bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reducing memory requirements in reachability‐based finite automata operations
Authors: Watson Bruce W.
Published: February 2004

New applications of finite automata, such as computational linguistics and asynchronous circuit simulation, can require automata of millions or even billions of states. All known construction methods (in particular, the most effective reachability‐based ones that save memory, such as the subset construction, and simultaneously minimizing constructions, such as Brzozowski's) have intermediate memory usage much larger than the final automaton, thereby restricting the maximum size of the automata which can be built. In this paper, I present a reachability‐based optimization which can be used in most of these construction algorithms to reduce the intermediate memory requirements. The optimization is presented in conjunction with an easily understood (and implemented) canonical automaton construction algorithm. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
lcc.NET: targeting the .NET Common Intermediate Language from Standard C
Authors: Hanson David R.
Published: February 2004

The core of the Microsoft .NET platform includes a new virtual machine (VM), the Common Intermediate Language, also known as MSIL. Unlike most other VMs, including the Java VM, MSIL is specifically designed to support a wide range of languages. While it is designed primarily for type‐safe, object‐oriented languages, it also has facilities that support both low‐level languages and very high‐level languages. For example, it accommodates unsafe pointer arithmetic and tail calls. This paper describes the implementation of a MSIL back end for lcc, a retargetable compiler for Standard C. C is at one end of the range of languages that MSIL intends to support and lcc is just about the simplest ‘real’ C compiler that is widely available. Porting lcc to MSIL thus provides a realistic test of how well MSIL supports this class of languages and provides a glimpse at its performance costs. This effort succeeded, but static initializations, function pointers, separate compilation and address arithmetic were major problem areas. These problems also suggested improvements to lcc's code‐generation interface and they exposed a long‐standing error in the lcc front end. Preliminary measurements suggest that programs compiled by the MSIL back end run two to three times slower than those compiled by lcc native Intel x86 back end, but the MSIL programs have some important diagnostic benefits. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The design and implementation of a modular and extensible Java Virtual Machine
Authors: Doyle Patrick , Cavanna Carlos , Abdelrahman Tarek S.
Published: February 2004

This paper describes the design, implementation, and experimental evaluation of a modular and extensible Java™ Virtual Machine (JVM) infrastructure, called Jupiter. The infrastructure is intended to serve as a vehicle for our research on scalable JVM architectures for a cluster of PC workstations, with support for shared memory in software. Jupiter is constructed, using a building block architecture, out of many modules with small, simple interfaces. This flexible structure, similar to UNIX® shells that build complex command pipelines out of discrete programs, allows the rapid prototyping of our research ideas by confining changes in JVM design to a small number of modules. In spite of this flexibility, Jupiter delivers good performance. Experimental evaluation of the current implementation of Jupiter using the SPECjvm98 and the EPCC Java Grande single‐threaded and multithreaded benchmarks reflects competitive performance. Jupiter is on average about 2.5 times faster than Kaffe and about 2 times slower than the Sun Microsystems JDK (interpreter versions only). By providing a flexible JVM infrastructure that delivers competitive performance, we believe we have developed a framework that supports further research into JVM scalability. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of new synthetic methods with aryl 1‐chlorovinyl sulfoxides
Authors: SATOH TSUYOSHI
Published: February 2004

Aryl 1‐chlorovinyl sulfoxides were easily synthesized from ketones and aldehydes with aryl chloromethyl sulfoxide in three‐steps
with high overall yields. Low‐temperature treatment of the aryl 1‐chlorovinyl sulfoxides with alkyllithium or a Grignard
reagent gave alkylidene carbenoids via a sulfoxide‐metal exchange reaction. From the alkylidene carbenoids, acetylenic compounds,
tetra‐substituted olefins, and allenes were synthesized. Enolization of α‐chloro α‐sulfinyl ketones,
which were synthesized from methyl esters and chloromethyl phenyl sulfoxide, is another method for the generation of aryl 1‐chloroalkyl
sulfoxides. Treatment of 1‐chlorovinyl phenyl sulfoxides so generated with t‐BuLi followed by some nucleophiles
having an acidic hydrogen gave one‐carbon elongated carboxylic acids and their derivatives. Conjugate addition of some
carbanions with 1‐chlorovinyl p‐tolyl sulfoxides was found to have taken place. For example, reaction of
1‐chlorovinyl p‐tolyl sulfoxides with cyanomethyllithium gave high yields of cyclic enaminonitriles.
Acidic treatment of the enaminonitriles afforded good yields of 4,4‐disubstituted 2‐cyclopentenones. By using
unsymmetrical ketones and optically pure chloromethyl p‐tolyl sulfoxide, this procedure suggests a good method
for an asymmetric synthesis of optically pure 4,4‐disubstituted 2‐cyclopentenones. This method achieved an
asymmetric total synthesis of (+)‐α‐cuparenone starting from methyl 4‐methylphenyl
ketone and (R)‐(−)‐chloromethyl p‐tolyl sulfoxide. A novel
synthesis of 2,4,4‐trisubstituted 2‐cyclopentenones is also successful using cyanomethyllithium and its homologues.
Conjugate addition of the lithium enolate of tert‐butyl acetate and its homologues gave high yields of the adduct,
3,3‐disubstituted esters. Synthesis of various kinds of carboxylic acids and their derivatives and lactones was realized
from the adducts. © 2004 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 3: 329–341; 2004:
Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com)
DOI 10.1002/tcr.10075
Development of the aqueous‐coated photothermographic material
Authors: Tsuzuki Hirohiko
Published: February 2004

As the use of digitization grows in the medical field, doctors are increasingly demanding high quality photographic films
for digital images to help them form their diagnoses. From an environmental perspective, photothermography has the advantage of
no waste and the disadvantage of using enormous amounts of organic solvents during production. We succeeded in developing a
system using aqueous latex with aqueous coated photothermographic film that drastically reduces the use of organic solvents.
© 2004 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 3: 322–328; 2004: Published online in
Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI 10.1002/tcr.10076
Establishment of De Facto Standard Catalysts in the Polypropylene Industry
Authors: Kojoh Shin‐ichi , Kashiwa Norio
Published: February 2004

Polypropylene (PP) has become an indispensable material in our daily lives. Annual worldwide production of PP is now more than 30,000,000 tons and is predicted to grow at an annual rate of about 6% during the first decade of the 21st century. Commercial production of PP began in 1957 with the use of TiCl3 catalysts established by Ziegler and Natta. However, the low activities and low stereospecificities of the catalysts resulted in large amounts of catalyst residue and atactic PP in the product, necessitating steps for their removal in commercial production. As a means of finding appropriate catalysts, we developed MgCl2‐supported TiCl4 catalysts, which basic concept was introduction of organic compounds onto the inorganic crystal catalyst surface. This addition led to remarkable enhancements in stereospecificity with extremely high activity. Use of the new catalysts enlarged and simplified the PP production process by eliminating the steps previously required for removal of catalyst residue and atactic PP. In addition, it greatly improved the properties of the PP, enabling a much wider range of PP applications by replacing metal and engineering plastics with the highly stereoregular PP. Therefore, these catalysts helped the rapid establishment of the current PP industry and now play a major role in production. The latest MgCl2‐supported TiCl4 catalyst is providing precise control of the isotactic PP structure. Future expectations for this type of catalyst are to acquire a single‐site nature and to contribute to the creation of a new class of hybrid materials. © 2004 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 3: 342–349; 2004: Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI 10.1002/tcr.10077
The role of discourse in group knowledge construction: A case study of engineering students
Authors: Kittleson Julie M. , Southerland Sherry A.
Published: February 2004

This qualitative study examined the role of discourse (verbal elements of language) and Discourse (nonverbal elements related to the use of language, such as ways of thinking, valuing, and using tools and technologies) in the process of group knowledge construction of mechanical engineering students. Data included interviews, participant observations, and transcripts from lab sessions of a group of students working on their senior design project. These data were analyzed using discourse analysis focusing on instances of concept negotiation, interaction in which multiple people contribute to the evolving conceptual conversation. In this context, despite instructors' attempts to enhance the collaboration of group members, concept negotiation was rare. In an effort to understand this rarity, we identified themes related to an engineering Discourse, which included participants' assumptions about the purpose of group work, the views about effective groups, and their epistemologies and ontologies. We explore how the themes associated with the engineering Discourse played a role in how and when the group engaged in concept negotiation. We found that underlying ideologies and assumptions related to the engineering Discourse played both facilitating and inhibitory roles related to the group's conceptually based interactions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 267–293, 2004
Growing a garden without water: Graduate teaching assistants in introductory science laboratories at a doctoral/research university
Authors: Luft Julie A. , Kurdziel Josepha P. , Roehrig Gillian H. , Turner Jessica
Published: February 2004

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in the sciences are a common feature of U.S. universities that have a prominent mission of research. During the past 2 decades, increased attention has been paid to the professional development of GTAs as instructors. As a result, universities have created training programs to assist GTAs in selecting instructional methods, curricular formats, and assessments when they serve as laboratory, lecture, or discussion group instructors. Unfortunately, few studies explore the educational and instructional environment of GTAs in these reformed settings. This study was conducted to address this specific need. As a constructivist inquiry, qualitative methods were used to collect and analyze the data to elucidate the educational and instructional environment of science GTAs at a doctoral/research university in which various training programs existed. We found that GTAs worked autonomously, that traditional practices and curricula existed in laboratories, and that instructors frequently held limited views of undergraduates' abilities and motivation. Findings in this initial study about GTAs suggest that developers of GTA training programs draw on the literature regarding science teacher education, and that reward systems be instituted that recognize faculty and staff for their participation in GTA training programs. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 211–233, 2004
A unified bandwidth reservation and admission control mechanism for QoS provisioning in cellular networks
Authors: Lim Sunho , Cao Guohong , Das Chita R.
Published: February 2004

We propose a unified framework consisting of a differential bandwidth reservation (DBR) algorithm and a Quality of Service (QoS)‐aware admission control scheme to provide QoS guarantees to on‐going connections in cellular networks. The differential bandwidth reservation policy uses a sector of cells in making the bandwidth reservation for accepting a new call. Based on the distance of the target cells in the sectors, two different bandwidth reservation policies are applied to optimize the connection dropping rate (CDR), while maintaining a competitive connection blocking rate (CBR). In addition, two possible mobile terminal (MT) movements are analyzed using the DBR mechanism. In the first case, no knowledge of an MT's moving path is assumed to be known, while in the second case, prior knowledge of a user profile is used in bandwidth reservation, and it is called user profile‐based DBR (UPDBR) algorithm. Using the DBR scheme, we propose an admission control algorithm that uses varying number of cells in a sector to meet admission decisions. Extensive simulation is performed to evaluate our methodology. Comparison of the proposed scheme with two prior schemes shows that our approach is not only capable of providing better QoS guarantees, but is also flexible in terms of using varying number of cells in satisfying the high‐level QoS requirements. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stochastic analysis and performance evaluation of wireless schedulers
Authors: Rom Raphael , Tan Hwee Pink
Published: February 2004

In the last few years, wireless scheduling algorithms have been proposed by supplementing wireline scheduling algorithms with a wireless adaptation scheme. However, Quality of Service (QoS) bounds have either been derived for flows that perceive error‐free conditions or a static worst‐case channel condition. Such an assumption of the channel condition is unrealistic, since channel errors are known to be bursty in nature. Hence, these bounds are inadequate to characterize the scheduler's QoS performance. Our research focuses on performing an extensive analysis of wireless scheduling in order to derive statistical QoS performance bounds under realistic channel conditions. In this paper, we develop stochastic models for various wireless schedulers. Based on these models, we define and evaluate statistical QoS performance metrics in terms of throughput, delay and fairness under various channel conditions and over different time scales. Numerical results indicate that no single scheduler outperforms the others in terms of all the QoS metrics under all channel conditions. The choice of an optimal scheduling mechanism depends on the priority of QoS requirements as well as the channel conditions. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A performance evaluation of a pre‐emptive on‐demand distance vector routing protocol for mobile ad hoc networks
Authors: Boukerche Azzedine , Zhang Liqin
Published: February 2004

Mobile ad hoc networks are useful for providing communication support where no fixed infrastructure exists or the deployment of a fixed infrastructure is not economically profitable and movement of communicating parties is allowed. Therefore, it is not possible to establisha prioriand fixed paths for message delivery through the network. Because of their importance, routing and packets dropped problems, mainly due to the path breaking, are among the most studied problem in mobile and wireles ad hoc networks. Multi‐path protocols can be useful for the purpose of balancing congestion and decreasing the delay, by routing packets along different paths. However, they may allow only source‐based load balancing decisions. In this paper, we present a pre‐emptive ad hoc on‐demand distance vector routing protocol for mobile and wireless ad hoc networks. We present the algorithm, discuss its implementation and report on the performance results of simulation of several workload models on ns‐2. Our results indicate that a scheme based on scheduling a path‐discovery routine before the current in‐use link breaks is feasible and that such a mechanism can increase the number of packets delivered and decrease the average delay per packet. It also improves the throughput (packet delivered ratio) and balances the traffic between different source–destination pairs. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A jamming‐based MAC protocol to improve the performance of wireless multihop ad‐hoc networks
Authors: Ye Shiang‐Rung , Wang You‐Chiun , Tseng Yu‐Chee
Published: February 2004

One critical issue in multihop ad‐hoc networks is the medium access control (MAC). The IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol is originally designed for fully connected, one‐hop ad‐hoc networks but not for multihop ad‐hoc networks. In addition to the well known hidden‐terminal problem, we found that IEEE 802.11 also suffers from an erroneous reservation problem which occurs when RTS‐CTS exchange fails but the channel is incorrectly reserved. In this paper, we propose a jamming‐based MAC (JMAC) protocol that is not only free from both the hidden‐terminal and the erroneous reservation problems but also allows more concurrent transmission/receipt activities for stations within each other's transmission range. The idea behind the JMAC is to separate source stations' traffic from destination stations' traffic into different channels (i.e. dividing the shared medium into two channels), and explicitly signal the channel status by jamming the channels. Simulation results show that although the channel division incurs some cost, the advantages of being free from the erroneous reservation and the hidden‐terminal problems, and the benefits of more concurrent transmissions will compensate the cost and provide higher channel utilization when data frame size is median or large. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Channel‐dependent load balancing in wireless packet networks
Authors: Bianchi Giuseppe , Tinnirello Ilenia
Published: February 2004

This paper refers to a wireless cellular packet network scenario where fast retransmission of corrupted packets is used to improve the packet error ratio. Since the ‘gross’ packet transmission rate (including retransmission) depends on the channel quality perceived, admitted calls weight unevenly in terms of effective resource consumption. In this paper, we suggest using channel quality information to drive load balancing mechanisms. We propose two novel metrics to determine the best cell to attach to, during handover or new call origination. Extensive simulation results prove the superiority of our proposed schemes with respect to traditional load balancing, which base their operation on the number of admitted calls per cell. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Silicon drift detectors with enlarged sensitive areas
Authors: Eggert T. , Boslau O. , Goldstrass P. , Kemmer J.
Published: February 2004

The silicon drift detector is a compact, high‐resolution and energy‐dispersive x‐ray detector. The differences between the conventional silicon drift detectors with an active area of 5 mm2 and new detectors with larger areas are outlined. Several constraints from fundamental physical and electronic properties are given, which limit the achievable energy resolution and size of the active area. The expected characteristics of larger upcoming devices are calculated. The deterioration of the energy resolution at very high count rates is quantitatively explained. Some limitations are eliminated if the chip is segmented into several cells with individual read‐out nodes. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Oocyte maturation and cell cycle control: a farewell symposium for Pr Marcel Dorée
Authors: Prigent Claude , Hunt Tim
Published: February 2004

Summry— Oocyte maturation and early development have been intensively studied for well over 100 years. The earliest theory proposed that after fertilisation and during cell division determinants were unequally distributed to control cell fate; experimental proof came from using frog eggs (Roux, 1888). After understanding the contribution of the nucleus and the chromosomes into cell cycle progression using sea urchin eggs (Boveri, 1902), it was the discovery of the cytoplasm contribution to the G2/M transition that led the cell cycle community in search of the “mitosis‐inducing factor”, MPF. Yoshio Masui was the first to experimentally demonstrate that few nanoliters of cytoplasm taken from a metaphase‐arrested oocyte and microinjected in a G2‐arrested oocyte was able to trigger the G2 to metaphase transition (Masui and Markert 1971). Although the way to identify the mitotic factor seemed obvious, it proved very hard and was not purified until 1988 (Lohka et al, 1988), then work from a variety of organisms including Xenopus, starfish, clams, sea urchins and yeast converged on the identification of MPF as a complex of cdc2 and cyclin B (Dunphy et al., 1988; Gautier et al., 1988; Draetta et al., 1889; Meijer et al., 1989; Labbé et al., 1989; Gautier et al., 1990). Since then, the oocyte and egg extracts developed by Lohka and Masui have often been used to study cell cycle events such as nuclear envelop formation, chromatin condensation, DNA replication, repair, and recombination, Golgi formation, microtubule dynamics, spindle assembly, chromosome segregation as well as cell cycle controls.
Multiple roles of Condensins: a complex story
Authors: Legagneux Vincent , Cubizolles Fabien , Watrin Erwan
Published: February 2004

Summry— Condensins are pentameric complexes that were initially described as being involved in the dynamics of chromosomes during mitosis. It has been recently established that two related complexes (Condensin I and Condensin II) contribute to this process. An increasing sum of studies, using different approaches in various organisms, leads to the paradigm that Condensins are required for the correct segregation of replicated chromosomes by cooperating somehow with Topoisomerase II in sister chromatid resolution. Depending on species and/or experimental studies, these complexes also contribute to some aspects of the assembly and compaction of mitotic chromosomes. Recent studies provided evidences that Condensins and related complexes also function in non‐mitotic processes such as replication and transcription. Biochemical studies have highlighted mechanistic aspects of Condensin function and initiated a fine functional dissection of core and regulatory subunits. However, the exact contribution of each subunit remains largely elusive as well as the functional interplay between Condensin I and Condensin II.
The specificity of clinical characteristics in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a comparison with patients with borderline personality disorder
Authors: Dowson J.H. , McLean A. , Bazanis E. , Toone B. , Young S. , Robbins T.W. , Sahakian B.
Published: February 2004

Characteristics of DSM-IV attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults can also be found as part of other psychiatric disorders. This study investigated the specificity of adult ADHD features in relation to patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), a syndrome which shares some of its intrinsic features with ADHD and often co-occurs with ADHD. A group of 20 adult patients selected on the basis of a diagnosis of ADHD and 20 patients selected on the basis of a diagnosis of BPD were assessed by the self-report Attention Deficit Scales for Adults (ADSA). The two groups were matched for age, verbal IQ and gender. Of the nine ADSA scales, seven showed significant inter-group differences, in particular involving attention, organisation and persistence. The ‘Consistency/Long-Term’ scale, which mainly reflects impaired task and goal persistence, was the best discriminator between the groups. Furthermore, ratings on this scale correlated significantly with the error score of a computer-administered task of spatial working memory, the performance of which has been reported to be impaired in patients with ADHD. The results provide further validation for the ADSA scales and support a previous claim that ‘long-term consistencies’, i.e., related to task and goal persistence, is ‘the centrepiece behavioural issue’ for adults with ADHD.
Attitudes of mental health professionals and lay-people towards involuntary admission and treatment in England and Germany—a questionnaire analysis
Authors: Lepping Peter , Steinert Tilman , Gebhardt Ralf-Peter , Röttgers Hanns Rüdiger
Published: February 2004

Objectives

To identify attitudes about involuntary admission and treatment in mental health professionals and lay-people and to compare results between England and Germany.

Method

Three scenarios of potentially detainable patients were presented to identify attitudes. A questionnaire asked about attitudes towards involuntary admission as well as treatment. A questionnaire analysis was then performed.

Results

There were similar attitudes towards involuntary admission and treatment between lay-people and mental health professionals with the exception of professionals not actively involved in the detention process. The different legal frameworks between Germany and England did not influence attitudes much. Support for involuntary admission and treatment broadly increased with age.

Conclusions

Psychiatrists and other mental health workers are in tune with society with regards to attitudes towards involuntary admission. People involved with mentally ill patients but not in the detention process have negative attitudes towards involuntary admission.
The sensitivity of tibiofemoral contact pressure to the size and shape of the lateral and medial menisci
Authors: Donahue Tammy L. Haut , Hull M. L. , Rashid Mark M. , Jacobs Christopher R.
Published: February 2004

In an effort to prevent degeneration of articular cartilage associated with meniscectomies, both meniscal allografts and synthetic replacements have been studied. A number of biomechanical criteria may be important for a meniscal replacement to restore normal tibiofemoral contact pressure in the knee joint and hence be clinically successful. One of these criteria is geometric similarity. The objectives of the current study were to: determine the sensitivity of the contact variables of the tibial plateau to the transverse depth and width of both the lateral and medial menisci; determine the sensitivity of the contact variables of the tibial plateau to the cross‐sectional width and height of the lateral and medial menisci; and determine the tolerances on each of the four parameters for both menisci. To satisfy these objectives, a previously developed finite element model of the tibiofemoral joint was used to compute the contact pressure distribution on the tibial plateau. The effect of the above‐mentioned geometric parameters on the contact behavior was studied by perturbing the finite element model. Results showed that the contact variables are similarly sensitive to both the transverse and cross‐sectional parameters of the menisci. Additionally the medial meniscal parameters have a greater effect on the contact variables than do the lateral meniscal parameters. Finally, less than a 0.5 mm change in the medial meniscal height and greater than a 1 mm change in the lateral meniscal height could be tolerated before the relative difference in the contact variables from those for the original geometry exceeded 10%. Thus in the design or selection of meniscal replacements, each of the four parameters should be measured when sizing a replacement tissue. Also tighter tolerances should be placed on the medial meniscal parameters compared to the lateral meniscal parameters. © 2004 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Association between HLA Class II Locus and the Susceptibility to Artemisia Pollen–Induced Allergic Rhinitis in Chinese Population
Authors: Wang Min , Xing Zhi‐Min , Yu De‐Lin , Yan Zheng , Yu Li‐Sheng
Published: February 2004

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to determine whether susceptibility or resistance to Artemisia pollen‐induced allergic rhinitis was associated with HLA class II DQA1, DQB1 loci.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

Forty‐one subjects with allergic rhinitis and 41 healthy controls from Beijing were genotyped at HLA class II DQA1, DQB1 alleles by polymerase chain reaction amplification with sequence‐specific primers‐based technique.

RESULTS

The allele frequencies of HLA‐DQA1*0201, DQB1*0602 were lower in patients with allergic rhinitis compared with the controls (24.39% versus 46.34%, P = 0.038; 4.88% versus 26.83%, P = 0.007), and the frequency of DQA1*0302 was higher among patients than the controls (58.54% versus 14.63%, P = 0.00004, Pc = 0.0004).

CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: HLA‐DQA1 and DQB1 genes may be involved in the development of Artemisia pollen‐induced allergic rhinitis. HLA‐DQA1*0201, DQB1*0602 alleles may be a protective factor and DQA1*0302 may be a susceptible factor for Artemisia pollen‐induced allergic rhinitis.
Which is Important in the Evaluation of Metastatic Lymph Nodes in Head and Neck Cancer: Palpation, Ultrasonography, or Computed Tomography?
Authors: Haberal Ilknur , Çelik Hatice , Göçmen Hakan , Akmansu Halit , Yörük Muharrem , Özeri Cavit
Published: February 2004

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate palpation, ultrasonography (USG), and computed tomography (CT) with respect to their value for comparative determination of metastatic lymph nodes in head and neck cancer.

STUDY DESIGN

A prospective study was conducted in a tertiary referral hospital. During September 1996 and April 1999, clinical investigation, USG, and CT were performed preoperatively on 48 patients who would undergo neck dissection for primary head and neck malignancy. The presence of metastatic lymph nodes in pathologic specimens were compared with the findings of palpation, CT, and USG.

RESULTS

Twenty‐two of the patients had positive lymph nodes on pathologic investigation. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value, and accuracy for palpation are 64%, 85%, 74%, 78%, and 75% respectively. Respective values for USG and CT for sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value, and accuracy are 72%, 96%, 80%, 94%, and 85% and 81%, 96%, 85%, 90%, and 87%.

CONCLUSION

All of the pretreatment evaluation methods, palpation, CT, and USG yield results that are significantly different from the histopathologic results, suggesting that no pretreatment study can accurately assess the requirement to histopathologically stage the neck. USG findings are more correlated with the pathologic findings than palpation, but CT gives the most effective and reliable results when it is combined with USG in neck staging. Preoperative USG and CT scanning of the neck by an experienced radiologist is essential and useful for diagnosis, staging, and therapy choices.

SIGNIFICANCE

Statistical analysis was done with χ2 test. The difference between histologic findings and palpation is significant (P = 0.0005). The difference between histologic findings and USG and CT is significant (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0001).
Olfactory Cleft Disease: An Analysis of 13 Cases
Authors: Biacabe Bernard , Faulcon Patrick , Amanou Laurent , Bonfils Pierre
Published: February 2004

OBJECTIVES

Olfactory cleft disease was defined as (1) an olfactory disability related with a clinical and/or radiologic abnormality of the olfactory cleft and (2) a pathologic process limited to or predominating in the olfactory cleft. The objectives of this study were to describe the clinical and radiologic findings of this entity and to report the effect of medical therapy on the sense of smell.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

Thirteen patients with the criteria of olfactory cleft disease were included in this retrospective study. All patients had bilateral olfactory cleft abnormalities. A complete ENT examination with endoscopic evaluation and a computed tomography scan were performed in all cases. An olfactory threshold test was available in 12 cases before and after medical therapy, which included oral and topically administered steroid therapy.

RESULTS

Olfactory disability was the major symptom of olfactory cleft disease. Other symptoms of chronic rhinosinus dysfunction was present in 75% of cases. Three pathologic processes were identified in patients with olfactory cleft disease: malformative, inflammatory, and inflammatory associated with anatomical deformities of olfactory cleft boundaries. Medical therapy was effective in lowering olfactory thresholds in 25% of the cases.

CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE

Olfactory cleft disease involves various pathophysiologic processes. Computed tomography scanning provides the most information for diagnosis. Indications of functional endoscopic surgery remain to be defined after failure of medical therapy.
Development and Validation of the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) Scale1
Authors: Stewart Michael G. , Witsell David L. , Smith Timothy L. , Weaver Edward M. , Yueh Bevan , Hannley Maureen T.
Published: February 2004

OBJECTIVE

The study goal was to validate a disease‐specific health status instrument for use in patients with nasal obstruction.

DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PATIENTS

The study consisted of a prospective instrument validation conducted at 4 academic medical centers with 32 adults with nasal septal deformity.

METHODS

Prospective instrument validation occurred in 2 stages. Stage 1 was the development of a preliminary (alpha‐version) instrument of potential items. Stage 2 was a test of the alpha‐version for item performance, internal consistency, and test‐retest reliability; construct, discriminant, criterion validity, and responsiveness; and creation of the final instrument.

RESULTS

Items with poor performance were eliminated from the alpha‐version instrument. In testing the final instrument, test‐retest reliability was adequate at 0.702; internal consistency reliability was also adequate at 0.785. Validity was confirmed using correlation and comparison analysis, and response sensitivity was excellent.

CONCLUSIONS

The Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation Scale is a valid, reliable, and responsive instrument that is brief and easy to complete and has potential use for outcomes studies in adults with nasal obstruction.
An Analysis of 3599 Midfacial and 1141 Orbital Blowout Fractures Among 4426 United States Army Soldiers, 1980–20001
Authors: Shere Jeffrey L. , Boole Jason R. , Holtel Michael R. , Amoroso Paul J.
Published: February 2004

OBJECTIVE

We sought to present the epidemiology associated with 3599 midfacial and 1141 orbital blowout fractures.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

We conducted a multicenter, 20‐year retrospective analysis of hospitalization data on U.S. Army active duty soldiers.

RESULTS

Men composed 96% of the patients, with men aged 20 to 29 years the most affected. Of midfacial and blowout fractures, 54.8% and 70.2% occurred with concomitant injury, with 36.2% and 50.9% sustaining other facial fractures, respectively. Three hundred forty orbital blowout fractures (29.8%) had an associated eye injury. Common mechanisms included fighting and motor vehicle accidents.

CONCLUSIONS

Young men comprised the most susceptible population, and assault was the predominant mechanism. A high incidence of concomitant injury in midfacial and orbital blowout fractures, particularly ocular and intracranial injury, emphasizes the importance of a thorough physical examination.

SIGNIFICANCE

We report the results from one of the largest series of midfacial and orbital floor blowout fractures from a population that crosses urban, rural, and foreign boundaries.
Effects of Three Nasal Topical Steroids in the Intraocular Pressure Compartment
Authors: Bross‐Soriano Daniel , Hanenberg‐Milver Carlos , Schimelmitz‐Idi Jose , Arrieta‐Gomez Jose R. , Astorga Del Toro Rigoberto , Bravo‐Escobar Gerardo
Published: February 2004

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the use of fluticasone propionate, mometasone furoate, or beclomethasone diproplonate for the treatment of rhinitis produced, as a side effect, an increase in the intraocular pressure; only one printed article proclaims that the increase of secondary intraocular pressure is due to the use of local nasal steroids.

PATIENTS AND STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a comparative, double‐blind, experimental, prospective, longitudinal study in which 360 patients were divided at random into 4 groups; 90 of them were given a placebo (control group) and the other 270 were divided into 3 other groups of 90 patients each and given a different local nasal steroid for each group.

MEASUREMENT PARAMETERS

All patients had their intraocular pressure measured by Goldman's tonometry at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after using the placebo or local nasal steroid.

RESULTS

Variations were found in the intraocular pressure of patients who used local steroid, with discreet elevations in the beclomethasone dipropi‐onate and mometasone furoate groups; however, variations were always within normal limits.

CONCLUSION

Fluticasone propionate, mometa‐sone furoate, and beclomethasone dipropionate cause variations in the intraocular pressure, but the variations are within normal limits.
Cell Adhesion Molecules and Cytokines in Middle Ear Effusions in Children with or without Recent Acute Otitis Media
Authors: Russo Eyal , Smith C. Wayne , Friedman Ellen M. , Smith E. O'Brian , Kaplan Sheldon L.
Published: February 2004

OBJECTIVES

We sought to compare the levels of cytokines and cell adhesion molecules in middle ear effusions (MEEs) of children with (group 1) or without (group 2) acute otitis media (AOM) within 3 months of obtaining MEE and to correlate these levels with hearing loss.

DESIGN AND SUBJECTS

MEE were collected from children (49 and 51 children composed groups 1 and 2, respectively) with otitis media with effusion (OME) undergoing tube placement who had an audiogram performed preoperatively. MEE was assessed as serous or mucoid. Cytokines and cell adhesion molecules were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Data were analyzed with the Student t test, x2 test, and the Pearson correlation test.

RESULTS

Concentrations of interleukin (IL)‐1, IL‐6, and vascular cell adhesion molecules (VCAM) were greater in the MEE of the children in group 1 compared with those of group 2 children. (P < 0.001 for IL‐1 and IL‐6; P < 0.05 for VCAM). The concentrations of IL‐1, IL‐6, VCAM, and E‐selectin were greater in serous than in mucoid MEE. (P < 0.05). Concentrations of IL‐6 correlated with the concentrations of the other 2 cytokines and the 3 cell adhesion molecules. Only concentrations of IL‐6 in MEE correlated with the degree of hearing loss (P < 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

The inflammatory response leading to OME involves multiple cytokines regardless of an AOM episode in the 3 months before obtaining MEE. IL‐6 is an important cytokine in the pathogenesis of OME.
Incidental Paranasal Sinus Imaging Abnormalities and the Normal Lund Score in Children
Authors: Hill Micah , Bhattacharyya Neil , Hall Theodore R. , Lufkin Robert , Shapiro Nina L.
Published: February 2004

OBJECTIVES

Our goal was to determine the incidental Lund score for pediatric patients without chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

METHODS

Pediatric patients with computed tomography scans of the orbit or brain were identified. Patients with a clinical history of sinonasal disorders or skeletal facial trauma were excluded. The remaining scans were scored according to the Lund‐MacKay system. Pneumatization of the frontal and sphenoid sinuses was also recorded. A scaled Lund score was computed, and the mean Lund score for this normal population was determined.

RESULTS

One hundred ninety‐two computed tomography scans were examined (mean age, 9.0 years). The frontal sinuses and sphenoid sinuses were absent in 40.1% and 1.6% of cases, respectively. The mean scaled Lund score in this pediatric population without CRS was 2.81 (95% confidence interval, 2.40 to 3.22). This result differed statistically from a score of 0 (P < 0.001). Only 37 (19.3%) patients had completely radiographically normal sinuses.

CONCLUSIONS

The mean incidental Lund score in the absence of CRS approaches 3, and this should be considered when determining the diagnostic likelihood of CRS in pediatric patients.
Nasal Reconstruction in Surgery of the Anterior Skull Base
Authors: Ducic Yadranko , Pontius Allison T.
Published: February 2004

OBJECTIVES

We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a number of surgical maneuvers in nasal reconstruction of a diverse population of patients undergoing skull base surgery.

STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a retrospective review of a cohort of patients undergoing nasal reconstruction during surgery of the anterior skull base and craniovertebral junction.

METHODS

All patients undergoing skull base surgery and nasal reconstruction by the senior author (Y.D.) with a minimum follow‐up of 12 months from 1997 to 2001 were evaluated. Preoperative and postoperative photographs and clinical evaluation were examined in detail with particular attention focused on the nasal complex.

RESULTS

A total of 47 patients were evaluated for this study, including those who had undergone anterior craniofacial resections (n = 14), Le Fort osteotomies (n = 5), subcranial approaches (n = 10), maxillotomies (n = 8), and midfacial disassemblies (n = 10). Primary calvarial bone graft reconstruction of the anterior craniofacial group was facilitated with the use of positioning plates and resuspension of the upper lateral cartilages when available. In contradistinction to secondary bone grafting, dorsal grafts in this group extended to the native nasal bone length. A small overlay bone graft was thought to be necessary when the nasal root was osteotomized in conjunction with the orbital and/or maxillary segments to maintain dorsal height in the long term. Le Fort osteotomy patients require refixation of the septum to the anterior nasal spine region for stability.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of the techniques outlined in this article appears to be associated with gratifying long‐term nasal form in reconstruction of the anterior skull base.
Head and Neck Trauma in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients
Authors: Lim Lynne H. Y. , Kumar Manoj , Myer Charles M.
Published: February 2004

BACKGROUND

The study goal was to determine the presentation of head and neck trauma (HNT) in hospitalized pediatric subjects.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

Retrospective review of 257 subjects admitted to a level I pediatric trauma center.

RESULTS

The male/female ratio of the subjects was 2.5: 1, with a median age of 9.3 years. Also, 35.0% of subjects had associated major non‐HNT. HNT anatomic sites varied with age. The leading major HNT was facial/base of skull fractures (FBSF). Motor vehicle trauma was significant in subjects older than 3 years, and bite and falls were significant in subjects younger than 3 years. FBSF increased 3.7 times (P = 0.02) for subjects older than 10 years compared with subjects younger than 3 years.

CONCLUSION

The most common major HNT was FBSF, with older age at higher risk. Associated major non‐HNT is high. Mechanisms of injury and sites of HNT vary with age.

SIGNIFICANCE

This information may improve prevention counseling and aid preparation for the management of pediatric HNT.
A cysteine‐rich protein in the Theromyzon (Annelida: Hirudinea) cocoon membrane
Authors: Mason Tarin A , McIlroy Patrick J , Shain Daniel H
Published: February 2004

The aquatic leech, Theromyzon rude, secretes a flexible, proteinaceous cocoon that is resistant to a broad range of denaturing conditions (e.g. heat, denaturing chemicals). We have partially solubilized the Theromyzon cocoon membrane in 10% acetic acid and identified two major protein fragments. Microsequencing of both Theromyzon cocoon protein (Tcp) fragments generated an identical stretch of the amino‐terminal sequence that was used to clone the corresponding gene. The predicted linear amino acid sequence of the resulting cDNA contained an unusually high cysteine content (17.8%). Sequence analysis identified six internal repeats, each comprising 12 ordered Cys residues in a ∼62 amino acid repeating unit. Sequence comparisons identified homology with undescribed, Cys‐rich repeats across animal phyla (i.e. Arthropod, Nematoda).
Candida albicansCdc37 interacts with the Crk1 kinase and is required for Crk1 production
Authors: Ni Jian , Gao Yankun , Liu Haopin , Chen Jiangye
Published: February 2004

Crk1, a Cdc2‐related protein kinase from the human pathogenic fungusCandida albicans, plays an important role in hyphal development and virulence. To address its regulatory mechanisms, we searched for Crk1 interacting proteins by two‐hybrid screening. ACDC37ortholog (CaCDC37) was cloned from the screening with the Crk1 kinase domain as the bait. The CaCdc37 interacted preferentially with the kinase domain of Crk1 (Crk1N) as shown by two‐hybrid and immunoprecipitation experiments.CaCDC37could complement acdc37thermosensitive mutant (cdc37‐34) ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae. Importantly, Crk1 protein was hardly detectable in thecdc37‐34mutant at restrictive temperature. However, upon expression of CaCdc37 in thecdc37mutant, Crk1 protein was detected even at restrictive temperature. Our data suggested that CaCdc37 was required for the production of Crk1 kinase. Like Cdc37 proteins ofS. cerevisiaeand higher eukaryotes, CaCdc37 might function as a molecular chaperone that stabilized Crk1 and other protein kinases inC. albicans. In support of this,CaSTI1was identified from a two‐hybrid screen with the full‐length Crk1 as the bait. CaSti1 showed two‐hybrid interactions with both Crk1 and the CaCdc37.
The nitration of τ protein in neurone‐like PC12 cells
Authors: Cappelletti Graziella , Tedeschi Gabriella , Maggioni Maria G. , Negri Armando , Nonnis Simona , Maci Rosalba
Published: February 2004

Tyrosine nitration of proteins is emerging as a post‐translational modification playing a role in physiological conditions. Looking for the molecular events triggered by nitric oxide in nerve growth factor‐induced neuronal differentiation, we now find that nitration occurs on the microtubule‐associated protein τ. In differentiated PC12 cells, we have identified as τ a nitrated protein that co‐immunoprecipitates with α‐tubulin and indicated that the modified protein is associated with the cytoskeleton but it is confined to a restricted cell region. This paper supplies the first evidence that nitration of τ occurs in a physiological process and suggests that it could play a role in neuronal differentiation.
Miniaturization of an Enzyme Assay (β-Galactosidase) in the 384- and 1536-Well Plate Format
Authors: Berg Michael , Undisz Katrin , Thiericke Ralf , Moore Thomas , Posten Clemens
Published: February 2004

Miniaturization is one way to realize today's demands in the drug discovery process by moving from the standard 96-well plate to higher density microplate formats.

In this article we describe the adaptation of a fluorescence-based enzyme assay to the challenges of the 384- and 1536-well plate format. The liquid-handling was realized by the automated micropipettor CyBi-Well™ 96/384/1536* (CyBio AG — formerly JENOPTIK Bioinstruments Gmbh — Jena, Germany). On the basis of optimized liquid-handling parameters pipetting routines were established to perform an enzyme assay (β-galactosidase) in the microplate formats of higher density. Finally, the experimental results were compared to those obtained in the well-established 96-well format.

In the enzyme assay, the bioconversion of the substrate Fluorescein-di-(β-D-galactopyranoside) (FDG), occurred as a linear function of the β-galactosidase concentration comparably in all three assay formats. We conclude that miniaturization using the higher density 384- and 1536-well plate formats is advantageous as the next evolutionary step in HTS, especially using enzyme assays. A careful individual adaptation procedure for each microplate format and assay at the basis of the optimized liquid-handling parameters is essential. CyBi-Well™ 96/384/1536 proves to be a powerful tool for a careful adaptation of the liquid-handling procedures of biological assays especially also in the 384- and 1536-well formats.