bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cytokine gene polymorphisms and atopic disease in two European cohorts. (ECRHS-Basel and SAPALDIA)
Authors: Imboden M , Nieters A , Bircher AJ , Brutsche M , Becker N , Wjst M , Ackermann-Liebrich U , Berger W , Probst-Hensch NM ,   SAPALDIA Team
Published: June 2006

Background

Atopy and allergic phenotypes are biologically characterized by an imbalanced T helper cell response skewed towards a type 2 (TH2) immune response associated with elevated serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. Polymorphisms in cytokine genes might modulate regulation of the TH1/TH2 balance. We thus aimed at reproducing our previous findings from a European study population on the association of various cytokine polymorphisms with self-reported hay fever as well as increased total and specific IgE levels in two comparable study populations.

Methods

Two prospective Caucasian cohorts were used. In the Basel center of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS, n = 418) ten distinct cytokine polymorphisms of putative functional relevance were genotyped. In the Swiss cohort Study on Air Pollution And Lung Disease In Adults (SAPALDIA, n = 6003) two cytokine polymorphisms were genotyped. The associations of these polymorphisms with atopy were estimated by covariance and logistic regression analysis.

Results

We confirmed IL4, IL10, IL6 and IL18 as candidate genes for atopic health outcomes. In the large, well-characterized SAPALDIA cohort the IL6(-174G>C) and IL18(-137G>C) polymorphisms were associated with circulating total IgE concentrations in subjects with hay fever. The IL18(-137G>C) polymorphism was also associated with the prevalence of hay fever.

Conclusion

Comprehensive characterization of genetic variation in extended cytokine candidate gene regions is now needed. Large study networks must follow to investigate the association of risk patterns defined by genetic predisposing and environmental risk factors with specific atopic phenotypes.
A level III sentinel lymph node in breast cancer
Authors: Bowers Kim , Liu Yiyan , Ghesani Nasrin , Kim Steve H
Published: June 2006

Background

For accurate nodal staging, all blue and radioactive lymph nodes should be sampled during the sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer. We report a case of anomalous drainage in which one of the sentinel lymph nodes was unexpectedly found in the level III axillary space.

Case presentation

A 40-year-old female underwent mastectomy for extensive high-grade ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS) with micro-invasion. The index lesion was located in the right upper inner quadrant. Lymphoscintigraphy was performed on the morning of surgery. Two sentinel lymph nodes were identified. At operation, 5 mls of isosulfan blue dye was injected at the same site of the radio-colloid injection. The first sentinel lymph node was found at level I and was blue and radioactive. The second sentinel node was detected in an unexpected anomalous location at level III, medial to the pectoralis minor. Both sentinel nodes were negative.

Conclusion

Sentinel node staging can lead to unexpected patterns of lymphatic drainage. For accurate staging, it is important to survey all potential sites of nodal metastasis either with preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and/or rigorous examination of regional nodal basins with the intra-operative gamma probe.
Understanding practitioner research as a form of life: an Eastern interpretation of Exploratory Practice
Authors: Wu Zongjie
Published: June 2006

Allwright and colleagues around the world have been developing Exploratory Practice as an approach to practitioner research different from the familiar notion of teacher research. EP offers a set of principles devoted to understanding, in a collaborative mode, the quality of language classroom life. Several underlying points, such as ‘quality of life’, ‘incommunicable understandings’, ‘puzzlement’, and so forth often go beyond the common meanings of the terms. The paper ventures to make a philosophical inquiry into such underlying ideas, combined with ethnographic investigation of an actual case based on a teacher-initiated research project. The inquiry is made in the light of both Western and Eastern philosophical thought, and its outcomes are analysed and presented in the form of stories. I propose that Exploratory Practice is best seen as a venture of experiencing authentic being through critical practices for understanding the quality of classroom life in terms of ‘what is inherently so’ (yin qi gu ran) and by searching for a language of Tao (the nameless). Following the route of ‘being’, ‘understanding’ and ‘naming’, this venture aims at the harmonization of teachers’ professional lives, where teaching is revealing being through words, and ‘then conversely, learning is experiencing what a teacher’s words reveal’ (Thomson, 2001: 259).
Adult Leydig Cell Tumors of the Testis Caused by Germline Fumarate Hydratase Mutations
Authors: Carvajal-Carmona Luis G. , Alam N. Afrina , Pollard Patrick J. , Jones Angela M. , Barclay Ella , Wortham Noel , Pignatelli Massimo , Freeman Alex , Pomplun Sabine , Ellis Ian , Poulsom Richard , El-Bahrawy Mona A. , Berney Daniel M. , Tomlinson Ian P. M.
Published: June 2006

Context: Leydig cell tumors (LCTs) are the most common non-germ-cell neoplasms of the testis. LCTs are often hormonally active and can result in precocious virilization or in adult feminization. We identified an LCT in an affected individual from a kindred with hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC) and a germline fumarate hydratase (FH) mutation (N64T).

Objective: Our objective was to investigate the role of FH mutations in predisposition to LCTs.

Design: We tested for pathogenic effects of the N64T mutation and screened an additional 29 unselected adult LCTs for FH alterations. We also tested these LCTs for mutations in two genes, the LH/choriogonadotropin receptor (LHCGR) and the guanine nucleotide-binding protein α (GNAS) that had been implicated in LCT tumorigenesis.

Results: No mutations were found in GNAS, and one tumor had a LHCGR somatic substitution. In addition to the HLRCC case with the N64T germline FH mutation, we identified one other LCT with a previously unreported FH mutation (M411I). Both LCTs from these patients showed loss of the wild-type FH allele. Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization analyses demonstrated activation of the hypoxia/angiogenesis pathway not only in the tumors belonging to the FH mutation carriers but also in several other mutation-negative LCTs.

Conclusions: Our study shows that some LCTs are caused by FH mutations and represents one of the first reports of germline mutations in any type of adult testicular tumor.
When Is an Interview an Interview? Notes from Listening to Holocaust Survivors
Authors: Greenspan Henry , Bolkosky Sidney
Published: June 2006

Studies of interviewing suggest that there is a wide gulf between interviewing theory and actual practice. Regarding interviews with Holocaust survivors specifically, there have been no systematic studies of the relationships between theory and practice, nor has there been systematic assessment by other criteria of the increasingly vast archives of survivor interviews. In the absence of such studies, the authors have pursued another approach to thinking about what made for better and worse interviews with survivors. During the summer of 1998, they spoke with two groups of survivors who had been interviewed many times, for many different projects, and asked the survivors to evaluate their various interview experiences. As judged by the survivors, certain criteria did, indeed, consistently characterize the best as against the worst interviews. The authors argue that these same criteria shed light on an even more fundamental question: what makes an interview an interview at all?
Research Use of Holocaust Testimonies
Authors: Rudof Joanne Weiner
Published: June 2006

This article discusses postwar efforts to document the survivor experience, which continue to the present time. Many historians today acknowledge the importance of these primary source materials to their work as well as the necessity for careful analysis of them. These materials could not be used without both physical access—which reinforces the need for preservation regardless of media—and recognized cataloging standards and vocabulary. The article includes examples of the uses made of testimonies in various disciplines and challenges present and future researchers to expand the use of such resources with a view to obtain a more complete history of the Holocaust.
Second-Generation Testimony, Transmission of Trauma, and Postmemory
Authors: van Alphen Ernst
Published: June 2006

In discussions of second- and third-generation Holocaust literature and testimony, it is an accepted idea that the trauma of Holocaust survivors is often transmitted from the first to the second and later generations. This article analyzes the “problems” of survivors' children in order to see if they can be understood by reference to the trauma of the parents. This will be done on the basis of literary testimonies, namely, Eva Hoffman's After Such Knowledge: Memory, History, and the Legacy of the Holocaust and Carl Friedman's Nightfather.
The Audacity of Aesthetics: The Post-Holocaust Novel and the Respect for the Dead
Authors: Rosenbaum Thane
Published: June 2006

A “post-Holocaust novelist” describes the reason for insisting on this category and explains why he thinks the Holocaust itself should not be directly portrayed.
Herpes simplex virus type I disrupts the ATR-dependent DNA-damage response during lytic infection
Authors: Wilkinson Dianna E. , Weller Sandra K.
Published: June 2006

Like other DNA viruses, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) interacts with components of the cellular response to DNA damage. For example, HSV-1 sequesters endogenous, uninduced, hyperphosphorylated RPA (replication protein A) away from viral replication compartments. RPA is a ssDNA-binding protein that signals genotoxic stress through the ATR (ataxia telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related) pathway. The sequestration of endogenous hyperphosphorylated RPA away from replicating viral DNA suggests that HSV-1 prevents the normal ATR-signaling response. In this study we examine the spatial distribution of endogenous hyperphosphorylated RPA with respect to ATR, its recruitment factor, ATRIP, and the cellular dsDNA break marker, γH2AX, during HSV-1 infection. The accumulation of these repair factors at DNA lesions has previously been identified as an early event in signaling genotoxic stress. We show that HSV-1 infection disrupts the ATR pathway by a mechanism that prevents the recruitment of repair factors, spatially uncouples ATRIP from ATR and sequesters ATRIP and endogenous hyperphosphorylated RPA within virus-induced nuclear domains containing molecular chaperones and components of the ubiquitin proteasome. The HSV-1 immediate early protein ICP0 is sufficient to induce the redistribution of ATRIP. This is the first report that a virus can disrupt the usually tight colocalization of ATR and ATRIP.
Enhancement of tumor invasion depends on transdifferentiation of skin fibroblasts mediated by reactive oxygen species
Authors: Cat Bahar , Stuhlmann Dominik , Steinbrenner Holger , Alili Lirija , Holtkötter Olaf , Sies Helmut , Brenneisen Peter
Published: June 2006

Myofibroblasts, pivotal for tumor progression, populate the microecosystem of reactive stroma. Using an in vitro tumor-stroma model of skin carcinogenesis, we report here that tumor-cell-derived transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) initiates reactive oxygen species-dependent expression of α-smooth muscle actin, a biomarker for myofibroblastic cells belonging to a group of late-responsive genes. Moreover, protein kinase C (PKC) is involved in lipid hydroperoxide-triggered molecular events underlying transdifferentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts (mesenchymal-mesenchymal transition, MMT). In contrast to fibroblasts, myofibroblasts secrete large amounts of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), resulting in a significant increase in the invasive capacity of tumor cells. The thiol N-acetyl-L-cysteine, the micronutrient selenite as well as selenoprotein P and the lipid peroxidation inhibitors α-tocopherol and butylated hydroxytoluene significantly lower both the number of TGFβ1-initiated myofibroblasts and the secretion of HGF, VEGF and IL-6, correlating with a diminished invasive capacity of tumor cells. This novel concept of stromal therapy, namely the protection of stromal cells against the dominating influence of tumor cells in tumor-stroma interaction by antioxidants and micronutrients, may form the basis for prevention of MMT in strategies for chemoprevention of tumor invasion.
Textualizing the law
Authors: Tiersma Peter
Published: June 2006

Much of the work of lawyers consists of the production or interpretation of various sorts of legal texts. Many of these texts are authoritative or operative, in the sense that they create or modify a legal relation, institution, or state of affairs. Historically, there is a general progression from oral legal act, to an oral act with a written record, to an authoritative written text. Such authoritative texts differ from speech and other types of writing in that they are more autonomous. They tend to be drafted to be as clear and complete as possible, embodying all relevant communicative intentions of the author. Consequently, they are interpreted in a relatively literal or decontextualized fashion. Moreover, they are generally regarded as complete expressions of the author, making evidence of oral statements outside of the text virtually irrelevant from a legal point of view. Such consequences can be problematic for those with limited experience with these conventions. Nonetheless, authoritative legal texts can perform several useful functions, such as marking a text as effectuating a binding legal act and clearly delineating what is included within it and what is not. Despite some drawbacks, as well as the impact of technological change, it seems that the authoritative legal text is here to tay.
The perception of speed-modified recordings
Authors: de Jong Gea , Honess Terry
Published: June 2006

The overall quality of audio tapes may be affected by such factors as background noise and the intensity of the signal, or whether the recording was made at the correct speed. The last would affect the speaking fundamental frequency (SFF), and therefore perceived pitch, and phonetic characteristics of the speech sample. Listeners’ skills regarding the recognition of recording speeds that had been manipulated are investigated here. It was found that a majority of correct identifications of speed manipulation is only achieved when the speed is -6% or +6% off the correct speed in an experimental procedure that compared deviations of 3, 6 and 9%. Judging samples that are played at higher speeds is easier than those played at lower speeds. Expert listeners did not perform any better than naive or trained listeners. However, they were more cautious and were more often correct when very confident about their judgments.
The effects of repeated copying and recording media on intelligibility
Authors: de Jong Gea , Newis Paul , Hunt John
Published: June 2006

The increasing use of MiniDisc technology for audio harvesting by law enforcement agencies gives some cause for concern. The reasons for its use are understandable: the kit is small, cheap, light and easy to use. However, there are disadvantages when compared to some of the existing technologies, due to the use of bit reduction techniques. In order to demonstrate the potential problems associated with MiniDisc technology, a two-factor design experiment was set up in which listeners were asked to listen to representative lists of words, contaminated with speech babble. The two factors of interest were (1) type of medium (e.g. analogue tape, MiniDisc) and (2) the generation copy. It was found that the copying process of MiniDiscs affects the quality of the signal in an unpredictable manner: it could improve but also deteriorate the signal. Quality could be deteriorated but intelligibility could have improved. The effects of different types of MiniDisc equipment vary due to different compression techniques. In addition, the superior quality of DAT and the inferior quality of analogue tapes was confirmed.
The suspect’s own words: The treatment of written statements in Dutch courtrooms
Authors: Komter Martha L.
Published: June 2006

In Dutch trials, suspects are confronted with written statements they made to the police and the investigating judge, earlier in the criminal law process, as recorded in the case files. These statements are supposed to be written down as far as possible in the suspect’s own words, but they are in fact the police officer’s written versions of what was said in the interrogating room. They are simultaneously reports of previous talks held in the police interrogating room and part of the interaction in the courtroom, both of which are conducted for a different purpose. Thus, suspects are held accountable for what they supposedly told the police, and if they argue with this, judges can rebut their protests by pointing out that they themselves have told this to the police.
Better tools for the trade and how to use them
Authors: Woolls David
Published: June 2006

This article is a follow-up to ‘Tools for the Trade’ (Woolls and Coulthard, 1998). All the programs in the Vocalyse Toolkit described in that article have been developed in response to the requirements arising from particular groups of cases, some of which are used below to illustrate both the use of the tools and how they have been extended in the past four years. One application of Copycatch, the most widely used tool and that which was developed first, is described in Kennedy ([x-ref to be inserted at proof stage]), so only the latest functional changes are reported below. Because one of the central features of the current version of all the tools is their use of colour, no examples have been included in this paper. The reader is invited to visit the Copycatch web site, www.copycatch.freeserve.co.uk, where annotated examples will be found.
Earwitness identification over the telephone and in field settings
Authors: Yarmey A. Daniel
Published: June 2006

Earwitnesses were asked to describe and identify the voice of a young woman to whom they had spoken approximately five minutes earlier either in a naturalistic field setting or over the telephone. Witnesses were given a single tape-recorded voice of either the target or a highly similar foil, or a target present or a target absent six-person voice line-up. Half of the witnesses in the naturalistic settings were given a photograph of the target as a retrieval cue when they attempted to describe and identify the voice of the target. Witnesses gave few descriptions of the speaker’s voice. Voice identification was poor in both types of setting. Those witnesses who were prepared for a memory test were superior to non-prepared witnesses on the subsequent identification test. Photographic retrieval cues did not influence voice descriptions, but did minimize false identifications on the target absent line-up for witnesses prepared for the test. The six-person line-up proved to be significantly superior to the one-person lineup in minimizing false identifications of the most highly similar sounding foil.
Not so fresh in the mind: a forensic linguistic analysis of suspected memorized narrative essays
Authors: Kennedy Graham
Published: June 2006

The Hong Kong Certificate of Education (HKCE) English Language writing exam is taken by more than 110, 000 fifth-form students every year. The candidates are required to write a narrative, discursive or descriptive essay of approximately 300 words. During the marking process, some 150–200 scripts are usually identified as ‘memorized’ and tagged for special marking. About a third of these are finally assessed as being wholly or partly memorized and are penalized through having the memorized parts disregarded. Until recently, the assessment process has been a wholly subjective and ‘unscientific’ one. Newly developed software, however, has allowed for a swifter and more systematic analysis of such scripts and revealed a previously unsuspected degree of sophistication in the use of memorized material
Issues in transcription: factors affecting the reliability of transcripts as evidence in legal cases
Authors: Fraser Helen
Published: June 2006

This article considers the reliability of transcripts used as evidence in court, especially transcripts of poor recordings. Background information about human speech and speech perception is presented, and the implications of this information for the use of transcripts of different kinds in legal contexts is considered. Finally, recommendations are made to allow judgement of the reliability of existing transcripts, ensure that newly created transcripts are reliable, and to ensure that transcripts are presented to a jury appropriately.
A new tool for the visualization of magnetic features on audiotapes
Authors: Boss Dagmar , Gfroerer Stefan , Neoustroev Nikolai
Published: June 2006

The visualization of magnetic features can be of forensic relevance in the field of tape authentication. The Research Institute for Material Science and Technology in Zelenograd, Russia, has developed crystals with magneto-optical properties which permit convenient, precise and non-destructive visualization of magnetic information. These crystals change their optical properties according to external magnetic fields. The magneto-optical effects may be used for developing images of the magnetic structure of any analogue or digital recording. In this paper, we first provide some theoretical background about several magneto-optical effects. Subsequently, two experiments on visualization effects that are based on different physical principles (Kerr Effect, Faraday Effect) are described. Selected forensically relevant features detected on analogue recordings are shown. Special emphasis is given to visual features that may be used for authentication purposes
Disputed authorship in US Law
Authors: McMenamin Gerald
Published: June 2006

The purpose of this note is to recognize the significant contribution of Tiersma and Solan (2002) to forensic linguistics, but to oppose their classification of disputed authorship cases as a ‘problem area’ in the field, that is, which they define as an area of expert linguistic testimony associated with judicial reluctance to admit such testimony. In contrast to their position, I submit that that disputed authorship cases be considered ‘non-problematic’ by their definition, that is, areas in which testimony by linguists has been repeatedly presented in and admitted by courts in the US and other countries. The basis for this proposal is threefold. First, cases cited to support the ‘problem area’ designation are either unlitigated matters from the media, cases wherein actual linguists did not proffer testimony, or not on point. Second, there is a significant body of disputed-authorship testimony based on linguistic observation and description, admitted by the courts over the years and affirmed on appeals. Third, there are growing numbers of cases in which courts around the world have admitted disputed-authorship testimony provided by linguists.
Benefits of an Edinburgh—Newcastle high-speed rail link
Authors: Edwards J.
Published: June 2006

The greatest use of air travel within the UK is between central Scotland and London. This paper discusses the construction of a high-speed rail link (350 km/h capability) between Edinburgh and Newcastle to reduce the Edinburgh–London rail journey time to an equivalent flight time, with the objective of achieving greatest modal shift from air to rail travel with consequent reductions in carbon emissions. The paper describes the existing rail route and its limitations. A broad specification and a possible proposed route that would utilise the existing rail network and stations at each end are discussed. The paper also covers the overall costs of relative transport modes, how these modes can be equally treated and possible sources of finance. Short-term East Coast Main Line capacity improvements and the longer-term view that an Edinburgh–Newcastle link would be only a start in the development of high-speed rail on this route are discussed. It is concluded that the UK should follow the lead of other European countries and develop a high-speed rail network, primarily as a means of reducing carbon emissions from aircraft.
Hope in Cognitive Psychotherapies: On Working With Client Strengths
Authors: Cheavens Jennifer S. , Feldman David B. , Woodward Julia T. , Snyder C. R.
Published: June 2006

The field of psychology, which is traditionally rooted in the study and treatment of psychological disorders and pathology, recently has begun to embrace an examination of individual, as well as societal, strengths and virtues. This subspecialty within psychology, known as positive psychology, can be defined as the attempt to understand the characteristics and processes that contribute to optimal functioning, flourishing, and resiliency. The purpose of the present article is to draw a link between traditional psychology and positive psychology using the example of the positive psychological construct of hope. Specifically, we explore the ways in which hope theory can be incorporated into traditional forms of cognitive therapy for symptom reduction and elimination. First, the theory of hope (Snyder, 1994) is introduced and the concept of hopeful thought is defined. Next, we explore the distinction between Snyder’s definition of hope and Beck’s definition of hopelessness (Beck, Weissman, Lester, & Trexler, 1974). Finally, we present possible strategies for utilizing hope concepts in cognitive therapies. Studying individuals with high levels of hope has resulted in a wealth of information about the ways these individuals overcome obstacles and find multiple ways to the goals that they have set for themselves. Integrating these lessons into empirically based treatments for symptom reduction is likely to result in a synergy that utilizes the most sound aspects of both traditional psychology and positive psychology.
Links Between Cognitive-Behavioral Hope-Building and Positive Psychology: Applications to a Psychotic Patient
Authors: Riskind John H.
Published: June 2006

Several currently popular theories have emphasized the important role of hope in well-being. This article has outlined one framework for achieving hope via the normalizing and humanizing of patients, and the use of techniques such as priming or accessibility manipulation, reattribution, and other techniques derived from or inspired by current social-cognitive theories. As such they illustrate the possibilities for enriching the repertoire of cognitive therapists that can be offered by merging concepts from positive psychology and social psychology into a more ‘’hopeful’’ cognitive-behavior therapy. This social-cognitive approach is in line with the flexible and integrative underpinnings of cognitive therapy (Alford & Beck, 1996).
Solvent reduced wittig olefination reactions with halo containing conjugated phosphoranes
Authors: Thiemann Thies , Tanaka Yasuko , Ideta Keiko , Mataka Shuntaro
Published: June 2006

The Wittig reaction of carbaldehydes with alkoxycarbonylhalomethylidenetriphenylphosphoranes can be performed with ease in solventless systems. The analogous reaction of carbaldehydes with acylhalomethylidenetriphenylphosphoranes requires a small amount of solvent, such as chloroform, in order for the reaction to proceed. The products of the reaction are versatile precursors for further transformations, such as the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction.
Polychlorinated Leucine Derivatives: Synthesis of (2S,4R)‐5,5‐Dichloroleucine and Its J‐Based Analysis
Authors: Ardá Ana , Jiménez Carlos , Rodríguez Jaime
Published: June 2006

A total synthesis of (2S,4R)‐5,5‐dichloroleucine is reported in 13 steps from (S)‐methyl 2‐(hydroxymethyl)propanoate. A density functional J‐based analysis of this compound and a comparison with that of its (2S,4S) epimer is also performed in order to complete our study of J‐configurational assignments in 1,3‐nitrogen‐containing acyclic moieties. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
Regio‐ and Stereospecific Synthesis of Cholesterol Derivatives and Their Hormonal Activity in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Schmidt Arndt W. , Doert Thomas , Goutal Sigrid , Gruner Margit , Mende Fanny , Kurzchalia Teymuras V. , Knölker Hans‐Joachim
Published: June 2006

Cholesterol is essential for the survival of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Recent studies have demonstrated that cholesterol derivatives regulate two processes in the life cycle of worms: controlling molting and inducing a specialized non‐feeding larval stage. However, the chemical structure of the cholesterol‐derived signalling molecules for these or any other functions has not yet been identified. Herein, we describe the regio‐ and stereospecific synthesis of a number of cholesterol derivatives. The lithium–ammonia reduction of 4‐cholesten‐3‐one was utilized to develop a general method for the introduction of diverse functional groups at C‐4α of 5α‐cholestan‐3β‐ol. Stereoselective functionalization at C‐7 was achieved starting from 7‐ketocholesterol derivatives. 6‐Keto‐5α‐cholestan‐3β‐ol was utilized for specific functionalizations at C‐6 and C‐7. The structure–activity relationships of the different cholesterol derivatives have been investigated by feeding worms of different genetic background with these compounds. Our study is the first step in assigning the relationships of hormonal activity in C. elegans on the substitution at different positions of cholesterol. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
Comparison of different cortical connectivity estimators for high‐resolution EEG recordings
Authors: Astolfi Laura , Cincotti Febo , Mattia Donatella , Marciani M. Grazia , Baccala Luiz A. , de Vico Fallani Fabrizio , Salinari Serenella , Ursino Mauro , Zavaglia Melissa , Ding Lei , Edgar J. Christopher , Miller Gregory A. , He Bin , Babiloni Fabio
Published: June 2006

The aim of this work is to characterize quantitatively the performance of a body of techniques in the frequency domain for the estimation of cortical connectivity from high‐resolution EEG recordings in different operative conditions commonly encountered in practice. Connectivity pattern estimators investigated are the Directed Transfer Function (DTF), its modification known as direct DTF (dDTF) and the Partial Directed Coherence (PDC). Predefined patterns of cortical connectivity were simulated and then retrieved by the application of the DTF, dDTF, and PDC methods. Signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and length (LENGTH) of EEG epochs were studied as factors affecting the reconstruction of the imposed connectivity patterns. Reconstruction quality and error rate in estimated connectivity patterns were evaluated by means of some indexes of quality for the reconstructed connectivity pattern. The error functions were statistically analyzed with analysis of variance (ANOVA). The whole methodology was then applied to high‐resolution EEG data recorded during the well‐known Stroop paradigm. Simulations indicated that all three methods correctly estimated the simulated connectivity patterns under reasonable conditions. However, performance of the methods differed somewhat as a function of SNR and LENGTH factors. The methods were generally equivalent when applied to the Stroop data. In general, the amount of available EEG affected the accuracy of connectivity pattern estimations. Analysis of 27 s of nonconsecutive recordings with an SNR of 3 or more ensured that the connectivity pattern could be accurately recovered with an error below 7% for the PDC and 5% for the DTF. In conclusion, functional connectivity patterns of cortical activity can be effectively estimated under general conditions met in most EEG recordings by combining high‐resolution EEG techniques, linear inverse estimation of the cortical activity, and frequency domain multivariate methods such as PDC, DTF, and dDTF. Hum. Brain Mapp, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Computer modeling of frequency-modulation spectra of
coherent dark resonances
Authors: Vladimirova J , Grishanin B , Zadkov V , Biancalana V , Bevilacqua G , Dancheva Y , Moi L
Published: June 2006

Dynamics of a three-level quantum system in
Λ-configuration driven by a resonant laser field with and
without frequency modulation (FM) is studied for the first time in
detail using two simulation techniques – the density matrix and
quantum trajectories analysis. This analysis was applied to the
FM-spectroscopy of coherent dark resonances in Cs atoms and
computer simulation results for the absorption spectra are in
qualitative agreement with those taken in an experiment.
Preparation and Swelling Behavior of Fast‐Swelling Superabsorbent Hydrogels Based On Starch‐g‐Poly(acrylic acid‐co‐sodium acrylate)
Authors: Zhang Junping , Wang Li , Wang Aiqin
Published: June 2006

Summary: A novel fast‐swelling porous superabsorbent hydrogel was prepared by grafting acrylic acid onto corn starch through free‐radical polymerization in aqueous solution using N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinker, ammonium persulfate as an initiator, sodium dodecyl sulfate and p‐octyl poly(ethylene glycol)phenyl ether as pore‐forming agents. The graft polymerization and surface morphology of the porous superabsorbents were characterized by FTIR and SEM. The results indicate that the porous superabsorbents were endowed with higher equilibrium water absorbency and faster swelling rate (they needed only 10 min to reach 90% of their equilibrium water absorbency) compared with the nonporous superabsorbents. The dewatering method employed had a significant influence on the swelling behavior of the superabsorbents and dewatering agents were useful to preserve the pores formed during the polymerization process.

The equilibrium water absorbency in distilled water, for the porous and non‐porous starch‐g‐poly(acrylic acid‐co‐sodium acrylate) superabsorbent hydrogels dried through different procedures.

magnified image

The equilibrium water absorbency in distilled water, for the porous and non‐porous starch‐g‐poly(acrylic acid‐co‐sodium acrylate) superabsorbent hydrogels dried through different procedures.
Preparation of Clay/PMMA Nanocomposites with Intercalated or Exfoliated Structure for Bone Cement Synthesis
Authors: Wang Jyh‐Horng , Young Tai‐Horng , Lin Dar‐Jong , Sun Min‐Kuei , Huag Han‐Shiang , Cheng Liao‐Ping
Published: June 2006

Summary: Clay/PMMA nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending of an organically modified MMT with PMMA under various process conditions. The MMT clay was initially cation exchanged with octadecylammonium to enhance its hydrophobicity and to expand the interlamellar space of the silicate plates. PMMA was then inserted into the inter‐lamellar space of the modified clay by melt blending at an elevated temperature. The effects of blending temperature, blending time, and clay/PMMA compositions on the level of expansion and homogenization were investigated. Composites with intercalated and/or exfoliated clay structure were obtained depending upon the process conditions, as confirmed by XRD diffractometry. The thermal decomposition temperature (Td) and glass transition temperature (Tg) of the composites were determined, respectively, by TGA and DSC analyses. Marked improvements, up to 35 °C, of the thermal stability (Td) with respect to pure PMMA were achieved for many of the composite samples. The Tg of the composites, however, does not increase accordingly. Furthermore, a novel type of bone cement was synthesized by applying the clay/PMMA nanocomposites as a substitute for PMMA in a typical formulation. These bone cements demonstrated much higher impact strength and better cell compatibility than the surgical Simplex P cement. Therefore, the bone cements with clay/PMMA nanocomposites meet the requirement for the architectural design of orthopedic surgery.

TEM images of an OA‐clay/PMMA composite.

magnified image

TEM images of an OA‐clay/PMMA composite.
The odd‐dimensional Goldberg conjecture
Authors: Apostolov Vestislav , Drăghici Tedi , Moroianu Andrei
Published: June 2006

An odd‐dimensional version of the Goldberg conjecture was formulated and proved in [5], by using an orbifold analogue of Sekigawa's arguments in [8], and an approximation argument ofK‐contact structures with quasiregular ones. We provide here another proof of this result. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Lp estimates for the commutators of Marcinkiewicz integrals with kernels belonging to certain block spaces
Authors: Wu Huoxiong
Published: June 2006

This paper is devoted to the study of the Lp ‐mapping properties of the higher order commutators μ k Ω,a , μ *,k Ω,λ ,a and μ k Ω,S ,a , which are formed respectively by a BMO (ℝn ) function a (x ) and a class of rough Marcinkiewicz integral operators μ Ω, μ *Ω,λ and μ Ω,S related to the Littlewood–Paley g ‐function, the Littlewood–Paley g *λ ‐function and the Lusin area integral, respectively. By the method of block decomposition for kernel functions and Fourier transforms estimates, some new results about the Lp (ℝn ) boundedness for theses commutators are obtained. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Profinite Teichmüller theory
Authors: Boggi Marco
Published: June 2006

For 2g – 2 + n > 0, let Γg, n be the Teichmüller group of a compact Riemann surface of genus g with n points removed Sg, n , i.e., the group of homotopy classes of diffeomorphisms of Sg, n which preserve the orientation of Sg, n and a given order of its punctures. There is a natural faithful representation Γg, n → Out(π 1(Sg, n )). For any given finite index subgroup Γλ of Γg, n , the congruence subgroup problem asks whether there exists a finite index characteristic subgroup K of π 1(Sg, n ) such that the kernel of the induced representation Γg, n → Out(π 1(Sg, n )/K ) is contained in Γλ . The main result of the paper is an affirmative answer to this question. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Significant Improvement of the Processability of Ladder‐Type Polymers by Using Aqueous Colloidal Dispersions
Authors: Janietz Silvia , Sainova Dessislava
Published: June 2006

Summary: It has been shown that stable aqueous dispersions of nanoparticles of the rigid‐rod ladder‐type polymer poly(benzo‐bisimidazobenzo‐phenanthroline) (BBL) can be prepared in order to facilitate BBL processing. The obtained dispersions have a controllable particle size in the range between 50 and 150 nm and, consequently, the deposition of layers by spin‐coating or drop‐casting is realized. The resultant films exhibit a particulate structure and their morphology has been characterized by means of SEM and AFM. Upon investigation of the BBL dispersions in organic field‐effect transistors an ambipolar charge carrier transport has been observed, which presumably is related to the presence of mobile ions.

SEM image of a drop‐cast film of the BBL nanoparticles.

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SEM image of a drop‐cast film of the BBL nanoparticles.
Anthracene‐Cored Dendrimer for Solution‐Processible Blue Emitter: Syntheses, Characterizations, Photoluminescence, and Electroluminescence
Authors: Zhao Li , Li Chun , Zhang Yong , Zhu Xu‐Hui , Peng Junbiao , Cao Yong
Published: June 2006

Summary: A second‐generation blue fluorescent anthracene‐cored dendrimer EH‐G2AN was readily synthesized via a convergent method. Its monodispersity was confirmed by 1H NMR and MALDI‐TOF mass measurement. The peak emission of EH‐G2AN in a dilute CH2Cl2 solution was observed at 416 nm with a shoulder at 434 nm and moved to 418 nm in the solid film with the shoulder at 433 nm. The nearly “perfect” overlap of solution and solid emission spectra revealed the absence of molecular aggregations in the solid film, which was apparently suppressed by the presence of rigid and bulky 1,3,5‐phenylene‐based dendrons and 2‐ethylhexyloxy solubilizing peripheral groups. EH‐G2AN appeared strikingly stable with the onset decomposition temperature above 350 °C and remained at the high temperature of 428 °C where 5% weight loss occurred. The electroluminescent device [ITO/PEDOT:PSS/EH‐G2AN/Ba/Al] showed a peak emission at 442 nm and maximal external device efficiency of 0.82%@170 cd · m−2. After inserting a PVK layer between the hole injection layer and emitting layer, a maximal external device efficiency of 1.05%@184 cd · m−2 was obtained with a narrow FWHI of merely ca. 42 nm in the device configuration [ITO/PEDOT:PSS/PVK/EH‐G2AN/Ba/Al].

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Convergence of Estimates of Unique Variances in Factor Analysis, Based on the Inverse Sample Covariance Matrix
Authors: Krijnen Wim P.
Published: June 2006

If the ratio m/p tends to zero, where m is the number of factors m and m the number of observable variables, then the inverse diagonal element of the inverted observable covariance matrix tends to the corresponding unique variance ψjj for almost all of these (Guttman, 1956). If the smallest singular value of the loadings matrix from Common Factor Analysis tends to infinity as p increases, then m/p tends to zero. The same condition is necessary and sufficient for to tend to ψjj for all of these. Several related conditions are discussed.
Reconstruction and in silico analysis of the MAPK signaling pathways in the human blood fluke,Schistosoma japonicum
Authors: Wang Lili , Yang Zhong , Li Yuanyuan , Yu Fudong , Brindley Paul J. , McManus Donald P. , Wei Dongzhi , Han Zeguang , Feng Zheng , Li Yixue , Hu Wei
Published: June 2006

At present, little is known about signal transduction mechanisms in schistosomes, which cause the disease of schistosomiasis. The mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, which are evolutionarily conserved from yeast toHomo sapiens, play key roles in multiple cellular processes. Here, we reconstructed the hypothetical MAPK signaling pathways inSchistosoma japonicumand compared the schistosome pathways with those of model eukaryote species. We identified 60 homologous components in theS. japonciumMAPK signaling pathways. Among these, 27 were predicted to be full‐length sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of these proteins confirmed the evolutionary conservation of the MAPK signaling pathways. Remarkably, we identifiedS. japonicumhomologues of GTP‐binding protein β and α‐I subunits in the yeast mating pathway, which might be involved in the regulation of different life stages and female sexual maturation processes as well in schistosomes. In addition, several pathway member genes, including ERK, JNK, Sja‐DSP, MRAS and RAS, were determined through quantitative PCR analysis to be expressed in a stage‐specific manner, with ERK, JNK and their inhibitor Sja‐DSP markedly upregulated in adult female schistosomes.
Gustave-Adolphe Hirn (1815–90): engineering thermodynamics in mid-nineteenth-century France
Authors: Papanelopoulou FAIDRA
Published: June 2006

This paper examines the activities of the Alsatian physicist–engineer and philosopher Gustave-Adolphe Hirn, whose contribution to thermodynamics and the metaphysical interpretation of heat theory are rather neglected parts of the history of French thermodynamics. The industrial environment in which Hirn was reared, and in which he worked, turned his thoughts to an investigation of thermal phenomena in conjunction with their relevance to the industrial needs of his factory. Nurtured in the intellectual environment of Colmar, Hirn also developed a deep sense of morality that was bound to the Christian world view. His work on heat led him to a generalized metaphysics based on the notion of force. However, despite important work on friction and his ‘independent’ discovery of the mechanical equivalent of heat, Hirn never felt that his work received its due recognition from his contemporaries. Without attributing this negligence solely to Hirn's relative isolation in Alsace and to the absence of formal institutional affiliations, the paper suggests that it was Hirn's particular scientific practice that was at odds with well-established practices employed by other French scientists and engineers.
THE EXPANDING HISTORIOGRAPHY OF BRITISH IMPERIALISM
Authors: GASCOIGNE JOHN
Published: June 2006

This historiographical review considers recent developments in the writing of imperial history, paying particular attention to the growing emphasis on cultural history. Such an emphasis reflects a close engagement with issues such as the formation of national identity in an imperial context and the ways in which systems of knowledge – including religion, science, and notions of gender – were linked with structures of empire. The extent to which cultural history intersects with concerns of literary scholars and anthropologists – in its engagement with travel literature, for example – further indicates the increasingly interdisciplinary character of imperial history. In conclusion, the review raises the issue of the limits, as well as the strengths, that flow from the expanding scope of cultural history, as well as offering suggestions as to why imperial history is likely to become increasingly important in a globalized world.
Quality in long-term care homes for people with dementia: an assessment of specialist provision
Authors: REILLY SIOBHAN , ABENDSTERN MICHELE , HUGHES JANE , CHALLIS DAVID , VENABLES DAN , PEDERSEN IRENE
Published: June 2006

There has been debate for some years as to whether the best model of care for people with dementia emphasises specialist facilities or integrated service provision. Although the United Kingdom National Service Framework for Older People recommended that local authority social services departments encourage the development of specialist residential care for people with dementia, uncertainty continues as to the benefits of particular care regimes, partly because research evidence is limited. This paper examines a large number of ‘performance measures’ from long-term care facilities in North West England that have residents with dementia. Of the 287 in the survey, 56 per cent described themselves as specialist services for elderly people with mental ill-health problems (known familiarly as ‘EMI homes’). It was envisaged that EMI homes would score higher than non-EMI homes on several measures of service quality for people with dementia that were developed from research evidence and policy documents. The analysis, however, found that EMI homes performed better than non-EMI homes on only a few measures. While both home types achieved good results on some standards, on others both performed poorly. Overall, EMI and non-EMI homes offered a similar service.
Resisting the Revolution: Heiner Müller's Hamlet/Machine at the Deutsches Theater, Berlin, March 1990
Authors: BARNETT DAVID
Published: June 2006

Heiner Müller directed Shakespeare's Hamlet together with his own The Hamletmachine as Hamlet/Machine in March 1990 at the Deutsches Theater, East Berlin. This article investigates the production's conception, its rehearsal and its execution against the backdrop of the fall of the Wall. Müller, a playwright whose dramaturgies actively resist reductive interpretation, sought to put Hamlet/Machine beyond the reach of an allegorical reading. Strategies in acting, staging and design were adopted to frustrate the ease with which Hamlet could have merely illustrated the historical changes taking place outside the theatre. On the other hand, Müller was also making theatre for his fellow GDR citizens and had to take account of their experiences, too. His political theatre relied on the combination of contradictory signs in performance that would activate the audience, forcing a confrontation with the material on stage on its own terms. Such an aspiration was, almost inevitably, revealed as utopian but was in Müller's view the only way for the theatre to challenge its immediate historical context.