bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COMPARISON OF FEATURE SIGNIFICANCE QUANTILE APPROXIMATIONS
Authors: Salganik M.P. , Wand M.P. , Lange N.
Published: December 2004

Curve estimates and surface estimates often contain features such as inclines, bumps or ridges which may signify an underlying structural mechanism. However, spurious features are also a common occurrence and it is important to identify those features that are statistically significant. A method has been developed recently for recognising feature significance based on the derivatives of the function estimate. It requires simultaneous confidence intervals and tests, which in turn require quantiles for the maximal deviation statistics. This paper reviews and compares various approximations to these quantiles. Applying upcrossing‐probability theory to this problem yields better quantile approximations than the use of an independent blocks method.
PERFORMANCE OF A LOCALIZED TREE SPLITTING CRITERION IN TREE AVERAGING
Authors: Bremner Alexandra P. , Taplin Ross H.
Published: December 2004

This paper explores the performance of the local splitting criterion devised by Bremner & Taplin for classification and regression trees when multiple trees are averaged to improve performance. The criterion is compared with the deviance used by Clark & Pregibon's method, which is a global splitting criterion typically used to grow trees. The paper considers multiple trees generated by randomly selecting splits with probability proportional to the likelihood for the split, and by bagging where bootstrap samples from the data are used to grow trees. The superiority of the localized splitting criterion often persists when multiple trees are grown and averaged for six datasets.

Tree averaging is known to be advantageous when the trees being averaged produce different predictions, and this can be achieved by choosing splits where the splitting criterion is locally optimal. The paper shows that use of locally optimal splits gives promising results in conjunction with both local and global splitting criteria, and with and without random selection of splits. The paper also extends the local splitting criterion to accommodate categorical predictors.
Valuing New South Wales rivers for use in benefit transfer
Authors: Morrison Mark , Bennett Jeff
Published: December 2004

The results from seven choice modelling applications designed to value improved river health in New South Wales are reported. These applications were designed to provide value estimates that could be used, through benefit transfer, to value improvements in the health of other rivers within the state. Because of limitations on the number of rivers that could be valued and populations sampled, a pooled model for use in benefit transfer was also estimated. The results indicate that both use and non‐use values were found to exist for all catchments. In addition, value estimates were found to differ across catchments when populations resident within catchments were sampled. However, when populations resident outside catchments were sampled for two of these catchments, value estimates were found to be statistically similar. This indicates the importance of valuing improved river health in specific catchments by sampling populations within catchments. Yet, it also indicates that it is less critical to conduct multiple surveys of residents outside catchments to value improved river health.
Does ignoring multidestination trips in the travel cost method cause a systematic bias?
Authors: Kuosmanen Timo , Nillesen Eleonora , Wesseler Justus
Published: December 2004

The present paper demonstrates that treating multidestination trips (MDT) as single‐destination trips does not involve any systematic upward or downward bias in consumer surplus (CS) estimates because the direct negative effect of a price increase (treating MDT as a single‐destination trip) is offset by a shift in the estimated demand curve. Still, ignoring MDT can greatly underestimate or overestimate the CS. In addition, we demonstrate that there is a sound theoretical basis for using preference information for allocating travel costs between different sites included in the MDT package. A novel extreme value approach is proposed, which does not require any overly restrictive assumptions about consumer preferences. This approach is applied to the zonal travel cost model of the Bellenden Ker National Park, Australia. Parametric and non‐parametric estimation techniques are used for calculating CS estimates, and the effects of different MDT treatments and estimation methods are compared.
Book Review
Authors: Cravatts Richard L.
Published: December 2004

Books reviewed:

Ira A. Jackson and Jane Nelson, Profits with Principles: Seven Strategies for Delivering Values with Values.
The Lambert Code: Can We Define Best Practice?
Authors: Shattock Michael
Published: December 2004

The article explores the proposals put forward in the Lambert Report for reforms in university governance. It compares the recommendation for a Code with the analogue Combined Code which regulates corporate governance in companies and draws a distinction between attempts, from the Cadbury Report in 1992 to the Higgs Review in 2003, to create board structures which will reduce the prospect of misgovernance, and the underlying aim of Lambert to improve university performance through governance change. It argues that analogies between university governing bodies and company boards are misleading and that university governing bodies, on their own, are almost by definition unable to fulfill the criteria of an ‘effective board’ laid down in the DTI Report on TransTec. It suggests that a Guide on Governance which encourages institutional self determination is a better basis for sustaining institutional autonomy, which is a key ingredient to encouraging high levels of performance, than a Government backed Code which risks reducing institutional diversity and cutting across existing legal instruments. It concludes that the proposed Code is a distraction from serious consideration of what factors encourage improved institutional performance.
Changing Internal Governance: A Discussion of Leadership Roles and Management Structures in UK Universities
Authors: Middlehurst Robin
Published: December 2004

A series of reviews over the past six years – from Dearing (NCIHE, 1997) to Lambert (Lambert, 2003) – have addressed the question of whether the structure and process of ‘governance’ in higher education is fit for modern times. This is a proper question to ask as operating environments change and pressures on institutional resources increase. Indeed, it is not coincidental that both the recent government‐sponsored reports and those of the previous decade (Jarratt, 1985; NAB, 1987) were associated with significant financial changes in the sector. There are further parallels in that both the reports of the 1980s and those of the later period heralded legislative changes that produced – or will produce – new patterns of higher education provision in the UK (Education Reform Act, 1988; Further and Higher Education Act, 1992; Higher Education Act, 2004).

The messages from the reports and White Papers (DES, 1987; DES, 1991; DfES, 2003) published in this twenty‐year period have remained broadly similar, even though the wider environment has altered significantly. ‘Increase efficiency, find new sources of income and improve performance across an ever‐widening range of activities and services’ have been the watchwords of successive governments. Given the consistency of the message, it is useful to analyse the changes that universities have been making to meet these requirements and to consider what further changes may be needed in the light of new external challenges. The first part of the paper offers a historical perspective before addressing the evolution of leadership roles and management structures from the late 1980s. The second part considers some of the current drivers of internal and external change before discussing the kind of changes in internal governance that are emerging and that should be considered for the future. I conclude by arguing for a shift in focus from structure and roles to people and processes in the task of leading change in universities.
The Probability of Rapid Climate Change
Authors: Challenor Peter
Published: December 2004

If you look at a map of the air temperature of the surface of the Earth, you will see that North West Europe, including the UK, is warmer than Alaska, which is at the same latitude but on the Pacific rather than Atlantic Ocean. At school you were probably told that this was because of the Gulf Stream. However, there is a very similar current in the Pacific—the Kuroshio—which takes warm water north past Japan and then out into the Atlantic. Peter Challenor asks: What is the unique feature of the Atlantic that keeps us warm and could it change in the next few years?
When is a Drug not a Drug?
Authors: Senn Stephen
Published: December 2004

Stephen Senn considers the strange world of bioequivalence, where studies that fail to show a difference between formulations are judged a success.
Purposes, Methods, Philosophies
Authors: Armitage Peter
Published: December 2004

Peter Armitage has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in biostatistics, and has also given considerable thought to the way in which statistics is taught to non-mathematicians, perhaps because, he says jokingly, he always found maths a bit difficult himself. Now in retirement, he is still communicating statistical ideas in his rôle as Editor of the Encyclopedia of Biostatistics.
Outsourcing research
Authors: Ward Sandra
Published: December 2004

Reports the results of a questionnaire survey of a small sample (80) of research and information centres, conducted by Business 360, together with TFPL Ltd in 2003 and 2004, to gather data concerning their experience and views on the subject of outsourcing research with a view to: exploring the range of activities encompassed by the term ‘research’; determining what research activities are beginning to be outsourced and to what degree; and weighing the factors affecting the success of the outsourcing process. These results indicated that organizations are increasingly using outsourcing as part of their service provision strategy and, while very few have outsourced substantial proportions of their research services, about 25 per cent have used outsourcing firms to deal with capacity overload and with research in specialist areas. Very little use has been made of offshoring and the decision to offshore tends to be directed by the global structure and offshoring strategy of their parent organizations. Discusses the survey results in terms of how they shed light on: the main elements driving the use of outsourcing with particular reference to its use in information services and research; published information infrastructure; the nature of the research function; and outsourcing of basic information services. Considers the growth of offshoring in some sectors of the information-driven economy and considers this and outsourcing in terms of the perception of such a trend as a threat, an opportunity or an inevitability. Concludes that there appears to be some shift in people’s attitudes towards the opportunities offered by outsourcing, even though its use in information work is presently only embryonic.
Creating, maintaining and publishing global financial services information
Authors: Graham Alastair
Published: December 2004

The political and economic pressures driving the rapidly growing regulation of the financial services industries, in particular the European Single Market in financial services, the need to control terrorist financing, and major frauds and scandals, have created considerable market opportunities for database publishers to develop information services aimed at the information needs associated with this regulation, particularly where the international element is becoming very important. Richmond Law & Tax, the London, UK based publisher, perceived this market opportunity and set out to develop a database to assist financial services companies and their advisers to identify, understand and compare the regulatory authorities in countries with developed financial systems, in emerging markets, and in offshore centres. The research, undertaken to provide the foundation for the database, identified 1 200 institutions worldwide with a responsibility for regulating the financial services industry directly or indirectly and the database was constructed to provide current data about these institutions in the legal context in which they operated. The planned database aimed to be published both in print and online form, regularly updated, to assist all those responsible for their company’s regulatory compliance requirements across a number of jurisdictions, their professional advisers, and the regulators themselves. The data for all regulatory organizations is consistently presented to allow for comparison and benchmarking both within a jurisdiction, and internationally, and was obtained either from the regulatory organization itself, or obtained by extensive research undertaken by a qualified team of researchers, including lawyers and economists, at Richmond Law & Tax
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing: getting below the surface of the growth of ‘knowledge work’ in Australia
Authors: Fleming Peter , Harley Bill , Sewell Graham
Published: December 2004

This article critically addresses the claim that there has been a striking growth in ‘knowledge work’ in advanced economies. Using the Australian Bureau of Statistics Labour Force Survey, we examine occupational change from 1986 to 2000 to evaluate the support for this claim. Researchers have usually relied on aggregate level data to justify the presence of a burgeoning knowledge-based workforce, but we contend that we must ‘get below the surface’ of the major occupational groups by disaggregating the data. This enables us to demonstrate that a substantial component of the apparent growth in knowledge work is accounted for by an increase in low-level information handling occupations rather than by a growth in knowledge work as it is commonly conceived. The article then develops an interpretive framework that makes sense of the data in a manner that avoids both over-estimating the prevalence of the ‘knowledge worker’ and underestimating the knowledge-related activities in jobs commonly considered to be low-skilled and bereft of important competencies.
Water Behavior of Poly(acrylic acid)/ Poly (acrylonitrile) Semi-Interpenetrating Polymer Network Hydrogels
Authors: Kim Seon Jeong , Lee Ki Jung , Lee Sang Min , Kim In Young , Kim Sun I.
Published: December 2004

Semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-LPN) hydrogels, composed of poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) and poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN), were prepared using UV irradiation. The characteristics of semi-IPN hydrogels were investigated by swelling experiments, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The semi-IPN hydrogels exhibited swelling ratio in the range of 24.1-81.8% at 35°C. The swelling ratio of the semi-IPN hydrogels depended on pH and temperature. DSC was used for the quantitative determination of the amounts of free and bound water. The free water contents in the semi-IPN hydrogel AN21, AN31, and AN41 were 1.2, 2.4, and 11.3% in pure water, respectively. Activation energies of semi-IPN hydrogels also were calculated.
Trusting the Teacher: Evaluating Educational Innovation
Authors: McNamara Gerry , O’hara Joe
Published: December 2004

The efficacy of and ethical justification for applying positivist research principles to the evaluation of social processes such as education are being increasingly challenged. Recent work in educational evaluation has tried to meet this challenge by moving the focus towards understanding the impact of projects and innovations on their recipients and by encouraging self-evaluation. However the dominant form of educational evaluation still involves judgements made through the eyes of the external evaluator and the connotation persists of evaluation as the external monitoring of professional practice. This article suggests that in the case of educational programmes, initiatives and innovations the focus of judgement should move from the evaluators to the practitioners and the former should find a new role in supporting the professional development of the latter.
The Meaning Assigned to Evaluation by Project Staff
Authors: Seppänen-Järvelä Riitta
Published: December 2004

The aim of the article is to explore the ways in which project staff and managers understand evaluation and the way it affects their work. Typically project/programme staff and management have been understood as one stakeholder group among the others. There has been little substantive research into the ways in which the project staff themselves give meaning to evaluation. This study found that interviewed managers tended to be relatively negative and critical toward evaluation, although they recognized its importance. The meaning that project staff give to evaluation should be taken more carefully into account in the evaluation field, because their understandings affect evaluation execution and utilization.
The impact of toxicology on public health policy and service: an update
Authors: De Rosa Christopher T , Nickle Richard , Faroon Obaid , Jones Dennis E
Published: December 2004

The Division of Toxicology, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has a Congressional mandate to develop toxicological profiles for chemicals of greatest concern at hazardous waste sites. These chemical profiles provide a comprehensive evaluation and interpretation of the health effects, chemical and physical properties, production and use, potential for human exposure, analytical methodologies, and regulations and advisories for those chemicals. In addition, these profiles identify critical gaps in the knowledge base for these chemicals and identify levels of significant human exposure. Health assessors and other public health officials use this information to make critical decisions regarding the potential for adverse health effects at hazardous waste sites and other chemical-release events through such activities as public health assessments, chemical-specific and health-specific consultations, health-guidance-value derivations, database development, and emergency response actions. In a previous paper, we provided an overview of six specific public-health activities conducted by the ATSDR Division of Toxicology and examined how these activities have made unique impacts on public health policy and service. In this paper, we follow up on two of these, ATSDR polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) activities and ATSDR mercury activities, and examine their long-term, continually evolving impacts on public health policy and service.
Effects of X-rays and cigarette smoking on leukocyte, lymphocyte and mitotic index values and SCE rates: the relationship between mitotic index and lymphocyte count
Authors: Akbaş E , Söylemez F , Derici E , Börekci G , Kanik A
Published: December 2004

Many previous studies revealed that smoking increases leukocyte and lymphocyte counts while exposure to X-rays decreases these counts. However the relationships between lymphocyte life span and smoking as well as X-rays were not well documented. The primary aim of this study was to determine relationships between smoking X-rays (in combination and individually) and life span of lymphocytes. Blood samples from 200 healthy individuals, half of which were X-ray exposed individuals, were collected. Half of X-ray exposed and of non-X-ray exposed individuals were smokers. There were equal numbers of male and female participants. Two lymphocyte cultures, one for the sister chromatid exchange (SCE) analysis and the other for the determination of mitotic index values were prepared using one part of the blood samples collected from the individuals. From the other part of the blood sample leukocyte and lymphocyte counts were determined with a haemogram device. Evaluation of the findings suggested that leukocyte count, lymphocyte count, mitotic index were relatively lower for the X-ray exposed individuals. In addition these values were higher for smokers than nonsmokers in general. The highest SCE rates were recorded for smoking radiology technicians. The most important finding is that lymphocyte life span is relatively low in smokers and in X-ray exposed males.
Evidence for the formation of sodium hassate(VIII)
Authors: von Zweidorf André , Brüchle W. , Bürger S. , Hummrich H. , Kratz Jens Volker , Kuczewski B. , Langrock G. , Rieth U. , Schädel M. , Trautmann N. , Tsukada K. , Wiehl N.
Published: December 2004

Hassium, element 108, was produced in the fusion reaction between26Mg and248Cm. The hassium recoils were oxidizedin-situto a highly volatile oxide, presumably HsO4, and were transported in a mixture of He and O2to a deposition and detection system. The latter consisted of 16 silicon PIN-photodiodes facing a layer of NaOH, which served, in the presence of a certain partial pressure of water in the transport gas, as reactive surface for the deposition of the volatile tetroxides. Six correlated α-decay chains of Hs were detected in the first 5 detectors centred around detection position 3. In analogy to OsO4, which forms Na2[OsO4(OH)2], an osmate(VIII), with aqueous NaOH, HsO4presumably was deposited as Na2[HsO4(OH)2], a hassate(VIII).
Uranium(VI) complexes with sugar phosphates in aqueous solution
Authors: Koban A. , Geipel Gerhard , Roßberg A. , Bernhard G.
Published: December 2004

The complex formation in the aqueous systems of uranium(VI) with glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) and fructose 6-phosphate (F6P) were studied using potentiometric titration, TRLFS, and EXAFS. Two complexes with a uranyl-to-ligand ratio of 1:1 and 1:2 for both sugars were observed. Complex stability constants were determined by potentiometric titration for both complexes to be log β11(G6P)=5.89±0.40, log β12(G6P)=9.45±0.08, log β11(F6P)=5.72±0.21, and log β12(F6P)=9.54±0.09. Stability constants could be determined with TRLFS under the specific experimental conditions only for the 1:1 complexes: log β11(G6P)=6.35±0.28, and log β11(F6P)=5.66±0.17.

The TRLFS measurements results show the UO2G6P complex to exhibit no fluorescence properties. For this system, only a decrease of the fluorescence intensity with increasing ligand concentration was observed. For the UO2F6P system, a red shift of the fluorescence emission bands of about 8 to 9 nm compared to the free uranyl ion was observed. The fluorescence emission wavelengths of the UO2F6P complex were determined to be 483, 496, 518, 542, and 567 nm, and the lifetime of this complex is 0.13±0.05 μs.

Uranium L
III-edge EXAFS measurements at pH 3.5, 4.0, and 5.5 yielded a shortened U–Oeq bond distance (2.30±0.02 to 2.37±0.02 Å), compared to the UO2
2+(H2O)5 ion (2.40±0.02 Å), due to a monodentate coordination via the oxygen atoms of the phosphate group.
Synthesis of malonic acid-functionalized Amberlite XAD-4 and its use in solid phase extraction/preconcentrative separation of thorium(IV)
Authors: Metilda P. , Gladis J. Mary , Prasada Rao T.
Published: December 2004

A new chelating polymer has been developed wherein Amberlite XAD-4 has been functionalized by coupling it with diethylmalonate after acetylation. The resulting resin has been characterized by IR spectral and microanalysis studies and has been used for preconcentrative separation of thorium(IV) in the presence of alkali, alkaline earth, transition elements and lanthanides. Various physico-chemical parameters influencing the sorption of thorium(IV) onto the polymeric matrix was investigated and optimized by both batch and column methods. Quantitative extraction of thorium(IV) was obtained in the pH range 6.0–8.0. The sorption capacity of the malonic acid functionalized resin is 19.28 mg per g of polymer with an enrichment factor of 500. Moreover, the system showed faster exchange kinetics for extraction of thorium(IV) thus resulting in quantitative enrichment at flow rates as high as 16.0 cm3/min using 0.2 g of resin packed column (7 mm dia). Five replicate determinations of 10 μg of thorium(IV) present in 2.5 dm3 of sample solution gave a mean absorbance of 0.160 with a relative standard deviation of 2.54%. The detection limit corresponding to 3 times the standard deviation of the blank was found to be 0.2 μg dm3. The developed procedure has been successfully utilized for the estimation of thorium(IV) content of pure rare earth chloride solution collected from Indian Rare Earths Limited, Alwaye, India.
Determination of natural radioactivity in building materials used in the Karachi area by γ-ray spectrometry and INAA
Authors: Zaidi Jamshed H. , Arif M. , Fatima I.
Published: December 2004

Samples of sand, stone and manufactured building materials collected from Karachi area have been analyzed for the primordial natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th and 40K using γ-ray spectrometry. The uranium and thorium contents have also been determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The specific activities in these materials, having a radium equivalent activity less than 370 Bq kg–1, when evaluated for radiological effects show that all materials meet the external γ-ray dose limitation of 1.5 mSv y–1. The γ-ray spectrometric and INAA techniques complemented each other well in this study.
Improved targetry and production of iodine-124 for PET studies
Authors: Glaser Matthias , Mackay D. B. , Ranicar A. S. O. , Waters S. L. , Brady F. , Luthra S. K.
Published: December 2004

Iodine-124 (T
1/2=4.18 d) is an important radionuclide for preclinical research in positron emission tomography (PET). We describe an improved method to produce and extract 124I from a solid [124Te]TeO2 target efficiently using the dry distillation technique. Our process is based on remote hot cell handling and was optimised to achieve efficiencies better than 90% with an average thick target yield of 9.0±1.0 MBq/μAh (n=47, corrected for decay). The technology is safe and reduces the dose to the operator.
Picolinic Acids as Inhibitors of Dopamine β‐Monooxygenase: QSAR and Putative Binding Site
Authors: Dove Stefan
Published: December 2004

Dopamine β‐monooxygenase (DBM, EC 1.14.17.1) catalyzes the oxidation of dopamine into (R)‐noradrenaline. DBM inhibitors may act as antihypertensive drugs. A series of 22 picolinic acids substituted in 4‐ and 5‐position was previously synthesized and tested for inhibition of DBM from bovine adrenal medulla. The QSAR of these compounds were investigated by Hansch analysis and comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA). The correlation of pI50 values with electronic (nucleophilic substituent constant σp—, oxygen net charges and highest occupied molecular orbital energy calculated by AMPAC‐AM1), hydrophobic (π values of R4) and steric descriptors (molar refraction and Sterimol parameters of R5) indicated that a more negatively charged carboxylate moiety, more lipophilic R4 groups as well as wider bulk and higher molar refraction of 5‐substituents increase DBM inhibition. The CoMFA approach generally reproduced these QSAR in terms of steric and electrostatic field variables, the latter restricted to the carboxylate area. To predict a putative binding site, dopamine and fusaric acid were docked into a partial homology model of DBM derived from a crystal structure of peptidylglycine α‐hydroxylating monooxygenase (EC 1.14.17.3). The inhibitor is suggested to interact by its carboxylate group with the copper site CuB and the protonated amino group of dopamine according to the uncompetitive type of inhibition. R4 points to a tyrosine side chain. R5 protrudes into the fringe of the catalytic crevice. It may “freeze” to the solvated surface of polar amino acids and additionally contact an isoleucine residue. Taken together, the model explains the QSAR results by corresponding types of interaction.
Analysis of Drug Action on Tumor Cell Metabolism Using Electronic Sensor Chips
Authors: Otto Angela M. , Brischwein Martin , Motrescu Elena , Wolf Bernhard
Published: December 2004

Chemotherapeutic drugs affect the metabolism of tumor cells regardless of the specific target of action. Basic parameters of cell metabolism are extrusion of acids into the microenvironment and oxygen consumption. To analyze these changes on living cells in real‐time, a test system based on multiparametric chips with an array of sensors for monitoring pH and O2 as well as electric impedance has been developed. Cells are cultivated on these chips and supplied with medium by a fluid perfusion set‐up which mimics microphysiological conditions and allows for drug addition and removal. Human colon carcinoma cells LS174T were used as a model to test the effect of drugs. Cells growing on chips were monitored for 24 h and longer. Untreated cells showed a continuous increase in the rate of acidification, while the rate of respiration remained fairly constant. Addition of chloroacetaldehyde (50 μM) rapidly attenuated O2 consumption with a gradual decrease in acidification following. In contrast, with cisplatin (16.7 μM) a delayed and gradual decrease in both the rates of acidification and respiration effect occurred over 2—3 days. These results provide insights to the mechanisms of action of these drugs, which are coherent with those already known. Thus, multiparametric sensor chips provide elementary information on drug action.
Team‐based learning in a medical gross anatomy and embryology course
Authors: Nieder Gary L. , Parmelee Dean X. , Stolfi Adrienne , Hudes Patricia D.
Published: December 2004

The application of team‐based learning (TBL) as a major component of a medical gross anatomy course was evaluated. TBL is a method of small group instruction that addresses some of the shortcomings of other small‐group teaching approaches. The core components of TBL were instituted in 12 small group sessions in the course. Each session included objective‐oriented assignments, an individual readiness assurance test, a group readiness assurance test and a group application problem. Peer evaluation was carried out on a regular basis. Scores from TBL session activities and course examinations were analyzed and compared to previous years' course performance. Student course evaluation data and faculty feedback were also collected. Student evaluation data and faculty response indicated strong support for the TBL method as it was implemented in the course. Faculty noted improvements in students' day‐to‐day preparedness and group problem solving skills. Students' mean scores on exams were not significantly different from those of previous years. There was, however, a significantly smaller variance in examination scores that was reflected in a lower course failure rate compared to previous years. Correlation analyses of TBL and examination performance suggested that individual readiness assurance test performance is a good predictor of examination performance. TBL proved to be a superior method for small group learning in our anatomy course. Student performance suggested that TBL may most benefit academically at‐risk students who are forced to study more consistently, are provided regular feedback on their preparedness and given the opportunity to develop higher reasoning skills. Clin. Anat. 18:56–63, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Decharging of Globular Proteins and Protein Complexes in Electrospray
Authors: Catalina M. Isabel , van den Heuvel Robert H. H. , van Duijn Esther , Heck Albert J. R.
Published: December 2004

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) is a valuable tool in structural biology for investigating globular proteins and their biomolecular interactions. During the electrospray ionization process, proteins become desolvated and multiply charged, which may influence their structure. Reducing the net charge obtained during the electrospray process may be relevant for studying globular proteins. In this report we demonstrate the effect of a series of inorganic and organic gas‐phase bases on the number of charges that proteins and protein complexes attain. Solution additives with very strong gas‐phase basicities (GB) were identified among the so‐called “proton sponges”. The gas‐phase proton affinities (PA) of the compounds that were added to the aqueous protein solutions ranged from 700 to 1050 kJ mol−1. Circular dichroism studies showed that in these solutions the proteins retain their globular structures. The size of the proteins investigated ranged from the 14.3 kDa lysozyme up to the 800 kDa tetradecameric chaperone complex GroEL. Decharging of the proteins in the electrospray process by up to 60 % could be achieved by adding the most basic compounds rather than the more commonly used ammonium acetate additive. This decharging process probably results from proton competition events between the multiply protonated protein ions and the basic additives just prior to the final desolvation. We hypothesize that such globular protein species, which attain relatively few charges during the ionization event, obtain a gas‐phase structure that more closely resembles their solution‐phase structure. Thus, these basic additives can be useful in the study of the biologically relevant properties of globular proteins by using mass spectrometry.
Crystal Overgrowth on Gold Nanorods: Tuning the Shape, Facet, Aspect Ratio, and Composition of the Nanorods
Authors: Song Jae Hee , Kim Franklin , Kim Daniel , Yang Peidong
Published: December 2004

Electrochemically prepared Au nanorods were used as seeds for the overgrowth of thin shells of gold, silver, and palladium by using a mild reducing agent, ascorbic acid, in the presence of surfactants at ambient condition. The unique crystal facets of the starting nanorods results in anisotropic crystal overgrowth. The overgrowth rates along different crystallographical directions can be further regulated by adding foreign ions or by using different metal reduction methods. This overgrowth study provides insights on how different metal ions could be reduced preferentially on different Au nanorod surfaces, so that the composition, aspect ratio, shape, and facet of the resulting nanostructures can be rationally tuned. These surfactant‐stabilized bimetallic AucoreMshell (M=Au, Ag, Pd) nanorod colloids might serve as better substrates in surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy as well as exhibiting enhanced catalytic properties.
The impact of socioeconomic status and race on trial participation for older women with breast cancer
Authors: Gross Cary P. , Filardo Giovanni , Mayne Susan T. , Krumholz Harlan M.
Published: December 2004

BACKGROUND

Older women, and older minorities in particular, are under represented in breast cancer trials. Although socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with both race and age, to the authors' knowledge little is known regarding the impact of SES on trial enrollment among older women with breast cancer.

METHODS

The authors performed a case–control study comparing women who were participants in National Cancer Institute cooperative group breast cancer trials (cases) with a population‐based sample of breast cancer patients (controls) obtained from the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)‐Medicare data base. The sample was restricted to women age ≥ 65 years who were living in SEER areas. Proxies for SES included the proportion of the population below poverty level (by zip code) and unemployed (by county) as well those with Medicaid insurance coverage. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to test the association of SES with trial participation after accounting for other patient and county characteristics.

RESULTS

In bivariate analysis, trial participants were significantly less likely than community cancer patients to reside in high‐poverty zip codes (20.9% vs. 24.9%, respectively; P < 0.001) or to have Medicaid insurance (2.0% vs. 10.0%; P < 0.0001). After adjusting for race, age, and county, trial participation remained inversely related to residing in areas with high poverty (odds ratio [OR] vs. residents of remaining counties, 0.78; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.62–0.98), high unemployment rates (OR vs. residents of residents of counties in the lowest quartile, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.35–0.71), and having Medicaid insurance (OR vs. women without Medicaid, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.13–0.37); black race was not found to be related to trial participation (OR for black vs. white, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.67–1.47).

CONCLUSIONS

Low SES was associated inversely with trial enrollment for older women with breast cancer and appeared to account for the enrollment disparities between black patients and white patients. Future efforts to enhance enrollment of elderly women in cancer research should identify specific barriers related to SES that may be amenable to intervention. Cancer 2005. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Wiring Enzymes in Nanostructures Built with Electrostatically Self‐Assembled Thin Films
Authors: Calvo Ernesto J. , Wolosiuk Alejandro
Published: December 2004

The construction of electrostatically self‐assembled intelligent nanostructures on electrodes with redox enzyme layers and redox polymer molecular wires defined in space allowed the analysis of redox charge transport from the redox enzyme to the electrode along nanometric distances. Recent results on the electrical connection of enzymes to electrodes and perspectives of generating electrical signals from molecular recognition in integrated enzyme electrodes are discussed.
Magnetic Circular Dichroism Study of Directly Fused Porphyrins
Authors: Muranaka Atsuya , Yokoyama Masaki , Matsumoto Yotaro , Uchiyama Masanobu , Tsuda Akihiko , Osuka Atsuhiro , Kobayashi Nagao
Published: December 2004

The magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra of doubly and triply linked fused bisporphyrins (2MDand2MT, M=Ni, Zn, Cu, Pd, and H2) and triply linked higher oligomers (3ZnTand4ZnT) have been measured, and their Q‐bands assigned based on the results of INDO/s calculations. In contrast to the FaradayAterm observed for the Q(0,0) band of NiIItetraphenylporphyrin, a single positive FaradayBterm was observed for the lowest energy transition of the fused systems. The calculations indicated that the molecular orbitals (MOs) of the directly fused porphyrins consist of linear combinations of the constituent monomeric MOs, and that the effect of lowering the symmetry is always larger on the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) than on the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO). On the basis of Michl's perimeter model, these features can be correlated with the observed positive MCD signs in the near infrared region. A weak absorption band at 600–700 nm for the fused dimers can be assigned to a short‐axis polarized Q transition.
Alkali‐Metal Salts of Aromatic Carboxylic Acids: Liquid Crystals without Flexible Chains
Authors: Van Deun Rik , Ramaekers Jan , Nockemann Peter , Van Hecke Kristof , Van Meervelt Luc , Binnemans Koen
Published: December 2004

The alkali‐metal salts of meta‐substituted benzoic acids exhibit a smectic A mesophase at high temperatures. These compounds are examples of liquid crystals without terminal alkyl chains. The influence of the metal ion and of the type of substituents on the transition temperatures is discussed. Compounds with the substituent in the ortho‐ and para‐positions are non‐mesomorphic. The crystal structures of the compounds Rb(C7H4ClO2)(C7H4ClO2H), Na(C7H4IO2)(H2O), K(C7H4ClO2)(C7H4ClO2H) and Rb(C7H4BrO2)(C7H4BrO2H) have been determined by X‐ray crystallography. These compounds possess a layerlike structure in the solid state. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)
Sphingolipids from the edible fungus Tuber indicum
Authors: Jin‐Ming Gao , Wei‐Ming Zhu , She‐Qi Zhang , Xing Zhang , An‐Ling Zhang , Hui Chen , Yue‐Ying Sun , Ming Tang
Published: December 2004

Two sphingolipids, 1‐O‐β‐D‐glucopyranosyl‐(2S,3R,4E,8E)‐2‐[(2R)‐2‐hydroxyhexade‐canoylamino]‐9‐methyl‐4,8‐octadecadiene‐1,3‐diol (1) and 1‐O‐β‐D‐glucopyranosyl‐(2S,3R,4E,8E)‐2‐[(2R)‐2‐hydroxyoctadecanoylamino]‐9‐methyl‐4,8‐octadecadiene‐1,3‐diol (2), have been isolated from the fruiting bodies of the ascomycete fungus Tuber indicum Cooke et Massee. Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical methods. Sphingolipids are reported from the truffle for the first time.
The prediction of biodiesel storage stability. Proposal for a quick test
Authors: Bondioli Paolo , Gasparoli Ada , della Bella Laura , Tagliabue Silvia , Lacoste Florence , Lagardere Lionel
Published: December 2004

The results obtained during the set‐up of a method for the prediction of biodiesel storage stability are shown. In order to speed up the rate of ageing processes, the test temperature was set to 80 °C, and tests were carried out within 24 h in a Rancimat modified cell apparatus. The effect of the quick ageing process can be monitored by means of the evaluation of changes in ester content, polymer content and peroxide value. By comparing the results obtained during a 1‐year experiment, carried out under real storage conditions, and during a second test, carried out at 43 °C for 24 wk according to ASTM D 4625 method, with the ones reported in this paper, several discrepancies regarding the different degradation reactions as well as the rate at which these reactions take place were evidenced. Finally, a tentative relationship between the results obtained with the proposed quick test and the real Rancimat induction period, shown by different samples after 12 months of real storage, are shown. From the results obtained during this work, the Oxidation Stability test carried out according to EN 14112:2003 and the Storage Stability test reported herein may provide different information for the evaluation of the overall stability of a biodiesel sample.
Health benefits of CLA – lessons from pig models in biomedical research
Authors: Bassaganya‐Riera Josep , King Jennifer , Hontecillas Raquel
Published: December 2004

The objective of this review is to highlight the use of pig models for investigating safety, efficacy and the mechanisms of action of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Although CLA elicits positive effects in animal models and in vitro systems, a consistent concern in terms of translational research is that the health benefits observed by using these model systems cannot be extrapolated directly into humans. Conversely, the similarities between pigs and humans make the pig an ideal model for examining the health benefits of dietary supplements, functional foods and nutraceuticals. We have developed pig models of viral and bacterial infection to examine the preventive role of dietary CLA supplementation on virally induced immunosuppression and gut health, respectively. Results from these studies indicate that CLA significantly enhances the immune function while limiting the catabolic effects of uncontrolled immune and inflammatory responses. The scientific findings in pig models and human clinical trials demonstrate that CLA modulates immune responses in pigs and humans. Pig models of immunomodulation represent significant improvements over other animal models and in vitro systems because they mimic more closely the compartmentalization of the human immune system and the clinical presentation of human infectious, immune and inflammatory diseases.
Polar stationary phases for capillary electrochromatography
Authors: Xie Chuanhui , Fu Hongjing , Hu Jiwei , Zou Hanfa
Published: December 2004

This review article summarizes the variety of polar stationary phases that have been employed for capillary electrochromatographic separations. Compared with reversed‐phase stationary phases, the polar alternatives provide a completely different retention selectivity towards polar and charged analytes. Different types of polar stationary phases are reviewed, including the possible retention mechanisms. Electrochromatographic separations of polar solutes, peptides, and basic pharmaceuticals on polar stationary phases are presented.
System zones in capillary zone electrophoresis
Authors: Gaš Bohuslav , Kenndler Ernst
Published: December 2004

When working with capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), the analyst has to be aware that the separation system is not homogeneous anymore as soon as a sample is brought into the background electrolyte (BGE). Upon injection, the analyte creates a disturbance in the concentration of the BGE, and the system retains a kind of memory for this inhomogeneity, which is propagated with time and leads to so‐called system zones (or system eigenzones) migrating in an electric field with a certain eigenmobility. If recordable by the detector, they appear in the electropherogram as system peaks (or system eigenpeaks). However, although their appearance can not be forecasted and explained easily, they are inherent for the separation system. The progress in the theory of electromigration (accompanied by development of computer software) allows to treat the phenomenon of system zones and system peaks now also in very complex BGE systems, consisting of several multivalent weak electrolytes, and at all pH ranges. It also allows to predict the existence of BGEs having no stationary injection zone (or water zone, EO zone, gap, dip). Our paper reviews the theoretical background of the origin of the system zones (system peaks, system eigenpeaks), discusses the validity of the Kohlrausch regulating function, and gives practical hints for preparing BGEs with good separation ability not deteriorated by the occurrence of system peaks and by excessive peak‐broadening.
An insight into molecularly imprinted polymers for capillary electrochromatography
Authors: Liu Chuen‐Ying , Lin Chun‐Chi
Published: December 2004

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are actively being developed as a practical tool for affinity chromatographic supports. From the viewpoint of separation science, capillary electrochromatography (CEC) might be one of the more promising chromatographic techniques to be used in combination with the MIPs. However, up to the present, very little MIP work has involved CEC. This review gives a full overview of MIP including current trends in MIP, methods for the characterization of MIP, and methods for the preparation of MIP with particular emphasis on application of the resulting materials in CEC. To prepare MIPs with selectivity predetermined for a particular substance or group of structural analogues is an important factor for the development of a new format of CEC. From the fundamental research with the batch method, a better knowledge of imprint formation and imprint recognition will be helpful for expanding the application area of the combination of MIPs with CEC.
Recent advances in chiral separation principles in capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography
Authors: Gübitz Gerald , Schmid Martin G.
Published: December 2004

This review summarizes recent developments in chiral separation in capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), electrokinetic chromatography (EKC), and capillary electrochromatography (CEC) covering literature published since the year 2000. New chiral selectors and innovative approaches for CE and CEC are introduced. Recent progress in column technology for CEC is highlighted and the development of new chiral stationary phases is discussed. This review is not dedicated to list applications but will focus on new developments.
Dedication to Professor Bertold J. Radola on the occasion of his retirement
Authors: El Rassi Ziad
Published: December 2004

No abstracts.
Editorial: Electrophoresis 23‐24/2004
Authors: El Rassi Ziad
Published: December 2004

No abstracts.