bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of High Pressure Processing on the Extraction of Lycopene in Tomato Paste Waste
Authors: Xi J.
Published: May 2006

The effect of high pressure processing on the extraction of lycopene in tomato paste waste was studied. The experimental results show that high pressure processing did not destroy the molecular structure of lycopene. The extraction yield of lycopene obtained by high pressure processing for 1 min was higher than that obtained with solvent extraction for 30 min. These excellent results for the extraction by high pressure processing are promising for the future extraction of lycopene from tomato paste waste.
An Extended Model for Determining the Separation Performance of a Cyclone
Authors: Qian F. P. , Zhang M. Y.
Published: May 2006

Most models on the working of cyclones are based on cylinders and cones whereby the vertical tube and dustbin should also be included in their geometries. These separation models of conventional cylinder‐on‐cone cyclones do not consider the effect of the dust collection system on the flow field. In actual fact, the inclusion of the dust collection system had a considerable effect on the flow pattern in the gas cyclone as well as on the separation efficiency. In this paper, an extended model is presented, which is based on the time‐of‐flight approach. In this model, the gas residence time is modified so that the entire cyclone geometry is used. The lift force of a particle in the boundary layer is considered because of the larger velocity gradient here. The availability of the extended model is verified by comparison of the calculated grade efficiency with experimental data and theoretical counterparts in the literature.
Comparative Testing of Powder Caking
Authors: Weigl B. , Pengiran Y. , Feise H. J. , Röck M. , Janssen R.
Published: May 2006

In a collaborative research project called “Consumer Oriented Solids Transport Technology” (COSTT), a uniaxial caking tester was developed to measure the caking propensity of bulk solids under controlled environmental conditions. To validate the results gained from this tester, a series of round robin tests were run, using an organic acid of known humidity dependence as test material. These tests showed that even seemingly minor deviations in the test procedure can cause significant deviations in the measured uniaxial strength. This paper gives an indication of the level of details required to run a reliable caking test and the obtainable reproducibility.
Visual Artificial Tongue for Quantitative Metal‐Cation Analysis by an Off‐the‐Shelf Dye Array
Authors: Lee Jae Wook , Lee Jun‐Seok , Kang Mira , Su Andrew I. , Chang Young‐Tae
Published: May 2006

A chemical‐probe array composed of 47 off‐the‐shelf dyes was prepared in solution format (New York Tongue 1: NYT‐1) and was tested in the identification and quantitation of 47 cation analytes, including 44 metal ions, in addition to H+, NH4+, and tetrabutylammonium (TBA). The cation solutions were tested in a series of concentrations and the fold‐change in effective absorbance was analyzed by principal‐component analysis (PCA), hierarchical‐cluster analysis (HCA), and nearest‐neighbor decision to determine both identity and quantity of the analytes. Apart from alkali‐metal ions (Na+, K+, Li+, Cs+, and Rb+), which behave very similarly to each other due mainly to their low response, most of the cations were clearly distinguishable at 10 mM concentration. The practical detection limit of each analyte was also determined by a sequential dilution and the nearest‐neighbor decision method. In the finalized working analyte concentration range (approximately 10 mM down to 0.33 μM), by considering alkali metals as one analyte group, most of the analytes were correctly identified (99.4 %). Furthermore, the success rate at which the concentration of each analyte was correctly determined was also high (96.8 %).
Adult weight gain and histopathologic characteristics of breast cancer among postmenopausal women
Authors: Feigelson Heather Spencer , Patel Alpa V. , Teras Lauren R. , Gansler Ted , Thun Michael J. , Calle Eugenia E.
Published: May 2006

BACKGROUND

Although the link between postmenopausal breast cancer and adiposity is well established, the association between weight gain and specific histopathologic characteristics of breast carcinoma has not been studied carefully.

METHODS

Using 1200 incident invasive breast cancers among 44,161 postmenopausal women who were not taking hormone therapy in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort, the authors computed age‐adjusted rates and rate ratios (RR) for breast cancer by histology, stage, grade, and estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status by categories of adult weight gain.

RESULTS

Age‐adjusted rates of breast cancer were highest for women who reported the most weight gain, regardless of histologic type. For weight gain >60 pounds, compared with weight gain ≤20 pounds the RR for ductal carcinoma was 1.89 (95% confidence interval [95%CI], 1.53‐2.34), and the RR for lobular carcinoma was 1.54 (95%CI. 1.01‐2.33). Weight gain was associated with increased risk at every tumor stage and grade. The risk for regional or distant stage was elevated significantly in every category of weight gain and was 3 times higher among women who had the greatest weight gain (RR, 3.15; 95%CI, 2.21‐4.48). Weight gain was associated with increased risk of ER‐positive/PR‐positive tumors (P for trend <.0001) but not ER‐negative/PR‐negative tumors (P for trend = .09). The results essentially remained unchanged when the analysis was restricted to women who had regular screening mammograms.

CONCLUSIONS

Excess adiposity is an important contributor to breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women, regardless of histologic type, and especially for tumors of advanced stage and high grade. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Adult survivors of childhood cancer and unemployment
Authors: de Boer Anna G.E.M. , Verbeek Jozef H.A.M. , van Dijk Franciscus J.H.
Published: May 2006

A range of late effects is associated with the survival of childhood cancer, including problems with employment. The purpose of this metaanalysis was to assess the risk of unemployment of adult survivors of childhood cancer compared with healthy controls and to explore prognostic factors. A literature search of studies published between 1966 and January 2006 was conducted using the databases of MedLine, CINAHL, EMBASE, ClinPSYCH, PsycINFO, and OSHROM. The authors synthesized data using a random effects model. A total of 34 articles was found, in which 40 original empirical studies were reported, 24 of which were controlled studies. Survivors of childhood cancer were nearly twice as likely to be unemployed than healthy controls (odds ratio [OR] 1.85, 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.27‐2.69). Survivors of central nervous system (CNS) and brain tumors were nearly 5 times more likely to be unemployed (OR 4.74, 95% CI, 1.21‐18.65), whereas the risks for survivors of blood or bone cancers were elevated but not found to be statistically significant (OR 1.42, 95% CI, 0.79‐2.55; OR 1.97, 95% CI, 0.88‐4.40, respectively). No increased risk was found for survivors of other or mixed diagnoses (OR 0.97, 95% CI, 0.27‐3.53). Furthermore, survivors in the U.S. had an overall 3‐fold risk (OR 3.24, 95% CI, 2.16‐4.86) of becoming unemployed, whereas no such risk was found for European survivors (OR 1.00, 95% CI, 0.58‐1.70). Apart from type of diagnosis and country, predictors of unemployment were younger age, lower education or intelligence quotient, female gender, motor impairment or epilepsy, and radiotherapy. Adult survivors of childhood cancer are at risk of unemployment, especially the subgroup of survivors of CNS and brain tumors. Interventions to enhance participation in work life should be developed and evaluated. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Xenopus fibrillin is expressed in the organizer and is the earliest component of matrix at the developing Notochord‐Somite boundary
Authors: Meloty‐Skoglund P. , Dzamba B. , Coffman C.R. , Harris W.A. , Keller R.
Published: May 2006

Xenopus fibrillin expression at neurula stage in notochord, somites and the developing eye fields. See Meloty‐Skoglund et al., Developmental Dynamics 235:1974–1983. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fundamental study on rationalization of maintenance procedure based on reliability analysis
Authors: Kameda Hideyuki , Yamashita Koji
Published: May 2006

We have developed the Reliability Analysis System for Protective Relays (RASPR), which is composed of a database for protective relay equipment and its failures, and reliability analysis part. The data for relay systems and their failures have been collected since fiscal 1997. Copyright © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In this paper, the following suggestions were made from the analysis of the reliability for protective relays: (1) Omission of interruption of automatic checking at fault does not exert an influence on the reliability such as the availability. (2) Improvement of the availability was cleared from the analysis of effect of shortening of the testing time required. (3) The extension of the periodic testing period could be possible if 70% of failures discovered in a periodic testing were detected by continuous monitoring. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 156(2): 25–31, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20161
Control using joint torque sensor of robot arm with two‐inertia resonance: Comparison with control using state‐estimation observer
Authors: Takesue Naoyuki , Furusho Junji , Fujinaga Koji
Published: May 2006

Most industrial robots are driven through reduction gears such as Harmonic Drives and RV gears. Due to the flexibility of the drive system, vibratory behavior occurs during operation. When flexibility is considered, the drive system of the robot joint can be modeled as a resonant mechanical system called a two‐inertia system. Conventionally, studies of two‐inertia system have discussed semiclosed‐loop control using only motor information and a state observer. On the other hand, joint torque sensing of robots has been studied in the harmonic drives that are widely used in robot joints. The joint torque sensor is becoming available with higher performance. In this paper, we consider the control of a robot arm having two‐inertia resonance by using the joint torque sensor. The performance of the torque sensor and that of the observer are compared. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 156(2): 75–84, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20226
Multiagent analysis for effect of cogeneration spread in an electricity market
Authors: Kawamura Hidenori , Kurumatani Koichi , Ohuchi Azuma
Published: May 2006

In this paper, in order to investigate the effect of scenarios in which cogeneration spreads in an electricity market we constructed a multi‐agent model of an electricity trading market with power distribution and power generation agents. In this model, we analyzed the effect of reducing power generation surplus facilities on market price formation and stability through computer experiments. As a result of the experimental simulations, the market price was decreased by the increase of sell bids according to the demand reduction by the spread of cogeneration, and by the increase of commercial use of cogeneration facilities, the market price was more economical and stable because such agents supplied more electricity generated by surplus cogeneration. However, if power generation agents reduced the number of power generating facilities when the number of power distribution agents' cogeneration facilities was not significant, the fluctuation of market price grew larger. We confirmed that the spread of cogeneration played an important role in stabilizing market price formation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 156(2): 61–74, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20353
Electrostatically induced voltage generated in a metal box when a charged body moves: Relation between the ratio of conducting parts in the box and the induced voltage
Authors: Ichikawa Norimitsu
Published: May 2006

Movement of electrostatically charged objects, such as a human body or a tool wagon, near electronic equipment placed in a partly opened metal box (grounded) can lead to the appearance of voltage induced in conductive parts of the equipment. The induced voltage can cause malfunctions and even breakdowns of the equipment. In this study, one measures the induced voltage between two metal sheets having different areas placed in the metal box. Measurement of the induced voltage is carried out using a sphere gap and an electromagnetic wave sensor in the metal box. Experimental results indicate that the induced voltage between two metal sheets increases up to 1.6 times when the area of metal sheets placed in the metal box increases 10 times (from 10 cm2 to 100 cm2). However, the induced voltage depends only slightly on the area of the grounded metal sheet placed in the metal box. Results obtained in this study can be used as basic concepts applied to the designing of printed circuit boards for the purpose of reducing the susceptibility of electronic equipment located in metal boxes to malfunctions and failures caused by electrostatically induced voltage. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 156(2): 52–60, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20366
Photochromism of 1,2‐Bis(2‐alkyl‐1‐benzofuran‐3‐yl)perfluorocyclopentene Derivatives
Authors: Yamaguchi Tadatsugu , Irie Masahiro
Published: May 2006

1,2‐Bis(2‐n‐alkyl‐1‐benzofuran‐3‐yl)perfluorocyclopentenederivatives have been synthesized and their photochromic performance has been studied in solution as well as in the single‐crystalline phase. All derivatives undergo photochromism in hexane solution. The introduction of long alkyl chains at the 2‐positions of the benzofuran rings of the bis(1‐benzofuran‐3‐yl)ethenes enhances the cyclization quantum yield. This is attributed to the increase in the population of the antiparallel conformers. The derivatives with methyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, and hexyl substituents exhibit photochromism even in the single‐crystalline phase. An X‐ray crystallographic analysis reveals that the ethyl‐substituted derivative is packed in a parallel conformation, while the other derivatives are in an antiparallel conformation. This conformational difference controls the reactivity in the crystalline phase. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
Syntheses and Reactions of New Optically Active Terpene Dialkyl Diselenides
Authors: Ścianowski Jacek , Rafiński Zbigniew , Wojtczak Andrzej
Published: May 2006

The reaction of sodium diselenide with optically active alkyl tosylates or chlorides is found to be a useful method for the synthesis of optically active dialkyl diselenides. Optically active monoterpene diselenides derived from menthane, carane, pinane, and bornane systems have been obtained. The influence of the terpene fragment of the obtained diselenides on the diastereomeric excess of the methoxyselenylation products has been investigated. The best result for methoxyselenylation was observed for (–)‐diisopinocamphyl diselenide. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
Influence of the Oil on the Properties of Microemulsions as Reaction Media
Authors: García‐Río Luis , Godoy Ana , Rodríguez‐Dafonte Pedro
Published: May 2006

The influence of the nature of the continuous medium on various properties of a wide range of water‐in‐oil (w/o) microemulsions was examined. 1H NMR spectroscopy allowed to determine the properties of water in the studied systems and the way they are affected by the solvent to be elucidated. Changes in interfacial polarity were examined from the 13C NMR signals of the surfactant molecule sodium bis(2‐ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT). Chemical shifts were found to vary with the water content of the microemulsion. The variation of the carbon chemical shift as a function of the water‐to‐surfactant concentration ratio (W) was used as an indirect measure of polarity changes at the microemulsion interface. The kinetic effects of the microemulsion composition on the solvolysis of anisoyl chloride were studied, and the reagent was found to react with water at the microemulsion interface alone. Based on both kinetic and NMR results, the solvolysis rate constants of anisoyl chloride decrease with increasing penetration of the oil into the interface. Also, the resonance signals for the water H atoms were found to change in parallel with the solvolysis rate constant for anisoyl chloride. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
New Solutions to the C‐12,13 Stereoproblem of Epothilones B and D; Synthesis of a 12,13‐Diol‐Acetonide Epothilone B Analog
Authors: Gaich Tanja , Karig Gunter , Martin Harry J. , Mulzer Johann
Published: May 2006

New approaches are described to the synthesis of epothilone B and a 12,13‐diol‐acetonide derivative. Specifically the (12Z) double bond is formed quantitatively by a silicon‐tethered ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) reaction with 85 % selectivity. Alternatively, a direct route to the 12,13‐epoxide by cyclization of a 12,13‐diol has been developed. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
Thiyl Radical Mediated Racemization of Benzylic Amines
Authors: Escoubet Stéphanie , Gastaldi Stéphane , Vanthuyne Nicolas , Gil Gérard , Siri Didier , Bertrand Michèle P.
Published: May 2006

Thiyl radical mediated reversible H abstraction from the stereogenic center α to the nitrogen atom is a mild method to racemize benzylic amines. Owing to the sensitivity of atom‐transfer reactions to enthalpic effects, a knowledge of both the S–H and the α‐C–H bond dissociation energies is fundamental to select the thiol that is appropriate to abstract the hydrogen atom from a given amine. In the absence of experimental data, theoretical calculations supply a useful predictive tool. The experiments described here are helpful in delineating the optimal conditions that have to be fulfilled for the racemization to proceed in a reasonable time in the presence of either a stoichiometric or a catalytic amount of thiol. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
Rigid Bisphenanthrolines: Synthesis, Structure and Self‐Assembly at a Solid–Liquid Interface
Authors: Schmittel Michael , Kalsani Venkateshwarlu , Jäckel Frank , Rabe Jürgen P. , Bats Jan W. , Fenske Dieter
Published: May 2006

Several rigid linear bisphenanthrolines with and without bulky groups at the bisimine sites were synthesized. For three representatives, the solid‐state structures were elucidated. Their potential for self‐assembled monolayers was explored by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at the solid–liquid interface, and the resulting architectures were found to be promising candidates for templating metal‐ion nanopatterns. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
New Metal‐Catalyzed Synthesis of Quinoline and Chromene Skeletons
Authors: Deagostino Annamaria , Farina Vittorio , Prandi Cristina , Zavattaro Chiara , Venturello Paolo
Published: May 2006

Alkoxy‐functionalized butadienylboronic esters have been synthesized starting from α,β‐unsaturated acetals and cross‐coupled with both N‐protected and N‐unprotected 2‐bromo‐ and 2‐iodoaniline, and with 2‐iodophenol. In particular, N‐tosyl‐protected dienylanilines can be transformed under mild conditions into quinolines and quinolinones, in the presence of a PdII catalyst. Moreover, the cross‐coupling reaction between butadienylboronic esters and iodophenol directly affords chromenes that can be successively transformed into chromenones. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)
Interlaboratory study of a NACE method for the determination of R‐timolol content in S‐timolol maleate: Assessment of uncertainty
Authors: Marini Roland Djang'eing'a , Groom Carl , Doucet François R. , Hawari Jalal , Bitar Yaser , Holzgrabe Ulrike , Gotti Roberto , Schappler Julie , Rudaz Serge , Veuthey Jean‐Luc , Mol Roelof , Somsen Govert W. , de Jong Gerhardus J. , Ha Pham Thi Thanh , Zhang Jie , Van Schepdael Ann , Hoogmartens Jos , Briône Willy , Ceccato Attilio , Boulanger Bruno , Mangelings Debby , Vander Heyden Yvan , Van Ael Willy , Jimidar Ilias , Pedrini Matteo , Servais Anne‐Catherine , Fillet Marianne , Crommen Jacques , Rozet Eric , Hubert Philippe
Published: May 2006

Analyses of statistical variance were applied to evaluate the precision and practicality of a CD‐based NACE assay for R‐timolol after enantiomeric separation of R‐ and S‐timolol. Data were collected in an interlaboratory study by 11 participating laboratories located in Europe and North America. General qualitative method performance was examined using suitability descriptors (i.e. resolution, selectivity, migration times and S/N), while precision was determined by quantification of variances in the determination of R‐timolol at four different impurity levels in S‐timolol maleate samples. The interlaboratory trials were designed in accordance with the ISO guideline 5725‐2. This allowed estimating for each sample, the different variances, i.e. between‐laboratory (s2Laboratories), between‐day (s2Days) and between‐replicate (s2Replicates). The variances of repeatability (s2r) and reproducibility (s2R) were then calculated. The estimated uncertainty, derived from the precision estimates, seems to be concentration‐dependent above a given threshold. This example of R‐timolol illustrates how a laboratory can evaluate uncertainty in general.
Capillary electrophoresis for the analysis of glycoprotein pharmaceuticals
Authors: Kamoda Satoru , Kakehi Kazuaki
Published: May 2006

Carbohydrate chains in glycoprotein pharmaceuticals play important roles for the expression of their biological activities, but the structure and compositions of carbohydrate chains are dependent on the conditions for their production. Therefore, evaluation of the carbohydrate chains is quite important for productive process development, characterization of product for approval application, and routine quality control. The oligosaccharides themselves have complex structure including blanching and various glycosidic linkages, and oligosaccharides in one glycoprotein pharmaceutical generally have high heterogeneity, and characterization of oligosaccharide moiety in glycoprotein has been a challenging target. In these situations, CE has been realized as a powerful tool for oligosaccharide analysis due to its high resolution and automatic operating system. This review focuses on the application of CE to the glycoform analysis of glycoproteins and profiling of the N‐linked glycans released from glycoprotein pharmaceuticals. Current applications for structure analysis using CE‐MSn technique and glycan profiling method for therapeutic antibody are also described.
Capillary electrophoresis contributions to the hydromorphone metabolism in man
Authors: Baldacci Andrea , Thormann Wolfgang
Published: May 2006

CE‐ESI multistage IT‐MS (CE‐MSn, n ≤ 4) and computer simulation of fragmentation are demonstrated to be effective tools to detect and identify phase I and phase II metabolites of hydromorphone (HMOR) in human urine. Using the same CE conditions as previously developed for the analysis of urinary oxycodone and its metabolites, HMOR and its phase I metabolites produced by N‐demethylation, 6‐keto‐reduction and N‐oxidation and phase II conjugates of HMOR and its metabolites formed with glucuronic acid, glucose, and sulfuric acid could be detected in urine samples of a patient that were collected during a pharmacotherapy episode with daily ingestion of 48 mg of HMOR chloride. The CE‐MSn data obtained with the HMOR standard, synthesized hydromorphol and hydromorphone‐N‐oxide, and CYP3A4 in vitro produced norhydromorphone were employed to identify the metabolites. This approach led to the identification of previously unknown HMOR metabolites, including HMOR‐3O‐glucide and various N‐oxides, structures for which no standard compounds or mass spectra library data were available. Furthermore, the separation of α‐ and β‐hydromorphol, the stereoisomers of 6‐keto‐reduced HMOR, was achieved by CE in the presence of the single isomer heptakis(2,3‐diacetyl‐6‐sulfato)‐β‐CD. The obtained data indicate that the urinary excretion of α‐hydromorphol is larger than that of β‐hydromorphol.
Temperature effects on the mass flow rate in the SBI and similar heat‐release rate test equipment
Authors: Sette Bart J. G. , Theuns Erwin , Merci Bart , Vandevelde Paul
Published: May 2006

In various medium‐to‐large‐scale fire test equipments like the ISO room corner test (RC), and more recently, the single burning item test (SBI) the mass flow rate measurement of the combustion gases plays a key role in the determination of the heat‐release rate and smoke‐production rate.

With the knowledge of the velocity profile and the temperature of the flow, the mass flow rate is obtained by measuring the velocity on the axis of the duct. This is done by means of a bi‐directional probe based on the pitot principle.

However, due to the variation of the mean temperature and the temperature gradient in any cross section of the duct, introduced by ever changing combustion gas temperatures, the velocity nor the density profile are constant in time. This paper examines the resulting uncertainty on the mass flow rate. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrogen sulphide regulates calcium homeostasis in microglial cells
Authors: Lee Shiau Wei , Hu Ye‐Shi , Hu Li‐Fang , Lu Qing , Dawe Gavin S. , Moore Philip K. , Wong Peter T.‐H. , Bian Jin‐Song
Published: May 2006

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S), which is produced endogenously from L‐cysteine in mammalian tissues, has been suggested to function as a neuromodulator in the brain. However, the role of H2S in microglial cells is unclear. In this study, the effect of exogenous and endogenous H2S on intracellular calcium homeostasis was investigated in primary cultured microglial cells. Sodium hydrosulphide (NaHS), a H2S donor, caused a concentration‐dependent (0.1–0.5 mM) increase in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i). This effect was significantly attenuated in the presence of a calcium‐free extracellular solution, Gd3+ (100 μM), a nonselective Ca2+ channel blocker, or thapsigargin (2 μM), an inhibitor of the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+‐ATPase. These observations suggest that the increase in [Ca2+]i in response to H2S involves both calcium influx across the plasma membrane and calcium release from intracellular stores. The H2S‐induced calcium elevation is partly attenuated by H‐89, a selective cAMP‐dependent protein kinase (PKA) inhibitor, but not by U73122, a phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor, and chelerythrine, a selective protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, suggesting the involvement of cAMP/PKA, but not PLC/PKC/phosphoinositol‐3,4,5‐inositol (IP3) pathway. Using RT‐PCR, only cystathionine γ‐lyase (CSE), a H2S producing enzyme, was detected in primary cultures of microglia. Lowering endogenous H2S level with, D,L‐propargylglycine and β‐cyano‐L‐alanine, two CSE inhibitors, significantly decreased [Ca2+]i, suggesting that endogenous H2S may have a positive tonic influence on [Ca2+]i homeostasis. These findings support the possibility that H2S may serve as a neuromodulator to facilitate signaling between neurons and microglial cells. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tolbutamide reduces glioma cell proliferation by increasing connexin43, which promotes the up‐regulation of p21 and p27 and subsequent changes in retinoblastoma phosphorylation
Authors: Sánchez‐Alvarez Rosa , Paíno Teresa , Herrero‐González Sandra , Medina José M. , Tabernero Arantxa
Published: May 2006

Our previous work has shown that tolbutamide increases gap junctional permeability in poorly coupled C6 glioma cells and that this effect is similar and additive to that found with dbcAMP, a well‐known activator of gap junctional communication. Furthermore, the increase in gap junctional communication promoted by tolbutamide or dbcAMP is concurrent with the inhibition of proliferation of C6 glioma cells. In the present work, we show that tolbutamide and dbcAMP increase the synthesis of the tumor suppressor protein Cx43 and that they decrease the level of Ki‐67, a protein expressed when cells are proliferating. These effects were accompanied by a reduction in the phosphorylation of pRb, mainly on Ser‐795, a residue critical for the control of cell proliferation. The decrease in the phosphorylation of pRb is not likely to be mediated by a reduction in the levels of D‐type cyclins, since instead of decreasing the expression of cyclins, D1 and D3 increased slightly after treatment with tolbutamide or dbcAMP. However, the Cdk inhibitors p21 and p27 were up‐regulated after treatment with tolbutamide and dbcAMP, suggesting that they would be involved in the decrease in pRb phosphorylation. When Cx43 was silenced by siRNA, neither tolbutamide nor dbcAMP were able to up‐regulate p21 and consequently to reduce glioma cell proliferation, as judged by Ki‐67 expression. In conclusion, tolbutamide and dbcAMP inhibit C6‐glioma cell proliferation by increasing Cx43, which correlates with a reduction in pRb phosphorylation due to the up‐regulation of the Cdk inhibitors p21 and p27. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Analysis of intersubject variability in activation: An application to the incidental episodic retrieval during recognition test
Authors: Sugiura Motoaki , Friston Karl J. , Willmes Klaus , Shah Nadim J. , Zilles Karl , Fink Gereon R.
Published: May 2006

Since the brain may engage different neuronal systems for a single behavioral goal, activation may show intersubject variability expressed in the systematic recruitment of multiple distinct networks. We apply a principal component analysis (PCA) to activation over task conditions and subjects to reveal cortical networks that may underlie this intersubject variability. Normal subjects were presented with novel meaningless objects, which appeared in personally familiar or unfamiliar places. During a subsequent, event‐related functional MRI (fMRI) experiment, each subject was presented with learned or novel objects in isolation and performed a learned/novel judgment. Recollection of places was not essential for the task, and may exhibit large intersubject variations. The right posterodorsal posterior cingulate cortex (pPCC) and left retrosplenial cortex, whose involvement in place‐recognition has been previously established, were selected as regions of interest for the PCA. Neural responses to objects associated with familiar relative to unfamiliar places in pPCC, but not in the retrosplenial cortex, were negatively correlated with task‐related activation (common over all objects) in the right anterolateral prefrontal cortex and the left intraparietal sulcus. The latter areas have been implicated previously in cognitive control and object recognition, respectively. These results suggest right prefrontal control over neural processes both in the left parietal cortex, related to object‐recognition (enhancement), and pPCC, related to nonessential recollection of place‐memory (suppression), but not in the retrosplenial cortex, related to the sense of familiarity. This analysis revealed an important aspect of functional anatomy that was not detectable using a conventional analysis of average activations. Hum. Brain Mapp, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Volitional control of attention and brain activation in dual task performance
Authors: Newman Sharlene D. , Keller Timothy A. , Just Marcel Adam
Published: May 2006

This study used functional MRI (fMRI) to examine the neural effects of willfully allocating one's attention to one of two ongoing tasks. In a dual task paradigm, participants were instructed to focus either on auditory sentence comprehension, mental rotation, or both. One of the major findings is that the distribution of brain activation was amenable to strategic control, such that the amount of activation per task was systematically related to the attention‐dividing instructions. The activation in language processing regions was lower when attending to mental rotation than when attending to the sentences, and the activation in visuospatial processing regions was lower when attending to sentences than when attending to mental rotations. Additionally, the activation was found to be underadditive, with the dual‐task condition eliciting less activation than the sum of the attend sentence and attend rotation conditions. We also observed a laterality shift across conditions within language‐processing regions, with the attend sentence condition showing bilateral activation, while the dual task condition showed a left hemispheric dominance. This shift suggests multiple language‐processing modes and may explain the underadditivity in activation observed in the current and previous studies. Hum. Brain Mapp, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Unified structural equation modeling approach for the analysis of multisubject, multivariate functional MRI data
Authors: Kim Jieun , Zhu Wei , Chang Linda , Bentler Peter M. , Ernst Thomas
Published: May 2006

The ultimate goal of brain connectivity studies is to propose, test, modify, and compare certain directional brain pathways. Path analysis or structural equation modeling (SEM) is an ideal statistical method for such studies. In this work, we propose a two‐stage unified SEM plus GLM (General Linear Model) approach for the analysis of multisubject, multivariate functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time series data with subject‐level covariates. In Stage 1, we analyze the fMRI multivariate time series for each subject individually via a unified SEM model by combining longitudinal pathways represented by a multivariate autoregressive (MAR) model, and contemporaneous pathways represented by a conventional SEM. In Stage 2, the resulting subject‐level path coefficients are merged with subject‐level covariates such as gender, age, IQ, etc., to examine the impact of these covariates on effective connectivity via a GLM. Our approach is exemplified via the analysis of an fMRI visual attention experiment. Furthermore, the significant path network from the unified SEM analysis is compared to that from a conventional SEM analysis without incorporating the longitudinal information as well as that from a Dynamic Causal Modeling (DCM) approach. Hum. Brain Mapp, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sustainable groundwater management in Kinmen Island
Authors: Liu Chen‐Wuing , Lin Chun‐Nan , Jang Cheng‐Shin , Chen Chan‐Po , Chang Jen‐Fu , Fan Chen‐Chun , Lou Kuo‐Hiang
Published: May 2006

Kinmen county is located in the southwest of Fujen province, China. It comprises Kinmen, Leiyu and other small islands. Its total area is around 150 km2. Kinmen is the largest island, and 95% of the population resides there. The average annual precipitation is 1072 mm. Rainfall is concentrated in a 5 month period from mid‐April to mid‐September. Water resources are limited relative to demand. Eastern Kinmen utilizes surface water, whereas western Kinmen uses groundwater. Moreover, the Kinmen sorghum liquor is brewed using the native groundwater in the west of the island. MODFLOW‐96 was used to simulate the groundwater distribution and determine the annual amount of infiltration, pumping, and boundary inflow and outflow. Additionally, a groundwater management index was adopted to evaluate the status of groundwater level change, thus allowing local government officials to adjust the pumping scheme dynamically. To achieve a sustainable groundwater supply in Kinmen, an integrated groundwater extraction plan was proposed. This plan includes enhancing the infiltration by using treated wastewater from the east of the island, monitoring the groundwater level change, adjusting the groundwater pumping scheme, and constructing seawater desalination plants. If the hostile confrontation between Taiwan and mainland China is resolved, then the water supply through an undersea pipeline from Sharmen, China, to Kinmen can be another potential source of water for Kinmen in the future. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluating fine sediment mobilization and storage in a gravel‐bed river using controlled reservoir releases
Authors: Petticrew E. L. , Krein A. , Walling D. E.
Published: May 2006

Two controlled flow events were generated by releasing water from a reservoir into the Olewiger Bach, located near Trier, Germany. This controlled release of near bank‐full flows allowed an investigation of the fine sediment (<63 µm) mobilized from channel storage. Both a winter (November) and a summer (June) release event were generated, each having very different antecedent flow conditions. The characteristics of the release hydrographs and the associated sediment transport indicated a reverse hysteresis with more mass, but smaller grain sizes, moving on the falling limb. Fine sediment stored to a depth of 10 cm in the gravels decreased following the release events, indicating the dynamic nature and importance of channel‐stored sediments as source materials during high flow events. Sediment traps, filled with clean natural gravel, were buried in riffles before the release of the reservoir water and the total mass of fine sediment collected by the traps was measured following the events. Twice the mass of fine sediment was retained by the gravel traps compared with the natural gravels, which may be due to their altered porosity. Although the amount of fine sediment collected by the traps was not significantly related to measures of gravel structure, it was found to be significantly correlated to measures of local flow velocity and Froude number. A portion of the traps were fitted with lids to restrict surface exchange of water and sediment. These collected the highest amounts of event‐mobilized sediments, indicating that inter‐gravel lateral flows, not just surface infiltration of sediments, are important in replenishing and redistributing the channel‐stored fines. These findings regarding the magnitude and direction of fine sediment movement in gravel beds are significant in both a geomorphic and a biological context. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integrating laccase–mediator treatment into an industrial‐type sequence for totally chlorine‐free bleaching of eucalypt kraft pulp
Authors: Ibarra David , Camarero Susana , Romero Javier , Martínez María Jesús , Martínez Angel T
Published: May 2006

Enzymatic delignification using the high‐redox potential thermostable laccase from the fungus Pycnoporus cinnabarinus and a chemical mediator (1‐hydroxybenzotriazole) was investigated to improve totally chlorine‐free (TCF) bleaching of Eucalyptus globulus kraft pulps. Different points of incorporation of the enzyme treatment into an industrial‐type bleaching sequence (consisting of double oxygen, chelation and peroxide stages) were investigated in pressurized laboratory reactors. The best final pulp properties were obtained using an OOLQPoP sequence, where a laccase–mediator stage (L) was incorporated between double oxygen and chelation. The worse results, when the enzymatic and chelation treatments were combined in a unique stage, seemed related to partial inhibition of laccase‐mediator activity by the chelator. The new TCF sequence including the laccase stage permitted to improve eucalypt pulp delignification to values around kappa 5 (hexenuronic acid contribution over 50%) compared to kappa 7 using only TCF chemical reagents. In a similar way, the final brightness obtained, over 91% ISO, was 3–4 points higher than that obtained in the chemical sequences. Although technical and economic issues are to be solved, the results obtained show the feasibility of integrating a laccase–mediator treatment into a TCF sequence for bleaching eucalypt kraft pulp. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Strategies for enhanced malolactic fermentation in wine and cider maturation
Authors: Zhang Daosheng , Lovitt Robert W
Published: May 2006

Malolactic fermentation (the conversion of malate to lactate) has been recognised as a desired process in wine and cider making and is being progressively developed. It not only concerns the conversion of malate but also involves flavour‐related biotransformations catalysed by malolactic fermentation bacteria. This review considers strategies to improve the reliability and performance of malolactic fermentation and documents the development of cell propagation systems and maturation processes, especially in relation to the physiology and biochemistry of malolactic fermentation bacteria. This includes the use of starter cultures and high cell concentrations for propagation and biotransformation, the types of bioreactors and their operational modes, especially those associated with the process of malolactic fermentation. Oenococcus oeni, the predominant organism associated with malolactic fermentation, is an acidophilic bacterium and is able to grow in wine at pH 3.5 or lower in the presence of ethanol and sulphite. As malolactic fermentation takes place in a highly alcoholic (up to 13% v/v) and highly acidic (pH 3.5 or lower) environment, slow growth and poor yields are frequently encountered when starter cultures are used. As a result, it requires several weeks or even months in such conditions to achieve full maturation. The malolactic fermentation process is also affected by temperature, malate concentration, nutrient composition and cell concentration. With an improved understanding of malolactic fermentation and the use of high cell concentrations, appropriate bioreactor designs and various operational modes, process innovation involving the separation of cell propagation from the maturation process now looks feasible. The review assesses the performance of malolactic fermentation systems and the relative benefits of high‐cell‐concentration biotransformation systems (free cells, immobilised cells or membrane bioreactor) to achieve malolactic fermentation with high productivity. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Mouse oocyte differentiation during antral follicle development
Authors: Cecconi Sandra , Rossi Gianna , Palmerini Maria Grazia
Published: May 2006

During antral follicle development mouse oocytes undergo rearrangement of granulosa cell interactions and the oocytes released from follicles at the beginning or at the end of antral development are either devoid of denuded oocytes (DO) or strictly associated with cumulus‐intact (CI) cumulus cells. In this study, these two oocyte classes were analyzed before germinal vesicle (GV) and after in vitro maturation (IVM) to evaluate (a) the ultrastructural aspect of oolemma microvilli by scanning electron microscopy analysis and (b) specific morphological markers of differentiation (chromatin organization, mitochondria, cortical granules, microfilaments, and spindle of metaphase II– MII–). At GV‐stage, CI oocytes exhibited remarkable differences (a) in the oolemma microvillar ultrastructure and distribution with respect to DO and (b) in the chromatin organization that was typical of meiotically competent germ cells. By contrast, homogeneous patterns of distribution of mitochondria, cortical granules, and microfilaments characterized both the oocyte classes. At the end of culture, CI oocytes, even when matured without cumulus cells, reached more efficiently the MII stage and acquired an ultrastructural microvillous configuration different from DO. In addition, MII‐arrested DO had a higher percentage of meiotic spindles with abnormal morphology in comparison with preovulatory oocytes, while cortical granule and microfilament patterns revealed no appreciable differences between the groups. With regard to mitochondria, a polarized distribution of these organelles was found in 82% of DO and in 97% of CI oocytes. These observations suggested that the achievement of the full antral follicle development is a condition for the acquisition of specific qualitative properties that are essential for the production of fertilizable oocytes, both in in vivo and in vitro models as well. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Morphodynamics of ovarian follicles during oogenesis in mice
Authors: Sato Eimei , Kimura Naoko , Yokoo Masaki , Miyake Yuko , Ikeda Joh‐E
Published: May 2006

In the mouse, oogonia enter the prophase of the first meiotic division and differentiate into oocyte while developing in the fetal ovary. Shortly after birth, all oocytes are arrested in the dictyate stage of late prophase in the developing follicles; a small number of follicles reach the ovulatory stage; the rest are lost by apoptosis. The resumption of meiotic division and nuclear progression to metaphase II (oocyte maturation) occur in the ovulatory follicles. In this article we review recent morphological data that have clarified how cytokines and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are involved in mouse follicular development, atresia, and maturation during oogenesis, as exogenous/endogenous factors. (1) Microvascular networks and angiogenic factors (epidermal growth factor; GAGs) are deeply involved in selective mouse oocyte growth beyond ∼20–30 μm in diameter. (2) Gonadotropin‐inducible neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein may indirectly affect oocyte survival as a result of the inhibition of apoptotic granulosa‐cell death during folliculogenesis. (3) The pattern of oocyte degeneration depends on follicle and oocyte developmental stages, and follicle stimulating hormone accelerates the process of degeneration of oocytes. (4) The process of degeneration of mouse oocytes/eggs is modulated by tumor necrosis factor‐α that is accumulated in the expanded cumulus during oocyte maturation. (5) A colloidal iron‐positive substance was detected in the intercellular spaces of follicular tissue, especially in the cumulus mass. Cells located where the cumulus mass and granulosa cell layer interwound became enlarged during the resumption of oocyte meiosis. Colloidal iron‐positive substances accumulated extensively within the intercellular spaces of the enlarged cells. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.