bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption and coronary heart disease in France and Northern Ireland: the PRIME study
Authors: Dauchet Luc , Ferrières Jean , Arveiler Dominique , Yarnell John W. , Gey Fred , Ducimetière Pierre , Ruidavets Jean-Bernard , Haas Bernadette , Evans Alun , Bingham Annie , Amouyel Philippe , Dallongeville Jean
Published: December 2004

Fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with low CHD risk in the USA and Northern Europe. There is, in contrast, little information about these associations in other regions of Europe. The goal of the present study was to assess the relationship between frequency of fruit and vegetable intake and CHD risk in two European populations with contrasting cardiovascular incidence rates; France and Northern Ireland. The present prospective study was in men aged 50–59 years, free of CHD, who were recruited in France (n 5982) and Northern Ireland (n 2105). Fruit and vegetable intake was assessed by a food-frequency questionnaire. Incident cases of acute coronary events and angina were recorded over a 5-year follow-up. During follow-up there was a total of 249 ischaemic events. After adjustment on education level, smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption, employment status, BMI, blood pressure, serum total and HDL-cholesterol, the relative risks (RR) of acute coronary events were 0·67 (95% CI 0·44, 1·03) and 0·64 (95% CI 0·41, 0·99) in the 2nd and 3rd tertiles of citrus fruit consumption, respectively (P for trend <0·03). Similar results were observed in France and Northern Ireland. In contrast, the RR of acute coronary events for ‘other fruit’ consumption were 0·70 (95% CI 0·31, 1·56) and 0·52 (95% CI 0·24, 1·14) respectively in Northern Ireland (trend P<0·05) and 1·29 (95% CI 0·69, 2·4) and 1·15 (95% CI 0·68, 1·94) in France (trend P=0·5; interaction P<0·04). There was no evidence for any association between vegetable intake and total CHD events. In conclusion, frequency of citrus fruit, but not other fruits, intake is associated with lower rates of acute coronary events in both France and Northern Ireland, suggesting that geographical or related factors might affect the relationship between fruit consumption and CHD risk.
The effects of probiotics on colon cancer development
Authors: Rafter Joseph
Published: December 2004

While several effects beneficial to health have been attributed to the probiotic lactic acid bacteria, perhaps the most interesting and controversial remains that of anti-cancer activity. The vast majority of studies in this area deal with protective effects against colon cancer. There is no direct experimental evidence for cancer suppression in human subjects as a result of the consumption of probiotic cultures in fermented or unfermented dairy products. However, there is a wealth of indirect evidence, based largely on laboratory studies. Reports in the literature, regarding the anti-cancer effects of lactic acid bacteria, fall into the following categories:in vitrostudies, animal studies, epidemiological studies and human dietary intervention studies. Examples of these reports will be given in the present review. The mechanisms by which probiotic bacteria may inhibit colon cancer are still poorly understood. However, several potential mechanisms are being discussed in the literature and these will also be addressed in the present review.
n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids throughout the cancer trajectory: influence on disease incidence, progression, response to therapy and cancer-associated cachexia
Authors: Baracos Vickie E. , Mazurak Vera C. , Ma David W. L.
Published: December 2004

Evidence from epidemiological studies suggests that diets rich inn-3 PUFA may be associated with reduced cancer risk. These observations have formed the rationale for exploring the mechanisms by whichn-3 PUFA may be chemoprotective and have resulted in significant advances in our mechanistic understanding ofn-3 PUFA action on tumour growth. Various interrelated and integrated mechanisms may be at work by whichn-3 PUFA influence cancer at all stages of initiation, promotion, progression, and neoplastic transformation. More recently, experimental studies have reported enhanced tumour cell death with chemotherapy when fish oil is provided while toxic side effects to the host are reduced. Furthermore, cancer-associated wasting has been shown to be attenuated by fish oil supplementation. Clinical evidence suggests that then-3 PUFA status of newly diagnosed cancer patients and individuals undergoing chemotherapy is low. Therefore, both the disease itself and therapeutic treatments may be contributing factors in the decline ofn-3 PUFA status. Dietary supplementation to maintain and replenishn-3 PUFA status at key points in the cancer disease trajectory may provide additional health benefits and an enhanced quality of life. The present review will focus on and critically examine current research efforts related to the putative anti-cancer effects ofn-3 PUFA and their suggested ability to palliate cancer-associated and treatment-associated symptoms.
The essentiality of sulfur is closely related to nitrogen metabolism: a clue to hyperhomocysteinaemia
Authors: Ingenbleek Yves , Young Vernon R
Published: December 2004

N and S metabolisms are closely interwoven throughout both the plant and animal kingdoms. The essentiality of S relates to its participation in the structure of S-containing amino acids (SAA), to its inclusion in many sulfonated molecules, and to a myriad of metabolic and catalytic reactions of vital importance. Methionine (Met) is the indispensable SAA supplied by food proteins and its plasma homeostasis is achieved via a number of highly efficient regulatory mechanisms. In all conditions characterised by a negative body protein balance such as in dietary restriction or cytokine-induced hypercatabolic losses, N and S endogenous pools manifest parallel tissue depletion rates. Adaptive conservation of N and S body stores is reached by a functional restraint of the trans-sulfuration cascade, through the depression of cystathionine β-synthase activity. As a result, upstream accumulation of homocysteine favours its re-methylation conversion to Met which helps maintain metabolic pathways of survival value. In addition to the measurement of vitamin indices, that of plasma transthyretin, a sensitive marker of protein nutritional status, is proposed to identify the fluctuations of the total body N component accountable for the alterations of homocysteine concentrations in body fluids.
Incredible journey: how do developmental signals travel through tissue?
Authors: Zhu Alan Jian , Scott Matthew P.
Published: December 2004

How developmental signaling proteins traverse tissue during animal development, through or around tightly packed cells, remains an incompletely resolved mystery. Signaling protein movement is regulated to create gradients, control amounts, impose barriers, or provide direction. Signaling can be controlled by the rate of signal production, modification, active transport, trapping along the path, or by the properties of the receptor apparatus. Signals may move by diffusion outside cells, attached to migrating cells, attached to carrier molecules, through cells by transcytosis, along cell extensions, or in released membrane packets. Recent findings about the movement of Hedgehog, Wingless (Wnt), and TGF-β signaling proteins have helped to clarify the molecular mechanisms used to ensure that developmental signals carry only good news.
Coordination of replication and transcription along a Drosophila chromosome
Authors: MacAlpine David M. , Rodríguez Heather K. , Bell Stephen P.
Published: December 2004

The mechanisms by which metazoan origins of DNA replication are defined, regulated, and influenced by chromosomal events remain poorly understood. To gain insights into these mechanisms, we developed a systematic approach using a Drosophila high-resolution genomic microarray to determine replication timing, identify replication origins, and map protein-binding sites along a chromosome arm. We identify a defined temporal pattern of replication that correlates with the density of active transcription. These data indicate that the influence of transcription status on replication timing is exerted over large domains (>100 kb) rather than at the level of individual genes. We identify 62 early activating replication origins across the chromosome by mapping sites of nucleotide incorporation during hydroxyurea arrest. Using genome-wide location analysis, we demonstrate that the origin recognition complex (ORC) is localized to specific chromosomal sites, many of which coincide with early activating origins. The molecular attributes of ORC-binding sites include increased AT-content and association with a subset of RNA Pol II-binding sites. Based on these findings, we suggest that the distribution of transcription along the chromosome acts locally to influence origin selection and globally to regulate origin activation.
Cyclooxygenase‐2 expression in primary Merkel cell carcinoma
Authors: Koljonen Virve , Lassus Patrik , Tukiainen Erkki , Ristimäki Ari , Haglund Caj , Böhling Tom
Published: December 2004

Background:  Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a highly malignant neuroendocrine skin tumor. The typical course of MCC is rapid progression of the primary tumor and metastatic dissemination to the regional lymph nodes. Thus far, no biological, prognostic marker has been established for this aggressive neoplasm.

Cyclooxygenase‐2 (Cox‐2) is undetectable in most normal tissues, but it is induced in various cell types by inflammation and carcinogenesis. Although the expression and function of Cox‐2 have been studied extensively in several carcinomas, little is known about Cox‐2 expression in neuroendocrine carcinomas. The aim of the present report was to study Cox‐2 expression in MCC and find out whether this expression correlates with outcome.

Methods:  Immunohistochemical analysis for Cox‐2 was performed on 22 primary MCC samples.

Results:  Almost 70% of the samples showed positive staining. Protein expression of Cox‐2 was sparse and low in intensity. We found a tendency for enhanced Cox‐2 expression in tumors located in sun‐exposed areas. Cox‐2 expression had no significant statistical correlation with clinical parameters.

Conclusions:  MCC expresses Cox‐2 in low levels, and the expression did not prove to be a prognostic factor. Furthermore, the low expression suggests that the primary treatment option for MCC is not therapeutic inhibition of Cox‐2.
Spiradenocylindrocarcinoma: a malignant hybrid tumor
Authors: Carlsten James R. , Lewis Michelle D. J. , Saddler Kirk , Reilly Peter , Pan Teddy , Gnepp Douglas R. , Robinson‐Bostom Leslie
Published: December 2004

Background:  Eccrine spiradenomas and cylindromas are benign, slowly growing, cutaneous adnexal neoplasms, recently hypothesized to arise from a common pluripotential cell; malignant variants are rare. We found 48 cases of malignant spiradenomas and 33 cases of malignant cylindromas reported in the English literature. Benign tumors demonstrating both spiradenomatous and cylindromatous features have been infrequently reported. Recent immunohistochemical studies of these two tumors have provided compelling evidence that these two tumors may merely represent a single tumor type with a spectrum of histological features.

Case report:  We describe two cases of a malignant variant of this rare hybrid tumor occurring in a 62‐year‐old male and a 72‐year‐old female.

Conclusion:  We propose the term ‘spiradenocylindrocarcinoma’ to describe malignant tumors with features of both a spiradenoma and a cylindroma. In conjunction with histological features of malignancy, p53 and Ki‐67 immunohistochemical staining may provide helpful clues in determining the malignant potential of this tumor. Further studies are needed to clarify the biologic behavior of such lesions.
Osseous metaplasia in the setting of nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy
Authors: Ruiz‐Genao Diana P. , Pascual‐Lopez Marta P. , Fraga Savier , Aragüés Maximiliano , Garcia‐Diez Amaro
Published: December 2004

Background:  Nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NFD) is a new skin‐fibrosing disorder associated with renal dysfunction. It is marked by the acute onset of induration involving the upper and lower limbs, and it is characterized by distinctive histopathologic findings.

Methods:  We report the case of a patient on hemodialysis who presented initially with the characteristic clinical and pathological features of NFD. The patient progressively developed painful hyperkeratotic spicules on both thighs and bone metaplasia was confirmed.

Results:  Histological studies were performed at different stages of the disease showing an evolution from the well‐known initial phase of NFD, characterized by thickening of the dermis, increased number of fibroblast‐like cells, and mucin deposits, to an end stage characterized by the presence of dermal ossification.

Conclusions:  We report the exceptional finding of bone metaplasia in the setting of a case of NFD.
Choosing How to Choose: Institutional Pressures Affecting the Adoption of Personnel Selection Procedures
Authors: Klehe Ute‐Christine
Published: December 2004

The gap between science and practice in personnel selection is an ongoing concern of human resource management. This paper takes Oliver's framework of organizations' strategic responses to institutional pressures as a basis for outlining the diverse economic and social demands that facilitate or inhibit the application of scientifically recommended selection procedures. Faced with a complex network of multiple requirements, practitioners make more diverse choices in response to any of these pressures than has previously been acknowledged in the scientific literature. Implications for the science‐practitioner gap are discussed.
“Dark Side” Personality Styles as Predictors of Task, Contextual, and Job Performance
Authors: Moscoso Silvia , Salgado Jesús F.
Published: December 2004

Many meta‐analyses and hundreds of primary studies have been carried out on the criterion‐oriented validity of personality measures for predicting job performance. The Five‐Factor Model of personality has been used as a frame for analyzing the empirical evidence. However, the research in industrial, work and organizational psychology has not examined the relationship between the dysfunctional tendencies of personality and the personality disorders as described in DSM‐IV (Axis II) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and job performance. The present paper examines the relationship between job performance and the dysfunctional personality styles included in a non‐clinical personality inventory developed to assess personality tendencies related to the dysfunctional (normal) personality styles and the personality disorders in work settings. This inventory assesses 14 dysfunctional personality styles and was given to a sample of 85 applicants. The job performance was rated by the direct supervisor 8 months later, and three measures were obtained: task performance, contextual performance, and overall job performance. The results showed that the seven dysfunctional personality styles (suspicious, shy, sad, pessimistic, sufferer, eccentric, and risky) predicted the three measures of job performance. The egocentric personality style negatively predicted contextual performance. Finally, the submitted style predicted task performance. With the exception of the risky personality style, the rest of the styles mainly consisted of Neuroticism. Implications for the research and practice of personnel selection are discussed.
Measuring the moment of inertia of the human body by a rotating platform method
Authors: Griffiths I. W. , Watkins J. , Sharpe D.
Published: December 2004

An apparatus has been constructed for the demonstration and measurement of the moment of inertia of a human body. The apparatus consists of a turntable that is free to rotate under the action of a falling weight. The mechanical features of the apparatus are presented together with a theoretical model of its operation. The apparatus has been used to measure the moment of inertia of the human body in a number of different positions using motion-analysis video equipment to measure the rotational speed of the turntable continuously.
The maser as a reversible heat engine
Authors: Opatrný Tomáš
Published: December 2004

In a maser, a state selector sends excited molecules or atoms to a resonant cavity, while ground-level particles are not allowed to enter the resonator. The excited particles radiate their energy in the form of coherent electromagnetic oscillation. In this way the thermal energy of the atoms is transformed into useful work. Is this transformation equivalent to the Maxwell demon violating the second law? We explain the thermodynamics of an idealized maser system which works as a reversible heat engine and show how the second law reveals its validity during the conversion of heat into coherent radiation and mechanical work. We discuss different working regimes of the system. In particular, the ideal engine can either work with two heat reservoirs and convert heat into maser radiation with the Carnot efficiency, or, if working with a single heat reservoir, the engine can convert mechanical work entirely into maser radiation.
luxR
Homolog
avhR
in
Agrobacterium vitis
Affects the Development of a Grape-Specific Necrosis and a Tobacco Hypersensitive Response
Authors: Hao Guixia , Zhang Hongsheng , Zheng Desen , Burr Thomas J.
Published: December 2004

The
luxR
homolog
aviR
in
Agrobacterium vitis
strain F2/5 was recently shown to be associated with induction of a hypersensitive response (HR) on tobacco and necrosis on grape plants, indicating that the responses are regulated by quorum sensing. We now report a second
luxR
homolog,
avhR
, whose disruption (mutant M1320) results in HR-negative and reduced grape necrosis phenotypes. The deduced AvhR protein has characteristic autoinducer binding and DNA binding domains and is unique among reported functional LuxR homologs in having substitutions at highly conserved Asp70, Trp57, and Trp85 residues, which are predicted to play important roles in autoinducer binding in TraR. M1320 was fully complemented with cloned
avhR
. The same array of
N
-acylhomoserine lactones (AHL) from F2/5, M1320, and complemented M1320 were observed; however, the signal strength from extracts of 6-day-old M1320 cultures was stronger than that of F2/5. Cultures of F2/5 amended with AHL extracts from overnight and 6-day cultures of F2/5 and M1320 were not affected in ability to cause HR or necrosis. A region of about 14 kb flanking
avhR
was sequenced and compared with homologous regions of
A. tumefaciens
C58 and
Sinorhizobium meliloti
Rm1021 genomes. Gene order and homology are conserved between the species. A site-directed mutation in a putative gene that resides downstream of
avhR
and that has homology to genes belonging to the ATP-binding cassette transporter family did not affect HR or necrosis phenotypes. It was determined that
avhR
and
aviR
are expressed independently and that neither regulates the expression of a
clpA
homolog in F2/5.
Identification of Two New Genes Involved in Diazotrophic Growth via the Alternative Fe-Only Nitrogenase in the Phototrophic Purple Bacterium
Rhodobacter capsulatus
Authors: Sicking Christa , Brusch Margit , Lindackers Andreas , Riedel Kai-Uwe , Schubert Britta , Isakovic Nazila , Krall Christiane , Klipp Werner , Drepper Thomas , Schneider Klaus , Masepohl Bernd
Published: December 2004

Growth of
Rhodobacter capsulatus
with molecular dinitrogen as the sole N source via the alternative Fe-only nitrogenase requires all seven gene products of the
anfHDGK
-
1
-
2
-
3
operon. In contrast to mutant strains carrying lesions in the structural genes of nitrogenase (
anfH
,
anfD
,
anfG
, and
anfK
), strains defective for either
anf1
,
anf2
, or
anf3
are still able to reduce the artificial substrate acetylene, although with diminished activity. To obtain further information on the role of Anf1, we screened an
R. capsulatus
genomic library designed for use in yeast two-hybrid studies with Anf1 as bait. Two genes, which we propose to call
ranR
and
ranT
(for genes related to alternative nitrogenase), coding for products that interact with Anf1 were identified. A
ranR
mutant exhibited a phenotype similar to that of an
anf1
mutant strain (no growth with N
2
in the absence of molybdenum, but significant reduction of acetylene via the Fe-only nitrogenase), whereas a
ranT
mutant retained the ability to grow diazotrophically, but growth was clearly delayed compared to the parental strain. In contrast to the situation for
anf1
, expression of neither
ranR
nor
ranT
was regulated by ammonium or molybdenum. A putative role for Anf1, RanR, and RanT in the acquisition and/or processing of iron in connection with the Fe-only nitrogenase system is discussed.
Reevaluation of amino acid stimulation of protein synthesis in murine- and human-derived skeletal muscle cells assessed by independent techniques
Authors: Iresjö Britt-Marie , Svanberg Elisabeth , Lundholm Kent
Published: December 2004

Murine L6 and human rhabdomyosarcoma cells were cultured standardized in low (0.28 mM) and normal (9 mM) amino acid (AA) concentrations to reevaluate by independent methods to what extent AA activate initiation of protein synthesis. Methods used were incorporation of radioactive AA into proteins, distribution analysis of RNA in density gradient, and Western blots on initiation factors of translation of proteins in cultured cells as well as in vivo (gastrocnemius, C57Bl mice) during starvation/refeeding. Incorporation rate of AA gave incorrect results in a variety of conditions, where phenylalanine stimulated the incorporation rate of phenylalanine into proteins, but not of tyrosine, and tyrosine stimulated incorporation of tyrosine but not of phenylalanine. Similar problems were observed when [35S]methionine was used for labeling of fractionated cellular proteins. However, the methods entirely independent of labeled AA incorporation indicated that essential AA activate initiation of translation, whereas nonessential AA did not. Branched-chain AA and glutamine, in combination with some other AA, also stimulated initiation of translation. Starvation/refeeding in vitro agreed qualitatively with results in vivo evaluated by initiation factors. Insulin at physiological concentrations (100 μM/ml) did not stimulate global protein synthesis at low or normal AA concentrations but did so at supraphysiological levels (3 mU/ml), confirmed by independent methods. Our results reemphasize that labeled AA should be used with caution for quantification of protein synthesis, since the precursor pool(s) for protein synthesis is not in complete equilibrium with surrounding AA. “Flooding” tracee experiments did not overcome this problem.
Angiotensin II Ca2+signaling in rat afferent arterioles: stimulation of cyclic ADP ribose and IP3pathways
Authors: Fellner Susan K. , Arendshorst William J.
Published: December 2004

ANG II induces a rise in cytosolic Ca2+([Ca2+]i) in vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells via inositol trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) activation and release of Ca2+from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The Ca2+signal is augmented by calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) and by cyclic adeninediphosphate ribose (cADPR), which sensitizes the ryanodine-sensitive receptor (RyR) to Ca2+to further amplify CICR. cADPR is synthesized from β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) by a membrane-bound bifunctional enzyme, ADPR cyclase. To investigate the possibility that ANG II activates the ADPR cyclase of afferent arterioles, we used inhibitors of the IP3R, RyR, and ADPR cyclase. Afferent arterioles were isolated from rat kidney with the magnetized microsphere and sieving technique and loaded with fura-2 to measure [Ca2+]i. In Ca2+-containing buffer, ANG II increased [Ca2+]iby 125 ± 10 nM. In the presence of the IP3R antagonists TMB-8 and 2-APB, the peak responses to ANG II were reduced by 74 and 81%, respectively. The specific antagonist of cADPR 8-Br ADPR and a high concentration of ryanodine (100 μM) inhibited the ANG II-induced increases in [Ca2+]iby 75 and 69%, respectively. Nicotinamide and Zn2+are known inhibitors of the VSM ADPR cyclase. Nicotinamide diminished the [Ca2+]iresponse to ANG II by 66%. In calcium-free buffer, Zn2+reduced the ANG II response by 68%. Simultaneous blockade of the IP3and cADPR pathways diminished the [Ca2+]iresponse to ANG II by 83%. We conclude that ANG II initiates Ca2+mobilization from the SR in afferent arterioles via the classic IP3R pathway and that ANG II may lead to activation of the ADPR cyclase to form cADPR, which, via its action on the RyR, substantially augments the Ca2+response.
A Study on the Outline History of the Household Responsibility System in Rural China Since 1949: The Organizations, Institutions, and Their Changes
Authors: Kaiwen Feng
Published: December 2004

The Household Responsibility System has been accepted as the basic institution in rural China since the 1980's and some researchers have proved it more efficient compared with that of the People's Commune System. Unfortunately, few researchers paid attention to the institutional changes that happened before the People's Commune and fewer researchers tried to find the relationship between the Household Responsibility System and the problems that have emerged in recent years. To grasp the whole picture of rural economic institutional changes in China, this paper will focus on the history of the Household Responsibility System before the People's Commune and after the 1980's, and the study tries to prove that: (1) a public property right really needs an appropriate mechanism institution to enforce and fulfill its efficiency, (2) the China Rural Reform based on the Household Responsibility System is the deep-laid reason of the problems which have emerged recently,
Exploring Protest Participation in India: Evidence from the 1996 World Values Survey
Authors: Spehr Scott , Dutt Nitish
Published: December 2004

This paper presents evidence from survey data related to the extent, nature and source of protest participation in India. We examine three models of such activity extensively employed in a western context – the alienation, resource and mobilization models. While we find some evidence for their general applicability, especially in regard to mobilization, many of the most central explanatory variables associated with these models – age, education, urban/rural residence, political trust, acceptance of the present political system, confidence in political institutions and to a lesser extent, gender, reveal associations with protest that are contrary to theoretical expectations. This suggests the necessity for modifying existing theories of unconventional political participation when and if employed in a non-western setting.
When the Television Is Always On
Authors: Vandewater Elizabeth A. , Bickham David S. , Lee June H. , Cummings Hope M. , Wartella Ellen A. , Rideout Victoria J.
Published: December 2004

In American homes, the television is on approximately 6 hours a day on average. Yet little is known about the impact of growing up in the near constant presence of television. This study examines the prevalence and developmental impact of “heavy-television” households on very young children aged 0 to 6 drawn from a nationally representative sample (N = 756). Thirty-five percent of the children lived in a home where the television is on “always” or “most of the time,” even if no one is watching. Regardless of their age, children from heavy-television households watched more television and read less than other children. Furthermore, children exposed to constant television were less likely to be able to read than other children.
“No—You Can’t Watch That”
Authors: Vandewater Elizabeth A. , Park Seoung-Eun , Huang Xuan , Wartella Ellen A.
Published: December 2004

This study addresses the relations between parental rules regarding television use (for time and program, respectively) and television use among very young children (ages 0 to 6). Higher education level was related to rules of both types, whereas higher household income was related to having program rules. Parents with time rules reported their children watching less television, but parents with program rules reported their children watching more television. Parents with program rules were more likely to have positive attitudes toward television and more likely to be present when their children were viewing. Parents with both types of rules were more likely to see their children imitating positive behaviors from television, whereas parents with program rules were more likely to see their children imitating negative behaviors. Exploratory path models suggest that the processes by which television time rules and television program rules are related to young children’s viewing differ in important ways.
Television and Very Young Children
Authors: Anderson Daniel R. , Pempek Tiffany A.
Published: December 2004

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that children younger than 24 months of age not be exposed to television. Nevertheless, television programs and home videos are increasingly produced for very young children. This article reviews the extant research concerning television and very young children with respect to the AAP recommendation. More very young children are currently watching television than in the recent past; they pay substantial attention to TV programs and videos made for them. When learning from videos is assessed in comparison to equivalent live presentations, there is usually substantially less learning from videos. Although one study finds positive associations of language learning with exposure to some children’s TV programs, other studies find negative associations of viewing with language, cognitive, and attentional development. Background TV is also a disruptive influence. Evidence thus far indicates that the AAP recommendation is well taken, although considerably more research is needed.
Demographic Predictors of Media Use Among Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
Authors: Anand Sowmya , Krosnick Jon A.
Published: December 2004

A great deal of research during the past four decades has explored the effects of media use on children, but remarkably little work has explored the factors that determine how much time a child spends interacting with various media. This article does so with a focus on very young children, ages 6 months to 6 years, and on demographic predictors of media use. Using data from a large-scale national survey sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the authors conducted multiple regressions predicting time spent watching television, watching videos/DVDs, reading, playing video games, and using computers. Child’s age, race, parents’ education, and parents’ marital status had significant effects across most types of media use, whereas child’s gender, birth order, languages spoken at home, parents’ employment status, and parents’ age had only occasional, isolated effects. Family income had no impact at all. Findings suggest various intriguing hypotheses about the processes that might explain the relations observed, thereby setting the stage for future research testing these possibilities.
Ethnicity, Goal Striving and Schizophrenia: A Case-Control Study of Three Ethnic Groups in the United Kingdom
Authors: Mallett Rosemarie , Leff Julian , Bhugra Dinesh , Takei Nori , Corridan Bryan
Published: December 2004

Background: The need to achieve is common to all societies, and failure to do so may have a highly detrimental psychological impact. For those on the margins of mainstream society, especially migrants or descendants of migrants, the impact of failed or poor achievements may increase their vulnerability to mental illness.

Aims: In a prospective study of schizophrenia in three ethnic groups (White, Indian and African-Caribbean) we studied the impact of goal striving and investigated whether the gap between the poor achievement and the high aspirations of members of some minority ethnic groups was potentially a factor contributing to the development of the illness.

Methods: The patients and age- and sex-matched controls from their respective communities were asked to rate their perceived current levels of achievement and their past and future expectations in five domains - social standing, housing, education, employment and financial status on a 10-point scale.

Results: The control subjects from the three ethnic groups scored similarly in most areas, supporting the validity of inter-ethnic comparisons. The gap between achievement and expectations did not appear to cause high disappointment levels in any group, and in fact only in the domain of housing did the African-Caribbean patients assess their current achievement as being significantly lower than that of their matched controls.

Conclusions: Poor housing conditions may be one of the risk factors contributing to the high incidence of schizophrenia in African-Caribbeans.
Beliefs of Psychiatric Nurses about Schizophrenia: A Comparison with Patients’ Relatives and Psychiatrists
Authors: Magliano Lorenza , De Rosa Corrado , FIORILLO Andrea , Malangone Claudio , Guarneri Manuela , Marasco Cecilia , Maj Mario ,   The Working Group of the Italian National Study on Families of Persons with Schizophrenia
Published: December 2004

Background: What patients’ relatives and health professionals think about causes, treatments and psychosocial consequences of schizophrenia can influence its detection and outcome.

Aims: To compare the beliefs about schizophrenia in 190 nurses, 110 psychiatrists and 709 relatives of patients with this mental disorder, recruited in 30 randomly selected mental health centres.

Methods: In each centre, the key-relatives of the first consecutive 25 subjects with schizophrenia, and the nurses and psychiatrists who had been working in the service for at least one year, were asked to complete the Questionnaire on the Opinions about Mental Illness (QO).

Results: The factors most frequently mentioned by psychiatrists and nurses among the causes of schizophrenia were heredity, stress and family conflicts, while those most frequently mentioned by relatives were stress, traumas and love breakdown. Nurses had opinions: (a) similar to those expressed by psychiatrists concerning patients’ ability to work equally as other people, and patients’ punishability in case of illegal acts; (b) similar to those expressed by relatives about patients’ unpredictability and political rights; (c) significantly different from the other two samples as concerns recognition of patients’ affective rights.

Conclusions: Family psychoeducational interventions and nurses’ training should address not only clinical aspects but also disability and psychosocial consequences of schizophrenia.
Coping with Infertility among Kuwaiti Women: Cultural Perspectives
Authors: Fido Abdullahi , Zahid Muhammad Ajmal
Published: December 2004

Backgrounds: Although previous studies conducted in western countries have reported that psychological factors are part of the experience of infertility, no study has assessed this relationship in Arab women.

Aims: To examine psychological distress among Kuwaiti women with infertility problems and explore the perceived causes of infertility.

Methods: An Arabic version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to examine the psychological status of 120 Kuwaiti infertile women and an age-matched sample of 125 healthy pregnant women as a control group.

Results: Compared with age-matched pregnant control sample. The infertile women exhibited a significant higher psychopathology in all HADS parameters in the form of tension, hostility, anxiety, depression, self-blame and suicidal ideation. The illiterate group attributed the causes of their infertility to supernatural causes such as evil spirits, witchcraft and God’s retribution, while the educated group blamed nutritional, marital and psychosexual factors for their infertility. Faith and traditional healers were considered as the first treatment choice among illiterate women, while the educated women opted for an infertility clinic for treatment. Childlessness results in social stigmatization for infertile women and places them at risk of serious social and emotional consequences.

Conclusions: The prevalence and severity of psychological distress in this sample of infertile Kuwaiti women indicates the appropriateness of referring these patients for psychological evaluation. Successful programmes in dealing with infertility in Kuwait need to include the establishment of a community based intervention strategy to educate people about infertility and to give guidelines for treatment options.
Between Messages and People
Authors: Southwell Brian G.
Published: December 2004

Multilevel approaches provide a powerful way to assess simultaneously the contribution of message differences and individual differences to prediction of memory for media content. Many questions about memory legitimately invite investigation of not only factors that describe people but also variables describing messages as well as potential interactions between those two levels. This article introduces an example of how multilevel modeling techniques can be applied to avoid basic pitfalls and to predict memory for electronic media content. Using data from a sample of U.S. adolescents and data regarding the content and prevalence of nationally available health campaign advertisements, this study illustrates main effects and cross-level interactions relevant to an array of communication scholars and professionals.
The Effect of HVA-2 Addition on the Properties of PP–EPDM–NR Ternary Blends
Authors: Halimatuddahliana H. Ismail , Akil H. Md.
Published: December 2004

The effect of N, N′-m-phenylenebismaleimide (HVA-2) addition on the properties of polypropylene (PP)–ethylene–propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM)–natural rubber (NR) ternary blends is investigated in this study. The blends have been prepared in a laboratory internal mixer at 180 C and a rotor speed of 50 rpm. Process development, mechanical properties, and thermal and morphological studies are carried out for both PP–EPDM–NR blends with and without HVA-2. Results indicate that the torque values, the stabilization torque, tensile strength, and tensile modulus increased with the addition of HVA-2 in the blends, whereas elongation at break showed an opposite trend. The addition of HVA-2 reveals a tendency for the percentage of crystallinity ( Xc) to increase, but no significant evidence is observed in the thermogravimetric analysis. Scanning electron microscopy studies indicate that the formation of crosslinks in the rubber phases is responsible for the properties enhancement of PP–EPDM–NR blends with HVA-2.
Fatigue Crack Propagation Analysis of Chemically Modified Crumb Rubber–Asphalt Mixtures
Authors: Mull Mary Ann , Othman Ayman , Mohammad Louay
Published: December 2004

The fatigue fracture behavior of three asphalt mixtures is studied using semicircular specimen geometry. These mixtures consist of a control, a crumb rubber (CR) modified asphalt mixture, and a chemically modified crumb rubber (CMCR)–asphalt mixture. The mixtures are designed to meet the Superpave PG grade as close as possible, and the two rubber mixtures contain the same weight percent of crumb rubber. The number of fatigue cycles and the hysteresis loops are recorded at various intervals of crack lengths. Three specimens are tested from each material under tension–tension load control conditions at a frequency of 0.5 Hz. The maximum and minimum fatigue loads are kept constant for the three asphalt mixtures. It has been found that the chemical modification of the crumb rubber effects a pronounced improvement in the fatigue lifetime, the energy release rate, and the crack speed over the entire range of energy release rate of the asphalt mixture in comparison with the control and the crumb rubber mixtures. Scanning electron microscopy of the fatigue fracture surfaces (ahead of the initial crack tip) of the three mixtures is performed to identify the fracture features of each mixture. Ridges with increased intensity and frequency are associated with the second stage of the fatigue process of the CMCR mixture. These ridges are formed due to microstretching of the binder, and appear to be responsible for the superior fatigue fracture resistance of the CMCR–asphalt mixtures in comparison with the control and the CR mixtures.
From child to musician: skill development during the beginning stages of learning an instrument
Authors: McPherson Gary E.
Published: December 2004

This article reports on a three-year longitudinal study with 157 children in school grades 3 and 4 (aged between 7 and 9 years), who commenced learning an instrument in one of eight school music programmes. The children were administered tests at the end of each school year to assess their abilities to perform rehearsed music, sight-read, play from memory, play by ear and improvise, and interviews were completed with the children’s mothers in order to calculate how much practice they had accumulated on their instrument. Data were also obtained to help clarify the quality of mental strategies the children adopted when performing. Findings extend previous research on skill acquisition by proposing that conceptions based on the amount of practice undertaken or that focus exclusively on children’s ability to reproduce rehearsed literature from notation are inadequate to understanding the early stages of instrumental development. It is proposed that a more coherent explanation comes from understanding the range of strategies children employ when performing and that the sophistication of children’s mental strategies provides an important means for understanding why some progress effortlessly in contrast to others who struggle and fail. Conclusions highlight the importance of helping students to develop a repertoire of task-appropriate strategies that will enable them to think musically when performing challenging tasks on their instrument.
Analysis and perception in post-tonal music: an example from Kurtág’s String Quartet Op. 1
Authors: Addessi Anna Rita , Caterina Roberto
Published: December 2004

In this study, two different types of analysis of a piece of post-tonal music (the fifth movement of the String Quartet Op.1 (1959) by G. Kurtág) are compared: an analysis performed by seven professional music analysts using the musical score, and a perceptual analysis carried out by two groups of subjects (18 musicians and 25 non-musicians) while listening in real time. Three possible macroforms proposed by the analysts were compared with those perceived by the listeners. The results show that the macroforms hypothesized by the analysts represented the basic framework for those perceived by the listeners; moreover, the musical competence possessed by the musicians who took part in the listening exercise does not, on the whole, appear to have affected the perception of the macroform of a post-tonal piece of music.
Thermoelastic-Plastic Stress Analysis in a Thermoplastic Composite Disc
Authors: Sayman O. , Yanginci S. , Sayer M.
Published: December 2004

In this study, an elastic-plastic stress analysis is carried out on a steel fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite disc under uniform thermal distribution. The composite disc is reinforced by steel fibers curvilinearly. Its mechanical properties are obtained by strain gauges and Instron test machine. The modulus of elasticity in the tangential direction is measured by fitting a solid disc to the composite disc, exactly. However, other material properties are found approximately. The material is assumed to be non work hardening. Stresses are determined for uniform temperature distribution. The magnitude of the tangential stress component in polar coordinates is the highest at the inner points of the disc. Plastic solution is performed numerically. Plastic region begins at the inner surface of the disc. The residual stress component of the tangential stress is the highest at the inner surface of the disc.
Smoke Filling Simulation in a Boarding–Arrival Passage of an Airport Terminal using Multicell Concept
Authors: Hu L. H. , Li Y. Z. , Huo R. , Wang H. B.
Published: December 2004

A multicell concept, which first divides the total space into subspaces and then uses the traditional two-layer zone model in each subspace, is performed in this paper to simulate the smoke filling process in a domestic boarding–arrival passage, with an aspect ratio of about 52.3, of an international airport terminal by using CFAST version 4.0.2. Results show that the impingement of ceiling jet upon the passage ends is a critical time for the evacuation of people near these ends. Some comparisons are also presented to show that more reasonable results about the smoke temperature field and the smoke layer interface height are achieved using this method than using the traditional two-layer zone model. Further, results through different subspace dividing technology and using FDS version 3.0, a CFD model, are also achieved and compared on simulating the smoke filling process in a simplified passage, for the purpose of studying the prediction of impingement time, the smoke temperature distribution, and the smoke layer interface height development pattern before and after the impingement. The limitations of this modeling technology and future research topics are also discussed.
Flame-retardant Mechanism Resulting from an Intumescent System
Authors: Wang Jincheng , Chen Yuehui
Published: December 2004

In this work, we studied the flame-retardant (FR) mechanism resulting from an intumescent phenomenon of the FR formulation: polyurethane polymer/ammonium polyphosphate/triazine carbonific (PU/APP/Carbonific). The FR properties (LOI and cone calorimeter) of the system were strongly improved in comparison with the PU and PU/APP systems. Characterization of the FR mechanism of the system PU/APP/Carbonific was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental analysis (ELA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR 13C) spectroscopy of the solid state. The study shows the formation of organic phosphocarbonaceous esters, aromatic materials, and triazine-containing chars, which participate in the improvement of the fire-retardant properties of the system.
Gender-Specific Services in the Juvenile Justice System: A Critical Examination
Authors: Goodkind Sara
Published: December 2004

This article reviews the literature on gender-specific services for girls in the juvenile justice system. Drawing on feminist theorizing, it offers four critiques: (a) that the increasing involvement of girls in the system is taken as a real indicator of greater crime and delinquency; (b) that an essentialized notion of gender is used; (c) that the problem is located in the individual, to the exclusion of solutions that focus on system/structural changes; and (d) that a focus on girls’ victimization obscures girls’ agency and perpetuates girls’ continued punishment for behaviors that are more acceptable among boys. The article concludes by proposing a framework for rethinking gender in the design and delivery of services within and outside the juvenile justice system.
Katherine Kendall: A Social Work Institution
Authors: Brandwein Ruth A.
Published: December 2004

Katherine Kendall has been one of the leaders in social work education and especially international social welfare for more than 50 years. She was a founder of the Council of Social Work Education and later became its Executive Director. She became the first salaried secretary-general of the International Association of Schools of Social Work in 1972. Now, older than 90 years, she is still active as a published author and is often an invited speaker at national and international conferences. Her early career and personal decisions reflect feminist values in the context of the Depression Era, World War II, and the postwar period. She is a powerful role model for women today and especially for active, positive aging.