bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in developing rat kidney
Authors: Han Ki-Hwan , Lim Jung-Mi , Kim Wan-Young , Kim Hyang , Madsen Kirsten M. , Kim Jin
Published: December 2004

Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized within the developing kidney and may play a crucial role in the regulation of renal hemodynamics. The purpose of this study was to establish the expression and intrarenal localization of the NO-synthesizing enzyme endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) during kidney development. Rat kidneys from 14 ( E14)-, 16 ( E16)-, 18 ( E18)-, and 20-day-old ( E20) fetuses and 1 ( P1)-, 3 ( P3)-, 7 ( P7)-, 14 ( P14)-, and 21-day-old ( P21) pups were processed for immunocytochemical and immunoblot analysis. In fetal kidneys, expression of eNOS was first observed in the endothelial cells of the undifferentiated intrarenal capillary network at E14. At E16, strong eNOS immunoreactivity was observed in the endothelial cells of renal vesicles, S-shaped bodies (stage II glomeruli), and stage III glomeruli at the corticomedullary junction. At E18- 20, early-stage developing glomeruli located in the subcapsular region showed less strong eNOS immunoreactivity than those of E16. The eNOS-positive immature glomeruli were observed in the nephrogenic zone until 7 days after birth. In fetal kidneys, eNOS was also expressed in the medulla in the endothelial cells of the capillaries surrounding medullary collecting ducts. After birth, eNOS immunostaining gradually increased in the developing vascular bundles and peritubular capillaries in the medulla and was highest at P21. Surprisingly, eNOS was also expressed in proximal tubules, in the endocytic vacuolar apparatus, only at P1. The strong expression of eNOS in the early stages of developing glomeruli and vasculature suggests that eNOS may play a role in regulating renal hemodynamics of the immature kidney.
Decreases in free cholesterol and fatty acid unsaturation in renal cell carcinoma demonstrated by breath-hold magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Authors: Katz-Brull Rachel , Rofsky Neil M. , Morrin Martina M. , Pedrosa Ivan , George Daniel J. , Michaelson M. Dror , Marquis Robert P. , Maril Michal , Noguera Carolina , Lenkinski Robert E.
Published: December 2004

Increased utilization of cross-sectional imaging has resulted in increased detection of incidental renal tumors. The noninvasive characterization of renal tissue has important implications for the diagnosis of renal malignancies and treatment monitoring. Recently, multiple breath-hold averaged proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) performed at high field has enabled the use of this noninvasive metabolic profiling technique for the investigation of the abdomen. Multiple breath-hold averaged1H-MRS at high field (3T) was obtained in the kidneys of 10 healthy volunteers and in renal cell carcinoma tumors of 14 patients. The spectra of normal kidneys showed four main groups of resonances: 1) at 5.4–5.6 ppm, attributed to C6 of cholesterol and the unsaturated parts of the olefinic region of fatty acids; 2) at 4.7 ppm, attributed to the residual water signal; 3) at 3.2 ppm, attributed to trimethylamine moiety of choline metabolites; and 4) at 1.3 and 0.9 ppm, attributed to the methylenes and terminal methyls of lipids. The ratio of the signal at 5.4 ppm to that of 1.3 ppm was 19-fold lower in renal cell carcinomas than in healthy kidneys, tied P = 0.0003 Mann-Whitney U-test, suggesting a decrease in both free cholesterol and the degree of unsaturation of fatty acids in the malignant tissue. This metabolic shift is in agreement with previous ex vivo studies of human renal cell carcinoma. The ability to detect renal metabolic shifts noninvasively may improve the specificity of preoperative renal tissue characterization and may provide a new modality for treatment monitoring.
The γ-subunit of Na-K-ATPase is incorporated into plasma membranes of mouse IMCD3 cells in response to hypertonicity
Authors: Pihakaski-Maunsbach Kaarina , Tokonabe Shigeki , Vorum Henrik , Rivard Christopher J. , Capasso Juan M. , Berl Tomas , Maunsbach Arvid B.
Published: December 2004

Hypertonicity mediated by chloride upregulates the expression of the γ-subunit of Na-K-ATPase in cultured cells derived from the murine inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD3; Capasso JM, Rivard CJ, Enomoto LM, and Berl T. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100: 6428–6433, 2003). The purpose of this study was to examine the cellular locations and the time course of γ-subunit expression after long-term adaptation and acute hypertonic challenges induced with different salts. Cells were analyzed by confocal immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy with antibodies against the COOH terminus of the Na-K-ATPase γ-subunit or the γbsplice variant. Cells grown in 300 mosmol/kgH2O showed no immunoreactivity for the γ-subunit, whereas cells adapted to 600 or 900 mosmol/kgH2O demonstrated distinct reactivity located at the plasma membrane of all cells. IMCD3 cell cultures acutely challenged to 550 mosmol/kgH2O with sodium chloride or choline chloride showed incorporation of γ into plasma membrane 12 h after osmotic challenge and distinct membrane staining in ∼40% of the cells 48 h after osmotic shock. In contrast, challenging the IMCD3 cells to 550 mosmol/kgH2O by addition of sodium acetate did not result in expression of the γ-subunit in the membranes of surviving cells after 48 h. The present results demonstrate that the Na-K-ATPase γ-subunit becomes incorporated into the basolateral membrane of IMCD3 cells after both acute hyperosmotic challenge and hyperosmotic adaptation. We conclude that the γ-subunit has an important role in the function of Na-K-ATPase to sustain the cellular cation balance over the plasma membrane in a hypertonic environment.
Quantification and Purification of Mulberry Anthocyanins with Macroporous Resins
Authors: Liu Xueming , Xiao Gengsheng , Chen Weidong , Xu Yujuan , Wu Jijun
Published: December 2004

Total anthocyanins in different cultivars of mulberry were measured and a process for the industrial preparation of mulberry anthocyanins as a natural food colorant was studied. In 31 cultivars of mulberry, the total anthocyanins, calculated as cyanidin 3‐glucoside, ranged from 147.68 to 2725.46 mg/L juice. Extracting and purifying with macroporous resins was found to be an efficient potential method for the industrial production of mulberry anthocyanins as a food colorant. Of six resins tested, X‐5 demonstrated the best adsorbent capability for mulberry anthocyanins (91 mg/mL resin). The adsorption capacity of resins increased with the surface area and the pore radius. Residual mulberry fruit juice after extraction of pigment retained most of its nutrients, except for anthocyanins, and may provide a substrate for further processing.
New Family of Bluish Pyranoanthocyanins
Authors: Mateus Nuno , Oliveira Joana , Haettich-Motta Mafalda , de Freitas Victor
Published: December 2004

The use of anthocyanins has been investigated for the preparation of food and beverage natural colorants as they seem to have nontoxic effects. In this context, vinylpyranoanthocyanins were recently found to naturally occur in ageing red wine. This new family of anthocyanin‐derived pigments may be obtained directly through the reaction between anthocyanin derivatives and other compounds. Some of these newly formed pigments have been found to exhibit a bluish color at acidic pH. The formation of bluish pigment was obtained through reaction between anthocyanin‐pyruvic‐acid adducts and flavanols in the presence of acetaldehyde. The formation of similar bluish pigments was attempted using other different precursors. The chromatic features of this kind of pigments bring promising expectations concerning the use of these naturally occurring blue pigments in the food industry.
The Change of Total Anthocyanins in Blueberries and Their Antioxidant Effect After Drying and Freezing
Authors: Lohachoompol Virachnee , Srzednicki George , Craske John
Published: December 2004

This study examined the effects of freezing, storage, and cabinet drying on the anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity of blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L). Fresh samples were stored for two weeks at 5∘C while frozen samples were kept for up to three months at −20∘C. There were two drying treatments, one including osmotic pretreatment followed by cabinet drying and the other involving only cabinet drying. Total anthocyanins found in fresh blueberries were 7.2 ± 0.5 mg/g dry matter, expressed as cyanidin 3‐rutinoside equivalents. In comparison with fresh samples, total anthocyanins in untreated and pretreated dried blueberries were significantly reduced to 4.3 ± 0.1 mg/g solid content, 41% loss, and 3.7 ± 0.2 mg/g solid content, 49% loss, respectively. Osmotic treatment followed by a thermal treatment had a greater effect on anthocyanin loss than the thermal treatment alone. In contrast, the frozen samples did not show any significant decrease in anthocyanin level during three months of storage. Measurement of the antioxidant activity of anthocyanin extracts from blueberries showed there was no significant difference between fresh, dried, and frozen blueberries.
Mobilizing Fun in the Production and Consumption of Children’s Software
Authors: Ito Mizuko
Published: December 2004

This article describes the relation between the production, distribution, and consumption of children’s software, focusing on how genres of “entertainment” and “education” structure everyday practice; institutions; and our understandings of childhood, play, and learning. Starting with a description of how the vernaculars of popular visual culture and entertainment found their way into children’s educational software and how related products are marketed, the article then turns to examples of play with children’s software that are drawn from ethnographic fieldwork. The cultural opposition between entertainment and education is a compelling dichotomy—a pair of material, semiotic, technical genres—that manifests in a range of institutionalized relations. After first describing a theoretical commitment to discursive analysis, this article presents the production and marketing context that structures the entertainment genre in children’s software and then looks at instance of play in the after-school computer clubs that mobilize entertainment and fun as social resources.
Convergence: News Production in a Digital Age
Authors: Klinenberg Eric
Published: December 2004

A paradox of contemporary sociology is that the discipline has largely abandoned the empirical study of journalistic organizations and news institutions at the moment when the media has gained visibility in political, economic, and cultural spheres; when other academic fields have embraced the study of media and society; and when leading sociological theorists have broken from the disciplinary cannon to argue that the media are key actors in modern life. This article examines the point of journalistic production in one major news organization and shows how reportersand editors manage constraints of time, space, and market pressure under regimes of convergence news making. It considers the implications of these conditions for the particular forms of intellectual and cultural labor that journalists produce, drawing connections between the political economy of the journalistic field, the organizational structure of multimedia firms, new communications technologies, and the qualities of content created by media workers.
Audience Construction and Culture Production: Marketing Surveillance in the Digital Age
Authors: Turow Joseph
Published: December 2004

This study melds “contextualist” and “resource dependence” perspectives from industrial sociology to explore the implications that audience construction by marketing and media firms hold for the core assumptions that are shaping the emerging media system of the twenty-first century. Marketers, media, and the commercial research firms that work with them are constructing contemporary U.S. audiences as frenetic, self-concerned, attention-challenged, and willing to allow advertisers to track them in response to being rewarded or treated as special. This perspective, a response to challenges and opportunities they perceive from new digital interactive technologies, both leads to and provides rationalizations for a surveillance-based customization approach to the production of culture.
Culture and Housing Preferences in a Developing City
Authors: Jabareen Yosef
Published: December 2004

This article aims to ground the relations between culture and housing preferences in a developing city with empirical analysis. Based on Amos Rapoport’s framework, this study dismantles the term “culture” into different components and tests their significance as predictors of housing preferences in Gaza City. Based on 1,269 face-to-face interviews with adults in the city, this study concludes that housing preferences in Gaza are determined by components of culture, mainly those related to issues of gender, politics, religion, kinship, and social relations. The findings revealed that among cultural components, kinship relations and attitudes toward women are likely to be crucial for individual Palestinians seeking new housing. The present study is an attempt to move beyond the grand concept of culture to consider its components and to apply this framework to different cultures.
Cross-Cultural Differences in Relationship- and Group-Based Trust
Authors: Yuki Masaki , Maddux William W. , Brewer Marilynn B. , Takemura Kosuke
Published: December 2004

Two experiments explored differences in depersonalized trust (trust toward a relatively unknown target person) across cultures. Based on a recent theoretical framework that postulates predominantly different bases for group behaviors in Western cultures versus Eastern cultures, it was predicted that Americans would tend to trust people primarily based on whether they shared category memberships; however, trust for Japanese was expected to be based on the likelihood of sharing direct or indirect interpersonal links. Results supported these predictions. In both Study 1 (questionnaire study) and Study 2 (online money allocation game), Americans trusted ingroup members more than outgroup members; however, the existence of a potential indirect relationship link increased trust for outgroup members more for Japanese than for Americans. Implications for understanding group processes across cultures are discussed.
The Interplay Between Goal Intentions and Implementation Intentions
Authors: Sheeran Paschal , Webb Thomas L. , Gollwitzer Peter M.
Published: December 2004

Two studies tested whether action control by implementation intentions is sensitive to the activation and strength of participants’ underlying goal intentions. In Study 1, participants formed implementation intentions (or did not) and their goal intentions were measured. Findings revealed a significant interaction between implementation intentions and the strength of respective goal intentions. Implementation intentions benefited the rate of goal attainment when participants had strong goal intentions but not when goal intentions were weak. Study 2 activated either a task-relevant or a neutral goal outside of participants’ conscious awareness and found that implementation intentions affected performance only when the relevant goal had been activated. These findings indicate that the rate of goal attainment engendered by implementation intentions takes account of the state (strength, activation) of people’s superordinate goal intentions.
How to Kill with a Ballpoint: Credibility in Dutch Forensic Science
Authors: Bal Roland
Published: December 2004

A woman is found lying dead on the floor of the living room of her house in Leiden, the Netherlands, and because of a swollen and a slightly wounded eyelid, an autopsy is performed on the body the day after it is found. Behind the wound, there is a whole ballpoint pen, which entered the head of the deceased through her right eye causing mortal brain damage. How did it get there? This question was to cause a stir in Dutch society, holding a group of police detectives and several (forensic) scientists in its grip for several years. In this article, the ballpoint (murder) case is analyzed as to the boundary work between credible and noncredible expertise. As it is often assumed that boundary work in continental law is preempted by the structure of these law models, this case study adds a comparative note to the growing literature about science and the law.
Perfect Mother or Artist of Obscenity? Narrative and Myth in a Qualitative Analysis of Press Coverage of the Andrea Yates Murders
Authors: Barnett Barbara
Published: December 2004

Although numerous studies have examined media portrayals of women, including women as victims of violence, few studies have examined media representations of women who perpetrate violence. This article explores one form of female violence—infanticide. The author conducted a narrative analysis of press coverage of the murder trial of Andrea Yates, a Texas woman who drowned her five children. Analyses revealed the presence of two dominant narratives: the story of the traitor, used to appropriate blame, and the story of the quest, constructed to right a wrong. The author concludes that the Yates stories reinforce traditional notions about femininity—that women are “natural” caretakers— and suggests that journalists and women’s advocates challenge this myth by raising questions about the responsibility of both parents in child care, calling attention to postpartum psychosis as a legitimate illness, and considering ways to help women who are unable or unwilling to care for their children.
Self-Care for Stoma Surgery: Mastering Independent Stoma Self-Care Skills in an Elderly Woman
Authors: Martínez Laurie A.
Published: December 2004

According to Orem, active participation in caring for self contributes to the behavior of self-care. Before an individual is able to care for oneself, however, many factors must be considered. This article is based on an alert, oriented 85-year old widow, known as EL, who was recently diagnosed with rectal cancer. With postoperative hypertension and sinus tachycardia, EL is having difficulty learning self-care. This article demonstrates a scenario where Orem’s self-care deficit theory of nursing assisted in developing an effective plan of self-care for an elderly woman who underwent an ileostomy.
Challenges in Coming of Age in Korea
Authors: Lee Mihyoung , Lee Miok , Baumann Steven L.
Published: December 2004

Nurses in the field of addictions and substance abuse have assumed, along with most of medicine, that alcohol abuse is a multifactoral health problem. The narratives of two college student’s comments about their experiences of excessive drinking are considered from the human becoming theory as an alternative perspective to the causal theories which are dominant in the addictions and substance abuse fields. These issues are also considered from a human becoming perspective.
Antiplatelet and Antithrombin Therapy for Early Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes
Authors: Wiggins Barbara S. , Spinler Sarah
Published: December 2004

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are defined as either unstable angina (UA), non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), or ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Their management is continuously evolving in terms of pharmacologic therapy. The usual cause of ACS is the disruption of an atherosclerotic plaque leading to formation of a thrombus within a coronary artery. Initial antiplatelet and antithrombin therapy for patients with ST-segment elevation (STE) ACS includes aspirin and unfractionated heparin (UFH). Patients presenting to the hospital early may undergo percutaneous intervention (PCI) with administration of additional medications such as clopidogrel and abciximab or may receive a fibrinolytic agent. Patients with non-ST-segment elevation (NSTE) ACS receive aspirin, clopidogrel, either a low-molecular-weight heparin or UFH, and, in selected patients, a glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor blocker. All of these agents have shown benefit when administered to patients with ACS, but results vary depending on the type of syndrome, timing of administration, and patient’s overall risk. Their mechanism of action, role in ACS, clinical practice recommendations, adverse effects, and monitoring are reviewed. Some inherent limitations to agents such as aspirin and UFH require the need for newer treatment approaches. Therefore, newer classes of drugs such as the direct thrombin inhibitor bivalirudin and the selective factor Xa inhibitor fondaparinux are being explored as alternatives to heparins for ACS management.
Validity of the Draw-A-Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance (DAP:SPED) in Strengths-Based Assessment
Authors: Matto Holly C. , Naglieri Jack A. , Clausen Cinny
Published: December 2004

Objective: This is the first validity study to date to examine the relationship between the Draw-A-Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance (DAP:SPED) and strengths-based emotional and behavioral measures. The incremental predictive validity of the DAP:SPED relative to the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale was examined. Method: Youth in the sample (N = 109; 9 to 14 years old) were in general education classes or receiving special education services. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that the DAP:SPED accounted for 21.7% of the variance in Interpersonal Strength parent report (β = -.480; p < .001), after controlling for demographic variables and Interpersonal Strength student report, and accounted for 27.4% of the variance in Intra-personal Strength (β = -.562; p < .001), controlling for educational placement. Conclusions: The DAP:SPED is a useful youth-report instrument in large environments (e.g., schools) as a quick and nonthreatening way to identify those youth who may need more specialized attention.
Chinese Canadian Beliefs Toward Organ Donation
Authors: Molzahn Anita E. , Starzomski Rosalie , McDonald Michael , O’Loughlin Chloe
Published: December 2004

The authors’ purpose in this study is to explore the values and beliefs regarding organ donation of Chinese Canadians. Data collection involved individual interviews (n = 15) and focus groups. The major organizing categories were the importance of context, and values and beliefs. The context included little knowledge about donation and possible influence of spiritual or cultural values. Lack of communication and the need to preserve an intact body were themes that emerged in relation to death and dying. In relation to organ donation, most participants thought it was “a noble deed,” but fears about organ donation were similar to those reported in other studies. It is important to note the considerable diversity in beliefs among these participants.
The Sandwich Generation: Challenges and Coping Strategies of Multigenerational Families
Authors: Riley Lesley D. , Bowen Christopher “Pokey”
Published: December 2004

This article presents a review of recent literature of the “sandwich generation” with an emphasis on women. Counseling interventions, family counseling implications, and two case studies follow the literature review.
A Psychiatric Nursing Conference to Increase Knowledge Related to Genomics
Authors: Pestka Elizabeth L. , Forsyth Diane McNally , Bell Dorothy F. , O’Neil Marybeth L.
Published: December 2004

Research in genomics is producing new testing and treatments that are altering the way that mental health care is provided. To respond to questions and requests for information from patients and to provide comprehensive care, psychiatric nurses are seeking education on genomics. The planning process, content, and general outcomes of a regional psychiatric conference with the purpose of increasing participants’ knowledge related to genomics are described. Outcomes of learning from the participant’s assessment of knowledge gained and from correct responses to conference content were assessed. Data indicated positive learning occurred following participation in the conference.
Ageing Gay Men
Authors: Jones Julie , Pugh Steve
Published: December 2004

One of the aims of this article is to look at the contribution that has been made by the sociology of embodiment to the study of older people. Researchers within this field have pointed to the ways in which negative perceptions of ageing bodies reflect attitudes toward older people and are factors leading to their marginalization within many contemporary Western societies. We hope to develop this idea further by investigating attitudes of gay men toward ageing bodies and, from this, to suggest reasons why older gay men appear to be marginal to gay culture. In so doing, we shall be drawing comparisons between older women and older gay men with particular reference to the work of Tseelon.
Men’s Bodies
Authors: Drummond Murray J. N.
Published: December 2004

Men’s bodies and body image have attracted increasing attention from researchers and popular press journalists during the past decade. Arguably, Western culture tends to identify men’s body image issues as heterosexual notions. Although research on gay men’s body image has increased, a cultural myth remains that gay men are more susceptible to body image concerns and eating disorders due to the aesthetic-oriented gay culture. This article reports in-depth interviews with fourteen young gay men on issues of bodies and body identity, particularly regarding masculinity. The men, aged 18-25 and living in Adelaide, Australia, identify aspects of gay culture with the capacity to promote and reinforce body image concerns among gay males. A life historical perspective provides reflections on participants’bodies in school, including those of growing up young and gay. Current body-based issues are identified, highlighting the plight of many gay males regarding the physical-aesthetic-driven culture in which they exist.
Using Photography to Cross Generational, Linguistic, and Cultural Barriers to Develop Useful Survey Instruments
Authors: Newman Ian M. , Kanjanawong Suree
Published: December 2004

Photographs are used as a research tool by anthropologists and as a technique to empower special populations, advocacy groups, and policy makers. This case describes how photography was used to develop a survey to study alcohol expectancies among Thai adolescents. A multi-cultural research team faced generational, linguistic, and cultural barriers in understanding Thai adolescent alcohol use well enough to write useful questions about alcohol expectancies. Asking adolescents to take and then discuss their photographs about alcohol allowed them to express themselves without the imposition of an organizational framework by the investigators. Group discussions of the photographs revealed nuances and subtleties of interpretation of behavior and expectancies involving alcohol that might otherwise have not emerged. The results of this activity were used to refine an expectancy scale used in a large-scale survey of alcohol expectancies and use.
Promoting “Dual Protection” From Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Disease: A Social Ecological Approach
Authors: Bull Sheana Salyers , Shlay Judith C.
Published: December 2004

High rates of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease in women challenge health promotion to identify improvements in “dual protection” interventions. Findings from an exploratory qualitative study using a social ecological model identify causal, contextual, and intervening factors that influence dual protection. The study examined 48 U.S. women completing a sexually transmitted disease clinic process and focused on women at high risk of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. We frame findings from these interviews using social ecology to illustrate the levels where intervention to promote the concept of dual protection and associated behaviors might occur. Presenting findings within this framework offer an understanding of complex factors that influence dual protection and also present an opportunity to consider strategies for promoting dual protection that include interventions at the structural/environmental level, the social/interpersonal level, and the individual level.
Assessment of the Training Needs of Kentucky Public Health Educators
Authors: Lindley Lisa L. , Wilson Richard W. , Dunn J. David
Published: December 2004

A survey to identify the training needs of Kentucky public health educators was conducted during the spring of 2001. Questionnaire items assessed respondents’ job title, years of experience in public health education, percentage of work time doing public health education, and educational background. Respondents were asked to rate their perceived level of mastery of 50 public health educator competencies and skills, desire for additional training in each of the competencies and skills, and preferred format for training. Surveys were mailed to 699 health department employees across the commonwealth. A total of 366 questionnaires were completed and returned. Results provide a descriptive profile of Kentucky public health educators and pinpoint competency deficiencies. Grant writing, budgeting, evaluation, managing controversy, and multicultural understanding were identified most frequently as competencies in which more training was needed. An overview of survey results and recommendations regarding the training of Kentucky public health educators is provided.
Environmental Perceptions Related to Physical Activity in High- and Low-Risk Counties
Authors: Spangler-Murphy Emily , Krummel Debra A. , Morrison Nicole , Gordon Paul M.
Published: December 2004

To identify whether perceptions about the physical activity environment were related to the prevalence of sedentary lifestyle, residents from high-risk (n = 153) or low-risk (n = 100) counties were interviewed. County risk status was determined by the prevalence of cardiovascular mortality, overweight, and sedentary lifestyle. Key public officials in the same counties were also interviewed. Residents in the low-risk county were more likely to report having sidewalks in their community and that these sidewalks were safe and well lit than residents living in the high-risk counties. Low-risk county residents also reported more indoor recreation facilities being available than the residents in the high-risk counties. Residents supported allocating tax dollars toward improving sidewalks, lighting, and so on. Thus a more conducive environment for physical activity was found in the low-risk county. Improving physical environments and individual perceptions could help increase physical activity behavior.
Development and Use of a Tool for Assessing Sidewalk Maintenance as an Environmental Support of Physical Activity
Authors: Williams Joel E. , Evans Martin , Kirtland Karen A. , Cavnar Marlo M. , Sharpe Patricia A. , Neet Matthew J. , Cook Annette
Published: December 2004

The importance of regular physical activity is well documented, yet according to epidemiological surveillance data, physical inactivity among all age groups persists. Past attempts to promote physical activity focused on individual-level changes; current approaches focus on environmental changes that will provide opportunities for whole communities to be active. The current ecological focus has led to an increase in funding and research regarding environmental supports of physical activity. As this is a new area of research, much work needs to be done to improve the ability to assess environmental features that support physical activity. This article describes a partnership between researchers and community members to develop and test an objective tool to measure sidewalk maintenance. Community members used data collected with the tool to increase awareness about sidewalk maintenance issues among local policy makers. Collaboration between researchers and community partners was critical for the success of this study.
The Venous Ulcer and the Superficial Venous Reflux
Authors: Guarnera Giorgio
Published: December 2004

The management of venous ulcers must take into account the many aspects of the pathology and, overall, the hemodynamic patterns of reflux and the clinical pictures correlated. The most frequent model is represented by a superficial venous reflux that may be successfully treated by surgery with a very high percentage of ulcer healing. Compared to compression therapy, surgery allows a minor percentage of recurrence. Sclerotherapy may represent a valid alternative. The meaning and the treatment of incompetent perforating veins is controversial, but the poor results of conservative treatment justify the disconnection of large perforators in addition to ablation of saphenous reflux.
Identification of Lin–Sca1+kit+CD34+Flt3– short-term hematopoietic stem cells capable of rapidly reconstituting and rescuing myeloablated transplant recipients
Authors: Yang Liping , Bryder David , Adolfsson Jörgen , Nygren Jens , Månsson Robert , Sigvardsson Mikael , Jacobsen Sten Eirik W.
Published: December 2004

In clinical bone marrow transplantation, the severe cytopenias induced by bone marrow ablation translate into high risks of developing fatal infections and bleedings, until transplanted hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells have replaced sufficient myeloerythroid offspring. Although adult long-term hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) are absolutely required and at the single-cell level sufficient for sustained reconstitution of all blood cell lineages, they have been suggested to be less efficient at rapidly reconstituting the hematopoietic system and rescuing myeloablated recipients. Such a function has been proposed to rather be mediated by less well-defined short-term hematopoietic stem cells (ST-HSCs). Herein, we demonstrate that Lin–Sca1+kithiCD34+ short-term reconstituting cells contain 2 phenotypically and functionally distinct subpopulations: Lin–Sca1+kithiCD34+flt3– cells fulfilling all criteria of ST-HSCs, capable of rapidly reconstituting myelopoiesis, rescuing myeloablated mice, and generating Lin–Sca1+kithiCD34+flt3+ cells, responsible primarily for rapid lymphoid reconstitution. Representing the first commitment steps from Lin–Sca1+kithi CD34–flt3– LT-HSCs, their identification will greatly facilitate delineation of regulatory pathways controlling HSC fate decisions and identification of human ST-HSCs responsible for rapid reconstitution following HSC transplantations.
Biallelic mutation of SOCS-1 impairs JAK2 degradation and sustains phospho-JAK2 action in the MedB-1 mediastinal lymphoma line
Authors: Melzner Ingo , Bucur Alexandra Juliana , Brüderlein Silke , Dorsch Karola , Hasel Cornelia , Barth Thomas F. E. , Leithäuser Frank , Möller Peter
Published: December 2004

Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) is a well-defined subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Molecular cytogenetics revealed frequent gains of 9p24. JAK2, mapping in this region, is presently regarded as a candidate oncogene because expression profiling showed high Janus kinase-2 (JAK2) transcript levels and JAK2 was found to be constitutively phosphorylated in mediastinal B-cell lymphomas. We confirm that in the MedB-1 mediastinal B-cell line, harboring a trisomy 9, JAK2 transcription is elevated and the product is highly phosphorylated. However, JAK2 is not overexpressed at the protein level. On top, JAK2 protein turnover is even delayed. This unexpected finding coincides with a biallelic mutation of the suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1) gene in this cell, which abrogates SOCS box function of the protein. Ectopic expression of wild-type (wt) SOCS-1 in MedB-1 leads to growth arrest and dramatic reduction of phospho-JAK2 and its downstream partner phospho–signal transducer and activator of transcription-5 (phospho-STAT5). Ultimately, the target gene cyclin D1 is repressed in transfectants while RB1, which is silenced in MedB-1, is induced. We conclude that, in MedB-1, action of phospho-JAK2 is sustained due to defective SOCS-1. Hence, SOCS-1 qualifies as a novel tumor suppressor. Of note, SOCS-1 mutations are also present in the parental tumor of MedB-1 and were detected in 9 of 20 PMBLs.
Sem1, the yeast ortholog of a human BRCA2-binding protein, is a component of the proteasome regulatory particle that enhances proteasome stability
Authors: Funakoshi Minoru , Li Xia , Velichutina Irina , Hochstrasser Mark , Kobayashi Hideki
Published: December 2004

Degradation of polyubiquitinated proteins by the proteasome often requires accessory factors; these include receptor proteins that bind both polyubiquitin chains and the regulatory particle of the proteasome. Overproduction of one such factor, Dsk2, is lethal in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and we show here that this lethality can be suppressed by mutations in SEM1, a gene previously recognized as an ortholog of the human gene encoding DSS1, which binds the BRCA2 DNA repair protein. Yeast sem1 mutants accumulate polyubiquitinated proteins, are defective for proteasome-mediated degradation and cannot grow under various stress conditions. Moreover, sem1 is synthetically lethal with mutations in proteasome subunits. We show that Sem1 is a component of the regulatory particle of the proteasome, specifically the lid subcomplex. Loss of Sem1 impairs the stability of the 26S proteasome and sem1Δ defects are greatly enhanced by simultaneous deletion of RPN10. The Rpn10 proteasome subunit appears to function with Sem1 in maintaining the association of the lid and base subcomplexes of the regulatory particle. Our data suggest a potential mechanism for this protein-protein stabilization and also suggest that an intact proteasomal regulatory particle is required for responses to DNA damage.
Analysis of particulate matter composition from a heavy-duty diesel engine
Authors: Tan Pi-Qiang , Deng Kangyao , Lu Jia-Xiang
Published: December 2004

In order to control particulate matter (PM) in the exhaust of diesel-powered automobiles, a better understanding of the components of PM is required. In this report, the ECE R49 13-mode engine test cycle was performed on a heavy-duty diesel engine. Unlike the usual ECE R49 13-mode sample method, PM in the exhaust was separately sampled in this research under every test mode. Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) in the exhaust were also measured. Soluble organic fraction (SOF) and insoluble fraction (ISF) of the PM were partitioned with an ultrasonic elution, and then every SOF sample was analysed by combined gas chromatography / mass spectrometry (GC / MS). The results show that the mass flux of PM increases with increasing engine loads, and there is an exponential growth function between the PM mass flux and the engine power under the same engine speed. Concerning the engine's NOx emissions, there is an exponential decay function between the concentration of NOx and engine power. By comparing the results obtained, the effects of load and speed on the contents of ISF and SOF in PM were observed. The percentages of ISF and SOF contents in PM are markedly changed with the load, but are less influenced by the speed at the same percentage of load. The dominant component in SOF is paraffin hydrocarbon and second is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). The percentage of PAH content in PM is higher at lower loads. In addition, naphthalene and phenanthrene are the main organic components of PAH.
Finite element simulation of the tyre burst test
Authors: Bolarinwa E O , Olatunbosun O A
Published: December 2004

The use of predictive finite element (FE) models in tyre design and analysis has become widely popular in recent times. This is largely due to the introduction of high-performance computers in addition to the enhancement in the capabilities of existing proprietary finite element software, thus enabling the efficient use of such tyre models in solving the challenging problems of pneumatic tyre behaviour as an alternative to experimental tests routinely carried out on tyre prototypes. This present work investigates tyre burst behaviour when the tyre is inflated well beyond the manufacturer's recommended maximum pressure. This will help to predict the extent to which a tyre can be loaded before failing catastrophically, thus simulating one of the mandatory tyre qualification tests. Consequently, an axisymmetric finite element tyre model has been developed using the improved capabilities in ABAQUS FE code, which allows the modelling of the tyre burst phenomenon, based on the ultimate strengths of the constituent reinforcement materials. A summary of the results obtained from this model for a passenger car tyre P195/65R15 H91 is presented together with a study of the effect of some tyre design parameters on the tyre burst pressure. Also some recommendations are made for enhancing the functionality of the model.
Gas turbine component fault detection from a limited number of measurements
Authors: Mathioudakis K , Kamboukos Ph , Stamatis A
Published: December 2004

A method for detecting faults in the components of gas turbines, based on the use of non-linear engine models and optimization techniques, is presented. The method determines deviations in mass flow capacity and efficiency of individual engine components through minimization of appropriate cost function, formulated such that measurements are matched in an optimum way. Component performance deviations are expressed through appropriate modification factors, which are used as health parameters. The modification factors are coupled to a non-linear engine performance model and can represent different health conditions of the engine. The problem of fault diagnosis is formulated as the problem of determining the values of these factors from a given set of measurement data. The novel aspect of the method presented in this paper is that it can be used to determine health factors that are less, equal or larger in number than the available performance measurements. When measurements are fewer than the parameters to be determined, solutions are derived using an approach of the maximum likelihood type. It is demonstrated than such a solution can provide successful diagnosis for the majority of fault types expected to occur in an engine. The method presented is substantiated by application to a large bypass ratio, partially mixed, turbofan, typical of the large civil aircraft engine configuration in today's aircrafts. An extensive set of component faults is studied, representing malfunctions expected to occur in practice. The method is shown to perform successfully in fault identification over this set, using a limited number of measurements representative of current onboard instrumentation.
Implications on flame stabilization in a precessing jet flame from near field velocity measurements
Authors: Schneider G. M. , Nathan G. J. , O'Doherty T
Published: December 2004

The near field of the three-dimensional velocity field in a turbulent precessing jet diffusion flame is investigated. In the present case the precessing jet flame is generated by mechanically rotating a round jet of propane inclined at 45° relative to the axis of rotation. Three-dimensional laser Doppler anemometry enables the fully turbulent, three-dimensional velocity field of a precessing jet flame to be measured. This provides insight into the mechanisms by which the flame is stabilized and supports previous explanations of why NOx emissions are reduced and fuel efficiency is increased in industrial precessing jet gas burners. Velocity data are presented, time-averaged, and phase-averaged at the frequency of precession. The conditional phase-averaging technique enables phase-averaged velocity contours and vectors to be obtained that reveal flow patterns and structures within the flame. Time-averaging of the velocity data also reveals the presence of a reverse flow (recirculation) region between the emerging fuel jet and its spinning axis. The recirculation and high shear is associated with a rapid decay of the mean velocity, which together act to stabilize the flame in the high velocity and high shear region near to the nozzle exit. The characteristics of the velocity field of a precessing jet flame found here are compared with previous cold-flow investigations of the same flow and with other investigations of turbulent jets.
Fabrication and Characteristic Responses of Integrated Microelectrodes in Polymer Channel Chip
Authors: Ueno Kousei , Kitagawa Fumihiko , Kim Haeng-Boo , Tokunaga Tomonobu , Matsuo Shigeki , Misawa Hiroaki , Kitamura Noboru
Published: December 2004

A polymer microchannel (width = 100 µm and depth = 20 µm) chip integrated with band Au electrodes (47 × 100 µm) was fabricated on the basis of photolithography/etching and imprinting techniques, and its characteristic electrochemical responses have been demonstrated.
Novel N-Alkylation of Chitosan via Michael Type Reaction
Authors: Sashiwa Hitoshi , Shigemasa Yoshihiro , Roy René
Published: December 2004

Using α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, N-alkylated chitosans have been prepared efficiently via Michael type reaction under mild conditions.
Synthesis of New Vanadyl Complexes of Hydroxyazine-type Heterocycles and Their Insulin-Mimetic Activities
Authors: Katoh Akira , Taguchi Kazutoshi , Okada Hiroko , Harata Manabu , Fujisawa Yae , Takino Toshikazu , Sakurai Hiromu
Published: December 2004

Four kinds of vanadyl complexes of hydroxyazine-type heterocycles were synthesized. Bis(1,2-dihydro-4,6-dimethyl-2-oxo-1-pyrimidinolato)- and bis(1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-3,5,6-trimethyl-1-pyrazinolato)oxovanadium(IV) complexes showed higher insulin-mimetic activity than vanadyl sulfate as a positive control.
Formation of Uniform Mesopores in ZSM-5 Zeolite through Treatment in Alkaline Solution
Authors: Ogura Masaru , Shinomiya Shin-ya , Tateno Junko , Nara Yasuto , Kikuchi Eiichi , Matsukata Masahiko
Published: December 2004

Treatment of ZSM-5 in alkaline solution dramatically changes morphology of the ZSM-5, leading to the formation of mesopores whose size is almost uniform without destruction of microporous structure.
Chemical Ionization of 1-Olefins (C15–C18) by CH5+, C2H5+, and C3H5+ in an Ion-Trap Type of Mass Spectrometer
Authors: Tsuji Masaharu , Tanaka Yuki , Arikawa Takeshi , Nishimura Yukio
Published: December 2004

Chemical ionization of 1-olefins (1-CxH2x: x = 15–18) by the CH5+, C2H5+, and C3H5+ ions has been studied using an ion-trap type of GC/MS under a reactant-ion-selected mode. In all the reactions, CyH2y+1+ (y = 3−x) alkyl and CyH2y−1+ (y = 3−x) alkenyl ions were observed with maximum intensities at m = 3∼5 for CyH2y+1+ and at y = 7 or 8 for CyH2y−1+.
Syntheses and X-Ray Crystal Structures of Platinum(II) Complexes Bearing Two and Three Phosphorus-Bridged [1]Ferrocenophanes, cis-[PtCl2(fcpp)2] and [PtCl(fcpp)3]BF4
Authors: Mizuta Tsutomu , Yamasaki Tomoaki , Miyoshi Katsuhiko
Published: December 2004

Platinum complexes having two and three (1,1′-ferrocenediyl)phenylphosphine (fcpp) groups, cis-[PtCl2(fcpp)2] and [PtCl(fcpp)3]BF4, were prepared and their molecular structures were determined by X-ray analysis.
A Convenient Catalytic Method for the Synthesis of Ethers from Alcohols and Carbonyl Compounds
Authors: Fujii Yasuyuki , Furugaki Hisakazu , Yano Shinji , Kita Katsumi
Published: December 2004

Unsymmetrical ethers are obtained in excellent yields by the catalytic etherification of alcohols with ketones or aldehydes in the presence of Pd/C under an atmospheric pressure of hydrogen when water produced by the reaction is continuously removed by bubbling hydrogen through the reaction mixture.
Direct Observation of Perchlorate Incorporation Induced by Redox Reaction of Ferrocene Terminated Self-Assembled Monolayer Studied by in situ FT-Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Nishiyama Katsuhiko , Ueda Akihiro , Tanoue Shotaro , Koga Tessyu , Taniguchi Isao
Published: December 2004

The incorporation of ClO4− into 8-ferrocenyloctanethiol (8FT) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) induced by the redox reaction at a gold wire electrode was demonstrated using in situ FT Raman spectroelectochemistry. Upon oxidation of the 8FT SAM, a band attributed to ClO4− was clearly observed and the band disappeared in its reduced state. On the other hand, when HNO3 was used as a supporting electrolyte, the band attributed to NO3− was not observed in the oxidized form of 8FT.