bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cellular and noncellular components of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in HIV‐1‐infected children with radiological evidence of interstitial lung damage*
Authors: Midulla Fabio , Strappini PierMichele , Sandstrom Thomas , Bjermer Leif , Falasca Carlo , Capocaccia Paolo , Catania Salvatore , Soldi Elisabetta , Villa Maria Pia , Ronchetti Roberto
Published: August 2002

Children with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) commonly have recurrent infectious and noninfectious lung complications that ultimately end in death. To study the intensity of alveolar inflammation and to evaluate the clinical utility of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in children with HIV‐1 infections, we retrospectively analyzed differential cell counts, lymphocyte subsets, and fibronectin and hyaluronic acid concentrations in BAL fluid of 18 HIV‐1‐positive children (9 boys, mean age 3.5 years, range 5 months–8 years) with radiological evidence of interstitial lung disease, and 19 control children who had undergone BAL for clinical indications not involving the lung parenchyma (13 boys, mean age 3 years, range 2 months–14 years).

BAL fluid from 89% of the HIV‐1 infected children showed CD8+ve lymphocytic alveolitis expressing HLA‐DR, CD54, and CD 69 antigens. BAL fluid from HIV‐infected patients typically contained markedly increased percentages and numbers of lymphocytes (P < 0.0001) and eosinophils (P < 0.04) and significantly higher concentrations of albumin (P <  0.05) and fibronectin (P < 0.0006) than fluids from control children. Whereas BAL cellular components did not differ in P. carinii‐positive and P. carinii‐negative HIV‐1‐infected children, fibronectin concentrations were significantly higher in P. carinii‐positive than negative children. BAL cell differentials and noncellular components were related neither to severity of disease nor to patients' disease progression.

These findings indicate that BAL is useful in studying the intensity of lung inflammation in children with HIV‐1 infections and radiologically documented interstitial lung disease, but provides no information on the subsequent clinical course. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2001; 31:205–213. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Linear programming optimization and a double statistical filter for protein threading protocols
Authors: Meller Jaroslaw , Elber Ron
Published: August 2002

The design of scoring functions (or potentials) for threading, differentiating native‐like from non‐native structures with a limited computational cost, is an active field of research. We revisit two widely used families of threading potentials: the pairwise and profile models. To design optimal scoring functions we use linear programming (LP). The LP protocol makes it possible to measure the difficulty of a particular training set in conjunction with a specific form of the scoring function. Gapless threading demonstrates that pair potentials have larger prediction capacity compared with profile energies. However, alignments with gaps are easier to compute with profile potentials. We therefore search and propose a new profile model with comparable prediction capacity to contact potentials. A protocol to determine optimal energy parameters for gaps, using LP, is also presented. A statistical test, based on a combination of local and globalZ‐scores, is employed to filter out false‐positives. Extensive tests of the new protocol are presented. The new model provides an efficient alternative for threading with pair energies, maintaining comparable accuracy. The code, databases, and a prediction server are available athttp://www.tc.cornell.edu/CBIO/loopp. Proteins 2001;45:241–261. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Bioactive Somatostatin Analog without a Type II′ β‐Turn: Synthesis and Conformational Analysis in Solution
Authors: Jiang Shaokai , Gazal Sharon , Gelerman Gary , Ziv Ofer , Karpov Olga , Litman Pninit , Bracha Moshe , Afargan Michael , Gilon Chaim , Goodman Murray
Published: August 2002

A cyclic somatostatin analog (1) has been synthesized. Biological assays show that this compound has strong binding affinities to somatostatin hsst2 and hsst5 receptor subtypes (5.2 and 1.2 nM, respectively, and modest affinity to hsst4 (41.1 nM)). Our conformational analysis carried out in DMSO‐d6 indicates that this compound exists as two structures arising from the trans and cis configurations of the peptide bond between Phe7 and N‐alkylated Gly8. However, neither conformer exhibits a type II′ β‐turn. This is the first report of a potent bioactive somatostatin analog that does not exhibit a type II′ β‐turn in solution. Molecular dynamics simulations (500 ps) carried out at 300 K indicate that the backbone of compound 1 is more flexible than other cyclic somatostatin analogs formed by disulfide bonds. Copyright © 2001 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Toxicity of chloroform extract of Prunus africana stem bark in rats: gross and histological lesions
Authors: Gathumbi P. K. , Mwangi J. W. , Mugera G. M. , Njiro S. M.
Published: August 2002

Chloroform extract of Prunus africana (Hook f. (Rosaceae) did not cause clinical signs or pathology in rats at daily oral doses of up to 1000 mg/kg for 8 weeks. The extract caused marked clinical signs, organ damage and a 50% mortality rate at a dose of 3.3 g/kg for 6 days. The main lesions observed at this dose were marked centrilobular hepatocellular degeneration and necrosis, diffuse nephrosis, myocardial degeneration, lymphocytic necrosis and neuronal degeneration.

The morphological damage in these tissues caused a corresponding rise in blood biochemical parameters namely, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase and blood urea nitrogen. The target organs of toxicity of this extract are the liver, kidney and heart. Overt toxicity occurred only after the administration of multiple doses of 3.3 g/kg body weight. These findings confirm the suitability of this extract for therapeutic use, since the doses used in the therapy of prostate gland are much lower than those used in this study and would therefore not be expected to cause pathological changes. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
What's new?
Authors: Bohaychuk Wendy
Published: August 2002

The What's New? section in the Quality Assurance Journal aims to draw attention to items of importance to QA professionals. Since there is a three‐month period between final submission of manuscripts and distribution of the journal, the items noted below will be at least three months old by the time you read them: for this issue, the entries arise from the period of 21 November 2001 to 25 February 2002. If you feel that there is any other new information that should be brought to the attention of readers, please let us know by e‐mailing wbohaychuk@gcrpc.com Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Calculation of molecular integrals for systems confined by hard spherical walls: Use of the single‐center expansion of floating spherical gaussians
Authors: Cruz S. A. , Soullard J.
Published: August 2002

Assuming a gaussian basis set representation of atomic and molecular wave functions, the single‐center expansion of off‐centered spherical gaussian orbitals is exploited to calculate the one and two‐electron integrals for multielectronic atoms and molecules confined within hard spherical walls. As a validating test, the ground‐state energy of a helium atom positioned off‐center in a spherical box is calculated by applying the simplest form of the floating spherical gaussian orbital (FSGO) scheme, i.e., the use of a primitive basis set consisting of a single FSGO per electron pair. Comparison with corresponding recent accurate calculations gives supporting evidence of the adequacy of the method for its application to more elaborate gaussian‐type basis set representations for confined atoms and molecules. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 83: 271–278, 2001
Linear, cyclic, and Möbius strip polyacenes: The influence of the topology on the size‐dependent HOMO–LUMO energy gap
Authors: André Jean‐Marie , Champagne Benoît , Perpète Eric A. , Guillaume Maxime
Published: August 2002

The electronic structure of finite and infinite linear, cyclic, and Möbius strip polyacenes has been investigated by adopting simple Hückel methodology without and with variable β resonance integrals and the more involved MNDO scheme. Using the Hückel approach, it turns out that the linear polyacenes and the Möbius ladder molecules exhibit HOMO–LUMO gap which monotonously decrease with chain length while their cyclic analogs have a sawtooth behavior. The originality of the approach is to combine band structure and MO approaches to get analytical forms of the energy levels. These results are corroborated at the MNDO levels where the geometry relaxation effects are taken into account. The optimized MNDO structures show that the Möbius defect is localized and extends over approximately one‐third of the ladder. Accounting for geometry distortion at the MNDO level results in an increase of the gap of the Möbius strip relative to the linear and cyclic finite size structures, but the similar results for the two methods confirm that the topology is the main factor acting on HOMO–LUMO energy gaps. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem, 2001
Theoretical study of the Si–H group as potential hydrogen bond donor
Authors: Alkorta Ibon , Rozas Isabel , Elguero Jose
Published: August 2002

The ability of the Si–H group as hydrogen bond (HB) donor has been studied theoretically. Most of the selected molecules include the Si–H group in a polar environment that could produce an electron deficiency on the hydrogen atom. In addition, analogous derivatives where the silicon atom has been replaced by a carbon atom have been considered. In all cases, ammonia has been used as HB acceptor. The calculations have been carried out at the MP2/6‐311++G** computational level. The electron density of the complexes has been characterized within the atoms in molecules (AIM) framework. A search in the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) has been carried out to verify the existence of this kind of interactions in solid phase. The results of the theoretical study on these HB complexes between ammonia and the silicon derivatives provides long HB distances (2.4 to 3.2 Å) and small interaction energies (−2.4 to −0.2 kcal/mol). In all cases, the HBs of the corresponding carbon analogs show shorter interaction distances corresponding to stronger complexes. The CSD search provides a small number of short interactions between Si and other heavy atoms in agreement with the small stabilizing energy of the Si–HN HB and the lack of SiH bond in polar environment within the database. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001
Structural characterisation of Baltic amber and its solvent extracts by several mass spectrometric methods
Authors: Islas C. A. , Suelves I. , Carter J. F. , Herod A. A. , Kandiyoti R.
Published: August 2002

A sample of Baltic amber (∼40 million yrs old) has been extracted using pentane, toluene and 1‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone (NMP). The relationship between solubility characteristics of the extracts in relation to molecular mass and chemical makeup has been investigated. The extracts were first characterised by 13C‐NMR spectrometry, size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and UV‐fluorescence spectroscopy. The fractions differed less in terms of chemical structural features than they did in terms of molecular mass. This contrasts markedly with data on fractions of coal‐derived liquids, but parallels results from petroleum‐derived vacuum residues. In SEC, the toluene soluble/pentane insoluble fraction gave a peak for high mass material at about 67 000 u. Material excluded from the column porosity in this fraction and in NMP solubles eluted between 8 and 11 min, corresponding to polystyrene masses between 200 000 and several million u. A column with a larger pore size distribution was calibrated using polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate standards with detection by a light‐scattering evaporative analyser. The largest polystyrene standard (15.4 million u) eluted at 13.4 min, similar to that of the earliest eluting amber‐derived material in the NMP solubles fraction. Results from probe‐MS and pyrolysis‐GC/MS have been used to confirm the similarity of chemical structures of the three solubility fractions. Broadly, low mass ions appear to correspond to the various monomeric units of structures present in the amber, the higher mass ions to dimer units and the molecular ions to the different combinations of three or more monomeric units. The main monomer groups have been identified in detail, showing a situation very different from that of coal‐derived materials, where the sizes of aromatic ring systems increase with molecular size. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An atmospheric pressure ion lens to improve electrospray ionization at low solution flow‐rates
Authors: Schneider Bradley B. , Douglas D. J. , Chen David D. Y.
Published: August 2002

The performance of a reduced flow‐rate electrospray ion source is substantially improved by the addition of an atmospheric pressure ion lens near the tip of the tapered sprayer. The magnitude and stability of ion signals, detected within a mass spectrometer, are significantly improved. In addition, the ion lens decreased the dependence of the ion signals on the sprayer position. These benefits are believed to be due to an improvement in the shape of the equipotential lines near the tip of the electrospray ion source. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structural analysis of styrene oxide/haemoglobin adducts by mass spectrometry: identification of suitable biomarkers for human exposure evaluation
Authors: Basile Adriana , Ferranti Pasquale , Mamone Gianfranco , Manco Immacolata , Pocsfalvi Gabriella , Malorni Antonio , Acampora Antonio , Sannolo Nicola
Published: August 2002

The structural characterisation of adducts formed by the in vitro reaction of haemoglobin (Hb) with styrene oxide (SO), the most reactive metabolite of the industrial reagent styrene, was obtained by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (LC/ES‐MS) analysis of modified tryptic peptides of human Hb chains. The reactive sites of human Hb towards SO were identified through characterisation of alkylated tryptic peptides by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation with tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI‐MS/MS). A procedure was set up based on this characterisation, allowing Hb modification to be assessed by monitoring SO/Hb adducts using HPLC with selected ion recording (SIR) mass spectrometry. By this methodology it was also possible to compare advantages and disadvantages of presently available strategies for the measurement of Hb adducts with SO. The results obtained could most plausibly lead to the optimisation of molecular dosimetry of SO adducts, and the analytical procedure described herein could be applied to the biological monitoring of styrene exposure in the workplace. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Viruses and autoimmunity: an affair but not a marriage contract
Authors: Rouse Barry T. , Deshpande Shilpa
Published: August 2002

Viruses are considered as causative agents and contributors to lesion expression in autoimmune disease, notions best supported by studies in animal model systems. This review discusses relationships between virus infection and autoimmunity focusing on mechanisms by which they could induce autoreactivity. The popular idea of molecular mimicry is viewed skeptically with the reviewers taking the viewpoint that viruses contribute to autoimmunity mainly by inducing several nonspecific inflammatory events that together are sufficient to trigger autoreactivity in genetically receptive hosts. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Learning relational rule from examples that are neither positive nor negative
Authors: Ichise Ryutaro , Numao Masayuki
Published: August 2002

Over the past decade, several inductive logic programming (ILP) systems have been developed. However, the normal ILP system does not have enough power to induce logic programs in some domains. Therefore, various new ILP systems, such as nonmonotonic ILP, that apply new learning tasks, have been proposed. In the present paper, a new learning task, called relational learning from nondichotomizable examples, is proposed for relational domains. The scheme of this task is similar to that of normal ILP, with the exception of the training examples. Normally, conventional ILP uses positive and negative examples in the training process. However, the examples of the proposed learning task are not strictly positive or negative: the training examples have a continuous scale. This new learning task is defined and a new method for learning this task is proposed. A new ILP system, SYNGIP (for SYNthesized system using Genetic programming and Inductive logic Programming), is developed based on this method and the performance of SYNGIP is compared experimentally to that of the conventional ILP method for the task of human feeling acquisition. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 32(14): 34–40, 2001
An efficient document retrieval method using n‐gram indexing
Authors: Ogawa Yasushi , Matsuda Toru
Published: August 2002

In Japanese, the border between words is not explicitly indicated. Consequently, n‐gram (a tuple of n characters) indexing is usually applied to document retrieval. Retrieval based on the n‐gram indexing is performed for long retrieval words as follows. After dividing the long retrieval word into n‐grams, two‐stage processing is applied, consisting of determination of the retrieval candidate document containing the divided n‐gram, and noise elimination in the candidate document by matching the position of the n‐gram. This paper proposes two methods to speed up the above retrieval processing. One selects the combination that minimizes the processing cost for noise elimination from the n‐gram extracted from the long retrieval word. The other applies additionally an n‐gram other than the one minimizing the cost, extracted from the retrieval word, to the determination of the candidate document, which improves efficiency in narrowing the range of the candidate documents. An evaluation experiment was performed, using 4 years of newspaper articles, and the effectiveness of the proposed methods was demonstrated. © 2002 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 33(2): 54–63, 2002
Shape measurement of columnar objects with specular surfaces by slit ray projection method
Authors: Baba Mitsuru , Konishi Tadataka , Handa Hisashi
Published: August 2002

In this paper, a method for measuring the shape of a columnar object with specular surfaces by a slit ray projection method is proposed. Although the slit ray projection method is effective for measuring the shape of an object having diffuse reflective characteristics, applying the method to an object with specular surfaces has hitherto been difficult. In this paper, a triangulation equation for a columnar object with specular surfaces is derived and used as the basis of a method for measuring the shape of an object having specular surfaces using applicable slit rays. The basic principle is that the angle of incidence of a slit ray reflected from the measured object into an image sensor is restricted specifically by the special design of the optical system. In addition to the theoretical study of the proposed principle, a system for measuring the shape of a columnar specular object and a diffuse object was created and its effectiveness was verified. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 33(4): 50–60, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.1119
Motion picture coding based on region segmentation using genetic algorithm
Authors: Takagi Koh'ichi , Koike Atsushi , Matsumoto Shuichi , Yamamoto Hideo
Published: August 2002

The purpose of this paper is to improve the coding efficiency of motion pictures by proposing a region segmentation method using the genetic algorithm (GA). In motion‐compensated predictive coding, region segmentation and motion estimation are closely related to each other, and they should be performed so that the coding complexity and S/N are optimized. Their determination can be reformulated as the optimization problem of assigning the motion vectors to each block of the image. Consequently, this paper examines the data type and the processing method of GA so that the optimal region segmentation is obtained. A computer simulation using a test image was performed as an experiment, and the effectiveness of the proposed method was demonstrated. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 33(5): 41–50, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.1126
The sector–stream matrix: Introducing a new framework for the analysis of environmental performance
Authors: Vanek Francis M.
Published: August 2002

Environmental strategy is currently in transition from a reductionist view of individual technologies in isolation to a holistic and interdisciplinary view of the relationship between society, technology, and environmental impact. As a contribution to this larger effort, this paper uses a systems analytic approach to develop a ‘sector‐stream matrix’ of functions and objectives that have an impact on the environment. In particular, the overall ‘built‐and‐natural‐environment system’ is divided into two subsystems, labeled the ‘people’ and ‘product’ streams; analysis of the two streams can be used both qualitatively and quantitatively in order to gain insight into the causes of environmental impact. As an example of the latter, an application of the sector‐stream matrix to the breakdown of energy use in the UK is presented. Advantages of the matrix approach over the traditional division into sectors (industrial/transport/other) and other applications and side issues are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment.
Combining micro‐PIXE surface scans with cross‐sectional X‐ray maps to characterize multilayer structures
Authors: Nickel J. , Shuaib A. N.
Published: August 2002

Multilayer characterization traditionally involves the direct analysis of the sample cross‐section, which is destructive by its nature. Alternatively, an indirect and non‐destructive method to obtain a model of the multilayer structures in question is achieved by means of the micro‐particle‐induced X‐ray emission (micro‐PIXE) technique. This paper presents a method that utilizes both micro‐PIXE surface scan data and electron‐induced X‐ray maps generated from the specimen cross‐section to characterize a multilayer structure, including layer composition, thickness, boundary and density. The proposed approach is demonstrated by characterizing the work material transfer and deposition in a two‐layer structure onto the rake face of an uncoated WC–Co tool insert used for machining aluminium. The use of the direct cross‐sectional approach allowed an evaluation of the capabilities and limitations of the indirect micro‐PIXE approach. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ToF‐SIMS analysis of phosphate‐type lubricant additives adsorbed on friction surfaces of ferrous materials
Authors: Murase A. , Ohmori T.
Published: August 2002

The adsorption of phosphate‐type lubricant additives on ferrous materials has been investigated by time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) of friction surfaces. Eight kinds of model compounds were used for the friction tests. In ToF‐SIMS spectra of the friction surfaces after washing with hexane, Fe‐alcoholates were detected as reaction products of alcohol units of the additives and the ferrous material, and Fe‐polyphosphate was detected as a reaction product of a phosphate unit and the ferrous material. The quasi‐molecular ions of model compounds, which suggest the existence of physical adsorption, were detected in some of the lubricant systems. The amounts of these products were found to be correlated with lubrication properties such as friction coefficient and width of wear scar. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nursing staff survivor responses to hospital restructuring and downsizing
Authors: Burke Ronald J.
Published: August 2002

This study examines correlates of four archetypal survivor responses to organizational restructuring and downsizing proposed by Mishra and Spreitzer:1 hopeful, obliging, cynical and fearful. Data were collected from 744 long‐term nursing staff survivors of hospital restructuring and downsizing using questionnaires. Four types of correlates were considered: personal and work situation characteristics, restructuring‐related work experiences (support, stressors, processes), work outcomes and indicators of psychological well‐being, and perceptions of hospital functioning. Personal and work situation characteristics showed few relationships with the four restructuring responses. Hospital support and positive restructuring processes were associated with lower cynical and fearful responses and higher hopeful responses. Restructuring stressors were associated with higher cynical and fearful responses. Greater endorsement of cynical and fearful restructuring responses was associated with more negative work outcomes and lower psychological well‐being. Greater endorsement of both cynical and fearful responses was also found to be associated with more negative perceptions of hospital functioning and effectiveness. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Techniques of sentinel lymph node biopsy
Authors: Rubio Isabel T. , Klimberg V. Suzanne
Published: August 2002

Axillary node status is the single most important prognostic factor for patients with primary breast carcinoma. During the last decade, one of the major advances in breast cancer has been the development of techniques that make axillary staging less morbid and more conservative. The sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy technique has received much attention as a possible alternative to axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The SLN is defined as the first node in the regional lymphatic basin that receives drainage of the primary tumor. We will review the different techniques of lymphatic mapping for breast carcinoma, including radioactive and/or blue dye indicators, timing and site of injection, and preoperative lymphoscintigraphy. The SLN technique involves a multidisciplinary team. It is therefore important that each surgeon validate the technique in his or her own institution to ensure the successful and accurate assessment of the axilla. The SLN technique has modified the surgical management of breast cancer patients, although questions as to its safety have yet to be answered. Semin. Surg. Oncol. 20:214–223, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Implications of occult metastatic cells for systemic cancer treatment in patients with breast or gastrointestinal cancer
Authors: Braun Stephan , Rosenberg Robert , Thorban Stefan , Harbeck Nadia
Published: August 2002

The early and clinically occult spread of viable tumour cells to the organism is becoming acknowledged as a hallmark in cancer progression, since abundant clinical and experimental data suggest that these cells are precursors of subsequent distant relapse. Using monoclonal antibodies against epithelial cytokeratins or tumour‐associated cell membrane glycoproteins, individual carcinoma cells can be detected in cytological bone marrow preparations at frequencies of 10–5 to 10–6. Prospective clinical studies have shown that the presence of such immunostained cells in bone marrow is prognostically relevant with regard to relapse‐free and overall survival, even in malignancies that do not preferentially metastasise to bone. As current treatment strategies have resulted in a substantial improvement of cancer mortality rates, it is noteworthy to consider the intriguing options of immunocytochemical screening of bone marrow aspirates for occult metastatic cells. Besides improved tumour staging, such screening offers opportunities for guiding patient stratification for adjuvant therapy trials, monitoring response to adjuvant therapies (which, at present, can only be assessed retrospectively after an extended period of clinical follow‐up), and specifically targeting tumour‐biological therapies against disseminated tumour cells. The present review summarises the current data on the clinical significance of occult metastatic cancer cells in bone marrow. Semin. Surg. Oncol. 20:334–346, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pedagogical patterns: capturing best practices in teaching object technology
Authors: Eckstein Jutta
Published: August 2002

The Pedagogical Patterns Project began at OOPSLA '95 and started holding workshops in 1996 at the ECOOP, TOOLS and OOPSLA conferences. The aim of the project has been to capture successful experiences in teaching and learning OT, from industry or academia, in a homogeneous, easily accessible format. Patterns have been regarded as an effective method for achieving this. Since 1996, many other sessions have been held at numerous conferences in America and Europe, resulting in the collection of more than 50 teaching techniques written in pattern format. As this present collection is now being refined and expanded, educators are discovering the effectiveness of sharing their teaching experiences in the form of pedagogical patterns. JUTTA ECKSTEIN, MARY LYNN MANNS and MARKUS VOELTER explain. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fetal exposure to methamphetamine in utero stimulates development of serotonergic neurons in three‐dimensional reaggregate tissue culture
Authors: Won Lisa , Bubula Nancy , Heller Alfred
Published: August 2002

Methamphetamine is a potent psychomotor stimulant with neurotoxic potential which is widely abused by females of childbearing age, raising serious public health concerns in terms of exposure of the fetus to the drug. The current study was conducted to determine the effect of maternal administration of methamphetamine on developing monoaminergic neurons using three‐dimensional reaggregate tissue cultures prepared from fetal mesencephalic and striatal cells. In this culture system, the dopaminergic and serotonergic mesencephalic‐striatal projections are reconstructed and develop with a time course similar to that observed in vivo. Pregnant C57Bl/6J mice were injected twice daily with 40 mg/kg methamphetamine or saline from gestational days 6–13. On gestational day 14, cells from methamphetamine and saline‐exposed embryos were used to prepare reaggregate cultures. Levels of neurotransmitters and their metabolites in the reaggregates and culture medium were monitored at 14, 29, 43, and 64 days of culture. Reaggregates prepared from methamphetamine‐exposed embryos showed a significant elevation in serotonin levels at all culture ages compared to reaggregates prepared from saline‐treated embryos. Levels of 5‐HIAA in reaggregates and culture medium were also elevated in 14‐ and 29‐day‐old cultures derived from drug‐exposed embryos. The development of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal projection was resistant to repeated in utero exposure to methamphetamine. In contrast, exposure of the fetus to methamphetamine, during early to midgestation, produced a long‐lasting stimulatory effect on serotonergic development in culture. Synapse 43:139–144, 2002. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Uptake of D‐serine by synaptosomal P2 fraction isolated from rat brain
Authors: Yamamoto Naoki , Tomita Urara , Umino Asami , Nishikawa Toru
Published: August 2002

We have demonstrated that the crude synaptosome P2 fraction prepared from the rat brain is able to accumulate [3H]D‐serine in a saturable, temperature‐dependent and partially sodium‐ and potassium‐dependent manner with an affinity of a hundred micromolar range. The inhibition profile of D‐serine accumulation by various amino acids is different from those of uptake systems reported for glycine and other amino acids. The present data suggest that the endogenous D‐serine may be taken up mainly through a carrier‐mediated transport system to regulate its extracellular concentration in the mammalian brain. Synapse 42:84–86, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
MK‐801 alters the effects of priming with L‐DOPA on dopamine D1 receptor‐induced changes in neuropeptide mRNA levels in the rat striatal output neurons
Authors: Van De Witte Serge V. , Groenewegen Hendrik J. , Voorn Pieter
Published: August 2002

In a previous study, we have shown in unilaterally dopamine‐depleted rats that increased behavioral responsiveness to the dopamine D1‐receptor agonist SKF‐38393, which was induced by pretreatment with L‐DOPA, is paralleled by specific alterations in striatal neuropeptide mRNA levels. The behavioral ‘priming’ effect of L‐DOPA is prevented if L‐DOPA is preceded by the NMDA‐receptor antagonist MK‐801. In the present study, the question is addressed whether blockade of the increased behavioral responsiveness with MK‐801 also prevents the observed changes in striatal neuropeptide mRNA levels. After a challenge with SKF‐38393 (3 mg/kg, s.c.), the striatal levels of preprodynorphin, preprotachykinin, and preproenkephalin mRNA were compared between unilaterally dopamine‐depleted rats that were either primed with a single administration of L‐DOPA (50 mg/kg, i.p.) or with L‐DOPA preceded by MK‐801 (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.). Priming with L‐DOPA enhanced the increase in dynorphin mRNA levels in the dorsolateral part of the dopamine‐depleted striatum that occurred after SKF‐38393. On the other hand, it had no significant effect on substance P or enkephalin mRNA levels. MK‐801 prior to L‐DOPA prevented the increased responsiveness of dynorphin regulation. However, it induced a decreased response to dopamine D1‐receptor stimulation in the substance P mRNA levels in dorsal regions of the dopamine‐depleted striatum. The levels of enkephalin mRNA after challenge with SKF‐38393 were not affected by the MK‐801 administration. These results demonstrate that the increased behavioral responsiveness to the D1‐receptor agonist SKF‐38393 after priming with L‐DOPA is primarily related to the upregulation of dynorphin mRNA levels in the dopamine‐depleted striatum. Synapse 43:1–11, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of maternal occupational exposure to organic solvents on offspring visual functioning: A prospective controlled study
Authors: Till Christine , Westall Carol A. , Rovet Joanne F. , Koren Gideon
Published: August 2002

Background

Previous studies in adults and animals with high level exposure to organic solvents suggested impairments in visual functioning. The objective of this pilot study was to examine the effects of maternal occupational exposure to organic solvents during pregnancy on offspring color vision and visual acuity, the development of which may be especially vulnerable to organic solvent exposure.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 32 offspring of women who were exposed occupationally to organic solvents during pregnancy compared with 27 nonexposed children. Monocular and binocular color vision and visual acuity were assessed using the Minimalist Test and the Cardiff Cards, respectively. Children with known hereditary color vision loss were excluded.

Results

Solvent‐exposed children had significantly higher error scores on red‐green and blue‐yellow color discrimination, as well as poorer visual acuity compared with the control group. Exposure index (an estimated measure of exposure intensity) was not significantly related to color discrimination or visual acuity score. Despite excluding all children with a known family history of color vision loss, clinical red‐green color vision loss was found among 3 of the 32 exposed children compared with none of the matched controls.

Conclusions

These preliminary findings suggest that occupational exposure to organic solvents during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of color vision and visual acuity impairment in offspring. The importance of routine visual function screening in risk assessment after prenatal exposure to chemicals warrants further attention. Teratology 64:134–141, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Computer and Electronics Product Stewardship: Policy Options
Authors: Gable Cate , Shireman Bill
Published: August 2002

Several policy options offer a potential pathway toward extended product responsibility for obsolete
computers and electronic waste. © 2001 by Cate Gable, Axioun Books. Used with permission.
Cloning and characterization of the Hansenula polymorpha homologue of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae MNN9 gene
Authors: Kim So‐Young , Sohn Jung‐Hoon , Ah Kang Hyun , Yoo Seung‐Ku , Pyun Yu‐Ryang , Choi Eui‐Sung
Published: August 2002

A gene homologous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae MNN9 has been cloned and characterized in the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha. This gene was cloned from a H. polymorpha genomic DNA library using the S. cerevisiae MNN9 gene as a probe. The H. polymorpha MNN9 homologue (HpMNN9) contained a 1062 bp open reading frame encoding a predicted protein of 354 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence showed 58% and 51% identity, respectively, with the S. cerevisiae and Candida albicans Mnn9 proteins. Disruption of HpMNN9 leads to phenotypic effects suggestive of cell wall defects, including detergent sensitivity and hygromycin B sensitivity. The hygromycin B sensitivity of S. cerevisiae mnn9 null mutant was complemented in the presence of the HpMNN9 gene. The DNA sequence of the H. polymorpha homologue has been submitted to GenBank with the Accession No. AF264786. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysing Cognitive Behaviour using LOTOS and Mexitl
Authors: Bowman Howard , Faconti Giorgio
Published: August 2002

We argue that cognitive models should be used in analysing the usability of multi-modal human computer interfaces and further, that formal methods can be advantageously applied to such analysis. In pursuing this objective we specify the Interacting Cognitive Subsystems model formally using the process calculus LOTOS and then we verify that it satisfies certain behavioural goals formulated in the interval temporal logic Mexitl.
Manometric Evidence of Improved Early Gastric Stasis by Erythromycin after Pylorus‐preserving Pancreatoduodenectomy
Authors: Matsunaga Hiroaki , Tanaka Masao , Takahata Shunichi , Ogawa Yoshiaki , Naritomi Gen , Yokohata Kazunori , Yamaguchi Koji , Chijiiwa Kazuo
Published: August 2002

Gastric stasis is a frequent complication of pylorus‐preserving pancreatoduodenectomy (PPPD). We demonstrated that it might be attributable to delayed recovery of phase III activity of the gastric migrating motor complex due to low concentrations of plasma motilin caused by resection of the duodenum. Leucine 13‐motilin is effective for treating gastric stasis, but it is not yet available for clinical use. Whether erythromycin would improve early gastric stasis after PPPD was tested clinically and by manometry. A manometric tube assembly and a gastrostomy tube were inserted in the stomach of 10 patients at PPPD for pressure recording from the gastric antrum and jejunum and for gastric juice drainage, respectively. After baseline recording, erythromycin 5 mg/kg was given intravenously on day 14 and saline as a placebo on day 17 every 4 hours four times a day. The daily volume of gastric juice output and the gastric motility index were measured. The mean period until the return of gastric phase III was 31 ± 1 days. Erythromycin significantly increased the gastric motility index from 7.9 ± 1.3 mmHg to 15.7 ± 1.8 mmHg (p= 0.0005), whereas saline did not (7.2 ± 1.6 mmHg to 6.5 ± 1.2 mmHg; p= 0.21). Erythromycin significantly decreased the gastric juice output from 1080 ± 190 ml to 738 ± 199 ml (p < 0.0001), but the saline injections did not (1064 ± 174 ml to 1115 ± 189 ml; p= 0.35). Erythromycin, a universally available motilin agonist, is a safe, effective, potent drug for the treatment of early gastric stasis after PPPD.
Cholecystokinin Mediation of Colonic Absorption Via Peptide YY: Foregut–Hindgut Axis
Authors: Liu Carson D. , Hines Oscar J. , Newton Todd R. , Adrian Thomas E. , Zinner Michael J. , Ashley Stanley W. , McFadden David W.
Published: August 2002

Peptide YY (PYY), a 36‐amino‐acid polypeptide, is found in abundance in the colon, a region where its physiologic roles are unknown. Previous studies have revealed a substantial increase in plasma PYY after cholecystokinin (CCK) administration. PYY is released from the hindgut in response to a meal and inhibits CCK release. In this study we evaluated the effects of CCK and PYY on intestinal absorption of water and electrolytes. Colonic, ileal, or jejunal Thiry‐Vella fistulas (TVFs) were created in 12 dogs, and intestinal continuity was reestablished. The TVFs were perfused with an isotonic buffer solution containing [14C] PEG as a volume marker. Electrolyte and water transport were measured every 15 minutes, and plasma PYY and CCK levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Group 1 dogs received an intravenous bolus of MK329, a specific CCK receptor antagonist, at 20 nmol/kg after a standard mixed meal; group 2 colonic TVF dogs received a meal and an intravenous bolus of PYY polyclonal antibody at 1 mg/kg. Postprandially, all three regions of the bowel became significantly proabsorptive for water, sodium, and chloride. In the colon postprandial absorption was abolished by MK329 starting 60 minutes after a meal, whereas specific CCK receptor blockade blunted ileal absorption. CCK receptor blockade did not affect postprandial absorption in the jejunum. Postprandial PYY levels did not rise in MK329‐treated animals. PYY antibody reduced colonic absorption during the postprandial phase. Reduction of meal‐induced colonic absorption and PYY release by MK329 in awake dogs suggests an important foregut–hindgut hormonal feedback loop. Foregut‐derived CCK stimulates hindgut PYY release, which in turn stimulates colonic absorption while inhibiting further CCK release.
Estimation of Fat Absorption with the 13C‐Trioctanoin Breath Test after Pancreatoduodenectomy or Pancreatic Head Resection
Authors: Miyakawa Shuichi , Hayakawa Makoto , Horiguchi Akihiko , Mizuno Kenji , Ishihara Shin , Niwamoto Naotatu , Miura Kaoru
Published: August 2002

The aim of this study was to determine if fat absorption is better after pylorus‐preserving pancreatoduodenectomy (PPPD) or duodenum‐preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR) compared with that following pancreatoduodenectomy with gastrectomy (SPD), provided the patients have similar pancreatic exocrine function. Fat absorption was studied using the 13C‐trioctanoin breath test in patients who were grouped according to the degree of fibrosis of the pancreatic remnant. The latter was judged by histologically measuring the fibrosis in a transectional wedge of resected pancreas. We evaluated 11 SPD cases, 25 PPPD cases, and 9 DPPHR cases. The 13C excretion rates and cumulative excretion values following DPPHR or PPPD were significantly better than those following SPD. The 13C excretion rates and cumulative values for the patients with > 30% fibrosis of the pancreas were lower than those in patients with < 30% pancreatic fibrosis, regardless of the surgical procedure. The cumulative value in the SPD group, however, was lower than that in the PPPD or DPPHR patients with < 30% pancreatic fibrosis. The results suggested that fat absorption following PPPD or DPPHR is superior to that after SPD in patients with the same fibrotic area of the pancreatic remnant and depends on the degree of fibrosis in the pancreatic remnant.
Rigidity of critical circle mappings I
Authors: de Faria Edson , de Melo Welington
Published: August 2002

Abstract. We prove that two C3 critical circle maps with the same rotation number in a special set ± are C1+! conjugate for some !>0 provided their successive renormalizations converge together at an exponential rate in the C0 sense. The set ± has full Lebesgue measure and contains all rotation numbers of bounded type. By contrast, we also give examples of CX critical circle maps with the same rotation number that are not C1+# conjugate for any #>0. The class of rotation numbers for which such examples exist contains Diophantine numbers.
Effects of plant density on the survival rate of cabbage pests
Authors: Yamamura K. , Yano Eizi
Published: August 2002

The population density of herbivores depends on the spatial scale as well as the temporal scale. In a small‐scale, short‐term experiment, the number of individuals entering from the surrounding area will be most influential in determining the herbivore density. In large‐scale, long‐term experiments, however, the density of herbivores will rather be influenced by the survival rate of individuals inside the field because most of the herbivorous population derives from the parents that developed inside the field. If we want to predict the large‐scale long‐term density of herbivores, therefore, emphasis should be placed on the estimation of survival rate. To elucidate the effects of plant density on the large‐scale long‐term abundance of cabbage pests, we examined the survival rates of three lepidopterous pests, the small white butterfly Pieris rapae crucivora Boisduval (Pieridae), the beet semi‐looper Autographa nigrisigna (Walker) (Noctuidae), and the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Yponomeutidae) under two levels of plant spacing (sparse plot, 2 m × 2 m interval; dense plot, 0.5 m × 0.5 m interval). The experiment with four blocks was repeated in two seasons. The number of eggs per plant was larger in the sparse plots than in the dense plots for all species. The survival rate of eggs and larvae, on the contrary, was lower in the sparse plots than in the dense plots. The lower survival rate of eggs in the sparse plots was mainly caused by the density dependency, while the lower survival rate of larvae in the sparse plots was mainly caused by the direct effects of plant density. It was thus suggested that the density of herbivores may become lower in the sparsely planted field in the long run because of the higher mortality of larvae.
Pathogen Special:Vibrio cholerae, Pseudomonas aeruginosaandXylella fastidiosa
Authors: Wixon Jo
Published: August 2002

One could almost say that it is the latest fashion to sequence a bacterial genome. However, this would belittle the efforts of those working on these important organisms, whose data will greatly help those working on the prevention of disease in the fields of medicine and agriculture. In this feature we present a guided tour of the latest additions to the ‘sequenced microbes’ club.Vibrio choleraeis the causative agent of cholera, which is still a threat in countries with poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water.Pseudomonas aeruginosais responsible for a large proportion of opportunistic human infections, typically infecting those with compromised immune systems, particularly cystic fibrosis patients, those patients on respirators and burn victims.Xylella fastidiosais a plant pathogen that attacks citrus fruits by blocking the xylem, resulting in juiceless fruits of no commercial value.
At what age are children most likely to be bullied at school?
Authors: Eslea Mike , Rees Josette
Published: August 2002

Cross‐sectional questionnaire surveys of school bullying reliably find that the frequency of incidents falls with age. However, it is not clear how much of this decline is due to a real change in behaviour, and how much to children’s changing definitions of what bullying is. This paper presents the results of two retrospective studies in an attempt to assess at what ages bullying is really most likely to occur. Male and female adults aged 18–55 years (n1 = 205 and n2 = 200) completed questionnaires about their memories of being bullied at school. Results showed that bullying was most frequently remembered from around 11–13 years of age, with incidents from earlier and later childhood being reported comparatively rarely. There were no differences between the reports of younger (18–21 years) and older (22–55 years) participants or between those of males and females. Bullying memories were also compared with memories for other aspects of childhood to assess the accuracy of these memories. It is concluded that the most memorable (and therefore perhaps the most severe) bullying is that which occurs in middle childhood. Aggr. Behav. 27:419–429, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.