bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of the Two-Way Communication Checklist (2-COM): A one-year cluster randomized study in a group of severely mentally ill persons
Authors: Arvidsson Hans , Olin Elisabeth , Strand Jennifer , Tidefors Inga 
Published: December 2012

Background: In a health-care service with the emphasis on improvement related to functioning and well-being, the communication process between patient and professionals is essential. There is a lack of research on this matter. Aim: The aim was to investigate, in a group of severely mentally ill persons, whether the use of a simple communication tool could influence the sense of empowerment, satisfaction with care, therapeutic alliance and unmet needs. Method: The study had a cluster randomized design. The intervention was a communication tool (2-COM) applied in two teams during one year. In a comparison group of two other teams, the treatment was as usual. At baseline, after six months, and after one year, assessments were made. Results: After one year the 2-COM groups seemed to have a larger reduction in unmet needs compared to the treatment-as-usual group. However, there were large problems with attrition in the study, and it was not possible to draw relevant conclusions. Conclusions: The methodological problems were substantial, and the study may be considered as a pilot study. In a main study the researchers ought to take control over the selection of patients on the basis of the experiences from this study.
Epoxidized natural rubber-50 toughened polyamide 6 nanocomposites
Authors: Nouparvar Hamed , Hassan Azman , Mohamad Zurina , Wahit Mat Uzir 
Published: December 2012

Nanocomposites consisting of polyamide 6 (PA6) matrix with epoxidized natural rubber 50 (ENR-50) and organoclay-modified montmorillonite was prepared by melt blending in a twin-screw extruder followed by injection molding. The influence of varying amounts (0–30 phr) of ENR-50 loadings on ENR-50-toughened PA6 nanocomposites was examined. Morphological characterizations and mechanical and thermal properties of the blend and nanocomposites were investigated. Addition of ENR-50 resulted in a decrease in the tensile strength and modulus, while impact strength enhanced until a maximum at 10 wt% ENR-50. Thermal study revealed no significant change in the thermal properties with ENR-50 loadings. Exfoliated structure was observed using the x-ray diffraction patterns and was confirmed by transmission electron microscopic images. Scanning electron microscopic images revealed dispersed ENR-50 particles and increased rubber particles size with increasing ENR-50 loadings.
Styrene butadiene copolymer-based transparent conducting thin films
Authors: Faseena NM , Santhamma G , Mathew Anisha Mary , Padmanabhan Predeep 
Published: December 2012

Conducting plastics emerge as a new area of providing a cost effective and unique alternative material for applications ranging from consumer electronics to optoelectronics, solar cells, lighting, memory and a host of new photonic applications. In this work, an attempt has been made to produce conducting elastomeric thin films pertinent to optoelectronic applications. A thermoplastic elastomer, styrene butadiene rubber, is doped with suitable dopants by chemical-doping method. The spectroscopic analysis reveals the formation of conjugated sequences, which is responsible for high intrinsic conductivity in polymeric materials. The polystyrene segment of the elastomer seems to affect the doping rate and the length of the conjugated sequences formed. In this study, the electrical conductivity is found to increase from 10−13 S cm−1 to 10−1 S cm−1 upon doping, and the conduction mechanisms involved are also proposed.
Influence of the percentage of recycled material on the mechanical properties of low-density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyvinyl chloride
Authors: Marulanda Diana , Pérez Marco , Correa Luis 
Published: December 2012

The aim of this article was to fabricate virgin polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, and low-density polyethylene blended with their corresponding recycled material in different ratios of virgin/recycled via injection molding and to evaluate their tensile strength, impact fracture, and hardness behavior. Raman spectroscopy was used to qualitatively study the characteristics of the recycled material in comparison with the virgin material. The impact testing method was the Charpy impact test, and for the hardness measurement, the shore D hardness method was used. The tensile tests were performed following the ATSM 683 standard. Scanning electron microscopy was used for chemical analysis and imaging to confirm the presence of contaminants.
Passion for activities and relationship quality
Authors: Jowett Sophia , Lafrenière Marc-André K. , Vallerand Robert J. 
Published: December 2012

The dualistic model of passion (Vallerand (2010) On passion for life activities: The dualistic model of passion. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 42, pp. 97–193). New York, NY: Academic Press) regards passion as a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that one loves, values, and in which one invests a substantial amount of time and energy. The model proposes two distinct types of passion, harmonious and obsessive, which predict adaptive and less adaptive outcomes, respectively. The present study examined the role of passion for an activity in relationship satisfaction and interpersonal conflict within the purview of the activity using a dyadic approach. We hypothesized that harmonious and obsessive passion would predict adaptive and less adaptive interpersonal outcomes, respectively. Coach–athlete dyads ( N = 103) completed a questionnaire assessing harmonious and obsessive passions, relationship satisfaction, and interpersonal conflict. Results revealed both actor and partner effects of harmonious and obsessive passions and generally supported our hypotheses. Future research directions are discussed in light of the dualistic model of passion and interpersonal relationships.
Social Capital in the 50 States: Measuring State-Level Social Capital, 1986–2004
Authors: Hawes Daniel , Rocha Rene , Meier Kenneth 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThe idea of social capital has had a powerful impact on the study of politics, policy, and social science at large. Much of what we know about the causes and effects of social capital, however, is limited by the nature of data used regularly by scholars working in this area. Current data sets allow researchers to study changes in social capital over time at the national level and static differences in the distribution of social capital across the states. The inability of scholars to know how social capital varies over time and across space limits the kinds of questions that can be asked. In this article, we use sample data of more than 20,000 individuals conducted biannually in the continuous 48 states by the marketing research firm MediaMark Research, Inc. to create a unique measure of social capital that varies across time and space. These data are available at the state level from 1986 through 2004.
Unwelcome Constituents: Redistricting and Countervailing Partisan Tides
Authors: Hood M. V. , McKee Seth C. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractWe analyze the effect of redrawn constituents on incumbent vote shares in Georgia U.S. House elections from 1992 to 2006. The Georgia General Assembly redrew the congressional boundaries for the 2006 midterm and the new lines redistributed approximately 31% of residents into districts with a different incumbent than the one representing them in 2004. With the use of Voting Tabulation District (VTD) data, we use a hierarchical model to evaluate the effect these redrawn constituents had on their new incumbent's vote share. We find a consistent pattern: both Democratic and Republican incumbents experienced significant reductions in their vote shares as a consequence of the redrawn VTDs placed in their districts. The short-term political climate featuring a national Democratic tide and a simultaneous statewide trend favoring the Grand Old Party (GOP) helps to explain this finding. With offsetting partisan conditions, the incumbency advantage came to the fore as Georgia U.S. House members, irrespective of party affiliation, performed better among the constituents they retained prior to redistricting. Our findings for the 2006 election run counter to the significant Republican redistricting advantage prevailing in Georgia congressional contests from 1992 to 2004.
Influence of aluminium incorporation in the preparation of zirconia-pillared clay and catalytic performance in the acetalization reaction
Authors: Mnasri S. , Frini-Srasra N. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThe exchange reaction of Na-bentonite with zirconium pillars gives products which suffer from a loss of crystallinity, with basal spacing about 18 Å and surface area of 200 m2 g–1. Aluminium introduced in different amounts in the zirconium intercalated solution leads to an improvement in the stability and crystallinity of zirconia-pillared clays (Zr-PILCs) and creates pillared clays with new properties. Adding a small amount of Al (10 molar %) leads to an increase of d001 from 18 Å to 20.5 Å and an increase of the percentage of introduced zirconium from 16.71 to 21, expressed as ZrO2 wt.%, accompanied by an increase of the Brönsted and Lewis acidic sites. The acetalization of acetone with ethylene glycol was studied in order to compare the activity of PILCs. The results show that the yield of the aforementioned reaction depends strongly of the composition and acidity of the catalyst.
Genomic insights of protein arginine methyltransferase Hmt1 binding reveals novel regulatory functions
Authors: Milliman Eric J , Hu Zihua , Yu Michael C 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
Protein arginine methylation is a post-translational modification involved in important biological processes such as transcription and RNA processing. This modification is catalyzed by both type I and II protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs). One of the most conserved type I PRMTs is PRMT1, the homolog of which is Hmt1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Hmt1 has been shown to play a role in various gene expression steps, such as promoting the dynamics of messenger ribonucleoprotein particle (mRNP) biogenesis, pre-mRNA splicing, and silencing of chromatin. To determine the full extent of Hmt1’s involvement during gene expression, we carried out a genome-wide location analysis for Hmt1.

Results
A comprehensive genome-wide binding profile for Hmt1 was obtained by ChIP-chip using NimbleGen high-resolution tiling microarrays. Of the approximately 1000 Hmt1-binding sites found, the majority fall within or proximal to an ORF. Different occupancy patterns of Hmt1 across genes with different transcriptional rates were found. Interestingly, Hmt1 occupancy is found at a number of other genomic features such as tRNA and snoRNA genes, thereby implicating a regulatory role in the biogenesis of these non-coding RNAs. RNA hybridization analysis shows that Hmt1 loss-of-function mutants display higher steady-state tRNA abundance relative to the wild-type. Co-immunoprecipitation studies demonstrate that Hmt1 interacts with the TFIIIB component Bdp1, suggesting a mechanism for Hmt1 in modulating RNA Pol III transcription to regulate tRNA production.

Conclusions
The genome-wide binding profile of Hmt1 reveals multiple potential new roles for Hmt1 in the control of eukaryotic gene expression, especially in the realm of non-coding RNAs. The data obtained here will provide an important blueprint for future mechanistic studies on the described occupancy relationship for genomic features bound by Hmt1.
Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of Bersama engleriana leaves in nicotinamide/streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats
Authors: Pierre Watcho , Gildas Achountsa Jeugo Hugues , Ulrich Mbiakop Carlos , Modeste Wankeu-Nya , Benoît Nguelefack azTélesphore , Albert Kamanyi 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background
The present investigation was aimed at evaluating the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic properties of the aqueous and methanolic extracts from Bersama engleriana leaves in streptozotocin/nicotinamide (STZ-NA)-induced type 2 diabetic rats.

Methods
Animals were orally treated for 4 consecutive weeks with Bersama engleriana extracts at doses of 300 or 600 mg/kg. The anti-diabetic effect was examined by measuring blood glucose (BG) at 0, 1, 14 and 28 days after STZ-NA treatment and, total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) levels at sacrifice (day 29). Glibenclamide (0.25 mg/kg) was used for comparison.

Results
STZ-NA-induced diabetic rats showed moderate to significant increases in the levels of BG, TG, TC, LDL-C while body weight, HDL-C levels and relative weights of liver and pancreas were decreased compared to controls (non diabetic rats). Administration of the plant extracts to STZ-NA diabetic rats resulted in a significant decrease in BG, TG, TC and LDL-C and the dose 600 mg/kg of the methanolic extract was the most effective; HDL-C level was markedly increased after four weeks compared to untreated diabetic rats. A dose-dependent increase in the relative weights of the diabetogenic organs was observed in the Bersama engleriana groups. It can be also noticed that the methanolic extract, especially the dose 600 mg/kg (p<0.001), produced more effects than glibenclamide and aqueous extract. Rats treated with glibenclamide (0.25 mg/kg) generally gave lower results compared to groups treated with plant extracts.

Conclusion
Results of the present study showed that Bersama engleriana extracts and especially its methanolic extract possess antidiabetogenic properties and beneficial effects on diabetic hyperlipidemia. All these effects could be due to the bioactive components revealed in the Bersama engleriana extracts such as triterpenes and phenols and which could justify its ethnomedical use.
High level of oxidized nucleosides in thyroid mitochondrial DNA; damaging effects of Fenton reaction substrates
Authors: Karbownik-Lewińska Małgorzata , Stępniak Jan , Lewiński Andrzej 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBackgroundThe mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lies in close proximity to the free radical-producing electron transport chain, thus, it is highly prone to oxidative damage. Oxyphilic type of follicular thyroid carcinoma consists of cells filled – almost exclusively – with aberrant mitochondria. In turn, bivalent iron (Fe2+) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are indispensable for thyroid hormone synthesis, therefore being available in physiological conditions presumably at high concentrations. They participate in Fenton reaction (Fe2++H2O2→Fe3++·OH + OH-), resulting in the formation of the most harmful free radical – hydroxyl radical (·OH). The same substrates may be used to experimentally induce oxidative damage to macromolecules. The aim of the study was to evaluate the background level of oxidative damage to mtDNA and the damaging effects of Fenton reaction substrates.MethodsThyroid mtDNA was incubated in the presence of either H2O2[100, 10, 1.0, 0.5, 0.1, 0.001, 0.00001 mM] or FeSO4(Fe2+) [300, 150, 30, 15, 3.0, 1.5 μM], or in the presence of those two factors used together, namely, in the presence of Fe2+[30 μM] plus H2O2[100, 10, 1.0, 0.5, 0.1, 0.001, 0.00001 mM], or in the presence of H2O2[0.5 mM] plus Fe2+[300, 150, 30, 15, 3.0, 1.5 μM]. 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) concentration, as the index of DNA damage, was measured by HPLC.ResultsBoth Fenton reaction substrates, used separately, increased 8-oxodG level for the highest H2O2concentration of 100 mM and in Fe2+concentration-dependent manner [300, 150, and 30 μM].When Fe2+and H2O2were applied together, Fe2+enhanced H2O2damaging effect to a higher degree than did H2O2on Fe2+effect.ConclusionsThe level of oxidized nucleosides in thyroid mtDNA is relatively high, when compared to nuclear DNA. Both substrates of Fenton reaction, i.e. ferrous ion and hydrogen peroxide, increase oxidative damage to mtDNA, with stronger damaging effect exerted by iron. High level of oxidative damage to mtDNA suggests its possible contribution to malignant transformation of thyroid oncocytic cells, which are known to be especially abundant in mitochondria, the latter characterized by molecular and enzymatic abnormalities.
Induction of G1 cell cycle arrest and cyclin D1 down-regulation in response to pericarp extract of Baneh in human breast cancer T47D cells
Authors: Rezaei Parisa Fathi , Fouladdel Shamileh , Ghaffari Seyed Mahmood , Amin Gholamreza , Azizi Ebrahim 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background and the purpose of the study
Natural products from plants have an important role in the development and production of new drugs mainly for cancer therapy. More recently, we have shown that the pericarp methanolic extract of Pistacia atlantica sub kurdica (with local name of Baneh) as a rich source of active biological components with high antioxidant and radical scavenging activities, has ability to cease proliferation and induce apoptosis in T47D human breast cancer cells. The present study aimed to clarify whether Baneh extract able to alter cell cycle progression of T47D cells or not.

Methods
In order to study the possible effect of Baneh extract on cell cycle of T47D cells, we evaluated cell cycle distribution and its regulatory proteins by flow cytometry and western blot analysis respectively.

Results

Baneh extract induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in conjunction with a marked decrease in expression of cyclin D1 and cdk4 that was strongly dependent on time of exposure. In parallel, Dox-treated T47D cells in early time points were accumulated on S phase, but after 48 h cell cycle progression was inhibited on G2/M. Dox promoted striking accumulation of cyclin B1 rapidly and enhanced cyclin A abundance.

Conclusion
Taken together, our results establish that the antitumor activity of the pericarp extract of Baneh partly is mediated via cell cycle arrest and downregulation of cyclin D1 and cdk4 expression. These findings warrant further evaluation regarding the mechanism(s) of action of this promising anticancer agent.
REVIEWS
Authors: Kuksa Iryna , Kuksa Iryna 
Published: December 2012

ARTWORK AS SOCIAL MODEL: A MANUAL OF QUESTIONS AND PROPOSITIONS, STEPHEN WILLATS, (2012) Sheffield: RGAP, 336 pp., ISBN 978–0–9569024–2–9 (hbk), £18
AN INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE DESIGN, STEPHEN DI BENEDETTO, (2012) Oxford: Routledge, 222 pp., ISBN 978–0–415–54754–3
(pbk), £26.39
Recreating The Flying Dutchman: rediscovering the lost art of the effects projector
Authors: Guy Shane 
Published: December 2012

Before the massed ranks of data projectors, LED screens, pixel mapping and video servers found their way into the theatre there was already the need for the spectacular moving image. In ancient times these effects were provided by shadow puppets and in the fifteenth century the magic
lantern was developed; by the nineteenth century the sophistication of the latter was such that it could be used in theatrical performances. Thus the theatrical effects projector was born.
The most elaborate use of effects projectors was for The Ring Cycle (Bentham 1957) and for the 1957
production of The Flying Dutchman at the old Sadler’s Wells Theatre. This article explores how the effects projector was used in the original The Flying Dutchman, and charts how these effects can be recreated.
Motion capture and performance
Authors: Gomide João Victor Boechat 
Published: December 2012

The production of digital animation by means of motion capture from live, real-time performance of actors, athletes or any human being has become more and more popular. On the one hand there are film productions and the digital game industry, which drive technology improvements and
is consumed by hundreds of millions of people. On the other hand, there is the user mass, made mostly of potential users, which require more compact and cheaper solutions for their productions.
The process of animating characters by means of this technique introduces taxonomy discussions
that, after all, are useful for differentiating the two groups. The digital motion capture appeared in the late 1980s. Until the beginning of the twenty-first century, only body movements were captured while facial expressions were manually animated. This is due to the subtlety of facial
movements and the consequent need for better accuracy in mapping the dozens of muscle groups and their links. When this facial technique was made possible, it was then named performance capture. Independently of the name given to the technique, the new possibilities of creation, production
and improved performance are wide.
This article approaches these aspects from the point of view of the evolution of audio-visual production since the appearance of animation, while the process of motion capture is presented with its impact on animation and performance. The expectations
about the use of the technique are discussed with the equipment available. The open source code software for motion capture, OpenMoCap, is presented here as an alternative for the current production scenario.
Travels in augmented reality
Authors: Goto John , Leach Matthew 
Published: December 2012

This article describes several artistic projects using the medium of augmented reality and gives a technical outline of how it works and its developing nature.
Some of the works were completely original, created specifically with the available functionality of augmented reality in
mind. Others were adaptations of previous artworks, creating new challenges and opportunities in the change of medium.
Digital content permeates through the modern world, but the use of augmented–reality technologies allows meaningful connections to be made between digital content
and real-world locations. Simulated artefacts can be embedded within real-world space, creating a live montage. Similar examples, of a less technological nature, can be found throughout modern history - variously described as tricks to fool observers or tools to enhance artistry, from apparitions
in stage productions to mainstays of early cinema. A fundamental theme explored in this article is the artistic status of augmented reality. Is it a transitory fad, or an emerging platform? Does it matter which?
The artworks described vary from being placed at specific locations in public
areas, being detached from place and available everywhere, to incorporation in traditional and non-traditional gallery spaces. Spectres of jazz migrants reinhabited venues that were meaningful in their lives, and an invisible artist offered a cynical tour of London's contemporary galleries.
In response to the recent financial crisis, members of the public were invited to show wrath or mercy to a host of characters. A selection of the renowned painter Joseph Wright's works were augmented with images of contemporaneous ceramics in order to interrogate their divergent themes. The
most recent work lifts characters from prints, and allowed them to inhabit the surrounding environment of Dr Freud's London house.