selectively enriched in brain, its role in behavior is not known. As Narp is expressed prominently in limbic regions, we examined whether Narp deletion affects performance on tasks used to assess motivational consequences of food-rewarded learning. Narp knock-out (KO) mice were unimpaired in learning simple pavlovian discriminations, instrumental lever pressing, and in acquisition of at least two aspects of pavlovian incentive learning, conditioned reinforcement and pavlovian–instrumental transfer. In contrast, Narp deletion resulted in a substantial deficit in the ability to use specific outcome expectancies to modulate instrumental performance in a devaluation task. In this task, mice were trained to respond on two levers for two different rewards. After training, mice were prefed with one of the two rewards, devaluing it. Responding on both levers was then assessed in extinction. Whereas control mice showed a significant preference in responding on the lever associated with the nondevalued reward, Narp KO mice responded equally on both levers, failing to suppress responding on the lever associated with the devalued reward. Both groups consumed more of the nondevalued reward in a subsequent choice test, indicating Narp KO mice could distinguish between the rewards themselves. These data suggest Narp has a selective role in processing sensory-specific information necessary for appropriate devaluation performance, but not in general motivational effects of reward-predictive cues on performance.