bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Children with new tracheostomies: Planning for family education and common impediments to discharge
Authors: Graf Jeanine M. , Montagnino Barbara A. , Hueckel Remí , McPherson Mona L.
Published: July 2008

Objectives

To describe an educational program and timeline for the discharge of children with a new tracheostomy and identify common impediments to the education and discharge process.

Methods

Retrospective pilot case series of 70 children and adolescents undergoing tracheostomy placement over a 24‐month period in a large urban academic pediatric hospital.

Results

Eleven healthcare providers with expertise with technology dependent children identified the eight most common impediments to education and discharge for children with new tracheostomies. Length of stay, impediments to both education and discharge, and medical equipment needed at the time of discharge were extracted from hospital records. Caregivers of children with new tracheostomies needed a median of 14 days (range 5–110 days) to successfully complete a tracheostomy education program. Discharge occurred a median of 6.5 days (range 0–71 days) after education was completed. Common impediments to completing the education program included social issues (e.g., lack of sibling childcare), inter‐current illness of the patient and/or language barriers. Impediments to discharge included patient's inter‐current illnesses, social issues (e.g., lack of running water) and unavailability of home nursing. Our cohort of patients had a total median length of stay (LOS) of 46 days. At discharge, 55% of children required two or more medical devices (in addition to their tracheostomy) and 61% had some level of dependency on positive pressure ventilation.

Conclusions

Pediatric patients with a new tracheostomy undergo lengthy initial hospitalizations and have complex educational and discharge needs. Multiple factors (both medical and social) can impede the child's transition to the outpatient setting. A structured education and discharge program may result in a shorter LOS for children with new tracheostomies. Impediments to family education and discharge should be anticipated. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2008; 43:788–794. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of betamethasone on peripheral arterial development in term fetal rabbit
Authors: Roubliova Xenia I. , Lewi Paul J. , Vaast Pascal , Jani Jacques C. , Verbeken Eric K. , Tibboel Dick , Deprest Jan A.
Published: July 2008

Glucocorticoids are given antenatally to promote pulmonary epithelial maturation and prevent respiratory distress syndrome in premature newborns. In contrast to airway changes, effects on vessels are less documented. We hypothesized that antenatal betamethasone (BM) administration promotes vascular development. Does received either a course of BM = 0.05 mg/kg/day (18 does, 70 fetuses), BM = 0.1 mg/kg/day (20 does, 75 fetuses), or saline (11 does, 92 fetuses) starting on d25, 26 (canalicular stage), d27, d28 (saccular stage), and d29 (alveolar stage) of gestation. In total 236 fetuses from 49 does were examined at term (d31) in terms of vascular development. Lung specimens were weighed and formalin fixed for morphometry. We determined differences in fetal body, liver and lung weight, proportionate medial thickness, muscularization of intra‐acinar vessels, number of vessels under 100 µm, as well as immunoreactivity to Flk‐1 in vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells. A dose‐dependent reduction in neonatal body and organ weight was observed in fetuses exposed to BM at d25. In contrast, term liver weight increased after late administration of BM (d28, 29). There was a dose‐ and time‐dependent thinning of the pulmonary arterial media, which coincided with a decreased proportion of intra‐ and pre‐acinar muscularized arteries (ED ≤ 60 µm) and increased microvascularization (ED ≤ 30), as well as increased endothelial immunoreactivity for Flk‐1. Analyzing our data using a purpose designed geometrical model, the results suggest that maternal administration of BM promotes changes in vascular morphology, which may be compatible with remodeling and vessel formation. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2008; 43:795–805. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Can bronchodilator response predict bronchial response to methacholine in preschool coughers?
Authors: Beydon Nicole , M'Buila Célestin , Peiffer Claudine , Bernard Agnès , Zaccaria Isabelle , Denjean André
Published: July 2008

The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between bronchodilator response, assessed by interrupter resistance (Rint), and bronchial reactivity in preschool children with chronic cough. Thirty‐eight children coughers (median age 5.0 years, range 2.8–6.4) were tested. Bronchodilator response was recorded within 4 months before methacholine challenge. Response to the latter was assessed using transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen and Rint. Children were considered responders if a 20% fall in transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen occurred during the bronchial challenge. Bronchodilator response was not different between responders (n = 24) and nonresponders (n = 14) [median (range) −0.11 (−0.44–0.09) vs. −0.08 (−0.21–0.10) kPa L−1 sec; respectively]. However, none of the nonresponders had a bronchodilator response larger than −0.21 kPa L−1 sec, this cutoff had a 100% positive and a 44% negative predictive value to predict a positive methacholine challenge. The relationship between bronchodilator response and bronchial methacholine responsiveness reached the limit of significance (P = 0.048). Furthermore, the magnitude of the bronchodilator response was correlated to the level of methacholine‐induced level of bronchoconstriction (P = 0.01), and to the postchallenge bronchodilation (P = 0.04), all values expressed as % predicted. Moreover, the postbronchodilator Rint value obtained with preceding methacholine challenge was lower than the postbronchodilator value without preceding methacholine challenge in 71.4% (10/14) of the nonresponders and in only 33.3% (8/24) of the responders. Conclusions in preschool coughers bronchodilator response, assessed by the interrupter technique, was correlated to the bronchial responsiveness to methacholine. Non responders had a bronchodilator response not larger than −0.21 kPa L−1 sec. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2008; 43:815–821. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Depletion of intracellular zinc increases expression of tumorigenic cytokines VEGF, IL‐6 and IL‐8 in prostate cancer cells via NF‐κB‐dependent pathway
Authors: Golovine Konstantin , Uzzo Robert G. , Makhov Peter , Crispen Paul L. , Kunkle David , Kolenko Vladimir M.
Published: July 2008

BACKGROUND

Zinc accumulation diminishes early in the course of prostate malignancy and continues to decline during progression toward hormone‐independent growth. In contrast, constitutive levels of NF‐κB activity increase during progression of prostate cells toward greater tumorigenic potential. We have reported previously that physiological levels of zinc suppress NF‐κB activity in prostate cancer cells and reduce expression of pro‐angiogenic and pro‐metastatic cytokines VEGF, IL‐6, IL‐8, and MMP‐9 associated with negative prognostic features in prostate cancer.

METHODS

Intracellular zinc levels were examined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. NF‐κB activity was examined by TransAm and Luciferase reporter assays, and Western blot analysis of p50 nuclear translocation. VEGF, IL‐6 and IL‐8 levels were assessed by ELISA.

RESULTS

Selective zinc deficiency induced by the membrane‐permeable zinc chelator N,N,N′,N′‐tetrakis(2‐pyridylmethyl)‐ethylenediamine (TPEN) increases activation of NF‐κB and up‐regulates expression of the NF‐κB controlled pro‐angiogenic and pro‐metastatic cytokines VEGF, IL‐6 and IL‐8 in androgen‐independent PC‐3 and DU‐145 prostate cancer cells. Pre‐incubation with IκBα dominant mutant adenovirus efficiently blocks expression of these cytokines in zinc deficient cells indicating that the observed effects are NF‐κB dependent.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that zinc deficiency may contribute to the tumor progression via augmented expression of the NF‐κB‐dependent pro‐tumorigenic cytokines. Prostate 68: 1443–1449, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Human FEZ1 has characteristics of a natively unfolded protein and dimerizes in solution
Authors: Lanza Daniel C. F. , Silva Julio C. , Assmann Eliana M. , Quaresma Alexandre J. C. , Bressan Gustavo C. , Torriani Iris L. , Kobarg Jörg
Published: July 2008

The fasciculation and elongation protein Zeta 1 (FEZ1) is the mammalian orthologue of the Caenorhabditis elegans protein UNC‐76, which is necessary for axon growth. Human FEZ1 interacts with Protein Kinase C (PKC) and several regulatory proteins involved in functions ranging from microtubule associated transport to transcriptional regulation. Theoretical prediction, circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy, and limited proteolysis of recombinant FEZ1 suggest that it contains disordered regions, especially in its N‐terminal region, and that it may belong to the group of natively unfolded proteins. Small angle X‐ray scattering experiments indicated a mainly disordered conformation, proved that FEZ1 is a dimer of elongated shape and provided overall dimensional parameters for the protein. In vitro pull down experiments confirmed these results and demonstrated that dimerization involves the N‐terminus. Ab‐initio 3D low resolution models of the full‐length conformation of the dimeric constructs 6xHis‐FEZ1(1‐392) and 6xHis‐FEZ1(1‐227) were obtained. Furthermore, we performed in vitro phosphorylation assays of FEZ1 with PKC. The phosphorylation occurred mainly in its C‐terminal region, and does not cause any significant conformational changes, but nonetheless inhibited its interaction with the FEZ1 interacting domain of the protein CLASP2 in vitro. The C terminus of FEZ1 has been reported to bind to several interacting proteins. This suggests that FEZ1 binding and transport function of interacting proteins may be subject to regulation by phosphorylation. Proteins 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A novel binding pocket of cyclin‐dependent kinase 2
Authors: Chen Hao , Van Duyne Rachel , Zhang Naigong , Kashanchi Fatah , Zeng Chen
Published: July 2008

The cyclin‐dependent kinase 2 (cdk2) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that plays a key role in the cell cycle control system of all eukaryotic organisms. It has been a much studied drug target for potential anticancer therapy. Most cdk2 inhibitors in clinical development target almost exclusively the catalytic ATP‐binding pocket of cdk2. However, several five amino‐acid peptide inhibitors that are directed towards a noncatalytic binding pocket of cdk2 are reported here. Upon binding to this new pocket located at the cdk2 and cyclin interface, these peptide inhibitors are found to disrupt the cdk2/cyclin E complex partially and diminish its kinase activity in vitro. Proteins 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Solution structure of the GUCT domain from human RNA helicase II/Guβ reveals the RRM fold, but implausible RNA interactions
Authors: Ohnishi Satoshi , Pääkkönen Kimmo , Koshiba Seizo , Tochio Naoya , Sato Manami , Kobayashi Naohiro , Harada Takushi , Watanabe Satoru , Muto Yutaka , Güntert Peter , Tanaka Akiko , Kigawa Takanori , Yokoyama Shigeyuki
Published: July 2008

Human RNA helicase II/Guα (RH‐II/Guα) and RNA helicase II/Guβ (RH‐II/Guβ) are paralogues that share the same domain structure, consisting of the DEAD box helicase domain (DEAD), the helicase conserved C‐terminal domain (helicase_C), and the GUCT domain. The N‐terminal regions of the RH‐II/Gu proteins, including the DEAD domain and the helicase_C domain, unwind double‐stranded RNAs. The C‐terminal tail of RH‐II/Guα, which follows the GUCT domain, folds a single RNA strand, while that of RH‐II/Guβ does not, and the GUCT domain is not essential for either the RNA helicase or foldase activity. Thus, little is known about the GUCT domain. In this study, we have determined the solution structure of the RH‐II/Guβ GUCT domain. Structural calculations using NOE‐based distance restraints and residual dipolar coupling‐based angular restraints yielded a well‐defined structure with β‐α‐α‐β‐β‐α‐β topology in the region for K585‐A659, while the Pfam HMM algorithm defined the GUCT domain as G571‐E666. This structure‐based domain boundary revealed false positives in the sequence homologue search using the HMM definition. A structural homology search revealed that the GUCT domain has the RRM fold, which is typically found in RNA‐interacting proteins. However, it lacks the surface‐exposed aromatic residues and basic residues on the β‐sheet that are important for the RNA recognition in the canonical RRM domains. In addition, the overall surface of the GUCT domain is fairly acidic, and thus the GUCT domain is unlikely to interact with RNA molecules. Instead, it may interact with proteins via its hydrophobic surface around the surface‐exposed tryptophan. Proteins 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Isopeptide method: development of S‐acyl isopeptide method for the synthesis of difficult sequence‐containing peptides
Authors: Yoshiya Taku , Ito Nui , Kimura Tooru , Kiso Yoshiaki
Published: July 2008

A novel strategy for a more efficient synthesis of difficult sequence‐containing peptides, the S‐acyl isopeptide method, was developed and successfully applied. A model pentapeptide Ac–Val–Val–Cys–Val–Val–NH2 was synthesized via its water‐soluble S‐acyl isopeptide using an S‐acyl isodipeptide unit, Boc–Cys(Fmoc–Val)–OH. An S‐acyl isopeptide possessing excellent water solubility could be readily and quantitatively converted to the native peptide via an SN intramolecular acyl migration reaction at pH 7.4. Thus, the S‐acyl isopeptide method provides a useful tool in peptide chemistry. Copyright © 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optical and dielectric properties of ZnO‐PVA nanocomposites
Authors: Bouropoulos N. , Psarras G. C. , Moustakas N. , Chrissanthopoulos A. , Baskoutas S.
Published: July 2008

Nanocomposites of polyvinyl alcohol and ZnO were prepared using the solution casting method. ZnO nanoparticles with hexagonal wurtzite structure and mean sizes of 59, 82 and 150 nm were prepared by thermal decomposition of zinc acetate dihydrate. The synthesized crystals were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Optical properties of the nanocomposites were determined using UV–visible absorption spectroscopy. The results showed that all samples appeared near band edge absorption close to the bulk value. Furthermore, broadband dielectric spectroscopy, at ambient temperature, was employed in order to investigate the effect of mean particle size upon interfacial relaxation phenomena. Dielectric data provide evidence that interfacial polarization, which is present in all three nanocomposite films, shifts to higher frequencies and its intensity is decreasing as the mean nanoparticle diameter is also decreasing. Finally, exploiting the Cole–Davidson approach, becomes evident, that interfacial polarization process acquires a more symmetric form, tending to a pure Debye relaxation. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Hydrogen‐assisted nitrogen‐acceptor doping in ZnO
Authors: Lu J. G. , Fujita S.
Published: July 2008

N‐doped ZnO (ZnO:N) thin films were prepared by atmospheric pressure mist chemical vapor deposition. The as‐grown ZnO:N film was of high resistivity with ambiguous carrier type, while the annealed sample showed p‐type conductivity with a resistivity of 22.3 Ω cm and hole concentration of 5.49 × 1017 cm–3. The crystallinity of ZnO films was improved by the annealing treatment. Unintentionally H impurities introduced into the as‐grown film could be annealed out and a near‐edge absorption related to the N states in band gap was present in the annealed sample, which was indicative of the appearance of activated N in ZnO during the annealing process. A hydrogen‐assisted nitrogen‐acceptor doping mechanism was proposed to explain the observation of p‐type ZnO. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Optical properties of bismuth oxide thin films prepared by reactive d.c. magnetron sputtering onto p‐GaSe (Cu)
Authors: Leontie Liviu , Caraman M. , Evtodiev Igor , Cuculescu Elmira , Mija Ana
Published: July 2008

Bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) thin films with thickness in the range 20–160 nm have been deposited by d.c. reactive magnetron sputtering of Bi in an atmosphere Ar:O2 (1:1), onto single crystalline p‐GaSe (Cu) substrates. The optical constants, n and k, of oxide films have been determined from the analysis of the polarization ellipse of the reflected radiation from outer surface of Bi2O3/p‐GaSe structures. In the wavelength range 400–800 nm the refractive index of nanometric Bi2O3 films onto GaSe(Cu) decreases from 2.10 to 1.78 and it seen to increase at decreasing sample thickness.

In order to determine the interaction mechanism between semiconducting oxide film and GaSe surface, the spectral characteristics of photocurrent through Bi2O3/p‐GaSe junction and optical absorption in the range 400–800 nm have been examined. As resulted from respective analyses, Bi2O3 film generates new valence bonds, which contribute to the increase in the density of localized states at Bi2O3/p‐GaSe (Cu) junction interface. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effect of substrate temperature on the photocatalytic activity of sputtered TiO2 thin film
Authors: Hossain M. F. , Biswas S. , Takahashi T. , Kubota Y. , Fujishima A.
Published: July 2008

In this investigation, transparent TiO2 films were deposited at various substrate temperatures: RT, 200 °C, 300 °C and 400 °C by DC reactive magnetron sputtering technique to study the photocatalytic activity by the measurement of decomposition of methanol under UV–visible irradiation. The decomposition efficiency of TiO2 film increases initially with the increase of substrate temperature to 200 °C, but it decreases for the higher substrate temperatures. The correlation between the photocatalytic activity and the crystallographic, optical and morphological properties of TiO2 thin films was investigated in detail. Results show that increase of substrate temperature enhances crystallinity but reduces surface roughness. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electrical and optical properties of copper‐based chalcogenide thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature: Toward p‐channel thin film transistor fabricable at room temperature
Authors: Hiramatsu Hidenori , Yanagi Hiroshi , Kamiya Toshio , Hirano Masahiro , Matsunami Noriaki , Shimizu Ken‐ichi , Hosono Hideo
Published: July 2008

Copper‐based chalcogenide thin films deposited at room temperature were examined for exploring an active layer material for a p‐channel thin film transistor (TFT) fabricable at room temperature. The electrical conductivities of chalcopyrite and simple copper chalcogenide thin films were controlled by introducing hydrogen sulfide and oxygen gases, respectively, during the film deposition. However, no current modulation by gate bias was observed in fabricated TFTs. Optical absorption spectra showed intense subgap absorptions, and these subgap states are thought to pin the Fermi levels. Although these copper‐based chalcogenides did not work as TFT channels, we found that simple copper chalcogenides deposited under a high vacuum showed p‐type degenerate conduction with a high conductivity up to 7.3 × 103 S/cm and a reasonably large work function of ∼4.7 eV. These properties are rather favorable for a hole injection layer of flexible electronic devices and suggest a promising application as an anode layer in organic light emitting devices. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Influence of pulsed electrodeposition on stoichiometry and thermoelectric properties of bismuth telluride films
Authors: Diliberto S. , Richoux V. , Stein N. , Boulanger C.
Published: July 2008

Bismuth telluride films were synthesized using pulsed electrodeposition. Synthesis of films from electrolytes with different [Bi]/[Te] ratios evidenced that an increase of bismuth concentration in the electrolyte leads to a decrease of the tellurium percentage in the film. A more important study with the ratio [Bi]/[Te] = 2 was carried out in order to correlate pulse parameters and film compositions. A crystallographic study underlined a variation of grains orientation following to the stoichiometry. The comparison of thermoelectric properties of pulsed and direct electrodeposited films showed that pulsed electrodeposition improves the morphology and decreases the electrical resistivity of films. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Influence of treatment conditions on chalcopyrite films deposited at atmospheric pressure
Authors: Todorov T. , Oliveira L. , Carda J. , Escribano P.
Published: July 2008

Spin‐coating technique was used to deposit precursor layers for chalcopyrite films of the series CuInX2 and Cu(In,Ga)X2 where X = S or Se or (S,Se). The influence of different parameters of the process, such as solution composition, air pre‐treatment and chalcogenation treatment is discussed with respect to film applicability in photovoltaic devices. Layer morphology, stochiometry and crystalline structure varied widely with the different compositions and treatments. Highly oriented CuInSe2 and Cu(In,Ga)Se2 films were obtained. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Evolution of CO2 permeation properties of LDPE/LLDPE films upon uni‐axial stretching
Authors: Laffin C. , Forristal P. D. , O'Kiely P.
Published: July 2008

A range of LDPE/LLDPE films were manufactured by blown and cast extrusion, which were then uni‐axially stretched at regular intervals. The films were analysed to determine the change of diffusion, solubility and permeation coefficient, and the correlation between crystallinity and molecular orientation. It was found that films exhibited a decrease in permeation coefficient with increased uni‐axial stretch as a result in change in crystal type and higher molecular orientation, resulting in a decrease of diffusion and solubility coefficient. This paper shows how double yield phenomena present in the uni‐axial stretching of the LDPE/LLDPE films affect the permeation properties. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effectiveness of modified atmosphere packaging in preserving a prepared ready‐to‐eat food
Authors: Lee Ki‐Eun , Kim Hae Jin , An Duck Soon , Lyu Eun Soon , Lee Dong Sun
Published: July 2008

The effectiveness of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) was evaluated for a combination prepared food (Korean braised green peppers with dry anchovies). From a preliminary storage test of the ready‐to‐eat dish at 10°C, the aerobic bacterial count on the green peppers was selected as a primary quality index. The effect of MAP with different CO2 concentrations on the product quality at 10°C was also studied. MAP with a CO2 concentration of ≥30% extended the lag time and/or reduced the growth rate of bacteria. Finally, the effect of different storage temperatures (5, 10, 15 or 20°C) on the shelf life of the product was investigated. Mathematical modelling of bacterial growth curves under stretch‐wrap air packaging and MAP with 60% CO2/40% N2 showed that MAP increased the hypothetical minimum temperature in the square root model that describes the temperature dependence of the lag time and growth rate. MAP conditions of 60% CO2/40% N2 extended the shelf life at 10°C by 130% (to 18.4 days) relative to that achieved with stretch‐wrap air packaging (7.9 days) based on the time taken to reach the quality limit of an aerobic bacterial count of 105 CFU/g. The relative extension of shelf life achieved with MAP was greater at lower temperatures. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimating mass and momentum fluxes in a line of cumulonimbus using a single high‐resolution Doppler radar
Authors: Hogan Robin J. , Illingworth Anthony J. , Halladay Kate
Published: July 2008

We present a method to derive the vertical‐wind field at a scale of 1–2 km from a high‐resolution Doppler radar, by performing vertical scans in the plane of the mean wind and tracking turbulent features on a scale of several hundred metres in the radial‐velocity field between consecutive scans. The method is applied to a line of cumulonimbus clouds observed by the high‐resolution Chilbolton radar in southern England. The storm was not a squall line, since it was propagating parallel rather than perpendicular to its length. A sequence of scans was taken over an hour‐long period; from these scans we derive the u and w components of the wind. Updraughts of up to 15 m s−1 are found.

From these observations, the mass flux of a ‘typical’ storm cell was estimated: over the 50 min lifetime of the cell, the total mass of air transported from the boundary layer to the upper troposphere was found to be around 50 megatonnes. The profile of hour‐averaged momentum flux against height was then calculated and compared to the vertical shear of the mean horizontal wind. It was found that above 4.5 km, the momentum flux was down‐gradient, with an equivalent eddy diffusivity of around 103 m2s−1. Below this height, however, the flux was counter‐gradient, with an equivalent eddy diffusivity of around − 103m2s−1. We propose a mechanism to explain this behaviour, involving the prevalence of precipitation cooling and descent on the downshear side of convergence lines.

A synthesis of the major wind flows in the storm reveals that, despite superficial appearance, the storm did not fit the usual multi‐cell paradigm, in which gust fronts play a key roll in triggering new cells downwind. Rather, the convergence lines associated with the convection were more akin to warm frontal surfaces that remain tied to the base of each cell, new cells tending to form upwind of older cells. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
Electrospray tandem mass spectrometry of alendronate analogues: fingerprints for characterization of new potential prodrugs
Authors: Hardouin Julie , Guénin Erwann , Malosse Christian , Caron Michel , Lecouvey Marc
Published: July 2008

1‐Hydroxymethylene‐1,1‐bisphosphonic acids (HMBPs) are important drugs for the treatment of a variety of bone diseases. Since these compounds have no chromophore, their detection is challenging and mass spectrometry (MS) appears to be an appropriate sensitive tool. Our work deals with the analysis by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MSn) of the well‐known nitrogen‐containing HMBP alendronate and of three analogues, considered as potential prodrugs. These four molecules share a common structure with different protecting groups on the phosphonic acid and on the amine functions. We describe the dissociation mechanisms of nitrogen‐containing HMBPs in positive ion mode and we compare, in negative ion mode, our results with literature data. In both modes, the dissociations are essentially losses of ROH, and of phosphorus‐containing species (HPO2, ROP(OH)2 and ROPO(OH)2), where R = H, C6H5, or CH3OC6H5. These fingerprints will be of great value for differentiating alendronate from its potential prodrugs in complex biological mixtures. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Resonance excitation and dynamic collision‐induced dissociation in quadrupole ion traps using higher‐order excitation frequencies
Authors: Laskay Ünige A. , Jackson Glen P.
Published: July 2008

Fragmentation of the pentapeptide leucine enkephalin (YGGFL) is accomplished via higher‐order resonances combined with simultaneous analysis of low‐mass product ions. Two methods of achieving excitation are explored: (1) 0.5 ms resonant excitation at the ω and at Ω‐ω secular frequencies of ion motion (where Ω is the radio‐frequency (rf) drive frequency) in a manner similar to both pulsed q collision‐induced dissociation (PQD) and high amplitude short time excitation (HASTE), and (2) 0.5 ms pulse of the ω or at Ω‐ω excitation frequencies when the secular frequency of the ions is quickly swept across resonance conditions (pulsed q dynamic CID, PqDCID). In both methods of excitation, the rf amplitude on the ring electrode is rapidly decreased after excitation, therefore enabling analysis of low‐mass product ions. Maximum fragmentation efficiencies of ∼20% can be obtained with pulsed CID with both regular and high‐order frequency excitation, while pulsed DCID offers maximum efficiencies of ∼12%. All the excitation methods studied offer increased internal energy depositions when compared to conventional CID, as measured by the a4/b4 product ion ratios of leucine enkephalin. These ratios were as high as 13:1 for pulsed CID and 8:1 for PqDCID. Successful mass analysis of the low‐mass ions is observed with both pulsed CID and PqDCID. The combined benefit of high internal energy deposition and wider dynamic mass range offers the possibility of increased sequence coverage and the identification of unique internal fragments or high‐energy product ions which may provide complementary information to biological applications of conventional CID. This is the first report on deliberate fragmentation of precursor ions at a higher‐order component of the ion secular frequency combined with a successful mass analysis of the low‐mass ions through pulsed CID and PqDCID. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Human Vilyuisk encephalitis
Authors: Lipton Howard L.
Published: July 2008

For more than a century, a type of human encephalomyelitis has been known to affect indigenous people in the Sakha Republic in the Vilyui River Valley in Russia. The clinical features, laboratory findings, neuropathology, epidemiology and search for a causative pathogen are reviewed. One of the agents (Vilyuisk human encephalitis virus; VHEV) implicated in Vilyuisk encephalitis, belongs to a separate clade of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV). The recent discovery of theiloviruses from humans and the complete sequence of the VHEV raise the possibility that Vilyuisk arose from human cases of Vilyuisk encephalitis as a human–TMEV recombinant virus. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Advanced semiconductor diagnosis by multidimensional electron‐beam‐induced current technique
Authors: Chen J. , Yuan X. , Sekiguchi T.
Published: July 2008

We present advanced semiconductor diagnosis by using electron‐beam‐induced current (EBIC) technique. By varying the parameters such as temperature, accelerating voltage (Vacc), bias voltage, and stressing time, it is possible to extend EBIC application from conventional defect characterization to advanced device diagnosis. As an electron beam can excite a certain volume even beneath the surface passive layer, EBIC can be effectively employed to diagnose complicated devices with hybrid structure. Three topics were selected to demonstrate EBIC applications. First, the recombination activities of grain boundaries and their interaction with Fe impurity in photovoltaic multicrystalline Si (mc‐Si) are clarified by temperature‐dependent EBIC. Second, the detection of dislocations between strained‐Si and SiGe virtual substrate are shown to overcome the limitation of depletion region. Third, the observation of leakage sites in high‐k gate dielectric is demonstrated for the characterization of advanced hybrid device structures. SCANNING 30: 347–353, 2008. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Angioarchitecture of the ventral surface of the tongue from Wistar rats
Authors: Verli Flaviana Dornela , Marinho Sandra Aparecida , Rossi‐Schneider Tissiana Rachel , Yurgel Liliane Soares , de Souza Maria Antonieta Lopes
Published: July 2008

The goal of this study was to describe the angioarchitecture of the ventral surface of the tongue from Wistar rats using a vascular corrosion casting technique associated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Six Wistar rats were used for the vascular casting method with Mercox® resin. Following the resin polymerization, the tongue of each animal was dissected and corroded in a 5% sodium hydroxide solution. Once the corrosion and drying of the specimens were completed, the specimens were mounted on aluminum stubs, coated with carbon and gold and analyzed under SEM. The results showed that the ventral surface of the tongue presents simple, even and abundant vasculature constituted by a vascular plexus consisting of a superficial vascular network and by the ranine veins. The superficial vascular network, made up of the ascending and descending branches, presents as a loose network, with little morphological variation between the capillary loops. SCANNING 30: 414–418, 2008. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Efficient broadcast key distribution with dynamic revocation
Authors: Batten Lynn , Yi Xun
Published: July 2008

Many commercial applications of broadcast require that only those users who have paid for the service can retrieve broadcast information. This is usually implemented by distributing a broadcast key to the set of privileged users and then encrypting broadcast information with the key. The set of privileged users is dynamic because users may join or quit the service at various times. Current solutions for efficient broadcast key distribution are usually built on the Shamir secret sharing scheme and implemented with smart cards. All such solutions revoke a pre‐specified number of users only. In this paper, we propose for the first time a broadcast key distribution scheme with the capability of revoking any number of users. The scheme is efficient and can be implemented on Smart Cards with low power setting. Furthermore, it provides authentication of the broadcaster to the receiver, authentication of the receiver to the broadcaster, and authentication of the information sent, and allows traitor tracing. Security analysis shows that our scheme is secure against both passive and active attacks. Performance analysis demonstrates that it is more efficient than other schemes designed for similar purposes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluating assumptions of weighting class methods for partial response using a selection model
Authors: Smith Philip J. , Marsh Lawrence C.
Published: July 2008

In survey sampling, information about the prevalence of a health outcomeYfor a defined target population is frequently obtained using a two‐stage data collection process. In the first stage, households that have members of the target population are identified and socio‐demographic data that are believed to be associated withYare collected. At the end of the first stage of data collection, permission is requested to contact the member's health providers so that accurate information aboutYcan be obtained. When permission is obtained, a second phase of data collection is conducted in which those health providers are contacted andYis obtained. A ‘complete response’ results when data are obtained from both the first and the second phases of the survey. A ‘partial response’ results when data are collected from the first phase, butYis not obtained in the second phase. To adjust for selection bias in estimating the prevalence ofYcaused by partial responders' missingYvalues, potential differences between complete and partial responders are typically taken into account by using weighting class methods. These methods assume that missingYvalues are missing at random (MAR). This paper describes statistical tests for evaluating whether missing data are missing completely at random or MAR. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A nonparametric smoothing method for assessing GEE models with longitudinal binary data
Authors: Lin Kuo‐Chin , Chen Yi‐Ju , Shyr Yu
Published: July 2008

Studies involving longitudinal binary responses are widely applied in the health and biomedical sciences research and frequently analyzed by generalized estimating equations (GEE) method. This article proposes an alternative goodness‐of‐fit test based on the nonparametric smoothing approach for assessing the adequacy of GEE fitted models, which can be regarded as an extension of the goodness‐of‐fit test of le Cessie and van Houwelingen (Biometrics 1991; 47:1267–1282). The expectation and approximate variance of the proposed test statistic are derived. The asymptotic distribution of the proposed test statistic in terms of a scaled chi‐squared distribution and the power performance of the proposed test are discussed by simulation studies. The testing procedure is demonstrated by two real data. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Empirical estimation of life expectancy from large clinical trials: Use of left‐truncated, right‐censored survival analysis methodology
Authors: Nelson Charlotte L. , Sun Jie L. , Tsiatis Anastasios A. , Mark Daniel B.
Published: July 2008

In the current era of ever‐increasing health care costs, economic analyses are an essential component in the comprehensive evaluation of new medical interventions. Cost‐effectiveness analysis (CEA)—the most common form of economic analysis used in medicine—aids policy‐makers in determining how to allocate finite health care dollars among possible alternative therapies. CEA relates the incremental benefits of a new technology to its incremental costs in a cost‐effectiveness (CE) ratio. Although the generally agreed‐upon standard of presentation for the CE ratio is the lifetime perspective (incremental lifetime cost to add one life year), this perspective presents an obvious challenge to the statistical analyst. Most large clinical trials collect limited follow‐up data, and yet their findings form the basis of therapeutic recommendations that often extend far beyond the limits of the empirical data. Although clinical practice guidelines do not yet require explicit modeling to examine the long‐term implications of their recommendations, health policy analyses routinely rely upon such extrapolations. This paper describes methods for using empirical patient‐level data to extrapolate survival in large clinical trials and cohorts beyond a limited follow‐up period in which most patients remain alive in order to estimate the entire survival distribution for a cohort of patients. We accomplish this task through a novel combination of models that estimate the hazard rate not only as a function of time but also as a function of patient age. Extrapolation of survival beyond a limited time frame is made possible by capitalizing on the extensive latitude of survival information available across the range of ages represented in the data. Variations in approach are presented, and issues arising in these analyses are discussed. The proposed methodology is developed, applied, and evaluated in both a large clinical trial cohort with 5‐year follow‐up on over 23 000 patients and a large observational database with long‐term follow‐up on over 4000 patients. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Acute stress and performance in police recruits
Authors: Regehr Cheryl , LeBlanc Vicki , Jelley R. Blake , Barath Irene
Published: July 2008

Emergency personnel consistently work under high‐stress situations, and thus, the question about whether this stress affects performance is critical to the safety of both themselves and the public. However, considerable controversy exists about the influence of stress on performance. This study investigates the association between both biological and psychological manifestations of stress and performance. The study was conducted with 84 police recruits using a high‐fidelity simulation of a policing event in order to try to determine performance in a life‐like workplace environment. Measures included both biological (heart rate and salivary cortisol levels) and psychological (subjective anxiety) indicators of stress. Performance was videotaped and was later evaluated by three expert raters. The results of this study are promising in that neither physiological nor psychological responses impaired performance in a simulated acutely stressful policing situation. On the other hand, those individuals with greater cortisol release showed higher levels of performance, supporting the notion that cortisol can enhance ability in high‐stress situations. Recruits were also asked to subjectively evaluate their performance. A small group of individuals ranked themselves as poor performers while evaluators ranked them highly. These individuals experienced significantly higher increase in subjective distress and significantly higher cortisol levels at baseline and peak. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Acute mental stress responses: neural mechanisms of adverse cardiac consequences
Authors: Esler Murray , Lambert Elisabeth , Alvarenga Marlies
Published: July 2008

It has always seemed plausible that short‐term mental stress can act as a trigger for cardiac catastrophes, but the scientific evidence until recently was unconvincing. Panic disorder provides a special case, illustrating that mental stress responses can be a cause of triggered adverse heart events such as myocardial infarction and sudden death. In recent years systematic evidence has been gathered at times of disasters including war, missile attacks on civilians and earthquakes, which also strongly supports the proposition of an acute mental stress–heart attack link. Do these observations have a generality, applicable to the population at large? The answer is that no doubt they do, a finding reached by several national health bodies deliberating on this previously contested question. In individual personal life, ‘emotional earthquakes’ do occur. Heart attacks have been well documented to be triggered when very distressing news has been received involving family members, by armed robbery, assaults and even sporting teams or racehorses losing narrowly (or even winning) after a gripping struggle. The activation of the sympathetic nerves of the heart is of prime importance in such triggering of cardiac catastrophes by acute mental stress.

It has always seemed plausible that short‐term mental stress can act as a trigger for the development of abnormal heart rhythm and sudden death in patients with existing heart disease. For many years the existence of this relation of acute mental stress to heart attacks was largely based on individual anecdotes such as the celebrated case of the famous 18th‐century English surgeon John Hunter, who wrote that he was at the mercy of any scoundrel who aggravated him, then subsequently proved the point by dying suddenly in the middle of a stormy meeting of the board of his hospital (Figure 1). Key to understanding the mechanisms by which triggering of heart attacks might occur is consideration of the ways in which the sympathetic nervous system and adrenal medulla are engaged in acute mental stress responses. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the implementation of bytecode compression for interpreted languages
Authors: Stefanov Ekaterina , Sloane Anthony M.
Published: July 2008

This paper describes a new method for code space optimization for interpreted languages called LZW‐CC. The method is based on a well‐known and widely used compression algorithm, LZW, which has been adapted to compress executable program code represented as bytecode. Frequently occurring sequences of bytecode instructions are replaced by shorter encodings for newly generated bytecode instructions. The interpreter for the compressed code is modified to recognize and execute those new instructions. When applied to systems where a copy of the interpreter is supplied with each user program, space is saved not only by compressing the program code but also by automatically removing the unused implementation code from the interpreter. The method's implementation within two compiler systems for the programming languages Haskell and Java is described and implementation issues of interest are presented, notably the recalculations of target jumps and the automated tailoring of the interpreter to program code. Applying LZW‐CC to nhc98 Haskell results in bytecode size reduction by up to 15.23% and executable size reduction by up to 11.9%. Java bytecode is reduced by up to 52%. The impact of compression on execution speed is also discussed; the typical speed penalty for Java programs is between 1.8 and 6.6%, while most compressed Haskell executables run faster than the original. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ImprovAbility™ guidelines for low‐maturity organizations
Authors: Christiansen Mads , Johansen Jørn
Published: July 2008

Too many improvement and innovation projects fail. We have studied the characteristics of successful and failed projects. From this study, we derived 20 parameters that influence success and failure. We used the parameters to build the ImprovAbility Model, which is a model that can be used to measure an organization's or a project's ability to succeed with improvement. In this article, we elaborate on selected parameters that have been shown to be important and/or difficult, particularly in low‐maturity organizations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reference node placement and selection algorithm based on trilateration for indoor sensor networks
Authors: Han Guangjie , Choi Deokjai , Lim Wontaek
Published: July 2008

The key problem of location service in indoor sensor networks is to quickly and precisely acquire the position information of mobile nodes. Due to resource limitation of the sensor nodes, some of the traditional positioning algorithms, such as two‐phase positioning (TPP) algorithm, are too complicated to be implemented and they cannot provide the real‐time localization of the mobile node. We analyze the localization error, which is produced when one tries to estimate the mobile node using trilateration method in the localization process. We draw the conclusion that the localization error is the least when three reference nodes form an equilateral triangle. Therefore, we improve the TPP algorithm and propose reference node selection algorithm based on trilateration (RNST), which can provide real‐time localization service for the mobile nodes. Our proposed algorithm is verified by the simulation experiment. Based on the analysis of the acquired data and comparison with that of the TPP algorithm, we conclude that our algorithm can meet real‐time localization requirement of the mobile nodes in an indoor environment, and make the localization error less than that of the traditional algorithm; therefore our proposed algorithm can effectively solve the real‐time localization problem of the mobile nodes in indoor sensor networks. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
GPS determination of walking rates in captive African elephants (Loxodonta africana)
Authors: Leighty Katherine A. , Soltis Joseph , Wesolek Christina M. , Savage Anne , Mellen Jill , Lehnhardt John
Published: July 2008

The movements of elephants in captivity have been an issue of concern for animal welfare activists and zoological professionals alike in recent years. In order to fully understand how movement rates reflect animal welfare, we must first determine the exact distances these animals move in the captive environment. We outfitted seven adult female African elephants (Loxodonta africana) at Disney's Animal Kingdom with collar‐mounted global positioning recording systems to document their movement rates while housed in outdoor guest viewing habitats. Further, we conducted preliminary analyses to address potential factors impacting movement rates including body size, temperature, enclosure size, and social grouping complexity. We found that our elephants moved at an average rate of 0.409±0.007 km/hr during the 9‐hr data collection periods. This rate translates to an average of 3.68 km traveled during the observation periods, at a rate comparable to that observed in the wild. Although movement rate did not have a significant relationship with an individual's body size in this herd, the movements of four females demonstrated a significant positive correlation with temperature. Further, females in our largest social group demonstrated a significant increase in movement rates when residing in larger enclosures. We also present preliminary evidence suggesting that increased social group complexity, including the presence of infants in the herd, may be associated with increased walking rates, whereas factors such as reproductive and social status may constrain movements. Zoo Biol 28:16–28, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.