bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Earliest Miocene hominoid from Southeast Asia
Authors: Kunimatsu Yutaka , Ratanasthien Benjavun , Nakaya Hideo , Saegusa Haruo , Nagaoka Shinji
Published: May 2004

A new hominoid fossil site, Chiang Muan in northern Thailand, yielded the first finding of a large‐bodied Miocene hominoid in Southeast Asia. This specimen (CMu6‐1′00) was preliminarily reported by Kunimatsu et al. ([2000a] Primate Res. 16:299). Later, Chaimanee et al. ([ 2003] Nature 422:61–65) reported additional hominoid teeth from the same site, but all of them were collected from younger deposits (the Upper Lignite Member, in Nagaoka and Suganuma [ 2002] Primate Res 18:159–164). The specimen described here (CMu6‐1′00) was recovered from the Lower Lignite Member (Nagaoka and Suganuma [ 2002] Primate Res 18:159–164), which is probably several hundred thousand years older than the Upper Lignite Member (Suganuma et al. [ 2002] Primate Res. 18:165–173). This article provides a detailed description of this hominoid specimen and paleontological/geological data of the fossil site at Chiang Muan. The hominoid specimen (CMu6‐1′00) is an isolated upper molar (right M1 or M2), similar in size to modern orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus). This upper molar has low and voluminous cusps, relatively thick enamel, and relatively low relief of the dentine/enamel junction, with only a faint remnant of the lingual cingulum. The age of Chiang Muan is estimated to be the latest Middle Miocene (ca. 11–12 Ma), based on the mammalian fossils (Nakaya et al. [ 2002] Primate Res. 18:131–141) and paleomagnetic study (Suganuma et al. [ 2002] Primate Res. 18:165–173). This suggests that the Chiang Muan Hominoid in the present study is an earlier member of Eastern Eurasian Miocene hominoids. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Demographic parameters and life history of chimpanzees at Bossou, Guinea
Authors: Sugiyama Yukimaru
Published: May 2004

Demographic parameters of wild chimpanzees at Bossou, Guinea, are presented and compared with those of other populations. The population size of Bossou chimpanzees has been stable over the last 26 years, except during two incidents of partial deforestation. The annual birth rate for a female (mean = 0.194, but 0.165 when the infant survived more than 4 years) and interbirth interval are not much different from those of other study sites. The primiparous age of Bossou chimpanzees, however, is far younger (mean = 10.9 years) than for all other known wild chimpanzee populations. The infant and juvenile survival rate is also the highest (female = 0.64, male = 0.52 for the first 8 years). As a result, the lifetime reproductive success of Bossou chimpanzees is estimated to be highest among long‐term study sites. The rate of disappearance from Bossou dramatically increases during the adolescent stage, and most young chimpanzees disappear before or around maturation. Probably because the environmental capacity for chimpanzees at Bossou is at its limit, many young independent males, as well as females, have to disperse, though others may die. For chimpanzee alpha males of other populations, mature males may be needed as collaborators to defend resources. In the case of Bossou, however, a lack of adjacent groups, conspecific competitors, predators, and perhaps medium‐sized mammals as prey for group hunting may eliminate this need of the alpha male for other males. The reasons why all males of other chimpanzee populations persist in being philopatric for life and maintain kin‐related male bonds differing from most mammal species, including humans, are discussed. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Brain size and encephalization in early to Mid‐Pleistocene Homo
Authors: Rightmire G. Philip
Published: May 2004

Important changes in the brain have occurred during the course of human evolution. Both absolute and relative size increases can be documented for species of Homo, culminating in the appearance of modern humans. One species that is particularly well‐represented by fossil crania is Homo erectus. The mean capacity for 30 individuals is 973 cm3. Within this group there is substantial variation, but brain size increases slightly in specimens from later time periods. Other Middle Pleistocene crania differ from those of Homo erectus. Characters of the facial skeleton, vault, and cranial base suggest that fossils from sites such as Arago Cave in France, the Sima de los Huesos in Spain, Bodo in Ethiopia, Broken Hill in Zambia, and perhaps Dali in China belong to the taxon Homo heidelbergensis. Ten of these mid‐Quaternary hominins have brains averaging 1,206 cm3 in volume, and many fall beyond the limits of size predicted for Homo erectus of equivalent age. When orbit height is used to construct an index of relative brain size, it is apparent that the (significant) increase in volume documented for the Middle Pleistocene individuals is not simply a consequence of larger body mass. Encephalization quotient values confirm this finding. These changes in absolute and relative brain size can be taken as further corroborative evidence for a speciation event, in which Homo erectus produced a daughter lineage. It is probable that Homo heidelbergensis originated in Africa or western Eurasia and then ranged widely across the Old World. Archaeological traces indicate that these populations differed in their technology and behavior from earlier hominins. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
CO2‐assisted polymer processing: A new alternative for intractable polymers
Authors: Garcia‐Leiner Manuel , Lesser Alan J.
Published: May 2004

CO2‐assisted polymer processing is proposed as an alternative route for intractable and high molecular weight polymers based on the plasticization effects of CO2 and its direct effect on the melting behavior of semicrystalline polymers. A modified processing system was used to process a variety of polymers in the presence of high‐pressure CO2. The system includes an extruder that was modified to allow for high pressures created by the injection of CO2. The new design includes a modified feed section that allows a given mass of polymer to interact with CO2 before and during the extrusion process. The inherent shear mixing and the presence of CO2 allow for a specific control over the extrudate morphology. Results suggest that this alternative design provides a new and easy route to melt process high melt viscosity polymers of commercial importance, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP), and syndiotactic polystyrene (s‐PS). The increased processability of these systems in CO2 is related to the plasticization effect of CO2 that was quantified through a depression in the glass‐transition temperature according to the Chow model. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1501–1511, 2004
Study of complexes of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) with copper and cobalt on solid state
Authors: Díaz Esperanza , Valenciano Rosa B. , Katime Issa A.
Published: May 2004

A polymer–metal complex is a metal complex containing a polymer ligand, showing a remarkably specific structure in which central metal ions are surrounded by a colossal polymer chain. Based on this polymeric ligand, the polymer–metal complex has interesting and important characteristics, especially catalytic activities. This activity is different from that of the corresponding ordinary metal complex of low molecular weight. In this work we studied the synthesis and characterization, in the solid state, of different poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)–cobalt (PVP/Co) and –copper (PVP/Cu) complexes. We used differential thermal analysis and FTIR as the experimental techniques. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1512–1518, 2004
Kinetics of butylacrylate polymerization in a starved feed reactor
Authors: Cao Gui‐Ping , Zhu Zhong‐Nan , Zhang Ming‐Hua , Yuan Wei‐Kang
Published: May 2004

A starved feed reactor (SFR) is a semibatch polymerization reactor where initiator and monomer are fed slowly into a fixed amount of solvent. The polymerization is carried out isothermally at elevated temperatures. The added initiator decomposes instantaneously and the added monomer polymerizes immediately. The molecular weight of the product polymer can be effectively controlled by the feed ratio of monomer to initiator. This article presents a study on the kinetics of butylacrylate polymerization in an SFR. The model parameters are regressed with experimental data. Although the solids fraction in the SFR is high (>50%), viscosity is not high and the “gel effect” is weak because of the low molecular weight of the products. It is found that the termination rate constant is a power function of molecular weight, and the lumped rate constant kp/(k)1/2 can be modeled through an Arrhenius equation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1519–1525, 2004
Immobilization of invertase onto dimer acid‐co‐alkyl polyamine
Authors: Tümtürk H. , Tufan Y.
Published: May 2004

Invertase was immobilized onto the dimer acid‐co‐alkyl polyamine after activation with 1,2‐diamine ethane and 1,3‐diamine propane. The effects of pH, temperature, substrate concentration, and storage stability on free and immobilized invertase were investigated. Kinetic parameters were calculated as 18.2 mM for Km and 6.43 × 10−5 mol dm−3 min−1 for Vmax of free enzyme and in the range of 23.8–35.3 mM for Km and 7.97–11.71 × 10−5 mol dm−3 min−1 for Vmax of immobilized enzyme. After storage at 4°C for 1 month, the enzyme activities were 21.0 and 60.0–70.0% of the initial activity for free and immobilized enzyme, respectively. The optimum pH values for free and immobilized enzymes were determined as 4.5. The optimum temperatures for free and immobilized enzymes were 45 and 50°C, respectively. After using immobilized enzyme in 3 days for 43 times, it showed 76–80% of its original activity. As a result of immobilization, thermal and storage stabilities were increased. The aim of this study was to increase the storage stability and reuse number of the immobilized enzyme and also to compare this immobilization method with others with respect to storage stability and reuse number. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1526–1530, 2004
Development of a novel polymer–metal nanocomposite obtained through the route of in situ reduction for integral capacitor application
Authors: Pothukuchi Suresh , Li Yi , Wong C. P.
Published: May 2004

Metal nanoparticles exhibit a number of interesting characteristics, including unique physical, chemical, optical, magnetic, and electric properties. Numerous investigations have exploited their properties in a readily usable form by incorporating them into polymers. The current focus of interest is the behavior of such polymer nanocomposites near the percolation loading levels of the metal nanoparticles. This material is particularly suitable for the new integral passive technology. Discrete capacitors are used in many applications, such as noise suppression, filtering, tuning, decoupling, bypassing, termination, and frequency determination, and they occupy a substantial amount of surface area on a substrate. Thus there are limitations in the number of capacitors that can be placed around the chip. Integral passive components are gradually replacing discrete components because of the inherent advantages of improved electrical performance, increased real estate on the printed wiring board, miniaturization of interconnect distance, reduced processing costs, and efficient electronics packaging. For integral capacitors, polymer composite material has emerged as a potential candidate because it meets the requirements of low processing temperature and reasonably high dielectric constant. Yang and Wong, whose patent was filed in 2001, demonstrated novel integral passive component materials with extraordinarily high dielectric constants (K > 1000) and high reliability performance. These materials are characterized by high dielectric constant based on the mechanism of interfacial polarization, although they need precision filler concentration control. The current study overcomes this drawback and produces the composite through an in situ reduction in an epoxy matrix. Material characterization was done through TEM, SEM, X‐ray analysis, and energy‐dispersive analysis for X rays. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1531–1538, 2004
Studies on glass transition temperature of chitosan with four techniques
Authors: Dong Yanming , Ruan Yonghong , Wang Huiwu , Zhao Yaging , Bi Danxia
Published: May 2004

Studies on the glass transition temperature (Tg) of chitosan are difficult to pursue because of the difficulty in sample preparation and the hydroscopicity of samples. There are a few works concerning this principal relaxation of chitosan. Among them, several quite different values (150°C, 161°C, and 203°C) have been reported. In this paper, the Tg of chitosan (140 ∼ 150°C) was determined by means of four techniques, namely, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermally simulated current spectroscopy (TSC), and dilatometry (DIL).

DSC measurement has been assumed not to be sensitive enough to detect the relaxation temperature of polysaccharides. We propose a new method to improve the sensitivity of the DSC measurement. After a physical aging treatment of samples, the transition in DSC traces became much more distinct because of the enthalpy relaxation. This technique was also used to distinguish the Tg from other relaxations.

The Tg of chitosan with different degree of deacetylation (D.D.) was examined by DSC. No influence of D.D. on Tg was found. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1553–1558, 2004
Chemical structure designing to enhance the yield stress of electrorheological fluids based on modified chitosan compounds
Authors: Ko Young Gun , Choi Ung Su , Sung Bo Hyun
Published: May 2004

For studying the influences of alkyl chain length, end groups of the side chains, and mixture on enhancing the shear stress of electrorheological (ER) fluids, chitosan carboxylates were synthesized for ER particles and prepared ER fluids by dispersing the particles in silicone oil. After comparing the shear stress of all prepared ER fluids, the conclusion obtained was that ER particles having two functional groups showed higher shear stress than those having one functional group. However, after mixing two ER particles having one functional group respectively, the ER fluid having those particles showed a lower shear stress. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1559–1566, 2004
Phase morphology and compatibilization mechanism in ternary polymer blend systems of polyethylene terephthalate, polyolefin rubber, and ionomer
Authors: Ohishi Hiroshi
Published: May 2004

The phase morphology and the mechanism of the compatibilization in ternary blends of PET/EBM (ethylene buten rubber)/ionomer (partially neutralized ethylene and methyl methacrylic acid copolymer, EMAA) are examined. Applying the repulsion idea in random copolymer, the ionomer was selected as an encapsulating agent to compatibilize PET/EBM blend. As anticipated, the ionomer can encapsulate EBM in PET matrix and effectively compatibilize PET and EBM. The results of droplet sandwich experiments verified that the actual driving force for the encapsulation is wettability. In addition, this wettablility was found to be realized by the contribution of the polar and nonpolar units in the ionomer: The polar units decrease the interfacial tension between PET and the ionomer, and the nonpolar units decrease that between EBM and the ionomer. The metal ions in the ionomer have little influence on the wettability, and consequently EMAA can encapsulate EBM even when unneutralized. The efficiency of the compatibilization, on the other hand, is not determined by the wettability only, and the metal ions play an important role. EMAA can effectively compatibilize EBM and PET only when neutralized. This compatibilization effectiveness of the ionomer is supposedly due to the strong interaction between PET and the metal ions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1567–1576, 2004
Organic Chlorine as a Hydrogen‐Bridge Acceptor: Evidence for the Existence of Intramolecular OH⋅⋅⋅ClC Interactions in Somegem‐Alkynols
Authors: Banerjee Rahul , Desiraju Gautam R. , Mondal Raju , Howard Judith A. K.
Published: May 2004

The acceptor capabilities of “organic” halogen, CX (X=F, Cl, Br, I), with respect to hydrogen bonding are controversial, and unactivated organic chlorine is generally deemed to be a poor acceptor. Hydrogen bridges of the type OH⋅⋅⋅ClC are uncommon and occur mainly in an intramolecular situation when the donor group is sterically hindered, so that the formation of intermolecular interactions is difficult. In this paper, intramolecular OH⋅⋅⋅ClC interactions in a series of chloro‐substitutedgem‐alkynols are studied. We describe various features of this interaction using crystallographic, spectroscopic and computational methods. The OH⋅⋅⋅ClC interaction occurs in five of the six compounds under consideration here (CDDA, 14DDDA, 15DDDA, 18DDDA, 15MKA). Solution1H NMR spectroscopy shows that the interaction is intramolecular and that it is a true hydrogen bond. DFT calculations give a stabilisation energy around 4.0 kcal mol−1. In the crystal structures of the compounds studied, the intramolecular OH⋅⋅⋅ClC interactions fit into the overall scheme of cooperative interactions. These structures may be derived from that of the unsubstituted compound DDA by means of synthon exchange and the OH⋅⋅⋅ClC interaction fares surprisingly well in the presence of competing stronger acceptors. The crystal structures show an unusual degree of modularity for compounds that generally form interactions that are weak and variable. It is noteworthy that the so‐called “weak” acceptor, organic chlorine, is able to sustain a good intramolecular hydrogen bridge that is of an attractive and stabilizing nature and which is of potential importance in crystal engineering and supramolecular chemistry.
Actin filament binding by a monomeric IQGAP1 fragment with a single calponin homology domain
Authors: Mateer Scott C. , Morris Leah E. , Cromer Damond A. , Benseñor Lorena B. , Bloom George S.
Published: May 2004

IQGAP1 is a homodimeric protein that reversibly associates with F‐actin, calmodulin, activated Cdc42 and Rac1, CLIP‐170, β‐catenin, and E‐cadherin. Its F‐actin binding site includes a calponin homology domain (CHD) located near the N‐terminal of each subunit. Prior studies have implied that medium‐ to high‐affinity F‐actin binding (5–50 μM Kd) requires multiple CHDs located either on an individual polypeptide or on distinct subunits of a multimeric protein. For IQGAP1, a series of six tandem IQGAP coiled‐coil repeats (IRs) located past the C‐terminal of the CHD of each subunit support protein dimerization and, by extension, the IRs or an undefined subset of them were thought to be essential for F‐actin binding mediated by its CHDs. Here we describe efforts to determine the minimal region of IQGAP1 capable of binding F‐actin. Several truncation mutants of IQGAP1, which contain progressive deletions of the IRs and CHD, were assayed for F‐actin binding in vitro. Fragments that contain both the CHD and at least one IR could bind F‐actin and, as expected, removal of all six IRs and the CHD abolished binding. Unexpectedly, a fragment called IQGAP12‐210, which contains the CHD, but lacks IRs, could bind actin filaments. IQGAP12‐210 was found to be monomeric, to bind F‐actin with a Kd of ∼47 μM, to saturate F‐actin at a molar ratio of one IQGAP12‐210 per actin monomer, and to co‐localize with cortical actin filaments when expressed by transfection in cultured cells. These collective results identify the first known example of high‐affinity actin filament binding mediated by a single CHD. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 58:231–241, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Loss or mismatch of MHC class I is sufficient to trigger NK cell‐mediated rejection of resting lymphocytes in vivo – role of KARAP/DAP12‐dependent and ‐independent pathways
Authors: Öberg Linda , Johansson Sofia , Michaëlsson Jakob , Tomasello Elena , Vivier Eric , Kärre Klas , Höglund Petter
Published: May 2004

A prediction from the "missing self" hypothesis is that down‐regulation of MHC class I on resting hematopoietic cells should be sufficient to make them susceptible to NK cell killing. Using a method enabling kinetic and quantitative assessments of NK cell‐mediated rejection responses in vivo, we here show that resting hematopoietic cells from β2‐microglobulin‐deficient (β2m–/–) mice were rapidly rejected in unmanipulated C57BL/6 (B6) mice. In situations of allelic MHC class I mismatches rejection occurred but required longer time. β2m–/– donor cells pre‐activated with concanavalin A were more efficiently eliminated compared to resting cells, as were MHC– tumor cells. When recipient mice were pretreatedwith an IFN inducer to activate NK cells, rejection was also enhanced. The signaling adaptor KARAP/DAP12 was dispensable for rejection of β2m–/– cells (lacking MHC) but critical for rejection of BALB/c cells (mismatched MHC) in unmanipulated B6 recipients. In contrast, B6 recipients with pre‐activated NK cells rejected BALB/c cells in a KARAP/DAP12‐independent fashion. Loss or mismatch of MHC class I in resting cells was thus sufficient to convey susceptibility to NK cell rejection. However, activation of the effector or the target enhanced rejection and shifted the balance between different signaling pathways involved.
The small subset of CD56brightCD16– natural killer cells is selectively responsible for both cell proliferation and interferon‐γ production upon interaction with dendritic cells
Authors: Vitale Massimo , Chiesa Mariella Della , Carlomagno Simona , Romagnani Chiara , Thiel Andreas , Moretta Lorenzo , Moretta Alessandro
Published: May 2004

The encounter of NK cells with dendritic cells (DC) undergoing maturation may result in the induction of NK cell proliferation. Whether such proliferation involves most NK cells or just a subset has yet to be determined. In the present study we analyzed the nature of such proliferating NK cells by combining carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester staining and double‐fluorescence cytofluorimetric analysis. Freshly isolated peripheral blood NK cells cultured with LPS and immature DC underwent proliferation; however, proliferating cells were confined to a minor NK cell subset. This subset is characterized by the CD56brightCD16–NKG2A+KIR– surface phenotype (KIR, killer Ig‐like receptor). This was further confirmed by the fact that, after cell sorting, only the CD56bright NK cells were able to proliferate in response to the DC stimulus, whereas the CD56dull were not. We also provide evidence that the CD56bright subset is the main source of IFN‐γ‐producing NK cells, upon interaction with DC. The CD56brightCD16– NK cells express a panel of surface molecules including CD62L, CCR7 and CXCR3 that may allow their homing either to secondary lymphoid compartments or to inflamed tissues. This implies that, in vivo, the interactions between DC undergoing maturation and CD56bright NK cells may occur in different tissues and have different functional implications.
Neural substrates differentiating global/local processing of bilateral visual inputs
Authors: Han Shihui , Jiang Yi , Gu Hua
Published: May 2004

We investigated neural substrates of global/local processing of bilateral hierarchical stimuli using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Subjects were presented with two compound letters that were displayed simultaneously in the left and right visual fields, respectively. In a steady‐state, block‐design paradigm, hemodynamic responses were recorded while subjects detected infrequent global or local targets presented in one hemifield in separate epochs of trials. While behavioural responses were more accurate and faster to global than local targets, attention to the global level of bilateral visual inputs induced stronger activations in the left and right temporal cortex relative to attention to the local level. However, attention to the local level generated stronger activations in bilateral superior parietal cortex compared with attention to the global level. The results suggest that distinct neural substrates in the temporal and parietal cortices are preferentially engaged in the global and local processing of bilateral visual inputs, respectively. Hum. Brain Mapping 22:321–328, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fin efficiency of serrated fins. Part 4. Correction factor for inline arrangement
Authors: Hashizume Kenichi , Sato Toshiharu , Matsue Takahiro , Koyama Tetsuya
Published: May 2004

A correction factor to the theoretical fin efficiency of serrated fins, reported in Part 1 and Part 2 of this report, was derived for an inline arrangement experimentally. The experiment was performed using an open‐type wind tunnel with six kinds of test finned‐tubes made of copper, carbon steel and stainless steel, which were arranged in one to five rows. Heat transfer measurement was done by the local thermal simulation method. The derived correction factor for the 1st row was the same as for staggered arrangement reported in Part 3, for the 2nd and deeper rows, however, a further correction was needed, which may be caused by the difference in the nonuniformity in heat transfer coefficient over the fin surface. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 33(4): 258–269, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.20008
Contact angle hysteresis on rough solid surfaces
Authors: Wang X.D. , Peng X.F. , Lu J.F. , Liu T. , Wang B.X.
Published: May 2004

With the introduction of an additional interfacial tension (or hysteresis tension) to describe the effect of the surficial roughness on the liquid‐solid contact angle hysteresis, both contact angle and its hysteresis were derived from mechanical equilibrium and were perfectly consistent with thermodynamics. This unifies the mechanical and thermodynamic performance, or removes the contradiction existing in classical mechanical and thermodynamic understanding. By combining the sessile drop method with CCD camera and the digital imaging techniques, the contact angle hysteresis of distilled water, diethylene glycol, and 1‐butyl alcohol on stainless steel surfaces was measured. The results of the experiments agree very well with the predictions of the hysteresis tension model. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 33(4): 201–210, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.20013
Hemocompatibility of nitrogen‐doped, hydrogen‐free diamond‐like carbon prepared by nitrogen plasma immersion ion implantation–deposition
Authors: Kwok Sunny C.H. , Yang Ping , Wang Jin , Liu Xuanyong , Chu Paul K.
Published: May 2004

Amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a‐C:H) has been shown to be a potential material in biomedical devices such as artificial heart valves, bone implants, and so on because of its chemical inertness, low coefficient of friction, high wear resistance, and good biocompatibility. However, the biomedical characteristics such as blood compatibility of doped hydrogen‐free diamond‐like carbon (DLC) have not been investigated in details. We recently began to investigate the potential use of nitrogen‐doped, hydrogen‐free DLC in artificial heart valves. In our experiments, a series of hydrogen‐free DLC films doped with nitrogen were synthesized by plasma immersion ion implantation–deposition (PIII‐D) utilizing a pulsed vacuum arc plasma source and different N to Ar (FN/FAr) gas mixtures in the plasma chamber. The structures and properties of the film were evaluated by Raman spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). To assess the blood compatibility of the films and the impact on the blood compatibility by the presence of nitrogen, platelet adhesion tests were conducted. Our results indicate that the blood compatibility of both hydrogen‐free carbon films (a‐C) and amorphous carbon nitride films are better than that of low‐temperature isotropic pyrolytic carbon (LTIC). The experimental results are consistent with the relative theory of interfacial energy and surface tension including both dispersion and polar components. Our results also indicate that an optimal fraction of sp2 bonding is desirable, but an excessively high nitrogen concentration degrades the properties to an extent that the biocompatibility can be worse than that of LTIC. (PACS codes: 81.05Uw, 87.68.+z,52.77.Dq,68.55.Nq.) © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 70A: 107–114, 2004
Nanometer surface roughness increases select osteoblast adhesion on carbon nanofiber compacts
Authors: Price Rachel L. , Ellison Karen , Haberstroh Karen M. , Webster Thomas J.
Published: May 2004

Carbon nanofibers have exceptional theoretical mechanical properties (such as low weight‐to‐strength ratios) that, along with possessing nanoscale fiber dimensions similar to crystalline hydroxyapatite found in bone, suggest strong possibilities for use as an orthopedic/dental implant material. To determine, for the first time, cytocompatibility properties pertinent for bone prosthetic applications, osteoblast (bone‐forming cells), fibroblast (cells contributing to callus formation and fibrous encapsulation events that result in implant loosening), chondrocyte (cartilage‐forming cells), and smooth muscle cell (for comparison purposes) adhesion were determined on carbon nanofibers in the present in vitro study. Results provided evidence that, compared to conventional carbon fibers, nanometer dimension carbon fibers promoted select osteoblast adhesion. Moreover, adhesion of other cells was not influenced by carbon fiber dimensions. In fact, smooth muscle cell, fibroblast, and chondrocyte adhesion decreased with an increase in either carbon nanofiber surface energy or simultaneous change in carbon nanofiber chemistry. To determine properties that selectively enhanced osteoblast adhesion, similar cell adhesion assays were performed on polymer (specifically, poly‐lactic‐co‐glycolic; PLGA) casts of carbon fiber compacts previously tested. Compared to PLGA casts of conventional carbon fibers, results provided the first evidence of enhanced select osteoblast adhesion on PLGA casts of nanophase carbon fibers. The summation of these results demonstrate that due to a high degree of nanometer surface roughness, carbon fibers with nanometer dimensions may be optimal materials to selectively increase osteoblast adhesion necessary for successful orthopedic/dental implant applications. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 70A: 129–138, 2004
LPA in neural cell development
Authors: Fukushima Nobuyuki
Published: May 2004

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) elicits diverse cellular responses through cell surface LPA receptors in nervous system‐derived cells and cell lines. The developing nervous system is one of the major loci for LPA receptor expression. Recent studies have also revealed that metabolic pathways of LPA are present in the nervous system. A growing body of literature suggests a crucial role for LPA in neuronal development processes, including neurogenesis, neuronal migration, neuritogenesis, and myelination. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Application of n.c.a. 4‐[18F]fluorophenol in diaryl ether syntheses of 2‐(4‐[18F]fluorophenoxy)‐benzylamines
Authors: Stoll Timo , Ermert Johannes , Oya Shunichi , Kung Hank F. , Coenen Heinz H.
Published: May 2004

The availability of no‐carrier‐added (n.c.a.) 4‐[18F]fluorophenol offers the possibility of introducing the 4‐[18F]fluorophenoxy moiety into potential radiopharmaceuticals. Besides alkyl–aryl ether synthesis using n.c.a. 4‐[18F]fluorophenol the diaryl ether coupling is an attractive synthetic method to enlarge the spectrum of interesting labelling procedures. As examples the syntheses of n.c.a. 2‐(4‐[18F]fluorophenoxy)‐N,N‐dimethylbenzylamine and n.c.a. 2‐(4‐[18F]fluorophenoxy)‐N‐methylbenzylamine were realized by an Ullmann ether synthesis of corresponding 2‐bromobenzoic acid amides using tetrakis(acetonitrile)copper(I) hexafluorophosphate as catalyst and a subsequent reduction of the amides formed. The radiochemical yield of the coupling varied between 5 and 65% based on labelled 4‐[18F]fluorophenol. Both compounds are structural analogues of recently published radiotracers for imaging the serotonin reuptake transporter sites (SERT). However, in vitro binding assays of both molecules showed only a low affinity towards monoamine transporters. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PCR‐based amplicon length polymorphisms (ALPs) at microsatellite loci and indels from non‐coding DNA regions of cloned genes as a means of authenticating commercial Japanese green teas
Authors: Kaundun Shiv Shankhar , Matsumoto Satoru
Published: May 2004

We have developed PCR‐based DNA markers with the objective of authenticating, and discouraging the fraudulent commercialization of, the forty‐four most cultivated Japanese green teas. For this purpose we have generated amplicon length polymorphisms (ALPs) by targeting microsatellite loci using nucleotide information from other species and indels located in the non‐coding regions of phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase (PAL) and dihydroflavonol 4‐reductase (DFR) genes in tea. One useful indel was detected in the unique intron of PAL and three others in introns 2, 3 and 5 of the DFR gene. All four nuclear microsatellite loci were polymorphic showing three to four alleles per locus, while only one out of the four chloroplast loci was variable with two distinct haplotypes. PCR primers were designed to amplify small but variable PCR fragments in such a way that they were applicable to low amounts of highly degraded DNA. The markers devised here were sufficient to differentiate all the teas, although a combination of several loci was necessary for most of them. This single‐step PCR‐based methodology is more effective than the PCR‐RFLP technique commonly used for identifying food materials and will be useful for the certification of commercial Japanese green teas. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
Generalization of Runge‐Kutta discontinuous Galerkin method to LWR traffic flow model with inhomogeneous road conditions
Authors: Zhang Peng , Liu Ru‐Xun
Published: May 2004

The discussed model is characterized by changeable lane numbers and free flow velocities that give rise to the spatially varying flux function in conservation equation. Accordingly a new numerical flux and a new limiter for the Runge‐Kutta Discontinuous Galerkin method are considered, which are compared with a natural but simple extension. It is verified that the new generalization is of high‐resolution and has wider stable and convergent ranges. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2005
Growth hormone therapy for short stature in Diamond Blackfan anemia
Authors: Scott Emily Gale , Haider Anzar , Hord Jeffrey
Published: May 2004

Background

We report a 13‐year‐old male with Diamond Blackfan anemia and short stature. He had a normal biochemical response to growth hormone (GH) stimulation, but his bone age was delayed, his insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) was low, and he had a poor growth velocity. He was started on daily GH injections.

Methods

From the patient's medical record the following data were collected: serial heights, serial weights, hemoglobin, hematocrit, bone age, IGF‐1, and steroid dose.

Results

This patient had an increase in growth velocity up to 8.2 cm/year.

Conclusions

Growth hormone therapy should be considered in children with DBA, short stature and poor growth velocity. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Management of coagulopathy with recombinant factor VIIa in a neonate with echovirus type 7
Authors: Tancabelic Jakica , Haun Steven Edward
Published: May 2004

A 5‐day‐old newborn presented with neonatal enteroviral infection. The patient's hospital course was complicated by acute liver dysfunction, renal insufficiency, fluid overload, respiratory failure, hypertension, catheter related thrombosis, Klebsiella pneumoniae sepsis, intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Administration of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and cryoprecipitate failed to control the patient's hemostasis and led to significant fluid overload. Recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa, Novoseven® NovoNordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) was given to the neonate as a bolus (rFVIIa at 60–80 μg/kg body weight), followed by a continuous infusion (2.5–16 μg/kg/hr). Recombinant activated factor VII controlled hemostasis, until the patient's liver function recovered. The patient's blood product requirement significantly decreased and his fluid overload resolved. Administration of rFVIIa appears to have stabilized the coagulation process. The patient appears to have fully recovered from the infection's complications. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Infective endocarditis (IE) in children receiving treatment for cancer
Authors: Rech Angela , Loss Jiseh F. , Machado Adão , Brunetto Algemir L.
Published: May 2004

Infective endocarditis (IE) is rare in children but is associated with substantial morbidity/mortality. Medical records of 161 new patients admitted to the Pediatric Oncology Unit in a 2 years period were reviewed to identify patients with a diagnosis of IE following the Duke criteria. Nine patients developed IE; their ages ranged from 2.4 to 11.3 years. The patients received treatment according to the results of blood cultures. TIPs are associated with a high rate of IE. The diagnosis of IE should be considered in children with cancer who have major/minor criteria as defined by the Duke criteria. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Synthesis and fungicidal activity of ethaboxam against Oomycetes
Authors: Kim Dal‐Soo , Chun Sam‐Jae , Jeon Jae‐Jin , Lee Sang‐Who , Joe Goon‐Ho
Published: May 2004

This study describes the chemical synthesis and intrinsic fungicidal activity of ethaboxam [(RS)‐N‐(α‐cyano‐2‐thenyl)‐4‐ethyl‐2‐(ethylamino)‐1,3‐thiazole‐5‐carboxamide], a new Oomycetes fungicide. In in vitro tests, ethaboxam showed inhibitory activity against isolates of Phytophthora and some Pythium spp, with MIC values ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 mg litre−1 for nine isolates of Phytophthora infestans (Montagne) de Bary and from 1.0 to 5.0 mg litre−1 for eight isolates of Phytophthora capsici Leonian. In tests to determine time and concentration for complete inactivation of each pathogen (five isolates of P infestans and five isolates of P capsici), ethaboxam inactivated all isolates of P infestans within 48 h at 10 mg litre−1 and those of P capsici within 96 h at 10 mg litre−1. Ethaboxam effectively suppressed development of tomato late blight caused by P infestans and pepper Phytophthora blight caused by P capsici in the studies conducted to determine its preventive, curative, persistent and systemic activity. These results show that ethaboxam has desirable fungicidal characteristics as an Oomycetes fungicide. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
Interfacial diffusion in Fe/Cr multilayers studied by synchrotron X‐ray techniques
Authors: Cho Tae Sik , Yi Min Su , Doh Seok Joo , Je Jung Ho , Noh Do Young
Published: May 2004

We have studied the interfacial diffusion of Fe/Cr multilayers using synchrotron X‐ray techniques, such as X‐ray reflectivity, extended X‐ray absorption fine structures (EXAFS), and high‐resolution X‐ray scattering. The results of X‐ray reflectivity indicated that the interfacial roughness of Fe/Cr multilayers increases with the Cr‐layer thickness. The Fourier transform (FT) of EXAFS data clearly showed that the Fe atoms dominantly diffuse into the stable Cr layers at the Fe/Cr interface. The results of high‐resolution X‐ray scattering supported the interfacial diffusion of Fe atoms. Our study revealed that the dominantly interfacial diffusion of Fe atoms into the Cr layers effects the interfacial roughness of the Fe/Cr multilayers. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Magnetic properties of Mn‐doped Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3
Authors: Choi Jeongyong , Choi Sungyoul , Choi Jiyoun , Park Yongsup , Park Hyun‐Min , Lee Hee‐Woong , Woo Byung‐Chul , Cho Sunglae
Published: May 2004

We have fabricated Mn‐doped Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 single crystals by the vertical gradient solidification method. The compositions and crystal structures of Bi2−xMnxTe3 and Sb2−xMnxTe3 were determined using Electron Probe Micro‐Analyzer (EPMA) and powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, respectively. Both crystal structures were rhombohedral with smaller lattice constants because of the smaller atomic radius of Mn than those of Bi and Sb. Based on the magnetization measurements, Mn‐doped Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 compounds have ferromagnetic ordering at TC = 10 and 17 K, respectively. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Modern computational magnetism: role of noncollinear magnetism in complex magnetic phenomena
Authors: Freeman A. J. , Nakamura Kohji
Published: May 2004

Modern computational magnetism continues to grow at an accelerating pace stimulated by new and exciting discoveries important for basic science and technological applications. Here, we review some recent important progress made in treating complex noncollinear magnetic phenomena arising from the breaking of symmetry at surfaces, interfaces, and nanostructures, by means of our newly generalized first principles full‐potential linearized augmented plane wave (FLAPW) method for noncollinear magnetism with no shape approximation to the magnetization. Because of space limitations, we restrict our report to illustrate results of the noncollinear magnetic structures induced at the FM NiFe/AFM NiMn interfaces, in the domain walls of FM Fe and AFM NiMn, and in the vortex cores of an Fe quantum dot. These results are in good agreement with experiments and provide new information about magnetic phenomena at surfaces, interfaces, and in nanostructures. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Circulator with coplanar waveguide structure
Authors: Yamamoto Setsuo , Shitamitsu Keiko , Kurisu Hiroki , Matsuura Mitsuru , Oshiro Kazunori , Mikami Hideto , Fujii Shigeo
Published: May 2004

A small size circulator with a coplanar waveguide structure was designed and its transmission characteristics were analyzed using a high frequency electromagnetic simulation based on 3D FEM. The circulator consisted of a YIG ferrite substrate and a transmission line and a ground. When a YIG ferrite substrate with a saturation magnetization of 90 mT was used and a magnetic bias field of 64 kA/m was applied, the circulator operates at 6.98 GHz with an insertion loss |S21| of 1.06 dB, an isolation |S31| of 32.90 dB, a return loss |S11| of 29.89 dB, and a bandwidth (at 20 dB) of 43 MHz. The nonreciprocal transmission characteristics are achieved skillfully utilizing the wavy non‐uniform distribution of microwave. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Evaluation of microstructures of variously heat treated carbon steel by magnetic coercivity measurement
Authors: Byeon Jai Won , Kwun S. I.
Published: May 2004

The microstructures of variously heat treated 0.85% carbon steel were evaluated by magnetic coercivity measurement. Austenitizing, isothermal transformation, continuous cooling or spheroidization heat treatment was carried out to produce various microstructures. Microstructural parameters such as prior austenite grain size, phase and pearlite interlamellar spacing were measured along with coercivity to investigate the relationships between them. Prior austenite grain size had little effect on the measured coercivity. Coercivity was observed to be high in order of martensite, pearlite and ferrite phase. The linear decrease of coercivity with the increasing pearlite interlamellar spacing was found. Therefore, coercivity was suggested as a potential nondestructive evaluation parameter for assessing the microstructures – pearlite interlamellar spacing and kind of phase – of 0.85% carbon steel. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Crystal structure and multiferroic properties of the BiFeO3–PrFeO3–DyFeO3–BaTiO3 systems
Authors: Kim Jeong Seog , Cheon Chae Il , Oh Wha‐Sook , Jang Pyung Woo
Published: May 2004

The binary and quaternary solid solutions (1 – x)BiFeO3–xPrFeO3 and BiFeO3–PrFeO3–DyFeO3–BaTiO3 have been investigated for attaining ferromagnetic ferroelectricity in bulk ceramics. The coexistence of ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity has been observed only in the quaternary compositions, 0.4BiFeO3–0.1PrFeO3–0.1DyFeO3–0.4BaTiO3 (Mr = 0.04 emu/g, Pr = 4.2 μC/cm2) and 0.45BiFeO3–0.075PrFeO3–0.025DyFeO3–0.45BaTiO3 (Mr = 0.03 emu/g, Pr = 1.0 μC/cm2). The introduction of DyFeO3 into the ternary 0.45BiFeO3–0.1PrFeO3–0.45BaTiO3 resulted in the production of spontaneous magnetization. The binary (1 – x)BiFeO3–xPrFeO3 solid solution showed spontaneous magnetization at x ≥ 0.2, but showed paraelectric behavior. The crystal structures have been analyzed using neutron and XRD diffraction data. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effects of organic additives on magnetoresistance of electrodeposited Ni–Cu thin films
Authors: Hong Kimin , Kim Jin‐Kyu , Lee Seung‐Kwon , Park Sanghun , Gyun Byunggu , Ko Young‐Dong , Jeon Nam‐Jin , Chung Jin‐Seok
Published: May 2004

We have investigated the effect of organic additives on electroplated nickel‐copper thin films. The plating electrolyte utilized mixtures of copper sulfate and nickel sulfamate. The electrolyte contained small volumes of an appropriate organic additive known as an accelerator. By simply adding an additive, we could vary the concentration of copper between 5 and 15%. Thin films of nickel‐copper prepared from the electrolyte containing the additive have also shown alteration of crystalline orientations and increase of magnetoresistance from ∼0.55% to ∼1%. This method has advantage of controlling the composition of the co‐deposited nickel‐copper without changes in deposition conditions and inducing a change in magnetoresistance. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Formability and thermal stability of α′ phase in (Fe1−y Coy)–(B, C, N) films
Authors: Sunaga K. , Kadowaki S. , Tsunoda M. , Takahashi M.
Published: May 2004

In order to find a way to obtain stable α″‐Fe16X2 phase, the formability and thermal stability of α′ (bct) phase were discussed. According to a rigid sphere model, we concluded that the less formability of B for the α′ phase is due to its large atomic radius. We elucidated the difference of thermal stability of α′‐Fe–X, taking into account their decomposition process. While, the decomposition of α′‐Fe–N progresses only by the migration of N, without changing the bone structure of Fe lattice, the additional energy is needed to break the original α‐Fe lattice in the cases of α′‐Fe–B and α′‐Fe–C. Therefore thermal stability of α′‐Fe–B and α′‐Fe–C is higher than that of α′‐Fe–N. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Dependence of indices of refraction on Mn composition of Zn1−xMnxSe thin films using prism coupler technique
Authors: Um Y. H. , Hwang Y. H. , Peiris F. C. , Furdyna J. K.
Published: May 2004

We have measured the dependence of the indices of refraction n on alloy composition x of Zn1−xMnxSe films grown by MBE on GaAs (100) substrates for a series of alloy compositions x. The Mn compositions of the films were determined by XRD. A prism coupler technique was used to measure n and thickness of each of the alloy films. On the whole, the indices of refraction n obtained by this method decrease linearly as increasing x showing an inverse relationship with respect to their band gaps, in spite of showing a minimum in the near‐band gap energy in the region of 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1. We obtained a linear calibration function for n as from the prism coupler technique, which can be used to make an accurate estimate the Mn composition in the Zn1−xMnxSe alloy system if you only measure n. And, the crystalline quality of the Zn1−xMnxSe alloy film was deteriorated showing an exponential dependence of FWHM ratio of alloy layer to GaAs substrate obtained from DCRC as increasing Mn mole fraction. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)