bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Ag Nanoparticles for Electrochemical Sensing of Brilliant Cresyl Blue
Authors: Li Mao-Guo , Gao Ying-Chun , Kan Xian-Wen , Wang Guang-Feng , Fang Bin
Published: February 2005

The modification of gold electrode by 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol (BDT) self-assembled monolayer and Ag nanoparticles was prepared and its electrochemical sensing of brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) was observed. The results suggested that the methods of electrochemical determination on the modified electrode could be applied in many fields.
Impact of Adherence, Knowledge, and Quality of Life on Anticoagulation Control
Authors: Davis Nichola J , Billett Henny H , Cohen Hillel W , Arnsten Julia H
Published: February 2005

BACKGROUND:

Patients receiving chronic warfarin therapy who have poor anticoagulation control are at increased risk for adverse events. However, it is unknown how adherence to warfarin, patient demographics, patient knowledge about therapy, and perceived impact of warfarin therapy on quality of life are associated with anticoagulation control.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the association between these patient factors and anticoagulation control in patients attending 2 anticoagulation clinics in the Bronx, New York City.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional survey of 52 patients was conducted. The 4-item Morisky survey was used to assess self-reported adherence. Patient knowledge about warfarin therapy and the perceived impact of warfarin therapy on quality of life were determined by self-administered questionnaires. Associations between adherence, patient knowledge, impact of warfarin therapy on quality of life, and anticoagulation control were determined with t-tests, χ2 analysis, and logistic regression.

RESULTS:

Only 14% of patients had good anticoagulation control. Adequate adherence was reported by 50% of patients and was significantly associated with good anticoagulation control (p = 0.01). Thirty-seven percent of participants had good knowledge of anticoagulation, and 19% of participants reported that warfarin negatively impacted their quality of life. Knowledge about warfarin therapy and impact of warfarin on quality of life were not significantly associated with anticoagulation control.

CONCLUSIONS:

Adherence is one of many factors that contribute to anticoagulation control. Adequate adherence, as determined by the Morisky survey, was significantly associated with anticoagulation control. Patient demographic characteristics, knowledge about warfarin therapy, and perceived impact of warfarin on quality of life were not associated with anticoagulation control.
Some Recent Developments regarding Liability for Damage Resulting from Oil Pollution — From the Perspective of an EU Member State
Authors: Oosterveen Willem
Published: February 2005

The primary purpose of the Civil Liability Convention, Fund Convention and Supplementary Fund Protocol regime is to ensure prompt and full compensation for oil pollution damage in an internationally uniform manner. This article assesses the effectiveness of the present regime and its relationship with the draft EU Directive on environmental liability before looking at the need for revision of the Conventions.
The Environment and the Law — Does Our Legal System Deliver Access to Justice? A Review
Authors: Hatton Carol , Castle Pamela , Day Martyn
Published: February 2005

The Environmental Justice Project has sought to clarify the extent to which the UK's civil and criminal law systems achieve review procedures which are real and affordable and thus satisfy the requirements of the Aarhus Convention. This article describes the findings of the project together with its conclusions and recommendations.
Giving Content to the Principle of Proportionality: Happiness and Pain as the Universal Currency for Matching Offence Seriousness and Penalty Severity
Authors: Bagaric Mirko , McConvill James
Published: February 2005

The principle of proportionality prescribes that the punishment should equal the crime. It is one of the most important principles of sentencing. Yet, despite its widespread acceptance it offers no meaningful guide to sentencing. Hence penalty levels fluctuate greatly between jurisdictions and within jurisdictions. This is because there is no universally agreed criterion for measuring offence seriousness or penalty severity. This article suggests that the appropriate criteria for matching offence seriousness and penalty severity is the level of unhappiness or pain stemming from each of these impositions. Thus, for example, the level of pain meted out to a rape offender should equal the level of pain caused to a rape victim. Emerging scientific studies on human well-being and happiness show that human beings are similarly built in terms of the experiences that are either conducive or inimical to well-being. This commonality provides a strong foundation to be confident to make reasonably accurate predictions concerning the extent to which adverse events, such as being the victim of a criminal offence or subjected to a form of criminal sanction will stifle human flourishing. This will then allow us to match accurately offence seriousness and penalty level.
What Next for Public Interest Immunity?
Authors: Taylor Chris
Published: February 2005

This article examines recent developments in the law of public interest immunity (PII), a mechanism for the non-disclosure of sensitive material to the defence which continues to cause concern as a potential source of injustice. The article considers the lessons to be learned from recent decisions, most notably the London City Bond cases which saw a large number of prosecutions tainted by misuse of PII. This series of cases illustrated the ethical dilemma faced by investigators anxious to preserve covert intelligence sources, primarily informants, and the way in which the courts may be misled during PII applications in order to avoid jeopardising the prosecution. The article then considers a number of recent domestic and European decisions which have sought to refine the procedure for considering PII applications in order to evaluate their impact on the trial process and the administration of justice.
The Preliminary Evaluation of a New Approach to Arrest Referral in Birmingham (UK)
Authors: Donaldson Stephen , Smith Maria , Gore Griff , Walker Deborah
Published: February 2005

Arrest referral has been identified as a key point of intervention for offenders who have a drug problem and who have been arrested. Previous research has however raised concerns from both service users and professionals surrounding the need for independence of arrest referral schemes from the police. Given that arrest referral workers in Birmingham are police-employed and that the arrest referral process has its own dedicated NHS-based treatment team, the current article looks at the potential of this new approach in contacting, referring and treating problematic drug users. A retrospective analysis of referrals made to treatment by arrest referral workers and treatment engagement was conducted. Within a six-month period 394 referrals were made to treatment, with 33.2% of those referred making a treatment demand. Offending and drug expenditure among the group was high. As with other schemes, ethnic minorities and women were under-represented in the numbers of both those referred and those engaging in treatment. The current article argues that, given the need for arrest referral schemes to work closely with the police in order to access and refer service users, arrest referral schemes are more reliant on good worker-client relationships and con-fidentiality than independence.
Managing Interrogative Pressure in Police Interviews
Authors: Baxter Jim
Published: February 2005

Use of various ’ pressure tactics' in police interviews has sometimes been thought necessary, especially when officers have reason to believe that a witness or suspect is hostile or deceitful. However, defence counsel are increasingly likely to challenge evidence on the grounds that transcripts and videotapes of interviews suggest that it has been obtained by objectionable, pressurising methods. This article reviews recent work showing how certain types of interviewer style may vary interrogative pressure (IP). It is argued that the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scales (GSS) provide a simple but effective test of IP. Use of the GSS in police interviewer training can provide officers with a means to monitor and control the levels of IP which they apply in interviews and reduce the likelihood that they will inadvertently apply inappropriate IP.
The Ineffectiveness of Training on Increasing Time at the Scene, Acceptance for Prosecution, and Convictions of Domestic Violence Cases
Authors: Smithey Martha , Green Susanne E. , Giacomazzi Andrew L.
Published: February 2005

Does police officer training for managing a domestic violence scene improve the chances for a case to be accepted for prosecution and to result in a conviction? If such training emphasises more careful evidence collection and response to victim, would not there be an increase in time spent on the scene? This article is an evaluation of domestic violence training for police officers and analyses the effect of the training on the amount of time police officers spend on the scene with victims of domestic violence, number of cases accepted for prosecution, and the case's culmination in a conviction. Data from 291 domestic violence cases were collected from a southwest, predominantly Mexican American, metropolitan police department and district attorney's office. Findings indicate no significant increases in time spent at the scene, acceptance of the case for prosecution, and conviction when comparing cases managed by trained officers to cases managed by untrained officers.
Design and Characterization of a Femtosecond Fluorescence Spectrometer Based on Optical Kerr Gating
Authors: Arzhantsev S. , Maroncelli M.
Published: February 2005

Design and characterization of a general-purpose spectrometer for recording time-resolved emission spectra of typical fluorescent species is described. The system is based on a high repetition rate amplified Ti:sapphire system, an optical Kerr shutter for gating the emission, and a polychromator plus charge-coupled device (CCD) detection system. Using 1 mm of liquid benzene as the Kerr medium, and optics designed to provide high polarization quality, emission spectra of dilute solutions of solutes with nanosecond lifetimes can be recorded with good signal-to-noise ratios. The current spectrometer uses excitation wavelengths near 390 nm and provides spectra over the wavelength range 400–650 nm with 4 nm resolution and instrument response times of 450 fs (full width at half-maximum, FWHM). Selected applications are described to demonstrate the utility of this instrument.
Statistical Design of Experiments: Study of Cross-Linking Process through the Phase-Resolved Photoacoustic Method as a Multivariable Response
Authors: Dias D. T. , Medina A. N. , Baesso M. L. , Bento A. C.
Published: February 2005

This work presents an add-on result of cross-linking using photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) phases in a multivariable process using the phase-resolved photoacoustic (PRPA) method. The method is tested to separate contributions from groupings –OH, –CH2–, –CH3, and Si–OH overtones in the range from 700 to 2600 nm. Samples of the copolymers ethylene vinyltrimethoxysilane (EVS) and grafted vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTS) on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were prepared having concentrations ( C) of 3, 5, and 7% of catalyst and temperatures ( T) of 70, 80, and 90 °C. By considering the condensation reaction, the reduction of –OH groups is monitored. The PRPA analysis was carried out using the surface response methodology and results indicated the optimum point for both answers (signal and phase-resolved) and for both factors of interest ( C, T). For the copolymers, it was found that C ≈ (5.00 ± 1.14)% and T ≈ (82.4 ± 4.3) °C, while for grafted LDPE PEg it was found that C ≈ (4.92 ± 0.85)% and T ≈ (80.8 ± 2.5) °C. These results agreed with the chemical analysis for gel content, which showed as the optimum point 5% of catalyst and temperature of 80 °C. Further, it is an advantage that the photoacoustic method allows one to perform a nondestructive analysis.
Gold/Palladium and Silver/Palladium Colloids as Novel Metallic Substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering
Authors: Pergolese Barbara , Bigotto Adriano , Muniz-Miranda Maurizio , Sbrana Giuseppe
Published: February 2005

New surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates, composed of gold or silver colloidal nanoparticles doped with palladium, were prepared. These novel colloids are stable and maintain a satisfactory SERS efficiency, even after long aging. The interest in doping the coinage metal nanoparticles with palladium is due to the well-known catalytic activity of this metal. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy were used to characterize the shape and size of the metal particles. It was found that these bimetallic colloidal nanoparticles have a core–shell structure, with gold or silver coated with palladium clusters.
Depth Profiling in Diffusely Scattering Media Using Raman Spectroscopy and Picosecond Kerr Gating
Authors: Matousek P. , Everall N. , Towrie M. , Parker A. W.
Published: February 2005

We demonstrate how pulsed laser Raman excitation (∼1 ps) followed by fast optical Kerr gating (∼4 ps) can be used to effectively separate Raman signals originating from different depths in heterogeneous diffusely scattering media. The diffuse scattering slows down photon propagation through turbid samples enabling higher depth resolution than would be obtained for a given instrumental time resolution in an optically transparent medium. Two types of experiments on two-layer systems demonstrate the ability to differentiate between surface and sub-surface Raman signals. A Raman spectrum was obtained of stilbene powder buried beneath a 1 mm over-layer of PMMA (poly(methyl methacrylate)) powder. The signal contrasts of the lower stilbene layer and upper PMMA layer were improved by factors ≥5 and ≥180, respectively, by rejecting the Raman component of the counterpart layer. The ability to select the Raman signal of a thin top surface layer in preference to those from an underlying diffusely scattering substrate was demonstrated using a 100 μm thick optically transparent film of PET (poly(ethylene terephthalate)) on top of stilbene powder. The gating resulted in the suppression of the underlying stilbene Raman signal by a factor of 1200. The experiments were performed in back-scattering geometry using 400 nm excitation wavelength. The experimental technique should be well suited to biomedical applications such as disease diagnosis.
Skin Color Correction for Tissue Spectroscopy: Demonstration of a Novel Approach with Tissue-Mimicking Phantoms
Authors: Soyemi Olusola O. , Landry Michelle R. , Yang Ye , Idwasi Patrick O. , Soller Babs R.
Published: February 2005

The application of partial least squares (PLS) regression to visible–near-infrared (VIS-NIR) spectroscopy for modeling important blood and tissue parameters is generally complicated by the variation in skin pigmentation (melanin) across the human population. An orthogonal correction method for removing the influence of skin pigmentation has been demonstrated in diffuse reflectance spectra from two-layer tissue-mimicking phantoms. The absorption properties of the phantoms were defined by lyophilized human hemoglobin (bottom layer) and synthetic melanin (top layer). Tissue-like scattering was simulated in both layers with intralipid™. The approach uses principal components analysis (PCA) loading vectors from a separate set of phantom spectra that encode the unwanted melanin variation to remove the effect of melanin from the test phantoms. The preprocessing of phantom spectra using this orthogonal correction method resulted in PLS models with reduced complexity and enhanced prediction performance. Preliminary results from a separate study that evaluates the feasibility of defining skin color variation in an experiment with a single human subject are also presented.
Understanding the value of artistic tools such as visual concept maps in design and education research
Authors: Poldma Tiiu , Stewart Mary
Published: February 2005

Art and design creative techniques are increasingly used in educational and social sciences research as means to complement narrative qualitative research methodologies. Less known is the means by which art and design students may use collage, concept mapping or other artful visual
tools to understand narrative in qualitative research. This article aims to demonstrate how artful methods can be combined with more traditional qualitative methodologies to uncover meaning in research texts during data analysis. The authors aim to show how both the phenomenon used and the
method applied to data analysis offers a creative way to allow for meaning to emerge, while situating the research firmly in a phenomenological perspective of lived experience of the researcher through a collaborative conversation.
Synergy in art and language: positioning the language specialist in contemporary fine art study
Authors: Turner Joan , Hocking Darryl
Published: February 2005

In this article, we look at data based on the work of EAP (English for Academic Purposes) practitioners at Goldsmiths College, University of London in the 1990s collected for the purposes of identifying the generic characteristics of two contexts in contemporary fine art study; the
tutorial and the postgraduate dissertation. The rhetorical moves on the part of the tutor in the intercultural tutorials and a micro-analysis of the language used in the introductory sections of selected, positively evaluated MA student dissertations form the basis of our analysis and interpretation.
We see the aim of both of those genres as facilitating development, both with regard to the individual student’s development of practice, and in respect of integrating theoretical perspectives into assessed writing. While the spoken mode of the tutorial primarily mediates reflection
on, critique of, and thence development of practice, the written mode promotes an engagement with theory that is reflected back in the writing. We further suggest that development in both cases is dialectical, and that the language work and visual work in tandem have synergistic effects. In
conclusion, we reiterate the synergy between the visual and the verbal and suggest that this synergy can be re-enacted in collaborative strategies between art tutors and language tutors in the wider development of students’ communicative practice.
Internally persuasive writing in Fine Arts Practice
Authors: Borg Erik
Published: February 2005

This article investigates the role of writing in a Master’s programme of Fine Arts Practice. Utilizing a single case approach, the study describes the contextualized progression of a student’s writing from the initiation of a journal to her final extended essay. Her journal,
in which she writes and her supervisor responds, forms a written conversation, through which she moves from an initial position of compelled writing to an ‘auto-ethnographic’ exploration of the issues that are central to her art. Through this Bakhtinian dialogue, she constructs
an internally persuasive voice and develops an expressive form for her writing.
Book Reviews
Authors: Gröppel-Wegener Alke , Lindey Christine
Published: February 2005

Teaching Academic Writing -: A Toolkit for Higher Education, Caroline Coffin, Mary Jane Curry, Sharon Goodman, Ann Hewings, Theresa M. Lillis and Joan Swann (2002), London: Routledge, 192 pp., ISBN 0415261368, Paperback, £16.99

A Short Guide to Writing about
Art, Sylvan Barnet, (2003), 7th edition. New York: Longman, 317pp., ISBN 0-321-10144-8, Paperback.
Optimization and evaluation of surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) with reversed-phase protein arrays for protein profiling
Authors: Aivado Manuel , Spentzos Dimitrios , Alterovitz Gil , Otu Hasan H. , Grall Franck , Giagounidis Aristoteles A. N. , Wells Meghan , Cho Je-Yoel , Germing Ulrich , Czibere Akos , Prall Wolf C. , Porter Chris , Ramoni Marco F. , Libermann Towia A.
Published: February 2005

Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization (SELDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry with protein arrays has facilitated the discovery of disease-specific protein profiles in serum. Such results raise hopes that protein profiles may become a powerful diagnostic tool. To this end, reliable and reproducible protein profiles need to be generated from many samples, accurate mass peak heights are necessary, and the experimental variation of the profiles must be known. We adapted the entire processing of protein arrays to a robotics system, thus improving the intra-assay coefficients of variation (CVs) from 45.1% to 27.8% (p<0.001). In addition, we assessed up to 16 technical replicates, and demonstrated that analysis of 2–4 replicates significantly increases the reliability of the protein profiles. A recent report on limited long-term reproducibility seemed to concord with our initial inter-assay CVs, which varied widely and reached up to 56.7%. However, we discovered that the inter-assay CV is strongly dependent on the drying time before application of the matrix molecule. Therefore, we devised a standardized drying process and demonstrated that our optimized SELDI procedure generates reliable and long-term reproducible protein profiles with CVs ranging from 25.7% to 32.6%, depending on the signal-to-noise ratio threshold used.
Simultaneous determination of HIV antibodies, hepatitis C antibodies, and hepatitis B antigens in dried blood spots –a feasibility study using a multi-analyte immunoassay
Authors: Lukacs Zoltan , Dietrich Alexandra , Ganschow Rainer , Kohlschütter Alfried , Kruithof Rudolf
Published: February 2005

HIV in particular, as well as hepatitis B and C, present a burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Early detection of these diseases may prevent further infections and improve the outcome for patients. In particular, transmission of HIV from mother to child can be significantly reduced when preventive measures are taken before birth. We have developed and optimized a method for the simultaneous detection of HIV 1 and hepatitis B and C from dried blood specimensusing the Luminex multi-analyte profiling technology (LabMap). Dried blood spots provide a convenient method for mailing, analysis and storage of samples. Specimens from known HIV-positive children (n=46) as well as hepatitis B- (n=8) and hepatitis C-positive patients (n=7) tested positive in our assay. Storage for up to 10years did not interfere with the test in the case of HIV-positive patients. Results for five different antibodies and one antigen were obtained in approximately 80seconds. Furthermore, antibody levels in infants of HIV-positive mothers were monitored over a period of 1year. Antibodies were no longer detectable after 260–360days, which compared well with results independently obtained by ELISA and Western blot analysis. We demonstrated the feasibility of the simultaneous detection of infectious diseases from dried blood. Our novel method also provides a convenient tool for monitoring children from HIV-positive mothers and for possible screening efforts.
Hematopoietic cytokines in the sera of patients with pancreatic cancer
Authors: Mroczko Barbara , Szmitkowski Maciej , Wereszczyńska-Siemiątkowska Urszula , Jurkowska Grażyna
Published: February 2005

Hematopoietic cytokines (HCs) can affect the growth and spread of cancer. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated in pancreatic cancer patients the serum levels of selected HCs, such as stem cell factor (SCF), interleukin 3 (IL-3), granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) in relation to a control group and to a group of patients with chronic pancreatitis. Classical tumor markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) were also tested. We compared the serum level of cytokines with the tumor stage. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve for cytokines and classical tumor markers were defined. The cytokines were measured in 48 patients with pancreatic cancer, in 23 patients with chronic pancreatitis and in 40 healthy subjects. HCs were determined using ELISA. CEA and CA 19-9 were measured by microparticle enzyme immunoassay. There were significant differences in the levels of circulating SCF, IL-3, GM-CSF, M-CSF, CEA and CA 19-9 in the pancreatic cancer patients compared to the control group. The serum levels of M-CSF and tumor markers were significantly higher in pancreatic cancer patients compared to the pancreatitis group. The levels of SCF, M-CSF and tumor markers were higher in patients with a more advanced tumor stage. The M-CSF serum levels in the pancreatitis group correlated positively with the tumor markers tested – CEA and CA 19-9. The diagnostic sensitivity of SCF and specificity of M-CSF and tumor markers were the highest. The SCF and M-CSF areas under the ROC curve were greater than the areas for other cytokines. These results suggest the potential usefulness of HCs in pancreatic cancer detection; however, further investigations of early-stage pancreatic cancer patients and confirmation by a prospective study are necessary.
Integration between point-of-care cardiac markers in an emergency/cardiology department and the central laboratory: methodological and preliminary clinical evaluation
Authors: Di Serio Francesca , Amodio Gianfranco , Varraso Lucia , Campaniello Maurizio , Coluccia Paola , Trerotoli Paolo , Antonelli Gianfranco , Pansini Nicola
Published: February 2005

To achieve rapid assessment of chest pain in emergency/cardiology departments, a short turnaround time for cardiac marker testing is necessary. Nevertheless, Total Quality Management principles must be incorporated into the management of point-of-care testing (POCT); in this setting we implemented the Stratus CS
Permeability Tests in Rigid-Wall Permeameters: Determining the Degree of Saturation, its Evolution, and its Influence of Test Results
Authors: Chapuis RP
Published: February 2005

This paper documents a method to determine the degree of saturation, Sr, of a soil specimen at any time during a rigid-wall permeameter test. This method first indicates that the tested specimen usually is not fully saturated. Then it is used to prove that the usual test termination criterion based on equality of inflow and outflow volumes may be misleading. Examples are provided where the two volumes were equal within 1 %, whereas Sr increased from 80 to 100 % and k increased by a factor of 4. Without knowing the technique to determine the Sr value at any time, the test would have been stopped prematurely and would have given some k(Sr) value for an unknown Sr with the risk of misinterpreting this result as k(Sr = 100 %). New equations for gas transfer between water and gas bubbles are also established and experimentally verified for specimens permeated with either deaired water or water over-saturated with air.
A Modified Pressure Plate Apparatus
Authors: Leong EC , Tripathy S , Rahardjo H
Published: February 2005

Soil-water characteristic curves of soils can be measured in the laboratory using conventional testing apparatus such as the pressure plate. This paper describes a modified pressure plate apparatus using a commercially available high air entry ceramic plate. The modified pressure plate apparatus has several advantages over the conventional pressure plate apparatus: It can be used to determine both the drying and wetting soil-water characteristic curves, whereas the conventional pressure plate can usually determine only the drying soil-water characteristic curve; the water reservoir beneath the ceramic plate ensures that the ceramic plate is fully saturated at all times; air appearing in the water reservoir due to air diffusion through the ceramic disk can be flushed out by the cross-flow system during the test without stoppage of the test.
Evaluation Indicator of Asphalt Mixture Rutting Susceptibility
Authors: Hao P , Hachiya Y
Published: February 2005

Rutting is the major cause of failure of asphalt pavements. Excessive rutting often results in premature maintenance and rehabilitation activities, reducing the service life of the pavement. It is very important to evaluate the rutting susceptibility of asphalt mixtures in the laboratory at high temperatures. Wheel-tracking devices have gained a great deal of attention as candidates for proof-testing the ability of asphalt mixtures to resist rutting; currently, there are a number of different wheel-tracking devices and different evaluation indicators. The objective of this study is to evaluate indicators of asphalt mixture rutting susceptibility in the laboratory, using the wheel-tracking test and data for different asphalt mixtures and test conditions. It is found that the dynamic stability indicator in the Japanese standard is not suitable for evaluating the rutting susceptibility of asphalt mixtures, but that the relative deformation ratio is a suitable indicator.
Residual Stress Measurement and Modeling by the Initial Strain Distribution Method: Part I-Theory
Authors: Beghini M , Bertini L
Published: February 2005

The paper presents a method for measuring and modeling residual stress fields. The method is based on the evaluation of a hydrostatic initial strain distribution, which is assumed to be the cause of the residual stresses. The initial strain distribution can be used, within a numerical (e.g., finite element) model, to evaluate the complete residual stress distribution of the body. For estimating the initial strain distribution a hybrid (experimental plus numerical) technique is proposed, which is based on measuring the strain relaxed by cutting the body in incremental steps and on sensitivity coefficients obtained by properly elaborating numerical simulations.

The numerical and experimental methodologies are presented along with a general discussion of the rational way to be applied in practice.
Residual Stress Measurement and Modeling by the Initial Strain Distribution Method: Part II—Application to Cladded Plates with Different Heat Treatments
Authors: Beghini M , Bertini L , Valentini R
Published: February 2005

The initial strain distribution (ISD) method is applied to the evaluation of the residual stress in cladded plates with three different heat treatments. The experimental methods are explained and details for the application of the interpretation procedure developed in Part I are provided. The ISD allowed the complete residual stress field of the plates to be obtained and the effect of the heat treatments in the mitigation of the residual stress peaks to be verified. The obtained results make it possible to predict the residual stress field for any body that can be extracted from the plates by any procedure that does not introduce other sources of initial strain.
Application of Magnetoelastic Technology to the Measurement of Stresses in Rails for High-Speed Trains
Authors: Xin Q , Ling HZ , Long TJ
Published: February 2005

On high-speed railroad lines, several dozens of standard rails have to be welded together to make a very long seamless rail. When put into service, owing to the resistance effect of the fasteners and the crossties, such a seamless rail is allowed to expand with heat and contract with cold only within 100 m of its two ends. Thus, huge longitudinal stresses may accumulate inside the rails when the temperature of the rails changes. In a rail, the cross-sectional area of which is 77.45 cm2, and the weight of which is 60 kg per meter, 2.5 MPa of stress will be generated as the temperature of the rail changes 1°C. In a hot summer, if the daily change of the temperature of the rails is 50°C, the stress in the rails will change 75 MPa. Such a large stress in the rails can cause catastrophes. Thus, a technology for the measurement of the stresses inside such a rail in service is urgently needed.

The magnetoelastic wave is a physical effect caused by the sudden irreversible movement of the domain walls inside a ferromagnetic material when it is locally magnetized by an alternating magnetic field. This effect is strongly dependent upon many characteristics, such as mechanical, physical, and chemical, of the material. Based on this effect, an instrument for the measurement of the longitudinal stresses in seamless rails has been developed. Its principle and structure are introduced in this paper and a test is described.
A Novel Pathway for Presynaptic Mitogen-Activated Kinase Activation via AMPA Receptors
Authors: Schenk Ursula , Menna Elisabetta , Kim Taeyong , Passafaro Maria , Chang Sunghoe , De Camilli Pietro , Matteoli Michela
Published: February 2005

AMPA-type glutamate receptors play a key role in mediating postsynaptic responses of excitatory neurotransmitters. It is now well accepted that AMPA receptors are also present at the presynapse, where they are thought to modulate neurotransmitter release. However, the mechanisms through which they control synaptic vesicle traffic have remained elusive. We used cultured hippocampal neurons and growth cone particles prepared from fetal rat brain to investigate the functional role of presynaptic AMPA receptors. We show here that stimulation of presynaptic AMPA receptors induces activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) through a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase-dependent and Na+/Ca2+-independent mechanism. This pathway is activated predominantly in axonal growth cones compared with the somatodendritic compartment. After stimulation of presynaptic AMPA receptors, synapsin I is phosphorylated at MAPK-specific sites. These events are paralleled by a prominent increase in evoked synaptic vesicle recycling that is blocked by the specific MAPK inhibitor 2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one. Similarly, in synaptosomes isolated from adult brain, AMPA stimulation induces MAPK activation and phosphorylation of synapsin I at MAPK-dependent sites and enhances significantly synaptic vesicle recycling. These results reveal a novel pathway for activation of presynaptic MAPK and suggest a role of this pathway in the regulation of short-term presynaptic plasticity.
Activation of Nuclear Factor-κB via Endogenous Tumor Necrosis Factor α Regulates Survival of Axotomized Adult Sensory Neurons
Authors: Fernyhough Paul , Smith Darrell R. , Schapansky Jason , Van Der Ploeg Randy , Gardiner Natalie J. , Tweed Christopher W. , Kontos Andreas , Freeman Lyle , Purves-Tyson Tertia D. , Glazner Gordon W.
Published: February 2005

Embryonic dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons die after axonal damagein vivo, and cultured embryonic DRG neurons require exogenous neurotrophic factors that activate the neuroprotective transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) for survival. In contrast, adult DRG neurons survive permanent axotomyin vivoand in defined culture media devoid of exogenous neurotrophic factorsin vitro. Peripheral axotomy in adult rats induces local accumulation of the cytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), a potent activator of NF-κB activity. We tested the hypothesis that activation of NF-κB stimulated by endogenous TNFα was required for survival of axotomized adult sensory neurons. Peripheral axotomy of lumbar DRG neurons by sciatic nerve crush induced a very rapid (within 2 h) and significant elevation in NF-κB-binding activity. This phenomenon was mimicked in cultured neurons in which there was substantial NF-κB nuclear translocation and a significant rise in NF-κB DNA-binding activity after plating. Inhibitors of NF-κB (SN50 or NF-κB decoy DNA) resulted in necrotic cell death of medium to large neurons (≥40 μm) within 24 h (60 and 75%, respectively), whereas inhibition of p38 and mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase did not effect survival. ELISA revealed that these cultures contained TNFα, and exposure to an anti-TNFα antibody inhibited NF-κB DNA-binding activity by ∼35% and killed ∼40% of medium to large neurons within 24 h. The results show for the first time that cytokine-mediated activation of NF-κB is a component of the signaling pathway responsible for maintenance of adult sensory neuron survival after axon damage.
Excitatory Effects of Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone in the Thalamus
Authors: Broberger Christian , McCormick David A.
Published: February 2005

The activity of the thalamus is state dependent. During slow-wave sleep, rhythmic burst firing is prominent, whereas during waking or rapid eye movement sleep, tonic, single-spike activity dominates. These state-dependent changes result from the actions of modulatory neurotransmitters. In the present study, we investigated the functional and cellular effects of the neuropeptide thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) on the spontaneously active ferret geniculate slice. This peptide and its receptors are prominently expressed in the thalamic network, yet the role of thalamic TRH remains obscure. Bath application of TRH resulted in a transient cessation of both spindle waves and the epileptiform slow oscillation induced by application of bicuculline. With intracellular recordings, TRH application to the GABAergic neurons of the perigeniculate (PGN) or thalamocortical cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus resulted in depolarization and increased membrane resistance. In perigeniculate neurons, this effect reversed near the reversal potential for K+, suggesting that it is mediated by a decrease in K+conductance. In thalamocortical cells, the TRH-induced depolarization was of sufficient amplitude to block the generation of rebound Ca2+spikes, whereas the even larger direct depolarization of PGN neurons transformed these cells from the burst to tonic, single-spike mode of action potential generation. Furthermore, application of TRH prominently enhanced the afterdepolarization that follows rebound Ca2+spikes, suggesting that this transmitter may also enhance Ca2+-activated nonspecific currents. These data suggest a novel role for TRH in the brain as an intrinsic regulator of thalamocortical network activity and provide a potential mechanism for the wake-promoting and anti-epileptic effects of this peptide.
Conditioning Injury-Induced Spinal Axon Regeneration Requires Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 Activation
Authors: Qiu Jin , Cafferty William B. J. , McMahon Stephen B. , Thompson Stephen W. N.
Published: February 2005

Sensory axons in the adult spinal cord do not regenerate after injury. This is essentially because of inhibitory components in the damaged CNS, such as myelin-associated inhibitors and the glial scar. However, if the sciatic nerve is axotomized before injury of the dorsal column, injured axons can regenerate a short distance in the spinal cord. Here, we show that sciatic nerve transection results in time-dependent phosphorylation and activation of the transcription factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. This effect is specific to peripheral injuries and does not occur when the dorsal column is crushed. Sustained perineural infusion of the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) inhibitor AG490 to the proximal nerve stump can block STAT3 phosphorylation after sciatic nerve transection and results in reduced growth-associated protein 43 upregulation and compromised neurite outgrowthin vitro. Importantly,in vivoperineural infusion of AG490 also significantly attenuates dorsal column axonal regeneration in the adult spinal cord after a preconditioning sciatic nerve transection. We conclude that STAT3 activation is necessary for increased growth ability of DRG neurons and improved axonal regeneration in the spinal cord after a conditioning injury.
Functional Control of Cold- and Menthol-Sensitive TRPM8 Ion Channels by Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Bisphosphate
Authors: Liu Beiying , Qin Feng
Published: February 2005

Cold is detected by a small subpopulation of peripheral thermoreceptors. TRPM8, a cloned menthol- and cold-sensitive ion channel, has been suggested to mediate cold transduction in the innocuous range. The channel shows a robust response in whole-cell recordings but exhibits markedly reduced activity in excised membrane patches. Here we report that phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) is an essential regulator of the channel function. The rundown of the channel is prevented by lipid phosphatase inhibitors. Application of exogenous PIP2both activates the channel directly and restores rundown activity. Whole-cell experiments involving intracellular dialysis with polyvalent cations, inhibition of PIP2synthesis kinases, and receptor-mediated hydrolysis of PIP2show that PIP2also modulates the channel activity in the intact cells. The crucial role of PIP2on the function of TRPM8 suggests that the membrane PIP2level may be an important regulator of cold transductionin vivo. The opposite effects of PIP2on the vanilloid receptor TRPV1 and TRPM8 also implies that the membrane lipid may have dual actions as a bimodal switch to selectively control the heat- and cold-induced responses in nociceptors expressing both channels.
Animal-to-Animal Variability in Motor Pattern Production in Adults and during Growth
Authors: Bucher Dirk , Prinz Astrid A. , Marder Eve
Published: February 2005

Which features of network output are well preserved during growth of the nervous system and across different preparations of the same size? To address this issue, we characterized the pyloric rhythms generated by the stomatogastric nervous systems of 99 adult and 12 juvenile lobsters (Homarus americanus). Anatomical studies of single pyloric network neurons and of the whole stomatogastric ganglion (STG) showed that the STG and its neurons grow considerably from juvenile to adult. Despite these changes in size, intracellularly recorded membrane potential waveforms of pyloric network neurons and the phase relationships in the pyloric rhythm were very similar between juvenile and adult preparations. Across adult preparations, the cycle period and number of spikes per burst were not tightly maintained, but the mean phase relationships were independent of the period of the rhythm and relatively tightly maintained across preparations. We interpret this as evidence for homeostatic regulation of network activity.
Activity-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity in the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala
Authors: Samson Rachel D. , Paré Denis
Published: February 2005

Much evidence indicates that fear conditioning involves potentiation of some thalamic inputs to the lateral amygdala (LA). In turn, the LA would excite more neurons in the central nucleus (CE), leading to the generation of fear responses via their brainstem and hypothalamic projections. However, the posterior thalamus not only projects to LA but also to the medial sector of CE (CEm), suggesting that CEm might also be a site of plasticity. To test whether CEm also exhibits activity-dependent synaptic plasticity, we performed whole-cell recordings of CEm neurons in amygdala slices and stimulated thalamic axons coursing through the internal capsule and, as a control, the basolateral (BL) nucleus. High-frequency stimulation of thalamic inputs led to a long-lasting potentiation of thalamic responses, whereas BL-evoked responses remained unchanged. This thalamic long-term potentiation (LTP) developed even when slices were prepared with a cut severing the connections between the LA and CEm but was greatly reduced when an NMDA receptor antagonist was added to the perfusate shortly before and during LTP induction. Yet, intracellular dialysis with the NMDA receptor antagonist (+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate did not prevent induction of the thalamic LTP, suggesting that presynaptic NMDA receptors are required for its induction. Consistent with this, the thalamic LTP also developed when the cells were dialyzed with a calcium chelator or kept hyperpolarized during induction. Finally, this thalamic LTP was associated with reduced amounts of paired-pulse facilitation, suggesting that it is expressed presynaptically. These results are consistent with the idea that the CEm plays an active role in fear conditioning.
Triple Knock-Out ofCNTF,LIF, andCT-1Defines Cooperative and Distinct Roles of these Neurotrophic Factors for Motoneuron Maintenance and Function
Authors: Holtmann Bettina , Wiese Stefan , Samsam Mohtashem , Grohmann Katja , Pennica Diane , Martini Rudolf , Sendtner Michael
Published: February 2005

Members of the ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF)-leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) gene family play an essential role for survival of developing and postnatal motoneurons. When subunits of the shared receptor complex are inactivated by homologous recombination, the mice die at approximately birth and exhibit reduced numbers of motoneurons in the spinal cord and brainstem nuclei. However, mice in whichcntf,lif, or cardiotrophin-1 (ct-1) are inactivated can survive and show less motoneuron cell loss. This suggests cooperative and redundant roles of these ligands. However, their cooperative functions are not well understood. We generatedcntf/lif/ct-1triple-knock-out and combinations of double-knock-out mice to study the individual and combined roles of CNTF, LIF and CT-1 on postnatal motoneuron survival and function. Triple-knock-out mice exhibit increased motoneuron cell loss in the lumbar spinal cord that correlates with muscle weakness during early postnatal development. LIF deficiency leads to pronounced loss of distal axons and motor endplate alterations, whereas CNTF-and/or CT-1-deficient mice do not show significant changes in morphology of these structures. Incntf/lif/ct-1triple-knock-out mice, various degrees of muscle fiber type grouping are found, indicating that denervation and reinnervation had occurred. We conclude from these findings that CNTF, LIF, and CT-1 have distinct functions for motoneuron survival and function and that LIF plays a more important role for postnatal maintenance of distal axons and motor endplates than CNTF or CT-1.
Structural Basis for a Broad But Selective Ligand Spectrum of a Mouse Olfactory Receptor: Mapping the Odorant-Binding Site
Authors: Katada Sayako , Hirokawa Takatsugu , Oka Yuki , Suwa Makiko , Touhara Kazushige
Published: February 2005

The olfactory receptor (OR) superfamily provides a basis for the remarkable ability to recognize and discriminate a large number of odorants. In mice, the superfamily includes ∼1000 members, and they recognize overlapping sets of odorants with distinct affinities and specificities. To address the molecular basis of odor discrimination by the mammalian OR superfamily, we performed functional analysis on a series of site-directed mutants and performed ligand docking simulation studies to define the odorant-binding site of a mouse OR. Our results indicate that several amino acids in the transmembrane domains formed a ligand-binding pocket. Although other G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) recognize biogenic ligands mainly with ionic or hydrogen bonding interactions, ORs recognize odorants mostly via hydrophobic and van der Waals interactions. This accounts for the broad but selective binding by ORs as well as their relatively low ligand-binding affinities. Furthermore, we succeeded in rational receptor design, inserting point mutations in the odorant-binding site that resulted in predicted changes in ligand specificity and antagonist activity. This ability to rationally design the receptor validated the binding site structure that was deduced with our mutational and ligand docking studies. Such broad and specific sensitivity suggests an evolutionary process during which mutations in the active site led to an enormous number of ORs with a wide range of ligand specificity. The current study reveals the molecular environment of the odorant-binding site, and it further advances the understanding of GPCR pharmacology.