bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The creep of wood destabilized by change in moisture content. Part 2: The creep behaviors of wood during and immediately after adsorption
Authors: Takahashi Chika , Ishimaru Yutaka , Iida Ikuho , Furuta Yuzo
Published: December 2004

The fluidity of wood remarkably increases during moisture changes. This phenomenon is termed mechano-sorptive creep. The mechanism of mechano-sorptive creep has been studied, including a previous report by our group. Here, creep tests in bending were carried out for wood during and immediately after adsorption of moisture and after a long moisture conditioning. The effects of the rate of moisture adsorption on creep were also examined. The results and conclusions are as follows: (I) Greater creep occurred immediately after the adsorption process as compared with that after a long moisture conditioning, whereas much greater creep occurred during the same adsorption process, similar to the case of drying. Therefore, during the changes in moisture, not only destabilization but also stabilization should occur simultaneously, so that the wood during the changing process is in a remarkably unstable state. (II) Smaller creep occurred immediately after a slower adsorption as compared with that immediately after a more rapid adsorption. This suggests that wood is more stabilized during a slower versus a more rapid adsorption process. However, difference in creep between the final stages of the slower and the more rapid adsorption process was scarcely found. This is considered to result from the difference in degree of stabilization caused by the different duration of both adsorptions. In other words, this result is only an outward appearance. (III) Greater creeps were recognized during larger changes in moisture content (Δu) during the adsorption processes corresponding to the drying process. Therefore, mechano-sorptive creep depends not only on Δubut also on the range of relative humidity (RH). Larger stabilization was found during the changing process of larger Δu.
Changes in color and structure of birch wood (Betula pendula) caused by bleaching with hydrogen peroxide solution
Authors: Mononen Kirsi , Alvila Leila , Pakkanen Tuula T.
Published: December 2004

The effect of bleaching with a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution on coloring of secondary xylem of kiln-dried birch wood (B. pendula) was investigated with CIELAB color measurements. Structure of unbleached and bleached wood pieces was studied by light microscopy (LM), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In addition, hardness and surface roughness of unbleached and bleached wood pieces were characterized with Brinell hardness and contact angle measurements. The results indicated that surface bleaching with H2O2 solution changed the color of birch wood toward white and less red, simultaneously increasing the porosity and roughness of the uppermost surface as well as decreasing the hardness of bleached wood pieces. With embedding bleaching for 24 h with H2O2, the color of the wood pieces could be changed further; however, microscale defects were detected in fiber secondary cell walls. Consequently, complementary to results obtained from microscopic studies, lower hardness values supported the degradation of fiber secondary cell wall in bleached wood pieces. In addition, contact angle measurements indicated increased surface roughness of wood pieces after embedding bleaching with H2O2.
Microdistribution of copper in copper-ethanolamine (Cu-EA) treated southern yellow pine (Pinus spp.) related to density distribution
Authors: Cao Jinzhen , Pascal Kamdem D.
Published: December 2004

The relationship between copper absorption and density distribution in wood cell walls was investigated in this study. The density distribution on layer level was obtained from two approaches: (1) calculation by using data obtained from literature; (2) microdistribution of carbon and oxygen atoms in the wood cell. The microdistribution of carbon and oxygen in untreated southern yellow pine (Pinus spp.) sapwood, as well as copper in cell walls of copper-ethanolamine (Cu-EA) treated wood was determined by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDXA). Both approaches for density distribution led to the same result: the density was higher in the compound middle lamella and cell corners than in the secondary wall. The concentration/intensity of Cu, C and O in the cell wall follow the same trend as the density distribution; suggesting that density may play a major role in SEM-EDXA study of the distribution of metal-containing wood preservatives within the wood cell wall.
Rational Behavior, the Adoption of Agriculture, and the Organization of Subsistence During the Late Archaic Period in the Greater Tucson Basin
Authors: Diehl Michael W.
Published: December 2004

Recent descriptions of Late Archaic Period land use in the greater Tucson Basin have described the Cienega phase occupants of the region as either (1) logistically organized with very‐ long distance hunting forays that adversely afFected the occupants of the montane areas of the Mogollon Rim, (2) fully sedentary with agricultural practices that were more or less identical to those of the later Hohokam, or (3) seasonally‐sedentary forager‐horticulturists. Using the interpretive framework of behavioral ecology and recently‐excavated paleobotanical data, it is shown that the first two models are unlikely. Instead, Cienega Phase occupants of the Tucson Basin may best be characterized as seasonally‐sedentary foragers, who made use of multiple residential locations throughout the year.
Conspicuous Consumption as Wasteful Advertising: a Darwinian Perspective on Spatial Patterns in Classic Maya Terminal Monument Dates
Authors: Neiman Fraser D.
Published: December 2004

Spatial patterns in Classic Maya terminal monument dates offer clues about the processes behind the Classic “collapse” and the spatial scale of political competition that preceded it. A Darwinian theory of wasteful advertising delivers a simple model of how the collapse and political competition might map onto terminal monument dates. Modern statistical techniques provide the tools required to decompose spatial variation in terminal dates from a sample of 69 sites into the components required by the model. The large‐scale trend in the cessation of dated monument construction, estimated using local robust regression (loess), supports recent evidence that the ultimate cause of the end of dated monument construction was an ecological disaster. The variogram characterizes spatial variation in residuals from this trend. The results suggest that as the collapse proceeded, monument‐constructing elites, or individuals competing for that status, abandoned their original sites to enter political competition at sites on average 65 km distant, thus increasing competition, and prolonging monument construction at those recipient sites. This implies spheres of political competition in the Late Classic were small, and supports recent evidence from epigraphic sources they averaged about 50 km in diameter.
The Wild Bull and the Sacred Forest
Authors: Lambert Michael C.
Published: December 2004

The Wild Bull and the Sacred Forest: Form, Meaning, and Change in Senegambian Initiation Masks, PETER MARK. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. xv. 170 pp. 43 halftones; appendix, bibliography, index. $69.95 (cloth).
Turkish Traditional Art Today
Authors: Goin Chelsea Miller
Published: December 2004

Turkish Traditional Art Today, HENRY GLASSIE. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1993. Indiana University Turkish Studies Series. 940 pp., 1,115 b/w illustrations,. color plates, maps, diagrams, glossary, bibliography and indexes. $65.00 (cloth).
A Zuni Artist Looks at Frank Hamilton Cushing: Cartoons by Phil Hughte. Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Authors: Jojola Ted
Published: December 2004

. ZUNI ARTIST LOOKS AT FRANK HAMILTON CUSHING: CARTOONS BY PHILHUGHTE. An exhibit of forty‐three paintings by Zuni artist, Phil Hughte, curated jointly by the staff of the Zuni Museum (A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center) and the Maxwell Museum. Maxwell Museum, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (January 1994‐January 1995); Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Tulsa, OK (January‐April 1995); Southwest Museum, Los Angeles, CA (May^June, 1995).1
Douglas Crimp. On the Museum's Ruins.
Authors: De Diego Estrella
Published: December 2004

On the Museum's Ruins, DOUGLAS CRIMP. with photographs by LOUISE LAWLER. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 1993, xix. 348 pp., 114 illustrations, notes, index. $29.95 (cloth).
Eugenia W. Herbert. Iron, Gender and Power.
Authors: Guyer Jane I.
Published: December 2004

Iron, Gender and Power: Rituals of Transformation in African Societies, EUGENIA W. HERBERT. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1993.277 pp. 42 b/w photographs,. figures, appendix, bibliography, index. $39.95 (cloth), $18.95 (paper).
Mattiebelle Gittinger and H. Leedom Lefferts, Jr. Textiles and the Tai Experience in Southeast Asia; and Sandra A. Niessen. Batak Cloth and Clothing.
Authors: Adams Monni
Published: December 2004

Textiles and the Tai Experience in Southeast Asia. MATTIEBELLE GITTINGER and H. LEEDOM LEFFERTS. Jr. Washington, D.C.: The Textile Museum, 1992. Distributed by University of Washington Press. 264 pp., 220 illus., 24 in color, maps, appendices, bibliography, glossary. $45.00 (paper).

Batak Cloth and Clothing:. Dynamic Indonesian Tradition, SANDRA A. NIESSEN. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Oxford University Press, 1993. The Asia Collection, xi +136 pp., 41 color illus., 78 b/w illus.,. maps, bibliography, index. $50.00 (cloth).
Liza Dalby. Kimono: Fashioning Culture.
Authors: Gluckman Dale Carolyn
Published: December 2004

Kimono: Fashioning Culture, LIZA DALBY. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993. xi. 384 pp. 200 b/w illus. 12 pages of color illus., notes, bibliography, glossary, index. $30.00 (cloth).
Philip J. C. Dark and Roger G. Rose. Artistic Heritage in a Changing Pacific.
Authors: Teilhet‐Fisk Jehanne
Published: December 2004

Artistic Heritage in. Changing Pacific. Edited by PHILIP J. C. DARK and ROGER G. ROSE. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1993. vii. 261 pp. 10 color plates, references. $39.00 (cloth).
A Mexican Folk Pottery Tradition: Cognition and Style in Material Culture in the Valley of Puebla
Authors: Thime Mary S.
Published: December 2004

. Mexican Folk Pottery Tradition: Cognition and Style in Material Culture in the Valley of Puebla. Flora S. Kaplan. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1994. xvii. 138 pp. 16 halftones, 21 figures, 20 tables, appendix, bibliography, index. $50.00 (cloth).
Pampa Grande and the Mochica Culture
Authors: Bawden Garth
Published: December 2004

Pampa Grande and the Mochica Culture, Izumi Shimada. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1994. xv. 323 pp. 58 b/w photographs, 112 line drawings, 12 maps, 14 tables, notes, bibliography, index. $60.00 (cloth).
Hawai'iloa: ka 'imi 'ike, Seeker of Knowledge
Authors: Kelly Marjorie
Published: December 2004

Hawai'iloa: ka 'imi 'ike, Seeker of Knowledge. Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii. (January 14. June 4,1995)
E Luku Wale e . Devastation upon Devastation
Authors: Kelly Marjorie
Published: December 2004

. Luku Wale. Devastation upon Devastation. Honolulu Advertiser Gallery, The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu. (Through March 18, 1998)
Cloth and Curing: Continuity and Change in Oaxaca
Authors: Hendrickson Carol
Published: December 2004

Cloth and Curing: Continuity and Change in Oaxaca. Edited by Grace Johnson and Douglas Sharon. San Diego Museum Papers, No. 32. San Diego: Museum of Man, 1994. + 90pp. illustrations, bibliography, inventory.
Spectacular Nature: Corporate Culture and the Sea World Experience
Authors: Handler Richard
Published: December 2004

Spectacular Nature: Corporate Culture and the Sea World Experience. SUSAN G. DAVIS. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997. xii. 313 pp. illustrations, notes, index.
Native America Collected: The Culture of an Art World
Authors: Frisbie Charlotte J.
Published: December 2004

Native America Collected: The Culture of an Art World. Margaret Dubin. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2001.
La Mémoire Dure
Authors: Grillo Ralph
Published: December 2004

La Mémoire Dure. 2001. 80 minutes. Directed by Rossella Ragazzi. Distributed by Documentary Educational Resources, 101 Morse Street, Watertown, MA 02472, USA. 800‐569‐6621, docued@der.org
Stage and season effects on cell cycle and apoptotic activities of germ cells and Sertoli cells during spermatogenesis in the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias)
Authors: McClusky L M
Published: December 2004

To understand the processes involved in the spatial and temporal maturation of testicular cells in Squalus acanthias, we used standard morphometry, proliferating-cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labelling (TUNEL) immunohistochemistry. Except for immature spermatocysts (germinal zone, GZ; early-stage pre-meiotic, E-PrM), the number of cysts in all subsequent stages and the total number of cysts in the spermatogenic progression varied seasonally. The spermatogenic cycle spans about 2 years and is interrupted by germcell clone deletion via apoptosis at the mitosis–meiosis transition in April/May, manifesting as a zone of degeneration (ZD). Rate of displacement of the ZD across the testis diameter indicates that late-stage premeiotic (L-PrM) generations 12–13 require 9–10 months to reach the mature-spermatid stage. Also, the number of cysts completing spermatogenesis is approximately 4–5-fold less than the number that entered spermatogenesis proper 2 years earlier. Pronounced gonocytogenesis in the germinal ridge was coincident with ZD formation in April/May, but it was absent in the fall when mature spermatogonial and meiotic activities had resumed. Whereas strong Sertoli cell PCNA immunoreactivity dominated the GZ cyst cell-cycle activities throughout the year, except during the spring/summer months, the spermatogonial- and Sertoli-cell PCNA indices in E-PrM cysts were inversely related. PCNA immunoreactivity in spermatocytes was seasonal and dependent on the stage of meiosis. TUNEL labelling was limited to spermatogonia and increased stage-dependently in the PrM region (L-PrM = mid-stage PrM ≫E-PrM ≫GZ), correlating with ZD formation, in a season-dependent manner. Results imply that effects of normal regulatory factors in Squalus are stage- and process-specific.
Expression and subcellular localization of the μ-opioid receptor in equine spermatozoa: evidence for its functional role
Authors: Albrizio Maria , Guaricci Antonio Ciro , Maritato Filippo , Sciorsci Raffaele Luigi , Mari Gaetano , Calamita Giuseppe , Lacalandra Giovanni Michele , Aiudi Giulio Guido , Minoia Rosa , Dell’Aquila Maria Elena , Minoia Paolo
Published: December 2004

The development of fertilizing ability in sperm cells is associated with changes in the plasma membrane. However, to date the exact nature of sequentially activated primary receptors and channels and the signal transduction pathways derived from these remains elusive. We analyzed the expression and localization of the μ-opioid receptossr in equine spermatozoa. A transcript corresponding to the third extracellular loop that selectively binds μ agonists was amplified, sequenced and compared with the known sequences in humans, rats and cattle. The amplification product showed a high degree of nucleotide conservation. By immunofluorescence, μ-opioid receptor labeling was found on the sperm head and on the tail and disappeared in the acrosomal region of acrosome-reacted sperm cells. Immunoblotting revealed two bands of 50 and 65 kDa. Effects of the opioid antagonist naloxone on motility and on viability and capacitation/acrosome reaction were investigated by computer-assisted sperm analysis and Hoechst 33258/chlortetracycline (H258/CTC) staining. Progressive motility was significantly reduced after 3 h incubation in 10−3M naloxone (P< 0.05), whereas it increased significantly after 5 h in 10−8M naloxone (P< 0.05). Sperm velocity at 5 h was significantly reduced by the addition of 10−3M naloxone (P< 0.05), but increased significantly in the presence of 10−8M (P< 0.001). Curvilinear velocity and amplitude of lateral head displacement in spermatozoa incubated in the presence of naloxone were not indicative of hyperactivation. H258/CTC staining showed that 10−8M naloxone significantly stimulated capacitation (P< 0.01) after 3 h. However, it had no effect on sperm cell viability and acrosomal status. Overall, this study provides the first evidence that the μ-opioid receptor is expressed in equine spermatozoa and that naloxone significantly affects motility and capacitation.
Production of matrix metalloproteinases by cultured bovine theca and granulosa cells
Authors: Smith M F , Gutierrez C G , Ricke W A , Armstrong D G , Webb R
Published: December 2004

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) degrade the proteinaceous components of the extracellular matrix and are presumably essential for follicular growth culminating in ovulation or atresia. The objectives of this study were to characterize the gelatinolytic and caseinolytic MMPs secreted by cultured bovine thecal and granulosal cells and to determine the effect of luteinizing hormone (LH) on MMP secretion. Thecal and granulosal cells were collected from small bovine follicles (<5 mm) on day 2 or 5 of the estrous cycle (day 0 = estrus). A serum-free culture system was utilized in which bovine thecal and granulosal cells do not spontaneously luteinize, but produce androstenedione and estradiol in response to physiological concentrations of LH and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) respectively. The effect of LH (0, 1 or 100 ng/ml) on MMP production was determined in conditioned media collected every 48 h for 144 h. MMPs were detected by gelatin and casein zymography and MMP activity was quantified by image analysis. Thecal and granulosal cell conditioned media contained MMPs that had a relative molecular size (Mr) ranging from 53 000 to 200 000 and addition of 1,10 phenanthroline (MMP inhibitor) blocked gelatinolytic and caseinolytic activity. Patterns of gelatinolytic activity in thecal and granulosal cell conditioned media differed over time with theMr62 000 and 83 000 MMPs being increased (P< 0.05) and theMr53 000 MMP being decreased (P< 0.05) at 96 h of culture. LH (1 or 100 ng/ml) increased (P< 0.05) gelatinolytic activity of theMr53 000 and 62 000 gelatinases within thecal cell conditioned media but not granulosal cell conditioned media. TheMr62 000 and 83 000 gelatinolytic activities corresponded to the active forms of gelatinase A (Mr62 000) and B (Mr, 83 000) and gelatinase A was detected in thecal cell conditioned media by Western blot analysis. Caseinolytic activity (Mr83 000) was detected in both thecal and granulosal cell conditioned media and increased from 48 to 96 h. In summary, thecal and granulosal cells secrete gelatinolytic and caseinolytic MMPs and thecal cell production of gelatinase A was stimulated by LH.
Corpora lutea induced by gonadotrophin-releasing hormone treatment of anoestrous Welsh Mountain ewes: reduced sensitivity to luteinizing hormone in vivo and to chorionic gonadotrophin in vitro
Authors: Bramley T A , Stirling D , Menzies G S , Baird D T
Published: December 2004

Seasonally anoestrous Welsh Mountain ewes received 250 ng gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) every 2 h, with (Group 1;n= 13) or without (Group 2;n= 14) progesterone priming for 48 h. Fourteen control ewes (Group 3) were studied during the luteal phase in the breeding season. Animals in Group 4 (n= 12) received progesterone priming followed by 250 ng GnRH at increasing frequency for 72 h, while ewes in Group 5 (n= 13) were given three bolus injections of 30 μg GnRH at 90-min intervals. All treatment regimens induced ovulation. However, only corpora lutea (CL) from ewes in Group 3 (breeding season) or Group 4 exhibited normal luteal function. Luteal luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor levels were significantly higher on day 12 than day 4, and CL from groups with adequate CL (3 and 4) had significantly higher125I-human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)-binding levels than the three groups with inadequate CL on day 12. LH-binding affinity was unchanged. Exogenous ovine LH (10 μg)in vivoon days 3 or 11 after ovulation induced a pulse of progesterone in ewes with adequate CL: however, ewes in Groups 1, 2 and 5 showed no significant response. Basal progesterone secretionin vitrowas significantly greater on day 4 than on day 12. Maximal steroidogenic responses of adequate and inadequate CL to hCG and to dibutyryl cyclic-3′,5′-AMP were similar at both stages of the luteal phase. However, the EC50for hCG on days 4 and 12 was 10-fold lower for groups with an adequate CL (0.1 IU hCG/ml) than for inadequate-CL groups (1 IU hCG/ml;P<0.05). Thus, in addition to the well-characterized premature sensitivity of GnRH-induced inadequate CL to endometrial luteolysin, we have shown (1) a marked decrease in total number of cells in the CL, a profound reduction in vascular surface area, and a decrease in mean large luteal cell volume (with no change in large luteal cell numbers), (2) decreased luteal LH receptor and progesterone content compared with adequate CL and (3) that CL that were becoming, or were destined to become, inadequate failed to respond to ovine LHin vivoand were 10-fold less sensitive to hCG in terms of luteal progesterone secretionin vitro.
Effect of genetic background and activating stimulus on the timing of meiotic cell cycle progression in parthenogenetically activated mouse oocytes
Authors: Ibáñez Elena , Albertini David F , Overström Eric W
Published: December 2004

With the aim of investigating the effects of oocyte genotype and activating stimulus on the timing of nuclear events after activation, oocytes collected from hybrid B6D2F1, inbred C57BL/6 and outbred CF-1 and immunodeficient nude (NU/+) females were activated using ethanol or strontium and fixed at various time-points. Meiotic status, spindle rotation and second polar body (PB2) extrusion were monitored by fluorescence microscopy using DNA-, microtubule- and microfilament-selective probes. Although activation efficiency was similar in all groups of oocytes, a significant percentage of CF-1 and NU/+ oocytes treated with ethanol and of C57BL/6 oocytes treated either with ethanol or strontium failed to complete activation and became arrested at a new metaphase stage (MIII) after PB2 extrusion. C57BL/6 oocytes also showed slower release from MII arrest but faster progression to telophase (TII) after ethanol exposure, and they exhibited the most rapid exit from TII under both activation treatments. Strontium caused delayed meiotic resumption, spindle rotation and PB2 extrusion, but rapid TII exit, in B6D2F1, CF-1 and NU/+ oocytes when compared with ethanol. Compared with all other strains, NU/+ oocytes were significantly slower in completing spindle rotation and PB2 extrusion, irrespective of the activating stimulus, and a significant decrease in activation rates and pace of meiotic progression was observed after strontium exposure. Thus, our findings demonstrated that the kinetics of meiosis resumption and completion, spindle rotation and PB2 extrusion following parthenogenetic activation depends on both genotype-specific factors and on the activation treatment applied.
Carcinogenicity and Chronic Toxicity after Inhalation Exposure of Rats and Mice to N,N‐Dimethylformamide
Authors: Senoh Hideki , Aiso Shigetoshi , Arito Heihachiro , Nishizawa Tomoshi , Nagano Kasuke , Yamamoto Seigo , Matsushima Taijiro
Published: December 2004

Carcinogenicity and Chronic Toxicity after Inhalation Exposure of Rats and Mice to N,N‐Dimethylformamide: Hideki Senoh, et al. Japan Bioassay Research Center—Carcinogenicity and chronic toxicity of N,N‐Dimethylformamide (DMF) were examined by inhalation exposure of groups of 50 rats and 50 mice of both sexes to DMF vapor at a concentration of 0, 200, 400 or 800 ppm (v/v) for 6 h/d, 5 d/wk, for 104 wk. In rats, incidences of hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas significantly increased in the 400 and 800 ppm‐exposed groups and in the 800 ppm‐exposed group, respectively. The hepatocellular adenoma did not increase significantly in the 400 ppm exposed female rats, but its incidence exceeded a range of historical control data in the Japan Bioassay Research Center (JBRC). In mice, incidences of hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas significantly increased in all the DMF‐exposed groups. Incidence of hepatoblastomas significantly increased in the 200 and 400 ppm‐exposed male mice, and 4 cases of hepatoblastomas in the 400 ppm‐exposed female mice and the 800 ppm‐exposed male mice exceeded the range of historical control data of the JBRC. Incidences of altered cell foci increased in the liver of exposed rats and mice in an exposure concentration‐related manner, and those foci were causally related to the hepatocellular tumors. Liver weights increased in both rats and mice exposed to DMF at 200 ppm and above. Increased levels of γ‐GTP, ALT, AST and total bilirubin in exposed rats of both sexes and AST and ALT in exposed mice of both sexes were noted. It was concluded that 2‐yr inhalation exposure to DMF increased incidences of hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas in rats and incidences of hepatocellular adenomas, carcinomas and hepatoblastomas in mice, and that hepatocarcinogenicity of DMF was more potent in mice than in rats.
Field Evaluation of a Passive Sampler for Assessing 2‐Ethoxyethyl Acetate Exposures
Authors: Shih Tung‐Sheng , Chang Ho‐Yuan , Liu Hung‐Hsin , Hung Yi‐Shiao , Liou Saou‐Hsing
Published: December 2004

Field Evaluation of a Passive Sampler for Assessing 2‐Ethoxyethyl Acetate Exposures: Tung‐Sheng Shih, et al. Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Council of Labor Affairs, Taiwan—This paper presents a field evaluation of a passive badge for measuring 2‐ethoxyethyl acetate (2‐EEAc) in a humid working environment. Forty‐eight pairs of side‐by‐side active/passive 8‐h full‐shift personal samples were collected to evaluate the performance of a passive badge for monitoring 2‐EEAc with the co‐exposure of toluene and methyl iso‐butyl ketone (MIBK) in a warm and humid workplace. Sixteen pairs of side‐by‐side passive badges, active charcoal tubes, and active charcoal tube with drying tube samples were also compared to evaluate the humidity effect in sampling. No statistical difference was found between the passive and active samples in assessing 2‐EEAc. Linear regression showed the correlation to be high (r=0.987, slope=1.018, n=48) over the range 0.42‐41.5 ppm. The mean concentration difference was 0.53 ppm and the mean relative error was 5.39%. Close correlation was also found between passive and active samples for assessing both toluene (r=0.949, slope=0.918, n=16), and MIBK (r=0.943, slope=1.098, n=16). Similar high correlation (r>0.962, n=16) was found among passive badges, active charcoal tubes, and active charcoal tube with drying tube samples. The humidity effect and the interference of co‐exposure of polar and non‐polar solvents were insignificant at a low sampling rate (26.6 ml/min) in assessing 2‐EEAc exposures. The use of the passive samplers produces comparable findings to that of active sampling.
Emerging Role of Weekly Topotecan in Recurrent Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Eckardt John R.
Published: December 2004

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to:

Identify the limitations of the established 5-day topotecan administration schedule in treating patients with recurrent SCLC. Explain the rationale for the use of weekly topotecan regimens in the recurrent SCLC setting. Discuss the efficacy and safety results from studies of weekly topotecan regimens in SCLC.

Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 hour of AMA PRA category 1 credit at CME.TheOncologist.com

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive tumor that often metastasizes before the primary cancer is diagnosed. Patients with SCLC are typically elderly and often have comorbidities that may predispose them to adverse events during therapy. Although topotecan (Hycamtin®; GlaxoSmithKline; Philadelphia, PA), 1.5 mg/m2/day via a 30-minute i.v. infusion on days 1–5 of a 21-day cycle, is a standard therapy for relapsed SCLC, this regimen can result in significant neutropenia, especially in previously treated patients. This hematologic toxicity is noncumulative and reversible, but its management can be challenging in this poor-prognosis population. Therefore, alternate treatment regimens have been investigated. Weekly topotecan (4.0 mg/m2) is currently investigational and has shown promising activity and favorable tolerability in patients with relapsed ovarian cancer, another aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Preliminary results from a phase II trial of weekly bolus topotecan (4.0 mg/m2) in patients with recurrent SCLC were recently reported, and this regimen was generally well tolerated. Furthermore, weekly topotecan has been successfully included in several combination therapy regimens in patients with a variety of solid tumors. In untreated SCLC patients, a combination regimen of weekly topotecan, paclitaxel (Taxol®; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Princeton, NJ), and cisplatin (Platinol®; Bristol-Myers Squibb) was explored and found to be well tolerated and active in patients with extensive and limited-stage disease. Further clinical trials of weekly topotecan and regimens that include weekly topotecan in the SCLC setting are warranted.
Uptake and depuration of paralytic shellfish toxins in the green-lipped mussel, Perna viridis: A dynamic model
Authors: Li Ashley M.Y. , Yu Peter K.N. , Hsieh Dennis P.H. , Wang Wen-Xiong , Wu Rudolf S.S. , Lam Paul K.S.
Published: December 2004

Uptake and depuration of paralytic shellfish toxins in the green-lipped mussel, Perna viridis, were investigated by exposing the mussels to dinoflagellates (Alexandrium tamarense, ACTI01) under laboratory conditions for 8 d, then depurating them in clean seawater for 14 d. First-order linear differential equations were set up for five tissue compartments: Viscera, gill, hepatopancreas, adductor muscle, and foot. The solutions to these equations were used to fit the experimental data. We then estimated the parameters governing the model, which depend on the elimination rate from each compartment and the transfer coefficient between compartments. An assumption of the model is that the gills transport the dinoflagellates directly to the mouth and then to the viscera, where the ingested cells are broken down, releasing the toxins. The toxins absorbed are transferred to other tissues. During the uptake phase, the transfer coefficients from viscera to gill, hepatopancreas, adductor muscle, and foot were 0.03, 0.24, 0.01, and 0.004 per day, respectively. During the depuration phase, the transfer coefficients were 0.01, 0, 0.01, and 0.003 per day, respectively. In terms of the anatomical distribution of N-sulfocarbamoyl-11-hydroxysulfate (C2) toxins in various tissues, viscera and hepatopancreas contained the highest percentages (47–74% and 8–41%, respectively). Together, these two tissue compartments accounted for 71 to 96% of all C2 toxins present. The biokinetic model allows a quantitative prediction of C2 toxins in whole mussel as well as individual tissue compartments based on the density estimates and toxin load of dinoflagellate cells in the surrounding waters over time.
Responses of molecular indicators of exposure in mesocosms: Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) exposed to the herbicides alachlor and atrazine
Authors: Chang Lina W. , Toth Gregory P. , Gordon Denise A. , Graham David W. , Meier John R. , Knapp Charles W. , deNoyelles F. Jerry , Campbell Scott , Lattier David L.
Published: December 2004

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were treated in aquatic mesocosms with a single pulse of the herbicides atrazine or alachlor to study the bioavailability and biological activity of these herbicides using molecular indicators: Liver vitellogenin gene expression in male fish for estrogenic activity, liver cytochrome P4501A1 gene expression, and DNA damage in blood cells using the single-cell gel electrophoresis method. Both alachlor and atrazine showed dose-related increases in DNA strand breaks at environmentally relevant concentrations (<100 ppb). Gene expression indicators showed that neither herbicide had estrogenic activity in the carp, whereas atrazine at concentrations as low as 7 ppb induced cytochrome P4501A1. These results support the study of molecular indicators for exposure in surrogate ecosystems to gauge relevant environmental changes following herbicide treatments.
Effects of the pyrethroid esfenvalerate on life-cycle traits and population dynamics of Chironomus riparius—importance of exposure scenario
Authors: Forbes Valery E. , Cold Anders
Published: December 2004

Field populations of aquatic organisms, particularly those inhabiting flowing waters, likely are exposed to short pulses of pesticides following periods of spray drift, surface runoff, or drain flow. In the present study, we investigated the effect of pulse exposures of a pyrethroid insecticide, esfenvalerate, on survival, development, and reproduction of the midge, Chironomus riparius. The first experiment was designed to simulate the exposure of settling larvae to a waterborne pulse of esfenvalerate. A second experiment simulated exposure of larvae entering a sediment that had been exposed previously to a waterborne pulse of esfenvalerate. A third experiment simulated exposure of sediment-inhabiting larval populations to a waterborne pulse of esfenvalerate and examined whether population density influenced the response of C. riparius. Our results indicate that even very brief (i.e., 1-h) exposures to environmentally realistic concentrations of esfenvalerate during early larval life can have measurable effects on larval survival and developmental rates. For those individuals that survived a pulse exposure early in life, however, there appeared to be no lasting effects of esfenvalerate on their subsequent egg laying or egg viability. Thus, brief exposure to environmentally realistic concentrations of pesticides can have measurable effects on freshwater invertebrate populations, but whether such effects occur depends on the details of the exposure regime. In addition, population density may influence the responses of life-cycle traits and, thereby, population-level impacts of pesticides.
Effects of ozone exposure on nonspecific phagocytic capacity of pulmonary macrophages from an amphibian, Bufo marinus
Authors: Dohm Michael R. , Mautz William J. , Andrade Joy A. , Gellert Kapuaola S. , Salas-Ferguson Loney J. , Nicolaisen Nicola , Fujie Nicole
Published: December 2004

Pulmonary macrophages are an important component of immune defense against inhaled foreign particles and microorganisms. In humans and other mammals, exposure to moderate amounts of ozone (O3) can inhibit functional capacities of alveolar macrophages. In many wilderness areas downwind of urban centers, ozone levels frequently exceed national standards. We report results of 4-h inhalation exposures to 0.8 parts per million O3 on pulmonary macrophage viability and phagocytosis capacity in marine toads, Bufo marinus. At 1 and 24 h after ozone exposure, macrophages had reduced in vitro capacity to phagocytize fluorescent polystyrene microspheres. By 48 h postexposure, there were no differences in these macrophage functions between ozone- and air-exposed toads. Macrophage yield did not differ among exposure groups nor did exposure to elevated temperatures (30°C) for up to 48 h affect recovery of macrophages. However, compared with the millions of macrophages per milliliter recovered in mammals by similar procedures, pulmonary macrophage yield was typically in the range of 50 to 200 × 103 per milliliter extracted fluid. These results are the first to report effects of an air pollutant on amphibian immune system function and suggest a possible role of oxidant air pollutants in regional declines of amphibian populations.
Quantitation of polychlorinated biphenyls in fish for human cancer risk assessment: A comparative case study
Authors: Connor Kevin T. , Eversen Michelle , Su Steave H. , Finley Brent L.
Published: December 2004

A range of analytical options is available for the quantification of environmental polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The PCBs can be quantified as Aroclor® mixtures, as individual PCB congeners, or as PCB homologues. The methodological choice is driven by many considerations, including cost, but it is important to note that the risk assessment methods recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) have specific and varying requirements for these analytical endpoints. The toxic equivalency approach is recommended for settings where the original Aroclor mixtures have been heavily degraded or weathered. Because this method only addresses the dioxin-like fraction of the PCB mass, the remaining PCB congeners need to be quantified and assessed separately, in a manner that is consistent with current U.S. EPA guidance. In this present analysis, we examined various methods for estimating a total nondioxin-like PCB mass in fish tissue samples from a New Jersey waterway using congener and homologue data: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimate of the PCB total based on 18 congeners — Σdioxin-like congeners, an estimate of the PCB total from 38 analyzed congeners — Σdioxin-like congeners, and the total of nine homologue groups — Σdioxin-like congeners. These three approaches yielded similar estimates of the total nondioxin-like PCBs for a variety offish species, whereas the totals quantified as Aroclor 1248, 1254, or 1260 were typically more than fivefold lower. Based on these results, the selection of the PCB analytical endpoints obtained from field investigations offish and shellfish should be guided by the appropriate risk assessment methodology and by the analytical limitations.
Tracking acidic pharmaceuticals, caffeine, and triclosan through the wastewater treatment process
Authors: Thomas Paul M. , Foster Gregory D.
Published: December 2004

Pharmaceuticals are a class of emerging contaminants whose fate in the wastewater treatment process has received increasing attention in past years. Acidic pharmaceuticals (ibuprofen, naproxen, mefenamic acid, ketoprofen, and diclofenac), caffeine, and the antibacterial triclosan were quantified at four different steps of wastewater treatment from three urban wastewater treatment plants. The compounds were extracted from wastewater samples on Waters Oasis hydrophilic-lipophilic balance solid-phase extraction columns, silylated, and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. For the chemicals studied, it was found that the majority of the influent load was removed during secondary treatment (51–99%), yielding expected surface water concentrations of 13 to 56 ng/L.
Design and Analysis of Optimization Algorithms Using Computational Statistics
Authors: Bartz–Beielstein T. , Parsopoulos K. E. , Vrahatis M. N.
Published: December 2004

We propose a highly flexible sequential methodology for the experimental analysis of optimization algorithms. The proposed technique employs computational statistic methods to investigate the interactions among optimization problems, algorithms, and environments. The workings of the proposed technique are illustrated on the parameterization and comparison of both a population–based and a direct search algorithm, on a well–known benchmark problem, as well as on a simplified model of a real–world problem. Experimental results are reported and conclusions are derived. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Preconditioning the Mortar Method by Substructuring: The High Order Case.
Authors: Bertoluzza S. , Pennacchio M.
Published: December 2004

We analyze a class of preconditioners for the mortar method, based on substructuring. After splitting in a suitable way the degrees of freedom in interior, edge and vertex, we study the performance of a block Jacobi type preconditioner for which the condition number of the preconditioned matrix only grows polylogarithmically. Unlike the previous work by Achdou, Maday and Widlund [1], which is restricted to the case of first order finite element, this paper relies on abstract assumptions and therefore applies to finite element of any order. Moreover, the use of a suitable coarse preconditioner (whose effect we analyze) makes this technique more efficient. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A Local Supervised Learning Algorithm For Multi‐Layer Perceptrons
Authors: Vlachos D. S.
Published: December 2004

The back propagation of error in multi‐layer perceptrons when used for supervised training is a non‐local algorithm in space, that is it needs the knowledge of the network topology. On the other hand, learning rules in biological systems with many hidden units, seem to be local in both space and time. In this work, a local learning algorithm is proposed which makes no distinction between input, hidden and output layers. Simulation results are presented and compared with other well known training algorithms. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Partitioned Linear Multistep Method for Long Term Integration of the N‐Body Problem
Authors: Vlachos D. S. , Simos T. E.
Published: December 2004

In this paper an exponential fitted partitioned linear multistep method is developed for the long term integration of the N‐body problem. The new method integrates exactly any linear combination of the functions 1, x, x2, x3 ,…, x2k–1, exp(±wx) for the coordinates and any linear combination of the functions 1, x, x2, x3,…, x2k–3, exp(±wx) for the velocities. Numerical results are produced and compared with a set of well known symplectic and single step methods. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Moderne Synthesemethoden für fluorierte Verbindungen
Authors: Shimizu Masaki , Hiyama Tamejiro
Published: December 2004

Fluor hat sich zum Schlüsselelement in den Materialwissenschaften entwickelt: Fluorierte Verbindungen dienen unter anderem als Wärmeüberträger, Flüssigkristalle, Farbstoffe, Tenside, Kunststoffe, Elastomere und Membranen. Viele fluorhaltige bioaktive Verbindungen finden Anwendung als Arzneimittel und Agrochemikalien. Der Fortschritt in der präparativen Fluorchemie hat die Entwicklung auf diesen Gebieten entscheidend beeinflusst und zur Entdeckung vieler neuartiger Fluorverbindungen als Wirkstoffe und Materialien der Zukunft geführt. Wegen der elektronischen Effekte von Fluoratomen zeigen fluorierte Substrate oftmals eine ungewöhnliche chemische Reaktivität, die eine Anwendung etablierter Synthesemethoden ausschließt. Daher ist es entscheidend, die ungewöhnlichen Eigenschaften von Fluorverbindungen zu kontrollieren, um das Design von einfachen, effizienten und umweltverträglichen Methoden zur Synthese wertvoller Organofluor‐Zielverbindungen zu fördern.
Effect of swelling process on thermoelastic temperature change of butadiene acrylonitrile rubber filled with polyvinyl chloride
Authors: Ateia E.
Published: December 2004

Thermoelastic measurements dealing with adiabatic heating under application of rapid strain (stress) afford a new approach to evaluate important thermal properties of viscoelastic materials. The effects of both dynamic cyclic extension and swelling on the thermoelastic behavior of the acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) loaded with different concentration of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) have been studied. As the strain amplitude increases, the concentration of the ruptured bonds increases, leading to more enhanced friction between particles and consequently to the observed rise in temperature. This temperature change decreases with increasing PVC concentration up to critical concentration.

Swelling behavior of samples was investigated. It was found that swelling as well as diffusion coefficient has a higher level of solvent uptake in a fresh sample than in a strained sample. This can be attributed to the nature of the NBR and PVC blend. Also, the effect of swelling on the thermoelastic temperature change was studied. A remarkable decrease in the temperature change was shown for swelled samples as opposed to fresh samples. Both degradation and crosslinking may occur simultaneously, as was clearly detected for all samples with different sensitivities. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 95: 916–921, 2005
Structure and composition of the surface layer in polymers modified by elemental fluorine
Authors: Nazarov V. G.
Published: December 2004

A model is proposed for the layered structure of a polymer surface modified by elemental fluorine mixed with helium. The composition of the modified surface layer has been determined, and the thermodynamic compatibility of the surface layer, transition layer, and unmodified bulk of the polymer has been studied. The thickness of the modified layers has been calculated as a function of the fluorination conditions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 95: 897–902, 2005
Removal of cesium‐134 and cobalt‐60 with radiation‐grafted copolymers from their liquid wastes
Authors: Hegazy El‐Sayed A. , Kamal H. , Geleel M. Abdel , Maksoud A. Abdel
Published: December 2004

The introduction of new characteristics to some synthetic polymers was achieved through the γ‐radiation‐induced graft copolymerization of an acrylamide/vinyl acetate comonomer onto polypropylene films for the preparation of synthetic membranes. The influence of the reaction conditions on the grafting yield, such as the solvent and its composition and the inhibitor and its concentration, was investigated. An alkaline treatment was carried out for the prepared graft copolymer to improve its ion‐exchange property. The grafted and treated membranes were characterized to determine the structural changes with X‐ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The mechanical properties, swelling behavior, and electrical conductivity for the graft copolymer were studied. Improvements in the tensile strength, electrical conductivity, and hydrophilicity with grafting were observed. The KOH‐treated membranes possessed greater hydrophilic properties than the untreated ones. The possibility of practical uses for these membranes in the removal of cesium‐134 and cobalt‐60 from their liquid wastes was also investigated. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 95: 936–945, 2005
The anticipated and assessed contribution of information types in references retrieved for preparing a research proposal
Authors: Serola Sami , Vakkari Pertti
Published: December 2004

This small‐scale empirical study focuses on students' anticipated and assessed contribution of references retrieved during the preparation of research proposals. It explores how the expected contribution of types of information before searches differs from the assessed contribution of relevant references found by the types of information. Twenty‐two psychology undergraduates searched the PsychINFO database for references at the initial and end stages of a seminar for preparing proposals. Data about their subject knowledge, search goals, and utility assessments were collected using several methods. They were asked to predict and assess the utility of information types provided by relevant references for the proposals. At the beginning of the process, they found fewer general types of information and more specific types of information than they expected. However, the students tended to accept references according to their expectations. By the end of the process, the expected importance of general information types declined and the importance of specific information types increased. At the end of the task, students became more proficient at recognizing the utility and topicality of references. They also became more critical in accepting found information to match their expectations.