bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metastatic melanoma to lymph nodes in patients with unknown primary sites
Authors: Cormier Janice N. , Xing Yan , Feng Lei , Huang Xuelin , Davidson Latunya , Gershenwald Jeffrey E. , Lee Jeffrey E. , Mansfield Paul F. , Ross Merrick I.
Published: March 2006

BACKGROUND

The natural history of metastatic melanoma in lymph nodes in the absence of a known primary site (MUP) has been defined poorly; thus, treatment guidelines for patients with MUP are not clear‐cut.

METHODS

The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with melanoma (from 1990 to 2001) who underwent surgical resection for melanoma metastatic to regional lymph nodes. Among those patients, 71 patients with MUP and 466 control patients who had regional lymph node metastases of similar stage with a known primary site were identified. Associations between clinicopathologic factors and survival were estimated by using the Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

After they underwent lymph node dissection, patients with MUP were classified with N1b disease (47%), N2b disease (14%), or N3 disease (39%). With a median follow‐up of 7.7 years, the 5‐year and 10‐year overall survival rates were 55% and 44%, respectively, for patients with MUP, compared with 42% and 32%, respectively, for the control group (P= .04). In multivariate analyses, age 50 years or older, male gender, and N2b or N3 disease status were identified as adverse prognostic factors, and MUP was identified as a favorable prognostic factor (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.42–0.86;P= .006) for overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

The relatively favorable long‐term survival of patients with MUP in the current study suggested that patients with MUP have a natural history that is similar to (if not better than) the survival of many patients with Stage III disease. Therefore, patients with MUP should be treated with an aggressive surgical approach with curative intent and should be considered for Stage III adjuvant therapy protocols. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Presence of unfavorable cytogenetic abnormalities is the strongest predictor of poor survival in secondary myelofibrosis
Authors: Dingli David , Schwager Susan M. , Mesa Ruben A. , Li Chin‐Yang , Dewald Gordon W. , Tefferi Ayalew
Published: March 2006

BACKGROUND

Postpolycythemic (PV) and postthrombocythemic (ET) myeloid metaplasia are consensually referred to as secondary myelofibrosis (sMF). Prognostic variables in sMF are not as well defined as they are for de novo myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM), which is also known as agnogenic myeloid metaplasia (AMM). Such information is particularly crucial for management decisions in transplant‐eligible patients.

METHODS

Diagnoses of PV and ET required fulfillment of the World Health Organization criteria for the diagnosis of MMM as well as an antecedent history of either polycythemia vera or essential thrombocythemia that was supported by bone marrow examination. Cytogenetic findings were classified as being either favorable (normal or isolated 13q‐ or 20q‐ clones) or unfavorable (presence of abnormalities other than 13q‐ and 20q‐).

RESULTS

The study population was comprised of 66 young patients (age <60 yrs) with sMF, including 37 patients with PV and 29 patients with ET. Multivariate analysis of parameters other than cytogenetics identified older age (P = .02), anemia (hemoglobin level <10 g/dL [P = .007]), and PV (P = .009) to be independent risk factors for shortened survival. However, when such analysis was restricted to patients in whom cytogenetic studies were performed (n = 31 patients), the presence of unfavorable cytogenetic abnormalities (i.e., clones other than 20q‐ and 13q‐) became the only adverse prognostic factor for survival (P = .001). A similar analysis in a temporal cohort of 50 age‐matched patients with AMM also identified unfavorable cytogenetics as an independent predictor of poor survival, along with thrombocytopenia and anemia.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current study suggest that cytogenetic findings might supersede AMM‐derived prognostic scoring systems for predicting survival in patients with sMF. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Time‐domain properties of reactive dual circuits
Authors: Riaza Ricardo
Published: March 2006

The present work explores some effects of the replacement of capacitors by inductors and vice versa in state and semistate models of lumped circuits. Such a replacement, when performed together with an inversion of the capacitance and inductance matrices, yields a transformation of the formλ→λ−1in the system spectra. In the semistate context, this covers in particular extremal cases in which null eigenvalues or infinite ones with higher index appear in the matrix pencil associated with the model; these cases describe certain pathological circuit configurations. This approach leads to a discussion of new properties of strictly passive circuits; specifically, from the known fact that the index of strictly passive circuits does not exceed two, we derive that the index of null eigenvalues in this setting cannot exceed one. This precludes in particular Takens‐Bogdanov degeneracies, defined by an index‐two double‐zero eigenvalue, in strictly passive circuits. Although the results are addressed in a linear context, they can be extended via linearization to non‐linear problems, as it is the case in the transformation of singularity‐induced bifurcation phenomena into steady bifurcations discussed at the end of the paper. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cytometric analysis of BAL T cells labeled with a standardized antibody cocktail correlates with immunohistochemical staining
Authors: Smith Patricia A. , Kohli Lisa M. , Wood Karen L. , Hage Chadi A. , Twigg Homer L. , Knox Kenneth S.
Published: March 2006

Background:

Determining T‐cell phenotypes of lung cells obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is frequently clinically useful, particularly for evaluating causes of interstitial lung disease. The current standard of determining CD4/CD8 T‐cell subsets by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of cytocentrifuge slides is labor‐intensive and subject to interpreter variation. Flow cytometry (FCM) is a precise and rapid method commonly used in research to characterize cells in the lung. However, few studies address the methodology of analysis of BAL lymphocytes by FCM. 

Methods:

Patients underwent bronchoscopy for clinical purposes. A BAL cell differential and T‐cell subtype was requested by the treating physician to supplement the evaluation of patients with suspected interstitial lung disease. We used a commercially available T‐cell antibody reagent, approved for analysis of blood via FCM, for T‐cell subtyping of clinical BAL specimens. 

Results:

The percentages of CD4 and CD8 T‐cell populations, as well as the CD4/CD8 ratios showed excellent correlation with IHC staining of cytocentrifuge slides regardless of the acquisition program used, as long as the gating strategy remained consistent (r ≥ 0.9693 for CD4, r ≥ 0.9589 for CD8, and r ≥ 0.9485 for the CD4/CD8 ratio). 

Conclusion:

These findings validate the use of standardized, commercially available antibody cocktails for BAL lymphocyte subtyping, making this technique available to clinicians and researchers with access to a three‐color or four‐color flow cytometer. © 2006 International Society for Analytical Cytology
CD38 as a prognostic factor in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B‐CLL): Comparison of three approaches to analyze its expression
Authors: Boonstra Joke G. , van Lom Kirsten , Langerak Anton W. , Graveland Wilfried J. , Valk Peter J.M. , Kraan Jaco , van 't Veer Mars B. , Gratama Jan W.
Published: March 2006

Background:

Increased CD38 expression by leukemic cells has been suggested as an adverse prognostic factor in B‐CLL. Several approaches have been proposed to quantify its level of expression by flow cytometry.

Methods:

We compared the use of (i) the percentage of CD38 positive cells, (ii) CD38 antibodies bound per cell (ABC), and (iii) a semi‐quantitative method based on the shape of the CD38 histogram, within a cohort of 78 B‐CLL patients.

Results:

A decreased overall survival was seen with >30% CD38 positivity among B‐CLL cells, with CD38 ABC >100, and with bimodal or unimodal, strongly positive CD38 histograms. However, patients with unimodal weakly positive CD38 histograms also showed a significantly reduced survival as did patients with intermediate proportions (i.e. 5–30%) of CD38+ cells. Furthermore, within the group with <5% CD38 positivity among their B‐CLL cells, 84% of patients showed prognostically favourable mutated IGVH gene segments and 100% had low ZAP70 gene expression. For 5–30% CD38 positivity, these proportions were 50 and 83%, while for >30% CD38 positivity, these proportion were only 28 and 56%, respectively.

Conclusions:

We found a simple method of quantitation of CD38 expression (i.e., >5% CD38 positivity among B‐CLL cells) to be sufficient to identify patients with an unfavourable prognosis. The level of CD38 expression as defined with this method correlated well with the IGVH mutation status and ZAP70 gene expression. © 2006 International Society for Analytical Cytology
Maternal and littermate deprivation disrupts maternal behavior and social‐learning of food preference in adulthood: Tactile stimulation, nest odor, and social rearing prevent these effects
Authors: Melo Angel I. , Lovic Vedran , Gonzalez Andrea , Madden Melissa , Sinopoli Katia , Fleming Alison S.
Published: March 2006

Maternal and littermate (social) separation, through artificial rearing (AR), disrupts the development of subsequent maternal behavior and social learning in rats. The addition of maternal‐licking‐like stimulation during AR, partially reverses some of these effects. However, little is know about the role of social stimuli from littermates and nest odors during the preweaning period, in the development of the adult maternal behavior and social learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of peer‐ and peer‐and‐odor rearing on the development of maternal behavior and social learning in rats. Female pups were reared with mothers (mother reared—MR) or without mothers (AR) from postnatal day (PND) 3. AR rats received three different treatments: (1) AR‐CONTROL group received minimal tactile stimulation, (2) AR‐ODOR females received exposure to maternal nest material inside the AR‐isolation‐cup environment, (3) AR‐SOCIAL group was reared in the cup with maternal nest material and a conspecific of the same‐age and same‐sex and received additional tactile stimulation. MR females were reared by their mothers in the nest and with conspecifics. In adulthood, rats were tested for maternal behavior towards their own pups and in a social learning task. Results confirm our previous report that AR impairs performance of maternal behavior and the development of a social food preference. Furthermore, social cues from a littermate, in combination with tactile stimulation and the nest odor, reversed the negative effects of complete isolation (AR‐CONTROL) on some of the above behaviors. Exposure to the odor alone also had effects on some of these olfactory‐mediated behaviors. These studies indicate that social stimulation from littermates during the preweaning period, in combination with odor from the nest and tactile stimulation, contributes to the development of affiliative behaviors. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psyshobiol 48: 209–219, 2006.
Prenatal exposure to temporal and spatial stimulus properties affects postnatal responsiveness to spatial contiguity in bobwhite quail chicks
Authors: Jaime Mark , Lickliter Robert
Published: March 2006

Little is known about how experiential factors guide and organize the development of intersensory perception. This study manipulated the amount of late prenatal and early postnatal experience with the temporal synchrony and spatial contiguity of audio–visual stimulation available to bobwhite quail embryos and hatchlings to explore this question. Results revealed that only embryos exposed to temporally synchronous and spatially contiguous audio–visual stimulation prior to hatching subsequently preferred spatially contiguous audio–visual maternal information following hatching, despite being denied postnatal visual experience. In contrast, embryos that did not receive exposure to both temporal synchrony and spatial contiguity (and were also denied postnatal visual experience) failed to show a preference for the spatial contiguity of maternal auditory and visual information following hatching. These results suggest that prenatal exposure to the amodal properties of temporal synchrony and spatial contiguity facilitate chicks' emerging sensitivity to the spatial contiguity of audio–visual information in the period following hatching. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psyshobiol 48: 233–242, 2006.
Nonnutritive sucking: One of the major determinants of filial love
Authors: Val‐Laillet David , Nowak Raymond , Giraud Sandra , Tallet Céline , Boivin Xavier
Published: March 2006

The present study investigated the rewarding effects of nonnutritive sucking on the development of a filial preference. Two experiments were conducted to test whether nonnutritive visceral and oral stimuli have reinforcing properties independent from each other or act in synergy. Lambs could interact freely with their dam but were deprived of suckling by covering the udder for the first 12 hr. In Experiment 1, suckling was prevented and replaced by human giving, in the presence of the mother, either a bottle of water (B5 and B2.5: 5% or 2.5% birth weight, BW, divided into seven portions over 12 hr) or water via tube‐feeding (I5 and I2.5: 5% or 2.5% BW, also divided into seven portions over 12 hr). During a two‐choice test performed at 12 hr after birth, only B5 and I5 lambs preferred their mother to an alien ewe however, B5 were faster at choosing their mother at the beginning of the test. B2.5 and I2.5 lambs made a random choice. In Experiment 2, suckling was prevented and replaced by human giving, in the presence of the mother, either a bottle of water (B2.5: 2.5% BW, divided into seven portions over 12 hr) or water via tube‐feeding (I10 and I2.5: 10% or 2.5% BW, also divided into seven portions over 12 hr). During a two‐choice test at 12 hr, tube‐fed lambs (I10 and I2.5) preferred their mother to a human. B2.5 lambs were equally attracted to both partners and spent more time near the human than lambs from the other groups. In a test of reactivity to a human performed on neonates isolated from their mother, B2.5 lambs explored the human much more than the other lambs. The presence of the human had soothing properties in B2.5 lambs and once the human left, they were the only lambs displaying enhanced vocal and locomotor activity. In these experiments, nonnutritive gastrointestinal stimuli induced a preference for the mother whereas nonnutritive sucking led to a strong positive relationship with the human. These results suggest that when lambs suckle their dam, the development of filial bonding is facilitated through the combined effects of oral and gastrointestinal stimuli. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psyshobiol 48: 220–232, 2006.
Änderungen der Bauregellisten A und B und der Liste C – Ausgabe 2005/3 –
Authors: Jasch Erich
Published: March 2006

Aufgrund von Art. 2 Abs. 2 des Abkommens über das Deutsche Institut für Bautechnik vom 22. April 1993 (Gesetz‐ und Verordnungsblatt für Berlin, S. 195) werden im Einvernehmen mit den obersten Bauaufsichtsbehörden der Länder die Bauregelliste A Teil 1 und Teil 2, die Bauregelliste B Teil 1 und Teil 2 und die Liste C jeweils – Ausgabe 2005/1 – vom 28. Juni 2005 (DIBt Mitteilungen, Sonderheft Nr. 31) und – Ausgabe 2005/2 – vom 23. Dezember 2005 (DIBt Mitteilungen, Heft 6/2005) wie folgt geändert.

Gegenüber den Ausgaben 2005/1 und 2005/2 beinhaltet die Ausgabe 2005/3 der Bauregelliste A Teil 1 und Teil 2, der Bauregelliste B Teil 1 und Teil 2 und der Liste C Änderungen und Ergänzungen in den nachfolgend aufgeführten laufenden Nummern:

Bauregelliste A Teil 1:

Kapitel 1 Bauprodukte für den Beton‐ und Stahlbetonbau: lfd. Nrn. 1.1.3 bis 1.1.5, 1.1.7 und 1.1.8

Kapitel 5 Dämmstoffe für den Wärme‐ und Schallschutz: lfd. Nr. 5.18

Kapitel 6 Türen und Tore: lfd. Nrn. 6.20.1 bis 6.20.3

Anlagen: lfd. Nrn. 1.16 bis 1.18, 1.33, 6.3 und 6.5

Bauregelliste A Teil 2:

Kapitel 2 lfd. Nr. 2.10.3

Bauregelliste B Teil 1 :

Vorbemerkungen

Kapitel 1 Bauprodukte im Geltungsbereich harmonisierter Normen nach der Bauproduktenrichtlinie: lfd. Nrn. 1.1.1.1 bis 1.1.1.3, 1.1.2.1, 1.1.2.2, 1.1.3.1, 1.1.3.2, 1.1.5.1, 1.2.1.5, 1.2.2.2, 1.2.2.3, 1.3.2.1, 1.5.1, 1.5.11 bis 1.5.14, 1.6.1 bis 1.6.3, 1.6.7, 1.7.1, 1.8.1 bis 1.8.3, 1.9.1, 1.9.2, 1.10.1 bis 1.10.3, 1.12.1 bis 1.12.6, 1.12.8 bis 1.12.14, 1.13.1 bis 1.13.3, 1.14.2, 1.14.3, 1.14.7, 1.15.1 bis 1.15.6 und 1.18.1

Kapitel 2 Bauprodukte im Geltungsbereich von Leitlinien für europäische technische Zulassungen: lfd. Nrn. 2.1 bis 2.6

Kapitel 3 Bausätze im Geltungsbereich von Leitlinien für europäische technische Zulassungen: lfd. Nrn. 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.7, 3.8, 3.11 und 3.12

Kapitel 4 Bauprodukte, für die eine europäische technische Zulassung ohne Leitlinie erteilt worden ist: lfd. Nrn. 4.2, 4.5, 4.6, 4.9 und 4.10

Kapitel 5 Bausätze, für die eine europäische technische Zulassung ohne Leitlinie erteilt worden ist: lfd. Nr. 5.1

Anlagen: lfd. Nrn. 1/1.1 bis 1/1.4, 1/2.1, 1/3.1, 1/5.1, 1/6.1, 1/8.1, 1./12.1 bis 1/12.6, 1/13.1 und 1/13.2, 1/14.1, 1/18.1 und 4/1 bis 4/4

Bauregelliste B Teil 2:

Kapitel 1 Technische Gebäudeausrüstung: lfd. Nrn. 1.1.2 nd 1.1.5

Liste C:

Kapitel 2 Bauprodukte für den Ausbau: lfd. Nr. 2.3

Diese Änderungen treten am 5. April 2006 in Kraft. Mit ihrem In‐Kraft‐Treten treten die entsprechenden Nummern der Bauregelliste A Teil 1 und Teil 2, der Bauregelliste B Teil 1 und Teil 2 und der Liste C jeweils – Ausgabe 2005/1 – und – Ausgabe 2005/2 – außer Kraft.
Synthesis, Characterization, and NO Release Study of thecis‐ andtrans‐[Ru(Bpy)2(SO3)(NO)]+Complexes
Authors: Silva Francisco O. N. , Araújo Sérgio X. B. , Holanda Alda K. M. , Meyer Emerson , Sales Francisco A. M. , Diógenes Izaura C. N. , Carvalho Idalina M. M. , Moreira Ícaro S. , Lopes Luiz G. F.
Published: March 2006

Aiming at the development of novel NO donors, the synthesis and reactivity of thetrans‐[Ru(bpy)2(SO3)(NO)](PF6) andcis‐[Ru(bpy)2(L)(NO)](PF6)ncomplexes (L = imidazole, isonicotinamide, or sulfite ions) were investigated. The complexes were characterized and the NO release capabilities were evaluated. The rate constant for NO dissociation for thecis‐[Ru(bpy)2(SO3)(NO)]+complex isk= 2.0·10–3s–1. Thecisandtrans‐ [Ru(bpy)2(SO3)(NO)]+complexes showed promising physical‐chemical properties towards nitric oxide generation, and great stability towards hydroxide attack in the 2.0–9.0 pH range. The reduction potential of the {RuNO}6/7process of thecisandtrans‐[Ru(bpy)2(SO3)NO]+complexes (E1/2=–0.14 and –0.34 V vs. Ag/AgCl) is appropriated for reduction in vivo by biological reducing agents, with consequent NO release. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
Synthesis of Pentasaccharide Fragments Related to the O‐Specific Polysaccharide of Shigella flexneri Serotype 1a
Authors: Lemanski Gregor , Ziegler Thomas
Published: March 2006

The synthesis of the pentasaccharide 5‐aminopentylglycosides α‐L‐Rhap‐(1→3)‐[α‐D‐Glcp‐(1→4)]‐β‐D‐GlcpNAc‐(1→2)‐α‐L‐Rhap‐(1→2)‐α‐L‐Rhap‐1‐O‐(CH2)5NH2 (29) andα‐L‐Rhap‐(1→3)‐α‐L‐Rhap‐(1→3)‐[α‐D‐Glcp‐(1→4)]‐β‐D‐GlcpNAc‐(1→2)‐α‐L‐Rhap‐1‐O‐(CH2)5NH2 (28), related to the O‐specific polysaccharide of Shigella flexneri serotype 1a by coupling of the suitably protected trisaccharides α‐D‐Glcp‐(1→4)‐β‐D‐Glcp(1→2)‐α‐L‐Rhap‐1‐O‐(CH2)5NH2 (23) and α‐L‐Rhap‐(1→3)‐[α‐D‐Glcp‐(1→4)]‐β‐D‐Glcp‐1‐SPh (26) with the corresponding rhamnosyl glycosides α‐L‐Rhap‐(1→3)‐α‐L‐Rhap‐1‐SEt (17) and α‐L‐Rhap‐(1→3)‐α‐L‐Rhap‐1‐O‐(CH2)5NH2 (13), is described. Building blocks 23 and 26 were prepared by intramolecular glycosylation of an unsymmetrically tethered cellobiosamine derivative. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
Spatial and temporal variations in bank erosion on sand‐bed streams in the seasonally wet tropics of northern Australia
Authors: Saynor M. J. , Erskine Wayne D.
Published: March 2006

Bank erosion rates and processes across a range of spatial scales are poorly understood in most environments, especially in the seasonally wet tropics of northern Australia where sediment yields are among global minima. A total of 177 erosion pins was installed at 45 sites on four sand‐bed streams (Tributaries North and Central, East Tributary and Ngarradj) in the Ngarradj catchment in the Alligator Rivers Region. Bank erosion was measured for up to 3·5 years (start of 1998/99 wet season to end of 2001/02 wet season) at three spatial scales, namely a discontinuous gully (0·6 km2) that was initiated by erosion of a grass swale between 1975 and 1981, a small continuous channel (2·5 km2) on an alluvial fan that was formed by incision of a formerly discontinuous channel between 1964 and 1978, and three medium‐sized, continuous channels (8·5–43·6 km2) with riparian vegetation. The bank erosion measurements during a period of average to above‐average rainfall established that substantial bank erosion occurred during the wet season on the two smaller channels by rapid lateral migration (Tributary Central) and by erosion of gully sidewalls due to a combination of within‐gully flows and overland flow plunging over the sidewalls (Tributary North). Minor bank erosion also occurred during the dry season by faunal activity, by desiccation and loss of cohesion of the sandy bank sediments and by dry flow processes. The larger channels with riparian vegetation (East Tributary and Ngarradj) did not generate significant amounts of sediment by bank erosion. Deposition (i.e. negative pin values) was locally significant at all scales. Bank profile form and channel planform exert a strong control on erosion rates during the wet season but not during the dry season. Copyright © 2006 Commonwealth Government of Australia.
Inference for magnitudes and delays of responses in the FIAC data using BRAINSTAT/FMRISTAT
Authors: Taylor J.E. , Worsley K.J.
Published: March 2006

We used straightforward linear mixed effects models as described in Worsley et al. together with recent advances in smoothing to control the degrees of freedom, and random field theory based on discrete local maxima. This has been implemented in BRAINSTAT, a Python version of FMRISTAT. Our main novelty is voxel‐wise inference for both magnitude and delay (latency) of the hemodynamic response. Our analysis appears to be more sensitive than that of Dehaene‐Lambertz et al. Our main findings are greater magnitude (1.08% ± 0.17%) and delay (0.153 ± 0.035 s) for different sentences compared to same sentences, together with a smaller but still significantly greater magnitude for different speaker compared to same speaker (0.47% ± 0.08%). Hum Brain Mapp, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Water resources in Italy: availability and agricultural uses
Authors: Scarascia M. E. Venezian , Battista F. Di , Salvati L.
Published: March 2006

Information on quantity and quality of fresh water and is availability is essential for sustainable development, economic growth and social stability.

The International Programme for Technology and Research in Irrigation and Drainage (IPTRID) and the Italian National Committee of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) combined their efforts to publish a document on water resources in Italy with special attention devoted to the state of agricultural water management.

The aim of this paper is to give a quantitative overview on available water resources in the Italian countryside, taking into account the existing differences between the many Italian regions.

The report focuses on renewable water resources, defined as that part of water resources generated from precipitation and computed on the basis of the water balance.

Thank to the collaborations between ICID‐Italy and the Central Office of Agro‐Ecology (UCEA), for the period 1971–2000, we were able to analyse the annual values of rainfall and reference evapotranspiration related to 544 points of a grid which covers the whole country.

The grid comes from a geostatistical computation, the so‐called kriging interpolation, based on data observed at weather stations belonging to the SIAN network.

Data processing, supported by GIS software, is aimed at the computation of the effective infiltration that gives us a reliable assessment of the amount of renewable water resources.

On the one hand the results confirm the global amount of water resources previously computed in other projects, but on the other they highlight the differences between the many parts of our country and they point out that a good assessment of water resources needs an awareness and a knowledge of the differences in reality which are typical features of our country. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of tillage on water advance and distribution under surge and continuous furrows irrigation methods for cotton in Egypt
Authors: Ismail Saleh Mahmoud
Published: March 2006

A field experiment was carried out to assess the effect of tillage on water advance and water distribution in the root zone area (0.5 m) under continuous and surge flow irrigation in a cotton field. The experiment was conducted at the Agriculture Experimental Station, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt. The location was classified as clay soil. The furrows with blocked ends were 76 cm long and 0.70 m wide with 0.0024 m m−1 of slope. To monitor the advance time, six points were established along the furrows at 9, 18, 27, 36, 45 and 76 m from the inlet. In order to study the water distribution along the furrows, soil moisture content was measured using the gravimetric method at 0–0.25 and 0.25–0.50 m depths at the beginning, middle and end of the furrows. A hand hoeing tillage system (HH) was compared with a weed control tillage system (WC) under continuous flow (CF) and surge flow irrigation (SF).

Hand hoeing tillage decreased the water advance time compared to weed control tillage either under continuous or surge flow irrigation. Surge flow also decreased the advance time compared to continuous flow. The greatest effect on the advance time reduction resulted from the combined effect of surge flow with tillage (SFHH), which reduced the total supplied water by 22.4 and 25.7% during the first and second irrigation, respectively. The single effect of either tillage (CFHH) or surging (SFWC) also reduced the total amount of supplied water compared to continuous flow with weed control tillage (CFWC), but the reduction was less than that in the combined treatments. Due to tillage and surge effects, soil water was efficiently used and distributed uniformly along the furrow length. Combining surge irrigation and tillage could be an efficient method to use irrigation water efficiently and ensure uniform distribution of soil water. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal irrigation reservoir operation and simultaneous multi‐crop cultivation area selection using simulated annealing
Authors: Georgiou P. E. , Papamichail D. M. , Vougioukas S. G.
Published: March 2006

In this paper, a nonlinear discrete‐time dynamic model is developed to describe the operation of a single‐purpose reservoir during the irrigation season. The impact on crop yield due to water deficit and the effect of soil moisture dynamics on crop water requirements are taken into account by an integrated soil water balance model. The objective function of the model maximizes the total farm income, which is based on crop‐water production functions, production cost and crop prices. The constraints include the state equation of the reservoir, reservoir storage, irrigation requirements of a crop and reservoir release, yield and cultivation area. The decision variables are the optimal allocation of cultivation areas for any number of irrigated crops and the optimal irrigation schedule, which specifies the amount of irrigation to be applied to each crop during its irrigation season. The optimization is performed in two stages. During the first stage the simulated annealing (SA) global optimization stochastic search algorithm is used. In the course of the second stage the solution reached by the SA is refined by a stochastic gradient descent algorithm. The optimization computes the optimal distribution of areas and crops, the water releases to satisfy irrigation requirements and the total farm income. The model can be used as a decision support tool for cropping patterns of an irrigated area and irrigation scheduling. The outputs of this model were compared with the results obtained from a simple model in which the only decision variables are the optimal allocation of cultivation areas. The model was applied on data from a planned reservoir on the Havrias river in northern Greece. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cardiac tissue engineering: effects of bioreactor flow environment on tissue constructs
Authors: Vunjak‐Novakovic Gordana , Radisic Milica , Obradovic Bojana
Published: March 2006

The limited ability of cardiac muscle to regenerate after injury and the small number of organs available for transplantation motivate studies aimed at curative treatment options. Tissue engineering based on the integrated use of cells on biomaterial scaffolds in bioreactors may offer cardiac grafts suitable for surgical attachment to the myocardium or for basic research. In one of the current approaches, neonatal rat cardiomyocytes are combined with collagen sponges, gels or polyglycolic acid scaffolds (PGA). Cultivations performed in dishes, static or mixed flasks or rotating bioreactors yield constructs with a thin (100–200 µm) peripheral layer of tissue expressing markers of cardiac differentiation and able to propagate electrical signals. The non‐uniform cell distribution is a result of oxygen diffusional limitations within the constructs. Cultivations with perfusion of culture medium through the construct enhance the convective‐diffusive oxygen supply and yield 1–2 mm thick constructs with physiologically high and spatially uniform distribution of viable cells expressing cardiac markers. We review here a series of studies we conducted using cells seeded on three‐dimensional scaffolds and cultured in several different bioreactors, to demonstrate that the bioreactor flow environment can have substantial effects on structural and functional properties of cardiac constructs. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
A fast and highly automated approach to myocardial motion analysis using phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Bergvall Erik , Cain Peter , Arheden Håkan , Sparr Gunnar
Published: March 2006

Purpose

To develop a fast and highly automated method for calculating two‐dimensional myocardial motion and deformation using velocity encoded magnetic resonance imaging.

Materials and Methods

Two‐dimensional phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging was used to acquire time resolved velocity maps of the myocardium. Cardiac motion was calculated by an iterative integration–regularization scheme of low computational cost. Image segmentation was performed using active appearance models.

Results

Validation of motion tracking was performed inN= 47 subjects using saturation grid‐tagging and closely followed “tag‐lines.” Image segmentation was validated vs. manual delineation.

Conclusion

The speed and limited user interaction gives the method good potential for use in clinical practice. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Combination of free‐breathing and breathhold steady‐state free precession magnetic resonance angiography for detection of coronary artery stenoses
Authors: Dewey Marc , Teige Florian , Schnapauff Dirk , Laule Michael , Borges Adrian C. , Rutsch Wolfgang , Hamm Bernd , Taupitz Matthias
Published: March 2006

Purpose

To analyze the incremental diagnostic value of a combination of two approaches (free‐breathing and breathhold) vs. the sole free‐breathing approach to coronary magnetic resonance angiography (CMRA) for detection of significant stenoses.

Materials and Methods

Thirty patients were consecutively included in this prospective trial. CMRA was performed on a 1.5‐T MR scanner (Magnetom Sonata, Siemens) using a balanced steady‐state free precession (SSFP) sequence during free‐breathing (2.4 × 0.9 × 0.7 mm3). Breathholding acquisitions (3.0 × 1.5 × 0.7 mm3) were only performed in cases in which the quality of free‐breathing CMRA precluded assessment. Patients with contraindications to CMRA, claustrophobia, or nonassessable images were not excluded from the assessment of diagnostic accuracy (intention‐to‐diagnose design).

Results

In 60% of all free‐breathing coronary acquisitions the image quality was adequate for diagnostic assessment. For the remaining 40% of the cases, breathhold acquisitions were obtained. The sensitivity, specificity, nonassessable rate, and accuracy in identifying main coronary branches with significant stenoses using the combination of both breathing approaches and the free‐breathing approach alone were 65% vs. 32%, 73% vs. 53%, 24% vs. 52%, and 71% vs. 46%, respectively (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

In this consecutive cohort of patients, the combination of free‐breathing and breathhold CMRA significantly improved diagnostic accuracy. Nevertheless, even this combination did not reach accuracies sufficient for routine clinical application. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gradient‐ and spin‐echo T2‐weighted imaging for SPIO‐enhanced detection and characterization of focal liver lesions
Authors: Yoshikawa Takeshi , Mitchell Donald G. , Hirota Shozo , Ohno Yoshiharu , Oda Kazushige , Maeda Takaki , Fujii Masahiko , Sugimura Kazuro
Published: March 2006

Purpose

To evaluate superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)‐enhanced breathhold T2‐weighted GRASE imaging in detection and characterization of focal liver lesions.

Materials and Methods

In 30 patients (including 20 with cirrhosis) with 39 malignant and 25 benign lesions, gradient‐ and spin‐echo (GRASE) images with two echo times (75 and 90 msec; GRASE75 and GRASE90) were obtained prior to and following administration of SPIO, and compared with respiratory‐triggered and breathhold fast spin‐echo (RT‐FSE and BH‐FSE) images. Two readers evaluated image quality and reviewed 240 liver segments for sensitivity and specificity. Signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), and its reduction in liver and spleen after administration of SPIO, and lesion‐to‐liver contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) were measured.

Results

Compared with RT‐FSE and BH‐FSE, GRASE reduced scan time by 77% to 82% and 21% to 27%, respectively. The image qualities with BH‐FSE and GRASE75 were higher than with BH‐FSE and GRASE90. BH‐FSE showed higher specificity than RT‐FSE and GRASE90, but otherwise there were no significant differences between pulse sequences for sensitivity or specificity. The mean SNR and CNR of the lesions with RT‐FSE were significantly higher than with the other methods. SPIO‐induced signal reduction of liver SNR was smallest with BH‐FSE.

Conclusion

GRASE is faster and more sensitive to SPIO than FSE, but its sensitivity and specificity were slightly inferior to those of BH‐FSE. Image quality is a current limitation. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Temporal responses in the disruption of iron regulation by manganese
Authors: Kwik‐Uribe Catherine , Smith Donald R.
Published: March 2006

Manganese (Mn) is an essential trace element, though at elevated exposures it is also a neurotoxicant. Several mechanisms underlying manganese toxicity have been investigated, although a consistent mechanism(s) of action at low exposures has not been fully elucidated. Here we systematically evaluated the effects of in vitro manganese exposure on intracellular iron (Fe) homeostasis and iron‐regulatory protein (IRP) binding activity in undifferentiated PC12 cells over a range of manganese exposure concentrations (1, 10, 50, and 200 μM MnCl2) and exposure durations (12, 24, 36, and 48 hr), to test the hypothesis that moderately elevated manganese exposure disrupts cellular iron regulation. Results demonstrate that manganese exposure produces a rapid and sustained dose‐dependent dysregulation of cellular iron metabolism, with effects occurring as early as 12 hr exposure and at manganese doses as low as 1 μM. Manganese exposure altered the dynamics of IRP‐1 binding and the intracellular abundance of IRP‐2, and altered the cellular abundance of transferrin receptor, ferritin, and mitochondrial aconitase protein levels. Cellular levels of labile iron were significantly increased with manganese exposure, although total cellular iron levels were not. The overall pattern of effects shows that manganese produced an inappropriate cellular response akin to iron deficiency, to which the cells were able to mount a compensatory response. Consistent with our previous studies, these data indicate that even low to moderate exposures to Manganese in vitro significantly disrupt cellular iron metabolism, which may be an important contributory mechanism of manganese neurotoxicity. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The role of relationships in understanding telecommuter satisfaction
Authors: Golden Timothy D.
Published: March 2006

Relationships are fundamental to organizational functioning, yet as telecommuting and other forms of virtual work become increasingly popular, research has not yet focused on how the virtual context might alter relationships so as to impact important work outcomes. This study therefore examines the role relationships play in mediating the link between the extent of telecommuting and job satisfaction. In doing so three fundamental types of relationships maintained by employees are investigated—those with managers, coworkers, and family. Regression analysis of field data from 294 telecommuting employees in a large telecommunications company revealed the anticipated inverted U‐shaped relationship, mediated by leader‐member exchange quality, team‐member exchange quality, and work‐family conflict. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Psychological capital development: toward a micro‐intervention
Authors: Luthans Fred , Avey James B. , Avolio Bruce J. , Norman Steven M. , Combs Gwendolyn M.
Published: March 2006

After first providing the meaning of psychological capital (PsyCap), we present a micro‐intervention to develop it. Drawn from hope, optimism, efficacy, and resiliency development, this PsyCap Intervention (PCI) is shown to have preliminary support for not only increasing participants' PsyCap, but also financial impact and high return on investment. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Getting the ‘pulse’ of your employees: the use of cardiovascular research in better understanding behavior in organizations
Authors: Wright Thomas A. , Diamond W. John
Published: March 2006

Cardiovascular disease has severe consequences for both individual betterment and organizational health. Yet, organization‐based cardiovascular research remains quite limited. This commentary addresses this void by integrating research dating from the famous Hawthorne experiments with current medical science. It then suggests future organizational research on cardiovascular health and recommends use of specific composite cardiovascular measures to advance our understanding of the organizational implications of cardiovascular disease. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Routinization, work characteristics and their relationships with creative and proactive behaviors
Authors: Ohly Sandra , Sonnentag Sabine , Pluntke Franziska
Published: March 2006

Researchers have claimed that routinization hinders creativity. However, empirical evidence for this assumption is sparse. In this study, we argue that routinization may be beneficial for creativity and related behavior due to available resources that can be used to develop new ideas while working. We examine the relationship between routinization and four work characteristics (job control, job complexity, time pressure, and supervisor support) on the one hand and a range of creative and proactive behaviors on the other hand in a randomly selected sample of 278 employees of a German high‐tech company. Regression analyses reveal that in addition to work characteristics, routinization is generally positively related to creative and proactive behaviors. Ways to enhance routinization and thereby creative and proactive behaviors are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thermal and viscoelastic properties of starch gels from maize varieties
Authors: Aparicio‐Saguilán Alejandro , Méndez‐Montealvo Guadalupe , Solorza‐Feria Javier , Bello‐Pérez Luis A
Published: March 2006

The aim of this work was to determine the thermal, functional and rheological properties of maize (Zea mays) starch isolated from seven varieties. Chemical analysis was undertaken in all starch samples. The gelatinization and retrogradation temperature at different storage times, as well as the enthalpy of the isolated starches, were determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Swelling and solubility were also measured in individual samples. Dynamic oscillatory tests (amplitude and frequency sweeps) were undertaken on starch samples with 10% (w/v) of total solids during a cycle of three stages (kinetics) of heating/cooling, using a strain‐controlled rheometer. The samples presented an amylose content which ranged from 22% to 29%, typical in normal starches, the lipid values were under 1%, while the protein contents were just over 1%. The calorimetric profile for the studied starches showed a peak temperature (gelatinization) over the temperature range from 72.5 to 75.7 °C and enthalpy values between 13.68 and 17.58 J g−1. Four starches presented enthalpy values of the retrogradation transition that increased with the storage time, showing differences among the starches analysed. Maximum swelling and solubility were usually found at the second stage of the above‐mentioned cycle. The rheological profile showed that the gels formed during the first stage of the above‐mentioned kinetics presented the behaviour of weak viscoelastic gels with the storage or elastic modulus (G′) higher than the loss or viscous modulus (G″) over the applied strain and frequency ranges. All samples showed a more elastic character as the kinetics progressed. Starches isolated from diverse maize varieties showed differences in their characteristics studied, and might produce different functional properties in the products where they are used. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Acquisition of apoptotic resistance in cadmium‐induced malignant transformation: Specific perturbation of JNK signal transduction pathway and associated metallothionein overexpression
Authors: Qu Wei , Fuquay Richard , Sakurai Teruaki , Waalkes Michael P.
Published: March 2006

Prior work has shown that chronic cadmium exposed rat liver epithelial cells (CCE‐LE) become malignantly transformed after protracted low level cadmium exposure. Acquisition of apoptotic resistance is common in oncogenesis and the present work explores this possibility in CCE‐LE cells. CCE‐LE cells were resistant to apoptosis induced by etoposide or an acute high concentration of cadmium as assessed by flow cytometry with annexin/FITC. Three key mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs), namely ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38, were phosphorylated in CCE‐LE cells after acute cadmium exposure. However, the levels of phosphorylated JNK1/2 were markedly decreased in CCE‐LE cells compared to control. JNK kinase activity was also suppressed in CCE‐LE cells exposed to cadmium. Epidermal growth factor (EGF), used as a positive control for stimulating JNK phosphorylation, was much less effective in CCE‐LE cells than control cells. Ro318220 (Ro), a strong activator of JNK, increased phosphorylated JNK1/2 to levels similar to the cadmium‐treated control cells and also enhanced apoptosis in response to cadmium in CCE‐LE cells. Metallothionein (MT), which is thought to potentially inhibit apoptosis, was strongly overexpressed in CCE‐LE cells. Further, in MT knockout (MT−/−) fibroblasts, JNK1/2 phosphorylation was markedly increased after cadmium exposure compared with similarly treated wild‐type (MT+/+) cells. These results indicate cadmium‐transformed cells acquired apoptotic resistance, which may be linked to the specific suppression of the JNK pathway and is associated with MT overexpression, which, in turn, may impact this signal transduction pathway. The acquisition of apoptotic resistance may play an important role in cadmium carcinogenesis by contributing to both tumor initiation and malignant progression. Published 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Targeting NAD(P)H:Quinone Oxidoreductase (NQO1) in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Lewis Anne M. , Ough Matthew , Du Juan , Tsao Ming‐Sound , Oberley Larry W. , Cullen Joseph J.
Published: March 2006

NAD(P)H:Quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) functions as an important part of cellular antioxidant defense by detoxifying quinones, thus preventing the formation of reactive oxygen species. The aims of our study were to determine if NQO1 is elevated in pancreatic cancer specimens and pancreatic cancer cell lines and if so, would compounds previously demonstrated to redox cycle with NQO1 be effective in killing pancreatic cancer cells. Immunohistochemistry of resected pancreatic specimens demonstrated an increased immunoreactivity for NQO1 in pancreatic cancer and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) specimens versus normal human pancreas. Immunocytochemistry and Western immunoblots demonstrated inceased immunoreactivity in pancreatic cancer cells when compared to a near normal immortalized human pancreatic ductal epithelial cell line and a colonic epithelial cell line. Streptonigrin, a compound known to cause redox cycling in the presence of NQO1, decreased clonogenic survival and decreased anchorage‐independent growth in soft agar. Streptonigrin had little effect on cell lines with absent or reduced levels of NQO1. The effects of streptonigrin were reversed in pancreatic cancer cells pretreated with dicumarol, a known inhibitor of NQO1. NQO1 may be a therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer where survival is measured in months. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cognitive adaptations forn‐person exchange: the evolutionary roots of organizational behavior
Authors: Tooby John , Cosmides Leda , Price Michael E.
Published: March 2006

Organizations are composed of stable, predominantly cooperative interactions orn‐person exchanges. Humans have been engaging inn‐person exchanges for a great enough period of evolutionary time that we appear to have evolved a distinct constellation of species‐typical mechanisms specialized to solve the adaptive problems posed by this form of social interaction. These mechanisms appear to have been evolutionarily elaborated out of the cognitive infrastructure that initially evolved for dyadic exchange. Key adaptive problems that these mechanisms are designed to solve include coordination among individuals, and defense against exploitation by free riders. Multi‐individual cooperation could not have been maintained over evolutionary time if free riders reliably benefited more than contributors to collective enterprises, and so outcompeted them. As a result, humans evolved mechanisms that implement an aversion to exploitation by free riding, and a strategy of conditional cooperation, supplemented by punitive sentiment towards free riders. Because of the design of these mechanisms, how free riding is treated is a central determinant of the survival and health of cooperative organizations. The mapping of the evolved psychology ofn‐party exchange cooperation may contribute to the construction of a principled theoretical foundation for the understanding of human behavior in organizations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.