bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Balloon cells and dysmorphic neurons in the hippocampus associated with epileptic amnesic syndrome: A case report
Authors: Kim Se Hoon , Cho Yang‐Je , Seok Kim Hyung , Heo Kyoung , Lee Min‐Cheol , Lee Byung‐In , Seung Kim Tai , Woo Chang Jin
Published: February 2008

Summary

Recently, we encountered a 39‐year‐old woman with typical epileptic amnesic syndrome. The patient underwent right anterior temporal lobectomy, which removed the right hippocampus. The patient's resected hippocampus showed typical histological features of Ammon's horn sclerosis (AHS) with dysmorphic neurons. In addition, the prominent balloon cells, admixed with dysmorphic neurons, were noted in the hippocampus. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case showing AHS with balloon cells. The presence of balloon cells reinforces the hypothesis that AHS itself might be a maldevelopment disorder.
SHIFT FROM CHLOROPHYTES TO CYANOBACTERIA IN BENTHIC MACROALGAE ALONG A GRADIENT OF NITRATE DEPLETION1
Authors: Vis Chantal , Cattaneo Antonella , Hudon Christiane
Published: February 2008

A survey of the spatial distribution of benthic macroalgae in a fluvial lake of the St. Lawrence River (Lake Saint‐Pierre, Quebec, Canada) revealed a shift in composition from chlorophytes to cyanobacteria along the flow path of nutrient‐rich waters originating from tributaries draining farmlands. The link between this shift and changes in water quality characteristics was investigated by sampling at 10 sites along a 15 km transect. Conductivity, current, light extinction, total phosphorus (TP; >25 μg P · L−1), and ammonium (8–21 μg N · L−1) remained fairly constant along the transect in contrast to nitrate concentrations, which fell sharply. Filamentous and colonial chlorophytes [Cladophora sp. and Hydrodictyon reticulatum (L.) Bory] dominated in the first 5 km where nitrate concentrations were >240 μg N · L−1. A mixed assemblage of chlorophytes and cyanobacteria characterized a 1 km transition zone where nitrate decreased to 40–80 μg N · L−1. In the last section of the transect, nitrate concentrations dropped below 10 μg N · L−1, and cyanobacteria (benthic filamentous mats of Lyngbya wollei Farl. ex Gomont and epiphytic colonies of Gloeotrichia) dominated the benthic community. The predominance of nitrogen‐fixing, potentially toxic cyanobacteria likely resulted from excessive nutrient loads and may affect nutrient and trophic dynamics in the river.
Asymmetric breast enlargement minus central venous thrombosis in a hemodialysis patient
Authors: YOUSSEF Jacques J. , BROWN Clinton D. , FRIEDMAN Eli A.
Published: February 2008

A 76‐year‐old woman hemodialysis patient was hospitalized for community‐acquired pneumonia complicating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. End‐stage renal disease secondary to hypertension had been diagnosed at the age of 64 for which the patient was initiated on maintenance hemodialysis. Then, she received a deceased donor kidney transplant at the age of 68 that succumbed to chronic rejection 4 years later when she was restarted on hemodialysis. Hemodialysis was performed via a right subclavian vein double lumen catheter for 2 months when a right brachio‐axillary graft was inserted. Severe venous congestion, swelling, and nipple tenderness of her right breast noted on admission had been increasing for 6 weeks before hospital admission. No arm swelling was evident. Initial management of the patient's pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease consisted of intravenous ceftriaxone and albuterol inhaler to which intravenous oxacillin (1 g q 6 hr) was added for presumed right mastitis. Radiological work‐up for masses and malignancies was negative. An angiogram of the right upper extremity detected stenosis of the dialysis access graft at its anastomosis with the axillary vein. Angioplasty of the stenosis was performed without incident or evidence of central vein stenosis. Rapid resolution over 10 days of the unilateral breast congestion followed without complication.
Effect of Temperatures up to 90°C on the Early Hydration of Portland–Blastfurnace Slag Cements
Authors: Utton Claire A. , Hayes Martin , Hill Joanne , Milestone Neil B. , Sharp John H.
Published: February 2008

Isothermal conduction calorimetry has been used to monitor the early hydration of Portland–blastfurnace slag (BFS)‐blended cements. Portland:BFS composite cements with ordinary Portland cement replacements from 0 to 90 wt% were studied at curing temperatures from 12° to 90°C. Peak II, principally associated with alite (Ca3SiO5) hydration, was accelerated with increasing temperature for all blends. Peak S, associated with BFS hydration, was particularly noticeable at 40° and 60°C. At higher curing temperatures, peak S merged with peak II, indicating thermal activation of BFS. Novel plots of total heat output against percentage replacement show that BFS contributes to the heat of hydration, even at temperatures below its thermal activation.
Effect of Additives on the Activation Energy for Sintering of Silicon Carbide
Authors: Ray Darin A. , Kaur Sarbjit , Cutler Raymond A. , Shetty Dinesh K.
Published: February 2008

The combined‐stage sintering model was used to determine the activation energy, Q, of sintering for selected SiC‐based materials. SiC densified with a liquid (1.65 wt% Al) had an activation energy of 842±79 kJ/mol, a value between those for a silicon carbide densified with 1 wt% C and 0.25 wt% B4C (Q=643±37 kJ/mol) and one densified with 2.5 wt% AlN (Q=1022±122 kJ/mol), compositions which have no liquid phase below 1850°C. The SiC with Al additive began densification by 1500°C and the densification curve was offset by approximately 100°C compared with the other two materials below 1850°C. The choice and amount of additives not only affect densification and activation energy, but also influence microstructure and fracture mode, allowing engineering of mechanical properties.
Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a New Layered Carbide [Zr1.97Y0.03]Al4C5
Authors: Fukuda Koichiro , Hisamura Miyuki , Iwata Tomoyuki , Hashimoto Shinobu , Nakano Hiromi
Published: February 2008

A new layered carbide, [Zr1.97Y0.03]Al4C5, has been synthesized and characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction (XRPD), transmission electron microscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX). The atom ratios [Zr:Y] were determined by EDX, and the crystal structure was refined from laboratory XRPD data (CuKα1) using the Rietveld method. The crystal is trigonal (space groupR3m,Z=3) with lattice dimensions ofa=0.331934(4) nm,c=4.09459(3) nm, andV=0.390701(7) nm3. The final reliability indices wereRwp=10.29% (S=1.31),Rp=7.45%,RB=1.63%, andRF=1.04%. The compound shows an intergrowth structure with NaCl‐type [Zr1.97Y0.03C3] thin slabs separated by Al4C3‐type [AlC] layers. This material is isostructural with Zr2[Al3.56Si0.44]C5.
Dielectric Behavior and Cofiring with Silver of Monoclinic BiSbO4 Ceramic
Authors: Zhou Di , Wang Hong , Yao Xi , Pang Li‐Xia
Published: February 2008

Pure monoclinic phase of BiSbO4 ceramic was synthesized using the solid‐state reaction method. BiSbO4 ceramics can be well sintered between 960° and 1080°C. The dielectric constant of BiSbO4 ceramic was about 20.1 and dielectric loss was about 0.055–2.5 × 10−4 at 1 MHz. With the measured frequencies increasing from 100 to 900 kHz, the temperature coefficients of permittivity decreased from +224.1 to +95.9 ppm/°C. At the microwave range, the best microwave dielectric properties were obtained in the ceramic sintered at 1080°C/2 h with a permittivity of 19.3, a Qf value of about 70 000 GHz, and a temperature coefficient of resonant frequency of −62 ppm/°C. Cofiring between BiSbO4 ceramic and 20 wt% Ag was also investigated, and it was found that after cofiring at 900°C for 5 h only very little unknown phase containing a little amount of Ag was formed and most Ag was scattered in grain boundaries.
Elevated cytokine expression in the orbitofrontal cortex of victims of suicide
Authors: Tonelli L. H. , Stiller J. , Rujescu D. , Giegling I. , Schneider B. , Maurer K. , Schnabel A. , Möller H.‐J. , Chen H. H. , Postolache T. T.
Published: February 2008

Objective:  Based on the reported association between cytokines with depression and suicide, and evidence of increased markers of inflammation in the brain of suicide victims, the present study examined the expression of cytokines in the orbitofrontal cortex of suicide victims.

Method:  In a postmortem sample obtained from the Brodman area 11 of suicides (n = 34) and controls (n = 17), real‐time RT‐PCR was used to compare the expression of mRNA species for tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin (IL)‐1β, 4, 5, 6, and 13.

Results:  Increased expression of IL‐4 was found in women suicide victims and IL‐13 in men suicide victims. Elevated but not significant cytokine expression was also observed for TNF‐α in women suicide victims.

Conclusion:  To our knowledge, these results provide the first evidence of the presence of mRNA transcripts of type 2 T‐helper cytokines in the human orbitofrontal cortex and their increased expression in the brain of suicides.
Decision Coaching to Support Shared Decision Making: A Framework, Evidence, and Implications for Nursing Practice, Education, and Policy
Authors: Stacey Dawn , Murray Mary Ann , Légaré France , Sandy Dunn , Menard Prudy , O'Connor Annette
Published: February 2008

Background: Patients with values‐sensitive health decisions frequently experience decisional conflict and require support. Decision coaching shows promise but little is known about the fit within the therapeutic relationship and factors influencing implementation of decision coaching in practice.

Aims: To offer an evidence‐based decision coaching framework and explore implications for competency development and environmental infrastructures needed to facilitate client‐centered decision coaching.

Methods: A review of the evidence and our experience supporting the development of a framework for decision coach‐mediated shared decision making that outlines the roles of the primary practitioner, the patient, and decision coach for achieving high‐quality health decisions.

Implications: Competence in providing decision coaching requires knowledge and skill building at both pre‐ and post‐licensure levels. Practice environments, regulatory bodies, educational systems, and professional and accreditation organizations are vital to successful integration of decision coaching skills into practice. Practical, visible, accessible, evidence‐based, and equitably enforced regulations and policies endorsing patients' decision support interventions are essential.

Conclusions: Enhancing nurses' coaching skills for supporting patients and their families in decision making can be fostered through interventions aimed at the nurses, educational systems, and regulatory organizations. Further research and pragmatic evaluation are needed to better support the acquisition and implementation of decision coaching for all types of health decisions.

Application to Nursing Practice: The framework indicates the practitioner's role in diagnosing the problem, providing options, and screening for decisional conflict. Decision coaching involves assessing factors influencing patients' decisional conflict, providing support to address decisional needs, monitoring progress in decision making, and screening for factors influencing implementation. Informed patients share their values and preferences shaped by their personal situation.
Clinical Interventions for Children With Attachment Problems
Authors: Cornell Tonya , Hamrin Vanya
Published: February 2008

TOPIC:  Applying the current evidence to treating clinical populations with attachment disorders.

PURPOSE:  This study aims to review the literature regarding the treatment of childhood attachment disorders, with the goal of guiding clinicians towards evidence‐based practice.

SOURCES USED:  MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychBooks, EMBASE and PsychINFO were searched and all articles reporting results of a treatment intervention for attachment disorder were reviewed. Ancestry analysis garnered additional sources.

CONCLUSIONS:  There are few studies addressing therapeutic interventions for attachment disorder, but the literature supports benefits to the child–parent attachment relationship in biological families in the application of both psychoeducational and psychotherapeutic treatment modalities. A summary of the important components of applying these techniques in therapy is included. Foster and adoptive families with attachment disorders require different types of intervention than biological families. In particular, foster and adoptive parents need to help repair their child's negative internal representations by responding appropriately to their child's cues. Advanced practice psychiatric nurses are well‐prepared to provide evidence‐based interventions to both biological and foster families with attachment problems. More research is needed to determine the most appropriate treatment interventions for children with attachment disorders.
Narrative Therapy: A Psychotherapeutic Approach in the Treatment of Adolescents With Asperger's Disorder
Authors: Cashin Andrew
Published: February 2008

TOPIC:  The conundrum of how to carry out psychotherapy with an adolescent whose primary currency of information exchange is visual as opposed to linguistic, and who is unable to develop a unified base of knowledge and hence generalize concepts, has confronted many mental health nurses in their encounters with individuals with Asperger's disorder. At the currently estimated escalating rate of occurrence of 1 to every 100 individuals having an autism spectrum disorder, and the estimate that 80% of these people have average or above intelligence, it makes sense that Asperger's disorder is frequently encountered by child and adolescent mental health nurses. Asperger's disorder represents a different way of being in the world that is associated with a higher frequency of anxiety disorders and depression than experienced by neurotypical counterparts. The inherent concretization in the externalization techniques in narrative therapy provide a novelly successful approach to psychotherapy with people with Asperger's disorder and in many cases resolution of the conundrum.

PURPOSE:  This paper considers the features of Asperger's disorder and its consonance with the techniques of narrative therapy, and utilizes a case example that shows the potential efficacy of the application of this established approach in a new context.

SOURCES:  Contemporary literature on autism and narrative therapy.

CONCLUSIONS:  The implication of the potential application of narrative therapy in psychotherapy with individuals with autism is raised.
THE TRANSPORTABILITY OF JOB INFORMATION ACROSS COUNTRIES
Authors: TAYLOR PAUL J. , LI WEN‐DONG , SHI KAN , BORMAN WALTER C.
Published: February 2008

Three Occupational Information Network (O*NET) instruments (Generalized Work Activities, Basic and Cross‐Functional Skills, Work Styles) were administered to 1,007 job incumbents, from 369 organizations, performing 1 of 3 jobs (first‐line supervisor, office clerk, computer programmer) in New Zealand, China, and Hong Kong. Data from these countries were compared with archival data collected from 370 incumbents holding similar jobs in the United States. Hypothesized country differences, derived from cross‐cultural theory, received limited support. The magnitude of differences in mean item ratings between incumbents from the United States and the other 3 countries were generally small to moderate in size, and rank‐orderings of the importance and level of work activities and job requirements were quite similar, suggesting that, for most applications, job information is likely to transport quite well across countries.
Utilization of Okara, a Byproduct from Soymilk Production, through the Development of Soy‐Based Snack Food
Authors: Katayama M. , Wilson L.A.
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT:  This study was conducted to develop a new soy‐based food product that could utilize okara (a byproduct from soymilk production) and maximize the health benefits of okara for the consumer. A Japanese commercial okara snack product was used as a standard reference. Two types of dried okara powder, a commercially dried okara powder with 7.7% moisture content made from regular (lipoxygenase‐present) soybeans and a partially dried okara with 44.3% moisture content made from lipoxygenase‐free (LOX‐null) soybeans, were used in this study. Commercial low saturated soybean oil and commercial low linolenic acid soybean oil were also used in the same formulation to compare and find the best formulation for a baked or deep‐fat‐fried soy‐based food product. Two descriptive analysis studies were performed with a minimum of 15 trained panelists. Instrumental analyses with a Hunter Lab system and a TA.XT2i texture analyzer and chemical analysis were performed to compare with the sensory results. All the results were statistically analyzed. The baked product made from commercial low saturated soybean oil and the partially dried LOX‐null okara powder gave the closest flavor, texture, and appearance to the reference standard. The final product contained 11.4% protein and 7.4% dietary fiber, which were, respectively, 1.5 and 2.0 times higher than the reference. The calcium content was also 4.3 times higher than the reference. The objectives of this study were achieved by developing a new soy‐based snack food, which has more health benefits with an enjoyable flavor and texture than the existing commercial product.
THE TRANSFER AND CONVERSION OF ELECTRONIC ENERGY IN SOME ‘MODEL’ PHOTOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS*
Authors: Pitts J. N. , Hess L. D. , Baum E. J. , Schuck E. A. , Wan J. K. S. , Leermakers P. A. , Vesley G.
Published: February 2008

Abstract— Recent studies of the effects of molecular structure and reaction environment on the mechanism of primary photochemical processes involving transfer and conversion of electronic energy in relatively ‘simple’ organic molecules are presented and discussed. A quantitative i.r. spectroscopic method for studying intramolecular and intermolecular photoprocesses of u.v. irradiated substrates dispersed in solid alkali halide matrices at room temperature is described. Current data for the substrates ortho‐nitrobenzaldehyde, anthracene and benzophenonebenzhydrol are presented.

A series of ‘model’ ketones containing cyclopropyl groups have been synthesized and while their absorption spectra are similar, the efficiency of vapor‐phase photodissociation into radicals is shown to be strongly dependent on molecular structure.

Butyrophenone and a series of ring substituted derivatives have been photolyzed in the liquid phase using the quantum yield of the photoelimination of ethylene (Type II split) as a “probe” to determine the effect of substituents on the internal H atom abstracting power of the excited carbonyl chromophore. Φc2H4 is very sensitive to ring substitution, dropping from 0.24 in butyrophenone to 0.20, 0.058 and 0.00 in the p‐CH3, p‐OCH3 and p‐NH2 derivatives respectively, and to 0.00 in both ortho and para hydroxy derivatives. This effect is correlated with their absorption spectra in terms of the lowest states of these alkyl aryl ketones being 3(π, π*) rather than 3(π, π*) in character.

While several ‘classic’ photochemical reactions, unimolecular and bimolecular, proceed efficiently in solid KBr matrices giving the same product as in liquid systems, the ‘model’ cyclopropyl compounds and the alkyl aryl ketones did not undergo their usual intramolecular processes. Implications of this molecular environment effect are pointed out.
Serological Survey for Antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniculi in Pet Rabbits in Italy
Authors: Dipineto L. , Rinaldi L. , Santaniello A. , Sensale M. , Cuomo A. , Calabria M. , Menna L. F. , Fioretti A.
Published: February 2008

Pet rabbits (n = 125) from Southern Italy were submitted to a serological screening for Encephalitozoon cuniculi, using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a carbon immunoassay (CIA). Seventy‐eight examined rabbits showed clinical signs suggestive of encephalitozoonosis (head tilt, ataxia, paralysis, cataracts, uveitis, polyuria and polydipsia), whereas 47 were healthy rabbits. Antibodies anti‐E. cuniculi were found in 84/125 (67.2%) sera analysed. The results of the chi‐squared test showed that sex and health status had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on E. cuniculi seropositivity; however, rabbits older than 4 months had a seropositivity for E. cuniculi significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of rabbits aged up to 4 months. The results of the present survey reinforce the assumption that rabbit may be indicated as the main reservoir of E. cuniculi; therefore, routine screening examinations in pet rabbits are strongly advised considering the zoonotic potential of this parasite.
Nationwide Surveillance of salmonella in the Faeces of Pigs in Japan
Authors: Kishima M. , Uchida I. , Namimatsu T. , Osumi T. , Takahashi S. , Tanaka K. , Aoki H. , Matsuura K. , Yamamoto K.
Published: February 2008

The prevalence of faecal carriage of salmonella in 5393 pigs reared on 218 pig farms located in 31 of 47 prefectures in Japan over the period July 2003 to June 2005 was investigated. We isolated 172 strains belonging to 20 serovars and one untypableSalmonella entericafrom 169 pig faecal samples (3.1%) collected from 48 farms (22.0%). The most prevalent type ofS. entericawas untypable O4,12:d:– which lacks phase 2 flagellar antigen, representing 29.1% (50/172) of all isolates. Of 26S. entericaserovar Typhimurium isolates, 16 strains appeared to be definitive phage type 104 (DT104) by polymerase chain reaction.
A Siberian vegetation model based on climatic parameters
Authors: Tchebakova Nadja M. , Monserud Robert A. , Nazimova Dina I.
Published: February 2008

A model for predicting the spatial distribution of the major vegetation zones in Siberia is developed from bioclimatological considerations. Driving variables are growing degree-days (5 °C base), Budyko's dryness index, and Conrad's continentality index. Because these indices reflect the underlying climatic factors determining plants' requirements for warmth, drought resistance, and cold tolerance, they define the main features of vegetation zonation. Climatic inputs (monthly mean temperature, precipitation, vapor pressure, cloudiness, and albedo) are obtained from a global climatic database, supplemented by additional weather stations in Siberia; resolution is 0.5° longitude by 0.5° latitude. The performance of the model is examined by comparing our Siberian vegetation predictions with the landscape map of the USSR by Isachenko, a map that was not used for model development. The patterns of vegetation predicted by the Siberian vegetation model generally match well with the vegetation patterns on Isachenko's map. The general locations of all vegetation zones are predicted correctly. This visual impression is also borne out statistically, with κ-statistics for judging agreement between the maps showing good agreement (0.55 < κ < 0.7) at all scales of comparison (from 0.5° by 0.5°pixels to 5° by 5° blocks of pixels). The model is also useful for estimating the change in equilibrium conditions due to hypothesized events such as CO2-induced global warming, for retrospective comparisons using the paleorecord, and for carbon budget assessment.
Biodiversity of diurnal breeding bird communities related to succession in the dry Douglas-fir forests of southeastern British Columbia
Authors: Schwab Francis E. , Sinclair A.R.E.
Published: February 2008

To determine the relationship between bird biodiversity and succession, we recorded the presence and approximate numbers of breeding diurnal bird species on plots representing secondary vegetation succession in an area classified as the very dry, hot subzone of the Interior Douglas-fir Biogeoclimatic Zone: grass, shrub, young conifer, and mature Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco)–ponderosa pine (Pinusponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) forest. The number of species and individual birds increased with the successional age of plots, but young conifer plots had fewer bird species and individual birds than the preceding shrub stage. That is, succession produced peaks in bird biodiversity at the shrub and climax stages. All successional stages, with the exception of young conifer, possessed unique bird species or species found predominantly in that successional stage.
Comparison of the allozyme diversity in several populations of Chamaecyparisformosensis and Chamaecyparistaiwanensis
Authors: Lin Tsan-Piao , Lee Tzen-Yu , Yang Li-Feng , Chung Yong-Ly , Yang Jenq-Chuan
Published: February 2008

Genetic diversity within and genetic differentiation among three populations of Chamaecyparisformosensis Matsum. and two populations of Chamaecyparistaiwanensis Masam. & Suzuki were investigated using one-year-old seedlings collected from central and northern Taiwan. For C. formosensis 330 seedlings from 33 seed trees were used, while for C. taiwanensis 260 seedlings from 26 seed trees were used. Eleven enzyme systems were investigated. In C. formosensis, 5 of the 21 loci examined were polymorphic. The average percentage of polymorphic loci per population was 20.6% at the 99% criterion for polymorphism. Mean expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.079 to 0.100 in the different populations. On average, there were 6.6 to 9.2% heterozygous loci per individual and 1.24 to 1.29 alleles per locus; the effective number of alleles per locus ranged from 1.09 to 1.11. In C. taiwanensis, 7 of the 20 loci examined were polymorphic and the average percentage of polymorphic loci per population was 22.5%. Mean expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.044 to 0.060. On average there were 4.5 to 5.6% heterozygous loci per individual and 1.45 alleles per locus; the effective number of alleles per locus ranged from 1.05 to 1.08. The surprisingly low expected heterozygosity and percentage of polymorphic loci compared with other conifer probably reflects the insular nature of these species. Partitioning the genetic variability into within- and among-population components with F-statistics led to an estimate of within-population variation of 95% of the total variation in both C. formosensis and C. taiwanensis. Chamaecyparisformosensis had a positive fixation index (0.109) that was significantly different from zero at the 5% level, indicating that most loci have slightly higher frequencies of homozygotes. Chamaecyparistaiwanensis, however, had a fixation index close to zero (0.036), which suggests that most loci are in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. The genetic distance between C. formosensis and C. taiwanensis was 0.70, which clearly separates these two species.
Effects of Muscle Cooling on the Stiffness of the Human Gastrocnemius Muscle in vivo
Authors: Muraoka Tetsuro , Omuro Kohei , Wakahara Taku , Muramatsu Tadashi , Kanehisa Hiroaki , Fukunaga Tetsuo , Kanosue Kazuyuki
Published: February 2008

Background/Aims: The effects of muscle cooling on the stiffness of the human gastrocnemius muscle (GAS) were examined in vivo. Methods: The knee joint was passively extended from 90 to 0° (0° = full knee extended position) with a constant ankle angle of 10° dorsiflexed position (0° = the sole of the foot is approximately perpendicular to the anterior margin of the shaft of the tibia) in a control condition (room temperature of 18–23°C) and a cooling condition (muscle temperature decreased by 5.8 ± 1.7°C after cooling using a cold water bath at a temperature of 5–8°C for 60 min). The change in passive Achilles tendon force, muscle fascicle length of GAS and muscle temperature were measured (n = 6) during the motion. Results and Conclusion: GAS stiffness was significantly greater in the cooling condition (20 ± 8 N/mm) than the control condition (18 ± 8 N/mm). There was no cooling effect on the muscle slack length, beyond which passive muscle force arises. The maximum passive Achilles tendon force significantly increased by 19 ± 20% after cooling. These results suggested that cooling increased the passive muscle force due to the increase in the muscle stiffness rather than the shift of the muscle slack length.
Psychological Principles of Successful Aging Technologies: A Mini-Review
Authors: Lindenberger Ulman , Lövdén Martin , Schellenbach Michael , Li Shu-Chen , Krüger Antonio
Published: February 2008

Based on resource-oriented conceptions of successful lifespan development, we propose three principles for evaluating assistive technology: (a) net resource release; (b) person specificity, and (c) proximal versus distal frames of evaluation. We discuss how these general principles can aid the design and evaluation of assistive technology in adulthood and old age, and propose two technological strategies, one targeting sensorimotor and the other cognitive functioning. The sensorimotor strategy aims at releasing cognitive resources such as attention and working memory by reducing the cognitive demands of sensory or sensorimotor aspects of performance. The cognitive strategy attempts to provide adaptive and individualized cuing structures orienting the individual in time and space by providing prompts that connect properties of the environment to the individual’s action goals. We argue that intelligent assistive technology continuously adjusts the balance between ‘environmental support’ and ‘self-initiated processing’ in person-specific and aging-sensitive ways, leading to enhanced allocation of cognitive resources. Furthermore, intelligent assistive technology may foster the generation of formerly latent cognitive resources by activating developmental reserves (plasticity). We conclude that ‘lifespan technology’, if co-constructed by behavioral scientists, engineers, and aging individuals, offers great promise for improving both the transition from middle adulthood to old age and the degree of autonomy in old age in present and future generations.
Solving the Problem of Negative Synaptic Weights in Cortical Models
Authors: Parisien Christopher , Anderson Charles H. , Eliasmith Chris
Published: February 2008

In cortical neural networks, connections from a given neuron are either inhibitory or excitatory but not both. This constraint is often ignored by theoreticians who build models of these systems. There is currently no general solution to the problem of converting such unrealistic network models into biologically plausible models that respect this constraint. We demonstrate a constructive transformation of models that solves this problem for both feedforward and dynamic recurrent networks. The resulting models give a close approximation to the original network functions and temporal dynamics of the system, and they are biologically plausible. More precisely, we identify a general form for the solution to this problem. As a result, we also describe how the precise solution for a given cortical network can be determined empirically.
Generation of Nitrogen Oxide and Oxygen Radicals by Quantum Dots
Authors: Juzenas Petras , Generalov Roman , Juzeniene Asta , Moan Johan
Published: February 2008

So far most of the work on nanoparticles and quantum dots has been focused on methods of production and applications in fluorescence imaging. The possibility to use quantum dots as photosensitizers (nanosensitizers) remains unexplored: Can these nanocrystals generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) in biological environments? A potential possibility of using quantum dots simultaneously with red light for photodynamic therapy has been demonstrated in this study in aqueous solutions, cultured cells and skin of mice. Dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR) had been chosen as a radical probe. High production of Rh123 (oxidation product of DHR) confirms radical generation of nitrogen oxides (NOX). One of them, peroxynitrite (ONOO−), is a product of the reaction of nitric oxide (NO) with superoxide (O−2) being evidence for that the latter anion can also be generated by quantum dots and red light. Lack of photooxidation of 9,10-dimethylanthracene (DMA) and the Singlet Oxygen Sensor Green (SOSG) indicates that singlet oxygen may not be generated by quantum dots under the present conditions. Quantum dots can also be used in photochemical internalization: Exposure of cancer cells incubated with quantum dotsin vitroto blue light leads to lysosomal rupture and to increase of the fluorescence of the quantum dots (photoactivation). Quantum dots composed of CdSe with ZnS shell were more effective to oxidize DHR than quantum dots composed of non-heavy metals InGaP with ZnS shell.
Introduction
Authors: Jackson Jerlando F. L. , Moore James L.
Published: February 2008

This special theme issue, Beyond Brown: New Approaches to Addressing Inequities in Education for African American Males, addresses not only a major void in the research literature, but serves as a catalyst for better understanding the educational plight and its social implications for African American males throughout the United States. The editors of this special issue assembled some of America's best and brightest social scientists and researchers to examine the contemporary experiences of African American males in education, as well as to offer new approaches to addressing these educational and societal issues. To this end, the contributors were asked to use the monumental court decision as a point of departure and move beyond Brown to examine the constellation of variables that may explain the general condition for African American males in education.
Racial Homogenization and Stereotypes
Authors: Nunnally Shayla C.
Published: February 2008

Using data from an original survey with a localized convenience sample of Black college students, the 2004 Black American Socialization and Trust Survey (BASTS), this article examines whether Black American college students view other racial groups in stereotypic ways. Results of BASTS suggest that, despite some stereotypic views of racial groups, there is limited support for extreme subscription to either positive or negative stereotypes of racial groups. However, certain positive and negative stereotypes are more evident for specific racial groups. Respondents tend to think about Blacks, Asians, and Latinos in more positive ways than Whites and people in general.
Clustering of Adolescent Dating Violence, Peer Violence, and Suicidal Behavior
Authors: Bossarte Robert M. , Simon Thomas R. , Swahn Monica H.
Published: February 2008

To understand the co-occurrence of multiple types of violence, the authors developed a behavioral typology based on self-reports of suicidal behaviors, physical violence, and psychological abuse. Using a sample of dating adolescents from a high-risk school district, they identified five clusters of behaviors among the 1,653 students who reported being abusive or violent in the past year. Victimization and perpetration with same-sex peers and dating partners clustered together among the students who reported the highest levels of abusive ( n = 357) or violent behavior ( n = 146). These students also reported high levels of suicidal behavior. There were few significant demographic differences across clusters. The implications of the results for the need to design and evaluate efforts to prevent multiple types of violence are discussed.
ESL Placement and Schools
Authors: Callahan Rebecca , Wilkinson Lindsey , Muller Chandra , Frisco Michelle
Published: February 2008

In this study, the authors explore English as a Second Language (ESL) placement as a measure of how schools label and process immigrant students. Using propensity score matching and data from the Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement Study and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the authors estimate the effect of ESL placement on immigrant achievement. In schools with more immigrant students, the authors find that ESL placement results in higher levels of academic performance; in schools with few immigrant students, the effect reverses. This is not to suggest a one-size-fits-all policy; many immigrant students, regardless of school composition, generational status, or ESL placement, struggle to achieve at levels sufficient for acceptance to a 4-year university. This study offers several factors to be taken into consideration as schools develop policies and practices to provide immigrant students opportunities to learn.
Texas Police Chiefs' Attitudes Toward Gay and Lesbian Police Officers
Authors: Lyons Phillip M. , DeValve Michael J. , Garner Randall L.
Published: February 2008

Local police agencies throughout the State of Texas have moved increasingly toward more community-oriented approaches to policing. This philosophy embraces the ideas that (a) the police should reach out to communities they typically have excluded and (b) the police should include members of those communities among their ranks. Lesbians and gay men are an appropriate target of such outreach efforts. Although federal law enforcement agencies have banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in hiring law enforcement personnel, state and local agencies have been slow to follow suit. In the city of Houston, for example, the issue has been hotly contested in all branches of local government. This article reports the results of a survey of 95% of all police chiefs in the State of Texas. The survey was designed to assess police chiefs' attitudes toward hiring lesbian and gay police officers.
Fighting Cynicism
Authors: Björk Micael
Published: February 2008

In this article, the author presents some reflections regarding self-motivation among the Gothenburg Metropolitan Police in Sweden. In particular, the author concentrates on the management of ambivalence, that is, the ways in which gang unit officers resist becoming cynical, contemptuous, or even misanthropic. At the same time, it is important for police officers to also avoid becoming overly ambitious, too eager, or fervent in their daily routines. The techniques and mechanisms used in balancing cynicism and over-enthusiasm and in turn giving rise to a culture of reserve are examined in detail. Four perseverance strategies typical of this culture are identified as follows: lateral mobility, redeployment in less criminal areas, separation of concrete police work from grand theory, and adherence to a humanistic style of policing citizens.
Police Officers and Their Alcohol Consumption
Authors: Lindsay Vicki
Published: February 2008

Alcohol use by police officers in the United States is theorized to be double that of the general population, with 20% of those abusing alcohol. However, no known alcohol consumption study has been conducted within the United States. This study hoped to fill that void. Full time Mississippi officers from municipal, county, and state departments totaling 1,328, were asked to complete a 27-item questionnaire containing the World Health Organization's Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test instrument to determine alcohol use and risk. The researcher found no difference in use by Mississippi officers and the general public. Moreover, the researcher identified the officers most at risk for alcohol problems.
Making Rank
Authors: Archbold Carol A. , Schulz Dorothy Moses
Published: February 2008

This article expands on the discussion of female police officers' response to tokenism in the workplace, as well as how perceived token status affects female police officers' decisions to participate in promotion. Using structured, face-to-face interviews with female police officers in a large Midwestern police agency, the current study produced some research findings that contrast with Kanter's original description of tokenism. This study found that most female police officers were strongly encouraged by their male supervisors to participate in the promotion process. This encouragement by male police supervisors actually dissuaded some of the female officers from participating in the promotion process. These findings suggest that tokenism in the workplace is more complex than focusing solely on the numerical representation of women in traditionally male-dominated professions.
The evolutionary history of sharp- and blunt-snouted lenok (Brachymystax lenok (Pallas, 1773)) and its implications for the paleo-hydrological history of Siberia
Authors: Froufe Elsa , Alekseyev Sergey , Alexandrino Paulo , Weiss Steven
Published: February 2008

Background

Broad-scale phylogeographic studies of freshwater organisms provide not only an invaluable framework for understanding the evolutionary history of species, but also a genetic imprint of the paleo-hydrological dynamics stemming from climatic change. Few such studies have been carried out in Siberia, a vast region over which the extent of Pleistocene glaciation is still disputed. Brachymystax lenok is a salmonid fish distributed throughout Siberia, exhibiting two forms hypothesized to have undergone extensive range expansion, genetic exchange, and multiple speciation. A comprehensive phylogeographic investigation should clarify these hypotheses as well as provide insights on Siberia's paleo-hydrological stability.

Results

Molecular-sequence (mtDNA) based phylogenetic and morphological analysis of Brachymystax throughout Siberia support that sharp- and blunt-snouted lenok are independent evolutionary lineages, with the majority of their variation distributed among major river basins. Their evolutionary independence was further supported through the analysis of 11 microsatellite loci in three areas of sympatry, which revealed little to no evidence of introgression. Phylogeographic structure reflects climatic limitations, especially for blunt-snouted lenok above 56° N during one or more glacial maxima. Presumed glacial refugia as well as interbasin exchange were not congruent for the two lineages, perhaps reflecting differing dispersal abilities and response to climatic change. Inferred demographic expansions were dated earlier than the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Evidence for repeated trans-basin exchange was especially clear between the Amur and Lena catchments. Divergence of sharp-snouted lenok in the Selenga-Baikal catchment may correspond to the isolation of Lake Baikal in the mid-Pleistocene, while older isolation events are apparent for blunt-snouted lenok in the extreme east and sharp-snouted lenok in the extreme west of their respective distributions.

Conclusion

Sharp- and blunt-snouted lenok have apparently undergone a long, independent, and demographically dynamic evolutionary history in Siberia, supporting their recognition as two good biological species. Considering the timing and extent of expansions and trans-basin dispersal, it is doubtful that these historical dynamics could have been generated without major rearrangements in the paleo-hydrological network, stemming from the formation and melting of large-scale glacial complexes much older than the LGM.
Ku is involved in cell growth, DNA replication and G1-S transition
Authors: Rampakakis Emmanouil , Di Paola Domenic , Zannis-Hadjopoulos Maria
Published: February 2008

The Ku protein (Ku70-Ku80) is involved in various genome-maintenance processes such as DNA replication and repair, telomere maintenance, and chromosomal stability. We previously found that Ku80 is implicated in the loading of members of the pre-replicative complex (pre-RC) onto replication origins. Here, we report that acute reduction of Ku80 to 10% of its normal levels leads to impaired DNA replication and activation of a replication stress checkpoint. In the absence of Ku80, decreased levels of the initiator proteins Orc1 and Orc6 as well as reduced chromatin binding of Orc1, Orc4 and Cdc45 were observed, leading to decreased origin firing, whereas Orc2 and Orc3 were unaffected. Prolonged perturbation of DNA replication caused the block of cell-cycle progression in late G1 phase with low Cdk2 activity due to increased p21 expression and decreased Cdc25A and Cdk2 levels. The data suggest the interplay between the DNA-replication and cell-cycle machineries and shed light on a new role of Ku in G1-S transition.
Ectopic nuclear reorganisation driven by aHoxb1transgene transposed intoHoxd
Authors: Morey Céline , Da Silva Nelly R. , Kmita Marie , Duboule Denis , Bickmore Wendy A.
Published: February 2008

The extent to which the nuclear organisation of a gene impacts on its ability to be expressed, or whether nuclear organisation merely reflects gene expression states, remains an important but unresolved issue. A model system that has been instrumental in investigating this question utilises the murine Hox gene clusters encoding homeobox-containing proteins. Nuclear reorganisation and chromatin decondensation, initiated towards the 3′ end of the clusters, accompanies activation of Hox genes in both differentiation and development, and might be linked to mechanisms underlying colinearity. To investigate this, and to delineate the cis-acting elements involved, here we analyse the nuclear behaviour of a 3′ Hoxb1 transgene transposed to the 5′ end of the Hoxd cluster. We show that this transgene contains the cis-acting elements sufficient to initiate ectopic local nuclear reorganisation and chromatin decondensation and to break Hoxd colinearity in the primitive streak region of the early embryo. Significantly, in rhombomere 4, the transgene is able to induce attenuated nuclear reorganisation and decondensation of Hoxd even though there is no detectable expression of the transgene at this site. This shows that reorganisation of chromosome territories and chromatin decondensation can be uncoupled from transcription itself and suggests that they can therefore operate upstream of gene expression.
A new technique for reconstruction of the proximal humerus after three- and four-part fractures
Authors: Sosna A. , Pokorny D. , Hromádka R. , Jahoda D. , Barták V. , Pinskerová V.
Published: February 2008

The results of proximal humeral replacement following trauma are substantially worse than for osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. The stable reattachment of the lesser and greater tuberosity fragments to the rotator cuff and the restoration of shoulder biomechanics are difficult. In 1992 we developed a prosthesis designed to improve fixation of the tuberosity fragments in comminuted fractures of the proximal humerus. The implant enables fixation of the fragments to the shaft of the prosthesis and the diaphyseal fragment using screws, washers and a special toothed plate. Between 1992 and 2003 we used this technique in 50 of 76 patients referred to our institution for shoulder reconstruction after trauma. In the remaining 26, reconstruction with a prosthesis and nonabsorbable sutures was performed, as the tuberosity fragments were too small and too severely damaged to allow the use of screws and the toothed plate.

The Constant score two years post-operatively was a mean of 12 points better in the acute trauma group and 11 points better in the late post-traumatic group than in the classical suture group.

We recommend this technique in patients where the tuberosity fragments are large enough to allow fixation with screws, washers and a toothed plate.
Diagnosis of peri-prosthetic infection at the hip using triple-phase bone scintigraphy
Authors: Nagoya S. , Kaya M. , Sasaki M. , Tateda K. , Yamashita T.
Published: February 2008

We evaluated triple-phase bone scintigraphy in the differential diagnosis of peri-prosthetic infection in 46 patients with a total hip replacement or bipolar hemiarthroplasty who were due for revision surgery. There were 18 men and 28 women, with a mean age at operation of 64.6 years (28 to 81). We defined peri-prosthetic infection as an increased uptake of radioisotope in all the phases of triple-phase bone scintigraphy and validated these results against the histological and/or microbiology results in every case.

The positive and negative predictive values for the presence of infection were 83% and 93%, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity was 88% and the specificity was 90%.

This study indicates that triple-phase bone scintigraphy is a useful tool in the detection of peri-prosthetic infection and offers a cost-effective method of screening.