bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coordination Chemistry of N,N,N′,N′‐Tetraethylpyridine‐2,6‐dithiocarboxamide (S‐dept) – X‐ray Crystal Structures and Magnetic Properties of [Co(S‐dept)X2] (X = Br, I, and NCS)
Authors: Kapoor Ramesh , Kataria Ashok , Venugopalan Paloth , Kapoor Pratibha , Hundal Geeta , Corbella Montserrat
Published: August 2005

Mononuclear cobalt(II) complexes [Co(S‐dept)X2] [X = Br (1), I (2) and NCS (3)] were synthesized using N,N,N′,N′‐tetraethylpyridine‐2,6‐dithiocarboxamide (S‐dept), and characterised by conductivity, spectral and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies. These studies reveal that the compounds consist of discrete monomeric molecules in which the cobalt atoms are five‐coordinate in an environment that is best described as being distorted square‐pyramidal. In dimethylformamide the iodo complex shows significant ionic dissociation (1:1 electrolyte) and its crystal field absorption spectrum is interpretable in terms of an octahedral structure [Co(S‐dept)(DMF)2I]+. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility data is indicative of a high‐spin compound with an important zero‐field splitting. The best fitwas obtained with |D| = 20.5 cm–1 and g = 2.53 for 1, |D| = 14.2 cm–1 and g = 2.38 for 2 and |D| = 17.7 cm–1 and g = 2.35 for 3. The X‐band EPR spectra at low temperature is also characteristic of an S = 3/2 state with important zero‐field splitting. The most important band appears at low fields (ca. 1200 G). (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)
Coexposure to benzo[a]pyrene and UVA induces DNA damage: First proof of double‐strand breaks in a cell‐free system
Authors: Toyooka Tatsushi , Ibuki Yuko , Takabayashi Fumiyo , Goto Rensuke
Published: August 2005

DNA damage induced by solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation plays an important role in the induction of skin cancer. Although UVA constitutes the majority of solar UV radiation, it is less damaging to DNA than UVB. The DNA damage produced by UVA radiation, however, can be augmented in the presence of a photosensitizer. We previously used benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), an environmental carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, as an exogenous photosensitizer, and demonstrated that combined exposure to BaP and UVA resulted in DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs) in cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO‐K1) cells. In this study, we investigated whether coexposure to BaP and UVA induces DSBs in a cell‐free system and whether reactive oxygen species (ROS) were involved in the generation of the DSBs. DSBs were induced by the coexposure both in the cell‐free system (in vitro) and in CHO‐K1 cells (in vivo), but not by treatment with BaP or UVA alone. DSB induction in vitro required higher doses of UVA and BaP than were required in vivo, suggesting that the mechanism of DSB induction differed. A similar difference in efficiency also was observed in the formation of 8‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydro‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐oxodG) by coexposure to BaP and UVA in vitro and in vivo. A singlet oxygen (1O2) scavenger (NaN3) effectively inhibited the production of DSBs and 8‐oxodG, suggesting that 1O2 is a principal ROS generated by BaP and UVA both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, repair‐deficient xrs‐5 cells were more sensitive to coexposure with BaP and UVA than were CHO‐K1 cells, but the two cell lines were equally sensitive to the combined treatment in the presence of NaN3. This result suggested that the cell death produced by coexposure to BaP and UVA was at least partly due to the DSBs generated by 1O2. Our findings indicate that coexposure to BaP and UVA effectively induced DNA damage, especially DSBs, which results in phototoxicity and possibly photocarcinogenesis. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
3,4‐Epoxy‐1‐butene, a reactive metabolite of 1,3‐butadiene, induces somatic mutations in Xpc‐null mice
Authors: Wickliffe J.K. , Galbert L.A. , Ammenheuser M.M. , Herring S.M. , Xie J. , Masters O.E. , Friedberg E.C. , Lloyd R.S. , Ward J.B.
Published: August 2005

Xpc‐null (Xpc−/−) mice, deficient in the global genome repair subpathway of nucleotide excision repair (NER‐GGR), were exposed by intraperitoneal (IP) injection to a 300 mg/kg mutagenic dose of 3,4‐epoxy‐1‐butene (EB), to investigate NER's potential role in repairing butadiene (BD) epoxide DNA lesions. Mutagenic sensitivity was assessed using the Hprt assay. Xpc−/− mice were significantly more sensitive to EB exposure, exhibiting an average 2.8‐fold increase in Hprt mutant frequency (MF) relative to those of exposed Xpc+/+ (wild‐type) mice. As a positive control for NER‐GGR, additional mice were exposed by IP injection to a 150 mg/kg mutagenic dose of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). The Xpc−/− mice had MFs 2.9‐fold higher than those of exposed Xpc+/+ mice. These results suggest that NER‐GGR plays a role in recognizing and repairing some of the DNA adducts formed following in vivo exposure to EB. Additional research is needed to examine the response of Xpc−/− mice, as well as other NER‐deficient strains, to inhaled BD. Furthermore, it is likely that alternative DNA repair pathways also are involved in restoring genomic integrity compromised by BD‐epoxide DNA damage. Collaborative studies are currently underway to address these critical issues. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Multipoint linkage analysis for a very dense set of markers
Authors: Bacanu Silviu‐Alin
Published: August 2005

Multipoint linkage methods are powerful tools that are often employed as the first means to discover alleles affecting liability to diseases. With the advent of dense marker maps, linkage disequilibrium (LD) between markers is inevitable and it comes at the cost of bias and an increased rate of false‐positive findings for linkage analyses that assume alleles of different markers are independent. I propose a “multipoint on subsets” method that avoids this issue by partitioning the markers into interlaced and non‐overlapping subsets. Each subset is analyzed separately, their statistics are then averaged, and the resulting average is standardized by its estimated standard deviation. In addition to being robust to the challenges induced by dependent marker alleles, data simulated under linkage equilibrium show that the proposed method does not suffer any detectable loss of power when compared to traditional methods. Genet. Epidemiol. 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comprehensive analysis of the p53 status in mucosal and cutaneous melanomas
Authors: Gwosdz Christian , Scheckenbach Kathrin , Lieven Oliver , Reifenberger Julia , Knopf Andreas , Bier Henning , Balz Vera
Published: August 2005

The abrogation of the function of the “gatekeeper of the genome”, p53, is the most prevalent molecular alteration in solid human tumors. Regarding melanomas the involvement of p53 alterations is discussed controversially to date. In order to evaluate the status of p53 in detail, primary tumors and metastases of 63 sporadic cutaneous (CM) and mucosal (MuM) melanomas were examined by immunohistochemistry and sequence analysis of the entire coding region of the p53 transcript, i.e., exons 2 to 11. In addition, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and loss of allele‐specific transcription (LOT) were determined. Accumulation of the p53 protein occurred in most of the CM and MuM specimens (71% and 58%, respectively). In contrast, protein stabilizing p53 mutations were observed in 14% of the CM and no mutation was found in MuM specimens. Two of the aberrations located outside the core domain. LOH was detected in 22% CM and 58% MuM, and LOT in 25% of the CM specimens. The genotype distribution at the polymorphic p53 codon 72 in melanoma patients differed significantly from control subjects. The calculation of odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) indicated an increased risk for developing cutaneous melanomas in individuals carrying the Pro‐coding allele. Altogether, aberrant p53 expression appears to be a common event in both CM and MuM. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Body size and risk of renal cell carcinoma in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)
Authors: Pischon Tobias , Lahmann Petra H. , Boeing Heiner , Tjønneland Anne , Halkjær Jytte , Overvad Kim , Klipstein‐Grobusch Kerstin , Linseisen Jakob , Becker Nikolaus , Trichopoulou Antonia , Benetou Vassiliki , Trichopoulos Dimitrios , Sieri Sabina , Palli Domenico , Tumino Rosario , Vineis Paolo , Panico Salvatore , Monninkhof Evelyn , Peeters Petra H.M. , Bueno‐de‐Mesquita H. Bas , Büchner Frederike L. , Ljungberg Börje , Hallmans Göran , Berglund Göran , Gonzalez Carlos Alberto , Dorronsoro Miren , Gurrea Aurelio Barricarte , Navarro Carmen , Martinez Carmen , Quirós J. Ramón , Roddam Andrew , Allen Naomi , Bingham Sheila , Khaw Kay‐Tee , Kaaks Rudolf , Norat Teresa , Slimani Nadia , Riboli Elio
Published: August 2005

Previous studies suggest that obesity is related to increased risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC); however, only a few studies report on measures of central vs. peripheral adiposity. We examined the association between anthropometric measures, including waist and hip circumference and RCC risk among 348,550 men and women free of cancer at baseline from 8 countries of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). During 6.0 years of follow‐up we identified 287 incident cases of RCC. Relative risks were calculated using Cox regression, stratified by age and study center and adjusted for smoking status, education, alcohol consumption, physical activity, menopausal status, and hormone replacement therapy use. Among women, an increased risk of RCC was conferred by body weight (relative risk [RR] in highest vs. lowest quintile = 2.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16–3.90; p‐trend = 0.003), body mass index (BMI) (RR = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.14–4.44; p‐trend = 0.009), and waist (RR = 1.67; 95% CI = 0.94–2.98; p‐trend = 0.003) and hip circumference (RR = 2.30; 95% CI = 1.22–4.34; p‐trend = 0.01); however, waist and hip circumference were no longer significant after controlling for body weight. Among men, hip circumference (RR = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.20–0.98; p‐trend = 0.03) was related significantly to decreased RCC risk only after accounting for body weight. Height was not related significantly to RCC risk. Our findings suggest that obesity is related to increased risk of RCC irrespective of fat distribution among women, whereas low hip circumference is related to increased RCC risk among men. Our data give further credence to public health efforts aiming to reduce the prevalence of obesity to prevent RCC, in addition to other chronic diseases. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Polymorphism of Xeroderma Pigmentosum group G and the risk of lung cancer and squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx, larynx and esophagus
Authors: Cui Yan , Morgenstern Hal , Greenland Sander , Tashkin Donald P. , Mao Jenny , Cao Wei , Cozen Wendy , Mack Thomas M. , Zhang Zuo‐Feng
Published: August 2005

We investigated the effects of XPG His1104Asp polymorphism (rs17655) on the risk of lung cancer and squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx, larynx and esophagus (SCCOLE). This population‐based case‐control study involves 611 new cases of lung cancer, 601 new cases of oropharyngeal, laryngeal and esophageal cancers, and 1,040 cancer‐free controls. The XPG polymorphism was assayed by PCR‐RFLP method for 497 lung cancer cases, 443 cases of oropharyngeal, laryngeal and esophageal cancers and 912 controls. Binary and polytomous unconditional logistic regression models were fitted to assess the main effects and the effect modifications between the polymorphism and environmental exposures. With the adjustment for potential confounders, the XPG Asp1104Asp genotype was inversely associated with lung cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 0.62, 95% confidence limits [CL] = 0.38, 1.0) and SCCOLE (OR = 0.47, 95% CL = 0.27, 0.82), with the combined His1104His and His1104Asp genotypes as the referent. With subjects having genotype Asp1104Asp and no tobacco smoking exposure as the common referent, the ORs on lung cancer were 13 (95% CL = 4.4, 37) for heavy tobacco smoking (>20 pack‐years), 1.9 (95% CL = 0.78, 4.5) for having at least one copy of 1104His, and 23 (95% CL = 9.5, 56) for the joint effect, respectively. Compared to non‐smokers with the Asp1104Asp genotype, the adjusted OR on SCCOLE for heavy smokers (>20 pack‐years) having at least one copy of 1104His was 8.0 (95% CL = 2.7, 24). Similarly, compared to non‐drinkers with the Asp1104Asp genotype, the adjusted OR on SCCOLE for heavy drinkers (≥3 drinks/day) with at least one copy of 1104His was 10 (95% CL = 2.7, 38). In conclusion, our study suggests that the XPG Asp1104Asp genotype may be associated with decreased susceptibility to lung cancer and SCCOLE. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hydrolytic degradation behavior of biodegradable polyetheresteramide‐based polyurethane copolymers
Authors: Liu CaiBing , Gu YingChun , Qian ZhiYong , Fan LinYu , Li Jun , Chao GuoTao , Tu MingJing , Jia WenJuan
Published: August 2005

In this article, a new kind of biodegradable polyetheresteramide‐based polyurethane (PEEA‐U) copolymers were prepared by the melt polycondensation method from ϵ‐caprolactone, 6‐aminocaproic acid, poly(ethylene glycol), and toluene diisocyanate. The water absorption of PEEA‐U was affected strongly by the reaction time and the content of chain extender; and the hydrolytic degradation behavior of the copolymers was mainly determined by the reaction time, chain extender content, and the pH value of the degradation medium. Also, DSC, 1H‐NMR, and inherent viscosity were used to characterize the degradation behavior of the copolymers. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2005
Ab initio and DFT benchmark study for nucleophilic substitution at carbon (SN2@C) and silicon (SN2@Si)
Authors: Bento A. Patrícia , Solà Miquel , Bickelhaupt F. Matthias
Published: August 2005

To obtain a set of consistent benchmark potential energy surfaces (PES) for the two archetypal nucleophilic substitution reactions of the chloride anion at carbon in chloromethane (SN2@C) and at silicon in chlorosilane (SN2@Si), we have explored these PESes using a hierarchical series of ab initio methods [HF, MP2, MP4SDQ, CCSD, CCSD(T)] in combination with a hierarchical series of six Gaussian‐type basis sets, up to g polarization. Relative energies of stationary points are converged to within 0.01 to 0.56 kcal/mol as a function of the basis‐set size. Our best estimate, at CCSD(T)/aug‐cc‐pVQZ, for the relative energies of the [Cl−, CH3Cl] reactant complex, the [ClCH3Cl]− transition state and the stable [ClSiH3Cl]− transition complex is −10.42, +2.52, and −27.10 kcal/mol, respectively. Furthermore, we have investigated the performance for these reactions of four popular density functionals, namely, BP86, BLYP, B3LYP, and OLYP, in combination with a large doubly polarized Slater‐type basis set of triple‐ζ quality (TZ2P). Best overall agreement with our CCSD(T)/aug‐cc‐pVQZ benchmark is obtained with OLYP and B3LYP. However, OLYP performs better for the SN2@C overall and central barriers, which it underestimates by 2.65 and 4.05 kcal/mol, respectively. The other DFT approaches underestimate these barriers by some 4.8 (B3LYP) to 9.0 kcal/mol (BLYP). © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 26: 1497–1504, 2005
An extremal problem for H‐linked graphs
Authors: Kostochka Alexandr , Yu Gexin
Published: August 2005

We introduce the notion of H‐linked graphs, where H is a fixed multigraph with vertices w1,…,wm. A graph G is H‐linked if for every choice of vertices υ1,…, υm in G, there exists a subdivision of H in G such that υi is the branch vertex representing wi (for all i). This generalizes the notions of k‐linked, k‐connected, and k‐ordered graphs. Given k and n ≥ 5k+6, we determine the least integer d such that, for every loopless graph H with k edges and minimum degree at least two, every n‐vertex graph with minimum degree at least d is H‐linked. This value D1(k,n) appears to equal the least integer d′ such that every n‐vertex graph with minimum degree at least d′ is k‐connected. On the way to the proof, we extend a theorem by Kierstead et al. on the least integer d˝ such that every n‐vertex graph with minimum degree at least d˝ is k‐ordered. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Structural features of forming and developing blood capillaries of the enamel organ of rat molar tooth germs observed by light and electron microscopy
Authors: Manzke E. , Katchburian E. , Faria F.P. , Freymüller E.
Published: August 2005

The process of vascularization of the enamel organ, a unique epithelial structure, occurs when the tooth germ is fully developed, i.e., at the onset of dentinogenesis. Although the three‐dimensional organization of the capillaries has been previously investigated, the structural features underlying the formation of the new capillaries remains poorly understood. Thus, in the hope of better understanding the mechanism of formation of the stellate reticulum capillaries, upper first molar tooth germs of newborn and 3‐day‐old rats were fixed in glutaraldehyde‐formaldehyde and processed for light and electron microscopy. Our results showed that blood capillaries are initially in close proximity to the outer enamel epithelium. Between and intercalated with the capillaries are round/ovoid clusters of cells, some of which are vacuolated, closely apposed to the outer enamel epithelium. The outer enamel epithelium is not a continuous layer, but exhibits gaps between the cells. This suggests that the capillaries penetrate the enamel organ through these gaps, since no invagination of the epithelium was observed. The presence of a cluster of cells containing vacuoles suggests that vasculogenesis is taking place. Images showing loss of the basal lamina, proliferation of endothelial cells, presence of filopodia and lateral sprouting suggests that angiogenesis is also occurring. Thus, neoformation of capillaries of the molar enamel organ of rat seems to occur simultaneously by mechanisms of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. J. Morphol. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nitroxide‐Mediated Radical Polymerization in Miniemulsion at Stationary State: Rationale for Independence of Polymerization Rate on Nitroxide Partitioning Using Oil‐Phase Initiation
Authors: Zetterlund Per B. , Okubo Masayoshi
Published: August 2005

Summary: Simulations based on the kinetics and mechanism of nitroxide‐mediated free radical polymerization (NMP) have been carried out in order to understand the hitherto largely unexplained effects (or lack thereof) of nitroxide partitioning in aqueous miniemulsion NMP. The focus has been on the miniemulsion NMP of styrene mediated by TEMPO and 4‐hydroxy‐TEMPO, two nitroxides with very similar activation‐deactivation equilibria, but very different organic phase‐aqueous phase partition coefficients. The general conclusion is that the organic phase propagating radical and nitroxide concentrations are unaffected by the partition coefficient in the stationary state, but the rate of polymerization and the extent of bimolecular termination increase with increasing nitroxide water solubility in the pre‐stationary state region. Specific NMP systems are, therefore, affected differently by nitroxide partitioning depending on whether polymerization predominantly occurs in the stationary state or not, which in turn is governed mainly by the activation‐deactivation equilibrium constant and the rate of thermal initiation.

Simulated organic‐phase propagating radical concentrations in the presence of thermal initiation for TEMPO‐mediated miniemulsion free radical polymerization of styrene for different nitroxide partitioning coefficients at 125 °C.

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Simulated organic‐phase propagating radical concentrations in the presence of thermal initiation for TEMPO‐mediated miniemulsion free radical polymerization of styrene for different nitroxide partitioning coefficients at 125 °C.
Utility of ultrasound stimulation for activation of pig oocytes matured in vitro
Authors: Sato Keisuke , Yoshida Mitsutoshi , Miyoshi Kazuchika
Published: August 2005

The present study was carried out to examine the development of pig oocytes after exposing to ultrasound under various conditions. When oocytes were exposed to ultrasound in the sorbitol medium, the blastocyst formation rate was significantly (P < 0.01) higher than that of oocytes exposed in HEPES–TLP–PVA. Optison, an echo‐contrast microbubble, prevented the development into blastocysts of oocytes exposed to ultrasound in the sorbitol medium (P < 0.01). The mean number of cells in the blastocysts developed from oocytes exposed to ultrasound with 10% duty cycle was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that obtained by using ultrasound with 50% duty cycle. The blastocyst formation rate of oocytes exposed to ultrasound for 30 sec was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that exposed for 10 sec. There were no significant differences in the rates of oocytes developed to the blastocyst stage and the mean numbers of cells in the blastocysts among different intensities of ultrasound. The pronuclear formation and second polar body extrusion rates of oocytes exposed to ultrasound did not differ from eclectically activated oocytes. Although there was no significant difference in the blastocyst formation rates between different activation methods, the mean number of cells in the blastocysts developed from oocytes activated by exposing to ultrasound was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that obtained by applying electric pulses. The results of the present study showed that ultrasound stimulation can induce the nuclear activation and parthenogenetic development of pig oocytes matured in vitro. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Predictors of noninvasive ventilation tolerance in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Gruis K. L. , Brown D. L. , Schoennemann A. , Zebarah V. A. , Feldman E. L.
Published: August 2005

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) appears to improve survival and quality of life in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but little is known about predictors of NIV tolerance. NIV use was assessed and clinical predictors of tolerance were investigated, using predictive modeling, in ALS patients diagnosed and followed in our clinic until death over a 4‐year time period. Patients were prescribed NIV based on current practice parameters when respiratory symptoms were present or forced vital capacity was less than 50%. We prescribed NIV in 52% (72) of patients. For those prescribed NIV, information regarding tolerance was available for 50 patients, with 72% (36) tolerant to its use. Tolerance was six times more likely in limb‐onset than bulbar‐onset ALS patients, with a trend toward reduced tolerance in those with lower forced vital capacity at NIV initiation. Age, gender, and duration of disease were not predictors of NIV tolerance. We conclude that a majority of ALS patients who are prescribed NIV can successfully become tolerant to its use. Muscle Nerve, 2005
Myasthenia gravis and myasthenic syndrome: Simulation of twitch strength with or without therapy
Authors: Nigrovic Vladimir , Amann Anton , Bhatt Shashi
Published: August 2005

To examine the quantitative relationship between indirectly evoked twitch and decreases in the number of either postsynaptic receptors or acetylcholine molecules released by a single stimulus, we studied these variables in a computer‐simulated model of neuromuscular transmission. Twitch strength decreased if the number of receptors decreased to below 30% of normal or the number of acetylcholine molecules released by a stimulus decreased to below 80%. Inhibition of acetylcholine hydrolysis to 50% restored twitch strength in the presence of a decreased number of receptors. However, twitch strength was more easily restored to normalcy by augmenting the release of acetylcholine, if the release was diminished by disease. The simulations mimic the clinically known therapeutic outcomes in certain disorders of neuromuscular transmission. These results provide useful quantitative insights into the relationship between acetylcholine receptors or the stimulus‐induced release of acetylcholine and muscle function in myasthenia gravis or Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome. Muscle Nerve, 2005
Identification of immunodominant autoantigens in rat autoimmune orchitis
Authors: Fijak Monika , Iosub Radu , Schneider Eva , Linder Monika , Respondek Kathrin , Klug Jörg , Meinhardt Andreas
Published: August 2005

Infection and inflammation of the genital tract are amongst the leading causes of male infertility. Experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) in the rat serves as a model for the investigation of inflammatory testicular impairment. In this study, experiments were conducted to identify the molecules that are responsible for eliciting the autoimmune attack on the testis. EAO was induced in in‐bred Wistar rats by active immunization with testis homogenates (EAO group I). Development of disease was observed using histological techniques and a new non‐invasive three‐dimensional (3D) imaging technology for in vivo monitoring, termed flat‐panel volumetric computed tomography (fpvCT). Examination of control and EAO testes demonstrated the superior image quality of high‐resolution fpvCT. A proteomics approach using 2D SDS‐PAGE and immunoblotting analysis with EAO sera identified 12 spots. Seven were subsequently identified by mass spectrometry as heat shock proteins 60 (Hsp60) and 70 (Hsp70), disulphide isomerase ER‐60, alpha‐1‐anti‐trypsin, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein H1 (hnRNP H1), sperm outer dense fibre major protein 2 (ODF‐2), and phosphoglycerate kinase 1. Hsp70, ODF‐2, hnRNP H1, and ER‐60 were identified by all EAO sera studied. To test the capacity of the identified proteins to elicit testicular autoimmune disease, recombinant proteins were used either individually or in combination to immunize rats (EAO group II). In all groups, the incidence of EAO was 25%. Inflammatory‐type (ED1+) and resident (ED2+) macrophages, lymphocytes (CD45RA+), and dendritic cells (Ox‐62+) were strongly increased in EAO group II animals, comparable to the testes of EAO I rats. Pre‐immunization with a low dose of recombinant Hsp 70, hnRNP H1 or ODF‐2 before induction of EAO with testis homogenate significantly delayed the onset of EAO but could not prevent disease. The identification of testicular autoantigens will allow a better understanding of disease pathogenesis and could provide a basis for the development of novel therapies for inflammation‐based male infertility. Copyright © 2005 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Attracting top talent and retaining stars
Authors: Looney Claudia A. , Looney James K.
Published: August 2005

The fundraising profession has grown dramatically over four decades. It is now more important than ever before to attract and keep top talent.
Effect of aging time on properties of acrylic impact modifier modified bisphenol A polycarbonate
Authors: Tan Z. Y. , Sun S. L. , Xu X. F. , Zhou C. , Ao Y. H. , Zhang H. X.
Published: August 2005

Polycarbonate (PC) was blended with acrylic impact modifiers (AIMs). The effects of modifiers weight fraction on the Izod impact strength and yield strength of PC/AIM blends were investigated. The samples with 4% modifiers were aged under the Tg of PC in an air‐circulating oven, and the effects of aging time on impact strength, yield strength, modulus, elongation at break, post yield stress drop (PYSD) values, and morphology of fracture surface were investigated. The effects of aging time on the shape of stress–strain curve were also investigated. The aged samples were heat‐treated over the Tg of PC to erase the effects of physical aging. It was found that the drop of impact strength caused by physical aging can be recovered, the increment of yield strength and PYSD value caused by physical aging can only be partly recovered, and the heat‐treatment over the Tg of PC caused further increment of modulus. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2715–2724, 2005
Support of decision making by data mining using neural system
Authors: Okuhara Koji , Ishii Hiroaki , Uchida Makoto
Published: August 2005

In this paper, the environmental factors surrounding fruit trees are used as the explanatory variables, and the factors concerning the quality of the agricultural produce are used as the explained variables. The observed data are analyzed. The object of analysis is the Onshu orange (mandarin orange). The purposes of this paper are analysis of the effect of environmental factors on product quality, the target value settings for the controllable environmental factors in order to produce high‐quality products, and evaluation of the cultivation environment for each item. A system for data analysis is proposed which extracts the useful information for the decision‐making such as cultivation management, as well as harvest/shipping planning, from the observed data. The system uses a probabilistic neural network and learns the mapping from the describing variables consisting of observed data to the explained variables. By superposing the acquired knowledge, inverse modeling can be performed. It is shown that by using the proposed system, multivariate nonlinear inverse mapping can be realized instead of the linear inverse regression estimation used in conventional single regression analysis. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 36(11): 102–110, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.10577
Flow analysis of internet traffic: World Wide Web versus peer‐to‐peer
Authors: Mori Tatsuya , Uchida Masato , Goto Shigeki
Published: August 2005

Peer‐to‐peer (P2P) applications have been expanding rapidly in recent years, and the contribution of P2P to present Internet traffic is close to that of the World Wide Web (WWW). In this study, the flow of WWW and P2P traffic is analyzed by network measurement. The characteristics of WWW and P2P are examined, especially in terms of the flow arrival interval, flow duration, flow size, and flow rate. Based on the results of the analysis, the effect of a P2P flow increase on the overall traffic characteristics is investigated. The results of this study will be utilized in network design, proposals for control procedures, and traffic modeling, considering the traffic characteristics of particular applications. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 36(11): 70–81, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.20283
A performance model for biometrics identification systems
Authors: Maeda Takuji , Matsushita Masahito , Sasakawa Koichi
Published: August 2005

When creating a biometrics identification system, it is important to verify that the estimated performance for the system satisfies the target performance for the required matching precision and response speed. As a result, a model that can quantitatively assess the performance of the identification system is essential. The performance of an identification system using identification (one‐to‐many matching) is different from the performance of an identification system using one‐to‐one matching. Performance varies not only with the rate of false nonmatches and the rate of false matches, but also with the distribution of the number of searches and the number of search interruptions. In this paper, the authors create a model to assess performance in a matching system overall. In addition, by applying to a matching performance model the search matching algorithm (high‐speed) proposed by the authors and a general linear search algorithm, the authors are able to clarify the effects on search matching precision of the distribution of the number of searches, the number of search interruptions, and the number of registration data records. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 36(11): 60–69, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.20310
Mobile agent system for Web service integration in pervasive network
Authors: Ishikawa Fuyuki , Yoshioka Nobukazu , Honiden Shinichi
Published: August 2005

Efforts to realize Web service technology for dynamic integration of distributed components have been started. There is also a proposal for a language that describes the integration flow in a platform‐independent form. It is expected that Web service integration will be applied not only to the Internet, but also to various environments such as pervasive networks composed of mobile devices with wireless connections. In the latter case, it is necessary to deal with resource saving problems such as those that arise in a relatively low speed and unstable wireless channel. This study applies the mobile agent technique to the above problem and proposes a mobile agent system for Web service integration. In the proposed system, the physical actions of the mobile agents, that is, migration and cloning, are separated from the integration logic, and are represented as rules to be added to the integration flow description. By this separation, the physical behavior can be added or modified according to environmental conditions without modifying the integration flow. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 36(11): 34–48, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.20334
Gastric Cancer Precursor Lesions and Helicobacter pylori Infection in Patients with Partial Gastrectomy for Peptic Ulcer
Authors: Giuliani Andrea , Caporale Alessandro , Demoro Martino , Benvenuto Eugenio , Scarpini Massimo , Spada Sebastiano , Angelico Francesco
Published: August 2005

The mucosa of the gastric stump is considered at greater risk of dysplastic and neoplastic changes than that of the intact stomach. The combination of enteric reflux and Helicobacter pylori infection may have a synergistic damaging effect on the mucosa of the gastric remnant, both producing and increasing mucosal proliferation. The aim of this study was to assess whether the occurrence of H. pylori infection in the remnant mucosa of partially gastrectomized subjects for peptic ulcer disease is associated with an increase of the mucosal precursor lesions of malignancy. A series of 151 subjects who underwent partial gastrectomy for peptic ulcer disease were submitted to upper digestive endoscopy for long‐term surveillance. Biopsy specimens of the gastric stump were tested for the occurrence of H. pylori infection and for the presence of precancerous mucosal lesions. The prevalence of H. pylori colonization in the remnant stomach was less than 30% and similar in subjects with different time intervals between gastrectomy and endoscopy. Age at surgery (χ2: p = 0.03) and H. pylori infection (χ2: p = 0.002) were significantly associated with the grading of mucosal lesions. The prevalence of normal mucosa was 10 times higher in H. pylori‐negative patients as in H. pylori‐positive ones (22.0% vs. 2.4%), and the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia was four times higher in H. pylori‐positive patients than in H. pylori‐negative ones (19.6% vs. 4.6%). We concluded that H. pylori infection may play a causal role in the development of gastric lesions in the operated stomach.
Population ecology of the endangered butterfliesMaculinea teleiusandM. nausithousand the implications for conservation
Authors: Nowicki Piotr , Witek Madgalena , Skórka Piotr , Settele Josef , Woyciechowski Michal
Published: August 2005

Butterflies of the genusMaculineaare highly endangered in Europe. The cuckoo speciesM. rebelihas been thoroughly investigated through both empirical and modelling studies, but less is known about the population ecology of predatoryMaculinea. We present the findings of a 2‐year research study on sympatric populations of two endangered butterflies:Maculinea teleiusandM. nausithousin the Kraków region, southern Poland. The study comprised mark–release–recapture sampling and laboratory rearing of butterflies from larvae collected in the field. For both species the sex ratio was slightly, but consistently, female‐biased and there was little year‐to‐year change in the seasonal population sizes. Daily numbers showed greater variation between the 2 years of the study due to the differences in daily survival rate. The average life span of laboratory‐raised butterflies kept in ideal conditions was more than 6 days, compared to only 2–3 days in the field. The recruitment of both males and females consistently followed a bimodal pattern. A small proportion of individuals (maximum 25%) changed sites, in spite of relatively short distances of ca. 100 m separating them. The results indicate that populations of both species are typically stable within their sites, possibly due to larval polymorphism, but there is little inter‐site mobility and thus landscape corridors seem necessary to enhance metapopulation viability. A further problem to be considered in the conservation ofMaculineabutterflies is the fact that their very short life span in relation to flight‐period length reduces the effective population size.
Where does male‐to‐male “aggression” compromise “cooperation”?
Authors: Saito Yutaka , Mori Kotaro
Published: August 2005

We discuss how the diverse nature of aggression and cooperation can be understood if we focus our attention on where aggression reaches a compromise with non‐aggression and/or cooperation in response to the relatedness between interactors. First we address whether Hamilton's rule explains the variation in male‐to‐male aggressiveness. Next we show that the variation in aggression and cooperation known in males of social spider mites (Saito, Evolution 49:413–417,1995) can be explained by the change in relatedness (i.e. inclusive fitness) and effect of cooperative defence (synergistic effect). Then we learn that there is a sufficient condition of cooperation, which is determined primarily by two factors: the relatedness and synergistic effect of males. Furthermore, we expect that there is a condition where the aggression between males varies, depending upon how close the values of relatedness are to those of the sufficient condition of cooperation.
A vegetation change during a 20‐year period following two continuous disturbances (mass‐dieback of pine trees and typhoon damage) in the Pinus‐Schima secondary forest on Chichijima in the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands: which won, advanced saplings or new seedlings?
Authors: Shimizu Yoshikazu
Published: August 2005

Three permanent plots (P1, P2, and P3) were established in the Pinus luchuensis‐Schima mertensiana forest on Chichijima in the Ogasawara Islands. The complete process of the mass‐dieback of the pine trees in the early 1980s and the consequences of the typhoon damage in 1983 were surveyed for 20 years (1980–1999) together with the vegetation recovery following these disturbances. The stem height and the growth condition of all the seedlings and saplings (P1: 1,632, P2: 1,681, and P3: 931) were recorded, and the relative light intensity and the weight of the A0 layer were measured each year. Dead pine trees fell down and rotted gradually. In P1 and P2, the 1983 typhoon inflicted extensive damage to the canopy; the gap area ratio in the canopy was 60.1% and 58.1%, respectively. Trema orientalis seedlings emerged from buried seed concurrently in 1984, but they almost all died within a few years in P2. Many seedlings of S. mertensiana germinated in 1985 and 1986 in P1 and P2, and Psidium cattleianum (an introduced species) followed, especially in P2. Psidium attained a dominant position in the canopy of P2 as a result of the disturbances. In contrast, the structure and composition of the forest in P3, which consisted of emergent trees of Casuarina equisetifolia, did not change to any large extent. All of the individuals found in the plots, with the exception of the parent trees, were classified as advanced saplings (existing from 1980) and new seedlings (germinated during the survey period), and survival rates at 1, 10, and 20 years and growth following the disturbances were compared between them. By 1999, the advanced saplings, but not the new seedlings, overwhelmingly occupied the vacant spaces created in the canopy. Some seedlings became new advanced saplings following the disturbances. Based on these results, a two‐step regeneration model that is related to the disturbances is proposed.
Structural domains in RNAi
Authors: Collins Robert E. , Cheng Xiaodong
Published: August 2005

Structural and biochemical studies have begun to elucidate the pathway of RNA silencing that leads to the formation of the RISC complex. The outstanding feature of this pathway is the precise recognition and processing of double‐stranded RNA. We present a review of recent structures that illustrate the molecular mechanisms contributing to these two related functions, highlighting models of Drosha, Dicer, and RISC function.
Myositis Ossificans Traumatica of the Thenar Region
Authors: JAYASEKERA N. , JOSHY S. , NEWMAN-SANDERS A.
Published: August 2005

Myositis ossificans of the hand is extremely rare. We report an unusual case of myositis ossificans of the thenar muscles and discuss the diagnostic pitfalls whereby this condition can be mistaken for malignancy or infection.
Guided self-help for bulimia nervosa in primary care: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: BANASIAK SUSAN J. , PAXTON SUSAN J. , HAY PHILLIPA
Published: August 2005

Background. To increase access to cognitive behavioural therapy for bulimia nervosa new delivery modes are being examined. Guided Self-Help (GSH) in primary care is potentially valuable in this respect. This research aimed to compare outcomes following GSH delivered by general practitioners (GPs) in the normal course of their practice to a delayed treatment control (DTC) condition, and to examine the maintenance of treatment gains at 3 and 6 months following completion of GSH.

Method. Participants were 109 women with full syndrome or sub-threshold bulimia nervosa, randomly allocated to GSH (n=54) and DTC (n=55). The GSH group received direction and support from a GP over a 17-week period while working through the manual in Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating: A Guide to Recovery by P. J. Cooper (1995). GSH and DTC groups were assessed pre-treatment and 1 week following the 17-week intervention or waiting interval. The GSH group was reassessed at 3- and 6-month follow-up.

Results. Intention-to-treat analyses at end of treatment revealed significant improvements in bulimic and psychological symptoms in GSH compared with DTC, reduction in mean frequency of binge-eating episodes by 60% in GSH and 6% in DTC, and remission from all binge-eating and compensatory behaviours in 28% of the GSH and 11% of the DTC sample. Treatment gains were maintained at 3- and 6-month follow-up.

Conclusion. Outcomes in GSH compare favourably with those of specialist-delivered psychological treatments. These findings are considered in light of the nature of the therapy offered and the primary care context.
MIGRAINE IN PREGNANCY
Authors: DAS SYAM , MUHASSEB MOHAMED K , LOUGHNEY ANDREW D
Published: August 2005

Reference to people suffering bouts of severe headache with associated vomiting and visual aura may be found in texts that date back 5000 years but the first clear description of migraine as a distinct clinical entity was provided by Aretaeus of Cappadocia in the second century AD. Today, at least 80% of women experience headaches in adult life and in approximately a quarter of these cases the pain is recurrent and incapacitating. When each episode of headache lasts between 4 and 72 hours and is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, photophobia or phonophobia, the symptoms fulfil the International Headache Society's current definition of the syndrome called migraine, detailed in Table 1.
HARVESTING FETAL CELLS FROM THE MATERNAL CIRCULATION
Authors: McEWAN ALEC
Published: August 2005

Schmorl is generally credited with being the first to report finding fetal cells in maternal blood. In 1893 he identified trophoblasts in the pulmonary circulation of women who had died of eclampsia. Years later, in 1969, Walnowska identified Y chromosomes in lymphocytes isolated from the blood of pregnant women carrying male fetuses and this was repeated by Herzenberg in 1979 in white blood cells recognised as fetal by their surface HLA-A2 expression. Other sporadic reports followed but not until the 1990's did investigation into harvesting fetal cells from maternal blood begin in earnest. The aim of this article is to review the progress made in isolating and analysing these cells for the purposes of prenatal diagnosis.
Energy sources of field‐aligned currents: Auroral electron energization
Authors: Wright Andrew N.
Published: August 2005

The electron acceleration region in field‐aligned currents is considered not as an isolated system but as being embedded in a global circuit. Such a view permits clear identification of the “generator region” and the energy source driving the currents. The global perspective permits a critical appraisal of the appropriateness of using an electric potential to describe the electron acceleration and of criticisms of steady potential acceleration models. We find that ion energy is the source of electron acceleration and that in practice, an electric potential can be useful and appropriate for some circuits.
An ice‐cream cone model for coronal mass ejections
Authors: Xue X. H. , Wang C. B. , Dou X. K.
Published: August 2005

In this study, we use an ice‐cream cone model to analyze the geometrical and kinematical properties of the coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Assuming that in the early phase CMEs propagate with near‐constant speed and angular width, some useful properties of CMEs, namely the radial speed (v), the angular width (α), and the location at the heliosphere, can be obtained considering the geometrical shapes of a CME as an ice‐cream cone. This model is improved by (1) using an ice‐cream cone to show the near real configuration of a CME, (2) determining the radial speed via fitting the projected speeds calculated from the height‐time relation in different azimuthal angles, (3) not only applying to halo CMEs but also applying to nonhalo CMEs.
Generation of metastable helium and the 1083 nm emission in the upper thermosphere
Authors: Waldrop L. S. , Kerr R. B. , González S. A. , Sulzer M. P. , Noto J. , Kamalabadi F.
Published: August 2005

Models of metastable helium, He(23S), production in the upper thermosphere and lower exosphere show that creation by recombination of He+ may be nonnegligible relative to the photoelectron impact on He(11S) source. Owing to large ground state He abundance in the winter and to photoelectrons from an illuminated conjugate thermosphere, the strongest 1083 nm intensities (arising from He(23S) solar resonance) occur during the winter at Arecibo. During late spring and early fall, however, recombination of the nighttime He+ layer begins to compete as a source of metastable He, and the contribution to the early twilight 1083 nm airglow brightness from recombinant He(23S) reaches more than 10%, regardless of solar activity levels, and becomes increasingly dominant for solar zenith angles greater than 105°. A hot metastable component from recombination potentially renders ambiguous interpretation of the 1083 nm spectral profile in terms of exospheric temperature. The presence of such a population may explain reported observations of 1083 nm line widths that increase with shadow height, implying twilight temperatures much hotter than those expected of a thermalized neutral population.