bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Who Suffers More from Job Insecurity? A Meta‐Analytic Review
Authors: Cheng Grand H.‐L. , Chan Darius K.‐S.
Published: November 2007

The present meta‐analysis examined the tenure, age, and gender differences in the relationship between job insecurity and its job‐related and health‐related consequences. A total of 133 studies, providing 172 independent samples, were included in the analysis. Our results basically replicated Sverke et al.'s (2002) meta‐analytic findings with an updated methodological approach and a larger database. The main differences between our findings and Sverke et al.'s are that the negative association between job insecurity and job performance was significant and that the relationship between insecurity and job involvement was smaller in our study. The moderator analysis also indicated that: (1) the positive association between job insecurity and turnover intention was stronger among employees with shorter tenure than those with longer tenure, and was stronger among younger than older employees; (2) the negative effect of insecurity on its health outcomes was more severe among employees with longer tenure than those with shorter tenure, and was more severe among older than younger employees; (3) the relationship between insecurity and the criterion variables was similar across gender. Results are discussed with reference to Hulin's (1991) theory of job adaptation and Greenhalgh and Rosenblatt's (1984) job dependence perspective.

La présente méta‐analyse étudie les différences de statut (titulaire ou non), d’âge et de genre dans la relation entre l’insécurité de l’emploi et ses conséquences relatives au travail et à la santé. Un total de 133 recherches, comprenant 172 échantillons indépendants, a été inclu dans l’analyse. Nos résultats, obtenus avec une approche méthodologique actualisée et sur une plus grande base de données, sont pour l’essentiel congruents avec ceux de la méta‐analyse de Sverke et al. (2002). Les différences principales entre nos résultats et ceux de Sverke et al. sont les suivantes: d’une part, entre l’insécurité de l’emploi et la productivité la relation est significativement négative, d’autre part la relation entre l’insécurité de l’emploi et l’engagement au travail est moindre dans notre étude. L’analyse indique aussi que: (1) la relation positive entre l’insécurité de l’emploi et l’intention de le quitter est plus forte parmi les employés ayant un contrat à courte durée contrairement à ceux ayant un contrat à plus longue durée et est plus forte parmi les employés les plus jeunes; (2) l’effet négatif de l’insécurité sur la santé est plus important parmi les employés ayant un contrat de longue durée que pour ceux ayant un contrat de plus courte durée, ce qui est aussi le cas pour les employés les plus âgés; (3) le genre n’a pas d’effet sur la relation entre l’insécurité et les variables choisies. Les résultats sont discutés en référence à la théorie de l’adaptation au travail de Hulin (1991) et la perspective de dépendance au travail de Greenhalgh et Rosenblatt (1984).
Beyond Legalism: Towards a Thicker Understanding of Transitional Justice
Authors: McEvoy Kieran
Published: November 2007

The field of transitional justice is increasingly characterized by the dominance of legalism to the detriment of both scholarship and practice. The first part of the paper examines what is meant by legalism and its consequences in the field through a number of overlapping themes: ‘legalism as seduction’, the ‘triumph’ of human rights, and the tendency towards ‘seeing like a state’. The second part considers a number of correctives to such leanings which are analysed as encouraging legal humility, exploring the human rights as development axis, and finally developing a criminology of transitional justice. As law's place at the heart of transition from conflict is now secure, the time is right for a more honest appraisal of the limitations of legalism and a correspondingly greater willingness to countenance the role of other [non‐legal] actors and forms of knowledge. ‘Letting go of legalism’ will both thicken the subject and deliver more effective change on the ground.
From a Civil Libertarian to a Sanitarian
Authors: Gostin Lawrence O.
Published: November 2007

This article is a contribution to the occasional series dealing with a major book that influenced the author. Previous contributors include Stewart Macaulay, John Griffith, William Twining, Carol Harlow, Geoffrey Bindman, Harry Arthurs, André‐Jean Arnaud, Alan Hunt, and Michael Adler.
Regulating innovative crop technologies in Canada: the case of regulating genetically modified crops
Authors: Smyth Stuart , McHughen Alan
Published: November 2007

The advent of genetically modified crops in the late 1980s triggered a regulatory response to the relatively new field of plant genetic engineering. Over a 7‐year period, a new regulatory framework was created, based on scientific principles that focused on risk mitigation. The process was transparent and deliberately sought the input of those involved in crop development from non‐governmental organizations, industry, academia and federal research laboratories. The resulting regulations have now been in place for over a decade, and the resilience of the risk‐mitigating regulations is evident as there has been no documented case of damage to either environment or human health.
TAX REVENUE‐FINANCED PUBLIC ABATEMENT AND WELFARE: A CONSUMPTION TAX CASE
Authors: Haibara Takumi
Published: November 2007

This paper develops a model of public abatement financed either by a pollution tax or by a consumption tax. It shows that consumption tax revenue‐financed public abatement raises welfare more than pollution tax revenue‐financed public abatement does when the pollution tax rate rises. This result is worthwhile for environmental protection policy makers when they are determining the revenue source of public abatement.
The Fear of Exclusion: Individual Effort when Group Formation is Endogenous*
Authors: Arne Brekke Kjell , Nyborg Karine , Rege Mari
Published: November 2007

To secure their membership in a popular group, individuals may contribute more to the group's local public good than they would if group formation were exogenous. Those in the most unpopular group do not have this incentive to contribute. This may result in substantial differences in individual effort level between groups. Our model thus provides one explanation for the existence of group‐specific behavioral norms. A principal will prefer exogenous or endogenous group formation depending on whether he prefers high or low levels of the local public good. We analyze two stylized examples: social interaction in schools, and multiple‐task teamwork.
Effects of regulatory focus on endorsement of religious beliefs
Authors: REBER ROLF , LIMA ANDREAS , FOSSE BJØRG HELLAND
Published: November 2007

Regulatory focus has an impact on different judgments. Specifically, promotion focus is directed at achieving positive outcome whereas prevention focus is directed at preventing negative outcomes. Thus, people in promotion focus endorse positive outcome‐framed messages whereas people in prevention focus endorse negative outcome‐framed messages. In two experiments, we examined whether this holds true for religious beliefs. In Experiment 1, participants were undergraduate students; we found the expected interaction between regulatory focus and verse frame. In Experiment 2, we replicated this finding with participants from conservative Lutheran communities, demonstrating that there was a transient influence of induced regulatory focus. This finding suggests that regulatory focus either is difficult to discount or is not a peripheral cue that is used in heuristic processing only, but an internal state that has a pervasive impact even if people are highly motivated to process information systematically.
How fair treatment affects saliva cortisol release in stressed low and high type‐A behavior individuals
Authors: VERMUNT RIËL , PEETERS YVETTE , BERGGREN KARL
Published: November 2007

The effects of fair treatment on saliva cortisol release of low and high Type‐A behavior participants in high or low stress conditions are studied. Based on the Injustice Stress Theory (Vermunt & Steensma, 2001), predictions were made about fair treatment as a stress reducing factor. The results support the expected effect of fair treatment in that high type‐A behavior participants in the low stress conditions had lower saliva cortisol levels after fair treatment while this effect was absent in the neutral condition, while low type‐A behavior participants showed lower saliva cortisol release in the high stress conditions after fair treatment while this effect was absent in the neutral condition. Moreover, saliva cortisol scores are correlated positively with negative affect scores and negatively with positive affect scores. The discussion focuses on theoretical implications and suggestions for future research.
Marriages and psychological distress among adult offspring of divorce: A Norwegian study
Authors: STORKSEN INGUNN , RØYSAMB ESPEN , GJESSING HÅKON K. , MOUM TORBJØRN , TAMBS KRISTIAN
Published: November 2007

The study compares the likelihood of getting married and of getting divorced among the adult offspring of divorced parents versus the adult offspring of parents who remain married (total N = 37,230). It also compares levels of psychological distress in the two groups (total N= 22,898). Data derive from The Nord‐Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) and population registries from Norway. Individuals with divorced parents tended to delay marriage or not marry at all. However, among those who married, there were more divorces among the offspring of divorced parents than among offspring of parents who were still married. Offspring of divorce tended to marry other offspring of divorce. These marriages were at especially high risk of dissolution. Parental divorce was particularly influential as a risk factor during the first years of marriage. Both parental divorce and the individuals’ own divorce were risk factors for psychological distress.
Underlying mechanisms of initial feelings of knowing in children
Authors: BESNER NOA R. , SON LISA K.
Published: November 2007

Past research has pointed to two contrasting mechanisms behind feeling‐of‐knowing judgments (FOKs). The trace‐based account proposes a direct internal monitor that detects the presence or non‐presence of a target item. The inferential account dictates that judgments are actually based on cues external to the memory trace, such as familiarity; FOKs could therefore be based on sometimes misleading information. Thus, while a direct mechanism will lead to good learning strategies (i.e. successful searches), an inferential process could potentially lead to less optimal strategies (i.e. search for unknown target information). The question posed in this research was: What processes underlie the judgments children make prior to fully retrieving a target item? We used a simplified version of Reder and Ritter's (1992) game show paradigm to investigate the accuracy (and mechanism) of children's initial FOKs. The experiment found that initial FOKs were largely driven by familiarity of the cues. These data have important implications for strategies children utilize in educational settings.
Infant responsiveness and maternal confidence in the neonatal period
Authors: OLAFSEN KÅRE S. , RØNNING JOHN A. , BREDRUP DAHL LAURITZ , ULVUND STEIN ERIK , HANDEGÅRD BJØRN HELGE , KAARESEN PER IVAR
Published: November 2007

Responsiveness in prematurely and term‐born infants was studied cross‐sectionally in relation to maternal confidence. Orientation and arousal were measured in 140 prematurely (mean BW 1,398 g, GA 30.1 weeks) and 75 term‐born infants (mean BW 3,613 g, GA 39.3 weeks) with the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scales. Mothers filled out the Maternal Confidence Questionnaire and a modified version of the Parenting Stress Index. Prematurely born infants had a significantly lower level of arousal than term‐born neonates. Responsiveness was not associated with maternal confidence. Lower confidence was associated with primiparity in both groups of mothers. Multiparous mothers of prematurely born infants had significantly lower levels of confidence than multiparous mothers of term‐born infants. Confidence was significantly associated with stress for mothers of prematurely and term‐born infants, and may be focused in follow‐up after giving birth. Prematurely born infants should be examined more thoroughly in aspects of arousal at the time of discharge.
From Street‐level Bureaucrats to Street‐level Policy Entrepreneurs? Central Policy and Local Action in Lottery‐funded Community Cancer Care
Authors: Petchey Roland , Williams Jacky , Carter Yvonne H.
Published: November 2007

Recent contributions to the policy implementation literature have applied Kingdon's model of ‘policy windows’ to the implementation of policy on health inequalities in the UK, and have identified the key role played by ‘policy entrepreneurs’ at local as well as national level. Despite this, the picture that emerges is of frustration of central policy intentions at the local level, alongside frustration of local aspirations by the centre. This article explores the relationship between central policy and local implementation in the context of a Lottery‐funded initiative to develop community cancer care in the UK. We examine the relationships: between the BIG Lottery Fund and central government; between BIG and the cancer care projects it funded; and between the projects and their local economy of cancer care. We found evidence of success both in vertical cascading of policy and in local policy innovation; 83 per cent of projects succeeded in obtaining continuation funding at the end of their Lottery funding. We suggest that this was due, in part, to two features of Lottery funding and accountability that combined to differentiate it from the other policy initiatives studied. They meant that projects were ‘buffered’ not just from national policy churn, but also from competing local priorities. In the ‘protected space’ that was thus formed, ‘street‐level policy entrepreneurs’ played a key role in developing cancer care innovations for adoption by mainstream funding agencies.
The Workfare Illusion: Re‐examining the Concept and the British Case
Authors: Dostal Jörg Michael
Published: November 2007

This article contends that workfare programmes pursued by various OECD countries since the mid‐1990s do not amount to a fundamental change in policy. The limited potential of workfare is due to the fact that it fails to transcend the constraints of earlier forms of ‘active’ responses to unemployment. Furthermore, it suffers from specific policy‐making disadvantages not shared by these responses. The article opens with a survey of relevant academic debates on the subject. It then places workfare in a broader context by identifying its functional reach, as compared to other active policy responses to unemployment such as active labour market policy (ALMP). The third section analyses workfare policies in the United Kingdom, as developed since 1997, by re‐examining the British New Deal employment programme. That review demonstrates that workfare policies either depend on their ‘fit’ with the existing policy‐making heritage, or that they remain merely symbolic. The article concludes by suggesting that the potential of workfare to effect change in responses to unemployment continues to be of limited significance. In other words, capitalist employment and welfare systems continue to be characterized by incremental adaptation rather than by fundamental regime change as suggested by the critics of workfare.
SUBPRIME MORTGAGE SEGMENTATION IN THE AMERICAN URBAN SYSTEM
Authors: WYLY ELVIN K. , MOOS MARKUS , FOXCROFT HOLLY , KABAHIZI EMMANUEL
Published: November 2007

Research and policy debates in the United States have focused on the dramatic growth of mortgage lending in the risky subprime sector, which serves consumers with weaker credit histories, and its concentration in racially and ethnically marginalised communities. Evidence linking the subprime boom to the proliferation of predatory abuses, however, is often dismissed as anecdotal or isolated in a few unique places. In this paper, we undertake a geographical analysis of the central justifications for deregulated risk‐based pricing: the proposition that subprime credit serves those who would otherwise be excluded, and reduces exclusionary credit denials. Multivariate analyses of metropolitan‐ and individual‐level processes across the US urban system provide evidence suggesting that subprime mortgage segmentation exacerbates rather than reduces traditional inequalities of denial‐based exclusion.
Exploring Social Mobility with Latent Trajectory Groups
Authors: Sturgis Patrick , Sullivan Louise
Published: November 2007

We present a new methodological approach to the study of social mobility. We use a latent class growth analysis framework to identify five qualitatively distinct social class trajectory groups between 1980 and 2000 for male respondents to the 1970 British Cohort Study. We model the antecedents of trajectory group membership via multinomial logistic regression. Non-response, which is a considerable problem in long-term panels and cohort studies, is handled via direct maximum likelihood estimation, which is consistent and efficient when data are missing at random. Our results suggest a combination of meritocratic and ascriptive influences on the probability of membership in the different trajectory groups.
Properties of the Sieve Bootstrap for Fractionally Integrated and Non‐Invertible Processes
Authors: Poskitt D. S.
Published: November 2007

Abstract. In this article, we investigate the consequences of applying the sieve bootstrap under regularity conditions that are sufficiently general to encompass both fractionally integrated and non‐invertible processes. The sieve bootstrap is obtained by approximating the data‐generating process by an autoregression, whose orderhincreases with the sample sizeT. The sieve bootstrap may be particularly useful in the analysis of fractionally integrated processes since the statistics of interest can often be non‐pivotal with distributions that depend on the fractional indexd. The validity of the sieve bootstrap is established for |d|<1/2 and it is shown that when the sieve bootstrap is used to approximate the distribution of a general class of statistics then the error rate will be of an order smaller than,β>0. Practical implementation of the sieve bootstrap is considered and the results are illustrated using a canonical example.
The structure, development, and politics of the Kent grain trade, 1552–16471
Authors: HIPKIN STEPHEN
Published: November 2007

During Tawney's century, Kent was London's principal coastwise supplier of grain. This trade was concentrated in the ports of Milton, Faversham, and Sandwich, and largely controlled by merchant‐oligarchs living in them, who played a pivotal role in fostering the development of market integration and regional agrarian specialization. In periods of shortage, urban merchants prioritized their own commercial interest, and the subsistence needs of their own resident poor, at the expense of the county's rural poor, and in opposition to policies advocated by their guardians on the county bench. The regional politics of dearth need to be analysed at least as much in terms of vertical as of horizontal fissures in the social structure, and against the background of the politics of plenty, for over‐dependence on the London market provoked protest from producers following good harvests and hardened their attitudes to the poor when the situation was reversed. Some forms of popular protest usually assumed to embody plebeian critiques of the failures oflocaljustices should in fact be read primarily as expressions of the unity that often bound governors and their client‐poor in opposition to the rival subsistence claims of other little commonwealths.
The Brain is Hyperexcitable in Migraine
Authors: Aurora SK , Wilkinson F
Published: November 2007

Migraine is a very common disorder occurring in 20% of women and 6% of men. Central neuronal hyperexcitability is proposed to be the putative basis for the physiological disturbances in migraine. Since there are no consistent structural disturbances in migraine, physiological and psychophysical studies have provided insight into the underlying mechanisms. This is a review of the neurophysiological studies which have provided an insight to migraine pathogenesis supporting the theory of hyperexcitability.
The role of thermochemical sulfate reduction in the origin of Mississippi Valley‐type deposits. II. Carbonate–sulfide relationships
Authors: ANDERSON G. M. , THOM J.
Published: November 2007

The two‐dimensional (2D) reactive transport model of Corbella et al. [Min. Deposita 39 (2004) 344] of the classic ‘mixing hypothesis’, in which a solution containing reduced sulfur and a solution containing aqueous Zn are mixed, has been extended to the case where one brine contains sulfate rather than reduced sulfur, and H2S is produced during the mixing process by thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR), using a possible rate law and experimentally derived rate constants. It is shown that TSR can provide sufficient reduced sulfur to form an ore body in geologically reasonable times, using rate constants in the upper part of the experimental range, in agreement with the results of a constant stirring tank reactor model (Thom & Anderson in press). The results of the 2D model are also compared with the results of titration (zero dimensional) and one‐dimensional models, showing that these models fail to adequately show the amount of carbonate precipitation. Although the 2D model qualitatively shows the distribution and amounts of carbonate precipitation and dissolution, these results are quantitatively inaccurate due to several factors that are intrinsically hard to define.
Cholecystokinin‐2 receptor mediated gene expression in neuronal PC12 cells
Authors: Hansen Thomas v. O. , Borup Rehannah , Marstrand Troels , Rehfeld Jens F. , Nielsen Finn C.
Published: November 2007

J. Neurochem. (2008) 104, 1450–1465.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is abundantly expressed in the CNS, in which it regulates feeding behavior and long‐term memory. Moreover, CCK has been implicated in mental disorders, such as anxiety and schizophrenia. Despite its manifest physiological and pathophysiological role, the molecular targets of neuronal CCK are incompletely understood. To identify genes regulated by neuronal CCK, we generated neuronal PC12 cells stably expressing the CCK‐2 receptor (CCK‐2R) and treated the cells with sulphated CCK‐8 for 2–16 h, before the global expression profile was examined. The changes in gene expression peaked after 2 h, with 67 differentially expressed transcripts identified. A pathway analysis indicated that CCK was implicated in the regulation of the circadian clock system, the plasminogen system and cholesterol metabolism. But transcripts encoding proteins involved in dopamine signaling, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) regulation, memory and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling were also found. Several target genes contained cAMP response elements (CREs), serum response elements (SREs), activator protein 1 (AP1) elements and GC‐rich regions, but otherwise no common regulatory promoter element could be identified. Comparison with forskolin‐ and nerve growth factor (NGF)‐treated PC12 cells showed that CCK induced a separate set of target genes. Taken together, we propose that neuronal CCK may have a role in the regulation of the circadian rhythm, the metabolism of cerebral cholesterol and in the regulation of the plasminogen system.
Effect of endotoxin treatment on the expression and localization of spinal cyclooxygenase, prostaglandin synthases, and PGD2receptors
Authors: Grill Magdalena , Heinemann Akos , Hoefler Gerald , Peskar Bernhard A. , Schuligoi Rufina
Published: November 2007

Systemic inflammation leads to increased expression of spinal cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2 and to a subsequent increase of prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis, which contribute to the development of hyperalgesia and allodynia. In this study, endotoxin caused a sequential induction of membrane bound prostaglandin E synthase‐1 and lipocalin‐type PGD synthase (L‐PGDS) in the mouse spinal cord. L‐PGDS expression was detected in the leptomeninges, oligodendrocytes, and interestingly, in discrete perivascular cells. Endotoxin‐caused increase was most prominent in oligodendrocytes. Endotoxin‐induced COX‐2 and membrane bound prostaglandin E synthase‐1 were restricted to the leptomeninges and perivascular cells. COX‐1 was not influenced by endotoxin. We found COX‐1 expressed in microglia, some of them in close proximity to L‐PGDS‐positive oligodendrocytes and co‐localization of COX‐1 with L‐PGDS in perivascular and leptomeningeal cells under control conditions. It can be assumed, that PGD2biosynthesis under control conditions is mediated via COX‐1 and that during inflammation, increased PGD2is dependent on COX‐2. We found the PGD2receptors DP1 and chemoattractant receptor homologous molecule expressed on T helper type 2 cells (CRTH2) localized in neurons of the dorsal, and motoneurons in the ventral horn. The localization of the PGD2receptors DP1 and CRTH in spinal cord neurons, particularly in neurons of lamina I and II involved in the processing of nociceptive stimuli, supports a role of PGD2under inflammatory conditions.
Detection of intracellular phosphatidylserine in living cells
Authors: Calderon Frances , Kim Hee‐Yong
Published: November 2007

To demonstrate the intracellular phosphatidylserine (PS) distribution in neuronal cells, neuroblastoma cells and hippocampal neurons expressing green fluorescence protein (GFP)‐AnnexinV were stimulated with a calcium ionophore and localization of GFP‐AnnexinV was monitored by fluorescence microscopy. Initially, GFP‐AnnexinV distributed evenly in the cytosol and nucleus. Raising the intracellular calcium level with ionomycin‐induced translocation of cytoplasmic GFP‐AnnexinV to the plasma membrane but not to the nuclear membrane, indicating that PS distributes in the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane. Nuclear GFP‐AnnexinV subsequently translocated to the nuclear membrane, indicating PS localization in the nuclear envelope. GFP‐AnnexinV also localized in a juxtanuclear organelle that was identified as the recycling endosome. However, minimal fluorescence was detected in any other subcellular organelles including mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complex, and lysosomes, strongly suggesting that PS distribution in the cytoplasmic face in these organelles is negligible. Similarly, in hippocampal primary neurons PS distributed in the inner leaflet of plasma membranes of cell body and dendrites, and in the nuclear envelope. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of intracellular PS localization in living cells, providing an insight for specific sites of PS interaction with soluble proteins involved in signaling processes.
Interaction of glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase in the light‐induced rod alpha‐transducin translocation
Authors: Chen Junping , Wu Mingyuan , Sezate Steven A. , Matsumoto Hiro , Ramsey Matthew , McGinnis James F.
Published: November 2007

The light‐dependent subcellular translocation of rod alpha‐transducin (GNAT‐1, or rod Tα) has been well documented. In dark‐adapted animals, rod Tα (rTα) is predominantly located in the rod outer segment (ROS) and translocates into the rod inner segment (RIS) upon exposure to the light. Neither the molecular participants nor the mechanism(s) involved in this protein trafficking are known. We hypothesized that other proteins must interact with rTα to affect the translocations. Using the MBP‐rTα fusion pulldown assay, the yeast two‐hybrid assay and the co‐immunoprecipitation assay, we identified glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and rTα as interacting proteins. Immunoprecipitation also showed β‐actin associates with rTα in the dark but not in the light. To further investigate the involvement of GAPDH in light‐induced rod Tα translocation, GAPDH mRNA was knocked down in vivo by transient expression of siRNAs in rat photoreceptor cells. Under completely dark‐ and light‐adapted conditions, the translocation of rTα was not significantly different within the ‘GAPDH knock‐down photoreceptor cells’ compared to the non‐transfected control cells. However, under partial dark‐adaptation, rTα translocated more slowly in the ‘GAPDH knock‐down cells’ supporting the conclusion that GAPDH is involved in rTα translocation from the RIS to the ROS during dark adaptation.
Printing cotton fabrics with reactive dyes of high reactivity from an acidic printing paste
Authors: El Hamaky Yasser H , Tawfeek Somaia , Ibrahim Dalia F , Maamoun Dalia , Gaber Said
Published: November 2007

The behaviour of reactive dyes of high reactivity during the printing process of 100% cotton fabrics from an alkaline and acidic printing paste was studied in detail. The printing pastes were stored for different periods of time and then the fabrics were printed. The samples were subjected to two methods of fixation, the first by steaming and the second by thermofixation. The effects of different factors such as alkali and acid concentration, storage time of the printing pastes and method of fixation on the K/S values of the prints were investigated. The fastness properties of the printed areas were also measured to determine the improvement obtained by acidic printing with high‐reactivity reactive dyes on cotton fabrics.
Synthesis of an amino‐terminated hyperbranched polymer and its application in reactive dyeing on cotton as a salt‐free dyeing auxiliary
Authors: Zhang Feng , Chen Yuyue , Lin Hong , Lu Yanhua
Published: November 2007

A water‐soluble amino‐terminated hyperbranched polymer was synthesised from methyl acrylate and diethylene triamine by melt polycondensation. Its molecular weight and possible structure were characterised by gel permeation chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The zeta potential of cotton fabrics treated with the aqueous solution of the amino‐terminated hyperbranched polymer (6 g dm−3) in the presence of citric acid (2 g dm−3) and sodium hypophosphite (3 g dm−3) of the liquid phase is positive at pHs lower than 7.5. Dyed with reactive dyes, the treated cotton fabric displayed a markedly enhanced colour strength, even when dyeing had been carried out in the absence of the electrolyte. The washing fastness, rubbing fastness and levelling properties of the dyed, treated cotton fabrics were also good compared with that obtained by conventional dyeing. The dyeing behaviour of Reactive Brilliant Yellow A‐4GLN on treated cotton fabric was examined and found to follow a Langmuir‐type adsorption curve. It is concluded that the amino‐terminated hyperbranched polymer can be used as a salt‐free auxiliary in reactive dyeing on cotton.
Doped oxides of cerium as inorganic colorants
Authors: Aby Cheruvathoor Poulose , Sreeram Kalarical Janardhanan , Nair Balachandran Unni , Ramasami Thirumalachari
Published: November 2007

The colour of inorganic colorants is based on metal ions such as cadmium, lead, chromium or cobalt, the majority of which are unfortunately potentially toxic. Thus, there is in a need to introduce alternative metal or metal oxides, which would be environmentally friendly and economically viable as a replacement for potentially toxic inorganic colorants. Rare earth‐based colorants offer an additional opportunity for the development of optically pure colours. In this study, a replacement for potentially toxic colorants has been sought through the use of a rare earth metal ion, cerium. Appropriate doping of cerium oxides with molybdenum and iron gives an orange–red colorant. The conditions ideal for optimal colour have been standardised and the resultant colorant characterised through powder X‐ray diffraction techniques, particle size measurement, etc. The colorants exhibit good hiding power and tinting strength.
Multiple roles of midline dorsal thalamic nuclei in induction and spread of limbic seizures
Authors: Bertram Edward H. , Zhang DeXing , Williamson John M.
Published: November 2007

Summary

Purpose: Studies have suggested that the medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus plays a role in the behavioral expression of limbic seizures, but it is unclear whether this region is a key component for the primary seizure circuitry or a path for seizure spread from one region to another. This study was undertaken to determine the potential role of this region in limbic seizure activity.

Methods: Adult male rats received kindling stimulation either under urethane anesthesia or while awake. Glutamate or its agonists or the GABA antagonist bicuculline or agonist muscimol were infused into the medial dorsal nucleus. In another series, kindling acquisition was compared among three thalamic sites as well as with the amygdala and hippocampus

Results: Drugs that enhanced excitatory drive or blocked GABA resulted in significant prolongation of electrographic seizure activity compared to saline infused controls. Enhanced GABA activity resulted in a significant reduction of seizure duration. Infusion of the compounds lateral to the medial dorsal nucleus did not affect seizure duration. In the kindling studies the medial dorsal region is the only thalamic nucleus from which hippocampal seizures can be induced, but with an elevated afterdischarge threshold compared to the two limbic sites. However, the seizures generalized more rapidly from the medial dorsal region.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the medial dorsal nucleus and other dorsal midline nuclei have a significant role in the primary seizure circuits of limbic seizures as well as in spread of seizure activity to other regions.
Epilepsy as part of the phenotype associated with ATP1A2 mutations
Authors: Deprez Liesbet , Weckhuysen Sarah , Peeters Katelijne , Deconinck Tine , Claeys Kristl G. , Claes Lieve R.F. , Suls Arvid , Van Dyck Tine , Palmini André , Matthijs Gert , Van Paesschen Wim , De Jonghe Peter
Published: November 2007

Summary

Purpose: Mutations in the ATP1A2 gene have been described in families with familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM). FHM is a variant of migraine with aura characterized by the occurrence of hemiplegia during the aura. Within several FHM families, some patients also had epileptic seizures. In this study we tested the hypothesis that mutations in ATP1A2 may be common in patients presenting with epilepsy and migraine.

Methods: We selected 20 families with epilepsy and migraine and performed mutation analysis of ATP1A2 in the probands by direct sequencing of all exons and splice‐site junctions.

Results: Novel ATP1A2 mutations were found in two of the 20 families (10%). The p.Gly900Arg mutation was present in a family with epilepsy and FHM, and the p.Cys702Tyr mutation occurred in a family with occipitotemporal epilepsy and migraine with and without visual aura. In the two families together, six mutation carriers had the combination of epilepsy and migraine, two had only epilepsy, and six had only migraine.

Discussion: This study shows that a history of migraine and a family history of both epilepsy and migraine should be obtained in all patients presenting with epilepsy in the epilepsy clinic. It may be worthwhile to screen patients with a combination of epilepsy and migraine and a positive family history of either migraine or epilepsy for mutations in the ATP1A2 gene.
Molecular background of EPM1—Unverricht–Lundborg disease
Authors: Joensuu Tarja , Lehesjoki Anna‐Elina , Kopra Outi
Published: November 2007

Summary

Unverricht–Lundborg disease (EPM1) is an autosomal recessively inherited neurodegenerative disorder and the most common single cause of progressive myoclonus epilepsy worldwide. Mutations in the gene encoding cystatin B (CSTB), a cysteine protease inhibitor, are responsible for the primary defect underlying EPM1. Here, progress toward understanding the molecular mechanisms in EPM1 is reviewed. We summarize the current knowledge about the CSTB gene and mutations as well as the cellular biology of the CSTB protein with emphasis on data emerging from analysis of EPM1 patients. We shed light on the disease mechanisms of EPM1 based on characterization of the CSTB‐deficient mouse model.
Neonatal seizure detection using multichannel display of envelope trend
Authors: Abend Nicholas S. , Dlugos Dennis , Herman Susan
Published: November 2007

Summary

We aimed to determine whether analysis of EEG envelope trend aids bedside detection of neonatal seizures. Five neonatal EEGs with multiple seizures were used to determine optimal trend parameters for seizure detection. Using these parameters, envelope trends were generated on eight additional EEGs, evaluated by experienced and inexperienced users, and compared to traditional EEG interpretation. Seizures were best detected using envelope trend of 2–6 Hz activity over 20‐s epochs. Experienced and inexperienced users identified 88% and 55% of prolonged seizures, respectively, 40% and 6% of brief seizures, and 20% and 0% of slowly evolving seizures. All users identified less than two false positives per hour. Thus, an experienced envelope trend user accurately identified longer seizures but did not identify brief or slowly evolving seizures. Less experienced users were less accurate. Trending may be a useful tool for seizure detection in some neonates.
Lower Extremity Motor Performance and Body Mass Index in Elderly People: The Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Authors: Sergi Giuseppe , Perissinotto Egle , Toffanello Elena D. , Maggi Stefania , Manzato Enzo , Buja Alessandra , Coin Alessandra , Frigo Anna C. , Inelmen Emine M. , Enzi Giuliano ,   for the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging Working Group
Published: November 2007

OBJECTIVES: To test the association between body mass index (BMI) and lower extremity motor performance in elderly people.

DESIGN: Multicenter, cross‐sectional, observational study.

SETTING: A sample of individuals aged 65 and older recruited for the baseline survey of the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand six hundred seventy‐two individuals (1,436 men, 1,236 women) independent with transfers and toileting and independent or requiring assistance for bathing or dressing.

MEASUREMENTS: Motor function was assessed using a Motor Performance Test (MPT), with a set of six tasks exploring lower extremity performance (LEP): rising once from a chair, turning in a half circle, tandem walking, standing on one leg, stair climbing, and walking 5 m.

RESULTS: The highest prevalence rates of difficulty in performing the tasks occurred in men and women, respectively, in tandem walking (14%, 28%), stair climbing (17.0%, 43%) and walking 5 m (15%, 30%). In both sexes, moderate (men: odds ratio (OR)=1.99, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.16–3.43; women OR=2.07, 95% CI=1.18–3.65) and severe obesity (men: OR=3.45, 95% CI=1.21–9.89; women: OR=3.16, 95% CI=1.43–6.95) were each independently associated with overall motor performance impairment after adjusting for age, smoking, and comorbidity. Best performance was generally observed in the normal‐weight and overweight groups.

CONCLUSION: The results confirm that, in both sexes, overweight is not related to motor impairment. Only in women, low BMI is associated with higher probability of overall motor performance impairment. These data suggest that moderate obesity should be distinguished from severe obesity when assessing the relationship between BMI and LEP.
Natural History of Decline in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Performance over the 10 Years Preceding the Clinical Diagnosis of Dementia: A Prospective Population‐Based Study
Authors: Pérès Karine , Helmer Catherine , Amieva Hélène , Orgogozo Jean‐Marc , Rouch Isabelle , Dartigues Jean‐François , Barberger‐Gateau Pascale
Published: November 2007

OBJECTIVES: To study the subtle changes in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) over the 10 years preceding the clinical diagnosis of dementia.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort designed in 1988 to study cerebral and functional aging.

SETTING: Community‐based study in southwestern France.

PARTICIPANTS: The sample included 104 incident cases of dementia at the 10‐year follow‐up (T10) and 882 subjects free of dementia at the same visit, all forming part of the PAQUID Study.

MEASUREMENTS: Restriction in four IADLs was studied (telephone, transportation, medication, and finances) 2, 5, 7, and 10 years before the T10 visit.

RESULTS: The future dementia cases had greater IADL restrictions 10 years before the clinical diagnosis of dementia and more‐rapid functional deterioration over time. Controlled for age, sex, and education, subjects restricted in at least two IADLs at baseline had a higher risk of dementia 10 years later (odds ratio (OR)=2.59, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.24–5.38). In finances, difficulty at baseline was a predictor of dementia 10 years later (OR=2.15, 95% CI=1.13–4.08).

CONCLUSION: This study is the first to show that, 10 years before the clinical diagnosis of dementia, subjects who later developed dementia performed worse in complex activities of daily living, which may constitute an early marker of the disease. In practice, restriction in IADLs may be a simple and useful tool for screening subjects at risk of developing dementia in the long term.
Genital Warts Treated By Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Kacerovska Denisa , Pizinger Karel , Kumpova Magda , Cetkovska Petra
Published: November 2007

The patient, a 30‐year‐old man with numerous genital condylomata acuminata (CA), has had unsuccessful treatment with liquid nitrogen, 20% podophyllin, and repeated 0.5% podophyllotoxin solution with 5% imiquimod (Figure 1). Before the appearance of CA, he experienced acute orchiepididimitis and a Candida infection. The patient was immunologically examined, and the lower level of lymphocytes, slightly reduced level of IgM, and C4 complement were revealed. Results from a human immunodeficiency virus examination were negative. After the therapeutic failure mentioned above, photodynamic therapy (PDT) was initiated using 20% aminolevulinic acid (5‐ALA) in a gel. The photosensitizer was applied to lesions and 10 mm of surrounding skin in a 1‐mm‐thick layer under occlusive dressing for 3 hours and then removed with saline and nonwoven gauze. The site was immediately irradiated with noncoherent red light with an emission spectrum of 580 to 680 nm wavelength (Medeikonos PDT‐Model 200, Medeikonos AB, Sweden). The total light dose was 50 J/cm2; light intensity ranged from 70 to 90 mW/cm2. Because of persistent fluorescence during photodynamic therapy, the treatment was repeated 10 times in 2‐week intervals with a follow‐up of 1, 3, and 6 months after its completion. After the last PDT treatment, the persistent fluorescence disappeared completely. The absence of fluorescence corresponded with a healed clinical finding without scarring and pigmentation (Figure 2). The period from the initiation of PDT to the consolidation of CA was 22 weeks. During PDT treatment, the patient felt only mild burning, which disappeared after the illumination stopped. Six months after the therapy, there were no signs of recurrent disease.

Condylomata acuminata before photodynamic therapy.

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Clinical finding 6 months following photodynamic therapy.

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Posttraumatic Lipoma: Fact or Fiction?
Authors: Aust Matthias C. , Spies Marcus , Kall Susanne , Jokuszies Andreas , Gohritz Andreas , Vogt Peter
Published: November 2007

Background.

Both trauma and lipomas are a common occurrence in surgical practice. Lipomas are usually benign adipose tumors with as‐yet unexplained pathogenesis and etiology. A link between soft tissue trauma and the formation of lipomas has been described, with the latter being named posttraumatic lipomas.

Methods.

Twenty‐three cases of posttraumatic lipomas in 19 patients treated at our institution between August 2001 and January 2005 were reviewed with regard to medical history, magnetic resonance imaging findings, intraoperative findings, clinical chemistry, and histology.

Results.

The mean age of the patients was 50.0 years (±15.5). The average time between soft tissue trauma and lipoma formation was 2.6 years (range, 0.5–6.0 years). Sixteen of the 19 patients reported extensive and slowly resolving hematoma formation after the traumatic event. Nine of 23 lipomas were found on the upper extremities, 3 on the lower extremities, 9 on the trunk, and 2 on the face. All tumors were located epifascially. Twenty‐two lipomas were removed by simple excision and, in one case, aspiration lipectomy was performed. Pathology demonstrated capsulated and noncapsulated benign adipose tumors in 23 cases. The average body mass index, amounted to 30 kg/m2 (±7.6 kg/m2). Seven patients without known bleeding disorders presented with an elevated partial thromboplastin time.

Conclusions.

The pathogenetic link between soft tissue trauma and the formation of posttraumatic lipomas is still controversially discussed. There are 2 potential explanations to correlate soft tissue trauma and adipose tissue tumor growth. The first is the formation of so‐called posttraumatic pseudolipomas by prolapsing adipose tissue through fascia resulting from direct impact. A second possibility points toward lipoma formation as a result of preadipocyte differentiation and proliferation mediated by cytokine release following soft tissue trauma and hematoma formation.
Parapsoriasis: A Complex Issue
Authors: Sehgal Virendra N. , Srivastava Govind , Aggarwal Ashok K.
Published: November 2007

Parapsoriasis is a peculiar reaction pattern of the skin that appears to have a spectrum with small plaque parapsoriasis at one end and large plaque at the other. The spectrum between is bridged by pityriasis lichenoides, pityriasis lichenoides chronica, pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta, and lymphomatoid papulosis. The highlights of the clinical pattern of these diseases has been succinctly elucidated here to facilitate their recognition in day‐to‐day dermatologic practice. Their possible etiopathogenesis has been brought to focus in the light of changing concepts reported in the literature. Further, possible future implications demand a meticulous follow‐up because, in a few cases, true neoplasms may ultimately develop. Treatment modalities are briefly discussed.