bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Philosophy into Satire: The Program of Juvenal's Fifth Book
Authors: Keane Catherine
Published: April 2007

The Satires of Juvenal's fifth book constitute an important chapter in the satiric genre's dialogue with philosophy. The parodic consolatio (Satire 13) introduces a cynical and erudite satiric speaker who manipulates conventions to create a virtual dramatic exchange. An examination of the rhetorical structure and philosophical influences in the remaining poems, which are less often discussed, reveals a consistent program. Satires 14–16 all have "plots" derived from specific texts or themes of philosophical literature: in each case, Juvenal exploits a conflict or ambiguity in his sources to spin a satiric narrative.
Impersonating Priapus
Authors: Uden James
Published: April 2007

Whenever Catullus is sexually aggressive or brutally frank in his poetry, modern commentators will often call him "Priapic," an adjective that tends to obscure rather than elucidate the various ways in which Catullus uses the figure of Priapus in crafting his poetic persona. This article attempts to read poems 47, 56, and, in particular, 16, as Catullus' experiments in the Greek and Roman subgenre of Priapic poetry. Once we see that these poems are focalized through the generic perspective of Priapus, Catullus' impersonation of Priapus becomes less an assumption of hyperphallic masculinity and more a witty way in which to lampoon a world-view dominated by an obsessive focus on penetration. Impersonating Priapus meant, in fact, exposing the garden god and his hopeless rusticity to urbane critique.
The Revered Gaze: The Medieval Imaginary of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ
Authors: Griffiths Alison
Published: April 2007

Abstract: This essay investigates medieval cathedrals, the Cyclorama of Jerusalem panorama painted in 1895, and Mel Gibson's 2004 film The Passion of the Christ as distinct but related ways of experiencing the Crucifixion, or Christ's Passion. Inscribed in each of these case studies is a notion of the "revered gaze," a way of encountering and making sense of images that are intended to be spectacular in form and content. While distinct media clearly present unique possibilities for altering the nature of the Passion narrative, I argue in this essay that there are remarkable consistencies in the aesthetics and practices of the crucifixion as a transhistorical story.
La Camera-Crayola: Authorship Comes of Age in the Cinema of Wes Anderson
Authors: Orgeron Devin
Published: April 2007

Abstract: This essay analyzes the fictional authors who populate Wes Anderson's films and his use of DVD technology to promote his own highly self-aware authorial image. Anderson's authorial logic is organized around the concepts of youth and dependence, positioning itself against the still quite powerful myth of the independent and solitary genius.
Banal and Magnificent Space in Electra Glide in Blue (1973), or An Allegory of the Nixon Era
Authors: Shiel Mark
Published: April 2007

Abstract: Emphasizing the political meanings of cinematic space, this essay examines the representation of the American West in the unjustly neglected road movie Electra Glide in Blue (1973) for its telling allegory of the social divisions of the Nixon era and the temporary infiltration of Hollywood cinema by the 1960s counterculture.
The Big Lift (1950): Image and Identity in Blockaded Berlin
Authors: Stern Ralph
Published: April 2007

Abstract: Addressing a film seldom granted critical attention, this essay examines George Seaton's semidocumentary The Big Lift (1950), situating the film in relation to other postwar genres, Cold War politics, and a Berlin still largely in ruin. Entering a physically complex and ideologically contested terrain, this film unfolds as a surprisingly sophisticated foray into issues of identity, appearance, and deception in the blockaded city.
Distanciation and the Recontextualization of Space: Finding One's Way in a Small Western Community
Authors: Gabbert Lisa
Published: April 2007

In the 1990s, the city of McCall, Idaho, and the surrounding region implemented the Rural Addressing System. The system assigned a name to every street and a number to every house and erected visible signage for both. Although a seemingly minor bureaucratic operation, the Rural Addressing System is a concrete example of Anthony Giddens's concept of space distanciation, and as such, it is a significant component of modernity and globalization. By investigating the impact of the Rural Addressing System on this region—particularly on the ways in which people give directions and think about space there—this article sheds light on how abstract processes such as modernization and globalization actually manifest in everyday life, the effects of those processes, and how people respond to them.
The Song of Gryon: Political Ritual, Local Identity, and the Consolidation of Nationalism in Multiethnic Switzerland
Authors: Hartley-Moore Julie
Published: April 2007

Switzerland's successful multicultural nationalism is often based in local identity and practices, but few studies have examined nationalism in the nation's non-Germanic regions. This article explores the summer festival cycle in Gryon, a francophone Swiss commune, and the recontextualization of its centuries-old Midsummer pastoral festival in association with Swiss National Day and with late-twentieth-century celebrations of local identity. The festival cycle's assemblage of nationalist political ritual with local traditions illuminates the confluence between the conscious, elite social engineering of nationalist traditions and the practices of ordinary people who are themselves the objects of nationalist propaganda.
Food Choice, Symbolism, and Identity: Bread and Butter Issues for Folkloristics and Nutrition Studies (American Folklore Society Presidential Address, October 2005)
Authors: Jones Michael Owen
Published: April 2007

Research on food abounds, from the history of differing types of fare to the relationship between provisioning and culture, gender roles, and eating disorders. In disciplines concerned with health and nutrition, few studies focus on the metaphorical aspects of alimentation; while many ethnographic works do deal with the symbolic nature of gastronomy, they tend to emphasize eating as commensality and food as an expression of identity in ethnic, regional, and religious groups. Symbolic discourse involving cuisine is pervasive and complex, however, manifesting itself in a wide variety of contexts and exhibiting multiple meanings that may be ambiguous, conflicting, or pernicious. Understanding how messages are conveyed through culinary behavior requires an examination not only of victuals but also of the preparation, service, and consumption of food—for all are grist for the mill of symbolization. Here, I bring together a number of ideas about the iconic nature of cooking and eating: what is fodder for symbol creation, how and why meanings are generated, and what some of the effects of food-related representations are. I also problematize identity as it relates to food. My goal is to suggest directions for future research on foodways as well as applications in fields concerned with nutrition education, counseling, and dietary change.
“Living Dolls”: François IerDresses His Women*
Authors: Croizat Yassana C.
Published: April 2007

In addition to portraits and diplomatic reports, Renaissance courts relied on fashion dolls to acquaint themselves with foreign dress. Unfortunately, literature on this subject is scarce and often disappointing. Overlooked by doll historians, a letter written by Federico Gonzaga (1500–40) in 1515 reveals that François Ier(1494–1547) requested a fashion doll from Isabella d’Este (1474–1539). After examining this document within the context of what is currently known about Renaissance fashion dolls, this essay explores what François Ier’s interest in these objects suggests about his personality and his relationship to the women of his court.
Possessing the Sacred: Monarchy and Identity in Philip II’s Relic Collection at the Escorial*
Authors: Lazure Guy
Published: April 2007

Traditionally, Philip II’s massive relic collection preserved in the palace-monastery of the Escorial has been interpreted as a testimony to the Spanish king’s devotion to the cult of saints, and a proof of his support for the principles of the Tridentine Church. This essay explores some of Philip II’s more political and symbolic uses of relics, and studies their role in the construction of a monarchical, spiritual, and national identity in sixteenth-century Spain.
“An headlesse Ladie” and “a horses loade of heades”: Writing the Beheading
Authors: Patricia Palmer
Published: April 2007

The savagery of the native Irish and, in particular, their predilection for severing heads, is repeatedly asserted, not only in the texts of conquest, but in representations of the “Wild Irish” on the Elizabethan and Jacobean stage. This essay tests this literary commonplace against the historical record of the early modern conquest of Ireland. Far from being merely the aberrant practice of the barbarous Gaels, beheading — and a form of judicial headhunting — became a cornerstone of the conquerors’ policy of martial law. As atrocity was redefined as justice, so, in the hands of writers such as Spenser, Churchyard, and Derricke, was it aestheticized. But even as such writers wove inventive beheadings into their texts, Irish poets were elegizing the severed heads of patrons killed by the English. The poetry of beheading became a site of cultural confrontation and of unexpected assertions of humanity.
The 2006 Josephine Waters Bennett Lecture
Authors: Starn Randolph
Published: April 2007

The place of the Renaissance in historical narratives of modernity was problematic long before recent bouts of dismissal, denial, or indifference. However, the idea is a hardy survivor and the old phoenix is at it again. Has the Renaissance gained a new, postmodern lease on life? Plurality, discontinuity, and contingency are hallmarks of that protean, much-contested label and of current Renaissance studies, not to mention the Renaissance boom in pop culture. Is this a mirror reflecting only our own preconceptions or a window that discloses a Renaissance that was never convincingly modern in the first place? What are the implications, one way or another, for the present and future of Renaissance studies?
Muscarinic Control of Long-Range GABAergic Inhibition within the Rhinal Cortices
Authors: Apergis-Schoute John , Pinto Aline , Paré Denis
Published: April 2007

The perirhinal cortex plays a critical role in memory formation, in part because it forms reciprocal connections with the neocortex and entorhinal cortex and is thus in a position to integrate and transfer higher-order information to and from the hippocampus. However, for reasons that remain unclear, perirhinal transfer of neocortical inputs to the entorhinal cortex occurs with a low probability. Using patch recordingsin vitroand tract-tracing combined with GAD-67 immunohistochemistry, we show that the perirhinal cortex contains GABAergic neurons with long-range projections to superficial entorhinal cells. This finding challenges the traditional model of cortical inhibition in which alltrans-areal inhibition is thought to be disynaptic because the axons of GABAergic interneurons are assumed to be confined within the area in which their somata are located. Moreover, consistent with recent studies indicating that the formation of perirhinal-dependent memories requires activation of muscarinic receptors, long-range IPSPs were presynaptically inhibited by M2receptor activation. Overall, these results suggest that long-range feedforward inhibition regulates perirhinal transfer of neocortical inputs to the entorhinal cortex, but that cholinergic inputs can presynaptically adjust the impact of this control mechanism as a function of environmental contingencies.
Accelerated Brain Gray Matter Loss in Fibromyalgia Patients: Premature Aging of the Brain?
Authors: Kuchinad Anil , Schweinhardt Petra , Seminowicz David A. , Wood Patrick B. , Chizh Boris A. , Bushnell M. Catherine
Published: April 2007

Fibromyalgia is an intractable widespread pain disorder that is most frequently diagnosed in women. It has traditionally been classified as either a musculoskeletal disease or a psychological disorder. Accumulating evidence now suggests that fibromyalgia may be associated with CNS dysfunction. In this study, we investigate anatomical changes in the brain associated with fibromyalgia. Using voxel-based morphometric analysis of magnetic resonance brain images, we examined the brains of 10 female fibromyalgia patients and 10 healthy controls. We found that fibromyalgia patients had significantly less total gray matter volume and showed a 3.3 times greater age-associated decrease in gray matter than healthy controls. The longer the individuals had had fibromyalgia, the greater the gray matter loss, with each year of fibromyalgia being equivalent to 9.5 times the loss in normal aging. In addition, fibromyalgia patients demonstrated significantly less gray matter density than healthy controls in several brain regions, including the cingulate, insular and medial frontal cortices, and parahippocampal gyri. The neuroanatomical changes that we see in fibromyalgia patients contribute additional evidence of CNS involvement in fibromyalgia. In particular, fibromyalgia appears to be associated with an acceleration of age-related changes in the very substance of the brain. Moreover, the regions in which we demonstrate objective changes may be functionally linked to core features of the disorder including affective disturbances and chronic widespread pain.
Selective Attention to Visual Stimuli Reduces Cochlear Sensitivity in Chinchillas
Authors: Delano Paul H. , Elgueda Diego , Hamame Carlos M. , Robles Luis
Published: April 2007

It is generally accepted that during periods of attention to specific stimuli there are changes in the neural activity of central auditory structures; however, it is controversial whether attention can modulate auditory responses at the cochlear level. Several studies performed in animals as well as in humans have attempted to find a modulation of cochlear responses during visual attention with contradictory results. Here, we have appraised cochlear sensitivity in behaving chinchillas by measuring, with a chronically implanted round-window electrode, sound-evoked auditory-nerve compound action potentials and cochlear microphonics, a measure of outer hair cell function, during selective attention to visual stimuli. Chinchillas were trained in a visual discrimination or in an auditory frequency discrimination two-choice task. We found a significant decrease of cochlear sensitivity during the period of attention to visual stimuli in the animals performing the visual discrimination task, but not in those performing the auditory task, demonstrating that this physiological effect is related to selective attention to visual stimuli rather than to an increment in arousal level. Furthermore, the magnitude of the cochlear-sensitivity reductions increased in sessions performed with shorter target-light durations (4–0.5 s), suggesting that this effect is stronger for higher attentional demands of the task. These results demonstrate that afferent auditory activity is modulated by selective attention as early as at sensory transduction, possibly through activation of olivocochlear efferent fibers.
Functional Responses in the Human Spinal Cord during Willed Motor Actions: Evidence for Side- and Rate-Dependent Activity
Authors: Maieron Marta , Iannetti Gian Domenico , Bodurka Jerzy , Tracey Irene , Bandettini Peter A. , Porro Carlo A.
Published: April 2007

Although the spinal cord is the output station of the central motor system, little is known about the relationships between its functional activity and willed movement parameters in humans. We investigated here blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal changes in the cervical spinal cord during a simple finger-to-thumb opposition task in 13 right-handed volunteers, using a dedicated array of 16 receive-only surface coils on a 3 Tesla MRI system. In a first experiment, we found significant fMRI signal increases on both sides of the lower cervical spinal cord while subjects performed the motor task at a comfortable pace (∼0.5 Hz) using either hand. Both the spatial extent of movement-related clusters and peak signal increases were significantly higher on the side of the cord ipsilateral to the moving hand than on the contralateral side. Movement-related activity was consistently larger than signal fluctuations during rest. In a second experiment, we recorded spinal cord responses while the same motor sequence was performed using the dominant hand at two different rates (∼0.5 or 1 Hz). The intensity but not the spatial extent of the response was larger during higher rates, and it was higher on the ipsilateral side of the cord. Notwithstanding the limited spatial resolving power of the adopted technique, the present results clearly indicate that the finger movement-related fMRI signals recorded from the spinal cord have a neural origin and that as a result of recent technological advances, fMRI can be used to obtain novel and quantitative physiological information on the activity of spinal circuits.
Apolipoprotein Receptor 2 and X11α/β Mediate Apolipoprotein E-Induced Endocytosis of Amyloid-β Precursor Protein and β-Secretase, Leading to Amyloid-β Production
Authors: He Xiangyuan , Cooley Kathleen , Chung Charlotte H. Y. , Dashti Nassrin , Tang Jordan
Published: April 2007

The homeostasis of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain is critical to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ is a fragment of amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) generated in neurons by two proteases, β- and γ-secretases. APP and β-secretase, both present on cell surface, are endocytosed into endosomes to produce Aβ. The molecular mechanism by which neurons trigger the production of Aβ is poorly understood. We describe here evidence that the binding of lipid-carrying apolipoprotein E (ApoE) to receptor apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (ApoER2) triggers the endocytosis of APP, β-secretase, and ApoER2 in neuroblastoma cells, leading to the production of Aβ. This mechanism, mediated by adaptor protein X11α or X11β (X11α/β), whose PTB (phosphotyrosine-binding) domain binds to APP and a newly recognized motif in the cytosolic domain of ApoER2. Isomorphic form ApoE4 triggers the production of more Aβ than by ApoE2 or ApoE3; thus, it may play a role in the genetic risk of ApoE4 for the sporadic AD. The mechanism, which functions independently from Reelin–ApoER2 interaction, also provides a link between lipid uptake and Aβ production, which may be important for the regulation of neuronal activity.
Extensive Turnover of Dendritic Spines and Vascular Remodeling in Cortical Tissues Recovering from Stroke
Authors: Brown Craig E. , Li Ping , Boyd Jamie D. , Delaney Kerry R. , Murphy Timothy H.
Published: April 2007

Recovery of function after stroke is thought to be dependent on the reorganization of adjacent, surviving areas of the brain. Macroscopic imaging studies (functional magnetic resonance imaging, optical imaging) have shown that peri-infarct regions adopt new functional roles to compensate for damage caused by stroke. To better understand the process by which these regions reorganize, we usedin vivotwo-photon imaging to examine changes in dendritic and vascular structure in cortical regions recovering from stroke. In adult control mice, dendritic arbors were relatively stable with very low levels of spine turnover (<0.5% turnover over 6 h). After stroke, however, the organization of dendritic arbors in peri-infarct cortex was fundamentally altered with both apical dendrites and blood vessels radiating in parallel from the lesion. On a finer scale, peri-infarct dendrites were exceptionally plastic, manifested by a dramatic increase in the rate of spine formation that was maximal at 1–2 weeks (5–8-fold increase), and still evident 6 weeks after stroke. These changes were selective given that turnover rates were not significantly altered in ipsilateral cortical regions more distant to the lesion (>1.5 mm). These data provide a structural framework for understanding functional and behavioral changes that accompany brain injury and suggest new targets that could be exploited by future therapies to rebuild and rewire neuronal circuits lost to stroke.
Conditioned Dopamine Release in Humans: A Positron Emission Tomography [11C]Raclopride Study with Amphetamine
Authors: Boileau Isabelle , Dagher Alain , Leyton Marco , Welfeld Krzysztof , Booij Linda , Diksic Mirko , Benkelfat Chawki
Published: April 2007

Studies in laboratory rodents suggest that previously neutral stimuli repeatedly paired with the administration of drugs of abuse can acquire the ability to increase striatal dopamine release. This conditioned neurochemical response is believed to prompt drug seeking in animals and has been hypothesized to contribute to drug craving and relapse in substance abusers. In the present study, we used positron emission tomography and [11C]raclopride to investigate whether amphetamine-predictive stimuli can elicit striatal dopamine release in humans. Nine healthy male volunteers received a capsule containing amphetamine tablets (0.3 mg/kg) on three separate occasions approximately every other day (mean ± SD, 2.25 ± 1.13 d apart) in the same environment (scanner suite). At least 2 weeks later, the amphetamine was switched to a placebo of identical appearance and given in the same environmental context. [11C]Raclopride binding to dopamine D2/3receptors was assessed after exposure to the first amphetamine-containing pill, after placebo administration, and during a control (no pill) scan. Relative to the control scan, amphetamine administration decreased [11C]raclopride binding potential by 22% in the ventral striatum and 11% in the putamen. Placebo also decreased [11C]raclopride binding potential in the ventral striatum and did so with the same amplitude as amphetamine (23%). These results suggest that cues associated with amphetamine increase dopamine transmission, providing evidence that this system is involved in reward prediction in humans.
The Elastic View Graph Framework for Autonomous, Surface-based 3D-SLAM Part II: Global Layer and Experiments (Schritthaltendes flächenbasiertes 3D-SLAM mit elastisch gekoppelten Teilkarten)
Authors: Kohlhepp Peter , Strand Marcus , Bretthauer Georg , Dillmann Rüdiger
Published: April 2007

This paper covers the global aspects of a new SLAM framework introduced in [9]. The map is a graph of overlapping range views, linked by multiple uncertain hypotheses of motion and correspondence. They form the interface between local pose estimation and globally consistent mapping. In order to prune the hypotheses and reduce the brittleness of the local algorithms, we propose a novel cooperation between image-based and odometric motion estimates, and a geometric-probabilistic visibility model for oriented surface features which can also discern moving objects. Global loop closing works by exchanging hypotheses, priorized on a node ambiguity measure to bound the update complexity. The cycle error in frame space is used as a consistency criterion. The new concepts were tested and evaluated during several indoor exploration tours.
Re-determination of the crystal structure of χ-Fe5C2 Hägg carbide
Authors: du Plessis H. Esna , de Villiers Johan P.R. , Kruger Gert J.
Published: April 2007

The crystal structure of χ-Fe5C2 Hägg carbide was re-determined using the simulated annealing capability of Topas Academic (Coelho, 2000). The unit cell is triclinic (space group P-1) with a = 11.5695(5) Å, b = 4.5713(2) Å, c = 5.0588(2) Å, α = 89.884(4)°, β = 97.765(3)° and γ = 89.964(5)°. The crystal structure was fitted by Rietveld refinement, resulting in R
wp = 8.19% and R
Bragg = 2.54%. The triclinic space group of χ-Fe5C2 Hägg carbide was determined using selected area electron diffraction (SAED). A TEM study was done to determine exposed crystallographic faces on coarse χ-Fe5C2 Hägg carbide particles. Energy calculations using Castep (Cambridge Sequential Total Energy Package, Payne, et al., 1992 and Milman et al., 2000) indicated the triclinic unit cell of χ-Fe5C2 Hägg carbide to have the same total energy as the monoclinic unit cell. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to characterize the carbon species in the sample.
The CaAg2—CaZn2—CaAl2 pseudo ternary system: crystal structures and structural stability
Authors: Pani Marcella , Fornasini Maria L. , Merlo Franco
Published: April 2007

The CaAg2—CaZn2—CaAl2 pseudo ternary system has been studied by micrographic and X-ray diffraction analyses of 37 alloys, melted and annealed at 973 K or 873 K in tantalum crucibles. Single crystal and powder X-ray data show a distribution of the phases among four structure types: MgCu2, MgZn2, MgNi2 (the Laves phases) and CeCu2 (for the first time reported for KHg2). A good separation of the structural domains was obtained by means of a two-dimensional map based on the size and electronic factors. The different volume effects shown by the CeCu2-type phases as regards those of the Laves phases were accounted for on the basis of the hard-sphere space filling model.
Of Hats and Switches: Doing Fieldwork “at Home”
Authors: Nordquest Megan
Published: April 2007

Call it what you may, the putting on and taking off of one's anthropologist hat, the switching on and off of the anthropology switch, or the “tuning in” of one's anthropology antenna, going “into the field” for anthropological investigation requires a necessary but often elusive shift in state of mind. This essay makes such a shift its object of investigation, suggesting how doing fieldwork “at home” might be uniquely situated to illuminate this anthropological mindset of “being in the field” as it offers daily entry and exit points. I discuss these “meta” entries and exits in relation to what Mary Louise Pratt (1986) has termed the “personal” and “scientific‐objective” voices, and argue that though the balance of alternating identities may be inherent to all anthropological endeavors, it is especially profound and unique for U.S.‐based researchers. Within the discussion, I reflect upon my own research experiences and accompanying shifts between “doing ethnography” and “regular life.”
Unmetabolized VOCs in Urine as Biomarkers of Low Level Exposure in Indoor Environments
Authors: Wang Bing‐Ling , Takigawa Tomoko , Takeuchi Akito , Yamasaki Yukie , Kataoka Hiroyuki , Wang Da‐Hong , Ogino Keiki
Published: April 2007

Unmetabolized VOCs in Urine as Biomarkers of Low Level Exposure in Indoor Environments: Bing‐Ling Wang, et al. Department of Public Health, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences—This study aimed to test the possible use of unmetabolized volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in urine as biomarkers of low‐level indoor environmental exposure. Twenty‐four subjects in 13 dwellings in a prefecture of Japan participated in this study. Air samples of the breathing zone were collected in the living room and bedroom, along with spot urine samples (before bedtime and first morning voids). Toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene isomers, styrene and p‐dichlorobenzene in the air and urine samples were measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. For the 21 subjects without solvent exposure at work, there were significant correlations between the timeweighted average air concentrations in the bedroom and morning urinary concentrations for toluene, oxylene, total xylene and p‐dichlorobenzene (correlation coefficients of 0.54, 0.61, 0.56 and 0.84, respectively). Multiple linear regression analysis showed only air VOCs in the bedroom influenced the morning urinary VOC concentrations. We concluded that unmetabolized VOCs in the urine can provide a reliable biological indicator for air VOC exposures in non‐occupational environments.
Supervisors' Attitudes and Skills for Active Listening with Regard to Working Conditions and Psychological Stress Reactions among Subordinate Workers
Authors: Mineyama Sachiko , Tsutsumi Akizumi , Takao Soshi , Nishiuchi Kyoko , Kawakami Norito
Published: April 2007

Supervisors' Attitudes and Skills for Active Listening with Regard to Working Conditions and Psychological Stress Reactions among Subordinate Workers: Sachiko Mineyama, et al. Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences—We investigated whether supervisors' listening attitudes and skills were related to working conditions and psychological stress reactions among their subordinates. The subjects included 41 male supervisors and their immediate subordinates (n=203). The supervisors completed a short version of the Active Listening Attitude Scale (ALAS) consisting of two subscales: Listening Attitude and Listening Skill for Active Listening. The subordinates rated working conditions and their psychological stress reactions using selected scales of the Job Content Questionnaire and the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Those subordinates who worked under supervisors with a higher score of Listening Attitude and Listening Skill reported a more favorable psychological stress reaction than those who worked under supervisors with a lower score of Listening Attitude and Listening Skill. Those subordinates who worked under supervisors with a higher score of Listening Skill reported higher worksite support than those who worked under supervisors with a lower score of Listening Skill. Those subordinates who worked under supervisors with a higher score of Listening Attitude reported higher job control than those who worked under supervisors with a lower score of Listening Attitude. A supervisor's listening attitude and skill appeared to affect psychological stress reactions predominantly among male subordinates than among female subordinates. Psychological stress reactions were lower among younger subordinates who worked under supervisors with high listening skill, while no statistically difference was observed among older subordinates. These findings suggest that a supervisor's listening attitude and skill have an effect on working conditions and psychological stress reactions among subordinates and that the effects vary according to the subordinates' sex and age.
Effect of Particle Size of Intratracheally Instilled Crystalline Silica on Pulmonary Inflammation
Authors: Kajiwara Takayoshi , Ogami Akira , Yamato Hiroshi , Oyabu Takako , Morimoto Yasuo , Tanaka Isamu
Published: April 2007

Effect of Particle Size of Intratracheally Instilled Crystalline Silica on Pulmonary Inflammation: Takayoshi Kajiwara, et al. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, University of Occupational and Environmental Health—Crystalline silica, known as a causal substance of silicosis, has been carefully evaluated for its carcinogenicity and fibrogenicity. In this study, we instilled crystalline silica of two different size (S1.8 :1.80 µm (S.D. 2.0), S0.7 :0.74 µm (S.D. 1.5)) into the trachea of rats to evaluate the size effects of the particles on pulmonary inflammation. S1.8 and S0.7 samples were administered to rats by a single intratracheal instillation (2 mg/ 0.4 ml saline). At three days, 1 wk and 1, 3 and 6 months after the instillation, the blood, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and pulmonary tissues were analyzed. Six images per HE‐stained section were digitally captured and examined by the point counting method (PCM). Polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN)‐in‐blood specimens and cytospin specimens from BALF were stained immunohistochemically with BrdU. At six months after the instillation, the effects on inflammatory cells in the pulmonary tissues and BALF tended to be more marked in the rats instilled with S1.8 than those instilled with S0.7. Particularly, clear differences were observed in the number of inflammatory cells in BALF. Even if the particles are of the same chemical composition, the results suggest that, their biological effects vary depending on their particle size. Therefore, when such particles are used in workplaces, strict control systems should be established according to the risks present by different sizes of particles.
Risk of recurrence in major craniospinal malformations between 1976 and 2005
Authors: Joó József Gábor , Papp Zoltán
Published: April 2007

Introduction: Craniospinal malformations are among the commonest developmental disorders. Due to its incidence the knowledge of the risk of recurrence is very important not only for the geneticist but also for the married couples. Method: In the period between January 1st, 1976 and December 31st, 2005, among the 75320 documented cases at the Genetic Counselling Units of the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Debrecen and Semmelweis University Budapest, consultations were requested due to previous craniospinal malformations in the patients’ history in 3030 cases (4.2%). This paper contains the most important informations about these cases of craniospinal malformations. The greatest risk of non-central nervous system developmental anomalies was associated with holoprosencephaly. Results: In approximately two thirds of the cases (65.1%), the couples sought counselling because of malformation in a previous pregnancy. In these cases, the risk of recurrence was thought to be 5.2%, while in the case of two affected children this figure stood at 21.9%. When the risk of recurrence was analysed according to the various types, much lower figures (3.8%) were found for neural tube defects compared to other anomalies in this study. Conclusion: Analysing the values for the risk of recurrence in five-year periods, neural tube defects (particularly anencephaly and spina bifida) showed detectable decrease, which could be attributed to a widening use of folic acid supplementation around about the time of conception and during pregnancy.
New tools to study biophysical properties of single molecules and single cells
Authors: Rocha Márcio S. , Mesquita Oscar N.
Published: April 2007

We present a review on two new tools to study biophysical properties of single molecules and single cells. A laser incident through a high numerical aperture microscope objective can trap small dielectric particles near the focus. This arrangement is named optical tweezers. This technique has the advantage to permit manipulation of a single individual object. We use optical tweezers to measure the entropic elasticity of a single DNA molecule and its interaction with the drug Psoralen. Optical tweezers are also used to hold a kidney cell MDCK away from the substrate to allow precise volume measurements of this single cell during an osmotic shock. This procedure allows us to obtain information about membrane water permeability and regulatory volume increase. Defocusing microscopy is a recent technique invented in our laboratory, which allows the observation of transparent objects, by simply defocusing the microscope in a controlled way. Our physical model of a defocused microscope shows that the image contrast observed in this case is proportional to the defocus distance and to the curvature of the transparent object. Defocusing microscopy is very useful to study motility and mechanical properties of cells. We show here the application of defocusing microscopy to measurements of macrophage surface fluctuations and their influence on phagocytosis.
Distribuição da gordura corporal e perfis lipídico e glicêmico de pacientes infectados pelo HIV
Authors: Guimarães Milena Maria M. , Greco Dirceu Bartolomeu , O. Júnior Antônio Ribeiro de , Penido Mariana Guimarães , Machado Lucas José de C.
Published: April 2007

Os objetivos foram avaliar dados antropométricos e perfis lipídico e glicêmico de pacientes infectados pelo HIV usuários e não usuários de anti-retrovirais (ARV), e verificar a associação entre ARV e alterações da gordura corporal, distúrbios lipídicos e da homeostase da glicose. Foram incluídos 176 pacientes (133 usuários e 43 não usuários de ARV). Os pacientes foram submetidos a avaliação clínica, exames laboratoriais, ultrassonografia, biompedanciometria e medida de pregas cutâneas. Pacientes usuários de ARV apresentaram maior relação cintura/quadril (p= 0,0002), maior espessura da gordura intra-abdominal medida pela ultrassonografia (p= 0,003) e menores pregas de gordura bicipital (p= 0,01) e tricipital (p= 0,0002). Estes pacientes tiveram níveis mais elevados de triglicérides (p= 0,0002), colesterol total (p= 0,00007) e colesterol HDL (p= 0,009). Eles também apresentaram maiores níveis de glicose aos 60 (p= 0,01) e 120 minutos (p= 0,001) após dextrosol, maiores níveis de insulina de jejum (p= 0,03) e maiores valores do índice HOMA (p= 0,02). As drogas anti-retrovirais estão associadas a acúmulo central e perda periférica de gordura. Além disso, estas drogas estão associadas a alterações lipídicas e a aumento da resistência insulínica, conhecidos fatores de risco cardiovascular.
Síndrome de Nelson: relato de caso
Authors: Cukier Priscilla , Duch Flávia Moretti , Teixeira Manoel Jacobsen , Fragoso Maria Candida B.V. , Pereira Maria Adelaide A. , Freire Daniel Soares , Fonoff Erich Talamoni , Costa Márcia Helena Soares , Domenice Sorahia , Lucon Antonio Marmo , Mendonça Berenice B. de
Published: April 2007

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar e discutir alguns aspectos da patogênese, do diagnóstico clínico, hormonal e radiológico e do tratamento da síndrome de Nelson, com base no relato de um paciente típico portador da doença, no qual várias abordagens terapêuticas mostraram-se ineficazes.
Hipoglicemia hiperinsulinêmica persistente endógena no adulto: relato de caso
Authors: Costa Raquel R. , Maia Frederico F.R. , Araújo Levimar R.
Published: April 2007

A hipoglicemia hiperinsulinêmica persistente endógena em adultos é, na maioria dos casos, causada por insulinoma. A Nesidioblastose, uma hiperinsulinemia funcional rara por hiperplasia das células beta do pâncreas, tem sido descrita principalmente em neonatos. Apresentamos o caso de uma paciente de 34 anos com quadro clínico-laboratorial compatível com hipoglicemia hiperinsulinêmica endógena (Glicemia jejum: 54 mg/dl / Valor de referência (VR): 6099 mg/dl; Insulina sérica: 70,9 mcU/ml / VR: < 29,1 mcU/ml; e Peptídeo C: 7,1 ng/ml / VR: 1,15,0 ng/ml - simultâneos à glicemia). Foi aventada a hipótese de insulinoma. Em função da ausência de imagem característica aos exames radiológicos (ultra-som e tomografia de abdome), optou-se pela laparotomia exploradora, onde também não foi evidenciado tumor pancreático macroscopicamente. Os exames histopatológico e imuno-histoquímico evidenciaram hiperplasia de células beta, de segmento distal do pâncreas, compatível com nesidioblastose. A paciente evoluiu com estabilidade clínica por cerca de dois meses, quando se verificou recidiva das crises hipoglicêmicas, refratárias ao uso de Octreotide. Optou-se pela realização de "octreosan", que indicou nesidioblastose difusa, sendo procedida pancreatectomia parcial extensa. Seguiu-se o uso contínuo de Octreotide, com controle eficaz das crises hipoglicêmicas. Uma vez que esse é um diagnóstico raro no adulto, objetiva-se, nesse artigo, divulgar o manejo diagnóstico-terapêutico em casos de hipoglicemia hiperinsulinêmica endógena.
Microbiologic profile of flexible endoscope disinfection in two Brazilian hospitals
Authors: Machado Alexandre P. , Pimenta Ana Teresa Mancini , Contijo Paulo P. , Geocze Stephan , Fischman Olga
Published: April 2007

BACKGROUD: Endoscopes are routinely used in hospitals and clinics of the world and they can be potential sources of cross-infection when the decontamination process is unsuitable AIM: The routines of flexible endoscope (bronchoscopes, esophagogastroduodenoscopes and colonoscopes) disinfection procedures used in two Brazilian university hospitals were evaluated during a 3-year period METHODS: Aleatory samples from internal channels of endoscopes were collected after patient examination and after cleaning/disinfection procedures RESULTS: A contamination >3 log10 was achieved in samples recovered from endoscopes after patient examination. These samples yielded gram-negative bacilli (n = 142: 56%), gram-positive cocci (n = 43: 17%), yeast cells (n = 43: 17%), and gram-positive bacilli (n = 26: 10%). Approximately, 72 out of 149 samples (48.32%) collected after undergoing the cleaning and disinfection procedures disclosed gram-negative bacilli (n = 55: 61%), gram-positive cocci (n = 21: 23%), gram-positive bacilli (n = 8: 9%) and yeast cells (n = 6: 7%). Esophagogastroduodenoscopes and colonoscopes were the most frequently contaminated devices. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp, Serratia marcescens, Proteus mirabilis, Citrobacter freundii, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus coagulase negative, Micrococcus luteus, Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. glabrata, C. guilliermondii, Bacillus spp and Corynebacterium spp were predominantly identified CONCLUSION: Inappropriate cleaning and low times of disinfection were respectively the major factors associated with the presence of microorganisms in colonoscopes and esophagogastroduodenoscopes. By analyzing the identified germs, hospital disinfection was considered of either intermediate or poor level. After this investigation, both university centers improved their previous protocols for disinfection and conditions for reprocessing endoscopes.
Suprapapillary needle puncture for common bile duct access: laboratory profile
Authors: Artifon Everson L. A. , Paulo Sakai , Cardillo Guilherme Z. , Ishioka Shinichi
Published: April 2007

BACKGROUD: Biliary cannulation to perform endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography may be difficult due to technical reasons and often is necessary to perform papillotomy, where complications as pancreatitis and perforation may occur AIM: To show minimal complications by a new model of biliary access by means of the suprapapillary needle puncture and its laboratory profile. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After the approval of the protocol by the Scientific Ethics Committee of the institution a free and informed consent was signed by all patients participating in the study. From July 2003 to August 2004, fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 patients were selected for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, using the suprapapillary puncture technique. All patients remained hospitalized, fasting and with basal hydroelectrolytic replacement, were clinically followed up and samples for the determination of serum amylase, lipase and C-RP (C-reactive protein) were collected before and 4 h, 12 h and 24 h after the procedure and reevaluated 60 days after the procedure. Laboratory parameters were submitted to statistical study using analysis of variance for repeated measurements. Multiple comparisons were made based on Wald's statistics RESULTS: The technique was successful in 93.4% (28/30) of the patients. No statistically significant difference regarding to the laboratory profile were observed. Complications related to the technique of papillary puncture occurred in 1/28 patients by not using the guide wire and in 1/28 where mild hemorrhage after dilation of the papillary fistula occurred. Regarding complications related to therapeutic procedures, there were 2/28 retroduodenal perforations, with one (1/30) following unsuccessful puncture and another due to the passage of Dormia's basket through the dilated fistula path. All patients submitted to diagnostic puncture and evaluated 60 days after the procedure presented with the major duodenal papilla of normal aspect. The patients with dilation of the suprapapillary fistula showed the fistula continuing to drain clear bile CONCLUSION: Suprapapillary puncture allows investigative and therapeutic procedures without significant increases in amylase, lipase and C-RP. Patients submitted to diagnostic puncture present complete recovery of the papilla, while dilation of the fistula maintains it pervious later on, but without complications.
Aspectos funcionais, microbiológicos e morfológicos intestinais em crianças infectadas pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana
Authors: Leite Christiane Araujo Chaves , Succi Regina Célia de Menezes , Patrício Francy Reis da Silva , Fagundes-Neto Ulysses
Published: April 2007

RACIONAL: O trato gastrointestinal é freqüentemente acometido nas crianças infectadas pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana, com importantes repercussões no seu estado nutricional e sobrevida. A maioria dos estudos relacionados a esse tema foi desenvolvida com adultos, sendo menos investigado o problema nas crianças OBJETIVOS: Estudar aspectos digestivo-absortivos, microbiológicos e morfológicos intestinais em crianças infectadas pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Onze crianças infectadas pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana, menores de 13 anos, pertencentes às categorias clínicas A, B ou C, divididas em dois grupos: cinco pacientes com relato atual ou recente de diarréia e seis pacientes sem diarréia nos 30 dias que antecederam à inclusão no estudo. Investigação proposta: biopsia de intestino delgado e reto para análise morfológica e microbiológica, coprocultura, protoparasitológico de fezes, pesquisa de rotavírus, micobactérias e Cryptosporidium; teste da D-xilose RESULTADOS: Todos os pacientes testados (9/11) apresentavam má absorção da D-xilose (8,4-24,4 mg/dL). Os achados histopatológicos de intestino delgado foram inespecíficos, representados em sua maioria, por enteropatia grau I a II (6/10). Em todos os casos foi constatado aumento do infiltrado celular do córion. As alterações histopatológicas do reto também foram inespecíficas, com presença de aumento do infiltrado celular do córion. A pesquisa de microorganismos enteropatogênicos só foi positiva em dois casos, sendo identificado Mycobacterium avium intracellulare e Cryptosporidium nas fezes CONCLUSÕES: Demonstrou-se alta prevalência (100%) de má absorção intestinal em crianças infectadas pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana, com ou sem diarréia. Não foi possível estabelecer correlações quanto à presença de agentes enteropatogênicos, má absorção intestinal, alterações morfológicas intestinais e ocorrência ou não de diarréia. Não houve correlação entre os valores de D-xilose e os graus de atrofia vilositária.