bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
"The Dark Backward and Abysm of Time": The Tempest and Memory
Authors: Tribble Evelyn B
Published: February 2006

This essay examines The Tempest in light of models of memory derived from cognitive psychology, sociology, and philosophy, placed within the context of early modern debates about the nature and locus of memory. In The Tempest, Shakespeare stages profound tensions between an individualist, faculty-based model of memory in which the mind is figured as a "cell" bounded by a monodic subject, and the constant threats to such order and control on the part of other minds represented in the play. Attention to the tensions between control and disorder in memory, allows us to understand three critical cruces of the play: 1) Prospero's apparently unmotivated demand for Miranda's attention during the exposition of 1.2; 2) the destruction of the masque by a moment of forgetting, and the subsequent agitation caused; 3) the play's own apparent amnesia about the founding narrative recounted by Prospero, as Alonso increasingly displaces Antonio as the play goes on.
Delivery Style and Listener Response in the Rhythmical Performance of Shakespeare's Sonnets
Authors: Tsur Reuven
Published: February 2006

This article is an inquiry into the aesthetic event of the rhythmical performance of poetry. This event typically contains a reciter, a poetic text, and a listener (though the reciter himself may be the listener too). Poetic rhythm is accessible only through some kind of performance, vocalized or silent. Rhythmical performance is not a unitary phenomenon; one must distinguish between various delivery styles. The article aspires to give a fairly comprehensive description of the aesthetic event under discussion. A pilot experiment suggests that apparently incompatible responses to the same delivery instance may result from the listeners' realization of different subsets of aspects of the same event. They may, therefore, be meaningfully discussed and compared. My assumption is that rhythmical performance and delivery style are determined by the poem's metric structure, the performer's aesthetic conceptions and vocal resources, and the constraints of the cognitive system. I will concentrate on small-scale computer-aided analyses and comparisons of performances by leading British actors. Consequently, I will focus my discussion on recordings of only one line, the last line of Sonnet 129, from commercially-available recordings.
Moral Physiology, Ethical Prototypes, and the Denaturing of Sense in Shakespearean Tragedy
Authors: Wehrs Donald R
Published: February 2006

Shakespearean tragedy explores patterns of feeling and thought that lock characters into asocial consistencies, preventing affective intuitions from modifying self-understanding and judgment in the ways that both early modern moral physiology, as popularized by Erasmus, and current neuroscience suggest ethical sense and practical reasoning require. Blocking "dialogue" between body and discourse, such consistencies induce characters to lapse into what Wilma Bucci describes as "dissociation": either bodily experience disconnects from symbolic representation, or an "emotional schema" activated in "core consciousness," cannot be integrated into "extended consciousness." In Julius Caesar, Brutus's Stoic deprecation of the emotions prevents him from appreciating how embodiment opens memory to affective, prototypic imagery in ways that will guide how the ethical significance of Caesar's body will be grasped' in Hamlet, nature revenges itself upon the dissociation of cognition, and thus identity, from somatic ethical responsiveness that the "rottenness" of the new order of Denmark seeks to effect.
Language and the “True Conversion” to the Holy Faith: A Document from the Archivum Romanum Societatis Iesu, Rome, Italy
Authors: Francis J. Michael
Published: February 2006

One of the central problems of Spanish missionary activity in the New World was the translation of Christian concepts into native languages. The following document, housed in Rome’s Jesuit archives (ARSI), highlights both the concern and the controversy surrounding this issue in the audiencia of New Granada (modern-day Colombia). On 25 August 1606, audiencia president Juan de Borja issued a decree requiring all members of New Granada’s clergy to provide religious instruction in the Chibcha language. The recent arrival of a small group of Jesuits had intensified a long-standing debate over how best to explain the mysteries of the Christian faith in early-colonial New Granada. Almost three decades earlier, in 1580, theoidorPedro de Zorrillo, complained to the Council of the Indies that the natives of New Granada were as ignorant (in spiritual matters) now as they had been before the conquest. This ignorance, according to Zorrillo, was the result of the recalcitrance of local priests, most of whom stubbornly refused to learn native languages. Few priests spoke Chibcha and therefore taught thedoctrinain Spanish or in some cases, Latin, which the Indians simply repeated like parrots,“como papagayos.”
The Chalcan Woman’s Song: Sex as a Political Metaphor in Fifteenth-Century Mexico
Authors: Read Kay A. , Rosenthal Jane
Published: February 2006

In 1479 (the year 13-Reed), some men from the towns of Chalco-Amaquemecan and Tlamanalco went for the first time to sing in Mexico-Tenochtitlan: the Mexica (Aztecs) held hegemony in the area, including Chalco. The song they sang was a war song called the “Song of the Woman Warrior.” They played it for the tlatoani, or ruler, Lord Axayacatl (ca 1469-1481), performing it in the patio outside his house of women. Unfortunately, the performance got off to a rather slow start. A man from the area of Tlamanalco in Chalco, one who had never played the drums before or directed a song, made a very bad showing.
The Ilhuica of the Nahua: Is Heaven just a Place?
Authors: Schwaller John F.
Published: February 2006

The Nahua concept of heaven was one of the central issues that the missionary friars confronted as they attempted to reconcile Christian and Nahua thought in the early sixteenth century. The Nahua believed in the existence of both celestial heavens and subterranean hells, as possible destinations for individuals after death. The celestial realms, of which there were thirteen, were in general pleasant places. The subterranean realms were unpleasant. Unfortunately for the friars, the mechanisms whereby one could come to enjoy or suffer in these realms depended not on the quality of one’s life, but rather on the particulars of one’s death, the date of one’s birth, and other features of one’s existence. For instance, those who died by water, or lightening, were consigned to the heaven of the god of rain, Tlaloc. For the Nahua this post-mortem existence was corporeal, although the nature of one’s body might change in the process. The Nahua did not have any easy equivalent for the Christian soul. This essay will look particularly at the Nahuatl word for the sky, ilhuicatl, and how it functioned in both pre-Columbian thought and in the works written after the conquest with greater, or lesser, degrees of Christian input.
The Passion According to the Wooden Drum: The Christian Appropriation of a Zapotec Ritual Genre in New Spain
Authors: Tavárez David
Published: February 2006

Sometime after the summer of 1703, a strange traveler journeyed to several Zapotec-speaking communities nestled in the rugged geography of Villa Alta—an alcaldía mayor northeast of Oaxaca City in New Spain. He wore a pectoral ornament around his neck—a gift from the Benedictine friar Ángel Maldonado, a newly appointed bishop who had arrived in Oaxaca in July 1702—and was received throughout Villa Alta with “great noise and expressions of joy.” Upon his arrival in each locality, he would gather the townspeople and proclaim an offer of amnesty from the bishop: in exchange for registering a collective confession about traditional ritual practices at the administrative seat of San Ildefonso, and turning in their ritual implements—such as alphabetic ritual texts and wooden cylindrical drums—each Zapotec community would receive a general amnesty from ecclesiastical prosecution for idolatry.
Real-Time Analysis of Exhaled Breath via Resonance-Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization-Mass Spectrometry with a Medium Pressure Laser Ionization Source: Observed Nitric Oxide Profile
Authors: Short Luke Chandler , Frey Rüdiger , Benter Thorsten
Published: February 2006

An elevated concentration of nitric oxide (NO) in alveolar ventilation is indicative of inflammatory stress within the lung. We present here the first description of time-resolved measurement of NO in breath using photoionization mass spectrometry, providing new capabilities for the medical investigator, such as isotopic tracing. Here we use resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) coupled with a medium pressure laser ionization (MPLI) source for the selective detection of NO in breath. To demonstrate this technology, a single male subject breathes NO-free air for several minutes, and then the exhaled breath is monitored. The ability of REMPI to differentiate among three different isotopomers of NO is demonstrated, and then the concentration profile of NO in exhaled breath is measured. A similar time-dependence concentration is found as observed by previous techniques. The advantages of this approach compared to other techniques are: (1) parts-per-billion by volume (ppbV) mixing ratios of NO can be measured on a sub-second time scale, (2) since the technique operates optically as well as mass-resolved, isotopomers of NO are discernable, permitting the use of isotopic tracing, and (3) other biologically significant gas molecules can be measured via REMPI.
New Approach for the Detection of Peptide- and Protein-Based Radicals Using a Pre-Fluorescent Probe
Authors: Dang Ya-Min , Guo Xiang-Qun
Published: February 2006

A novel application for pre-fluorescent probes in the detection of peptide- and protein-based radicals is proposed. Pre-fluorescent probes combine a fluorescent moiety labeled with a paramagnetic nitroxide that acts as a fluorescence quencher. Trapping of a radical by the nitroxide group restores the fluorescence properties. The increase in fluorescence intensity with time reflects the formation and quenching of free radicals and can be employed for the quantitative evaluation of yields and kinetics. In this test system, the pre-fluorescent probe 4-(9-acridinecarbonate)-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxyl radical (Ac-Tempo), in which an acridine moiety was labeled with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxy (Tempo), was employed to probe peptide- and protein-based radicals. Peptide-based radicals were generated through the reaction between horseradish peroxidase (HRP)/H2O2 and a derivative of tyrosine. Protein-based radicals were generated through the reaction between myoglobin (Mb) and H2O2. In both cases the Ac-Tempo was found, using a combination of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry, to be converted into fluorescent acridine (Ac)-piperidine (4-(9-acridinecarbonate)-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine).
In situ Study of Mass Transfer in Aqueous Solutions under High Pressures via Raman Spectroscopy: A New Method for the Determination of Diffusion Coefficients of Methane in Water near Hydrate Formation Conditions
Authors: Lu W. J. , Chou I. M. , Burruss R. C. , Yang M. Z.
Published: February 2006

A new method was developed for in situ study of the diffusive transfer of methane in aqueous solution under high pressures near hydrate formation conditions within an optical capillary cell. Time-dependent Raman spectra of the solution at several different spots along the one-dimensional diffusion path were collected and thus the varying composition profile of the solution was monitored. Diffusion coefficients were estimated by the least squares method based on the variations in methane concentration data in space and time in the cell. The measured diffusion coefficients of methane in water at the liquid (L)–vapor (V) stable region and L–V metastable region are close to previously reported values determined at lower pressure and similar temperature. This in situ monitoring method was demonstrated to be suitable for the study of mass transfer in aqueous solution under high pressure and at various temperature conditions and will be applied to the study of nucleation and dissolution kinetics of methane hydrate in a hydrate–water system where the interaction of methane and water would be more complicated than that presented here for the L–V metastable condition.
Fourier Transform Infrared Study of Lipoxygenase Conformation in Organic Solvent Media
Authors: Vega Mireille , Ismail Ashraf , Sedman Jacqueline , Kermasha Selim
Published: February 2006

The secondary structure of commercially purified soybean lipoxygenase (EC 1.13.11.12) was investigated in selected monophasic organic solvents, including chloroform, methanol, acetonitrile, hexane, and octane. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of the enzyme obtained in chloroform, methanol, and acetonitrile showed an absorption band at 1617 cm−1 indicative of significant protein aggregation, whereas spectra of lipoxygenase in hexane and octane exhibited substantially less aggregate formation. Variable-temperature infrared studies of lipoxygenase in D2O show that the predominately α-helical structure of the protein undergoes an irreversible transition to intermolecular β-sheet at and above 65 °C. Chemical imaging technology employing an FT-IR spectrometer equipped with an infrared microscope and a focal-plane array detector was used to examine the changes in the secondary structure of lipoxygenase at the water–hexane interface in the presence and absence of substrate. The secondary structure of lipoxygenase at the hexane–water interface was comparable to that of the structure of lipoxygenase in D2O after exposure of lipoxygenase solution to hexane.
Comparison of Derivative Preprocessing and Automated Polynomial Baseline Correction Method for Classification and Quantification of Narcotics in Solid Mixtures
Authors: Leger Marc N. , Ryder Alan G.
Published: February 2006

This work offers a real-world comparison of derivative preprocessing and a new polynomial method described by Lieber and Mahadevan-Jansen (LMJ) for baseline correction of Raman spectra with widely varying backgrounds. This comparison is based on their outcomes in factor analysis, analyte discrimination, and quantification. Both correction methods are applied to a Raman spectra data set taken from 85 solid samples of illegal narcotics diluted with various materials. It is found that neither approach outperforms the other, as they give similar principal component analysis (PCA) models and quantification errors: cocaine and heroin show cross-validation errors of approximately 8%, while MDMA is quantified to a cross-validation error of approximately 3–4%. The LMJ method does offer several other advantages, the most significant being the retention of original peak shapes after the correction, which simplifies the interpretation of the preprocessed spectra. The LMJ method is therefore recommended for use as a baseline correction method in future research with Raman spectroscopy.
Simultaneous Measurement of Nitric Oxide (NO) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) in Simulated Automobile Exhaust Using Medium Pressure Ionization—Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Short Luke Chandler , Frey Rüdiger , Benter Thorsten
Published: February 2006

In previous papers we have demonstrated two different, two-color resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) schemes for the simultaneous measurement of trace amounts (ppbV to pptV) of nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The goal of this study is to provide a laser ionization–mass spectrometric scheme capable of measuring ppmV to ppthV concentrations of NO and NO2 within vehicle exhaust containing up to ppthV of aromatic hydrocarbons and a time frame of seconds. Two ionization schemes are used here to measure NO and NO2 in simulated automobile exhaust with three different sources. REMPI Scheme 1 uses broad-bandwidth light and an effusive source to measure NO (limit of detection (LOD) 300 ppmV), NO2 (LOD 100 ppmV), and aromatic hydrocarbons (via photoionization) along with fragments (via electron impact). REMPI Scheme 2 uses narrow-bandwidth light and a medium pressure laser ionization (MPLI) source to measure NO (LOD 60 ppmV), NO2 (LOD 3 ppmV), and fragments (via electron impact). The LOD is determined using 10-second sampling times. A newly developed delayed-ion extraction technique for MPLI is then applied to REMPI Scheme 2, dramatically reducing the electron impact signal, so that only NO and NO2 are observed. We conclude that Scheme 2 with delayed-electron extraction is best suited for measuring in situ NO and NO2 within engine exhaust.
Subsurface Raman Spectroscopy and Mapping Using a Globally Illuminated Non-Confocal Fiber-Optic Array Probe in the Presence of Raman Photon Migration
Authors: Schulmerich Matthew V. , Finney William F. , Fredricks Richard A. , Morris Michael D.
Published: February 2006

We report the use of a fiber-optic probe with global illumination and an array of 50 collection fibers (PhAT probe, Kaiser Optical Systems, Inc.) to obtain Raman spectra and 50 spatial element maps of polymers through overlayers of other polymers that are highly scattering. Band target entropy minimization (BTEM) is used to recover the spectra of the subsurface components and generate maps of their distributions. This approach to subsurface mapping is tested with model systems consisting of two or three layers of polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon), and polyoxymethylene (Delrin) arranged in different geometries. Raman spectra and maps were obtained through overlayer thicknesses of up to 13 mm. Subsurface spatial resolution is achieved because each fiber views an asymmetric distribution of Raman scattered light from surface and subsurface components that depends on the position of the fiber relative to the depth and position of a component and the extent of photon diffusion through the system.
Exploring Time-Dependent Structural Changes during the Cold Crystallization Process of Isotactic Polystyrene by Infrared Spectroscopy and Multivariate Curve Resolution
Authors: Li Boyan , Zhang Jianming , Hu Yun , Liang Yizeng , Ozaki Yukihiro
Published: February 2006

The present study attempts an application of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy in conjunction with multivariate curve resolution (MCR) techniques to explore the structural evolution of isotactic polystyrene (iPS) during the cold crystallization process. The focus of the present study is placed on the performance of MCR techniques, e.g., orthogonal projection (OP), alternating least squares (ALS), and fixed-size moving window evolving factor analysis (FSMWEFA), and the interpretability of spectral changes in the investigated chemical process. As a result, valuable information and conclusions about the structural evolution of iPS during the crystallization process can be extracted: when the amorphous phase of iPS changes, the ordering of the phenyl rings takes place first, and then the polymer chains adjust their local conformations to form short 31 helix structures. Furthermore, according to intensity profiles of the spectral variations, the ordering of the phenyl rings proceeds more intensely than the formation of ordered local chains, and the structural evolution of iPS occurs even during the induction period. The spectral variations resulting from the conformational changes in the 31 helical structures depend on the sequence length of the helical chains: the longer the polymer chain is, the smaller the corresponding band variations are. It has been demonstrated that the combination of FT-IR spectroscopy and chemometric MCR techniques is very promising for the analysis of the crystallization process of polymers. MCR is a powerful tool for analyzing and visualizing spectral data and integrating them with other information, making spectral intensity variations more amenable to interpretation in order to explore the molecular dynamics of polymers.
Interphase Evolution in Polymer Films by Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy
Authors: Tomba J. Pablo , Carella José M. , Pastor José M.
Published: February 2006

Liquid-glassy polymer diffusion is an important topic in polymer physics, with several mechanistic aspects that still remain unclear. Here we describe the use of confocal Raman microspectroscopy (CRM) to study directly several features of interphase evolution in a system of this type. The interphase studied was generated by contact between liquid polystyrene (PS) and glassy polyphenylene oxide (PPO). Interphase evolution on thin films made from these polymers was followed by depth profiling in combination with immersion optics. We also applied regularized deconvolution to improve the spatial resolution of the measurements. With the help of these techniques, we examined interphase PPO concentration profiles and kinetics of interphase evolution in the range 120–180 °C, well below the glass transition temperature of the PPO-based films (185 °C). Overall, the experiment captures the most important features needed to discern the mechanistic factors that control this process. In this sense, confocal Raman microspectroscopy emerges as one of the best experimental techniques for the study of diffusion kinetics in this type of system.
Two-Dimensional Correlation Study of Uniaxially Drawn Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) Films by Using Attenuated Total Reflection Based Dynamic Compression Modulation Step-Scan Fourier Transform Infrared in Combination with Spectral Simulation Analysis by Density Functional Theory
Authors: Nishikawa Yuji , Nakano Tatsuhiko , Noda Isao
Published: February 2006

Attenuated total reflection (ATR) based dynamic compression modulation two-dimensional (2D) correlation studies of uniaxially drawn polyethylene terephthalate) (PET) films have been performed in combination with spectral simulation analysis by density functional theory (DFT). The dynamic 2D infrared (IR) correlation spectra in the region of the CCO stretching mode vibrations show four distinct correlation peaks located around 1290, 1265, 1248, and 1234 cm−1. These bands can be clearly assigned to the combination bands or coupling modes of the CH in-plane bend of the benzene ring or the CH2 deformation of the ethylene glycol unit, as well as CCO stretching vibrations, which are gauche conformer's characteristic bands, by DFT analysis. The sequential analysis of 2D correlation data shows that, upon applying the dynamic compression, the response of the side chain regions (ester groups) occurs first, followed by that of the backbone regions (benzene rings). The ATR based dynamic compression modulation 2D correlation spectroscopy in combination with DFT analysis can be a powerful tool for various polymer characterizations.
Multivariate Curve Resolution—Alternating Least Squares and Kinetic Modeling Applied to Near-Infrared Data from Curing Reactions of Epoxy Resins: Mechanistic Approach and Estimation of Kinetic Rate Constants
Authors: Garrido M. , Larrechi M. S. , Rius F. X.
Published: February 2006

This study describes the combination of multivariate curve resolution–alternating least squares with a kinetic modeling strategy for obtaining the kinetic rate constants of a curing reaction of epoxy resins. The reaction between phenyl glycidyl ether and aniline is monitored by near-infrared spectroscopy under isothermal conditions for several initial molar ratios of the reagents. The data for all experiments, arranged in a column-wise augmented data matrix, are analyzed using multivariate curve resolution–alternating least squares. The concentration profiles recovered are fitted to a chemical model proposed for the reaction. The selection of the kinetic model is assisted by the information contained in the recovered concentration profiles. The nonlinear fitting provides the kinetic rate constants. The optimized rate constants are in agreement with values reported in the literature.
Novel, Fourier Filtering Method That Reuses Interference-Patterned Spectra to Extend the Calibration Set for Thickness Determination
Authors: Jeszenszky Éva , Kocsányi László , Barócsi Attila , Richter Péter
Published: February 2006

Determining the thickness of plastic sheets on the basis of near-infrared spectra by building a multivariate calibration model requires a relatively large sample set. In the thickness region, where just a few noninterference-patterned samples are available, it is a waste of information if interference-patterned spectra are excluded. After eliminating the interference pattern from the spectra (filtering), the calibration set can be extended with these filtered spectra. Fourier transformation of an interference-patterned spectrum versus wavenumber leads to a Fourier spectrum as a function of the optical path length containing an easily recognizable interference peak. Unfortunately, this peak coincides with components of the spectral information of absorbance, on which multivariate calibration is based. Hence, replacing the interference peak is a cardinal step of the filtering process. Since the Fourier spectrum versus optical path length function is not known, it has been shown that interpolated data over the remaining Fourier components can be substituted for the missing part of the spectrum. In this paper, a novel method is proposed that uses a linear approximation between the Fourier spectra and the thickness values so that the regression coefficients are calculated on components of all but the interference-patterned Fourier spectra and the corresponding thicknesses, and then the deleted components in the filtered spectrum are replaced. This latter method yields more detailed Fourier spectra. Reducing the disturbing effect of scattering is also discussed. The effectiveness of the filtering was tested on low-density polyethylene sheets. The performance of different calibration models with or without filtering was compared by significance tests on standard error of prediction values. Application of the new Fourier type filtering technique led to significant improvements in the calibration performance.
Remote Raman Spectroscopic Detection of Minerals and Organics under Illuminated Conditions from a Distance of 10 m Using a Single 532 nm Laser Pulse
Authors: Misra Anupam K. , Sharma Shiv K. , Lucey Paul G.
Published: February 2006

Raman spectra of several minerals and organics were obtained from a small portable instrument at a distance of 10 m in a well-illuminated laboratory with a single 532 nm laser pulse with energy of 35 mJ/pulse. Remote Raman spectra of common minerals (dolomite, calcite, marble, barite, gypsum, quartz, anatase, fluorapatite, etc.) obtained in a short period of time (1.1 μs) clearly show Raman features that can be used as fingerprints for mineral identification. Raman features of organics (benzene, cyclohexane, 2-propanol, naphthalene, etc.) and other chemicals such as oxides, silicates, sulfates, nitrates, phosphates, and carbonates were also easily detected. The ability to identify minerals from their Raman spectra obtained from a single laser pulse has promise for future space missions where power consumption is critical. Such a system could be reduced in size by minimizing the cooling requirements for the laser unit. The remote Raman system is also capable of performing time-resolved measurements. Data indicate that further improvement in the performance of the system is possible by reducing the gate width of the detector (ICCD) from 1.1 μs to approximately 20 ns, which would significantly reduce the background signal from daylight or a well-illuminated laboratory. The 1.1 μs signal gating was effective in removing nearly all background fluorescence with 532 nm excitation, indicating that the fluorescence in most minerals is probably from long-lifetime inorganic phosphorescence.
Vibrational Spectroscopic Studies and Density Functional Theory Calculations of Speciation in the CO2—Water System
Authors: Rudolph Wolfram W. , Fischer Dieter , Irmer Gert
Published: February 2006

Raman spectra of CO2 dissolved in water and heavy water were measured at 22 °C, and the Fermi doublet of CO2, normally at 1285.45 and 1388.15 cm−1 in the gaseous state, revealed differences in normal water and heavy water, although no symmetry lowering of the hydrated CO2 could be detected. Raman spectra of crystalline KHCO3 and KDCO3 were measured at 22 °C and compared with the infrared data from the literature. In these solids, (H(D)CO3)22– dimers exist and the spectra reveal strong intramolecular coupling. The vibrational data of the dimer (C2h symmetry) were compared with the values from density functional theory (DFT) calculations and the agreement is fair. Careful measurements were made of the Raman spectra of aqueous KHCO3, and KDCO3 solutions in D2O down to 50 cm−1 and, in some cases, down to very low concentrations (≥0.0026 mol/kg). In order to complement the spectroscopic assignments, infrared solution spectra were also measured. The vibrational spectra of HCO3−(aq) and DCO3−(D2O) were assigned, and the measured data compared well with data derived from DFT calculations. The symmetry for HCO3−(aq) is C1, while the gas-phase structure of HCO3− possesses Cs symmetry. No dimers could be found in aqueous solutions, but at the highest KHCO3 concentration (3.270 mol/kg) intermolecular coupling between HCO3−(aq) anions could be detected. KHCO3 solutions do not dissolve congruently, and with increasing concentrations of the salt increasing amounts of carbonate could be detected. Raman and infrared spectra of aqueous Na2 –, K2 –, and Cs2CO3 solutions in water and heavy water were measured down to 50 cm−1 and in some cases down to extremely low concentrations (≥0.002 mol/kg) and up to the saturation state. For carbonate in aqueous solution a symmetry breaking of the D3h symmetry could be detected similar to the situation in aqueous nitrate solutions. Strong hydration of carbonate in aqueous solution could be detected by Raman spectroscopy. The hydrogen bonds between carbonate in heavy water are stronger than the ones in normal water. In sodium and potassium carbonate solutions no contact ion pairs could be detected even up to the saturated solutions. However, solvent separated ion pairs were inferred in concentrated solutions in accordance with recent dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) measurements. Quantitative Raman measurements of the hydrolysis of carbonate in aqueous K2CO3 solutions were carried out and the hydrolysis degree a was determined as a function of concentration at 22 °C. The second dissociation constant, pK2, of the carbonic acid was determined to be equal to 10.38 at 22 °C.
Comparison of Different Fluorimetric Signals for the Simultaneous Multivariate Determination of Tocopherols in Vegetable Oils
Authors: Díaz T. Galeano , Durán-Merás I. , Cáceres M. I. Rodríguez , Murillo B. Roldán
Published: February 2006

This paper deals with the simultaneous determination of the quaternary mixture of tocopherols (α-, β-, γ-, and δ-T) performed using fluorimetric techniques and partial least squares (PLS-1) multivariate analysis. In this study, PLS-1 was applied to matrices made up of fluorescence excitation and emission spectra (EEM) and with fluorescence excitation, emission, and synchronous spectra (EESM) of tocopherols dissolved in hexane: diethyl ether (70:30 v/v). A calibration set of 55 samples based in a central composite plus a full factorial plus a fractionated factorial design was constructed. When synthetic samples were analyzed, recoveries around 100% were obtained and detection limits were calculated using EEM and EESM. For the analysis of the oils, the samples, diluted in hexane, were cleaned in silica cartridges and tocopherols were eluted with hexane: diethyl ether (90:10 v/v). The developed method was applied to different edible oils. The results are satisfactory for α-, β-, and γ-, but they are worse for δ-T.
Bittersweet Obsession: Ed Ruscha's Chocolate Room
Authors: statton liza
Published: March 2006

This article considers the singular installation work, Chocolate Room (1970), by the American conceptual artist Ed Ruscha (b. 1937), who is based in Los Angeles. Although Ruscha is best-known for his coolly composed paintings and photographs, Chocolate Room, explores the artist's use of unconventional materials to create works of art that confront viewers with the unexpected. The author discusses the creation of this site-specific work for the 35th Venice Biennale during tumultuous year of 1970 when many American artists boycotted the event due to the Vietnam War. Chocolate Room was installed in one part of the American Pavilion, where the interior walls of the room were covered with 360 screen prints made from Nestléé's chocolate. The author assesses the physical and psychological properties of chocolate and how Ruscha's installation manipulates these qualities as a deliberate act of provocation. Stains (1969), a seventy-five page, unbound book is also discussed in relation to Chocolate Room, highlighting Ruscha's interest in and experimentation with organic substances. The author situates these projects between the overlapping developments of Pop and Conceptual Art in America during the 1960s and 70s –– both of which are indebted to the 'anti-art' ideologies of Duchamp and the Dadaists. The author concludes with the unexpected demise of the installation and alludes to the ways in which the substance of a medium can transform the meaning of an image.
Regulation of leptin synthesis and secretion before birth: implications for the early programming of adult obesity
Authors: McMillen I C , Edwards L J , Duffield J , Muhlhausler B S
Published: March 2006

A series of epidemiological, clinical and experimental studies have shown that there are associations between the fetal and neonatal nutritional environment and the amount and distribution of adipose tissue in adult life. This review considers the evidence for these relationships and discusses the potential impact of the prenatal nutritional experience on the development of the endocrine and neuroendocrine systems that regulate energy balance, with a particular emphasis on the role of the adipocyte-derived hormone, leptin. In the rodent, leptin derived from the mother may exert an important influence on the development of the appetite regulatory neural network and on the subsequent regulation of leptin synthesis and the risk for obesity in the offspring. In species such as the human and sheep, there is also recent evidence that the synthesis and secretion of adipocyte-derived hormones, such as leptin, are regulated in fetal life. Furthermore, the hypothalamic neuropeptides that regulate energy intake and expenditure in adult life are also present within the fetal brain and may be regulated by the prevailing level of maternal and hence fetal nutrient and hormonal signals, including leptin. This work is important in determining those initiating mechanisms within the ‘fat–brain’ axis in early life that precede the development of adult obesity.
DNase I activity in pig MII oocytes: implications in transgenesis
Authors: Zannoni Augusta , Spinaci Marcella , Bernardini Chiara , Bacci Maria Laura , Seren Eraldo , Mattioli Mauro , Forni Monica
Published: March 2006

Several reliable methods to produce transgenic animals utilize the male genome. After penetration into oocyte, sperm DNA undergoes dramatic conformational changes that could represent a great opportunity for exogenous DNA to be integrated in the zygote genome. Among the enzymes responsible for sperm remodeling, a nuclease could be involved. The presence of a DNase I in oocytes has not been much investigated. To date, an immunolocalization of DNase I has been reported only in rat immature oocytes and the presence of nuclease activities has been shown in avian oocytes.

The present study was conducted to verify whether a DNase-I like activity is present in MII mature pig oocytes. To do this, oocyte extracts were assessed for nuclease activity by a plasmid degradation assay and by zymography; these analyses evidenced a 33 kDa, Ca2+/Mg2+ dependent DNase I-like activity that was inhibited by Zn2+. A further identification of DNase I was achieved by Western blot, immunofluorescence and RT-PCR experiments. Moreover, the presence of the enzyme activity was confirmed by the rapid degradation of exogenous DNA microinjected into the ooplasm. Finally, the exogenous DNA transferred to oocyte by spermatozoa during sperm mediated gene transfer in vitro fertilisation protocol seemed to be protected from DNase I degradation and to persist in the ooplasm till 6 h.

These results, together with the high efficiency of sperm based transgenesis methods, suggest that the association with spermatozoa protects exogenous DNA from nuclease activities.
Comparison of the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G and HLA-E in women with normal pregnancy and those with recurrent miscarriage
Authors: Bhalla A , Stone P R , Liddell H S , Zanderigo A , Chamley L W
Published: March 2006

Recurrent miscarriage affects 1% of all couples attempting pregnancy. Immunological factors are postulated to play a role in the aetiology of recurrent miscarriage because the fetus and placenta are immunologically different from the mother. In particular, altered expression of the, non-classical, class I histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules has been postulated to play a role in the aetiology of recurrent miscarriage as the fetus and placenta are semi-allogenic to the mother. This study was conducted to examine whether altered expression of the non-classical class I HLA molecules, HLA-G and HLA-E, by cells at the maternofetal interface could play a role in the aetiology of recurrent miscarriage. First-trimester placental and decidual biopsies were obtained from 45 women with recurrent miscarriage and 17 gestation-matched normal controls. These biopsies were screened by immunohistochemistry for HLA-G and HLA-E and isotype-matched control antibodies. Staining was analysed by light microscopy and digital image analysis. In both recurrent miscarriage and normal pregnancy, HLA-G was localised to the extravillous trophoblast. There was no difference in the pattern of HLA-G expression between women with recurrent miscarriage and those with normal pregnancies. HLA-E was localised to the syncytiotrophoblast, villous mesenchymal cells, extravillous trophoblast and several decidual cell types, but staining for HLA-E appeared to be confined primarily to the cytoplasm. There was no difference in the pattern of HLA-E expression between women with recurrent miscarriage and those with normal pregnancies.
Regulated expression of two sets of paternally imprinted genes is necessary for mouse parthenogenetic development to term
Authors: Wu Qiong , Kumagai Takuya , Kawahara Manabu , Ogawa Hidehiko , Hiura Hitoshi , Obata Yayoi , Takano Riya , Kono Tomohiro
Published: March 2006

Mouse parthenogenetic embryos (PEs) are developmentally arrested until embryo day (E) 9.5 because of genomic imprinting. However, we have shown that embryos containing genomes from non-growing (ng) and fully grown (fg) oocytes, i.e. ngwt/fgwt PE (wt, wild type), developed to E13.5. Moreover, parthenogenetic development could be extended to term by further regulation of Igf2 and H19 expression using mice with deletion of the H19 transcription unit (H19Δ13) together with its differentially unit (DMR). To gain an insight into the extended development of the parthenotes to term, we have here investigated the expression levels of paternally imprinted genes in ngH19Δ13/fgwt PE throughout their development. In ngH19Δ13/fgwt Pes that died soon after recovery, the expression of Igf2 and H19 was restored to the appropriate levels except for low Igf2 expression in the liver after E15.5. Further, the paternally expressed Dlk1 and Dio3 were repressed, while the expression levels of the maternal Gtl2 and Mirg were twice those of the controls. However, the above-mentioned four genes showed almost normal expression in the surviving ngH19Δ13/fgwt PEs. The methylation analysis revealed that the intragenic DMR of the Dlk1-Gtl2 domain was hypermethylated in the ngH19Δ13/fgwt PEs that survived, but not in the PEs that died soon after recovery. The present study suggests that two sets of co-ordinately regulated but oppositely expressed genes, Igf2-H19 and Dlk1-Gtl2, act as a critical barrier to parthenogenetic development in order to render a paternal contribution obligatory for descendants in mammals.
Hemodynamics Among Neonates With Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy During Whole-Body Hypothermia and Passive Rewarming
Authors: Gebauer Corinna Mirjam , Knuepfer Matthias , Robel-Tillig Eva , Pulzer Ferdinand , Vogtmann Christoph
Published: March 2006

OBJECTIVE. To assess changes in cardiac performance, with Doppler echocardiography, among newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy during mild therapeutic hypothermia and during rewarming.

METHODS. For 7 asphyxiated neonates (birth weight: 1840–3850 g; umbilical artery pH: 6.70–6.95) who received mild whole-body hypothermia, the following hemodynamic parameters were determined immediately before rewarming (33°C) and during passive rewarming (35°C and 37°C): heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, core and peripheral temperatures, left ventricular ejection time, mean velocity of aortic flow, stroke volume, and cardiac output.

RESULTS. Heart rate decreased during hypothermia. Bradycardia, with heart rates below 80 beats per minute, did not occur. The median difference between core and peripheral temperatures decreased from 2.0°C (range: 0–6.2°C) during hypothermia to 0.7°C (range: 0.4–1.9°C) at normothermia. Cardiac output was reduced to 67% and stroke volume to 77% of the posthypothermic level. The median heart rate was 129 beats per minute before rewarming and increased to 148 beats per minute during complete rewarming. Before and during passive rewarming, hypotension was not observed. Before, during, and at the end of rewarming, the following parameters increased: mean velocity of aortic flow (median: 44, 55, and 58 cm/second, respectively), stroke volume (median: 1.42, 1.55, and 1.94 mL/kg, respectively), and cardiac output (median: 169, 216, and 254 mL/kg per minute, respectively). Left ventricular ejection time remained unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS. Whole-body hypothermia resulted in reduced cardiac output, which reached normal levels at the end of passive rewarming, at normothermia. Physiologic cardiovascular mechanisms seemed to be intact to provide sufficient tissue perfusion, with normal blood lactate levels.
Snore-Associated Sleep Fragmentation in Infancy: Mental Development Effects and Contribution of Secondhand Cigarette Smoke Exposure
Authors: Montgomery-Downs Hawley E. , Gozal David
Published: March 2006

OBJECTIVE. The link between sleep-disordered breathing and neurocognitive functioning in preschool and school-aged children now has been established clearly. Within these age groups, isolated studies have examined the potential effect of snoring without gas exchange abnormalities on aspects of cognitive competence. The goal of the study was to test the potential association between snoring and decrements in developmental performance among infants.

METHODS. Thirty-five healthy community infants (8.2 ± 0.4 months) were administered the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, including the Mental Development Index (MDI), after standard, overnight research polysomnography.

RESULTS. The apnea-hypopnea index for all infants was 0. Respiratory arousal index was significantly correlated with MDI. Snoring-associated arousals accounted exclusively for this relationship; spontaneous arousals and those that were associated with central apnea and oxyhemoglobin desaturation episodes (≥4%) were not significantly correlated with MDI. Living in a smoking household was not significantly associated with the presence of objectively recorded snoring but was associated with an increase in arousal frequency in snoring infants.

CONCLUSIONS. Infants with lower scores on a standardized mental development assessment had higher snoring-arousal indices. Because neither apnea nor hypopnea was present, these findings constitute additional evidence that snoring is not just an innocent noise during sleep in infants but may in fact represent the lower end of the disease spectrum associated with sleep-disordered breathing. Secondhand exposure to cigarette smoke may increase the deleterious effects of infant snoring.
Interleukin-17A: A T-Cell-Derived Growth Factor for Murine and Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Huang Weitao , La Russa Vincent , Alzoubi Azam , Schwarzenberger Paul
Published: March 2006

Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) is a proinflammatory cytokine expressed in activated T-cells. It is required for microbial host defense and is a potent stimulator of granulopoiesis. In a dose-dependent fashion, IL-17A expanded human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and induced the proliferation of mature stroma cells in bone marrow-derived stroma cultures. Recombinant human interleukin-17A (rhIL-17A) nearly doubled colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-f) frequency and almost tripled the surface area covered by stroma. In a murine transplant model, in vivo murine (m)IL-17A expression enhanced CFU-f by 2.5-fold. Enrichment of the graft with CD4+ T-cell resulted in a 7.5-fold increase in CFU-f in normal C57BL/6, but only threefold in IL-17Ra−/− mice on day 14 post-transplant. In this transplant model, in vivo blockade of IL-17A in C57BL/6 mice resembled the phenotype of IL-17Ra−/− mice. Approximately half of the T-cell-mediated effect on MSC recovery following radiation-conditioned transplantation was attributed to the IL-17A/IL-17Ra pathway. Pluripotent MSCs have the potential of regenerating various tissues, and mature stroma cells are critical elements of the hematopoietic microenvironment (HME). The HME is pivotal for formation and maintenance of functional blood cells. As a newly identified stroma cell growth factor, IL-17A might have potential applications for novel treatment approaches involving MSCs, such as tissue graft engineering.
COMPUTER‐ASSISTED OBSERVER TRAINING
Authors: Bass Roger F.
Published: March 2006

Computerized interactive videotapes were used to train college students to use a 10‐second partial‐interval observational recording system. Students viewed videotapes and scored response occurrences on a computer keyboard. Incorrect scoring resulted in immediate computerized feedback and rescoring.

Two independent variables, three versus seven target behaviors, and maintenance (thinning feedback) versus nonmaintenance (no feedback) training were compared. Average accuracy values across all target behaviors were consistently above 90%, and the lowest accuracy values obtained for most target responses typically met current standards for interobserver agreement. Data indicate the standard practice of occasional observer agreement checks may be inadequate.
THE ROLE OF REFERENTIAL SPEECH IN SIGN LEARNING BY MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN: A COMPARISON OF TOTAL COMMUNICATION AND SIGN‐ALONE TRAINING
Authors: Clarke Sue , Remington Bob , Light Paul
Published: March 2006

We conducted two experiments to assess the role of referential speech during sign training in which the spoken words corresponding to signs were receptively known to the participants. An alternating treatments design was used to compare sign acquisition across two teaching conditions in which referents were presented either with or without the corresponding verbal label. During the first experiment, signs were taught concurrently; during the second experiment, signs within each of the respective conditions were taught in a serial fashion. In both experiments, signs taught by total communication were acquired faster than those taught by sign‐alone training.