bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aquisição da coda simples e complexa com /S/ em crianças com desvio fonológico
Authors: Mezzomo Carolina Lisbôa , Giacchini Vanessa , Dias Roberta Freitas , Luiz Simone Weide , Lopes Silvana Gonçalves
Published: November 2011

OBJETIVO: descrever a produção das codas finais simples e complexa com /S/ em crianças com desvio fonológico e verificar a influência de variáveis linguísticas e extralinguísticas na aquisição das mesmas. MÉTODO: foram utilizados dados de fala de 66 crianças com desvio fonológico, 33 meninos e 33 meninas, entre 3:0 e 9:0. As amostras de fala foram coletadas transversalmente, com base no instrumento Avaliação Fonológica da Criança. Foram analisadas apenas as palavras alvo contendo coda simples lexical (ex.: talvez), coda simples morfológica (ex.: casas), coda complexa composta por nasal e fricativa (ex.: parabéns) e coda complexa com glide e fricativa (ex.: dois), totalizando um corpus de 481 palavras. Para ambos os tipos de coda foram consideradas como variáveis dependentes a produção correta do /S/, a omissão da coda ou sua substituição. Como variáveis intervenientes consideraram-se os fatores extralinguísticos idade, sexo e grau do desvio e as variáveis linguísticas classe gramatical, tonicidade, número de sílabas, contexto precedente e tipo de coda. Os dados de fala foram analisados estatisticamente através do VARBRUL, com grau de significância de 5%. RESULTADO: o programa estatístico selecionou como significante para a produção correta das codas simples e complexas as variáveis classe gramatical, tipo de coda e a gravidade do desvio em ordem decrescente de relevância estatística, com valor de p < 0,001. CONCLUSÃO: verificou-se que as variáveis gravidade do desvio, tipo de coda e classe gramatical influenciam de forma significante a produção das codas finais simples e complexas com o arquifonema /S/, em crianças com desvio fonológico.
Modelação longitudinal dos níveis de coordenação motora de crianças dos seis aos 10 anos de idade da Região Autônoma dos Açores, Portugal
Authors: Deus Renata Karine Batista Coelho de , Bustamante Alcibíades , Lopes Vitor Pires , Seabra André Teixeira e , Silva Rui Manuel Garganta da , Maia José António Ribeiro
Published: November 2011

Este estudo é percorrido por três principais objetivos: 1) caracterizar o desenvolvimento modal e as diferenças inter-individuais da coordenação motora; 2) verificar a existência de um efeito associado ao gênero; 3) testar a relevância de preditores do desenvolvimento da Coordenação motora (CoM) tais como o IMC e os níveis de Atividade Física. A amostra é constituída de 285 crianças (143 meninos e 142 meninas). A coordenação motora foi determinada a partir da bateria de testes KTK (Equilíbrio em deslocamento para trás, Saltos laterais, Saltos monopedais e Transposição lateral). O questionário de Godin e Shephard (1985) foi utilizado para avaliar a Atividade Física. As estatísticas descritivas básicas foram calculadas no SPSS 15. A mudança intra-individual e as diferenças inter-sujeitos foram efetuadas no programa estatístico HLM, versão 6. É visível um incremento dos valores médios, em ambos os sexos, para as todas as provas do KTK, bem como do IMC e o dos níveis de Atividade Física. Os melhores resultados foram observados nas crianças que estavam no 1º quartil do IMC e no 3º da Atividade Física. Os resultados reafirmam a necessidade de uma estrutura didático-metodologica das aulas de Educação Física para que as crianças alcancem níveis adequados de coordenação para sua idade
A criança na unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal: impacto da primeira visita da mãe
Authors: Perlin Diana Amanda , Oliveira Stella Minasi de , Gomes Giovana Calcagno
Published: November 2011

Objetivou conhecer o impacto da primeira visita à criança internada na Unidade de Tratamento Intensivo Neonatal para sua mãe. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa realizada em um Hospital Universitário de agosto a novembro de 2009. Realizaram-se entrevistas semiestruturadas com dez mães. A partir da análise temática verificou-se que a primeira visita é impactante, pois a unidade é reconhecida como um setor para o atendimento de pacientes graves; a tecnologia existente é causadora de estresse; o entrar desacompanhada e receber poucas informações acerca da criança pode dificultar a presença da mãe na unidade e tornar a visita assustadora gerando sentimentos contraditórios. Sugerem a necessidade do preparo da mãe para a entrada no setor através do fornecimento de informações simples capazes de diminuir sua angústia e temor. Conclui-se necessário que a mãe seja apoiada pela equipe de saúde no momento da visita, fortalecendo seu vínculo afetivo com a criança.
Qualidade da higienização das mãos de profissionais atuantes em unidades básicas de saúde
Authors: Locks Lindsay , Lacerda Josimari Telino , Gomes Elonir , Tine Ana Claudina Prudêncio Serra
Published: November 2011

O estudo teve por objetivo avaliar a qualidade de higienização das mãos de profissionais. A pesquisa foi conduzida em todas as Unidades Básicas de Saúde de dez municípios da Região Sul de Santa Catarina em 2008. Foi Estudo epidemiológico transversal, desenvolvido com a observação de 369 profissionais da saúde. Realizou-se o teste Qui-quadrado para verificar associação de variáveis sócio-demográficas e formação com o desempenho dos profissionais. Durante os procedimentos cirúrgicos apenas 30,7% dos profissionais realizaram a higienização correta das mãos. Enquanto nos procedimentos clínicos o percentual foi 31,7%. Constatou-se que, durante as cirurgias, os profissionais de nível superior realizaram melhor a higienização das mãos do que os de nível médio (p<0,05) e, nos procedimentos clínicos, os profissionais de idade superior a 35 anos apresentaram melhor desempenho do que os mais moços (p<0,05). Concluiu-se que menos de um terço dos profissionais observados executaram corretamente a higienização das mãos.
Sexualidade na terceira idade: medidas de prevenção para doenças sexualmente transmissíveis e AIDS
Authors: Maschio Manoela Busato Mottin , Balbino Ana Paula , Souza Paula Fernanda Ribeiro de , Kalinke Luciana Puchalski
Published: November 2011

O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar as medidas de prevenção que os idosos estão utilizando para à prevenção das Doenças Sexualmente Transmissíveis e Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida. A pesquisa foi de caráter prospectivo, quantitativo e descritivo com uma amostragem intencional, realizada com 98 idosos. Foi aplicado um questionário com perguntas abertas e fechadas, relacionadas à vida sexual dos idosos frequentadores de uma instituição que desenvolve programas para a melhoria da qualidade de vida dos idosos no município de Curitiba, Paraná. Dos entrevistados 43%, relatam fazer uso de alguma medida de prevenção. A realização de programas de prevenção voltados para o atendimento de pessoas com 50 anos ou mais, deve estar atenta às questões de sexualidade no envelhecimento. Os idosos devem ser vistos como indivíduos que possuem desejos, necessidades sexuais e que fazem projetos para o futuro.
Femtosecond laser machined microfluidic devices for imaging of cells during chemotaxis
Authors: Costa L. , Terekhov A. , Rajput D. , Hofmeister W. , Jowhar D. , Wright G. , Janetopoulos C.
Published: November 2011

Microfluidic devices designed for chemotaxis assays were fabricated on fused silica substrates using femtosecond laser micromachining. These devices have built-in chemical concentration gradient forming structures and are ideally suited for establishing passive diffusion gradients over extended periods of time. Multiple gradient forming structures, with identical or distinct gradient forming characteristics, can be integrated into a single device, and migrating cells can be directly observed using an inverted microscope. In this paper, the design, fabrication, and operation of these devices are discussed. Devices with minimal structure sizes ranging from 3 to 7 μm are presented. The use of these devices to investigate the migration of Dictyostelium discoideum cells toward the chemoattractant folic acid is presented as an example of the devices’ utility.
Thermal diffusivity measurement of silver nanofluid by thermal lens technique
Authors: Zamiri Reza , Azmi B. Z. , Shahriari E. , Naghavi Kazim , Saion E. , Rizwan Zahid , Husin M. S.
Published: November 2011

The thermal lens technique was utilized in silver nanofluid containing silver nanoparticles in polyvinylpyrrolidone solution to study the effect of nanoparticle size on thermal diffusivity. The different sizes of silver nanoparticles were prepared by irradiating the solution of silver nitrate in polyvinylpyrrolidone with respective dose of γ-radiation. The average sizes of particle in the prepared samples were measured using nanophox machine. The thermal lens measurement was carried out by using a diode laser of wavelength 514 nm and a He–Ne laser for the excitation source and the probe beam, respectively. The obtained result showed a decrease in the thermal diffusivity of nanofluid with the decrease in particle size.
Influence of the beam profile formulation when modeling fiber-guided laser welding
Authors: H. Kaplan Alexander F.
Published: November 2011

During deep penetration laser welding, the focused laser beam determines the vapor capillary, called keyhole, and in turn the whole process physics. Beside spot diameter and Rayleigh length, the beam profile is another important but hardly explored part of the focused laser beam. The focusing of fiber-guided Yb:fiber, Nd:YAG or diode laser beams creates the complex situation that the beam has a top-hat profile in the focal plane but toward the far field transforms to a Gaussian beam. Such power density distribution was measured for a focused high power Yb:fiber laser beam and then approached by three different beam formulations. The beam formulations were then applied to model the keyhole shape during laser welding. Although a second order beam model approached the measured beam significantly more accurately, the first order Gaussian beam was similarly suitable to predict the keyhole shape as long as the central beam domains do not interact with the material, which occurs only for low focal plane positions. A hypothetical top-hat beam would cause a different, steeper keyhole shape. Consequently, a Gaussian beam is still a suitable formulation for a wide range of welding parameters.
A Mad Mayor of Fremantle: The Mysterious Illness of Edward Davies
Authors: Martyr Philippa , Janca Aleksandar
Published: November 2011

Objective: The aim of this paper is to illustrate how a person's standing in a small, close-knit community can distort local medical and legal attitudes to their diagnosis. We examined various historical texts describing Edward Davies (1855–1904), Mayor of Fremantle, and the medical, legal and family responses to his illness.

Conclusions: When Davies developed an apparently serious mental illness, his family was able to keep this behaviour hidden for some time. However, when evidence of his illness finally erupted into the public eye, it led to a ground-breaking 1903 case in the WA Supreme Court in Lunacy. It is clear that Davies' defenders wanted him to be diagnosed and treated as an alcoholic, when in fact he may have had late onset psychosis, complicated by alcohol abuse. With the increasing amount of historical material available through Australian digitized newspaper collections, new scope is opening up for retrospective diagnosis.
Does the Relationship Between Family Structure and Delinquency Vary According to Circumstances? An Investigation of Interaction Effects
Authors: Kierkus Christopher , Baer Douglas
Published: November 2011

Empirical research has shown that familial disruption is associated with delinquent behaviour. Recent investigations suggest that reduced levels of attachment in non-traditional families may be responsible for this effect. However, it is not known whether the impact of familial disruption varies according to familial socio-economic status (SES) or the gender of the children. Some authors have argued that the criminogenic influence is greater for boys, while others have maintained that girls are more adversely influenced. Similar contradictory evidence has been reported with respect to SES. Finally, a substantial number of studies have shown that the influence of familial disruption is largely invariant to gender and SES. The goal of this study was to determine whether or not familial disruption interacts with these two variables. Multivariate logistic regression was used in the investigation. A representative sample of Ontario school children was analysed (N = 1,891). The analysis reveals that family structure interacts with SES, but only with respect to one form of delinquent behaviour. This result may represent a chance finding. Overall, the relationship between family structure and delinquency is remarkably similar across circumstances.
Working "In the Trenches" with the YCJA
Authors: Harris Peter , Weagant Brian , Cole David , Weinper Fern
Published: November 2011

Four Toronto-area youth court judges describe aspects of working "in the trenches" with the YCJA in the first six months following 1 April 2003. All agree that the philosophical premises animating the YCJA hold out considerable promise to reduce the mostly futile "turnover of bodies," which regrettably characterizes so much of criminal justice processing in Canada. Each judge presides in a different courthouse, with different local practices and organizational priorities, so their experiences and expectations vary considerably. Providing examples from their four courthouses, the judges attempt to demonstrate that the mindset of many criminal justice professionals - and government funders - continues to be based on the assumption that it is still mostly "business as usual" in youth court.
Lifetime Sex Offender Recidivism: A 25-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Langevin Ron , Curnoe Suzanne , Fedoroff Paul , Bennett Renee , Langevin Mara , Peever Cheryl , Pettica Rick , Sandhu Shameen
Published: November 2011

A sample of 320 sex offenders and 31 violent non-sex offenders, seen for psychiatric assessment between 1966 and 1974, were compared retrospectively on lifetime recidivism rates to 1999 over a minimum of 25 years. A number of criteria and data sources were used; RCMP records and hospital records were the best sources, albeit the RCMP had records for only 54.1% of the cases. Approximately three in five offenders reoffended, using sex reoffence charges or convictions or court appearances as criteria, but this proportion increased to more than four in five when all offences and undetected sex crimes were included in the analysis. Group differences in recidivism were noteworthy, with child sexual abusers and exhibitionists most likely to reoffend and incest offenders least likely. Time at large and time incarcerated played a relatively minor role overall in results, except in the case of offenders who were sexually aggressive against adult females, courtship disordered, or violent. The typical known criminal career spanned almost two decades, indicating that sex offence recidivism remained a problem over a significant part of the offenders' adult lives.
Le renseignement: distinctions préliminaires
Authors: Brodeur Jean-Paul
Published: November 2011

Cet article part du constat que la notion de renseignement est présentement trop polyvalente pour être utile. L'article tente de remédier cette imprécision. La thèse défendue est que le renseignement se définit moins par ses propriétés intrinsèques que par ses relations avec divers termes. Dans une première partie, l'auteur tente d'illustrer l'imprécision dans l'usage de la notion de renseignement en comparant celle-ci avec les notions connexes d'information, de savoir, de science, de preuve et de surveillance. Dans une seconde partie, l'article développe une théorie du renseignement en reliant celui-ci aux composantes suivantes : son producteur, son destinataire, son contenu et ses objets, son processus d'encodage et de décodage, le maintien du contact entre les divers acteurs d'un réseau de renseignement, ses cibles et finalement, ses sources et leur validité. L'article conclut en contrastant l'obligation de moyen et l'obligation de résultat dans le champ du renseignement.
Engendering Crime Prevention: International Developments and the Canadian Experience
Authors: Shaw Margaret , Andrew Caroline
Published: November 2011

This article discusses the absence of gender in crime prevention in Canada and internationally. It outlines the development of parallel streams of work on violence against women and women's safety and argues that there is a need to integrate them into a concerted gendered approach, particularly at the level of municipalities. It draws on developing work on women's safety, gender, and the role of women in decision making in local government. The first part of the article is based on a review of international policy and practice on women's safety; it discusses recent trends and developments, as well as some of the problems and questions raised. These relate to the apparently separate worlds of expertise and activity that have grown up around violence against women and women's safety, the emergence of the concept of gender, and the isolation of these areas of work from mainstream crime prevention. The second part of the article evaluates Canadian performance in engendering crime prevention and makes some recommendations for embedding and sustaining engendered practice, particularly at the local level.
The New Local Governance of Community Safety in England and Wales
Authors: Hope Tim
Published: November 2011

This article provides an overview and assessment, since 1997, of the "New Labour" government's reforms and policies of crime prevention and community safety in England and Wales. It reviews developments since the Crime and Disorder Act, 1998, and assesses the impact of the government's Crime Reduction Strategy and its campaign against antisocial behaviour. The argument is that, in its zeal to reduce crime through its "modernization" agenda, applied to public service delivery, and the consequent emphasis on performance in the reduction of crime, the government is neglecting the institution-building task of constituting a new security governance in the community. This neglect may have led to a rise in insecurity in society, fostered by a heightened anxiety about disorder. This trend seems set to continue with the government's approach to police reform. And although an emergent agenda of "civil renewal" holds out some promise for policies that recognize the role of citizens in the co-production of community safety, there are also dangers of reinforcing the insecurity of the disadvantaged, who have limited access to the social capital required for participation.
L'expert, le profane et le terrorisme: quelques éléments de réflexion sociologique
Authors: Peretti-Watel Patrick
Published: November 2011

The management of technological and health risks has been the source of many sociological studies in recent years. The purpose of this article is to draw on some of them to show how both the successes and the failures of technology and health risk management can contribute to ideas and discussions on terrorism prevention. The author examines three main questions: (1) Is terrorism a risk, or can it be treated as one through the application of conventional risk prevention tools? (2) What is, or should be, the role of the general public in preventing terrorist acts? (3) What is the primary goal of prevention? To prevent attacks or to prevent terror? Recent incidents show that managing one risk may intensify risks elsewhere and that there is a need to take into account not only the expectations and working conditions of those actually implementing the preventive measures but also public reaction. User empowerment and accountability is unlikely to be a contributing factor in terrorism prevention. On the other hand, some prevention efforts must be aimed at the general public, if only to forewarn people of the potential for terror and its devastating effects.
Airport Screening, Surveillance, and Social Sorting: Canadian Responses to 9/11 in Context
Authors: Lyon David
Published: November 2011

Since 9/11, aviation security has become a major preoccupation of Western governments, not least Canada's. Some unprecedented security measures have been taken, and all air travelers are aware both of how these now affect their need for certain documents and of the extra time required for air travel. When placed in a broader frame, however, these developments may be seen as rational expansions of existing measures increasingly common to what might be seen as the symbiotically growing "surveillance society" and "safety state." Here, surveillance has become a feature not of specific monitoring of suspects but of generalized social sorting of populations, in this case in relation to their perceived levels of dangerousness. And safety is the new criterion of good policy within risk-management regimes. The result, in Canadian airports, is a new emphasis on Advanced Passenger Information (API) and the Passenger Name Record (PNR) as the means of tracking travellers and the development of a coordinated plan under the new Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) for the screening of passengers and baggage. The demands of global free trade mean that mobility of goods and persons is a high priority, but this is constrained by the need to demonstrate that airport conditions are safe and that certain classes of person do not cross the (internal) border easily.
Violence and Threats against Lawyers Practising in Vancouver, Canada
Authors: Brown Karen , MacAlister David
Published: November 2011

Society does not normally consider the practice of law a dangerous occupation, but a significant number of lawyers, particularly those practising in specialties such as criminal defence, government prosecutorial positions, and family/divorce law are encountering violence and threats. Although past research in the United States demonstrated that lawyers have been victimized by objectionable behaviour and threatening communications, there are no relevant Canadian studies on this topic. In the present study, survey data from 1,152 lawyers in Vancouver and surrounding suburbs in British Columbia, Canada, were examined to determine if British Columbia lawyers are being threatened, and if so, what are the types, quantity, and locations of such threats and/or violence. Results of this current study indicate that 59.2 percent of respondents, or 683 lawyers, reported varying degrees and numbers of threats. This article will discuss those findings.
“So what does all of this have to do with Criminology?”: Surviving the Restructuring of the Discipline in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Chunn Dorothy E. , Menzies Robert
Published: November 2011

This commentary reflects back on an article that we published in the 1999 volume of this journal, which offered a number of observations about the condition of Canadian academic criminology at the turn of the new century. In this brief update, we consider some of the trends that have unfolded over the intervening six years, which have contributed to the continuing polarization of the discipline and the resurgence of traditional paradigms of state crime control and order maintenance (albeit under the purportedly new banners of risk management, computational criminology, administrative criminology, crime mapping, and the like). While innovative, progressive, and counter-hegemonic work continues to flourish in many quarters, the reward structures of twenty-first-century corporate university systems and criminological research environments militate overwhelmingly, and increasingly, in favour of the (re)ascendant “new orthodoxy.”
Husband Abuse: Equality with a Vengeance?
Authors: Minaker Joanne C. , Snider Laureen
Published: November 2011

Le problème initial de la « violence à l'égard de la femme » établi par les féministes au cours des années 1970 s'est transformé en « violence conjugale », puis en « violence à l'égard du mari ». Les auteures présentent une étude cas de ce problème nouvellement identifié qu'est la violence à l'égard du mari en soutenant qu'il illustre bien les rapports complexes que les écoles néo-libérale, néo-conservatrice et féministe entretiennent avec le régime de justice pénale. Selon ces auteures, le mythe voulant que les hommes soient battus aussi souvent que les femmes – argument qui remet en cause quelques décennies de recherche, de théorisation et d'action féministes – traduirait une réaction négative contre les « victoires » remportées par les féministes et par les groupes de promotion de la sécurité des femmes. Or, la nouvelle argumentation entourant la violence à l'endroit des hommes ne serait pas qu'une réaction anti-féministe. En fait, elle serait en passe de devenir de plus en plus le nouveau « sens commun », la nouvelle perspective des décideurs, des médias et des groupes intermédiaires exerçant de l'influence. Les auteures veulent démontrer que les succès mêmes du féminisme, conjugués à la gouvernance néo-libérale, au pouvoir émergeant des mouvements masculins et aux nouveaux médias des communications, ont suscité des thèmes, des mentalités et des pratiques nouvelles. Enfin, puisque l'argument voulant que les conjoints et les conjointes soient susceptibles au même degré de commettre des actes de violence résonne avec les discours de promotion de l'égalité et vient renforcer les propos qui font valoir l'application d'une « solution de justice pénale » à n'importe quel problème social, on aboutit à un phénomène de « revanche » et, partant, d'excès d'égalité.
News, Truth, and the Recognition of Corporate Crime
Authors: McMullan John L.
Published: November 2011

This article is a study of how the press registered and re-registered news as truth about the Westray explosion and its aftermath from 1992 to 2002. The research examines 1,972 news stories and uses Michel Foucault's concept of the “politics of truth” and Stanley Cohen's ideas about cultural denial to understand the social organization of news production and the implications of the media for witnessing and accounting for Westray's “truth” when corporate and state institutions stand accused. I argue that truth-telling exercises were diverse and divergent and produced “regimes of truth” around natural accident, legal tragedy, and political scandal. But the absence in the presence of these varied truth-telling exercises was a social vocabulary of corporate crime. This absence marked the limit of the press's ability to tell the truth to powerful corporate and state interests, the place where their truth-telling was made coincident with the exercise of power and where workplace crime was made invisible in popular culture.
Unfair Use: Advice to Unwitting Authors
Authors: Cox Richard
Published: November 2011

This article outlines an author's difficulties securing permission from Random House to quote from Nicholson Baker's Double Fold, and leads to a lively discussion offair use and the Copyright Act.
Research Journals: Toward Uniformity or Retaining Diversity?
Authors: Donovan Stephen
Published: November 2011

The libraries of universities and other research institutions are home to an abundance of academic journals, published in multifarious sizes, thicknesses, languages, and formats, with covers varying from black to psychedelic and covering every subject imaginable. More uniformity of format would favour the author, who would no longer have to tailor style to wherever the latest contribution is being submitted, but the current diversity of formats is aimed at the reader. Long may it so remain.
Search for a Laboratory Test to Evaluate Crack Resistance of Hot-Mix Asphalt
Authors: Walubita Lubinda F. , Jamison Brandon P. , Das Gautam , Scullion Thomas , Martin Amy Epps , Rand Dale , Mikhail Magdy
Published: November 2011

Fatigue cracking is one of the predominant distresses that occur in hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavements and often costs highway agencies millions of dollars in road maintenance and rehabilitation activities. Ways to minimize this distress include material screening and selecting appropriate mix designs that produce crack-resistant HMA mixes. However, no standardized laboratory tests for fatigue cracking have been universally adopted for routine mix design or screening purposes in the evaluation of HMA crack resistance. Four cracking test methods—overlay tester (OT), direct tension (DT), indirect tension (IDT), and semicircular bending (SCB)—were compared for their potential application as simple tests for the routine crack evaluation and screening of HMA mixes in the laboratory. The evaluation criteria, based on commonly used Texas mixes, included (a) rationality of the test concept and tie to field performance, (b) repeatability and variability, (c) simplicity and practicality, (d) specimen fabrication process, and (e) simplicity of data analysis. Compared with the repeated-loading OT test, preliminary findings indicated that although the monotonically increasing loading DT, IDT, and SCB tests were more repeatable, those tests could not adequately discriminate crack resistance among the mixes evaluated on the basis of the tensile strength and strain parameters. Thus none of these monotonic tests would be recommended as a simple fatigue cracking test. Additional development of the test protocols is strongly recommended, including exploration of the repeated-loading IDT and SCB tests, use of strain–fracture energy concepts, establishment of pass-or-fail criteria for screening mixes, and validation with field performance data.
The Interaction Model in iLearning Environments and its Use in the Smart Lab Concept
Authors: Lyalina Yuliya
Published: November 2011

This paper identifies and discusses current trends and challenges, offers an overview of state-of-the-art technologies in the development of remote and smart laboratories, and introduces the iLearning interaction model. The use of the model allows reconstructing already- existing iLearning environments. The smart lab model is described for face-to-face, Mobile and Blended Learning. As a result, this allows offering new information technology that organizes the educational process according to learning type (face-to-face, hands-on learning, Life Long Learning, E-Learning, M-Learning, Blended learning, Game-based learning, etc.). The remote access Architecture and Interface for the multifunctional Smart Lab will be developed.
Inducible CD4+LAP+Foxp3− Regulatory T Cells Suppress Allergic Inflammation
Authors: Duan Wei , So Takanori , Mehta Amit K. , Choi Heonsik , Croft Michael
Published: November 2011

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role in the maintenance of airway tolerance. We report that inhaled soluble Ag induces adaptive Foxp3+ Tregs, as well as a regulatory population of CD4+ T cells in the lungs and lung-draining lymph nodes that express latency-associated peptide (LAP) on their cell surface but do not express Foxp3. Blocking the cytokine IL-10 or TGF-β prevented the generation of LAP+ Tregs and Foxp3+ Tregs in vivo, and the LAP+ Tregs could also be generated concomitantly with Foxp3+ Tregs in vitro by culturing naive CD4+ T cells with Ag and exogenous TGF-β. The LAP+ Tregs strongly suppressed naive CD4+ T cell proliferation, and transfer of sorted OVA-specific LAP+ Tregs in vivo inhibited allergic eosinophilia and Th2 cytokine expression in the lung, either when present at the time of Th2 sensitization or when injected after Th2 cells were formed. Furthermore, inflammatory innate stimuli from house dust mite extract, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2 ligand, and LPS, which are sufficient for blocking airway tolerance, strongly decreased the induction of LAP+ Tregs. Taken together, we concluded that inducible Ag-specific LAP+ Tregs can suppress asthmatic lung inflammation and constitute a mediator of airway tolerance together with Foxp3+ Tregs.
Elongation Factor-2, a Th1 Stimulatory Protein of Leishmania donovani, Generates Strong IFN-γ and IL-12 Response in Cured Leishmania-Infected Patients/Hamsters and Protects Hamsters against Leishmania Challenge
Authors: Kushawaha Pramod K. , Gupta Reema , Sundar Shyam , Sahasrabuddhe Amogh A. , Dube Anuradha
Published: November 2011

In visceral leishmaniasis, Th1 types of immune responses correlate with recovery from and resistance to disease, and resolution of infection results in lifelong immunity against the disease. Leishmanial Ags that elicit proliferative and cytokine responses in PBMCs from cured/exposed/Leishmania patients have been characterized through proteomic approaches, and elongation factor-2 is identified as one of the potent immunostimulatory proteins. In this study, we report the cloning and expression of Leishmania donovani elongation factor-2 protein (LelF-2) and its immunogenicity in PBMCs of cured/exposed Leishmania-infected patients and hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Leishmania-infected cured/exposed patients and hamsters exhibited significantly higher proliferative responses to recombinant Lelf-2 (rLelF-2) than those with L. donovani-infected hosts. The soluble L. donovani Ag stimulated PBMCs of cured/exposed and Leishmania patients to produce a mixed Thl/Th2-type cytokine profile, whereas rLelF-2 stimulated the production of IFN-γ, IL-12, and TNF-α but not IL-4 or IL-10. Further, rLelF-2 downregulated LPS-induced IL-10 as well as soluble L. donovani Ag-induced IL-4 production by Leishmania patient PBMCs. The immunogenicity of rLelF-2 was also checked in hamsters in which rLelF-2 generates strong IL-12– and IFN-γ–mediated Th1 immune response. This was further supported by a remarkable increase in IgG2 Ab level. We further demonstrated that rLelF-2 was able to provide considerable protection (∼65%) to hamsters against L. donovani challenge. The efficacy was supported by the increased inducible NO synthase mRNA transcript and Th1-type cytokines IFN-γ, IL-12, and TNF-α and downregulation of IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-β. Hence, it is inferred that rLelF-2 elicits a Th1 type of immune response exclusively and confers considerable protection against experimental visceral leishmaniasis.
Dengue Virus-Induced Autoantibodies Bind to Plasminogen and Enhance Its Activation
Authors: Chuang Yung-Chun , Lei Huan-Yao , Lin Yee-Shin , Liu Hsiao-Sheng , Wu Hua-Lin , Yeh Trai-Ming
Published: November 2011

Dengue virus infection can lead to life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS) in patients. Abnormal activation of the coagulation and fibrinolysis system is one of the hallmarks associated with DHF/DSS patients. However, the mechanisms that cause pathology in DHF/DSS patients are still unclear. Because conversion of plasminogen (Plg) to plasmin (Plm) is the first step in the activation of fibrinolysis, Abs against Plg found in DHF/DSS patients may be important. Therefore, to investigate the specificity, function, and possible origin of these Abs, we generated several Plg cross-reactive mAbs from DENV-immunized mice. An IgG mAb, 6H11, which recognizes an epitope associated with a dengue envelope protein, demonstrated a high level of cross-reactivity with Plg. The 6H11 Ab was further characterized with regard to its effect on Plg activation. Using Plm-specific chromogenic substrate S-2251, we found that mAb 6H11 demonstrated serine protease activity and could convert Plg directly to Plm. The serine protease activity of mAb 6H11 was further confirmed using serine protease chromogenic substrate S-2288. In addition, we found several Plg cross-reactive mAbs that could enhance urokinase-induced Plg activation. Lastly, mAb 6H11 could induce Plm activity and increase the level of D-dimer (a fibrin degradation product) in both human and mouse platelet-poor plasma. Taken together, these data suggest DENV-induced Plg cross-reactive Abs may enhance Plg conversion to Plm, which would be expected to contribute to hyperfibrinolysis in DHF/DSS patients.
Regulation of TCRβ Allelic Exclusion by Gene Segment Proximity and Accessibility
Authors: Kondilis-Mangum Hrisavgi D. , Shih Han-Yu , Mahowald Grace , Sleckman Barry P. , Krangel Michael S.
Published: November 2011

Ag receptor loci are regulated to promote allelic exclusion, but the mechanisms are not well understood. Assembly of a functional TCR β-chain gene triggers feedback inhibition of Vβ-to-DJβ recombination in double-positive (DP) thymocytes, which correlates with reduced Vβ chromatin accessibility and a locus conformational change that separates Vβ from DJβ gene segments. We previously generated a Tcrb allele that maintained Vβ accessibility but was still subject to feedback inhibition in DP thymocytes. We have now further analyzed the contributions of chromatin accessibility and locus conformation to feedback inhibition using two novel TCR alleles. We show that reduced Vβ accessibility and increased distance between Vβ and DJβ gene segments both enforce feedback inhibition in DP thymocytes.
Cutting Edge: Activation of Virus-Specific CD4 T Cells throughout γ-Herpesvirus Latency
Authors: Freeman Michael L. , Burkum Claire E. , Lanzer Kathleen G. , Jensen Meghan K. , Ahmed Mushtaq , Yager Eric J. , Flaño Emilio , Winslow Gary M. , Woodland David L. , Blackman Marcia A.
Published: November 2011

CD4 T cells are essential for immune control of γ-herpesvirus latency. We previously identified a murine MHC class II-restricted epitope in γ-herpesvirus-68 gp150 (gp15067–83I-Ab) that elicits CD4 T cells that are maintained throughout long-term infection. However, it is unknown whether naive cells can be recruited into the antiviral CD4 T cell pool during latency. In this study, we generate a mouse transgenic for a gp150-specific TCR and show epitope-specific activation of transgenic CD4 T cells during acute and latent infections. Furthermore, although only dendritic cells can stimulate virus-specific CD8 T cells during latency, we show that both dendritic cells and B cells stimulate transgenic CD4 T cells. These studies demonstrate that naive CD4 T cells specific for a viral glycoprotein can be stimulated throughout infection, even during quiescent latency, suggesting that CD4 T cell memory is maintained in part by the continual recruitment of naive cells.
Improved Quality of Life in Patients Treated with Peptide Radionuclides
Authors: Traub-Weidinger T. , Raderer M. , Uffmann M. , Angelberger P. , Kurtaran A. , Leimer M. , Preitfellner J. , Dudczak R. , Virgolini I.
Published: November 2011

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) has recently been established as an important treatment modality for somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-positive tumors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical response, side-effects as well as the quality of life following 90 Y-DOTA-lanreotide (DOTALAN) and/or 90 Y-DOTA-Tyr 3 -DPhe 1 -octreotide (DOTATOC) therapy in patients with progressive metastatic disease during a 6-year follow-up period. Following dosimetric evaluation with 111 In-DOTALAN and 111 In-DOTATOC, 13 patients with estimated absorbed tumor doses of >5 Gy/GBq (carcinoid, n = 5; radioiodine-negative thyroid cancer, n = 4; gastrinoma, n = 1; insulinoma, n = 1; glucagonoma, n = 1; glomus jugularis tumor, n = 1) were assigned for PRRT. A dose of 925 MBq of 90 Y-DOTALAN (four patients) or 1.85-3.7 GBq of 90 Y-DOTATOC (10 patients) was administered intravenously and repeated every 4-8 weeks. Tumor dosimetry was performed prior to and under therapy, re-staging every 2-3 months. Pain intensity, Karnofsky score and general symptoms were evaluated in order to determine quality of life. Patients were followed until death. Altogether, 53 infusions of PRRT (1.85-14.1 GBq) were administered. After the first follow-up of 3 months of 90 Y-DOTALAN therapy, stable disease (SD) was observed in one patient and progressive disease (PD) in three patients. With 90 Y-DOTATOC therapy, SD was found in all 10 patients. During the re-evaluation period (4-27 months), one patient had to be shifted from 90 Y-DOTALAN to 90 Y-DOTATOC therapy due to reduced 111 In-DOTALAN uptake after 5.5 GBq. In the first 6 months after PRRT with DOTATOC, SD was found in nine of 10 patients and PD in one patient. Thereafter, SD was observed in two patients and PD in eight patients. Nine of 13 patients after PRRT with either DOTALAN or DOTATOC died. None of the patients had experienced severe acute hematological side-effects. Transient thrombocytopenia or lymphocytopenia was seen in 10 patients after 3.7 GBq, and a skin reaction in one patient. Total accumulated kidney dose ranged between 4 and 64 Gy, with reduced creatinine clearance in two patients. Pain relief was achieved in three of three patients after ~3.7 GBq ERT within 4-6 months. Appetite, weight, Karnofsky score and general well-being had improved in patients with SD during and after therapy. Based on the results of this study conducted on a small group of patients, we conclude that PRRT may offer an alternative treatment option for SSTR-positive tumors, with only mild transient side-effects and a marked improvement in the quality of life.
Computed tomography scanning facilitates the diagnosis of sacroiliitis in patients with suspected spondylarthritis: Results of a prospective multicenter French cohort study
Authors: Devauchelle‐Pensec Valérie , D'Agostino Maria Antonietta , Marion Julien , Lapierre Marie , Jousse‐Joulin Sandrine , Colin Danielle , Chary‐Valckenaere Isabelle , Marcelli Christian , Loeuille Damien , Aegerter Philippe , Guis Sandrine , Gaudin Philippe , Breban Maxime , Saraux Alain ,   Study Group of Spondylarthritis
Published: November 2011

Objective

To assess the performance of computed tomography (CT) scanning for ascertaining sacroiliitis in patients with suspected spondylarthritis (SpA).

Methods

The Echography in Spondylarthritis French cohort consists of 489 patients with suspected SpA. At baseline, all patients underwent clinical examination, HLA–B typing, and pelvic radiography. Pelvic CT scanning was performed if sacroiliitis on radiography was considered uncertain or if patients presented with buttock pain duration of >6 months. A set of 100 paired radiographs and CT scans was read in a blinded manner by 2 radiologists, and the kappa coefficient was used to assess their interreader reliability. One of the radiologists read the 173 available pairs of radiographs and CT scans performed at baseline.

Results

After training, interreader reliability was moderate for sacroiliitis grading on radiographs (κ = 0.59), excellent on CT scans (κ = 0.91), and excellent for ascertaining sacroiliitis on both radiographs (κ = 1) and CT scans (κ = 0.96). The first and second readers considered the quality of imaging to be excellent in 66% and 67%, respectively, of the radiographs (κ = 0.88) and in 93% and 92%, respectively, of the CT scans (κ = 0.93). Concordance between radiographs and CT scans was low for sacroiliitis grading (κ = 0.08) or ascertainment (κ = 0.16). Definite sacroiliitis was ascertained on radiographs in 6 patients (3.5%) (confirmed by CT scans in 4 patients) and on CT scans in 32 patients (18.5%). A history of uveitis was associated with definite sacroiliitis on radiographs (P = 0.04) and CT scans (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Definite sacroiliitis was underestimated by radiography, as compared to CT scanning. CT scanning should facilitate the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis in patients with suspected SpA.
Neuropathology of sporadic Parkinson's disease: Evaluation and changes of concepts
Authors: Jellinger Kurt A.
Published: November 2011

Parkinson's disease (PD), one of the most frequent neurodegenerative disorders, is no longer considered a complex motor disorder characterized by extrapyramidal symptoms, but a progressive multisystem or—more correctly—multiorgan disease with variegated neurological and nonmotor deficiencies. It is morphologically featured not only by the degeneration of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system, responsible for the core motor deficits, but by multifocal involvement of the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous system and other organs associated with widespread occurrence of Lewy bodies and dystrophic Lewy neurites. This results from deposition of abnormal α‐synuclein (αSyn), the major protein marker of PD, and other synucleinopathies. Recent research has improved both the clinical and neuropathological diagnostic criteria of PD; it has further provided insights into the development and staging of αSyn and Lewy pathologies and has been useful in understanding the pathogenesis of PD. However, many challenges remain, for example, the role of Lewy bodies and the neurobiology of axons in the course of neurodegeneration, the relation between αSyn, Lewy pathology, and clinical deficits, as well as the interaction between αSyn and other pathologic proteins. Although genetic and experimental models have contributed to exploring the causes, pathomechanisms, and treatment options of PD, there is still a lack of an optimal animal model, and the etiology of this devastating disease is far from being elucidated. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
Polymer‐based colorimetric and “turn off” fluorescence sensor incorporating benzo[2,1,3]thiadiazole moiety for Hg2+ Detection
Authors: Ma Xiao , Song Fengyan , Wang Lu , Cheng Yixiang , Zhu Chengjian
Published: November 2011

A conjugated polymer was synthesized by the polymerization of 4,7‐dibromobenzo[2,1,3]thiadiazole (M‐1) with tri{1,4‐diethynyl‐2,5‐bis(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)‐ethoxy)}‐benzene (M‐2) via Pd‐catalyzed Sonogashira reaction. The polymer shows strong orange fluorescence. The responsive optical properties of the polymer on various metal ions were investigated through photoluminescence and UV–vis absorption measurements. The polymer displays highly sensitive and selective on‐off Hg2+ fluorescence quenching property in tetrahydrofuran solution in comparison with the other cations including Mg2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Ag+, Cd2+, and Pb2+. More importantly, the fluorescent color of the polymer sensor disappears after addition of Hg2+, which could be easily detected by naked eyes. The results indicate that this kind of polymer sensor incorporating benzo[2,1,3]thiadiazole moiety as a ligand can be used as a novel colorimetric and fluorometric sensor for Hg2+ detection. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011
Electrochemical Polymerization in crystal—preparation of polybithiophene with crystal order
Authors: Goto Hiromasa
Published: November 2011

Electrochemical polymerization of bithiophene in a crystalline solvent was demonstrated. The polymer thus prepared exhibits sphere structure resembling crystal structures. Electrochemical redox process for the polymer induces changes in color and absorption spectra, accompanied by electrochemical redox process. The polymer has characteristics of both electroactivity and crystal order. The results demonstrate electrochemical polymerization in crystals and structural form transcription in the polymerization process. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012