bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fluorescence spectroscopy of jet-cooled chiral (±)-indan-1-ol and its cluster with (±)-methyl- and ethyl-lactate
Authors: Le Barbu-Debus Katia , Lahmani Francoise , Zehnacker-Rentien Anne , Guchhait Nikhil , Panja Sujit S. , Chakraborty Tapas
Published: November 2006

The laser-induced fluorescence excitation, dispersed fluorescence, and IR-UV double resonance spectra of chiral (±)-indan-1-ol have been measured in a supersonic expansion. Three low energy conformers of the molecule have been identified, and the ground state vibrational modes of each conformer are tentatively assigned with the aid of quantum chemistry calculations. The frequencies of the ν(OH) and ν(CH) stretch modes of the two most abundant conformers have been measured by fluorescence dip IR spectroscopy and have been used for their assignment. The dispersed fluorescence spectra clearly indicate the coupling of low-frequency modes, as was seen in other substituted indanes such as 1-aminoindan and 1-amino-2-indanol. (R)- and (S)-indan-1-ol distinctly form different types of clusters with (R)- and (S)- methyl- and ethyl-lactate. Both hetero- and homochiral clusters are characterized by complex spectra which exhibit a progression built on low-frequency intermolecular modes.
Optical damage in x-cut proton exchanged LiNbO3 planar waveguides
Authors: Caballero-Calero O. , García-Cabañes A. , Cabrera J. M. , Carrascosa M. , Alcázar A.
Published: November 2006

The optical damage of different proton exchanged LiNbO3 planar waveguides has been experimentally studied by measuring the intensity output of a single beam as a function of the intensity input. Parallel measurements of photovoltaic currents (sometimes referred to as photocurrents) have been carried out with the same setup as a function of the input intensity and they have been correlated to the optical damage data. The following proton exchanged phases have been studied and compared with the substrate: α, β1, β2, and reverse proton exchanged (RPE). The greatest intensity thresholds for optical damage, about 2×103 times greater than that of the substrate, have been obtained in RPE guides supporting ordinary polarization and in β1,2 guides which support extraordinary polarization. On the other hand, the lowest photovoltaic currents have been measured in β1,2 phases. As a function of the light intensity, the strong superlinear behavior exhibited by the photovoltaic current in the α phase is almost absent in the others. In addition, it has been experimentally ascertained that a scattering increase produces a decrease of the threshold intensity for optical damage. The role of those different effects is discussed extensively together with the electro-optic properties of the different guides.
Ab initio study of a Bi3+ impurity in Cs2NaYCl6 and Y2O3: Comparison of perturbative and variational electron correlation methods
Authors: Réal Florent , Vallet Valérie , Flament Jean-Pierre , Schamps Joël
Published: November 2006

Ab initio study of excitation energies and oscillator strengths for absorption towards the P13 and P11 states of the Bi3+ ion has been performed for the Bi3+ ion in gas phase and as a dopant of the cubic elpasolite Cs2NaYCl6 and the yttria Y2O3 crystal using the ab initio embedded-cluster method. The ground and excited states were computed with a relativistic spin-orbit configuration interaction approach suited for heavy elements. Electron correlation was treated in the scalar relativistic scheme with perturbative, variational, and coupled-cluster methods. Intermediate coupling is included via an effective-Hamiltonian based spin-orbit configuration interaction approach. Small-core (60 electrons) and large-core (78 electrons) relativistic effective core potentials (ECPs) have been used to describe the bismuth ion. The best match with experiment was obtained with the small-core ECP. The accuracy of excitation energies strongly depends on the electron correlation method used. The agreement between experimental data and the results obtained using second-order multiconfigurational perturbation theory is greatly improved with the shifted zeroth-order Hamiltonian proposed by Ghido et al. [Chem. Phys. Lett. 396, 142 (2004)]. Although quite time consuming, coupled-cluster and variational methods yield good agreement with experimental data. The first absorption band recorded for the doped elpasolite crystal is positioned with an excellent accuracy while the computed energy of the second absorbing manifold is in poorer agreement with experimental data. This suggests that interactions with neglected close-lying excited states with a ligand-to-metal charge transfer character may be significant. Calculations of the spectrum of Bi3+ doping yttria in both the S6 and C2 site symmetries indicate that the absorbing manifold arises from electronic excitations localized on the Bi3+ doping ion with main triplet 6s6p character. Our results predict the first absorbing peak to lie about 0.5eV lower for the S6 sites than for the C2 site, thus attributing the violet and the green emission wavelengths to the S6 and C2 sites, respectively. A subsequent study of Stokes shift and emission wavelength should hopefully lead to a final assignment of the measured excitation spectra.
Photorefractive properties in poly(N-vinylcarbazole)/CdSe nanocomposites through chemical hybridization
Authors: Park Jong Hyeok , Park O Ok
Published: November 2006

This letter reports on an organic/inorganic hybridized polymer system that combines semiconductor inorganic nanoparticles, a conjugated poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) polymer, and 4-(4-nitrophenylazo) chromophores to manifest a photorefractive effect. PVK nanocomposites doped with cadmium selenide (CdSe) nanoparticles were prepared through chemical hybridization and their optical properties were characterized. The photorefractive effects in the prepared PVK/CdSe nanocomposite systems were directly compared with those of a similar PVK/CdSe nanoblend system. Significant enhancement of the gain coefficient was observed in the PVK/CdSe nanocomposite system relative to the PVK/CdSe nanoblend system.
Stable electroluminescence of nanocrystalline silicon device activated by high pressure water vapor annealing
Authors: Gelloz B. , Shibata T. , Koshida N.
Published: November 2006

Electroluminescence (EL) and electrical properties of nanocrystalline porous silicon (PS) diodes have been sufficiently improved by introducing high pressure water vapor annealing into the active PS layer. The EL emission is significantly enhanced without affecting the operating voltage. In addition, the fabricated device shows no degradations in both the EL intensity and the diode current density under a dc operation. The EL spectra coincide well with the photoluminescence ones. The obtained high EL performance is presumably caused by complete passivation of nanocrystalline silicon surfaces by thin tunnel oxides with mostly unstrained uniform network and little interfacial trapping defects.
Transverse Peltier effect in tilted Pb–Bi2Te3 multilayer structures
Authors: Kyarad A. , Lengfellner H.
Published: November 2006

A transverse Peltier effect has been observed in artificially created tilted Pb–Bi2Te3 multilayer structures. Multilayer stacks consisting of alternating layers of Pb and n-type Bi2Te3 have been prepared by a heating procedure and showed large thermoelectric anisotropy up to ΔS≅200μV∕K, depending on thickness ratio p=dBiTe∕dPb, where dBiTe and dPb are the thicknesses of Bi2Te3 and Pb layers, respectively. Tilted samples were obtained by cutting stacks obliquely to the stack axis. Due to large ΔS and large electrical but small heat conductivity, samples showed temperature differences transverse to applied currents up to 22K.
Highly excited vibrational states of HCN around 30000cm−1
Authors: Martínez R. Z. , Lehmann Kevin K. , Carter Stuart
Published: November 2006

This article describes the analysis and interpretation of rovibrational spectra involving highly excited vibrational states in the molecule of HCN. The spectra were obtained by means of the vibrationally mediated photodissociation technique. Analysis of the spectra revealed four bands with Σ-Σ structures that, once fitted, provided the energies and rotational constants of four new, highly excited vibrational states in the region of the potential energy surface near and above 30000cm−1. All the states could be identified with the help of a state-of-the-art variational calculation. Together with the states already observed in previous works, eight highly excited states have so far been identified in this region.
UK Enterprise Zones and the Attraction of Inward Investment
Authors: Potter Jonathan , Moore Barry
Published: November 2006

This paper assesses the contribution of inward investment to economic regeneration in UK Enterprise Zones using survey data from a government-sponsored national evaluation. Results indicate that by providing tax incentives and stimulating infrastructure improvements, policy attracted a group of inward investors that accounted for nearly one-third of employment in the zones at de-designation and a high proportion of new local jobs. The local impacts of inward investors are examined in terms of recruitment, linkages, growth and stability and compared with other establishments in the zones. It is concluded that inward investment can be an important driver of local economic regeneration in distressed areas when stimulated by this type of initiative, but that a mechanism is needed to limit short-distance transfer activity.
The Global and Local Dimensions of Place-making: Remaking Shanghai as a World City
Authors: Wu Fulong
Published: November 2006

Shanghai, the largest socialist industrial city in China, is now experiencing dramatic restructuring under global and local forces. This paper provides a preliminary account of remaking this city into a world city. The case study suggests the tremendous and pervasive impact of globalisation on the city in transitional economies, although it is still not comparable with a truly global city. The growth of inward investment, particularly its penetration into real estate development, has exerted direct impacts on the urban structure. It is argued that, however, that this global influence can only be realised through the coincidence of indigenous changes in the political economy system. Specifically, the willingness of the central government to give more autonomy to local governments, the new policy to set up a window for China's open policy, the incentive for making money from selling the space, the injection of public money into infrastructure and fierce promotional development strategies, all contributed to the process of urban restructuring. The effect of combined global and local changes has led to an extremely optimistic growth atmosphere and a building boom since the mid 1990s. Shanghai highlights the local as well as the global dimensions of urban change in the post-socialist economies.
City-centre Revitalisation: Problems of Fragmentation and Fear in the Evening and Night-time City
Authors: Thomas Colin J. , Bromley Rosemary D. F.
Published: November 2006

Over the past 30 years the pre-eminent commercial status of the city centre in the retail system of British cities has been challenged by the competitive impact of retail decentralisation. A contemporaneous decentralisation of office and leisure activities has exacerbated the situation. At the same time, early redevelopment strategies have created significant degrees of spatial fragmentation between functions and the loss of a substantial residential population. In the contemporary social climate, these changes have resulted in negative implications for the perception of safety and the generation of fear and anxiety amongst all users of the city centre. Consequently, safety issues have accentuated the emerging problems of the city centres, particularly for evening and night-time activities. City-centre revitalisation strategies have increasingly aimed to extend 'vitality and viability' beyond the temporal divide associated with the '5pm flight'. This has involved the incorporation of the '24-hour city' concept. However, this strategy has proved problematic due to the negative perceptions of safety, which are associated with the emergence of an 'exclusionary' youth culture in many major cities in recent years. This paper seeks to examine the nature and scale of the obstacles to the revitalisation of the evening and night-time economy and culture of Swansea and Cardiff in order the better to inform strategies which aim to instigate the 24-hour city concept. The study reveals substantial obstacles to the realisation of a vibrant 24-hour city, the scale of which suggests the need for considerable and concerted planning and development efforts if they are to be overcome. Many opportunities exist but the impediments suggest that progress in the direction of a 'liveable' 24-hour city is likely, at best, to be slow and incremental in the British situation.
Urban Population Change in Large Cities in Germany, 1980-94
Authors: Gans Paul
Published: November 2006

The populations of the large cities of the former Federal Republic of Germany (cities with at least 100 000 inhabitants) have been characterised by a continuing downward trend since the beginning of the 1980s. The number of inhabitants, which had already been decreasing during the 1970s, had registered a loss of 3.6 per cent by 1987. Subsequently, however, the trend reversed and, from 1988 to 1994, the population of the large cities in West Germany increased by about 6 per cent. Does this reversal indicate the beginning of a process of reurbanisation and, in cyclic terms, has the urban development changed to more traditional patterns of population redistribution? The increase in population in the large cities around 1990 was rather different from former urbanisation processes. The concentration was a temporary phenomenon and affected predominantly persons of foreign nationality, whereas the German population was still going through a deconcentration process. There are several contributing factors, including the political upheavals in eastern Europe, the accelerated economic restructuring in the 1980s and improvements in communication and transport technology. Globalisation with its worldwide expansion of communication networks also played a role, allocating gateway functions to larger centres in favourable locations. The paper analyses the effects of urban economy and city size on the balances of migration movements of the large cities in West Germany since 1980, especially on the different distribution patterns of the German and foreign populations.
Modelling Spatial Structures in Local Housing Market Dynamics: A Multilevel Perspective
Authors: Orford Scott
Published: November 2006

There has been a long history of research into the development and estimation of hedonic house price models. There is, however, a discrepancy between the empirical and theoretical approaches to this research. A major issue lies in the integration of the conceptual and theoretical models of local housing markets with the context-insensitive nature of the standard hedonic model specification. This paper explores this inconsistency by using multilevel modelling to move towards a more empirically and conceptually appealing specification of the hedonic house price model. It uses price data from Cardiff to investigate how a multilevel approach can explicitly incorporate the spatial structures of housing market dynamics and the ad hoc nature of the valuation process. The paper concludes that successful empirical analysis depends upon a clear theoretical understanding of the processes under investigation.
A Culture of Distrust: The Impact of Local Political Culture on Participation in the Detroit EZ
Authors: Bockmeyer Janice L.
Published: November 2006

Although the US 1993 Empowerment Zone (EZ) initiative mandates community participation, the level and nature of input varies across sites. Detroit's EZ is notably community-driven. A political culture approach is used to explore EZ participation as a response to patterns of past development decision-making. The author examines Detroit's economic development policy-making culture and assesses its impact on the formation of the community development corporation (CDC) network that dominated EZ planning in the initial stages. The importance of distrust between City Hall, business interests and community residents in consolidating CDC influence is analysed.
The Vitality and Viability of Town Centres
Authors: Ravenscroft Neil
Published: November 2006

Following growing concerns about the future of many town centres in the UK, this paper considers the factors that contribute to measuring and understanding their continuing health. Recognising that past studies have tended to concentrate on measures of relative performance between towns, the paper presents a methodology for analysis at the micro level, distinguishing between both the relative and the absolute performance of different areas within individual town centres. Using the key indicators of town centre viability and vitality, as outlined in recent government planning guidance, the paper uses case-study data to develop a time-series model for tracking changes in the health of different areas of a town centre. Although the predictive capability of this model is currently limited by the lack of suitable data, the paper shows that relatively simple measures of vitality and viability can be useful tools in understanding the changing dynamics of the health of town centres.
Identifying Sub-centres Using Contiguity Matrices
Authors: McMillen Daniel P.
Published: November 2006

This paper presents a simple algorithm for identifying sub-centres using standard properties of contiguity matrices to simplify the identification procedure. Sub-centres are identified for Atlanta, Baltimore-Washington, Boston, New York and Philadelphia. A sub-centre is defined to be a set of contiguous tracts that each have significantly positive residuals in a first-stage non-parametric regression and that together have at least 10 000 employees. The algorithm is also applicable when potential sub-centre sites are identified by other methods, such as minimum employment density cut-offs.
The Quality of Urban Environments: Mapping Variation in Access to Community Resources
Authors: Witten Karen , Exeter Daniel , Field Adrian
Published: November 2006

This paper describes the development of an area-based index of locational access to community services, facilities and amenities. The index enables comparisons to be made across urban neighbourhoods and provides a starting-point from which to identify relationships between opportunity structures in the local environment and residents' health and well-being. The index is based on six domains: recreational amenities, public transport and communication, shopping and banking facilities, educational services, health services, and social and cultural services. The inclusion of specific resources was determined by their relevance to the daily lives of parents/caregivers of young children. However, the methodology has applicability to diverse population groups. Construction of the index, using geographical information systems, and its potential use for locality-based policy and planning are discussed.
Globalisation, Urban Form and Environmental Conditions in Asia-Pacific Cities
Authors: Marcotullio Peter John
Published: November 2006

Within the Asia-Pacific region, over the past few decades, cities have undergone massive transformations. These changes were underpinned by globalisation flows and new technologies and mediated by, inter alia, political institutions and policies. Given the seemingly ubiquitous nature and power of these influences, studies of emerging urban patterns within the region suggest that cities are growing more alike. At the same time, while cities articulated to the regional economic system are undergoing similar world city formation processes, they are also experiencing unique pressures. These influences are related to aspects of globalisation as well as to the 'nested' governmental policy responses to development pressures. Two differentiating globalisation-related pressures include the need for specialisation of functional roles within the competitive regional economic system and the rapid transfer of technologies and knowledge previously unavailable at lower income levels. The functional niche within the regional city system has forced cities to differentiate in terms of their economic activities, which has impacted their urban form. Transfers of technologies and information through trade and investment have benefited recipients and have also 'compressed' or 'telescoped' development, sped-up national urbanisation rates and created new types of environmental challenge through overlapping sets of environmental problems. Further, these impacts have been mediated differently by a variety of national and local policies. Together, this bundle of influences is creating an assortment of urban forms and environmental conditions within cities in the region. The results cast doubt on whether the physical forms of or environmental conditions within cities currently at different development levels are converging.
The Webs They Weave: Malaysia's Multimedia Super-corridor and New York City's Silicon Alley
Authors: Indergaard Michael
Published: November 2006

This paper compares Malaysia's Multimedia Super-corridor (MSC) and New York's Silicon Alley to assess whether state-led development of digital districts is a viable alternative to neo-liberal approaches. The changing nature of east Asia's developmental states as they adopt neo-liberal elements (such as venture capital) casts doubt on the idea that east Asian cities are `embedded' in developmental frameworks. Using actor-network theory to conceptualise the nesting of cities as processes of 'translation', the paper examines how state frameworks in the US and Malaysia shaped the respective efforts of district entrepreneurs to weave together ideas, resources and relationships. The findings confirm actor-network theory's claim that the significance of a particular element depends on the network it becomes enmeshed in. In the case of Silicon Alley, neo-liberal regimes did not directly participate but promoted devices (such as venture capital, options) that enabled venture capitalists to bring together myriad enterpreneurs. In contrast, the Malaysian state, which is deemed a 'developmental hybrid', devised a comprehensive plan for the MSC and itself used devices such as venture capital to enrol participants. While Silicon Alley was a temporary base for circulating capital, the MSC effort is creating an enduring foundation for digital industry.
Construction, expression, and characterization of a new targeted bifunctional fusion protein: Tumstatin45‐132‐TNF
Authors: Luo Yi‐Qin , Wang Liang‐Hua , Kong Jian‐Xin , Jiao Bing‐Hua
Published: November 2006

The anti‐angiogenic activity of tumstatin45‐132 is mediated by binding to αVβ3 on endothelial cells and tumor vascular endothelium showing increased expression of αVβ3. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) is known to not only possess direct cytotoxicity against tumor cells, but also induces tumor vessel disruption, however, clinical use of TNF‐α as an anticancer drug is hampered by severe systemic toxicity. In this study, we explore the possibility of fusing tumstatin45‐132 with human TNF‐α in the hope of generating a targeting, bi‐functional protein in tumor treatment. Tumstatin45‐132‐TNF was constructed and expressed in E. coli. The recombinant fusion protein was shown to be insoluble and in an inclusion body form. An effective strategy for refolding and purification of tumstatin45‐132‐TNF resulted in final purified yields of 3 mg purified fusion protein recovered from 1 liter of E. coli culture. The refolded tumstatin45‐132‐TNF with a purity of 98% assessed by denaturing SDS ‐ PAGE showed a single band on gels. Endothelial cell proliferation assay and standard cytolytic assays against L929 indicated that the fusion protein maintains tumstatin45‐132 and TNF‐α activity. More importantly, tumstatin45‐132‐TNF inhibits endothelial cell proliferation more than tumstatin45‐132 alone. Cell adhesion assays and competitive binding experiments with anti‐integrin antibodies showed that the tumstatin45‐132 moiety specifically interacts with αVβ3 integrin. These results lay the solid foundation for further investigation of antitumor activity of tumstatin45‐132‐TNF in vivo.
iubmb Life, 58: 647 ‐ 653, 2006
Structure‐based cross‐linking of NF‐κB p50 homodimer and decoy bearing a novel 2'‐disulfide trapping site
Authors: Metelev Valeri , Romanenkov Andrey , Kubareva Elena , Zubin Evgeniy , Polouchine Nikolai , Zatsepin Timofei , Molochkov Nikolai , Oretskaya Tatiana
Published: November 2006

Double‐stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides with engineered disulfide units were successfully used for covalent trapping of cysteine containing proteins. In particular, an efficient cross‐linking of NF‐κB p50 homodimer to a sequence‐specific decoy was demonstrated. The results suggest that the synthetic oligonucleotides bearing a novel 2'‐disulfide trapping site can be used as new tools to study and manipulate biological systems.
iubmb Life, 58: 654 ‐ 658, 2006
Sequestration shapes the response of signal transduction cascades
Authors: Blüthgen Nils
Published: November 2006

Many signal transduction cascades are composed of covalent modification cycles such as kinase/phosphatase cycles. In the 1980s Goldbeter and Koshland showed that such cycles can exhibit non‐linear input‐output relations when the enzymes are saturated by their substrates, which may facilitate signal processing. Recent papers show that this mechanism is unlikely to cause non‐linearity in mammalian signal transduction cascades as sequestration of the target due to enzyme concentrations present in these cascades will hamper this mechanism. However, sequestration due to high‐affinity enzymes can shape the dynamics and steady‐state behaviour of signal transduction cascades in different ways, some of which are discussed in this review.
iubmb Life, 58: 659 ‐ 663, 2006
The cause of the within-language Stroop superiority effect and its implications
Authors: Goldfarb Liat , Tzelgov Joseph
Published: November 2006

This study examines the causes for the within-language Stroop superiority effect (WLSSE; larger Stroop effect for words appearing in the response language than in another language). Participants named in their first language (L1) or second language (L2) the colour of colour-words or colour-associated words appearing in L1 or in L2. The WLSSE was limited for colour-words. It was concluded that for colour-words, the cause for the WLSSE is that words appearing in the within-language condition belong to the response set, whereas words in the between-language condition do not. This finding challenges previous suggestions that a nonrelevant stimulus language can be suppressed.
A postsynaptic Spectrin scaffold defines active zone size, spacing, and efficacy at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction
Authors: Pielage Jan , Fetter Richard D. , Davis Graeme W.
Published: November 2006

Synaptic connections are established with characteristic, cell type–specific size and spacing. In this study, we document a role for the postsynaptic Spectrin skeleton in this process. We use transgenic double-stranded RNA to selectively eliminate α-Spectrin, β-Spectrin, or Ankyrin. In the absence of postsynaptic α- or β-Spectrin, active zone size is increased and spacing is perturbed. In addition, subsynaptic muscle membranes are significantly altered. However, despite these changes, the subdivision of the synapse into active zone and periactive zone domains remains intact, both pre- and postsynaptically. Functionally, altered active zone dimensions correlate with an increase in quantal size without a change in presynaptic vesicle size. Mechanistically, β-Spectrin is required for the localization of α-Spectrin and Ankyrin to the postsynaptic membrane. Although Ankyrin is not required for the localization of the Spectrin skeleton to the neuromuscular junction, it contributes to Spectrin-mediated synapse development. We propose a model in which a postsynaptic Spectrin–actin lattice acts as an organizing scaffold upon which pre- and postsynaptic development are arranged.
Use of response functions in selecting lodgepole pine populations for future climates
Authors: WANG T. , HAMANN A. , YANCHUK A. , O'NEILL G. A. , AITKEN S. N.
Published: November 2006

Although growth response functions have previously been developed for lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.) populations in British Columbia, new analyses were conducted: (1) to demonstrate the merit of a new local climate model in genecological analysis; (2) to highlight new methods for deriving response functions; and (3) to evaluate the impacts of management options for existing geographically defined seed planning units (SPUs) for reforestation. Results of this study suggest that new methods for anchoring population response functions, and a multivariate approach for incorporating climate variables into a single model, considerably improve the reliability of these functions. These functions identified a small number of populations in central areas of the species distribution with greater growth potential over a wide range of mean annual temperature (MAT). Average productivity of lodgepole pine is predicted to increase (up to 7%) if moderate warming (∼2°C MAT) occurs in the next few decades as predicted, although productivity would substantially decline in some SPUs in southern BC. Severe global warming (>3°C MAT) would result in either a drastic decline in productivity or local populations being extirpated in southern SPUs. New deployment strategies using the best seed sources for future reforestation may not only be able to mitigate the negative impact of global warming, but may even be able to increase productivity in some areas.
Torticollis as a sign of cervico‐thoracic epidural haematoma in an infant with severe haemophilia A
Authors: CUVELIER G. D. E. , DAVIS J. H. , PURVES E. C. , WU J. K.
Published: November 2006

Summary.  We describe the case of a spinal epidural haematoma in an infant with severe haemophilia A. Initial signs and symptoms were non‐specific resulting in delay of the diagnosis and more definitive therapy. The patient eventually developed torticollis, acute flaccid paralysis of the upper extremities, and respiratory distress, prompting radiological examination of the spinal cord. The patient was treated with recombinant FactorVIII and laminectomy. Neurological recovery was complete 3 months following the event. We hypothesize that infants with haemophilia may be at higher risk for this rare complication because of their increasing mobility, frequent falls while cruising furniture, and lack of prophylactic factor replacement. Non‐specific signs such as irritability without a focus should alert the clinician to this diagnostic possibility. Torticollis should prompt rapid radiological evaluation of the cervical spine with magnetic resonance imaging to avoid delay in diagnosis.
The penetration of RealSeal primer and Tubliseal into root canal dentinal tubules: a confocal microscopic study
Authors: Patel D. V. , Sherriff M. , Ford T. R. P. , Watson T. F. , Mannocci F.
Published: November 2006

Aim  To compare penetration depth into dentinal tubules of RealSeal with that of a well‐established endodontic sealer (Tubliseal) by means of confocal microscopy.

Methodology  Twenty sound extracted, single‐rooted premolars were selected. Following completion of root canal instrumentation, the teeth were divided into two groups using a stratified sampling method, ranking teeth according to size. In group 1, 10 teeth were filled with Gutta‐percha and Tubliseal using cold lateral condensation. In group 2, 10 teeth were filled with RealSeal. Both sealers were labelled with Rhodamine B dye. The teeth were sectioned parallel to their long axis resulting in 20 specimens per group. Confocal microscopy was used to assess the penetration depths of the sealers at three sites for each specimen (coronal, middle and apical). Data were analysed statistically using Stata Release 9.1.

Results  The penetration depth of RealSeal in each one of the thirds of the root canal was found to be higher than that of Tubliseal (P < 0.05). The penetration depths of the two sealers was found to be significantly different (P = 0.001). The mean penetration value for the RealSeal group was 908.8 μm whereas the mean value for the Tubliseal group was 139.5 μm.

Conclusions  The penetration depth of RealSeal into the root dentinal tubules is significantly greater than that of Tubliseal.
Antimicrobial efficacy of ozonated water, gaseous ozone, sodium hypochlorite and chlorhexidine in infected human root canals
Authors: Estrela C. , Estrela C. R. A. , Decurcio D. A. , Hollanda A. C. B. , Silva J. A.
Published: November 2006

Aim  To determine the antimicrobial efficacy of ozonated water, gaseous ozone, sodium hypochlorite and chlorhexidine in human root canals infected by Enterococcus faecalis.

Methodology  Thirty human maxillary anterior teeth were prepared and inoculated with E. faecalis for 60 days. Eppendorf tubes were connected to the coronal portion of the teeth. Urethane hoses were attached to the tubes and to the entrance of a peristaltic pump. The exit of the apparatus corresponded to the apical portion of the root canals. The test irrigating solutions were ozonated water, gaseous ozone, 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 2% chlorhexidine that circulated at a constant flow of 50 mL min−1 for 20 min. Samples from the root canals were collected and immersed in 7 mL Letheen Broth (LB), followed by incubation at 37 °C for 48 h. Bacterial growth was analysed by turbidity of the culture medium and subculture on a specific nutrient broth. A 0.1 mL inoculum obtained from LB was transferred to 7 mL of brain heart infusion and incubated at 37 °C for 48 h. Bacterial growth was checked by turbidity of the culture medium carried out in triplicate.

Results  No solution used as an irrigant over a 20‐min contact time demonstrated an antimicrobial effect against E. faecalis.

Conclusion  The irrigation of infected human root canals with ozonated water, 2.5% NaOCl, 2% chlorhexidine and the application of gaseous ozone for 20 min was not sufficient to inactivate E. faecalis.
Social and biological early life influences on the prevalence of open bite in Brazilian 6‐year‐olds
Authors: PERES KAREN GLAZER , DE OLIVEIRA LATORRE MARIA DO ROSÁRIO DIAS , SHEIHAM AUBREY , PERES MARCO AURÉLIO , VICTORA CÉSAR GOMES , BARROS FERNANDO CELSO
Published: November 2006

Objective. Little is known about the effects of social and biological risk factors for open bite on the primary dentition. The aim of this study was to assess the early‐life risk factors affecting anterior open bite.

Methods. A cross‐sectional study using a birth cohort was carried out in Pelotas, Brazil. A sample of 400, 6‐year‐old children was employed. The Foster and Hamilton criteria were used to classify open bite. Data concerning social conditions, and perinatal and childhood health and behaviour were obtained from birth to 12 months of age and during the fifth year of the children's lives. Unconditional bivariate and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed.

Results. The prevalence of anterior open bite was 46.3%. Risk factors included: a maternal age of between 30 and 39 years, as compared with children whose mothers were younger; breast‐feeding for < 9 months; dental caries experience; pacifier sucking between 12 months and 5 years, as compared to no sucking or a shorter duration of sucking; and the presence of finger‐sucking at 6 years of age.

Conclusion. Open bite in the primary dentition was associated with older mothers, early weaning, dental caries occurrence, long‐term use of a pacifier and finger‐sucking at 6 years of age. These findings support the common risk approach for intervention to prevent open bite in the primary dentition.
Service users and carers’ experiences of a psychosis service
Authors: MCKENZIE L. H.
Published: November 2006

This paper presents the findings of a survey, which examined how people with psychosis and their carers had experienced local mental health services. The research was conducted prior to the establishment of an early intervention service and other service improvements in the region. The results suggest that the mental health service is improving overall for individuals with psychosis and their carers. The experiences of recent service users and carers seem more positive than those whose first contact with the services occurred during the 1970s and 1980s. Both service users and their carers report feeling largely supported by mental health professionals and voluntary support agencies, and feel included in the treatment approach. However, a number of important issues were highlighted. These include (i) the need for public education (which may help to reduce the delay which currently occurs between people seeking support and receiving treatment); (ii) improved access to alternative treatments, such as psychosocial therapies (in conjunction with pharmacological treatment); the provision of appropriate psychiatric facilities; and (iii) the inclusion of an early intervention treatment approach. The survey provides descriptive information from one NHS trust, which shows support for larger scale research findings and government recommendations.
Hope and schizophrenia: an integrative review
Authors: KYLMÄ J. , JUVAKKA T. , NIKKONEN M. , KORHONEN T. , ISOHANNI M.
Published: November 2006

The purpose of this article is to describe the current status of research on hope and schizophrenia. The CINAHL database was used to identify the articles that met the criteria. The searches were conducted using the terms ‘hope’, ‘hope instillation (IOWA NIC)’, ‘hope (IOWA NOC)’, ‘schizophrenia’ and their combinations. The findings were limited to research articles. In addition, Pub Medical database was used by searching the words ‘hope’ and ‘schizophrenia’ from the fields ‘title’ or ‘abstract’. Four new articles were found. The data consist of 17 articles on hope and schizophrenia published in peer‐reviewed journals, which were analysed using content analysis. Existing research has focused on people with schizophrenia (n = 8), significant others (n = 4), staff (n = 2), hope‐engendering interventions (n = 2) and treatment evaluation related to hope (n = 2) in the care of people with schizophrenia. Different data collection methods have been used in these studies. The most common method was interview (n = 9), followed by questionnaires (n = 8) and observation (n = 1). Most studies used quantitative methods (n = 9). Hope is considered a positive factor in the life of a person living with schizophrenia, in significant others as well as in staff members. Existing research provides evidence of the following themes: factors associated with hope and factors contributing to hope in people with schizophrenia; hope from the perspective of significant others of people with schizophrenia; staff hopefulness and factors contributing to their hope, hope‐engendering interventions and treatment evaluation in regard to hope. Based on this review, research evidence of hope in the context of schizophrenia is quite scant and limited, even though the importance of hope in schizophrenia has been underlined in research reports and the literature. It is clear that hope is important to people with schizophrenia, their significant others and the healthcare personnel caring for them. It is therefore also important to study hope among these people.
Moral perspectives on the prevention of suicide in mental health settings
Authors: HEWITT J. L. , EDWARDS S. D.
Published: November 2006

The response to suicidal clients is a recurrent and deep ethical problem in mental health practice. Rational suicide is rarely considered in relation to psychological suffering and is generally only discussed within the literature in connection with terminal illness. Focusing on a case example derived from a composite of patient experiences, this paper considers the premise that suicidal ideation may not be an irrational belief arising from mental disorder and analyses the ethical aspects of nursing care through the competing moral frameworks of the care‐based and principle‐based approaches to nursing ethics. We conclude that when the client is not capable of autonomous decision making, the two approaches lead to the same response. But when the client is capable of autonomous decision making, the two approaches lead to different responses. Specifically, from the care‐based perspective, intervention to prevent suicide is easier to justify and helps formulate a nursing response, which promotes hope through the engagement.
Group cognitive behavioural therapy for schizophrenia: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: LAWRENCE R. , BRADSHAW T. , MAIRS H.
Published: November 2006

There are a growing number of studies which have evaluated group‐based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBGT) for individuals with psychosis. This is at least partly driven by the need to maximize access to this evidence‐based treatment which has still to be widely disseminated. In this paper we present a systematic review of trials which have evaluated the efficacy CBGT. Five controlled trials were identified, the results showed some improvements in specific areas of symptomatology such as social phobia and depression. However, methodological weaknesses of the studies compromised the confidence with which a cause and effect relationship can be established. CBGT may enable a greater number of individuals to be seen by a small group of trained therapists but whether this is an effective treatment remains to be established. In addition, whether therapists delivering cognitive behavioural therapy in a group format require a higher level of skill than those facilitating the intervention on an individual basis remains an empirical question. The finding that a short psycho‐education group treatment reduced positive and negative symptoms is also worthy of further investigation given the difficulties reported in disseminating evidence‐based psychosocial interventions for this client group.
Undergraduate psychiatric nursing education at the crossroads in Ireland. The generalist vs. specialist approach: towards a common foundation
Authors: GRANT A.
Published: November 2006

This paper provides a critical overview of undergraduate educational preparation for psychiatric nursing and proposes the use of a model, which may equip psychiatric nurses to adapt to current and future directions in psychiatric nursing practice. It contends that mental health nursing is a distinct scope of practice and as such requires specialty undergraduate education. A major difference between educational preparation for psychiatric nursing in the Republic of Ireland and the UK, and distinct from most other developed countries, is the existence of separate, specialized pre‐registration programmes that, upon graduation, allow the nurse to register as a psychiatric nurse. In other countries such as, Australia, the integration of pre‐registration nurse education into the university sector resulted in the wide‐scale adoption of a generalist approach to nurse education. In light of the recent changes in pre‐registration nursing education in Ireland, and the integration of nursing into higher‐level education, this paper examines the generalist vs. specialist approach to nurse education. It contends that neither the generalist nor the specialist model best serve the nursing profession in preparing safe and competent practitioners. Rather, it argues that the use of a model which incorporates both generalist and specialist perspectives will help to redress the imbalance inherent in both of the existing approaches and promote a sense of unity in the profession without sacrificing the real strengths of specialization. Such a model will also facilitate psychiatric nurses to adapt to current and future directions in psychiatric nursing practice.
Humanistic principles in relation to psychiatric nurse education: a review of the literature
Authors: SCANLON A.
Published: November 2006

This paper addresses the topic of humanistic educative principles and examines it in the context of Irish psychiatric nurse education. Humanistic or existential philosophy influences the nursing curriculum profoundly, and yet a dichotomy continues to exist in relation to the epistemological basis informing nurse education. The dichotomy is manifested broadly in relation to the notion of individual choice and statutory responsibility as regulated professional governing bodies. Humanism is based on the notion that people are born ‘blank slates’ only to become who they are later. McKenna would describe the humanistic theory of learning as emphasizing feelings and experiences, leading to self‐awareness, personal growth and individual optimization. A review of the literature indicates there are very few empirical studies relating to the area of the humanistic principles as applied to psychiatric nurse education. Most of the literature that was initially located referred to humanistic existentialism in the field of psychology, which although provided interesting reading and relevant, to a point, did not apply specifically to psychiatric nursing education. The emphasis of this paper is psychiatric nursing education and these studies do not apply to the area under investigation.
Re‐examining the evaluation of interprofessional education for community mental health teams with a different lens: understanding presage, process and product factors
Authors: REEVES S. , FREETH D.
Published: November 2006

This paper revisits the formative evaluation of a pilot project that offered in‐service interprofessional education (IPE), which is designed to enhance the collaborative practice, to two UK community mental health teams (CMHTs). While the IPE was well received and resulted in some improvements in team functioning, wider successes were elusive. Specifically, collaborative action plans were not implemented, and the pilot programme was ultimately not rolled out to other CMHTs. The purpose of this paper is to test the usefulness of the presage–process–product (3P) framework for analysis as a means to untangle the complex web of factors that promoted and inhibited success in this initiative. The framework, which captures key features of the initiative as a dynamic system, proved effective, yielding new insights, making connections clearer and highlighting the critical importance of presage. We argue that use of the 3P model during the development of in‐service IPE could ensure that planning oversights are minimized, thereby improving outcomes.
RNase R degrades non‐stop mRNAs selectively in an SmpB‐tmRNA‐dependent manner
Authors: Richards Jamie , Mehta Preeti , Karzai A. Wali
Published: November 2006

The SmpB‐tmRNA‐mediated trans‐translation system has two well‐established activities: rescuing ribosomes stalled on aberrant mRNAs and marking the associated protein fragments for proteolysis. Although the causative non‐stop mRNAs are known to be degraded, little is known about the enabling mechanism or the RNases involved in their disposal. We report that Escherichia coli has an enabling mechanism that requires RNase R activity and is dependent on the presence of SmpB protein and tmRNA, suggesting a requirement for active trans‐translation in facilitating RNase R engagement and promoting non‐stop mRNA decay. Interestingly, this selective transcript degradation by RNase R targets aberrant (non‐stop and multiple‐rare‐codon containing) mRNAs and does not affect the decay of related messages containing in‐frame stop codons. Most surprisingly, RNase II and PNPase do not play a significant role in tmRNA‐facilitated disposal of aberrant mRNAs. These findings demonstrate that RNase R is a crucial component of the trans‐translation‐mediated non‐stop mRNA decay process, thus providing a requisite activity well suited to complement the ribosome rescue and protein tagging functions of this unique quality control system.