bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated pictorial mnemonics and stimulus fading: Teaching kindergartners letter sounds
Authors: de Graaff Saskia. , Verhoeven Ludo. , Bosman Anna M. T. , Hasselman Fred.
Published: November 2006

Background. The conclusion from a vast literature on literacy acquisition is that letter knowledge is one of the best predictors of literacy development. The question of the best way to teach children letter sounds has not, as yet, been answered satisfactorily.

Aims. The aim of this study was the evaluation of a computer training program using integrated‐picture mnemonics combined with a fading procedure to teach children letter sounds.

Sample. Thirty‐nine kindergartners attending mainstream primary education participated in this study.

Method. A within‐subject design was used. Each kindergartner learned letters under three conditions: (a) a fading condition in which letters are taught using a picture‐supported first‐sound mnemonics procedure in combination with a fading procedure; (b) an embedded condition in which letters are taught using the picture‐supported first‐sound‐mnemonics procedure only and (c) a without‐picture condition in which letters are taught using a first‐sound procedure without‐picture support. Dependent measures included a productive and receptive letter‐sound test, and a first‐sound isolation task.

Results. Productive letter‐sound knowledge in the fading condition was better than in the other two conditions. In addition, kindergartners with good and those with poor first‐sound isolation ability performed equally well in the fading condition. However, in the embedded and in the without‐picture conditions, the kindergartners with good first‐sound isolation ability outperformed those with poor isolation ability.

Conclusion. These findings indicate that an integrated‐picture mnemonics procedure combined with a fading procedure is effective in teaching kindergartners letter sounds and that the success of such a procedure does not depend on their initial first‐sound isolation ability.
Psychotherapy and schizophrenia: An analysis of requirements of individual psychotherapy with persons who experience manifestly barren or empty selves
Authors: Lysaker Paul H. , Buck Kelly D. , Hammoud Kristin
Published: November 2006

Emerging views of schizophrenia emphasize that part of recovery involves persons reclaiming a sense of their own identity, agency and personal worth. While this intuitively seems a matter where psychotherapy might be uniquely useful, it raises the issue of how this should be facilitated particularly among persons who experience themselves as unable to engage in dialogue with others. In this article, we explore how integrative psychotherapy might address issues of self‐narrative and recovery from schizophrenia among persons experiencing, in particular profound levels of emptiness or barrenness. Illustrated with two case examples, we explore barriers posed to psychotherapy by clients' minimalist self‐presentations and describe three stages for integrative interventions that can revitalize dialogues within the client and between the client and others, ultimately enabling the reconstruction of a client's personal narrative within which a life plan might be articulated, guiding future action.
Ready or Not …? Teen Sexuality and the Troubling Discourse of Readiness
Authors: Ashcraft Catherine
Published: November 2006

In this article, I explore how talk about being “ready” or “not ready” for sex shapes teen and adult understandings of sexuality. I argue that this “discourse of readiness” poses serious threats to teens' identity development, sexual decision making, and educators efforts to help them through these processes. To illustrate, I draw from my nine‐month ethnography, examining how participants used readiness discourses to make sense of their sexualities. I suggest implications for educators, policy makers, and researchers in anthropology and education.
Boron nitride nanotubes/polystyrene composites
Authors: Zhi Chunyi , Bando Yoshio , Tang Chengchun , Honda Susumu , Kuwahara Hiroaki , Golberg Dmitri
Published: November 2006

Boron nitride nanotube (BNNT)/polystyrene (PS) composite films were fabricated for the first time using high-quality BNNTs synthesized via a chemical-vapor-deposition method. The composite films exhibited good transparency. Tensile tests indicated that the elastic modulus of the films was increased by ∼21% when a ∼1 wt% soluble BNNT fraction was in use. Dispersion of BNNTs in PS and interfacial interactions between them were investigated using transmission electron microscopy. The film thermal properties, such as stability to oxidation and glass transition temperatures were measured. The experimental results and simple theoretical estimates indicate that BNNTs is a promising additive material for polymeric composites.
Photoelectrochemical properties of N-doped self-organized titania nanotube layers with different thicknesses
Authors: Macak J.M. , Ghicov A. , Hahn R. , Tsuchiya H. , Schmuki P.
Published: November 2006

The present work reports nitrogen doping of self-organized TiO2 nanotubular layers. Different thicknesses of the nanotubular layer architecture were formed by electrochemical anodization of Ti in different fluoride-containing electrolytes; tube lengths were 500 nm, 2.5 μm, and 6.1 μm. As-formed nanotube layers were annealed to an anatase structure and treated in ammonia environment at 550 °C to achieve nitrogen doping. The crystal structure, morphology, composition and photoresponse of the N-doped were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and photoelectrochemical measurements. Results clearly show that successful N-doping of the TiO2 nanotubular layers can be achieved upon ammonia treatment. The magnitude of the photoresponse in ultraviolet and visible light is strongly dependent on the thicknesses of the layers. This effect is ascribed to recombination effects along the tube length.
Theoretical phase diagrams of nanowires
Authors: Abudukelimu G. , Guisbiers G. , Wautelet M.
Published: November 2006

Systems with typical dimensions in the range of 1–100 nm are in an intermediate state between solid and molecular. Such systems are characterized by the fact that the ratio of the number of surface to volume atoms is not small. This is known to lead to size and shape effects on their cohesive properties. In this work, the phase diagram of nanowires was studied in the framework of classical thermodynamics. The roles of the size, shape, and surface tensions were emphasized. The melting temperatures of nanowires of 21 elements were evaluated theoretically. In the case of binary systems, it was shown that the experimental or theoretical knowledge of the size-dependent phase diagrams of a given binary system allows the evaluation of the one of nanowires. The procedure is described in this paper.
Single-walled carbon nanotubes synthesized by the pyrolysis of pyridine over catalysts
Authors: Liu J. , Carroll D.L. , Cech J. , Roth S.
Published: November 2006

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were successfully synthesized by pyrolysis of pyridine over MgO supported Fe–Mo or Co–Mo catalysts in the presence of pure H2 or a mixture of H2 and NH3 atmospheres. The average diameters of SWNTs are ∼1.5 and ∼3 nm for pure H2 and the H2 and HN3 mixture, respectively. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) studies show that the SWNTs grown in both atmospheres are doped with nitrogen substituted into the lattice in a pyridine-type structure. This results in a donor feature in the local density of states with an energy that depends on the nitrogen doping concentration.
Mesoscale modeling of mechanics of carbon nanotubes: Self-assembly, self-folding, and fracture
Authors: Buehler Markus J.
Published: November 2006

Using concepts of hierarchical multiscale modeling, we report development of a mesoscopic model for single-wall carbon nanotubes with parameters completely derived from full atomistic simulations. The parameters in the mesoscopic model are fit to reproduce elastic, fracture, and adhesion properties of carbon nanotubes, in this article demonstrated for (5,5) carbon nanotubes. The mesoscale model enables modeling of the dynamics of systems with hundreds of ultralong carbon nanotubes over time scales approaching microseconds. We apply our mesoscopic model to study self-assembly processes, including self-folding, bundle formation, as well as the response of bundles of carbon nanotubes to severe mechanical stimulation under compression, bending, and tension. Our results with mesoscale modeling corroborate earlier results, suggesting a novel self-folding mechanism, leading to creation of racket-shaped carbon nanotube structures, provided that the aspect ratio of the carbon nanotube is sufficiently large. We find that the persistence length of the (5,5) carbon nanotube is on the order of a few micrometers in the temperature regime from 300 to 1000 K.
Position-selective growth of carbon nanotubes on Ni catalysts/Mo underlayers by thermal chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Okuyama Hiroki , Iwata Nobuyuki , Yamamoto Hiroshi
Published: November 2006

Position-selective growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and vertically aligned CNTs (VACNTs) on patterned metal were prepared using thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD) and direct current (DC) plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. We propose a new position-controlling method of CNTs by controlling not only the position of Ni as a catalyst, but also the morphology of Mo as an underlayer for the catalysts. Selective growth of CNTs was achieved at the edges of the patterned metal using TCVD. The minimum width of selectively grown CNTs, approximately 2.6 μm, was approximately one-eightieth that of the patterned metal, 200 μm. The VACNTs were synthesized using the PECVD method, but the VACNTs grew throughout the patterned metal. A position-controlled method of CNT growth was demonstrated in optimum conditions of the TCVD.
Electrospun single-crystal MoO3 nanowires for biochemistry sensing probes
Authors: Gouma P. , Kalyanasundaram K. , Bishop A.
Published: November 2006

Single-crystal MoO3 nanowires were produced using the electrospinning technique. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed that the one-dimensional nanostructures are 10–50 nm in diameter, on the order of 1–2 μm in length, and have the orthorhombic MoO3 structure. The structure, crystallinity, and sensoric character of these electrostatically processed nanowires are discussed. It has been demonstrated that the nonwoven network of MoO3 nanowires exhibits an order of magnitude higher sensitivity compared with that of a sol-gel based sensor. This is promising for use of the nanowire sensors in nanomedicine.
Raman studies of optical phonons in vertical cadmium sulfide nanorod arrays
Authors: Xi Dongjuan , Li Jianzhong , Pei Qibing , Chen Bin
Published: November 2006

Electrochemically grown cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanorod arrays were studied with Raman spectroscopy. The resonant Raman spectroscopy unravels the enhanced electron-phonon interaction up to the fifth-order multiphonon process in the vertically aligned CdS nanorods after annealing. Resonant Raman scattering at room temperature reveals a surface phonon mode at 253 cm−1 in the annealed nanorod. This unprecedented observation is accounted for by the lateral confinement in the nanorod whose average aspect ratio is approximately 5. An intersubband transition near 3000 cm−1 is also observed. These results point to important optoelectronic applications of this material.
Islamic Feminist Strategies in a Liberal Democracy
Authors: Franks Myfanwy
Published: November 2006

This article revisits the troubled relationship between Islam and feminism post September 11th 2001. The majority of the literature about Islamic feminism is concerned with Islamic women’s activism in the context of Muslim countries. This article is about women who choose an Islamic revivalist path in the context of Western secularized society and the strategies they employ to obtain their Islamic rights within that particular context. Rights discourse, rooted in Enlightenment thinking, which underpins liberalism and the discourse of choice, is the very discourse with which some Islamic revivalist sisters find fault, resulting in an effort by some to disentangle the liberal from the Islamic, in the liberal democratic context. I consider whether this interest in rights and the strategies utilised to obtain them may have waned since the events of 2001 and whether the term “feminism” is appropriate for the women’s activism for rights within Islam.
Cropping Sequence Effect of Pea and Pea Management on Spring Wheat in the Northern Great Plains
Authors: Miller P. R. , Engel R. E. , Holmes J. A.
Published: November 2006

Annual legumes permit intensified cropping in no‐till systems in the drought‐prone northern Great Plains. Our objectives were to compare cropping sequence effects of pea (Pisum sativum L.) with fallow, mustard (Sinapis alba L.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and to measure the effects of pea harvest timing and shoot biomass presence on soil water use and N contribution, and yield and grain quality of subsequent wheat. Pea, mustard, wheat, and fallow preceded spring wheat at three sites in Montana. In the first year, two harvest timings (anthesis and maturity) were included and managed for presence or absence of crop shoot biomass. In the second year, a wheat test crop was grown at four N fertilizer rates. Regardless of management, pea used equal or less soil water, contributed equal or greater soil N, and had equal or greater positive impact on subsequent wheat growth than mustard or wheat. Compared with maturity, midseason harvest timing of pea increased soil N (30–39 kg NO3–N ha−1) and soil water (19–39 mm) available in the spring to the subsequent wheat test crop at two of three sites. Under severe drought, midseason harvest of pea increased wheat yield 50% and critically increased grain density compared with the mature pea harvest. At the N‐limited site, midseason harvest of pea increased wheat yield 14% and grain protein 9% compared with mature pea harvest. Pea shoot biomass presence did not affect soil water or N, or growth of a subsequent wheat crop.
Performance of Double‐Cropped Winter Wheat–Summer Maize under Minimum Irrigation in the North China Plain
Authors: Zhang Xiying , Pei Dong , Chen Suying , Sun Hongyong , Yang Yonghui
Published: November 2006

The double cropping of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and summer maize (Zea mays L.) in the North China Plain (NCP) requires intensive irrigation that results in rapidly depleting aquifers and threatens the sustainable agricultural development in the region. This study investigated the possibility of growing winter wheat and maize with minimum irrigation (MI) by bringing soil moisture in the top root zone to field capacity at sowing with no further irrigation afterwards. Results over 8 yr (1997–2005) showed that grain yield of winter wheat was over 5000 kg ha−1 and maize was over 6000 kg ha−1 in most of the seasons under MI. The average yield was decreased by 14% for winter wheat and 13% for maize compared with the fully irrigated treatment (FI). Water use efficiency (WUE) under MI was increased by 15% for winter wheat and 10% for maize compared with that under FI. Average seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) was 335 mm under MI and 447 mm under FI for winter wheat, and 319 mm and 403 mm for maize, respectively. The annual irrigation requirement of MI was only half that of FI. Yield reduction in MI was negatively related to seasonal rainfall (significant at P < 0.05). The success of MI depended on the deeper root system of winter wheat using soil moisture that accumulated below the shallower rooted maize over the summer rainfall season. The results showed that an MI strategy that would be simple to implement for farmers would contribute significantly to the sustainability of the groundwater resource.
Techniques for Mammalian Cell Tissue Culture
Authors: Phelan Mary C.
Published: November 2006

This appendix opens with detailed discussions on the latest principles of sterile technique and preparation of culture media. Step‐by‐step protocols describe trypsinizing and subculturing monolayer cultures, passaging suspension cultures, freezing and thawing cells, counting cells using a hemacytometer, and preparing cells for transport.
Analysis of Proteins
Authors: Scopes R.K. , Smith John A.
Published: November 2006

This overview discusses a broad array of aspects involved in protein purification, including historical background, determining the purpose for purifying a particular protein, and methods and recommendations for specific purification procedures. Strategies are discussed based on the classification of the protein according to shape, oligomeric structure, function, as well as location and associations within the cell. Specifically, critical issues are detailed for extracellular, cytoplasmic, and membrane‐associated proteins, as well as for insoluble proteins. Strategies for purification of both soluble and insoluble (inclusion bodies) recombinantly expressed proteins are also provided. Protein purification flow charts are presented to give a broad outline of the methods used for different types of proteins. Also covered are methods of analysis and detection, and techniques for characterizing a purified protein.
Quantitation of DNA and RNA with Absorption and Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Authors: Gallagher Sean R. , Desjardins Philippe R.
Published: November 2006

Quantitation of nucleic acids is a fundamental tool in molecular biology that requires accuracy, reliability, and the use of increasingly smaller sample volumes. This unit describes the traditional absorbance measurement at 260 nm and three more sensitive fluorescence techniques, as well as three microvolume methods that use fiber optic technology in specialized cells or instrumentation. These procedures allow quantitation of DNA solutions ranging from 1 pg/l to 50 mg/ml.
MLPA and MAPH: Sensitive Detection of Deletions and Duplications
Authors: den Dunnen Johan T. , White Stefan J.
Published: November 2006

The detection of quantitative changes in genomic DNA, i.e., deletions and duplications or so called Copy Number Variants (CNV), is an important element of a complete mutation screening strategy. However, because of practical difficulties, screening for quantitative changes in genomic DNA is often ignored. Hitherto, the techniques available were technically challenging and laborious and thus too costly to be applied on a routine basis. The development of MAPH (Multiplex Amplifiable Probe Hybridization) and more recently MLPA (Multiplex Ligation‐dependent Probe Amplification) have revived interest in the detection of deletions and duplications, primarily due to the simplicity and flexibility of these two approaches. Compared to previous technologies, e.g., Southern blotting, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), quantitative PCR (qPCR), and breakpoint PCR, they have some clear advantages, including high resolution, high throughput, amenability to multiplexing, and simplicity.
Measuring FRET in Flow Cytometry and Microscopy
Authors: Nagy Péter , Vereb György , Damjanovich Sándor , Mátyus László , Szöllősi János
Published: November 2006

This unit presents protocols describing the measurement of protein associations using FRET as determined by flow and image cytometry. The proteins under investigation can be labeled by fluorescent antibodies or fluorescent protein (FP) variants. The flow cytometry protocols determine FRET based on the measurement of donor quenching, which provides a FRET value on a population basis, or based on the measurement of fluorescence intensities in the donor, FRET, and acceptor channels, which provides cell‐by‐cell FRET values. An extension of this protocol is based on cell‐by‐cell correction for autofluorescence and requires the measurement of four fluorescence intensities. The algorithm described can be applied in image cytometric FRET as well. The image protocol determines FRET resolved by donor photobleaching. The authors provide extensive discussion of pitfalls, limitations, and interpretation.
Change of nitric oxide concentration in men exposed to a 1.5 T constant magnetic field
Authors: Sırmatel Öcal , Sert Cemil , Tümer Cemil , Öztürk Adil , Bilgin Murat , Ziylan Zeki
Published: November 2006

This study was carried out in order to determine nitric oxide (NO) production immediately after a 1.5 T magnetic field 30 min exposure to an experimental group, comprising 33 healthy young male volunteers aged 18–26 years old. In addition, a control group, comprising 30 healthy male volunteers aged 19–26 years old, was not exposed to the magnetic field and their NO levels were also measured. The experimental group was exposed using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus. Nitrite and nitrate concentrations were determined by UV‐VIS spectrophotometer. The results, related to the parameters measured in this study, were analyzed by one‐way ANOVA. Total nitrite concentration in post‐magnetic field samples was found to be higher than in pre‐magnetic field samples (P < .05). Bioelectromagnetics 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cleland's and Grayson's ligaments of the hand: A morphometrical investigation
Authors: de‐Ary‐Pires Bernardo , Valdez Clarissa Francisca , Shecaira André Perin , de Ary‐Pires Ricardo , Ary Pires‐Neto Mário
Published: November 2006

The cutaneous ligaments of the human digits are delicate functional structures essential for normal skin stability during digital movements. These ligaments extend bilaterally between the phalanx and the finger dermis, either posteriorly (Cleland's ligaments) or anteriorly (Grayson's ligaments) to the digital neurovascular bundles. We have performed a series of detailed anatomical dissections of the human digits so as to investigate morphometrically Cleland's and Grayson's ligaments and their topographic arrangements. Data were statistically compared between fingers, respecting both side (left or right) and sex, in an attempt to clarify some of the morphologic variations of these structures. The cutaneous ligaments of the human digits have been analyzed bilaterally both in 30 fixed cadavers (300 adult human digits) and in 10 nonfixed human cadaveric digits. A computerized morphometrical investigation of the human digits and their Cleland's and Grayson's ligaments has been performed and the resulting quantitative data have been statistically assessed, comparing groups according to finger, phalanx, side (left or right hands), and sex. The ratio between the origin and insertion (O:I) of these ligaments indicate a divergent arrangement of fibers, with values varying from 0.52 to 0.84, depending on the phalanx and finger analyzed. Our morphometrical data provide normal reference values, mainly for Grayson's ligaments, that can be useful in the comparison with the respective measurements obtained in Dupuytren's disease. Morphological bases are also provided, which may be relevant either in computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging involving the hand region and in their application in surgical procedures of the human hand. Clin. Anat. 20:68–76, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Microsurgical anatomy of the superior orbital fissure
Authors: Shi Xianzhong , Han Hui , Zhao Jing , Zhou Changman
Published: November 2006

The microanatomy of the superior orbital fissure (SOF) was studied in 96 sides of cadaver specimens. The SOF is a narrow bony cleft that lies at the apex of the orbit between the greater and lesser wings of the sphenoid. Through this fissure, many important structures enter the orbit from the middle cranial fossa including the third, fourth, sixth cranial nerves, and the ophthalmic branch of the fifth nerve. In addition, the superior opthalmamic vein exits the orbit to drain into the cavernous sinus via the SOF. The fissure can be divided into three anatomical regions by the annulus of Zinn (common annular tendon): the lateral, central, and inferior regions. The lateral wall of the SOF can also be divided between the upper and lower segments, and the angle between them was measured to be 144.27° ± 20.03°. Defining these regions is useful in describing the course and placement of the nerves and vasculature in the SOF. Managing lesions at the orbital apex requires an extensive knowledge of the cranial base and the intracranial and extracranial relationships of the anatomical structures coursing through the SOF. The goal of this study was to describe the microanatomy of the SOF region in detail and to provide a reference for surgical procedures involving the orbital apex. Clin. Anat. 20:362–366, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Telephone monitoring of distress in patients aged 65 years or older with advanced stage cancer
Authors: Kornblith Alice B. , Dowell Jeannette M. , Herndon James E. , Engelman Beverly J. , Bauer‐Wu Susan , Small Eric J. , Morrison Vicki A. , Atkins James , Cohen Harvey Jay , Holland Jimmie C.
Published: November 2006

BACKGROUND.

Significant barriers to cancer patients receiving mental health treatment for distress have been reported in the literature. The objective of the current study was to determine whether distress in older patients (aged 65 years and older) would be reduced with educational materials (EM) supplemented by monthly telephone monitoring (TM) (TM + EM) compared with the use of EM alone because of more timely referrals to appropriate health professionals.

METHODS.

One hundred ninety‐two older patients with breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers who had advanced disease and currently were receiving treatment were randomized to receive either TM + EM or EM alone. One hundred thirty‐one patients were evaluated by telephone interview for psychologic and physical distress and for social support at baseline and at 6 months using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)‐QLQ‐C30 quality‐of‐life questionnaire, and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey. Patients who in the TM + EM group were called monthly for 6 months to monitor their distress using the HADS and EORTC physical symptom items and the MOS Social Support Survey items, with cutoff levels were established to indicate which patients were in greater distress. Those patients who scored above the cutoff levels were referred to their oncology nurse for referral to the appropriate professional. Patients in the EM group received written materials regarding cancer‐related psychosocial issues and available resources.

RESULTS.

At 6 months, patients in the TM + EM group reported significantly less anxiety (HADS; P < .0001), depression (HADS; P = .0004), and overall distress (HADS; P < .0001) compared with patients in the EM group.

CONCLUSIONS.

Monthly monitoring of older patients' distress with TM and EM along with referral for appropriate help was found to be an efficient means of reducing patients' anxiety and depression compared with patients who received only EM. Cancer 2006. Published 2006 American Cancer Society.
Notch1 and Notch2 receptors influence progressive hair graying in a dose‐dependent manner
Authors: Schouwey Karine , Delmas Véronique , Larue Lionel , Zimber‐Strobl Ursula , Strobl Lothar J. , Radtke Freddy , Beermann Friedrich
Published: November 2006

The Notch signaling pathway is involved in diverse biological processes such as cell fate decisions or stem cell maintenance. In this study, we assessed the role of this pathway for melanocyte development and hair pigmentation using RBP‐Jκ, Notch1, and Notch2 conditional knockout mice. Disruption of the Notch pathway by inactivating RBP‐Jκ in the melanocyte lineage using Tyr::Cre mice led to a severe coat color dilution. Similarly, hair graying was observed when Notch1 and/or Notch2 receptors were ablated in melanocytes. This phenotype was proportional to the number of floxed Notch alleles, with the most pronounced effect seen in Tyr::Cre/°; Notch1flox/flox; Notch2flox/flox mice. Deletion of Notch1 and/or Notch2 in melanoblasts did not induce a congenital defect. The number of Dct‐expressing cells at embryonic stages was not affected, but melanocytes located within the hair matrix progressively disappeared during the first regeneration of the hair follicle. In contrast, non‐follicular melanocytes and pigmentation in the dermis and in the choroid were not affected. We suggest that both Notch1 and Notch2 receptors contribute to the maintenance of melanoblasts and melanocyte stem cells, and are essential for proper hair pigmentation. Developmental Dynamics 236:282–289, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A comparison of energy intake and food selection during laboratory binge eating episodes in obese women with and without a binge eating disorder diagnosis
Authors: Raymond Nancy C. , Bartholome Lindsay T. , Lee Susanne S. , Peterson Roseann E. , Raatz Susan K.
Published: November 2006

Objective:

The purpose of the study was to compare energy intake and food selection of laboratory binge eating episodes in obese women with and without binge eating disorder (BED).

Method:

Twenty women, 12 meeting BED criteria, and 8 BMI and age matched obese controls, engaged in a laboratory binge eating episode.

Results:

BED participants consumed significantly more total food in kilocalories than the non‐BED obese group and more kilocalories of fat. However, there were no differences between the groups in the proportion of calories from any macronutrient. There was a nonsignificant trend for the BED group to consume more total grams of food. During the binge, the BED group consumed more dairy products.

Conclusion:

Results of the study confirmed that women with BED consumed significantly more total food in kilocalories than the non‐BED obese women when they were allowed to have a binge eating episode in a laboratory setting. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2006
Narcissism and narcissistic defences in the eating disorders
Authors: Waller Glenn , Sines Jennie , Meyer Caroline , Foster Emma , Skelton Anna
Published: November 2006

Objective:

This study examined the associations between eating pathology and narcissism in an eating‐disordered group. Narcissism was conceptualized in terms of both its core element (entitlement, grandiosity) and the narcissistic defenses that are used to maintain self‐esteem.

Method:

Seventy non‐clinical and 84 eating‐disordered patients completed a measure of the different elements of narcissism, and a standardized measure of eating pathology.

Results:

The eating‐disordered group scored higher than the non‐clinical women on the measures of core narcissism and of the narcissistically abused style (“poor me” defense). The pattern of dimensional associations between narcissism and eating pathology was highly similar across the clinical and nonclinical groups, with the narcissistic defenses playing the strongest role. The poisonous pedagogy style (“bad you” defense) was positively associated with restrictive attitudes toward eating, while the narcissistically abused style was positively associated with restraint, eating concern, body shape concern, and body weight concern.

Conclusion:

The narcissistic defenses are particularly relevant in understanding the eating disorders. Implications for future research are outlined, and suggestions are made about the need to assess and respond to these associations in treatment. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2006
Task demand modulation of steady‐state functional connectivity to primary motor cortex
Authors: Newton Allen T. , Morgan Victoria L. , Gore John C.
Published: November 2006

Correlations in blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) MRI signals from separate areas within the human brain have been used as a measure of functional connectivity. Steady‐state measures of interregional correlations are particularly useful because they do not depend on the specific design of a task nor on subtracting conditions in a blocked design task. However, the conditions under which such correlations are measured may influence these indices of functional connectivity. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of task demand on interregional correlations within the motor system. Specifically, tapping rates in audibly paced finger‐tapping tasks were controlled and varied between runs in order to observe their effects on interregional correlations to contralateral primary motor cortex (PM). Regions of interest included the supplementary motor area, ipsilateral cerebellum, ipsilateral auditory cortex, and a control region. It was found that tapping rate was a significant factor in determining the mean correlation of some regions to PM, and that correlations measured during tapping in general increased relative to resting state. Furthermore, analysis of the percent of voxels in each region significantly correlated to PM suggested that changes in the mean correlation of that region to PM could be accounted for by changes in the fraction of significantly correlated voxels within a region. This provides insight into the manner in which steady‐state correlations are modified in response to different task demands and further evidence that low‐frequency fluctuations in BOLD signals reflect functional connectivity. Hum Brain Mapp, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Event‐related functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) based on craniocerebral correlations: Reproducibility of activation?
Authors: Plichta M.M. , Herrmann M.J. , Baehne C.G. , Ehlis A.‐C. , Richter M.M. , Pauli P. , Fallgatter A.J.
Published: November 2006

The purpose of the present study was to assess the retest reliability of cortical activation detected by event‐related functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) based on craniocerebral correlations. Isolated functional activation was evoked in the motor cortex by a periodically performed finger‐tapping task. During 44‐channel fNIRS recording, 12 subjects performed 30 trials of right and left index finger tapping in two sessions. The retest interval was set to 3 weeks. Simple correlations of the contrast t‐values supplemented by scatterplots, channel‐wise intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), as well as reproducibility indices for the size and the location of the detected activation were calculated. The results at the group level showed sufficient single measure ICCs (up to 0.80) and excellent reproducibility of the size and the location (up to 89% were reproducible). Comparisons of the intersession group amplitudes demonstrate that the fNIRS signals were stable across time in a retest study design: the number of significant differences was less than randomly occurring false‐positive activated channels if an alpha level of 5% is chosen. Effect size analyses indicated that the intersession amplitude differences are small (mean < 0.25). For deoxyhemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin distinct statistical power profiles were revealed regarding the activation vs. baseline contrast as well as the intersession amplitude differences, indicating a higher sensitivity of deoxyhemoglobin for local hemodynamic changes. The results suggest that sensorimotor activation assessed by event‐related fNIRS based on craniocerebral correlations is sufficiently reproducible at the group level. Hum Brain Mapp, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Detecting functional nodes in large‐scale cortical networks with functional magnetic resonance imaging: A principal component analysis of the human visual system
Authors: Ecker Christine , Reynaud Emanuelle , Williams Steven C. , Brammer Michael J.
Published: November 2006

This study aimed to demonstrate how a regional variant of principal component analysis (PCA) can be used to delineate the known functional subdivisions of the human visual system. Unlike conventional eigenimage analysis, PCA was carried out as a second‐level analysis subsequent to model‐based General Linear Model (GLM)‐type functional activation mapping. Functional homogeneity of the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time series within and between clusters was examined on several levels of the visual network, starting from the level of individual clusters up to the network level comprising two or more distinct visual regions. On each level, the number of significant components was identified and compared with the number of clusters in the data set. Eigenimages were used to examine the regional distribution of the extracted components. It was shown that voxels within individual clusters and voxels located in bilateral homologue visual regions can be represented by a single component, constituting the characteristic functional specialization of the cluster(s). If, however, PCA was applied to time series of voxels located in functionally distinct visual regions, more than one component was observed with each component being dominated by voxels in one of the investigated regions. The model of functional connections derived by PCA was in accordance with the well‐known functional anatomy and anatomical connectivity of the visual system. PCA in combination with conventional activation mapping might therefore be used to identify the number of functionally distinct nodes in an fMRI data set in order to generate a model of functional connectivity within a neuroanatomical network. Hum Brain Mapp, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Protein adsorption and zeta potentials of a biphasic calcium phosphate ceramic under various conditions
Authors: Zhu Xiangdong , Fan Hongsong , Li Dongxiao , Xiao Yumei , Zhang Xingdong
Published: November 2006

An investigation on the relationship between protein adsorption and zeta potentials of a biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) ceramic was carried out. Zeta potentials of the BCP ceramic particles were measured at various aqueous solutions. Bovine serum album (BSA) and its competitive adsorption with lysozyme (LSZ) on BCP were investigated using conventional protein adsorption and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) methods. The results showed that zeta potential and the amount of adsorbed BSA were both influenced by pH, ionic strength, Ca2+ and PO concentrations in the buffers. The variation tendencies of BSA adsorption were consistent with that of zeta potentials to some extent. The co‐adsorption of BSA and LSZ on BCP was confirmed by the PAGE gel pattern. The semi‐quantitative analysis for the detected protein bands proved that LSZ had higher affinity for BCP than BSA and would preferentially bind to the surface. Electrostatic interaction played an important role in protein adsorption on the surface of the BCP ceramic particles. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2006
FRET and colocalization analyzer—A method to validate measurements of sensitized emission FRET acquired by confocal microscopy and available as an ImageJ Plug‐in
Authors: Hachet‐Haas Muriel , Converset Noël , Marchal Olivier , Matthes Hans , Gioria Sophie , Galzi Jean‐Luc , Lecat Sandra
Published: November 2006

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between an adequate pair of fluorophores is an indication of closer proximity than colocalization and is used by biologists to study fluorescently modified protein interactions inside cells. We present a method for visualization of FRET images acquired by confocal sensitized emission, involving excitation of the donor fluorophore and detection of the energy transfer as an emission from the acceptor fluorophore into the FRET channel. Authentic FRET signal measurements require the correction from the FRET channel of the undesired bleed‐through signals (BT) resulting from both the leak‐through of the donor emission and the direct acceptor emission. Our method reduces the interference of the user to a minimum by analyzing the entire image, pixel by pixel. It proposes imaging treatments and the display of control images to validate the BT calculation and the image corrections. It displays FRET images as a function of the colocalization of the two fluorescent partners. Finally, it proposes an alternative to normalization of the FRET intensities to compare FRET signal variations between samples. This method called “FRET and Colocalization Analyzer” has been implemented in a Plug‐in of the freely available ImageJ software. It is particularly adapted when transient expression of the fluorescent proteins is used thereby giving very variable expression levels or when the colocalization of the two partners is varying in proportion, in amount, and in size, as a function of time. The method and program are validated using the analysis of the spatio‐temporal interactions between a G‐protein coupled receptor, the tachykinin NK2 receptor, and the β‐arrestin 2 as an example. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The corrosion of aluminium and aluminium alloys by citric acid and citric acid‐salt solutions
Authors: Bryan J. M.
Published: November 2006

This paper gives the results of a comprehensive series of tests on the corrosion of four different grades of aluminium and two aluminium alloys by a dilute acid and an acid‐salt solution at different temperatures under static and agitated conditions. The work was undertaken to provide information of practical value on some of the main factors influencing the service‐life of aluminium plant and equipment used in contact with acid food products.

The results show that aluminium (purity range 99.25–99.993%), Al‐Mn (1.17% Mn) and Al‐Mg‐Mn (1.78% Mg, 0.45% Mn) alloys resist a dilute solution of citric acid at room temperature whether agitated or not. The rate of corrosion was approximately doubled per 10° C. rise in temperature; the life of equipment would be very short at boiling temperature. In the presence of salt, the corrosion rates of the two alloys and of all the grades of aluminium tested, with the possible exception of the purest grades, would be too high to permit their use even at room temperatures, unless oxygen was excluded. In general, the corrosion was greater the lower the grade of aluminium and, under all but one of the conditions tested, the two alloys corroded most.
The photometric determination of phosphorus in fertilizers using the phosphovanado‐molybdate complex
Authors: Hanson W. C.
Published: November 2006

This rapid method makes use of the stable yellow colour complex developed when an excess of a molybdate solution is added to an acidified solution of a vanadate and an orthophosphate; all three reagents required can be used in a composite solution. Details for the determination of water‐soluble and total phosphate are given using the Spekker photoelectric absorptiometer. Results agree within 2.5% of those obtained by the standard gravimetric method, those on nine fertilizers being given.
A modified phenoldisulphonic acid method for determining nitrates in soil extracts etc.
Authors: Eastoe J. E. , Pollard A. G.
Published: November 2006

The standard phenoldisulphonic acid method of Chamot and Pratt is modified, the nitration being carried out in aqueous solution. A photoelectric method of measuring the colour intensity is employed. The modified method is very rapid in use and has a greatly reduced susceptibility to interference by chlorides or by precipitation of metallic hydroxides and phosphates. The effect of variations in technique is examined and a study made of the level at which interference takes place with the more commonly occurring ions. The general applicability of the method is discussed.
A colorimetric method for the determination of potassium and its application to the analysis of soil extracts
Authors: Whittles C. L. , Little R. C.
Published: November 2006

A colorimetric procedure is described for the determination of small amounts of potassium. The soil is extracted with Bray's extracting reagent and the available potassium is precipitated as cobaltinitrite. The determination of potassium precipitated involves the diazotization of sulphanilic acid, using the nitrite groups, of the cobaltinitrite precipitate, and subsequent coupling with dimethylaniline to give methyl orange. The colour is measured with a Spekker absorptiometer. The method is applicable to the routine determination of potassium in soil extracts.
The determination of soluble carbohydrate in dried samples of grass silage by the anthrone method
Authors: John A. , Barnett G. , Miller T. B.
Published: November 2006

A method is described for the determination of the soluble carbohydrate content of dried samples of grass silage, using the anthrone reaction. The procedure described below is substantially similar to that of Morris except that modifications required for stabilization of the colour developed were used and a Hilger Spekker absorptiometer was the instrument selected for making the determinations. The silage extracts used were partial hydro‐lysates obtained by heating the dried material with o‐25N‐H2SO4 for a short period.
The determination of starch by acid hydrolysis
Authors: Pirt S. J. , Whelan W. J.
Published: November 2006

Glucose is slowly destroyed when heated in neutral solution and the rate of destruction is accelerated by sulphuric acid, but to a much greater extent by hydrochloric acid. Sulphuric acid has therefore been chosen as a suitable starch‐hydrolysing agent and conditions of hydrolysis have been developed whereby starches may be estimated with a high degree of accuracy. A factor, which is almost unity, is used to correct for the loss of glucose by acid degradation. The method has been applied to potato amylose and amylopectin.
Oxidation in apple juice. I.—Preliminary investigation of the relationship between the dissolved‐oxygen content and oxidation of apple juice during processing and shelf‐life in bottle
Authors: Marshall C. R.
Published: November 2006

Methods for estimating dissolved oxygen in beer and for measuring the reducing activity of beer have been applied to the study of oxidation in apple juice during processing and throughout its shelf‐life in bottle. Freshly pressed juice is highly oxidized but becomes less so after clarification and filtration. Juices differ in their ability to absorb additional oxygen during processing and there is a protracted time‐lag between absorption and increase in oxidation. In general, after bottling, oxidation increases unless the juice is pre‐heated before the bottles are sealed. After long storage in bottle, apple juice becomes strongly reducing, dissolved oxygen diminishes and a sediment is thrown. Hazes and deposits develop less rapidly in pasteurized juices than in those bottled by sterile filtration and are generally less intense if either air‐space in the bottle or excess oxygen in the juice is reduced.
The chrysanthemumcarboxylic acids. III.—Lactonization of the chrysanthemic acids
Authors: Crombie L. , Harper S. H. , Thompson R. A.
Published: November 2006

(±)‐cis‐Chrysanthemic acid is readily lactonized in boiling dilute sulphuric acid to the crystalline (±)‐cis‐dihydrochrysanthemo‐δD‐lactone. The lactone ring is opened by alkali hydrolysis and a derivative of the (±)‐cis‐δD‐hydroxydihydrochrysanthemic acid is obtained. With methanolic sulphuric acid the lactone ring is opened to give mainly methyl (±)‐cis‐±‐methoxydihydrochrysanthemate together with methyl (±)‐cis‐chrysanthemate.

In contrast, (±)‐trans‐chrysanthemic acid is converted under similar conditions into the crystalline (±)‐trans‐δ‐hydroxydihydrochrysanthemic acid.

The mechanisms of these reactions and their bearing on the Seil and the Wilcoxon–Holaday methods of pyrethrum assay are discussed.

On heating at 300° C. in sealed tubes (±)‐cis‐and (±)‐trans‐chrysanthemic acids and (±)‐cis‐dihydrochrysanthemo‐δ‐lactone are converted into an isomeric crystalline lactone, (±)‐pyrocin. This is shown by oxidative degradation not to be a dihydrochrysanthemo‐lactone but to be (±)‐β‐isobutenylisohexano‐σ‐lactone. These lactones are substantially non‐toxic to houseflies.