bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research‐based Practice with Women Who Have Had Miscarriages
Authors: Swanson Kristen M.
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To summarize a research‐based description of what it is like to miscarry and to recommend an empirically tested theory of caring for women who have experienced miscarriage.

Design:

The research program included three phases: interpretive theory generation, descriptive survey and instrument development, and experimental testing of a theory‐based intervention.

Methods:

Research methods included interpretive phenomenology, factor analysis, and ANCOVA.

Findings:

A theory of caring and a model of what it is like to miscarry were generated, refined, and tested. A case study shows one woman's response to miscarrying and illustrates clinical application of the caring theory.

Conclusions:

The Miscarriage Model is a useful framework for anticipating the variety of responses women have to miscarrying. The caring theory is an effective and sensitive guide to clinical practice with women who miscarry.
From Randomized Trial to Community‐focused Practice
Authors: Moore Mary Lou
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To describe the use of findings from a randomized trial—a nursing intervention using telephone contacts to reduce the incidence of low‐birth‐weight and preterm births—in four community settings in North Carolina, to show that implementing research into practice is important. Low‐birth‐weight and preterm births are the major cause of high infant mortality in the United States. Rates are highest among African‐American women. Telephone intervention as a strategy for preventive health care can be cost effective, reduce low‐birth‐weight and preterm births in African‐American women, and provide a means of health consultation for parents of children age five and under.

Organizing Framework:

Four community programs are discussed in relation to five phases of implementing and sustaining research in communities: research, transfer, transition, regeneration, and empowerment. Modification from the original research, bonuses, and barriers are described for each program.

Methods:

The randomized trial was conducted from 1990‐1995. Randomized trial data and data for subsequent projects were collected from telephone interviews and health care records from 1994‐1998. A successful adaptation was made from the original randomized trial to the four programs by (a) educating the staff for each program about the methods and findings in the original research, and (b) working with program staff to make appropriate modifications for each site.

Conclusions:

Findings from a randomized trial can be used in a variety of settings. By working together, researchers and community‐health nurses can integrate research findings into community‐health nursing practice.
Case of Justified Therapeutic Placebo Use
Authors: Crigger Nancy J.
Published: June 2007

Placebos are substances or interventions that have no known intrinsic value in treating the condition for which they are given (Beauchamp & Childress, 1994). In research, the placebo effect is a well‐described nuisance variable that researchers attempt to control through research design. In therapeutic management, particularly in nursing, placebo use is almost universally condemned as a deceptive practice (Bandman & Bandman, 1995; Fox, 1994).
Ethical and Methodologic Benefits of Using a Reflexive Journal in Hermeneutic‐Phenomenologic Research
Authors: Smith Brian A.
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To illustrate the importance of considering the researcher's written reflections on the qualitative research process as a valuable source of data and as a means of enhancing ethical and methodologic rigour.

Organizing Construct:

Excerpts from the researcher's reflexive journal are presented as evidence of an audit trail. Ethical and methodologic concerns arising during the research process are outlined and the value of reflecting on these issues is addressed.

Methods:

A hermeneutic‐phenomenologic study, conducted in Scotland, included in‐depth interviews with six problem drinkers to explore the lived experience of their suffering. The researcher was considered to be a primary data‐collection tool, whose reflections on the research process added to the contextual richness of the study. For an interpretative approach to data analysis, the researcher found metaphors to convey the participants' stories to a new audience. This intuitive, creative process was analysed and reported in the reflexive journal.

Conclusions:

The researcher's self‐awareness, fostered by the use of a reflexive journal, is mirrored by the participants' ability to reflect on the final interpretation of their stories and on the therapeutic benefits of the research process. The researcher's reflexive journal reveals previously hidden contextual information which enhances the prime ethical and methodologic aim of the study—to understand the lived experience of suffering by problem drinkers.
Assisted Dying and Nursing Practice
Authors: Schwarz Judith Kennedy
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

Nurses' views are often solicited about physician‐assisted dying, a concept that incorporates both assisted suicide and active euthanasia. Yet nurses are rarely asked about their own clinical experience of assisted dying. The literature indicates that many nurses experience difficulty distinguishing professionally sanctioned end‐of‐life interventions from those that are not. In this article the investigator explores the social, legal, and political roots of assistance in dying, and critically examines the profession's position on nurse participation in assisted dying and the research regarding nurse‐assisted dying.

Scope:

The bioethics and nursing literature was reviewed from 1990 to 1999. The databases used were the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Medline.

Conclusions:

The complex nature of caring for highly symptomatic dying patients, and the difficulty some nurses experience in distinguishing a moral difference between hastening and assisting death, strongly indicate a need for additional nursing research that does not use a forced answer.
Self‐Reported Health Status of Low‐Income Mothers
Authors: Salsberry Pamela J. , Nickel Jennie T. , Polivka Barbara J. , Kuthy Raymond A. , Slack Carolyn , Shapiro Nancy
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

To determine the self‐reported health status of low‐income mothers before major health and welfare policy reform in the state of Ohio, to compare the health status of this group with the general population age‐based norms, and to examine differences in health status among insurance and racial subgroups. Policy makers and others have a need for key health‐status information about low‐income mothers, a topic for which little empirical data currently exist.

Design:

Descriptive using a cross‐sectional survey with convenience sampling; 502 women were interviewed at intake sites in four counties in central Ohio, 1995 to 1996.

Methods:

Health status was measured using the general health status index developed by J. E. Ware and colleagues (1995). Two summary measures, one indicating physical health and one indicating mental health, were used and compared with published norms. Multivariate logistic models were examined for depression and physical health status.

Findings:

A significant level of depression in the population of low‐income mothers was found as were differences in physical health scores by insurance group. People insured privately had the highest physical health scores, while those enrolled in fee‐for‐service Medicaid had scores indicating the poorest health. No significant difference was found between racial groups in self‐reported health status.

Conclusions:

Self‐reported mental health status is low among some low‐income female populations. Physical health is worse for the Medicaid‐enrolled group compared to both uninsured and privately insured groups. This poor state of health will likely diminish the success of welfare reform to improve the economic self‐sufficiency of these women unless comprehensive health services are available.
Maintaining an Adequate Supply of RNs in California
Authors: Coffman Janet , Spetz Joanne
Published: June 2007

Purpose:

Over the past 2 years, concerns have arisen about the adequacy of the supply of RNs in California and the rest of the United States. Nurse leaders have called upon the California State Legislature to respond to concerns by increasing funding for RN education at public colleges and universities.

Design:

Descriptive—to ascertain whether California faces a shortage of RNs and whether greater state government funding of RN educational programs is necessary to alleviate such a shortage. Secondary data from several sources were analyzed.

Methods:

Cross‐sectional analysis of data from the 1996 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses concerning California RNs' demographic characteristics and employment patterns was conducted. Longitudinal analysis of data was examined for trends in California's population, utilization of RNs, and graduations from RN education programs.

Findings:

Approximately 230,000 RNs lived in and were licensed to practice in California; 77% of California RNs were employed in nursing (70% working full‐time; 30% part‐time). Only a small number of California RNs were not currently working in nursing but were likely to enter the labor market. Most RNs who were not working were older retired women.

Conclusions:

A large increase in the RN workforce is needed to keep pace with the rapid growth of California's population. For California to maintain a stable ratio of RNs to population, we estimated an additional 43,000 RNs will be needed by 2010, and an additional 74,000 will be needed by 2020. Educators, employers, and state policymakers should implement concerted and coordinated efforts to avert a shortage. The magnitude of the impending shortage of RNs in California is too large for the RN labor market to resolve. State government should provide additional resources for basic RN education programs.
Nursing and the Health System in Brazil
Authors: Scatena Villa Tereza Cristina , Araujo Assis Marluce Maria , Mishima Silvana Martins , Bistafa Pereira Maria Jose , Puntel de Almeida Maria Cecilia , Palha Pedro Fredemir , Pinto lone Carvalho
Published: June 2007

The purpose of this article is to describe nursing in the Brazilian health system and to analyze the characteristics of nursing personnel in Brazil. This description includes types of health institutions, services rendered, and the distribution of nursing personnel by professional categories in 1956, 1982, and 1995. Discussion of the challenges facing Brazilian nurses is presented using data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Federal Nursing Board (COFEn), Regional Nursing Board (COREn), and the Brazilian Nursing Association (ABEn). An increase in the number of outpatient units and in diagnostic and therapeutic examinations has led to an increased the demand for nurses. Public health nurses participate in planning, management, sanitary education, health promotion, and supervision of nursing care provided by nursing technicians, assistants, and other helpers.
Sliding Wear Properties of Self‐Mated Yttria‐Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia Ceramics in Cryogenic Environment
Authors: Khanna Rohit , Basu Bikramjit
Published: June 2007

The objective of the present work is to investigate the friction and wear of self‐mated ZrO2 ceramics in a cryogenic environment. Using a specially designed high‐speed cryo‐tribometer, fine‐grained yttria‐stabilized tetragonal ZrO2 polycrystals (Y‐TZP) were worn at varying loads (5–15 N) with sliding speed of 1.1 m/s in a cryogenic environment (liquid nitrogen, LN2). For comparison, the sliding tests were also conducted under selected operating conditions on self‐mated Y‐TZP under ambient conditions (room temperature (RT)), primarily to understand the difference in wear mechanisms for a given sliding condition. With these planned experiments, it was attempted to answer some important issues: (a) Can sliding in LN2 reduce the coefficient of friction (COF) of self‐mated ZrO2? (b) Does t‐ZrO2 transformation occur in a cryogenic environment and if it occurs, how does it affect the fracture behavior? (c) How does the mechanism of wear change from RT to LN2 temperature? In our experiments, high COF (0.35–0.75) and high wear rate of disks 10−4–10−6 mm3·(N·m)−1 have been measured under the selected tribological testing conditions. Interestingly, X‐ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of o‐ZrO2 after sliding in a cryogenic environment, while no change in phase assemblage was recorded after sliding under identical conditions at RT. An important observation has been that severe plastic deformation (wider and deeper grooves) at RT and microcracking (“fish scale” pattern)‐induced spalling of a damaged layer in an LN2 environment are the dominant wear mechanisms, respectively.
Evaluation of 2 self‐administered questionnaires to ascertain dermatitis among metal workers and its relation with exposure to metalworking fluids
Authors: Van Wendel de Joode Berna , Vermeulen Roel , Heederik Dick , Van Ginkel Kees , Kromhout Hans
Published: June 2007

We performed an exploratory study to evaluate 2 self‐administered questionnaires assessing hand dermatitis and investigate a possible exposure–response relationship between dermal exposure to semi‐synthetic metalworking fluids (SMWF) and dermatitis. In a cross‐sectional survey on dermatitis, a symptom‐based questionnaire and a picture‐based skin screening list were applied in 80 SMWF‐exposed workers and 67 referents. To evaluate the accuracy of the questionnaires, 47 subjects were examined by a dermatologist. Dermal exposure levels to SMWF were assessed on hands, forearms, and face with a observational method that was validated using a fluorescent tracer method. The symptom‐based questionnaire had a relatively high sensitivity (0.86) but moderate specificity (0.64), and the skin screening list had a low sensitivity (0.36) and a relatively high specificity (0.84). The skin screening list seemed to represent the more severe cases of dermatitis and showed a significant relation with exposure for dermatitis on hands, forearms, or face. In epidemiological surveys where workers are not seen by a dermatologist, the skin screening list seems to be more appropriate to detect cases of dermatitis, as its higher specificity results in less false positives. Alternatively, it would be preferable applying the symptom‐based questionnaire; workers with symptoms should be seen by a dermatologist to identify false positives.
Primin in the European standard patch test series for 20 years
Authors: Zachariae Claus , Engkilde Kåre , Johansen Jeanne Duus , Menné Torkil
Published: June 2007

Primin was included in the European standard series (ESS) in 1984. In 2000, a primin‐free variant of Primula obconica, the main source of contact allergy to primin, was introduced in the market. The aim of this study was to analyse the trends of primin allergy in 13 986 consecutively patch‐tested eczema patients over a 20‐year period from 1985 to 2004. 151 patients gave a positive patch test to primin. The majority were women, in two‐third of patients the patch test was relevant and most presented with hand eczema. Only few of the cases (4.7%) were occupational. A significant decline of contact allergy to primin was seen (P < 0.001) over the years affecting all age groups. The frequency was 0.5% during 2000–2004. Contact allergy has been rare since 2000. The low frequency of positive patch test to primin does not support inclusion in the ESS in our region.
HPV8 early genes modulate differentiation and cell cycle of primary human adult keratinocytes
Authors: Akgül Baki , Ghali Lucy , Davies Derek , Pfister Herbert , Leigh Irene M. , Storey Alan
Published: June 2007

Abstract:  Human papillomaviruses (HPV) have been associated with the development of non‐melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) but the molecular mechanisms of the role of the virus in NMSC development are not clearly understood. Abnormal epithelial differentiation seen in malignant transformation of keratinocytes is associated with changes in keratin expression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenotype of primary human adult keratinocytes expressing early genes of HPV8 with specific reference to their differentiation and cell cycle profile to determine whether early genes of HPV8 lead to changes that are consistent with transformation. The expression of HPV8 early genes either individually or simultaneously caused distinct changes in the keratinocyte morphology and induced an abnormal keratin expression pattern, that included simple epithelial (K8, K18, K19), hyperproliferation‐specific (K6, K16), basal‐specific (K14, K15) and differentiation‐specific (K1, K10) keratins. Our results indicate that expression of HPV8 early genes disrupts the normal keratin expression pattern in vitro. Expression of HPV8‐E7 alone caused polyploidy that was associated with decreased expression of p21 and pRb. Expression of individual genes or in combination differentially influenced cell morphology and cell cycle distribution which might be important in HPV8‐induced keratinocyte transformation.
Where Next in Victorian Literary Studies? – Introduction
Authors: O’Gorman Francis
Published: June 2007

This paper introduces a Literature Compass cluster of articles which examines the current state of Victorian Literary Studies and future directions. This group of four essays was originally commissioned by Francis O’Gorman (University of Leeds), who here provides an introduction.

The full cluster is made up of the following articles:

‘Where Next in Victorian Literary Studies? – Introduction’, Francis O’Gorman, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00467.x.

‘Where Next in Victorian Literary Studies? – Revising the Canon, Extending Cultural Boundaries, and the Challenge of Interdisciplinarity’, Joanne Shattock, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00468.x.

‘Where Next in Victorian Literary Studies? –“Interesting Times” and the Lesson of “A Corner in Lightning”’, David Amigoni, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00469.x.

‘Where Next in Victorian Literary Studies? – Historicism, Collaboration and Digital Editing’, Valerie Sanders, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00470.x.

‘Where Next in Victorian Literary Studies? – Historicism and Hospitality’, John Bowen, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00471.x.
Where Next in Victorian Literary Studies? – Historicism, Collaboration and Digital Editing
Authors: Sanders Valerie
Published: June 2007

This paper forms part of a Literature Compass cluster of articles which examines the current state of Victorian Literary Studies and future directions. This group of four essays was originally commissioned by Francis O’Gorman (University of Leeds), who also provides an introduction to the cluster.

The full cluster is made up of the following articles:

‘Where Next in Victorian Literary Studies? – Introduction’, Francis O’Gorman, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00467.x.

‘Where Next in Victorian Literary Studies? – Revising the Canon, Extending Cultural Boundaries, and the Challenge of Interdisciplinarity’, Joanne Shattock, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00468.x.

‘Where Next in Victorian Literary Studies? –“Interesting Times” and the Lesson of “A Corner in Lightning”’, David Amigoni, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00469.x.

‘Where Next in Victorian Literary Studies? – Historicism, Collaboration and Digital Editing’, Valerie Sanders, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00470.x.

‘Where Next in Victorian Literary Studies? – Historicism and Hospitality’, John Bowen, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00471.x.

***

This essay argues that, while research in Victorian Literary Studies remains rich and vibrant, it faces several types of pressure in the immediate future. These range from undergraduate resistance to reading long novels, to the funding councils’ apparent preference for collaborative, interdisciplinary or large editorial projects, and proposed changes such as the Block Grants Partnership Scheme. The decline of ‘feminist’ in favour of ‘gendered’ critical approaches, and preference for generic and cultural issues over single author studies, mark a notable change of approach in the last few years. Although continuing loyalty towards historicism, and rejection of the more abstract literary theories of the 1990s, suggest that Victorian literary studies remains confident of its own direction in the next five years, the essay closes with a hope that the purely ‘literary’ analysis will not disappear for ever.
Amy Levy and Identity Criticism: A Review of Recent Work
Authors: Minsloff Sarah
Published: June 2007

Amy Levy was a fin‐de‐siècle poet, novelist, and essayist. While critically acclaimed within her lifetime, she was all but forgotten by literary scholars until the 1980s, when her work was reintroduced to scholars as part of a larger project to integrate the writings of women and other minority groups into the canon. Levy falls into a number of these minority categories: she was not only female but also Jewish, and expressed non‐normative understandings of sexual desire. Virtually all critical work on Levy since her reappearance in the field has been deeply rooted in her experiences as an her concepts of minority identity. In this review article, I examine the ways in which recent critical works on Levy that refine and expand preceding identity criticism. I argue that articles and book chapters by Iveta Jusová, Cynthia Scheinberg, and Linda Hunt Beckman are setting the new standard for identity criticism by examining the complex intersections of identity categories, and by linking identity to new fields of inquiry.
Understanding Abiotic Stress Tolerance Mechanisms: Recent Studies on Stress Response in Rice
Authors: Gao Ji‐Ping , Chao Dai‐Yin , Lin Hong‐Xuan
Published: June 2007

Abiotic stress is the main factor negatively affecting crop growth and productivity worldwide. The advances in physiology, genetics, and molecular biology have greatly improved our understanding of plant responses to stresses. Rice plants are sensitive to various abiotic stresses. In this short review, we present recent progresses in adaptation of rice to salinity, water deficit and submergence. Many studies show that salt tolerance is tightly associated with the ability to maintain ion homeostasis under salinity. Na+ transporter SKC1 unloads Na+ from xylem, plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiporter SOS1 excludes sodium out of cytosol and tonoplast Na+/H+ antiporter NHX1 sequesters Na+ into the vacuole. Silicon deposition in exodermis and endodermis of rice root reduces sodium transport through the apoplastic pathway. A number of transcription factors regulate stress‐inducible gene expression that leads to initiating stress responses and establishing plant stress tolerance. Overexpression of some transcription factors, including DREB/CBF and NAC, enhances salt, drought, and cold tolerance in rice. A variant of one of ERF family genes, Sub1A‐1, confers immersion tolerance to lowland rice. These findings and their exploitation will hold promise for engineering breeding to protect crop plants from certain abiotic stresses.
Hume on Miracles: Interpretation and Criticism
Authors: Taylor James E.
Published: June 2007

Philosophers continue to debate about David Hume's case against the rationality of belief in miracles. This article clarifies semantic, epistemological, and metaphysical questions addressed in the controversy. It also explains the main premises of Hume's argument and discusses criticisms of them. The article concludes that one's evaluation of Hume's argument will depend on one's views about (a) the definitions of ‘miracle’ and ‘natural law’; (b) the type of reasoning one ought to employ to determine the probability that a particular miracle claim is true; and (c) whether reasonable people proportion their beliefs about the occurrence of miracles to their evidence.
Effect of pH on the Antimicrobial Activity and Oxidative Stability of Oil‐in‐Water Emulsions Containing Caffeic Acid
Authors: Almajano M.P. , Carbó R. , Delgado M.E. , Gordon M.H.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:  Antioxidant properties in food are dependent on various parameters. These include the pH value and interactions with food components, including proteins or metal ions. Food components affect antioxidant stability and also influence the properties of microorganisms and their viability. This paper describes an investigation of the effect of pH on the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of caffeic acid in different media. The pH values studied, using an oil‐in‐water emulsion as model system, were 3, 5 (with and without phosphate buffer), and 9. Effects of mixtures of caffeic acid, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and Fe (III) on oxidative deterioration in the emulsion samples were studied. The results show that the antioxidant activity of caffeic acid was increased by the presence of BSA. This effect was pH dependent and was affected by the presence of iron ions. Antibacterial properties were also pH dependent. The minimum concentration of caffeic acid required to inhibit some microorganisms in the pH range of 5 to 7 was determined. A concentration of 0.4% (w/w) caffeic acid was enough to inhibit the growth of some of the studied microorganisms in the pH range of 5 to 7. However, near‐neutral pH concentrations higher than 0.4% were needed to inhibit some microorganisms, including Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, in the medium.
Time–Temperature Studies of Gellan Polysaccharide–High Sugar Mixtures: Effect of Sodium Ions on Structure Formation
Authors: Nickerson M.T. , Paulson A.T. , Speers R.A.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:  Changes to the viscoelastic storage and loss moduli were measured as a function of temperature and oscillatory frequency for 0.5% (w/w) gellan:80% (w/w) cosolute dispersions with added Na+ (40 to 160 mM). Isothermal frequency (0.15 to 15 Hz) and thermal scans (at 0.15 Hz) were performed over a decreasing then increasing temperature range of 85 to 5 °C and 5 to 85 °C, respectively. Moduli were found to increase in magnitude with decreasing temperature and increasing levels of Na+ during cooling, then remained relatively thermally irreversible upon heating. Isothermal frequency (ITF) data were described using the time–temperature superposition (TTS) principle and the modified Cole–Cole (MCC) analysis. Both TTS and the MCC analyses successfully described the behavior of samples containing 40 mM added Na+ during cooling and heating, and at the 100‐mM Na+ level during cooling. TTS superposed ITF data over the entire temperature range, whereas successful superposition was restricted to lower temperatures in the MCC analysis, where the viscoelastic response was dominated by the long‐range relaxation of gellan chains between junction zones. Failure of both analyses was attributed to the formation of junction zones composed of polymer–polymer associations. It is proposed that the addition of Na+ promotes the formation of a weakly cross‐linked gellan network.
Rheological Properties of Myosin–Gelatin Mixtures
Authors: Yang Y.L. , Zhou G.H. , Xu X.L. , Wang Y.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:  This study was designed to investigate changes of dynamic rheological properties of myosin and gelatin mixtures during heating and cooling. The rheological and calorimetric attributes (G′, G″, tan δ, and heat flow) of myosin and gelatin mixtures were measured during heating and cooling. The results indicated that gelatin could increase the G′ and G″ values and decrease the denaturation temperature of myosin. The G′ and G″ values of myosin and gelatin mixtures decreased with pH over 5.5 to 7.5 and ionic strength over 0.3 to 0.6. Therefore, it is advisable to add gelatin into chicken meat comminuted products in that it could improve the rheological attributes of myosin.
Release of 1‐Methylcyclopropene from Heat‐Pressed Polymer Films
Authors: Hotchkiss J.H. , Watkins C.B. , Sanchez D.G.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:  Gaseous 1‐methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) is an inhibitor of ethylene perception that is being used extensively for apples and ornamental products, and under intensive investigation for its potential benefits for other fruits and vegetables. 1‐MCP is currently used in closed environments that maintain stable concentrations for several hours in order to be effective. However, food packaging materials that release 1‐MCP at a predictable rate into the package headspace might be useful for application in inhibiting the deleterious effects of ethylene in the postharvest packaging and storage of some horticultural products. A 1‐MCP/α‐cyclodextrin (1‐MCP–cd) complex was incorporated into several common packaging films by heat‐pressing (dry‐blend, lamination) and solution‐casting methods. The release of 1‐MCP from the films was quantified by gas chromatography with respect to time, loading of 1‐MCP, temperature, relative humidity (RH), type of film, and film‐forming method. Release of 1‐MCP was rapid and high in films held at RH ≥ 75%. The rate of release was slow during the 1st 12 h and then increased during the next 24 to 36 h. Higher temperatures resulted in higher and faster release. A loading of 8 mg of 1‐MCP–cd per 140 mg of polymer was found to be optimal. Pressing 1‐MCP–cd containing films above 100 °C reduced the amount of 1‐MCP remaining in the film. Incorporation into LDPE resulted in a higher and faster release than from PS, PVC, and PP polymers. 1‐MCP release from a film matrix appears to be within the acceptable range for produce packaging applications.
Application of Recombinant Chum Salmon Cystatin to Alaska Pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) Surimi to Prevent Gel Weakening
Authors: Li D.K. , Lin H. , Kim S.M.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:  Recombinant chum salmon cystatin (RC) expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was purified by His‐select nickel affinity chromatography. The specific inhibitory activities of RC against papain and cathepsin L were 7.45 and 10.24 U/mg, respectively. RC was stable over pH 5.0 to 7.0 and at temperature below 65 °C. RC was used to prevent the gel weakening of Alaska pollock surimi. RC at 100 μg/g showed the highest inhibitory activity against the autolysis of surimi based on the analysis of TCA‐soluble peptides. As the concentration of RC increased, both the breaking force and deformation of modori gel greatly increased (P < 0.05). The addition of RC resulted in less expressible drip, which coincided with the increase of whiteness. More myosin heavy chain (MHC) was retained as the addition of RC increased. Therefore, RC could prevent the degradation of proteins in Alaska pollock surimi and was better than egg white (EW). Thus, RC could be applied to Alaska pollock surimi to prevent gel weakening and RC at 100 μg/g was the optimal concentration.
Natural Maize Phenolic Acids for Control of Aflatoxigenic Fungi on Maize
Authors: Nesci A. , Gsponer N. , Etcheverry M.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:  Natural phytochemicals may be an alternative to synthetic chemicals for controlling fungal growth and mycotoxin production in stored maize. A key to progress in this field is to select the best natural maize phytochemicals to be applied in a storage maize ecosystem. This research was undertaken to evaluate the effects of the natural phytochemicals trans‐cinnamic acid (CA) and ferulic acid (FA) alone at concentrations of 20 to 30 mM and in 5 combinations on Aspergillus flavus Link and A. parasiticus Speare populations and aflatoxin B1 production. Studies on Aspergillus population and aflatoxin B1 production were carried out in maize grain in relation to a water activity aw of 0.99, 0.97, 0.95, and 0.93. CA and FA at concentrations of 25 to 30 mM, respectively, and CA‐FA mixture T9 (25 + 30 mM) were the treatments most effective at inhibiting A. flavus and A. parasiticus population at all aw assayed after 11 d of incubation. At all aw values, the mixture CA‐FA T9 (25 + 30 mM) completely inhibited (100%) aflatoxin B1 production by both strains at aw= 0.99, 0.97, 0.95, and 0.93. Decreased aflatoxin B1 levels in comparison with the control were observed with mixtures CA‐FA T6 (10 + 25 mM), T7 (20 + 20 mM), and T8 (20 + 30 mM) of both strains in the majority of aw assayed. The data show that CA and FA could be considered as effective fungitoxicants for A. flavus and A. parasiticus in maize in the aw range 0.99 to 0.93. The information obtained shows promise for controlling aflatoxigenic fungi in stored maize.
Ultraviolet Inactivation Kinetics of Escherichia coli and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in Annular Reactors
Authors: Ye Z. , Koutchma T. , Parisi B. , Larkin J. , Forney L.J.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:  Terrorist threats have precipitated the need for information on the ultraviolet (UV) resistance of potential biothreat agents in food processing, such as Yersinia pestis. The objective of this study was to characterize the resistance of the Yersinia species to UV treatment using a single‐lamp annular UV reactor. A novel method is proposed to measure the inactivation kinetics of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, a surrogate of Y. pestis. This proposed method can overcome the disadvantages of the traditional collimated beam approach for liquids with high absorptive properties, such as liquid foods. As a reference, an inactivation rate of Escherichia coli K12 in caramel model solutions was measured first. Both first‐order and series‐event inactivation models were used to fit UV inactivation data. For the series‐event model, an inactivation constant of kSE= 0.675 cm2/mJ and threshold n= 4 were obtained for E. coli K12 with the coefficient of determination R2= 0.987 and the standard deviation of log10 reductions σy= 0.133. For Y. pseudotuberculosis, kSE= 0.984 cm2/mJ and n= 3 were obtained with R2= 0.972 and σy= 0.212. In contrast, for the first‐order inactivation model, the first‐order inactivation constant k1= 0.325 cm2/mJ with R2= 0.907 and σy= 0.354 was found for E. coli; and k1= 0.557 cm2/mJ with R2= 0.916 and σy= 0.402 was obtained for Y. pseudotuberculosis. Based on R2, σy, and the maximum absolute and relative errors, the series‐event inactivation model describes the UV inactivation kinetics of Y. pseudotuberculosis and E. coli better than the first‐order model. It is apparent that Y. pseudotuberculosis is less resistant to UV light than E. coli K12.
Folsom Points
Authors: Stanford Dennis
Published: June 2007

Folsom
. New Archaeological Investigations of a Classic Paleoindian Bison Kill.
By David J. Meltzer
. University of California Press, Berkeley, 2006. 388 pp. $55, £35.95. ISBN 9780520246447.

Meltzer's monograph on this late-ice age site (which includes contributions by nine other authors) combines an evaluation of the findings from the initial (late 1920s) investigations with findings from recent excavations and laboratory analyses.
The Macroecological Contribution to Global Change Solutions
Authors: Kerr Jeremy T. , Kharouba Heather M. , Currie David J.
Published: June 2007

Anthropogenic global changes threaten species and the ecosystem services upon which society depends. Effective solutions to this multifaceted crisis need scientific responses spanning disciplines and spatial scales. Macroecology develops broad-scale predictions of species' distributions and abundances, complementing the frequently local focus of global change biology. Macroecological discoveries rely particularly on correlative methods but have still proven effective in predicting global change impacts on species. However, global changes create pseudo-experimental opportunities to build stronger, mechanistic theories in macroecology that successfully predict multiple phenomena across spatial scales. Such macroecological perspectives will help address the biotic consequences of global change.
α-Klotho as a Regulator of Calcium Homeostasis
Authors: Imura Akihiro , Tsuji Yoshihito , Murata Miyahiko , Maeda Ryota , Kubota Koji , Iwano Akiko , Obuse Chikashi , Togashi Kazuya , Tominaga Makoto , Kita Naoko , Tomiyama Ken-ichi , Iijima Junko , Nabeshima Yoko , Fujioka Makio , Asato Ryo , Tanaka Shinzo , Kojima Ken , Ito Juichi , Nozaki Kazuhiko , Hashimoto Nobuo , Ito Tetsufumi , Nishio Takeshi , Uchiyama Takashi , Fujimori Toshihiko , Nabeshima Yo-ichi
Published: June 2007

α
-klotho
was identified as a gene associated with premature aging–like phenotypes characterized by short lifespan. In mice, we found the molecular association of α-Klotho (α-Kl) and Na
+
,K
+
-adenosine triphosphatase (Na
+
,K
+
-ATPase) and provide evidence for an increase of abundance of Na
+
,K
+
-ATPase at the plasma membrane. Low concentrations of extracellular free calcium ([Ca
2+
]
e
) rapidly induce regulated parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion in an α-Kl- and Na
+
,K
+
-ATPase–dependent manner. The increased Na
+
gradient created by Na
+
,K
+
-ATPase activity might drive the transepithelial transport of Ca
2+
in cooperation with ion channels and transporters in the choroid plexus and the kidney. Our findings reveal fundamental roles of α-Kl in the regulation of calcium metabolism.
Neural Mechanisms of Visual Attention: How Top-Down Feedback Highlights Relevant Locations
Authors: Saalmann Yuri B. , Pigarev Ivan N. , Vidyasagar Trichur R.
Published: June 2007

Attention helps us process potentially important objects by selectively increasing the activity of sensory neurons that represent the relevant locations and features of our environment. This selection process requires top-down feedback about what is important in our environment. We investigated how parietal cortical output influences neural activity in early sensory areas. Neural recordings were made simultaneously from the posterior parietal cortex and an earlier area in the visual pathway, the medial temporal area, of macaques performing a visual matching task. When the monkey selectively attended to a location, the timing of activities in the two regions became synchronized, with the parietal cortex leading the medial temporal area. Parietal neurons may thus selectively increase activity in earlier sensory areas to enable focused spatial attention.
Frequent Long-Distance Plant Colonization in the Changing Arctic
Authors: Alsos Inger Greve , Eidesen Pernille Bronken , Ehrich Dorothee , Skrede Inger , Westergaard Kristine , Jacobsen Gro Hilde , Landvik Jon Y. , Taberlet Pierre , Brochmann Christian
Published: June 2007

The ability of species to track their ecological niche after climate change is a major source of uncertainty in predicting their future distribution. By analyzing DNA fingerprinting (amplified fragment-length polymorphism) of nine plant species, we show that long-distance colonization of a remote arctic archipelago, Svalbard, has occurred repeatedly and from several source regions. Propagules are likely carried by wind and drifting sea ice. The genetic effect of restricted colonization was strongly correlated with the temperature requirements of the species, indicating that establishment limits distribution more than dispersal. Thus, it may be appropriate to assume unlimited dispersal when predicting long-term range shifts in the Arctic.
Comment on "Carbon-Negative Biofuels from Low-Input High-Diversity Grassland Biomass"
Authors: Russelle Michael P. , Morey R. Vance , Baker John M. , Porter Paul M. , Jung Hans-Joachim G.
Published: June 2007

Tilman
et al
. (Reports, 8 December 2006, p. 1598) argued that low-input high-diversity grasslands can provide a substantial proportion of global energy needs. We contend that their conclusions are not substantiated by their experimental protocol. The authors understated the management inputs required to establish prairies, extrapolated globally from site-specific results, and presented potentially misleading energy accounting.
Sequence Finishing and Mapping of
Drosophila melanogaster
Heterochromatin
Authors: Hoskins Roger A. , Carlson Joseph W. , Kennedy Cameron , Acevedo David , Evans-Holm Martha , Frise Erwin , Wan Kenneth H. , Park Soo , Mendez-Lago Maria , Rossi Fabrizio , Villasante Alfredo , Dimitri Patrizio , Karpen Gary H. , Celniker Susan E.
Published: June 2007

Genome sequences for most metazoans and plants are incomplete because of the presence of repeated DNA in the heterochromatin. The heterochromatic regions of
Drosophila melanogaster
contain 20 million bases (Mb) of sequence amenable to mapping, sequence assembly, and finishing. We describe the generation of 15 Mb of finished or improved heterochromatic sequence with the use of available clone resources and assembly methods. We also constructed a bacterial artificial chromosome–based physical map that spans 13 Mb of the pericentromeric heterochromatin and a cytogenetic map that positions 11 Mb in specific chromosomal locations. We have approached a complete assembly and mapping of the nonsatellite component of
Drosophila
heterochromatin. The strategy we describe is also applicable to generating substantially more information about heterochromatin in other species, including humans.
Response to Comment on "Carbon-Negative Biofuels from Low-Input High-Diversity Grassland Biomass"
Authors: Tilman David , Hill Jason , Lehman Clarence
Published: June 2007

We discovered that biofuels from low-input high-diversity mixtures of native perennial prairie plants grown on degraded soil can provide similar bioenergy gains and greater greenhouse gas benefits than current corn ethanol produced from crops grown in monoculture on fertile soil with high inputs. Russelle
et al
.'s technical concerns are refuted by a substantial body of research on prairie ecosystems and managed perennial grasslands.
Extracellular Proteins Limit the Dispersal of Biogenic Nanoparticles
Authors: Moreau John W. , Weber Peter K. , Martin Michael C. , Gilbert Benjamin , Hutcheon Ian D. , Banfield Jillian F.
Published: June 2007

High–spatial-resolution secondary ion microprobe spectrometry, synchrotron radiation–based Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and polyacrylamide gel analysis demonstrated the intimate association of proteins with spheroidal aggregates of biogenic zinc sulfide nanocrystals, an example of extracellular biomineralization. Experiments involving synthetic zinc sulfide nanoparticles and representative amino acids indicated a driving role for cysteine in rapid nanoparticle aggregation. These findings suggest that microbially derived extracellular proteins can limit the dispersal of nanoparticulate metal-bearing phases, such as the mineral products of bioremediation, that may otherwise be transported away from their source by subsurface fluid flow.
The Culture of Cell Culture
Authors: Lindee M. Susan
Published: June 2007

Culturing Life
. How Cells Became Technologies.
By Hannah Landecker
. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2007. 288 pp. $35, £22.95, €32.30. ISBN 9780674023284.

Landecker explores how culturing cells has changed our understanding of individuality, immortality, life, and technology.
Essential Role of Cytochromebd-Related Oxidase in Cyanide Resistance ofPseudomonas pseudoalcaligenesCECT5344
Authors: Quesada Alberto , Guijo M. Isabel , Merchán Faustino , Blázquez Blas , Igeño M. Isabel , Blasco Rafael
Published: June 2007

Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenesCECT5344 grows in minimal medium containing cyanide as the sole nitrogen source. Under these conditions, an O2-dependent respiration highly resistant to cyanide was detected in cell extracts. The structural genes for the cyanide-resistant terminal oxidase,cioAandcioB, are clustered and encode the integral membrane proteins that correspond to subunits I and II of classical cytochromebd, although the presence of hemedin the membrane could not be detected by difference spectra. Theciooperon fromP. pseudoalcaligenespresents a singular organization, starting upstream ofcioABby the coding sequence of a putative ferredoxin-dependent sulfite or nitrite reductase and spanning downstream two additional open reading frames that encode uncharacterized gene products. PCR amplifications of RNA (reverse transcription-PCR) indicated the cyanide-dependent up-regulation and cotranscription along the operon. The targeted disruption ofcioAeliminates both the expression of the cyanide-stimulated respiratory activity and the growth with cyanide as the nitrogen source, which suggests a critical role of this cytochromebd-related oxidase in the metabolism of cyanide byP. pseudoalcaligenesCECT5344.
Immunization with Recombinant Sao Protein Confers Protection against
Streptococcus suis
Infection
Authors: Li Yuanyi , Gottschalk Marcelo , Esgleas Miriam , Lacouture Sonia , Dubreuil J. Daniel , Willson Philip , Harel Josee
Published: June 2007

Sao is a
Streptococcus suis
surface protein recently identified as a potential vaccine candidate. In this study, recombinant Sao in combination with Quil A provided cross-protection against
S. suis
serotype 2 disease in mouse and pig vaccination protocols. Subcutaneous immunization of mice elicited strong immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody responses. All four IgG subclasses were induced, with the IgG2a titer being the highest, followed by those of IgG1, IgG2b, and IgG3. Challenge of the mice with
S. suis
strain 31533 resulted in a mortality rate of 80% for the control group, which received Quil A only. In contrast, all of the mice immunized with Sao survived. In a pig vaccination protocol, intramuscular immunization with Sao also elicited significant humoral antibody responses, and both the IgG1 and IgG2 subclasses were induced, with a predominance of IgG2 production. In vitro assay showed that Sao-induced antibodies significantly promoted the ability of porcine neutrophils in opsonophagocytic killing of
S. suis
. An aerosol challenge of the pigs with
S. suis
strain 166 resulted in clinical signs characteristic of
S. suis
infection in diseased pigs. The vaccine group showed significantly better survival, lower clinical scores, and less
S. suis
recovery from postmortem tissue samples than did the control group. Furthermore, this study also revealed that although challenge
S. suis
strains express Sao size variants, recombinant Sao conferred cross-protection. These data demonstrate that recombinant Sao formulated with Quil A triggers strong opsonizing antibody responses which confer efficient immunity against challenge infection with heterologous
S. suis
type 2.