bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Randomized clinical trial of a family intervention for prostate cancer patients and their spouses
Authors: Northouse Laurel L. , Mood Darlene W. , Schafenacker Ann , Montie James E. , Sandler Howard M. , Forman Jeffrey D. , Hussain Maha , Pienta Kenneth J. , Smith David C. , Kershaw Trace
Published: November 2007

BACKGROUND.

Few intervention studies have been conducted to help couples manage the effects of prostate cancer and maintain their quality of life. The objective of this study was to determine whether a family‐based intervention could improve appraisal variables (appraisal of illness or caregiving, uncertainty, hopelessness), coping resources (coping strategies, self‐efficacy, communication), symptom distress, and quality of life in men with prostate cancer and their spouses.

METHODS.

For this clinical trial, 263 patient‐spouse dyads were stratified by research site, phase of illness, and treatment; then, they were randomized to the control group (standard care) or the experimental group (standard care plus a 5‐session family intervention). The intervention targeted couples' communication, hope, coping, uncertainty, and symptom management. The final sample consisted of 235 couples: 123 couples in the control group and 112 couples in the experimental group. Data collection occurred at baseline before randomization and at 4 months, 8 months, and 12 months.

RESULTS.

At 4‐month follow‐up, intervention patients reported less uncertainty and better communication with spouses than control patients, but they reported no other effects. Intervention spouses reported higher quality of life, more self‐efficacy, better communication, and less negative appraisal of caregiving, uncertainty, hopelessness, and symptom distress at 4 months compared with controls, and some effects were sustained to 8 months and 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS.

Men with prostate cancer and their spouses reported positive outcomes from a family intervention that offered them information and support. Programs of care need to be extended to spouses who likely will experience multiple benefits from intervention. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Hypermethylation of the somatostatin promoter is a common, early event in human esophageal carcinogenesis
Authors: Jin Zhe , Mori Yuriko , Hamilton James P. , Olaru Alexandru , Sato Fumiaki , Yang Jian , Ito Tetsuo , Kan Takatsugu , Agarwal Rachana , Meltzer Stephen J.
Published: November 2007

BACKGROUND.

The promoter of somatostatin (SST), a primary inhibitor of gastrin‐stimulated gastric acid secretion, is hypermethylated in 80% of human colon cancers. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether and at what stage promoter hypermethylation of SST is involved in human esophageal carcinogenesis.

METHODS.

SST promoter hypermethylation was examined by real‐time methylation‐specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (MSP) in 260 human esophageal tissue specimens. Real‐time reverse‐transcriptase PCR and MSP were also performed on esophageal cancer cell lines before and after treatment with 5‐aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine (5‐Aza‐dC).

RESULTS.

SST hypermethylation showed highly discriminative receiver‐operator characteristic curve profiles, clearly distinguishing esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinomas (EAC) from normal esophagus (NE) (P < .01). Both SST methylation frequency and normalized methylation value (NMV) were significantly higher in Barrett metaplasia without dysplasia or EAC (BE), low‐grade and high‐grade (HGD) dysplasia occurring in BE, EAC, and ESCC than in NE (P < .01). SST hypermethylation frequency was significantly lower in NE (9%) than in BE (70%), HGD (71.4%), or EAC (71.6%), whereas 14 (53.8%) of 26 ESCCs exhibited SST hypermethylation. There was a significant relation between SST hypermethylation and BE segment length, a known clinical risk factor for neoplastic progression. Demethylation of KYSE220 ESCC and OE33 EAC cells with 5‐Aza‐dC reduced SST methylation and increased SST mRNA expression. SST mRNA levels in native unmethylated EACs were significantly higher than in native methylated EACs (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS.

SST promoter hypermethylation is a common event in human esophageal carcinomas and is related to early neoplastic progression in Barrett esophagus. Cancer 2008. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Consolidation and maintenance immunotherapy with rituximab improve clinical outcome in patients with B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Del Poeta Giovanni , Del Principe Maria Ilaria , Buccisano Francesco , Maurillo Luca , Capelli Giovanni , Luciano Fabrizio , Perrotti Alessio Pio , Degan Massimo , Venditti Adriano , de Fabritiis Paolo , Gattei Valter , Amadori Sergio
Published: November 2007

BACKGROUND.

Rituximab in sequential combination with fludarabine (Flu) allowed patients with B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B‐CLL) to achieve higher remission rates and longer response duration. Based on their recent experience in indolent non‐Hodgkin lymphomas, in this study, the authors attempted to demonstrate whether consolidation/maintenance therapy with rituximab could prolong the response duration in this patient population.

METHODS.

This Phase II study was based on a consolidation/maintenance therapy with rituximab for patients in complete remission (CR) or partial remission (PR) who were positive for minimal residual disease (MRD), as determined by flow cytometry. Seventy‐five symptomatic, untreated patients with B‐CLL received 6 monthly cycles of Flu (25 mg/m2 for 5 days) followed by 4 weekly doses of rituximab (375 mg/m2). Then, 28 patients who were positive for MRD were consolidated with 4 monthly cycles of rituximab (375 mg/m2) followed by 12 monthly low doses of rituximab (150 mg/m2).

RESULTS.

Based on National Cancer Institute criteria, 61 of 75 patients (81%) achieved a CR, 10 of 75 patients (13%) had a PR, and 4 of 75 patients (5%) had either no response or disease progression. MRD‐positive patients in CR or PR who received consolidation therapy (n = 28 patients) had a significantly longer response duration (87% vs 32% at 5 years; P = .001) compared with a subset of patients who did not receive consolidation therapy (n = 18 patients). All patients experienced a long progression‐free survival from the end of induction treatment (73% at 5 years). It was noteworthy that, within the subset of ZAP‐70‐positive patients, MRD‐positive, consolidated patients (n = 12 patients) had a significantly longer response duration (69% vs 0% at 2.6 years; P = .007) compared with MRD‐positive, unconsolidated patients (n = 11 patients).

CONCLUSIONS.

The addition of a consolidation and maintenance therapy withrituximab prolonged response duration significantly in patients with MRD‐positive B‐CLL. Cancer 2008. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Bcl‐6 predicts improved prognosis in primary central nervous system lymphoma
Authors: Levy Oren , DeAngelis Lisa M. , Filippa Daniel A. , Panageas Katherine S. , Abrey Lauren E.
Published: November 2007

BACKGROUND.

In systemic non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), tumors that resemble germinal center B‐cells are less aggressive than tumors that resemble postgerminal center B‐cells. However, the value of B‐cell differentiation markers in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is less clear. The objectives of this study were to characterize the immunophenotypes of PCNSL samples and to determine their utility in predicting clinical outcomes.

METHODS.

The immunohistochemical staining profile of PCNSL was determined from 66 immunocompetent patients. Then, the authors evaluated whether theexpression of these proteins was associated with progression‐free or overall survival.

RESULTS.

Only 8% of PCNSL samples were positive for the cluster designation (CD) germinal center marker CD10. Another germinal center marker, bcl‐6, was positive in 47% of samples. Ninety‐four percent of samples expressed significant levels of the postgerminal center marker melanoma‐associated antigen (MUM‐1). In univariate analyses, only bcl‐6 staining had a significant effect on progression‐free survival (median, 20.5 months in bcl‐6‐positive patients vs 10.1 months in bcl‐6‐negative patients; P = .02). There was a nonsignificant trend toward improved overall survival in patients who had bcl‐6 expressing tumors. Older age and poorer performance status, as observed previously, were associated with reduced survival.

CONCLUSIONS.

Bcl‐6 expression was associated with a better prognosis in patients with PCNSL. Cancer 2008. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Time‐Resolved Synchrotron Radiation Excited Optical Luminescence: Light‐Emission Properties of Silicon‐Based Nanostructures
Authors: Sham Tsun‐Kong , Rosenberg Richard A.
Published: November 2007

The recent advances in the study of light emission from matter induced by synchrotron radiation: X‐ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) in the energy domain and time‐resolved X‐ray excited optical luminescence (TRXEOL) are described. The development of these element (absorption edge) selective, synchrotron X‐ray photons in, optical photons out techniques with time gating coincide with advances in third‐generation, insertion device based, synchrotron light sources. Electron bunches circulating in a storage ring emit very bright, widely energy tunable, short light pulses (<100 ps), which are used as the excitation source for investigation of light‐emitting materials. Luminescence from silicon nanostructures (porous silicon, silicon nanowires, and Si–CdSe heterostructures) is used to illustrate the applicability of these techniques and their great potential in future applications.
Multichromophores for Nonlinear Optics: Designing the Material Properties by Electrostatic Interactions
Authors: Terenziani Francesca , D'Avino Gabriele , Painelli Anna
Published: November 2007

To fully exploit the promise of molecular materials for NLO applications, inter‐ and supramolecular interactions must be accounted for. We review our recent work on electrostatic interchromophore interactions in multichromophores for NLO applications. The discussion is based on a bottom‐up modeling strategy: each chromophore is described in terms of an essential state model, validated and parameterized against spectroscopic data for solvated chromophores. The relevant information is then used to build a model for clusters of chromophores interacting through electrostatic forces. Exact NLO responses and spectra calculated within this model fully account for collective and cooperative interchromophore interactions, which can either amplify or suppress NLO responses; supramolecular engineering of multichromophores is a powerful tool for the design of NLO materials. Moreover, new features emerge in multichromophores with no counterpart at the single‐chromophore level, offering new exciting opportunities for applications.
Conformational Relaxation of p‐Phenylenevinylene Trimers in Solution Studied by Picosecond Time‐Resolved Fluorescence
Authors: Di Paolo Roberto E. , Seixas de Melo João , Pina João , Burrows Hugh D. , Morgado Jorge , Maçanita António L.
Published: November 2007

Two p‐phenylenevinylene (PV) trimers, containing 3′‐methylbutyloxyl (in MBOPV3) and 2′‐ethylhexyloxyl (in EHOPV3) side chains, are used as model compounds of PV‐based conjugated polymers (PPV) with the purpose of clarifying the origin of fast (picosecond time) components observed in the fluorescence decays of poly[2‐methoxy‐5‐(2′‐ethylhexyloxy)‐p‐phenylenevinylene] (MEH‐PPV). The fluorescence decays of MBOPV3 and EHOPV3 reveal the presence of similar fast components, which are assigned to excited‐state conformational relaxation of the initial population of non‐planar trimer conformers to lower‐energy, more planar conformers. The rate constant of conformational relaxation kCR is dependent on solvent viscosity and temperature, according to the empirical relationship kCR=aηo−α⋅exp(−αEη/RT), where aηo−α is the frequency factor, ηo is the pre‐exponential coefficient of viscosity, Eη is the activation energy of viscous flow. The empirical parameter α, relating the solvent microscopic friction involved in the conformational change to the macroscopic solvent friction (α=1), depends on the side chain. The fast component in the fluorescence decays of MEH‐PPV polymers (PPVs), is assigned to resonance energy transfer from short to longer polymer segments. The present results call for revising this assignment/interpretation to account for the occurrence of conformational relaxation, concurrently with energy transfer, in PPVs.
Time series prediction model for sequential learning
Authors: Gouko Manabu , Sugaya Yoshihiro , Aso Hirotomo
Published: November 2007

As a time series prediction model for sequential learning considering memory size limitations, this paper proposes the Adaptive and Sequential Learning Network (ASLN) model. The proposed model sequentially memorizes time sequence information given as the input and then performs prediction based on the memory. While effective use of the memory capacity is attempted for changes in the ambient environment, the model can follow up by varying its own memory. The model memorizes the elements contained in the input time series and the information on their transitions. It identifies the elements with a higher frequency of inputs among the time series and memorizes them as priority items. Information on the transitions of the input elements is represented as a state vector and is memorized by a layered neural network. The state vector maintains information on the past input sequence so that expression of the context is possible. A numerical experiment shows that the proposed model can predict a time series while tracking environmental changes. An experiment on learning of a number sequence was performed, using handwritten number patterns containing fluctuations. The prediction capability was verified with an increasing number of patterns. Guidelines are also provided for setting of parameters, which is important when the model memorizes the transition information of the time series. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 90(12): 129–139, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20406
Robust obstacle detection in general road environment based on road extraction and pose estimation
Authors: Seki Akihito , Okutomi Masatoshi
Published: November 2007

This paper proposes a method of obstacle detection using vehicle‐mounted stereo cameras. There are various objects in the road environment; these can be divided into objects, such as pedestrians, which have the possibility of colliding with the vehicle, and objects, such as road patterns, which do not have such a possibility. In this paper, an obstacle is defined as an object which is located in the space through which the vehicle will travel. In order to decide whether an object is an obstacle from the pattern in the image, it is necessary to estimate the position of the pattern in relation to the road surface. For this purpose, the planar region is determined by dynamically estimating the homography (projection transformation) matrix between the images corresponding to the plane. The pose of the camera with respect to the road is determined. Then the spatial position obtained by stereo measurement is converted to road coordinates, based on the orientation of the road surface. By applying segmentation based on the converted result of stereo measurement, obstacles are detected. On ordinary roads it is required to detect various obstacles, ranging from relatively small obstacles such as pedestrians and bicycles to large obstacles such as cars. The proposed method can detect obstacles without explicit modeling. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by experiments using various actual images. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 90(12): 12–22, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20413
An overview and case study of a statistical regression testing method for software maintenance
Authors: Takagi Tomohiko , Furukawa Zengo , Yamasaki Toshinori
Published: November 2007

We propose a statistical regression testing method for evaluating the reliability of software as part of the software maintenance process. Maintenance procedures take up more than half the time of the software development process; in addition, software reliability is an important factor in determining the dependability of a product. Regression tests are performed in order to conserve or improve software reliability as part of the software maintenance process. However, existing systematic testing methods based on regression tests are not necessarily appropriate for evaluating software reliability. The statistical regression testing method is a means for compensating for the flaws of such existing methods. In this method a model of how the user makes use of the software is defined by means of a Markov chain; this is known as theusage model, and then test cases are generated at random according to a probability distribution based on this usage model. In this paper we perform experiments applying the proposed method to a small‐scale client server program and demonstrate that the proposed method can be implemented. In addition, we clarify the effects and issues that may be anticipated when applying the method and establish how it may be used in practice. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 90(12): 23–34, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20414
A real‐time human movement transfer system for an omnidirectional display
Authors: Sakamoto Naohisa , Yasuhara Yukio , Kukimoto Nobuyuki , Ebara Yasuo , Koyamada Koji
Published: November 2007

This paper proposes a system in which a human image with movement is captured by a multiviewpoint camera and is converted in real time to three‐dimensional data, which are sent by network transfer so that the image can be displayed at a remote site in three dimensions, using an omnidirectional display device. In the proposed system, the target human image is reconstructed in voxelwise, using parallel volume intersection for multiple images. The reconstructed voxels represent only the presence or absence of the object. Then coloring is required, based on texture information that is obtained by projecting the voxel on each image plane. The judgment as to whether the voxel is visible is important in the coloring process. In this study we attempt to achieve real‐time processing from imaging to display. A parallel coloring procedure is developed by using a human image buffer in each camera, so that the visibility of the voxels is judged in real time. In order to investigate the effectiveness of the system, an experimental system for multiviewpoint image processing was constructed using five cameras and six PCs. A human image with movement was captured and a performance of 2.63 FPS was achieved for reconstruction with a spatial resolution of 96×96×96 (a voxel size of 10 mm). The reconstructed data were directly transferred to the omnidirectional display device without being stored in memory, and were displayed, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 90(12): 77–86, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20416
HMM‐based text segmentation using variational Bayes learning and its application to audio‐visual indexing
Authors: Koshinaka Takafumi , Okumura Akitoshi , Isotani Ryosuke
Published: November 2007

Recent progress in large‐vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR) has raised the possibility of applying information retrieval techniques to the resulting text. This paper presents a novel unsupervised text segmentation method. Assuming a generative model of a text stream as a left‐to‐right hidden Markov model (HMM), text segmentation can be formulated as model parameter estimation and model selection using the text stream. The formulation is derived based on the variational Bayes framework, which is expected to work well with highly sparse data such as text. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through a series of experiments, where broadcast news programs are automatically transcribed and segmented into separate news stories. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 90(12): 1–11, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20421
Performance improvement approach for dependable computing system with optical voting circuit
Authors: Yanagawa Yoshimitsu , Takahara Takuya , Mizuno Takahide , Saito Hirobumi
Published: November 2007

This paper proposes a new voting method using light that makes possible the realization of a high‐performance computing system equipped with both flexibility and dependability. Soft errors inside computers due to terrestrial radiation have become a problem in recent years. We have proposed a highly dependable triple voting‐type computing system that can be used even in the strong radiation environment of space. While this system uses reconfigurable SRAM‐based FPGA to achieve high flexibility, the system operation speed was limited by synchronization problems in voting circuits located on parallel buses, and by the bottleneck of a limited upper speed for the radiation‐tolerant device used in the voting logic circuit. As a result, we study the use of a serial bus, and propose a voting circuit using light that is suitable for a high‐speed serial bus. This optical voting circuit is highly compatible with the high‐speed serial interfaces provided on recent FPGAs, and is easily configurable using existing optical communications devices. In operations tests using an optical communications module, we obtained voting performance at a 1 Gbit/s communication speed, and estimated that the upper speed limit for the test system is 2.14 Gbit/s. Use of a higher speed optical communication module and circuit optimization should make it possible to achieve even higher speeds. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 90(12): 35–46, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20422
Color photometric stereo and virtual image rendering using neural networks
Authors: Kawanaka Haruki , Iwahori Yuji , Woodham Robert J. , Funahashi Kenji
Published: November 2007

In this paper we extend the application of neural network‐based photometric stereo founded on the principle of empirical photometric stereo to color images proposing a method for computing both the normal vectors of a target object and its color reflectance coefficients. This method is able to render objects that have non‐Lambert reflectance properties without using any parametric reflectance function as a reflectance model. In addition, we propose a novel neural network‐based rendering method that allows the generation of realistic virtual images of an object with arbitrary light source direction and from arbitrary viewpoints based on the physical reflectance properties of the actual object and perform a comparative evaluation with approximations by existing models, the Phong model, and the Torrance–Sparrow model. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 90(12): 47–60, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20423
A dynamic background extraction method for indoor intruder detection
Authors: Shimada Ryuya , Kawaguchi Naohiro , Kaga Kenta , Yamada Hiromitsu , Mori Terunori
Published: November 2007

With recent increases in criminal activity, research and development efforts are required for detection of intruders. This paper proposes an element technique for developing a cheap intruder detection system with high performance. The following three functions are developed in this study. (1) The system can deal with smooth changes of illumination, including movement of the light source. (2) For a slowly moving intruder, the region of presence is clearly detected. (3) For an intruder pausing his movement, the region of presence is clearly detected. Functions (1) and (2) are apparently contradictory. The basic idea of the method is to detect the region of presence of the intruder based on the difference image between the background image without the intruder and the present input image. The crucial point then is how to update accurately and simply the present background image, and there has been no method that realizes the above three functions at the same time. In contrast, we realized these functions by an approach in which weighted averaging is not applied to the detected intruder region and its boundary in the background image. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 90(12): 61–76, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20424
Model generation interface for simulation of left ventricular motion
Authors: Amano Akira , Kanda Kenichi , Shibayama Tsukasa , Kamei Yuu , Matsuda Tetsuya
Published: November 2007

In the field of life science, a tremendous amount of quantitative data related to biological systems continues to accumulate. There are still many aspects of biological phenomena which are not fully analyzed, due to interaction between various phenomena and mechanisms. The simulation technique provides useful approaches to the analysis of such phenomena, in which the model describing the phenomenon and the model parameters are adjusted. Usually, however, simulation models for biological functions are very complex, and a tremendous amount of time is required in comprehensively adjusting the model and its parameters and then evaluating the simulation results. This study aims at construction of a model for the left ventricular motion, and considers the left ventricular shape model, the cell orientation model, and the coronary artery model as its components. An interface is constructed by which the above models and the model parameters can be adjusted. Using this interface, it is possible to evaluate the simulation model efficiently. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 90(12): 87–98, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20425
Learning of color transformation considering local illumination changes for interactive object recognition
Authors: Makihara Yasushi , Shirai Yoshiaki , Shimada Nobutaka
Published: November 2007

This paper describes a learning method of color transformation considering local illumination changes in a scene for interactive object recognition. We deal with refrigerator scenes with external and internal light. The external illumination changes are expressed in terms of locations in the refrigerator and the parameters are learned. Because the intensity of the internal illumination depends not only on the location but also on the transmissivity of target objects and existence of shading objects, we try recognizing objects by changing the intensity and determine one at which the object is successfully recognized. Experiments of object detection show the effectiveness of our method. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 90(12): 99–110, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20426
Effectiveness of an evolutionary algorithm for the multi‐objective rectangular packing problem
Authors: Watanabe Shinya , Hiroyasu Tomoyuki , Miki Mitsunori
Published: November 2007

This paper considers the rectangular packing problem and investigates the effectiveness of the neighborhood cultivation genetic algorithm (NCGA). NCGA, which we proposed, is a new algorithm in which the unique mechanism of neighborhood crossover is combined with effective mechanisms for search in multi‐objective GA proposed in the past. The effectiveness of the proposed method in typical test problems has already been investigated with satisfactory results in past studies. The rectangular packing problem, on the other hand, is applied to floor planning, such as chip area minimization in large‐scale integrated circuits. It is a kind of discrete combinatorial problem in which it is known that the search is difficult and a very long time is required until the solution is obtained. This paper formulates the rectangular packing problem as a multi‐objective problem with the vertical and horizontal lengths of the placement configuration as the objectives. The sequence‐pair is used as the block placement representation, and PPEX is used as the crossover procedure. Using these processes, the effectiveness of NCGA is investigated. For comparison, three other methods—NSGA‐II, SPEA2, and non‐NCGA (NCGA without neighborhood crossover)—are investigated. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 90(12): 111–120, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20427
A computer simulation of relative backscattering coefficients of sea surfaces in satellite altimetry
Authors: Fukuda Kazunobu , Fujisaki Kiyotaka , Tateiba Mitsuo
Published: November 2007

The purpose of this study is to establish a method for estimating the sea wave period by satellite radar altimetry. The backscatter coefficient, which is closely related to the period, is evaluated by computer simulation. Specifically, the following method is presented. The sea wave is modeled on the basis of the Pierson–Moskowitz spectrum. The average received power is determined by radar altimetry simulation of our proposal. It is shown that the backscatter coefficient of the sea surface can be calculated on a relative basis. Using the data for the relative received power calculated from various sea wave parameters, the relation between the significant wave height and the backscatter coefficient, and also the relation between the significant wavelength and the backscatter coefficient, are derived. Thus, the possibility of observing the sea wave period by using satellite radar altimetry is demonstrated. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 90(12): 121–128, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.20428
The role of political myth in the international conflict over genetically modified foods and crops
Authors: Lieberman Sarah , Gray Tim
Published: November 2007

Although the controversy over genetically modified (GM) foods and crops has generated some well known myths, such as ‘frankenfoods’, there has been little analysis of the political role played by these myths. Yet the significance of myth in the GM debate is considerable: indeed, by reflecting and reinforcing the political stances of the major protagonists, myths have themselves become important components in the conflict. With the aid of theoretical tools derived from Laclau, we examine the notion of political myth, and find that it has three levels: factual error, social meaning and political hegemony. We apply this theory to the GM controversy, distinguishing between substantive GM myths, such as frankenfoods, and procedural GM myths, such as the EU moratorium on GM products. We conclude that if such political myths become powerful enough, they could transform themselves into dominant hegemons – i.e. what Laclau calls social imaginaries – and begin to dictate GM policies across the globe. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
1D and 2D FeII Azide Coordination Polymers with Ferromagnetic Canting
Authors: Abu‐Youssef Morsy A. M. , Langer Vratislav , Luneau Dominique , Shams Eman , Goher Mohamed A. S. , Öhrström Lars
Published: November 2007

The two compounds [FeII(pyridine)2(N3)2(H2O)] (1) and [FeII(4‐acetylpyridine)2(N3)2] (2) were prepared. The X‐ray crystal structures show end‐to‐end (EE) bridging azides in both cases with a 1D Fe–NNN–Fe chain for 1 and a 2D Fe–NNN–Fe net in 2. Both compounds show similar magnetic behaviour where the high‐temperature data are consistent with antiferromagnetic couplings and the low‐temperature data indicate ferrimagnetic ordering based on spin canting at 20 and 45 K. Compound 2 also shows a hysteresis loop. These findings are compared to the related 3D coordination polymer [Fe(N3)2(4,4′‐bipyridine)]. According to network analyses the latter compound was shown to contain the new uninodal six‐connected‐network topology (510 · 64 · 7)‐jsm. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Intramolecular Host–Guest Dynamics of FeCp(CO)2X (X = I and CH3) and Mo2Cp2(CO)6 Included in β‐ or γ‐Cyclodextrin
Authors: Aime Silvio , Chierotti Michele R. , Gobetto Roberto , Masic Admir , Napolitano Fabio , Canuto Holly C. , Heyes Stephen J.
Published: November 2007

Variable‐temperature 13C CPMAS NMR spectra of the metal–carbonyl complexes FeCp(CO)2X (where X = I, CH3) and Mo2Cp2(CO)6 included in β‐ or γ‐cyclodextrin (CD) cavities were investigated in the temperature range 133 to 293 K. The motion of the guest molecule inside the CD can be detected by comparing these spectra with the static crystalline patterns of FeCp(CO)2I and Mo2Cp2(CO)6. In the case of FeCp(CO)2CH3, solid‐state plastic crystal behaviour is noted for the free guest; the molecular motion is further modified by inclusion within the CD cavity. The nature of the molecular motion found within the metal–carbonyl/CD adducts was shown to be dependent on the symmetry, size and orientation of the guest molecule within the host cavity. In the case of Mo2Cp2(CO)6 included in γ‐CD, the two [MoCp(CO)3] ends of the dimer may be considered as separate dynamic entities: one half of the moiety within the CD cavity exhibits a greater freedom of motion, whereas the other end of the dimer is anchored. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Control of Structure and Magnetic Interaction Through Ligand Design: One‐Dimensional Complexes from Ferromagnetic to Antiferromagnetic Coupling
Authors: Wang Wen‐Zhen , Ismayilov Rayyat Huseyn , Lee Gene‐Hsiang , Wang Hsin‐Ta , Wang Rui‐Ren , Peng Shie‐Ming
Published: November 2007

Four unsymmetrical pyrazine‐ and/or 4‐picoline‐modulated N,N′‐bis(α‐pyridyl)‐2,6‐diaminopyridine ligands (PMN5) were synthesized and their 1D copper(II) complexes studied. When pyrazine is a terminal ring, the ligands showed in‐plane and out‐of‐plane coordination modes and led to a one‐dimensional zigzag chain polymer. The orthogonal overlap of orbitals through a bridging pyrazine ring resulted in ferromagnetic interaction. Middle‐ring pyrazine‐modulated ligands resulted in straight one‐dimensional compounds and had antiferromagnetic coupling. The EPR spectra of the compounds showed significant covalency in the Cu–N bonds.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
[Bis(guanidine)]zinc Complexes and Their Application in Lactide Polymerisation
Authors: Börner Janna , Herres‐Pawlis Sonja , Flörke Ulrich , Huber Klaus
Published: November 2007

The bis(guanidine)‐stabilised zinc complexes [N1,N2‐bis(1,3‐dimethylimidazolidin‐2‐ylidene)ethane‐1,2‐diamine]dichloridozinc(II), [Zn(DMEG2e)Cl2] (C1), diacetato[N1,N2‐bis(1,3‐dimethylimidazolidin‐2‐ylidene)ethane‐1,2‐diamine]zinc(II),[Zn(DMEG2e)(CH3COO)2] (C2), and bis[N1,N2‐bis(1,3‐dimethylimidazolidin‐2‐ylidene)ethane‐1,2‐diamine]zinc(II) bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate), [Zn(DMEG2e)2](CF3SO3)2(C3), have been synthesised and completely characterised by means of X‐ray structure analysis, NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. These [bis(guanidine)]zinc complexes were investigated regarding their activity in the bulk polymerisation ofD,L‐lactide. It could be shown that these compounds are able to act as initiators for lactide polymerisation, and polylactides with molecular weights (Mw) of around 18000–59000 g/mol could be obtained. Variation of the reaction temperature revealed that the molecular weights decrease with increasing temperature. Additionally, the correlation of the intrinsic viscosity with the molecular weight demonstrates that the obtained polymers are linear and structurally homogeneous.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)
Formation of Boronate Ester Polymers with Efficient Intrastrand Charge‐Transfer Transitions by Three‐Component Reactions (Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 33/2007)
Authors: Christinat Nicolas , Croisier Emmanuel , Scopelliti Rosario , Cascella Michele , Röthlisberger Ursula , Severin Kay
Published: November 2007

The cover picture shows the formation of deeply colored boronate ester polymers by three‐component reactions of boronic acids with 1,2,4,5‐tetrahydroxybenzene and dipyridyl compounds. The strong color of the polymers is due to efficient intrastrand charge transfer excitations from the tetraoxobenzene to the dipyridyl linker. Upon dissolution of the polymers in hot chloroform, most of the B–N connections are broken, which indicates that polymer formation is a reversible process. More details on these reactions are described in the article by K. Severin et al. on page 5177 ff.
Synthesis of New Trisubstituted 4‐Aminopiperidines as PAF‐Receptor Antagonists
Authors: Benmehdi Houcine , Lamouri Aazdine , Serradji Nawal , Pallois Frédérique , Heymans Françoise
Published: November 2007

Two novel classes of 4‐aminopiperidines substituted in the 3‐position by groups bearing either a carbamate or a ureido function have been synthesized from ethyl 4‐oxo‐3‐piperidinecarboxylate and 3,3′‐iminobis(propanenitrile), respectively. The key step in this synthesis, the reduction of the piperidinic β‐enamino ester or nitrile, occurred readily. In contrast to published works, the free primary amines could be isolated from the corresponding β‐amino ester or nitrile. Regioselective amidification of the amino group offered two pairs of diastereoisomers which were successfully separated and identified. Measurement of PAF‐receptor antagonist activity gave interesting results with an IC50 close to the micromolar.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
A Convenient Method for the Synthesis of Stable α‐Fluoro Enamines of Nucleobases
Authors: Wójtowicz‐Rajchel Hanna , Koroniak Henryk , Katrusiak Andrzej
Published: November 2007

Treatment of a whole set of nucleic acid bases and related derivatives 4, 9 and 10 with electron‐deficient hexafluoropropene or 1,1,3,3,3‐pentafluoropropene in the presence of sodium hydride gave the corresponding N1 and N9 stable fluorinated enamines with high regioselectivity. This alkylation is a result of a Michael type addition–elimination process and gave the desired products 2a–10a and 2b–10b as E/Z mixtures. Unexpectedly, treatment of 2b with tert‐butyllithium and subsequently with [D4]methanol gave different results for E and Z stereoisomers. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Online Mechanistic Investigations of Catalyzed Reactions by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry: A Tool to Intercept Transient Species in Solution
Authors: Santos Leonardo S.
Published: November 2007

During the last two decades there has been considerable growth in the development of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) as a practical method for studying reaction mechanisms. This tool allows interception and characterization of several key intermediates, either as transient species or as protonated/deprotonated forms of neutral species. Reaction pathways shown by ESI‐MS(/MS) have been probed by gas‐phase ion/molecule reactions, and expanded mechanisms have been elaborated based on mass spectrometric data. The successful application of ESI‐MS in revealing, elucidating, and helping to consolidate proposed mechanisms of organic reactions is emphasized. This is meant to serve as a foundation for future investigations in this rapidly developing area of research. Outstanding features and advantages of ESI‐MS make it one of the most suitable tools for the fast screening of intermediates directly from solution; it has significantly increased the chemical information available to organic chemists. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Design, Synthesis and Recognition Properties of Urea‐Type Anion Receptors in Low Polar Media
Authors: Pescatori Luca , Arduini Arturo , Pochini Andrea , Ugozzoli Franco , Secchi Andrea
Published: November 2007

The binding efficiency of simple receptors bearing two NH hydrogen‐bond donor groups, of general formula PhCH2NH–Y–NHPh (Y = C=N–Ts, SO2, CS, CO), towards selected anion guests has been evaluated in chloroform solution in order to assess the effect of the nature of different binding sites incorporated into the receptor scaffold. Experimental results together with molecular mechanics and quantum chemical calculations have revealed that the nature of the spacer Y induces important electronic effects and conformational changes that lead to different degrees of preorganisation of the NH binding groups. In addition, the synthesis and binding properties of new lipophilic urea‐based receptors, having electron‐withdrawing alkylsulfonyl substituents (SO2C8H17) and characterised by enhanced NH hydrogen‐bond donor ability, is reported.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
An In‐Mediated Tandem Reaction of Aldehydes with 3‐Bromo‐1‐propyne To Produce 1‐Substituted‐3‐methylene‐5‐yn‐1‐ol Compounds
Authors: Huang Jing‐Mei , Luo Hui‐Chao , Chen Zu‐Xing , Yang Gui‐Chun , Loh Teck‐Peng
Published: November 2007

A one‐pot reaction for the synthesis of 1‐substituted‐3‐methylene‐5‐yn‐1‐ol compounds from In‐mediated propargylation of aldehydes with 3‐bromo‐1‐propyne was reported. Our studies showed that the propargylic alcohol formed in the reaction was selectively subjected to further propargylation of the triple bond to afford the Markovnikov addition products in a regiospecific fashion.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Versatile Synthesis of Free and N‐Benzyloxycarbonyl‐Protected 2,2‐Disubstituted Taurines
Authors: Wang Boyuan , Zhang Wei , Zhang Leilei , Du Da‐Ming , Liu Gang , Xu Jiaxi
Published: November 2007

An effective and versatile method was developed to synthesize N‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐protected and free 2,2‐disubstituted taurines. Several novel 2,2‐disubstituted taurines, including aliphatic/aromatic and cyclic/acyclic derivatives, were obtained, which demonstrates the generality of this method. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Chiral Tertiary Amine/L‐Proline Cocatalyzed Enantioselective Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) Reaction
Authors: Tang Hongying , Zhao Guofeng , Zhou Zhenghong , Gao Peng , He Liangnian , Tang Chuchi
Published: November 2007

Four types of chiral amines have been synthesized starting from readily available chiral sources. These chiral amines in combination with L‐proline have been found to be efficient cocatalysts for the asymmetric Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) reaction between methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) and aromatic aldehydes. The corresponding adducts were formed in reasonable chemical yields and with good enantioselectivities (up to 83 % ee). Moreover, parallel cocatalytic reactions with the two enantiomers of chiral amine 4 and L‐proline revealed that it is the proline stereochemistry that determines the configuration of the newly formed chiral center. In addition, the existence of the free hydroxy group in amine 4a enhanced the enantioselectivity of the reaction. Based on these findings, a plausible mechanism for this cocatalytic MBH reaction has been proposed.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Cavity‐Extended Inherently Chiral Resorcin[4]arenes: Synthesis and Chiroptical Properties of the Cycloenantiomers
Authors: Paletta Marlene , Klaes Michael , Neumann Beate , Stammler Hans‐Georg , Grimme Stefan , Mattay Jochen
Published: November 2007

Inherently chiral resorcin[4]arenes 2 and 3 were prepared from enantiomerically pure C4‐symmetric rccc‐2,8,14,20‐tetraisobutyl‐4,10,16,22‐tetra‐O‐methylresorcin[4]arene (1). The four 2‐bromobenzyl ether residues in precursor 2 were introduced as halide moieties to partake in an intramolecular Pd‐catalysed C–C cross‐coupling reaction to give tetrabiaryl ether compound 3. The absolute configurations could be derived from the starting compounds and were assigned as (M,R)‐(–)‐2 and (P,S)‐(+)‐2 for the tetrakis(2′‐bromobenzyl) ether compounds as well as (M,R)‐(–)‐3 and (P,S)‐(+)‐3 for the cavity‐extended resorcinarenes. The carbon scaffold of 3 contains four new stereogenic axes whose configurations were assigned by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis. The simulation of the CD spectra by time‐dependent Pariser–Parr–Pople calculations (TDPPP) based on the X‐ray data gave very good images of the experimental spectra. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
A New Approach to the Total Synthesis of Rosuvastatin
Authors: Andrushko Natalia , Andrushko Vasyl , König Gerd , Spannenberg Anke , Börner Armin
Published: November 2007

A new multi‐step synthesis of the lipid‐lowering agent rosuvastatin, involving two homogeneously catalyzed reaction steps, is described. The key building block, N‐[4‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐5‐formyl‐6‐isopropylpyrimidin‐2‐yl]‐N‐methylmethanesulfonamide (2), was prepared by Pd‐catalyzed formylation with CO/H2 (1:1, 50 bar, phosphane ligand/substrate ratio of 1:10). Several alternative pathways for the preparation of 2 were also tested, but were found to be inferior. Rosuvastatin precursor 1 was assembled by Wittig coupling of aldehyde 2 and ylide (R)‐3, derived from a Ru‐catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation. The second stereogenic center was finally created by stereoselective reduction with Et2BOMe and NaBH4 to afford rosuvastatin ethyl ester. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
A Straightforward Protocol for the Solution‐Phase Parallel Synthesis of Ceramide Analogues
Authors: Grijalvo Santiago , Matabosch Xavier , Llebaria Amadeu , Delgado Antonio
Published: November 2007

A simple solution‐phase protocol for the synthesis of ceramide analogues from easily accessible enantiopure scaffolds is disclosed. The method relies on the use of nucleophilic thiolates or phenoxides and appropriate supported reagents or scavengers to give the target compounds in good overall yields. The method is easily adaptable to combinatorial protocols and also amenable to automated processes for the generation of small‐to‐medium‐sized libraries for further screening.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Bis(diamido)‐Bridged Basket Resorcin[4]arenes as Enantioselective Receptors for Amino Acids and Amines
Authors: Botta Bruno , D'Acquarica Ilaria , Nevola Laura , Sacco Fabiola , Lopez Zara Valbuena , Zappia Giovanni , Fraschetti Caterina , Speranza Maurizio , Tafi Andrea , Caporuscio Fabiana , Letzel Matthias C. , Mattay Jochen
Published: November 2007

On the research avenue opened by the rigidified double‐spanned resorcin[4]arene 1, we have synthesized both enantiomers of the two chiral basket resorcin[4]arenes 3 and 4, each containing two 1,2‐diaminocyclohexane and 1,2‐diphenylethylenediamine bridges, respectively. In the new compounds, the aromatic rims assume the expected flattened cone arrangement, whereas two different conformations, tentatively designated as “open wings” and “folded wings”, were attributed to the bridge substituents according to molecular modeling studies. In MSn (ESI) experiments, the proton‐bonded diastereomeric [4·H·A]+ complexes with amino acidic guests (A) exhibited a pronounced selectivity towards the enantiomers of tyrosine methyl ester (tyrOMe) and amphetamine (amph), whereas the chirality of tryptophan (trp) was ineffective. Moreover, a kinetic study on the base‐induced displacement of the guest revealed that the L‐tyrOMe (and L‐amph) enantiomer is faster displaced from the heterochiral [4·H·L‐tyrOMe]+ (or [ent‐4·H·l‐amph]+) complex than from the homochiral [ent‐4·H·L‐tyrOMe]+ (or [4·H·l‐amph]+) one. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)