bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“The Ball was Always in His Court”: An Exploratory Analysis of Relationship Scripts, Sexual Scripts, and Condom Use among African American Women
Authors: Bowleg Lisa , Lucas Kenya J. , Tschann Jeanne M.
Published: March 2004

This qualitative study explored the association between African American women's interpersonal relationship and sexual scripts and condom use with primary partners. Participants were 14 lower to middle-income women between the ages of 22 and 39 involved in emotionally and sexually intimate heterosexual relationships. Relationship types included those that were: stable, emotionally committed; casual, primarily sexual; and unstable, emotionally imbalanced and/or conflict-ridden. Respondents completed a semi-structured interview and a questionnaire about their relationships, sexual, and condom use behaviors. Data analyses identified 3 interpersonal relationship scripts (i.e., men control relationships, women sustain relationships, infidelity is normative) and 2 interpersonal sexual scripts (i.e., men control sexual activity; women want to use condoms, but men control condom use) that may indirectly or directly decrease African American women's condom use with primary partners, and in turn increase their HIV risk. We discuss these interpersonal scripts within the context of sociocultural factors relevant to African American women, heterosexual relationships, and communities.
Comparative effects of vasopressin, norepinephrine, and l-canavanine, a selective inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase, in endotoxic shock
Authors: Levy Bruno , Vallée Chantal , Lauzier Francois , Plante Gérard E. , Mansart Arnaud , Mallie Jean-Pierre , Lesur Olivier
Published: March 2004

Norepinephrine (NE), a standard of care, AVP, an alternative candidate, and l-canavanine (LC), a selective inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase, were compared for efficacy and innocuousness on global and regional hemodynamics, plasmatic and tissue lactate-to-pyruvate ratio (L/P), tissue high-energy phosphates, renal function, and tissue capillary permeability in a rat model of endotoxic normokinetic shock. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) decreased (∼35%) but aortic blood flow increased during endotoxin infusion ( P < 0.05 vs. control). Additionally, there was a decrease in mesenteric (MBF) and renal (RBF) blood flows along with regional-to-systemic ratio ( P < 0.05 vs. control). All tested drugs restored MAP to basal levels but slightly decreased abdominal aortic flow; however, RBF and MBF remained unchanged. Endotoxin significantly decreased diuresis and inulin clearance (∼3- to 4-fold), whereas AVP or LC attenuated this drop ( P < 0.05 vs. control). In contrast, NE did not improve endotoxin-induced renal dysfunction. Endotoxin induced gut and lung hyperpermeability ( P < 0.05 vs. control). Endotoxin-induced gut hyperpermeability was inhibited by AVP, LC, and NE. Endotoxin-induced lung hyperpermeability was further worsened by NE (∼2-fold increase) but not AVP infusion ( P < 0.05 vs. endotoxin). LC significantly improved endotoxin-induced pulmonary hyperpermeability. Endotoxin increased renal lactate and decreased renal ATP. NE did not change renal lactate or renal ATP. AVP and LC decreased renal lactate and normalized renal ATP. Finally, endotoxin was associated with increased lactate levels and L/P (∼2- and 1.5-fold increases vs. control, respectively), whereas AVP and LC, but not NE, normalized both parameters after endotoxin challenge. These results suggest that, in a short-term endotoxic shock model, AVP improves systemic hemodynamics without side effects and has particular beneficial effects on renal function.
Preserved flow-mediated dilation in the inactive legs of spinal cord-injured individuals
Authors: de Groot Patricia C. E. , Poelkens Fleur , Kooijman Miriam , Hopman Maria T. E.
Published: March 2004

The aim of the study was to assess endothelial function, measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD), in an inactive extremity (leg) and chronically active extremity (arm) within one subject. Eleven male spinal cord-injured (SCI) individuals and eleven male controls (C) were included. Echo Doppler measurements were performed to measure FMD responses after 10 and 5 min of arterial occlusion of the leg (superficial femoral artery, SFA) and the arm (brachial artery, BA), respectively. A nitroglycerine spray was administered to determine the endothelium independent vasodilatation in the SFA. In the SFA, relative changes in FMD were significantly enhanced in SCI compared with C (SCI: 14.1 ± 1.3%; C: 9.2 ± 2.3%), whereas no differences were found in the BA (SCI: 12.5 ± 2.9%; C: 14.2 ± 3.3%). Because the FMD response is directly proportional to the magnitude of the stimulus, the FMD response was also expressed relative to the shear rate. No differences between the groups were found for the FMD-to-shear rate ratio in the SFA (SCI:0.061 ± 0.023%/s−1; C: 0.049 ± 0.024%/s−1), whereas the FMD-to-shear rate ratio was significantly decreased in the BA of SCI individuals (SCI: 0.037 ± 0.01%/s−1; C: 0.061 ± 0.027%/s−1). The relative dilatory response to nitroglycerine did not differ between the groups. (SCI: 15.6 ± 2.0%; C: 13.4 ± 2.3%). In conclusion, our results indicate that SCI individuals have a preserved endothelial function in the inactive legs and possibly an attenuated endothelial function in the active arms compared with controls.
Effect of hydration status on thirst, drinking, and related hormonal responses during low-intensity exercise in the heat
Authors: Maresh C. M. , Gabaree-Boulant C. L. , Armstrong L. E. , Judelson D. A. , Hoffman J. R. , Castellani J. W. , Kenefick R. W. , Bergeron M. F. , Casa D. J.
Published: March 2004

During exercise-heat stress, ad libitum drinking frequently fails to match sweat output, resulting in deleterious changes in hormonal, circulatory, thermoregulatory, and psychological status. This condition, known as voluntary dehydration, is largely based on perceived thirst. To examine the role of preexercise dehydration on thirst and drinking during exercise-heat stress, 10 healthy men (21 ± 1 yr, 57 ± 1 ml·kg−1·min−1 maximal aerobic power) performed four randomized walking trials (90 min, 5.6 km/h, 5% grade) in the heat (33°C, 56% relative humidity). Trials differed in preexercise hydration status [euhydrated (Eu) or hypohydrated to −3.8 ± 0.2% baseline body weight (Hy)] and water intake during exercise [no water (NW) or water ad libitum (W)]. Blood samples taken preexercise and immediately postexercise were analyzed for hematocrit, hemoglobin, serum aldosterone, plasma osmolality (Posm), plasma vasopressin (PAVP), and plasma renin activity (PRA). Thirst was evaluated at similar times using a subjective nine-point scale. Subjects were thirstier before (6.65 ± 0.65) and drank more during Hy+W (1.65 ± 0.18 liters) than Eu+W (1.59 ± 0.41 and 0.31 ± 0.11 liters, respectively). Postexercise measures of Posm and PAVP were significantly greater during Hy+NW and plasma volume lower [Hy+NW = −5.5 ± 1.4% vs. Hy+W = +1.0 ± 2.5% ( P = 0.059), Eu+NW = −0.7 ± 0.6% ( P < 0.05), Eu+W = +0.5 ± 1.6% ( P < 0.05)] than all other trials. Except for thirst and drinking, however, no Hy+W values differed from Eu+NW or Eu+W values. In conclusion, dehydration preceding low-intensity exercise in the heat magnifies thirst-driven drinking during exercise-heat stress. Such changes result in similar fluid regulatory hormonal responses and comparable modifications in plasma volume regardless of preexercise hydration state.
Properties of an Adult Spinal Sensorimotor Circuit Shaped Through Early Postnatal Experience
Authors: Petersson Per , Granmo Marcus , Schouenborg Jens
Published: March 2004

During development, information about the three-dimensional shape and mechanical properties of the body is laid down in the synaptic connectivity of sensorimotor systems through adaptive mechanisms. This functional adaptation occurs through alteration of connection properties. Here, we characterize the differences between strong and weak connections in the nociceptive withdrawal reflex in adult decerebrate spinal rats, representing the preserved end product of the developmental adaptation process. Stronger excitatory reflex connections from the skin onto a muscle had relatively higher gain in their input-output relations, shorter onset latencies (up to ∼150 ms) and lower trial-to-trial variability in relation to response amplitude (SD ∼ mean1/2) than weaker pathways. Although inhibitory and excitatory nociceptive receptive fields of a muscle overlap to some degree, the results indicate that the inhibitory input is not a major determinant of the gain distribution within the excitatory receptive field and vice versa. The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, d-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (0.1–1 μg), applied topically on the spinal cord reduced the gain, whereas the response amplitude was mainly reduced by an absolute number by the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid receptor antagonist, 6-nitro-7-sulfamoylbenzo(f)quinoxaline-2,3-dione (1–10 μg). The results indicate that NMDA receptors have a critical role in gain regulation in the nociceptive withdrawal reflex system. It is suggested that after normal postnatal experience-dependent adaptation, the number of connections from a given skin site onto the reflex encoding interneurons is a major determinant of the difference in gain.
Grazing incidence in-plane X-ray diffraction in the laboratory
Authors: Tanner B. K. , Hase T. P. A. , Lafford T. A. , Goorsky M. S.
Published: March 2004

The laboratory implementation of grazing incidence in-plane X-ray diffraction, using an unmodified commercial diffractometer, is described. Low resolution, high intensity measurements are illustrated in the study of the in-plane lattice parameters and texture of a thin polycrystalline ZnO film on glass, the in-plane order in Cd arachidate Langmuir–Blodgett films, and the depth dependence of the lattice parameter in graded Si–Ge epilayers. Use of an asymmetrically cut Ge crystal to compress and monochromate the beam provides a high resolution setting, appropriate to measurement of the in-plane mosaic of mismatched epilayers such as GaN on sapphire.
The coroner's court and the psychiatrist
Authors: Calthorpe Bill , Choong Steve
Published: March 2004

In psychiatry we are perhaps fortunate that the death of our patients is not such a regular occurrence as for our colleagues in other specialties or in primary care. However, when death does occur it is more likely to result from some unnatural cause such as suicide. Consequently, the prospect of being involved in a coroner's inquest is a very real and anxiety-provoking possibility for many psychiatrists. This article considers the role of the coroner in England and Wales and the process of investigation of sudden and unexplained deaths, and offers some practical advice regarding such proceedings. It illustrates a number of issues that have been highlighted in coroners' verdicts and have implications for the process of clinical governance. It also considers possible changes to the coroner system that have been proposed recently in several high-profile reports.
User and carer involvement in mental health training
Authors: Livingston Gill , Cooper Claudia
Published: March 2004

National policy in the UK emphasises the importance of involving service users and caregivers in all types of mental health provision. The training of mental health care and social service professionals has always relied on seeing patients, but the patients' role has usually been a passive one. This is now changing, and service users and carers are becoming active educators in professional training, benefiting both the teachers and those taught. Provision is still very variable and is dependent on local initiatives. Voluntary organisations are active in this field, and there are now two academic posts for service users in the UK. This article explores the current forms of service user training, its benefits and drawbacks, and makes recommendations for future work.
Management of personality disorders in acute in-patient settings. Part 1: Borderline personality disorders
Authors: Fagin Leonard
Published: March 2004

General principles of management of patients with personality disorders admitted in crises to the in-patient unit are discussed. The role of the acute ward in the overall plan of care, the clinical thresholds to consider in deciding whether admission is appropriate and the main elements of the in-patient care plan are outlined. The management of patients with borderline personality disorder, who constitute the majority of such admissions, is discussed in detail.
In Vitro Paradigms for the Study of GnRH Neuron Function and Estrogen Effects
Authors: MATAGNE VALÉRIE , LEBRETHON MARIE‐CHRISTINE , GERARD ARLETTE , BOURGUIGNON JEAN‐PIERRE
Published: March 2004

Abstract: The elaboration of in vitro paradigms has enabled direct study of GnRH secretion and the regulation of this process. Common findings using different models are the pulsatile nature and calcium‐dependency of GnRH secretion, the excitatory effect of glutamate, and the inhibitory or excitatory effect of GABA. Among the different paradigms, the fetal olfactory placode cultures exhibit the unique property of migration in vitro and may retain the capacity to undergo maturational changes in vitro. The short‐term incubation of hypothalamic explants obtained at different ages enables one to study developmental changes as well. Estrogens may have important roles in the regulation of GnRH function and can act indirectly via the neighboring neuronal/glial apparatus and directly on GnRH neurons at the cell body and terminal levels. A direct effect is supported by the recent localization of ERα and ERβ transcripts in GnRH neurons using most paradigms. Discrepant effects of estrogens on GnRH neurons were observed since GnRH biosynthesis is inhibited while GnRH secretion can be either stimulated, unaffected, or reduced. It is likely that the regulatory role of sex steroids including estradiol is very complex since it could involve direct and indirect effects on GnRH neurons through genomic and/or non‐genomic mechanisms.
Two Perspectives on the Origin of Sex Differences in the Brain
Authors: ARNOLD ARTHUR P. , RISSMAN EMILIE F. , DE VRIES GEERT J.
Published: March 2004

Abstract: Most sex differences in brain function are attributed to sex differences in the effects of gonadal secretions. In addition, however, male and female cells differ because of differential effects of sex chromosome genes expressed within the cells themselves. The latter conclusion comes from numerous studies in which sexual phenotype appears to be insensitive to the effects of sex hormones during development or cases in which sex differences develop before the onset of sex‐specific patterns of gonadal secretions. Recently, mouse models have become available in which the genetic sex of brain cells is independent of the gonadal type (testes vs. ovaries), which allows a test of the role of sex chromosome genes in brain development. This paper reviews the evidence that genetic sex of brain cells influences their sexual phenotype, and critically discusses the relative advantages of various experimental approaches to study this effect.
Estradiol Modulation of Astrocytes and the Establishment of Sex Differences in the Brain
Authors: McCARTHY M M. , TODD B J. , AMATEAU S K.
Published: March 2004

Abstract: The role of steroid hormones as a conduit for reciprocal glial‐neuronal communication is an emerging but relatively unexplored concept. Research in our laboratory has discovered that the relationship between astrocytic and neuronal morphology during development is distinct for different brain regions and provides a fundamental basis for region‐specific sexual differentiation. The functional significance of estradiol‐induced differentiation of astrocytes and the cross‐talk of these cells with neurons includes permanent changes in synaptic patterning and control of adult reproductive behaviors. The cellular mechanisms as currently understood for each region are discussed and unanswered questions as well as other areas for future research are reviewed.
Aromatase Expression by Reactive Astroglia Is Neuroprotective
Authors: AZCOITIA IÑIGO , SIERRA AMANDA , VEIGA SERGIO , GARCIA‐SEGURA LUIS M.
Published: March 2004

Abstract: The enzyme aromatase catalyzes the conversion of testosterone and other C19 steroids to estradiol. Under normal circumstances, the expression of aromatase in the central nervous system of mammals is restricted to neurons. However, the expression of the enzyme is induced in astrocytes in vitro by stressful stimuli. Furthermore, different types of brain injury induce in vivo the expression of aromatase in reactive astrocytes. The expression of aromatase by reactive astrocytes is neuroprotective, because the pharmacological inhibition of the enzyme in the brain exacerbates neuronal death after different forms of mild neurodegenerative stimuli that do not significantly affect neuronal survival under control conditions. These findings indicate that the induction of aromatase in reactive astrocytes, and the consecutive increase in the local production of estradiol in the brain at injured sites, may be an endogenous neural response to reduce the extent of neurodegenerative damage.
Steroid Hormone Signaling between Schwann Cells and Neurons Regulates the Rate of Myelin Synthesis
Authors: RODRIGUEZ‐WAITKUS PAUL M. , LAFOLLETTE ANDREW J. , NG BENJAMIN K. , ZHU THANT S. , CONRAD H EDWARD , GLASER MICHAEL
Published: March 2004

Abstract: Fluorescence digital imaging microscopy was used to develop a method that allows the continuous monitoring and quantitative measurement of a single myelin internode throughout its development. Using this technique, steroid hormones such as progesterone and dexamethasone were shown to reduce the time required for the initiation and to regulate the rate of myelin synthesis. Progesterone was capable of increasing the rate of myelin synthesis in Schwann cell/neuronal co‐cultures in a dose‐dependent manner. RT‐PCR and in situ hydridization studies revealed that the mRNAs for P450scc and 3β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, the enzymes involved in progesterone biosynthesis, were induced at the onset of myelin synthesis. The progesterone receptor protein translocated into the nucleus of the neurons during myelin synthesis, suggesting that progesterone could also be affecting neuronal gene expression. Changes in gene expression caused by progesterone are being examined to identify additional factors that may control myelin formation.
Decomposition of Model Compounds of Phenol Resin Waste with Supercritical Water
Authors: Tagaya Hideyuki , Suzuki Yu-ichi , Kadokawa Jun-ichi , Karasu Masa , Chiba Koji
Published: March 2004

Model compounds of phenol resin waste such as prepolymers and substiuted diphenylmethanes were decomposed into their monomers by the reaction at from 300 to 430 °C with water in 10 ml tubing bomb reactor. The decomposition reactions were accelerated by the addition of alkali salts such as Na2CO3.
The Novel Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials Composed of Phenolic Resin and Silica
Authors: Haraguchi Kazutoshi , Usami Yusho
Published: March 2004

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials composed of phenolic resin and silica were prepared by in-situ polymerization of silicon alkoxides in phenolic resin matrix. The hybrid materials showed uniform morphology with very fine dispersion of silica. The transparency of the hybrid, the size of incorporated silica particles and its interface with matrix resin could be controlled. The uniform hybrid materials showed excellent improvements in mechanical properties.
Mild Esterification and Transesterification of Carboxylic Acids Catalyzed by Tetracyanoethylene and Dicyanoketene Dimethyl Acetal
Authors: Masaki Yukio , Tanaka Nobuyuki , Miura Tsuyoshi
Published: March 2004

A π-acid tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) and its derivative dicyanoketene dimethyl acetal (DCKDMA) were found to catalyze esterification of lauric acid with various types of alcohols. This mathod was successfully applied to methyl esterification of a variety of carboxylic acids including aromatic, α,β-unsaturated, α-hydroxy, and N-Cbz and N-Boc-protected α-amino acids without racemization at the range from room temperature to 60 °C. TCNE was also found to operate as a catalyst in transesterification reaction of methyl laurate.
Rotational Isomers of a 1,2-Diphenyl-3,4-diphosphinidenecyclobutene
Authors: Yoshifuji Masaaki , Ichikawa Yoshito , Toyota Kozo , Kasashima Eiji , Okamoto Yoshio
Published: March 2004

The group-6 metal tetracarbonyl complexes of 3,4-diphosphinidenecyclobutenes protected with the 2,4-di-t-butyl-6-methylphenyl group were prepared and one of the rotamers, ligated with W(CO)4, was confirmed by X-ray analysis while the other was analyzed by a chiral HPLC column.
Reaction of Tris(2-aminoethyl)amine Coordinated to Lanthanum(III) and Gadolinium(III) with Salicylaldehyde
Authors: Kanesato Masatoshi , Yokoyama Toshiro , Suzuki Toshishige M
Published: March 2004

Reaction of tris(2-aminoethyl)amine coordinated to lanthanum(III) and gadolinium(III) with salicylaldehyde afforded Schiff-base complexes of tris[2-(salicylideneamino)ethyl] amine. In this reaction, a lanthanum(III) complex, which was supposed to be a reaction intermediate, was also obtained and characterized by X-ray crystallography. However, such a reaction intermediate of gadolinium(III) complex was not isolated under similar conditions. This difference was applied to the mutual separation of lanthanum(III) and gadolinium(III).
Preparation of Comb-like Organoboron Polymer Electrolyte without Generation of Salt
Authors: Matsumi Noriyoshi , Mizumo Tomonobu , Ohno Hiroyuki
Published: March 2004

Comb-like organoboron polymer electrolytes bearing oligo(ethylene oxide) units both in main chain and side chain were prepared without genaration of salt, by means of dehydrocoupling polymerization of triethyleneglycol with hydroborane monomer having oligo(ethylene oxide) tail.
The Robes of Womanhood: Dress and Authenticity among African American Methodist Women in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Klassen Pamela E.
Published: March 2004

Scholars of American religion are increasingly attentive to material culture as a rich source for the analysis of religious identity and practice that is especially revealing of the relationships among doctrine, bodily comportment, social structures, and innovation. In line with this focus, this article analyses the ways nineteenth-century African American Methodist women turned to dress as a tool to communicate religious and political messages. Though other nineteenth-century Protestants also made use of the communicative powers of dress, African American women did so with a keen awareness of the ways race trumped clothing in the semiotic system of nineteenth-century America. Especially for women entering into public fora as preachers and public speakers, dress could act as a passport to legitimacy in an often hostile setting, but it was not always enough to establish oneself as a Christian lady. Considering the related traditions of plain dress and respectability within the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, this essay finds that AME women cultivated respectability and plainness within discourses of authenticity that tried—with some ambivalence—to use dress as a marker of the true soul beneath the fabric. Based primarily on the autobiographical and journalistic writings of women such as Jarena Lee, Amanda Berry Smith, Hallie Q. Brown, and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, as well as accounts from AME publications such as theChristian Recorderand theChurch Review, and other church documents, the essay also draws on the work of historians of African American women and historians of dress and material culture. For nineteenth-century AME women, discourses of authenticity could be both a burden and a resource, but either way they were discourses that were often remarkably critical, both of selfmotivation and of cultural markers of class, race, and gender in a world that made a fetish of whiteness.
Exploratory Studies to Investigate a Linked Prebiotic Origin of RNA and Coded Peptides
Authors: Borsenberger Vinciane , Crowe Michael A. , Lehbauer Jörg , Raftery Jim , Helliwell Madeleine , Bhutia Kajal , Cox Tony , Sutherland John D.
Published: March 2004

An introduction to the premise that RNA and genetically coded proteins should not be viewed as etiologically discrete entities in the origin of life is presented. This premise follows from the mutual interdependence of RNA and coded proteins in biology and the lack of prebiotically plausible constitutional self‐assembly processes leading to either polymeric species. The RNA : coded peptides subsystem and its informational core, the genetic code, are then analysed retrosynthetically to suggest a (replicative) synthesis involving the intermediacy of aminoacyl‐RNA trimers (cf. Scheme 5). A number of potential candidate aminoacyl‐RNA trimers are identified (23–26; Scheme 6) and a chemical strategy to assess their validity is outlined. Experimental investigation of potential aminoacylation chemistry, nucleobase assembly and phosphate activation rules out three of the trimers but suggests that 26 is worthy of further investigation.
Amphotericin B Covalent Dimers Bearing a Tartarate Linkage
Authors: Matsumori Nobuaki , Masuda Rie , Murata Michio
Published: March 2004

Amphotericin B (AmB, 1) is known to assemble together and form an ion channel across biomembranes, by which the drug presumably exerts its antimicrobial activity. To access the whole architecture of this channel assemblage, the understanding of binary interaction between AmB molecules is of prime importance because the dimeric interaction is the basis of the assemblage. In this context, we have recently reported covalently conjugated AmB dimers such as 2 and 3 with a long linker, which show prominent hemolytic potency and ion‐channel activity. To evaluate the effect of the length and hydrophilicity of linker parts on the activity, we prepared new dimers bearing tartarate linkages (4 and 5). Especially, 5 exhibited potent hemolytic activity (EC50, 0.03 μM) surpassing those of AmB, 2, and 3. Measurements of UV and CD spectra of 5 in liposomes indicated that AmB portions of 5 could adopt appropriate arrangements in molecular assemblage in spite of the short linkage, and also indicated that the assemblage formed by 5 appeared more stable than AmB. These short‐tethered dimers are expected to be a promising tool to reveal the mechanism of dimeric interaction in the ion channel formed by AmB.
On‐line identification and damage detection in non‐linear structural systems using a variable forgetting factor approach
Authors: Lin Jeng‐Wen , Betti Raimondo
Published: March 2004

This paper presents an adaptive on‐line identification algorithm based on a newly defined variable forgetting factor approach. At each time step, the proposed methodology, a recursive least‐square (Kalman filter) based algorithm, upgrades the adaptation gain matrix using an adaptive forgetting factor that is expressed as the ratio between the minimum value of the diagonal elements of the adaptation gain matrix and a set of pre‐defined threshold values. This approach requires only acceleration measurements and is particularly robust to the integration errors introduced in determining velocities and displacements. Such an algorithm has been implemented for both parametric and non‐parametric identification studies. For the case of no a priori information on the type of the structural model, an analytical method based on a power series of multivariable polynomial expansions has been introduced. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed approach has been shown in various numerical simulations, considering the effects of excitation amplitude, of measurement noise, of a priori mass estimation error, and of exact‐, under‐, and over‐parameterization of the structural model. General polynomial‐type non‐linear models such as Duffing and Van der Pole oscillators and Bouc–Wen hysteretic model have been analyzed using the proposed modeling process. The methodology presented in this paper leads to a more accurate and controllable on‐line identification either for the estimation of time‐invariant or time‐varying structural parameters (for damage detection purposes) or for the prediction of the future structural response to dynamic loading. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal design of viscoelastic dampers using eigenvalue assignment
Authors: Lee Sang‐Hyun , Son Dong‐In , Kim Jinkoo , Min Kyung‐Won
Published: March 2004

In this study a procedure for determining the optimum size and location of viscoelastic dampers is proposed using the eigenvalue assignment technique. Natural frequencies and modal damping ratios, required to realize a given target response, are determined first by the convex model. Then the desired dynamic structural properties are realized by optimally distributing the damping and stiffness coefficients of viscoelastic dampers using non‐linear programming based on the gradient of eigenvalues. This optimization method provides information on the optimal location as well as the magnitude of the damper parameters. The proposed procedure is applied to the retrofit of a 10‐story shear frame, and to a three‐dimensional structure with an asymmetric plan. The analysis results confirm that the responses of model structures retrofitted by the proposed method correspond well with the given target response. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Understanding the experience of college graduates during their first year of employment
Authors: Polach Janet L.
Published: March 2004

A company's college recruitment practices, as well as its socialization processes for graduates once they
have joined the organization, can be improved when there is understanding of college graduates' experience
during the first year of employment. This study recorded the experiences of eight college graduates who were
employed by a medical device manufacturer in the Midwest. Nine themes common to all participants are identified
and grouped into three categories: work environment, friendship, and performance. Related research on college
graduates and first‐job experiences, Generations X and Y, job expectations, and new‐hire
socialization is also reviewed. Recommendations are offered for consideration by the organization that employs
the study's participants to improve college graduates' experience. Further research implications are
also discussed.
In vitro apatite induction by osteopontin: Interfacial energy for hydroxyapatite nucleation on osteopontin
Authors: Ito Shuichi , Saito Takashi , Amano Kaori
Published: March 2004

Noncollagenous phosphoproteins that interact with type I collagen are thought to nucleate the mineral phase to the collagen fibril network of mineralized tissues. We previously reported that a specific dentin phosphoprotein, phosphophoryn, crosslinked to an insoluble substrate such as type I collagen fibrils, was an effective nucleator of apatite. In this study, we investigated the capacity of another phosphoprotein in dentin, osteopontin, for apatite nucleation in vitro. Osteopontin purified from bovine milk was either absorbed to agarose beads or crosslinked to agarose beads. Each preparation was incubated at 37°C in metastable solutions. Apatite was induced by osteopontin that was crosslinked to agarose beads, whereas osteopontin adsorbed to agarose beads failed to induce apatite crystal formation. Using classical nucleation theory, the interfacial energy for hydroxyapatite nucleation on osteopontin crosslinked to agarose beads was determined to be 94.7 ergs/cm2. This value is larger than that for phosphophoryn, though it is similar to that for hydroxyapatite. The present study indicates that osteopontin, like phosphophoryn, has a high potential to induce apatite formation when it is covalently bound to some substrate in vitro, and suggests the possibility that osteopontin bound to type I collagen may induce apatite formation in vivo. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 69A: 11–16, 2004
Controlled degradation and macrophage responses of a fluoride‐treated polycaprolactone
Authors: Gough J. E. , Christian P. , Unsworth J. , Evans M. P. , Scotchford C. A. , Jones I. A.
Published: March 2004

We have developed a new bone replacement material based on polycaprolactone (PCL), which can act as a suitable matrix for monomer transfer molding of degradable composites. A boron trifluoride catalyst with glycerol additive was used to produce PCL with a degradation rate that can be altered by treatment with fluoride ions. The effect of cations on the degradation of the polymer and macrophage cell responses are discussed. We found that treatment with fluoride ions reduced the degradation rate. No significant difference between these three fluorides was observed although a general trend was seen where KF‐treated PCL appeared to degrade slower than NaF‐treated PCL which was slower than NH4F‐treated PCL. Variation in solubilities of the salts was observed where the K+ cation had the highest solubility and the Na+ cation had the lowest solubility, which suggests that NaF was able to degrade the polymer more efficiently than the other fluorides. No significant macrophage activation was observed after culture on the polymer surfaces as determined by peroxide and IL‐1β release, whereas some activation occurred after culture in degradation products. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 69A: 17–25, 2004
Effects of interleukin‐10 on titanium particle‐induced macrophage transcription factor activation and cytokine expression in vitro
Authors: Wong Neal , Trindade Michael C. D. , Patel Raj , Yaszay Burt , Goodman Stuart B. , Smith R. Lane
Published: March 2004

This study tests the hypothesis that transcription factor activation by exposure of macrophages to titanium particles can be modulated by the addition of the antiinflammatory cytokine, interleukin 10 (IL‐10). The experiments were carried out with primary human monocyte/macrophages that were treated in the presence or absence of IL‐10 with and without exposure to titanium particles. The time course for experiments varied from 1 h–5 h for analysis of nuclear protein and up to 48 h for analysis of cytokine release. Transcription factor translocation to the nucleus was analyzed using electrophoretic gel shift assays and cytokine release was quantified by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Addition of titanium particles increased release of tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β). In addition, titantium particle induced translocation of the transcription factors, NF‐κB and NF‐IL6, in the nucleus within 1 h. Treatment of macrophages with IL‐10 prior to exposure to titanium particles decreased translocation of NF‐IL6 but did not significantly alter nuclear levels of NF‐κB. In addition, pretreatment of the cells with IL‐10 decreased particle‐induced cytokine release. These data show that antiinflammatory cytokines may provide a mechanism by which particle‐induced inflammatory response may be modulated in vivo. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 69A: 40–46, 2004
Poly(ethylene glycol)‐polyacrylate copolymers modified to control adherent monocyte–macrophage physiology: Interactions with attaching Staphylococcus epidermidis or Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria
Authors: Wagner Victoria E. , Bryers James D.
Published: March 2004

The ability of various surface modifications of poly(ethylene glycol)‐graft‐polyacrylate (PEG‐g‐PA) copolymers (tethered adhesion peptides and fragments of monoclonal antibodies) to modulate monocyte–macrophage cell interactions with surface colonizing bacteria is reported. The PEG‐g‐PA copolymers were made to inhibit nonspecific protein and cellular adhesion. The copolymers were then covalently modified with either cell adhesion peptides (YRGDS, YEILDV, or YRGES) or fragments of antibodies to monocyte–macrophage integrin receptors (anti‐VLA4, anti‐β1, anti‐β2, and anti‐CD64), which are known to enhance macrophage adhesion and perhaps modulate their activation. Cytokine expression and phagocytosis response by surface adherent monocyte–macrophages to Stapylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria were quantified. The cytokine expression (interleukins 6 and 1β) of adherent macrophages in response to the modified polymers only and to bacterial challenges were quantified by dynamic ELISA assays. The adherent macrophage phagocytic response (oxidative burst) to various materials is compared to oxidative responses to both opsonized and nonopsonized S. epidermidis and P. aeruginosa bacteria. The efficiency of adherent macrophages to ingest and kill both species was determined using radiolabeled and fluorescent labeled bacterial cell ingestion studies as a function of the PEG‐g‐PA surface modification. Materials modified with adhesion peptides marginally enhanced (2×) macrophage attachment versus controls but, upon bacterial challenges, these materials predisposed adherent macrophages to overexpress proinflammatory cytokines and to exhibit a significant phagocytic response. Conversely, PEG‐g‐PA materials modified by fragments of monoclonal antibodies significantly enhanced (7×) macrophage adhesion but, upon bacterial challenge, “per cell” cytokine expression levels were reduced compared to peptide modified materials. Macrophages adhering to antibody fragment modified surfaces also exhibited sustained enhanced phagocytic response and higher bacterial killing efficiencies when compared with peptide modified materials. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 69A: 79–90, 2004
Poly(ethylene glycol) enhances cell motility on protein‐based poly(ethylene glycol)‐polycarbonate substrates: A mechanism for cell‐guided ligand remodeling
Authors: Sharma Ram I. , Kohn Joachim , Moghe Prabhas V.
Published: March 2004

The regulation of cell motility on ligand‐adsorbed poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)‐based polymeric biomaterials is governed by variables that are not well characterized. In this report, we examined keratinocyte migratory responsiveness to PEG‐variant tyrosine‐derived polycarbonates adsorbed with equivalent levels of the cell adhesion ligand, fibronectin. The equivalently adsorbed ligand adopted differential distributions, confirmed via atomic force microscopy, and the total number of exposed cell‐binding domains (CBD), quantified through immunosorbent fluorometry, varied as a function of PEG concentration. Specifically, the CBD exposure was maximized at 4 mol % PEG and diminished at 8 mol % PEG, suggesting, based on our previous work (Tziampazis et al., Biomaterials 2000;21:511–520), that activation of cell adhesion and motility could be potentially promoted through increased CBD exposure at intermediate levels of PEG. This was confirmed through cell migration studies wherein cell speed values increased from 11 to 22 μm/h as the PEG concentration was increased from 0 to 4 mol %. Unexpectedly, however, high cell motility rates were sustained at 8 mol % PEG despite diminished levels of initial CBD exposure beyond 4 mol % PEG, suggesting that factors other than the initial CBD exposure may additionally have a role in activating cell migration at higher levels of PEG. Through studies of direct ligand mobility, cell‐ligand‐polymer interactions via atomic force microscopy, and CBD variation and integrin receptor roles in ligand remodeling, we offer evidence that cell motility is enhanced by a new mechanism for the regimen of higher PEG concentration: upon cell attachment and spreading, the ligand exhibits greater “slippage” at the polymer interface, and undergoes cell‐engendered remodeling, which further activates cell motility, likely through enhanced exposure of hitherto encrypted sites for cell binding and signaling. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 69A: 114–123, 2004
Treatment of bioprosthetic heart valve tissue with long chain alcohol solution to lower calcification potential
Authors: Pathak Chandrashekar P. , Adams Alan K. , Simpson Tom , Phillips Richard E. , Moore Mark A.
Published: March 2004

The use of glutaraldehyde‐treated biological tissue in heart valve substitutes is an important option in the treatment of heart valve disease. These devices have limited durability, in part, because of tissue calcification and subsequent tearing of the valve leaflets. Components thought to induce calcification include lipids, cell remnants, and residual glutaraldehyde. We hypothesized that treatment of glutaraldehyde‐treated bioprosthetic heart valve material using a short and long chain alcohol (LCA) combination, composed of 5% 1,2‐octanediol in an ethanolic buffered solution, would reduce phospholipid content and subsequently lower the propensity of these tissues to calcify in vivo. Phospholipid content of glutaraldehyde‐treated porcine valve leaflets and bovine pericardium was found to be 10.1 ± 4.3 (n = 7) and 3.9 ± 0.48 (n = 2) μg/mg dry tissue, respectively, which was reduced to 0.041 ± 0.06 (n = 7) and 0.21 ± 0.05 (n = 4) μg/mg dry tissue, respectively, after LCA treatment. Calcification potential of the treated tissues was assessed using a rat subcutaneous implant model. After 60 days of implantation, calcium levels were found to be 171 ± 32 (n = 11) and 83 ± 70 (n = 12) mg/g dry weight for glutaraldehyde‐treated porcine leaflets and bovine pericardium, respectively, whereas prior LCA treatment resulted in reduced calcium levels of 1.1 ± 0.6 (n = 12) and 0.82 ± 0.1 (n = 12) mg/g dry weight, respectively. These data, taken together, support the notion that treatment of glutaraldehyde‐treated tissue with a short and long chain alcohol combination will reduce both extractable phospholipids and the propensity for in vivo calcification. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 69A: 140–144, 2004
Effect of rapidly resorbable calcium phosphates and a calcium phosphate bone cement on the expression of bone‐related genes and proteins in vitro
Authors: Knabe C. , Berger G. , Gildenhaar R. , Meyer J. , Howlett C. R. , Markovic B. , Zreiqat H.
Published: March 2004

The use of biodegradable bone substitutes is advantageous for alveolar ridge augmentation because it avoids second‐site surgery for autograft harvesting. This study examines the effect of novel, rapidly resorbable calcium phosphates and a calcium phosphate bone cement on the expression of bone‐related genes and proteins by human bone‐derived cells (HBDCs) and compares this behavior to that of tricalciumphosphate (TCP). Test materials were α‐TCP, two materials with a crystalline phase Ca2KNa(PO4)2 and with a small amorphous portion containing either magnesium potassium phosphate (material denominated GB14) or silica phosphate (material denominated GB9), and a calcium phosphate bone cement (material denominated Biocement D). HBDCs were grown on the substrata for 3, 7, 14, and 21 days, counted, and probed for various mRNAs and proteins (type I collagen, osteocalcin, osteopontin, osteonectin, alkaline phosphatase, and bone sialoprotein). All substrates supported continuous cellular growth for 21 days. In the presence of GB14 and Biocement D specimens cell proliferation was reduced and cell differentiation increased. At day 21, the greatest number of cells was found on GB9 expressing significantly higher levels of bone‐related proteins than cells grown on all other surfaces. Because all novel materials facilitated the expression of the osteoblastic phenotype at least as much as TCP and the polystyrene control, these biomaterials can be regarded as excellent candidate bone substitute materials. GB9 induced the highest proliferation and cellular differentiation after 21 days of incubation, suggesting that this material may possess a higher potency for enhancing osteogenesis than TCP. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 69A: 145–154, 2004
Letter to the Editor
Authors: Short Michael
Published: March 2004

In a recent issue of Tempo, you published a letter from Jon C. Mitchell which contained an implication that I, amongst others, had somehow claimed ‘ownership’ of Gustav Holst and his music. I would like to make it clear that I have never made any such claim, and that any such assertions are completely false.
Deal Festival: Pavel Novák
Authors: Matthews David
Published: March 2004

In describing the performance of three extraordinary pieces by the Czech composer Pavel Novák, I have to begin by declaring an interest in my capacity as Artistic Director of the Deal Summer Music Festival, at which he was a featured composer. Novák was born in Brno in 1957, and has achieved a high reputation in Moravia, where he is now acknowledged to be the leading composer of his generation. He is not yet well known outside the Czech Republic, although the Schubert Ensemble have commissioned three pieces from him – Lord, We Seek the Song of the Chosen for piano trio (1991); Royal Funeral Procession to Iona for piano quintet (1995); St Mary Variations for piano quartet (2000) – and have played them in Britain and abroad. Novák's teacher, Miloslav IÎtvan, was a pupil of Janáček's pupil Jaroslav Kvapil, and Novák, more than any other composer in Moravia, seems the true inheritor of the Janáček tradition. That tradition remains a vital force in Brno, partly because Janáček is the most local of composers and his music still, and in a vital way, haunts his home town with its Janáček Academy (where Novak studied), and the Janáček Theatre (where Novak played the oboe for a number of years in the opera orchestra) at which Janáček's operas are performed as nowhere else, players and singers alike attuned to the Moravian dialect; partly through the continuing vitality of Moravian folksong, whose spirit and melodic contours inform Novák's music as they did Janáček's.
Regulatory transparency, developing countries and the WTO
Authors: WOLFE ROBERT
Published: March 2004

The tension in the WTO between adaptation to globalization and integration of developing countries is illustrated by one of the central norms of the regime, transparency. Experts believe democratic governance and efficient markets are both enhanced when autonomous administrative agencies are open about what they doing. WTO requirements for regulatory transparency may prove to be more straightforward for OECD countries than developing countries. The future of the WTO as a legitimate and effective international organization depends on finding modes of regulation accessible to all its Members. A review of how Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Thailand, and Uganda implement the transparency requirements of the agreements on basic telecommunications, and sanitary and phytosantitary measures found that regulatory independence and transparency are increasingly prevalent in telecommunications, but much less so in food safety. Transparency between countries appears easier than transparency within countries, and economic regulation seems easier to adapt to international norms than social regulation.
Ligand‐dependent contribution of RXRβ to cholesterol homeostasis in Sertoli cells
Authors: Mascrez Bénédicte , Ghyselinck Norbert B , Watanabe Mitsuhiro , Annicotte Jean‐Sébastien , Chambon Pierre , Auwerx Johan , Mark Manuel
Published: March 2004

We show that mice expressing retinoid X receptor β (RXRβ) impaired in its transcriptional activation function AF‐2 (Rxrbaf20 mutation) do not display the spermatid release defects observed in RXRβ‐null mutants, indicating that the role of RXRβ in spermatid release is ligand‐independent. In contrast, like RXRβ‐null mutants, Rxrbaf20 mice accumulate cholesteryl esters in Sertoli cells (SCs) due to reduced ABCA1 transporter‐mediated cholesterol efflux. We provide genetic and molecular evidence that cholesterol homeostasis in SCs does not require PPARα and β, but depends upon the TIF2 coactivator and RXRβ/LXRβ heterodimers, in which RXRβ AF‐2 is transcriptionally active. Our results also indicate that RXRβ may be activated by a ligand distinct from 9‐cis retinoic acid.