Life stress, maternal optimism, and adolescent competence in single mother, African American families.

Although research demonstrates many negative family outcomes associated with single-parent households, little is known about processes that lead to positive outcomes for these families. Using 3 waves of longitudinal data, we examined how maternal dispositional optimism and life stressors are associated with parenting and child outcomes in 394 single mother African American families. Confirming prior research, we found that mothers' childhood adversities, current economic pressure, and internalizing problems were associated with lower levels of maternal warmth and child management and with lower child school competence. Extending previous studies, we found that maternal optimism was a positive resource, predicting lower levels of maternal internalizing symptoms and higher levels of effective child management and moderating the impact of economic stress on maternal internalizing problems. These findings highlight the need for further investigation of processes and resources that promote positive outcomes for African American mother-headed families and single mother families in general. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Functional Supramolecular Ruthenium Cyclodextrin Dyes for Nanocrystalline Solar Cells

A supramolecular complex [Ru(dcb)₂(α‐CD‐5‐bpy)]Cl₂ ( 1‐α‐CD ) (dcb = 4,4′‐dicarboxyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine, α‐CD‐5‐bpy = 6‐mono[5‐methyl(5′‐methyl‐2,2′‐bipyridyl)]‐permethylated α‐CD) (CD: cyclodextrin) based on a ruthenium tris‐bipyridyl core with an appended α‐CD cavity is designed and synthesised, in order to facilitate dye/redox couple interaction and dye regeneration in nanocrystalline TiO₂ solar cells. The luminescent complex is fully characterized and anchored on mesoporous titania electrodes showing increased power‐conversion efficiency in solid‐state dye‐sensitized solar cells using a composite polymer electrolyte. Direct comparison of the properties of the CD complex with an analogous ruthenium complex [Ru(dcb)₂(5,5′‐dmbpy)]Cl₂ ( 2 ) (5,5′‐dmbpy = 5,5′‐dimethylbipyridine) without the CD cavity reveals that the photovoltaic performance of 1‐α‐CD is enhanced by about 40 % compared to 2 . Independent studies have shown complexation of the iodide redox couple to the CD in 1‐α‐CD . These results indicate that the CD moiety is able to act as a mediator and fine tune the photoelectrode/electrolyte interface.     

Spin-filter Josephson junctions

Josephson junctions with ferromagnetic barriers have been intensively investigated in recent years. Of particular interest has been the realization of so called π-junctions with a built-in phase difference, and induced triplet pairing. Such experiments have so far been limited to systems containing metallic ferromagnets. Although junctions incorporating a ferromagnetic insulator (I(F)) have been predicted to show a range of unique properties including π-shifts with intrinsically low dissipation and an unconventional temperature dependence of the critical current I(c), difficulties with the few known I(F) materials have prevented experimental tests. Here we report supercurrents through magnetic GdN barriers and show that the field and temperature dependence of I(c)is strongly modified by the I(F). In particular we show that the strong suppression of Cooper pair tunnelling by the spin filtering of the I(F) barrier can be modified by magnetic inhomogeneity in the barrier.     

Low-temperature UV processing of nanoporous SnO₂ layers for dye-sensitized solar cells

Connection of SnO? particles by simple UV irradiation in air yielded cassiterite SnO? porous films at low temperature. XPS, FTIR, and TGA-MS data revealed that the UV treatment has actually removed most of the organics present in the precursor SnO? colloid and gave more hydroxylated materials than calcination at high temperature. As electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), the N3-modified 1-5 μm thick SnO? films showed excellent photovoltaic responses with overall power conversion efficiency reaching 2.27% under AM1.5G illumination (100 mW cm?2). These performances outperformed those of similar layers calcined at 450 °C mostly due to higher V(oc) and FF. These findings were rationalized in terms of slower recombination rates for the UV-processed films on the basis of dark current analysis, photovoltage decay, and electrical impedance spectroscopy studies.     

What the stories children tell can tell about their memory: Narrative skill and young children's suggestibility.

The authors examined the relation between children's narrative ability, which has been identified as an important contributor to memory development, and suggestibility. Across 2 studies, a total of 112 preschool-aged children witnessed a staged event and were subsequently questioned suggestively. Results from Study 1 indicated that children's ability to provide a high-quality narrative of the event was related to resistance to suggestive questions, and narrative ability appeared to supersede age as a predictor of such resistance. In Study 2, children's general language and narrative abilities were measured in addition to their ability to produce a high-quality narrative about the target event. These results replicated Study 1's findings that children's ability to produce a high-quality narrative of a previously experienced event predicted resistance to suggestion. However, the quality of children's autobiographical memory narratives predicted shifting from denial to assent. Findings are considered in light of narrative's role in memory development and underlying mechanisms that may explain children's suggestibility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Statistical analysis of incidents reported in the Greek Petrochemical Industry for the period 1997-2003

This paper makes an analysis of all reported accidents and incidents in the Greek Petrochemical Industry for the period spanning from 1997 to 2003. The work performed is related to the analysis of important parameters of the incidents, their inclusion in a database adequately designed for the purposes of this analysis and an importance assessment of this reporting scheme. Indeed, various stakeholders have highlighted the importance of a reporting system for industrial accidents and incidents. The European Union has established for this purpose the Major Accident Reporting System (MARS) for the reporting of major accidents in the Member States. However, major accidents are not the only measure that can characterize the safety status of an establishment; neither are the former the only events from which important lessons can be learned. Near misses, industrial incidents without major consequences, as well as occupational accidents could equally supply with important findings the interested analyst, while statistical analysis of these incidents could give significant insight in the understanding and the prevention of similar incidents or major accidents in the future. This analysis could be more significant, if each industrial sector was separately analyzed, as the authors do for the petrochemical sector in the present article.     

Regulation and Role of Neuron-Derived Hemoglobin in the Mouse Hippocampus

Hemoglobin (Hb) is the oxygen transport protein in erythrocytes. In blood, Hb is a tetramer consisting of two Hb-alpha (Hb-α) chains and two Hb-beta (Hb-β) chains. A number of studies have also shown that Hb-α is also expressed in neurons in both the rodent and human brain. In the current study, we examined for age-related regulation of neuronal Hb-α and hypoxia in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of intact male and female mice. In addition, to confirm the role and functions of neuronal Hb-α, we also utilized lentivirus CRISPR interference-based Hb-α knockdown (Hb-α CRISPRi KD) in the non-ischemic and ischemic mouse hippocampus and examined the effect on neuronal oxygenation, as well as induction of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and its downstream pro-apoptotic factors, PUMA and NOXA, and on neuronal survival and neurodegeneration. The results of the study revealed an age-related decrease in neuronal Hb-α levels and correlated increase in hypoxia in the hippocampus and cortex of intact male and female mice. Sex differences were observed with males having higher neuronal Hb-α levels than females in all brain regions at all ages. In vivo Hb-α CRISPRi KD in the mouse hippocampus resulted in increased hypoxia and elevated levels of HIF-1α, PUMA and NOXA in the non-ischemic and ischemic mouse hippocampus, effects that were correlated with a significant decrease in neuronal survival and increased neurodegeneration. As a whole, these findings indicate that neuronal Hb-α decreases with age in mice and has an important role in regulating neuronal oxygenation and neuroprotection.     

Novel Formulation of Undecylenic Acid induces Tumor Cell Apoptosis

Undecylenic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, is currently in clinical use as a topical antifungal agent, however the potential for therapeutic application in other disease settings has not been investigated. In this study, we describe a novel platform for the solubilization of fatty acids using amino acids and utilize this approach to define a tumoricidal activity and underlying mechanism for undecylenic acid. We examined a novel formulation of undecylenic acid compounded with L-Arginine, called GS-1, that induced concentration-dependent tumor cell death, with undecylenic acid being the cytotoxic component. Further investigation revealed that GS-1-mediated cell death was caspase-dependent with a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential, suggesting a pro-apoptotic mechanism of action. Additionally, GS-1 was found to localize intracellularly to lipid droplets. In contrast to previous studies where lipid droplets have been shown to be protective against fatty acid-induced cell death, we showed that lipid droplets could not protect against GS-1-induced cytotoxicity. We also found a role for Fatty Acid Transport Protein 2 (FATP2) in the uptake of this compound. Collectively, this study demonstrates that GS-1 has effective pro-apoptotic antitumor activity in vitro and, together with the novel platform of fatty acid solubilization, contributes to the re-emerging field of fatty acids as potential anti-cancer therapeutics.