bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Monopolistic and Oligopolistic Stochastic Flow Revenue Management Model
Authors: Xu Xiaowei , Hopp Wallace J.
Published: January 2007

This paper studies a one-shot inventory replenishment problem with dynamic pricing. The customer arrival rate is assumed to follow a geometric Brownian motion. Homogeneous customers have an isoelastic demand function and do not behave strategically. We find a closed-form optimal pricing policy, which utilizes current demand information. Under this pricing policy the inventory trajectory is deterministic, and a retailer sells all inventory. We show that dynamic pricing coordinated with the inventory decision achieves significantly higher profits than does static pricing. Furthermore, under oligopolistic competition we establish a weak perfect Bayesian equilibrium for the price and inventory replenishment game. We find the pricing equilibrium to be cooperative even in a noncooperative environment, but that inventory competition results in overstock and damages profits. Finally, we examine the trade-off between dynamic pricing and price precommitment and find that flexible pricing is still beneficial, provided competition is not too intense.
Robust One-Period Option Hedging
Authors: Lutgens Frank , Sturm Jos , Kolen Antoon
Published: January 2007

We consider robust optimization to cope with uncertainty about the stock return process in one-period option hedging problems. The robust approach relates portfolio choice to uncertainty, making more cautious hedges when uncertainty is high. We represent uncertainty by a set of plausible expected returns of the underlying stocks and show that for this set the robust problem is a second-order cone program that can be solved efficiently. We apply the approach to find an optimal portfolio to hedge an index option.
Human Sensitivity to Variability Information in Detection Decisions
Authors: Montgomery DeMaris A.
Published: January 2007

Three studies investigated the ability of observers to extract and use reliability information from graphical elements presented on a visual display. The first experiment assessed observers' accuracy in detecting differences in source reliability based on differences in the temporal variability of the sources. Observers' accuracy improved as the sample size and the difference in the underlying source variability increased. The second study investigated observers' efficiency in using the information about source variability to weight individual sources in forming a decision. Observers were able to differentially weight sources based on the underlying source variability. However, observers' adjustments of the weights tended to be less than ideal, particularly when reliable sources were not spatially contiguous and additional aids (e.g., observation periods and highlights) were unavailable to help observers identify differences in source variability. Finally, evidence in the third study indicated that information about differences in source variability reduced uncertainty about the locations of reliable sources but did not help observers to correctly adjust weights to match the ideal. In application, display enhancements (e.g., highlights) aid decision making when only general differences in reliability need to be recognized, but more advanced decision support is recommended when reliability information has to be incorporated into a decision statistic.
A Methodology for Enhancing Crew Resource Management Training
Authors: Salas Eduardo , Prince Carolyn , Bowers Clint A. , Stout Renée J. , Oser Randall L. , Cannon-Bowers Janis A.
Published: January 2007

Human error is an ever-present threat to the safe conduct of flight. Recently, applied psychologists have developed an intervention, crew resource management (CRM) training, designed to help prevent human error in the cockpit. However, as it is commonly applied within the aviation community, CRM lacks standardization in content, design, delivery, and evaluation. This paper presents a discussion of an applied program of research aimed at developing a methodology for the design and delivery of CRM training within the Navy. This long-term, theoretically based program of aviation team research included identification of skills to be trained, development of performance measures, application of instructional design principles, and evaluation of the training delivery. Our conclusion indicates that a systematic methodology for developing CRM training can result in better performance in the cockpit. Actual or potential applications of this research include any task environment in which teams are interdependent.
Planning, Shared Mental Models, and Coordinated Performance: An Empirical Link Is Established
Authors: Stout Renée J. , Cannon-Bowers Janis A. , Salas Eduardo , Milanovich Dana M.
Published: January 2007

Critical decisions are made every day by teams of individuals who must coordinate their activities to achieve effectiveness. Researchers recently suggested that a shared mental model (SMM) among team members may help them to make successful decisions. Several avenues for developing SMMs in teams exist, one of which is planning. We explored the relationship between team planning, SMMs, and coordinated team decision making and performance. Results indicated that effective planning increased the SMM among team members, allowed them to utilize efficient communication strategies during high-workload conditions, and resulted in improved coordinated team performance. In addition, the communication strategy alone affected the degree of coordinated performance attained by teams during periods of increased workload. Implications of these results and team functioning are discussed. Actual or potential applications of this research include performance and training in settings that require interdependent actions among operators.
Eye Movements of Younger and Older Drivers
Authors: Maltz Masha , Shinar David
Published: January 2007

This 2-part study focuses on eye movements to explain driving-related visual performance in younger and older persons. In the first task, participants' eye movements were monitored as they viewed a traffic scene image with a numeric overlay and visually located the numbers in their sequential order. The results showed that older participants had significantly longer search episodes than younger participants, and that the visual search of older adults was characterized by more fixations and shorter saccades, although the average fixation durations remained the same. In the second task, participants viewed pictures of traffic scenes photographed from the driver's perspective. Their task was to assume the role of the driver and regard the image accordingly. Results in the second task showed that older participants allocated a larger percentage of their visual scan time to a small subset of areas in the image, whereas younger participants scanned the images more evenly. Also, older participants revisited the same areas and younger participants did not. The results suggest how aging might affect the efficacy of visual information processing. Potential applications of this research include training older drivers for a more effective visual search, and providing older drivers with redundant information in case some information is missed
The Discrimination, Acquisition, and Retention of Aiming Movements Made with and without Elastic Resistance
Authors: Anderson David I.
Published: January 2007

Two experiments were conducted to compare the discrimination, acquisition, and retention of movements made with and without elastic resistance. Using methods from psychophysics, Experiment 1 revealed that a discrete 800-mm movement could be discriminated equally precisely when it was performed with and without elastic resistance. Similarly, there was no difference in the spatial accuracy of a discrete aiming movement made with and without elastic resistance when extended practice with knowledge of results (KR) was provided in Experiment 2. Contrary to expectation, when KR about the outcome of the movement was removed on a retention test given 24 h after practice, the accuracy of the movements made with elastic resistance declined much more rapidly than those made without resistance. These findings question the common assumption that elastic resistance is a desirable characteristic of a control mechanism. Actual or potential applications of this research include the design of control mechanisms that facilitate performance under a variety of task and environmental conditions.
Predicting Optimal Accommodative Performance from Measures of the Dark Focus of Accommodation
Authors: Andre Jeffrey T. , Owens D. Alfred
Published: January 2007

Leibowitz and his colleagues found that accommodation rests at an intermediate distance that shows wide interindividual variation. They proposed that this intermediate dark focus is useful for correcting anomalous refractive errors, but this proposal was later questioned when different measurement techniques yielded discrepant dark focus values. The present study measured dark focus under two levels of visual attentiveness: (a) when performing an open-loop, active viewing task (aDF); and (b) when looking passively into darkness (pDF). These dark focus measures were then compared with an optimal accommodation distance that was derived from accommodative response functions in bright and dim luminance. The aDF measures were found to be more myopic (nearer) than the pDF measures and highly correlated with the optical accommodation distance. No significant relationship was found between pDF and optical accommodation distance. These findings confirm that measures of dark focus are affected by nonoptical aspects of the measurement technique; they also suggest that techniques that demand visual attention (aDF) yield dark focus values that are more useful for optimizing accommodation and potentially reducing fatigue in difficult situations.
Double Trade-off Curves with Different Cognitive Processing Combinations: Testing the Cancellation Axiom of Mental Workload Measurement Theory
Authors: Colle Herbert A. , Reid Gary B.
Published: January 2007

The accomplishment model of average mental workload - a formal axiomatic measurement theory - was used as a basis for developing and testing secondary task indices of mental workload (H. A. Colle & G. B. Reid, 1997). Its cancellation axiom implies global sensitivity, which is an important theoretical and practical criterion for mental workload indices. Performance levels of different secondary tasks were empirically equated in mental workload and then used to test the cancellation axiom. Cognitive processing similarity - including orthographic, phonemic, and semantic processing of pairs of operator and secondary tasks - was manipulated in three experiments. Equivalencies between secondary tasks were independent of secondary-operator task similarity, consistent with the cancellation axiom and the global sensitivity of these secondary tasks. The results suggest that standardized secondary task techniques can be developed for the practical measurement of mental workload. Actual or potential applications of this research include the development of functionally useful and realistic secondary task measures of mental workload.
Impairment of Driving Performance Caused by Sleep Deprivation or Alcohol: A Comparative Study
Authors: Fairclough Stephen H. , Graham Robert
Published: January 2007

A study was conducted to assess the relative impact of partial sleep deprivation (restriction to 4 h sleep before testing) and full sleep deprivation (no sleep on the night before testing) on 2 h of simulated driving, compared with an alcohol treatment (mean blood alcohol content = 0.07%). Data were collected from the 64 male participants on the primary driving task, psychophysiology (0.1 Hz heart rate variability), and subjective self-assessment. The results revealed that the full sleep deprivation and alcohol group exhibited a safety-critical decline in lane-keeping performance. The partial sleep deprivation group exhibited only noncritical alterations in primary task performance. Both sleep-deprived groups were characterized by subjective discomfort and an awareness of reduced performance capability. These subjective symptoms were not perceived by the alcohol group. The findings are discussed with reference to the development of systems for the online diagnosis of driver fatigue. Potential applications of this research include the formulation of performance criteria to be encompassed within a driver impairment monitoring system.
Age-Related Performance in a Multiple-Task Environment
Authors: Sit Richard A. , Fisk Arthur D.
Published: January 2007

Younger and older adult participants performed a dynamic multiple-task requiring concurrent processing of 4 independent tasks. Component-task performance emphasis (i.e., task priorities) was biased by differential point allocations across task components. After training, the point structure was modified. Older adults exhibited larger multiple-task performance deficits compared with younger adults; however, the age-related gap in multiple-task performance decreased with practice. The age-related performance difference increased again when task emphasis was changed, but not when demands were changed. Consistent with the training data, the age-related differences diminished again with additional experience on this new task-component emphasis. The data suggest that higher-order, strategic processing may be an important source of age-related differences in complex multiple-task performance. Actual or potential applications of this research include the facilitation of techniques for age-related comprehensive usability testing for products of even moderate complexity
Auditory Spatial Facilitation of Visual Search Performance: Effect of Cue Precision and Distractor Density
Authors: Rudmann Darrell S. , Strybel Thomas Z.
Published: January 2007

Two experiments examined auditory spatial facilitation of visual search performance under conditions varying in auditory cue precision and visual distractor density. The auditory cue was spatially coincided with the target, was displaced from the target by 6°, or was uninformative. Distractors were manipulated globally (throughout the field) and locally (within 6.5° of the target) separately at densities of 0%, 20%, and 80%. In Experiment 1, auditory cue precision was constant and distractor densities varied within a trial block; in Experiment 2, auditory precision varied and distractor densities were constant within a trial block. Coincident auditory cues minimized local and global distractor effects in both experiments, suggesting that auditory spatial cues facilitate both target localization and identification. The effectiveness of displaced auditory cues depended on cue reliability: In some conditions, displaced cues caused higher mean search latencies than did centered cues, indicating that participants were unable to ignore inaccurate auditory stimuli. Actual or potential applications of this research include virtual audio environments and auditory displays in cockpits.
Interactive Critiquing as a Form of Decision Support: An Empirical Evaluation
Authors: Guerlain Stephanie A. , Smith Philip J. , Obradovich Jodi Heinz , Rudmann Sally , Strohm Patricia , Smith Jack W. , Svirbely John , Sachs Larry
Published: January 2007

This research focused on the design of a decision-support system to assist blood bankers in identifying alloantibodies in patients' blood. It was hypothesized that critiquing, a technique in which a computer monitors human performance for errors, would be an effective role for such a decision-support system if the error monitoring was unobtrusive and if the critiquing was in response to both intermediate and final conclusions made by the user. A prototype critiquing system monitored medical technologists for (a) errors of commission and errors of omission, b) failure to follow a complete protocol, (c) answers inconsistent with the data collected, and (d) answers inconsistent with prior probability information. Participants using the critiquing system had significantly better performance (completely eliminating misdiagnosis rates for 3 out of 4 test cases) than a comparable control group. Detailed analysis of the behavioral protocols provided insights into how specific design features influenced performance. Practical applications of this research include its use (after refinements) as a tool for routine antibody identification in blood banks.
Drowning in data: Satellite oceanography and information overload in the Earth sciences
Authors: CONWAY ERIK M.
Published: January 2007

In the late 20th century, remote sensing from space offered a means of resolving one of the principal challenges plaguing physical oceanographers, poor spatial sampling. But in fact, remote sensing offered an opposing problem–so much data that the traditional oceanographic institutions were not equipped to cope with it. NASA decided to resolve this problem by having the Jet Propulsion Laboratory construct an oceanographic data center at its Pasadena facility. This represents a new kind of scientific institution, whose purpose is the development, validation, and distribution of scientific data to third-party users. Since 1990, NASA has established several such facilities, each rooted in a subset of the Earth science disciplines and each making its data publicly available via the Internet. In so doing, it reversed a decades-old policy that had given an instrument's science team proprietary privileges. Agency leaders did this to expand scientific demand for NASA's capabilities, thus buttressing the agency's political support; because they believed remote sensing could enable great scientific strides; because they thought open access to data would foster competition and thus produce better scientific results; and because they believed that publicly-funded data should be public. In the process, they created a “market” for oceanographic data far larger than that represented by professional oceanographers.
The invisible businessman: Nuclear physics, patenting practices, and trading activities in the 1930s
Authors: TURCHETTI SIMONE
Published: January 2007

In the 1930s the production of patents for the protection of intellectual rights became central to the research activities of Enrico Fermi and his group, consistently with a research policy emerging within the Italian Fascist Regime. Behind their work was an international network consisting of businessmen, industrialists, and multinationals who helped them patent their method for the production of artificial radioactive elements and to promote its industrial exploitation. The lack of research funding combined with a more aggressive foreign policy of the regime made it impossible for the group to continue these activities in Rome, and in 1938 the promulgation of racial laws forced them to migrate abroad.
Frederic Clements, climatology, and conservation in the 1930s
Authors: MASUTTI CHRISTOPHE
Published: January 2007

The study of climate change has deep roots in the history of North American ecology. At the time of the Wall Street crash and the Depression of the 1930s, America .s Great Plains were struck by the Dust Bowl, a phenomenon of catastrophic soil erosion that resulted from the combined effects of intensive farming practices and a particularly harsh drought. Contemporaneously, the ecologist Frederic Clements proposed a theory of plant succession that itself took the history of the Great Plains as its model, and drew on the notion of climatic cycles. This theory became established as the model for ecological expertise in the politics of conservation adopted by the Roosevelt administration. In this paper, I will show how climatology became inscribed in plant ecology not only for epistemological reasons, but also due to an ideology that promoted the ecologist as an expert in the optimization of resources, in an illustration of the tripartite relationship between ecology, politics, and climate change.
The pathological history of weather and climate modification: Three cycles of promise and hype
Authors: FLEMING JAMES RODGER
Published: January 2007

The checkered history of weather and climate modification exhibits a modicum of promise and an excess of hype. This paper examines two completed historical cycles: the first, dating from 1839, involved western proprietary rainmaking or “pluviculture;” the second, from 1946 to 1978 involved “cloud seeding,” commercial rainmaking, and the attempted weaponization of the clouds. Recently, discussion of weather and climate modification has returned to the science-policy agenda, framed as seemingly inevitable responses to killer storms and global warming. The long history of deceptive and delusional attempts to “control” nature, however, raised serious questions about the rationality of these options.
Modeling reality. Practice, knowledge, and uncertainty in atmospheric transport simulation
Authors: HEYMANN MATTHIAS
Published: January 2007

Computer modeling, a new form of knowledge production implying new theoretical and experimental practices, has since the 1950s become an important tool in scientific investigation. This paper analyzes computer simulation in two cases of atmospheric transport modeling. First, it investigates pioneering efforts by the meteorologist Heinz Fortak in the 1960s to construct Gaussian models of local and regional air pollution transport. Second, it deals with the much more complex simulation efforts by a Norwegian group around Anton Eliassen in the 1970s and 1980s to model long distance transport and transformation of pollutants. In both cases, the simulation of air pollution phenomena implied a set of specific practices. The use of the computer as a tool required drastic simplifications; the collection and preparation of an enormous amount of input data; the adoption of control procedures to validate the models; and the execution of “computer experiments” in sensitivity studies. Because of uncertainty and ignorance, scientists enjoyed a large freedom of choice in the construction of models and simulation runs, and great interpretative flexibility of their outcome. Nevertheless, by relying on tacit expert knowledge and intuition, scientists were ultimately able to approach coherence and stability.
In the public eye: Volcanology and climate change studies in the 20th century
Authors: DÖRRIES MATTHIAS
Published: January 2007

Three factors furthered the emergence of the field of volcanism and climate change in the 20th century: trigger events in the form of major volcanic eruptions, which attracted scientific and public attention (Katmai [1912], Agung [1963], Mount St. Helens [1980], El Chichón [1982], Pinatubo [1991]); the availability of long-term global data obtained by instruments including pyrheliometers, sondes, computers, and satellites, which allowed generalizations and theoretical considerations; and major scientific and public debates that assigned an important place to the theme. No one of these factors alone would have been sufficient; the new object of research emerged only from a specific but not necessarily simultaneous combination of arbitrary events in nature, standardized measurements of global reach, and public demand. The latter comprised many aspects, beginning with the debate around the cause of the ice ages, mutating into an environmental discussion of man-made climate change covering a spectrum of apocalyptic scenarios that pointed up the fragility of human existence on earth, including the possible impact of atmospheric H-bomb tests during the 1950s and 1960s, the environmental and human consequences of a nuclear war between the USSR and the United States, and anthropogenic climate change. Existing historical representations of the research field have so far been written exclusively by scientists themselves. This paper critically examines these accounts while placing the research on the field of volcanism and climate change within its larger social and political history.
Geometrical and electrical properties of NTC polycrystalline thermistors vs. Changes of sintering parameters
Authors: Savic S.M. , Aleksic O.S. , Nikolic P.M. , Lukovic D.T.
Published: January 2007

NTC thermistor powder was made of a Mn, Ni, Fe and Co oxide mixture calcinated at 1050?C / 60 min. The powder was milled in a ball mill down to an average particle diameter of 0.9 ?m. Small disc shaped pills of the powder obtained were made by pressing with a pressure of 2.5 MPa. The pills were sintered in the temperature range of 900-1400 ?C for 30-240 min. The volume and specific volume resistivity change were measured as a function of sintering conditions. Microstructure development was observed using a SEM microscope. Using the results obtained, optimization of sintering parameters was performed in order to determine optimal electrical properties of the selected thermistor composition.
Low back pain and lumbar angles in Turkish coal miners
Authors: Sarikaya Selda , Özdolap Şenay , Gümüştasş Şenol , Koç Ülkü
Published: January 2007

Background

This study was designed to assess the incidence of low back pain among Turkish coal miners and to investigate the relationship between angles of the lumbar spine and low back pain in coal miners.

Methods

Fifty underground workers (Group I) and 38 age‐matched surface workers (Group II) were included in the study. All the subjects were asked about low back pain in the past 5 years. The severity of low back pain was evaluated with 10 mm visual analog scale (VAS). Modified oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire (MOSW) was used to measure functional disability. Sacral horizontal angle (SHA), lumbosacral angle (LSA), and lumbar lordosis were measured through Cobb method.

Results

The prevalance of low back pain was higher in Group I than in Group II (78.0%, 32.4%, respectively, P < 0.001). The mean VAS score was higher in Group I than in Group II (P < 0.05). There was no difference in MOSW scores between the two Groups. The mean SHA was lower in Group I than in Group II (P = 0.02). No statistically significant difference was determined in lumbar angles of underground and surface workers with low back pain (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

The results of the study showed that low back pain occurred in 78.0% of Turkish coal miners. Although the nature of the occupation may have influenced coal miners' lumbar spinal curvature, lumbar angles are not a determinant for low back pain in this population. Further extensive studies involving ergonomic measurements are needed to validate our results for Turkish coal mining industry. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:92–96, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluating measurement error in estimates of worker exposure assessed in parallel by personal and biological monitoring
Authors: Symanski Elaine , Greeson Nicole M.H. , Chan Wenyaw
Published: January 2007

Background

While studies indicate that the attenuating effects of imperfectly measured exposure can be substantial, they have not had the requisite data to compare methods of assessing exposure for the same individuals monitored over common time periods.

Methods

We examined measurement error in multiple exposure measures collected in parallel on 32 groups of workers. Random‐effects models were applied under both compound symmetric and exponential correlation structures. Estimates of the within‐ and between‐worker variances were used to contrast the attenuation bias in an exposure‐response relationship that would be expected using an individual‐based exposure assessment for different exposure measures on the basis of the intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results

ICC estimates ranged widely, indicative of a great deal of measurement error in some exposure measures while others contained very little. There was generally less attenuation in the biomarker data as compared to measurements obtained by personal sampling and, among biomarkers, for those with longer half‐lives. The interval ICC estimates were oftentimes wide, suggesting a fair amount of imprecision in the point estimates. Ignoring serial correlation tended to over estimate the ICC values.

Conclusions

Although personal sampling results were typically characterized by more intra‐individual variability than inter‐individual variability when compared to biological measurements, both types of data provided examples of exposure measures fraught with error. Our results also indicated substantial imprecision in the estimates of exposure measurement error, suggesting that greater emphasis needs to be given to studies that collect sufficient data to better characterize the attenuating effects of an error‐prone exposure measure. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:112–121, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Work–family conflict and mental disorders in the United States: Cross‐sectional findings from The National Comorbidity Survey
Authors: Wang JianLi , Afifi Tracie O. , Cox Brian , Sareen Jitender
Published: January 2007

Background

Work–family conflict (WFC) may have negative effects on workers' health and productivity. The objective of this analysis was to assess the association between WFC and mental disorders that occurred in the past month.

Methods

Data from the U.S. National Comorbidity Survey were used. The 1‐month prevalence of mental disorders was estimated by levels of WFC and by gender.

Results

Compared to participants who reported low WFC, those who reported high WFC had a significantly higher prevalence of mental and/or substance use related disorders in the past month. Working hours and domestic roles did not have significant impacts on the association between WFC and mental disorders, irrespective of gender.

Conclusions

Work and family roles and the balance between the two are important for workers' mental health. The influence of WFC on mental health should be investigated in conjunction with important work environment characteristics in longitudinal studies. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:143–149, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
HPLC study of chlorin e6 and its molecular complex with polyvinylpyrrolidone
Authors: Isakau H. A. , Trukhacheva T. V. , Zhebentyaev A. I. , Petrov P. T.
Published: January 2007

Several HPLC methods with UV detection were developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of chlorin e6 and photosensitizer Photolon either in the free form or upon pre‐derivatization (methylation) under reversed‐ and normal‐phase conditions. Optimum analysis conditions providing the best resolution of analytes were found at acidic pH where polar groups are completely protonated. The separation was performed by gradient elution with mobile phases of 0.08% trifluoroacetic acid and acetonitrile on an XTerra RP18 column. The method was specific, accurate and precise, allowing the analysis of chlorin e6 in the presence of numerous degradation products useful in the manufacturing process and quality control of chlorin e6 and Photolon. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A pharmaco‐metabonomic study on the therapeutic basis and metabolic effects of Epimedium brevicornum Maxim. on hydrocortisone‐induced rat using UPLC‐MS
Authors: Li Famei , Lu Xiumei , Liu Huiping , Liu Man , Xiong Zhili
Published: January 2007

This paper describes the pharmaco‐metabonomic study on Epimedium brevicornum Maxim. treated rats with a pathologic condition similar to the ‘kidney deficiency syndromes’ in traditional Chinese medicine and its therapeutic basis. UPLC‐MS technique was used for the development of chemical profile of Epimedium brevicornum Maxim. and endogenous metabolite profiles of rats pre‐ and post‐hydrocortisone interfered and treated with this herbal medicine. The comparison among profiles was performed with a statistical technique, principle component analysis (PCA). Significant difference in endogenous metabolite profiles was observed in the intervention rats and the abnormality of metabolism recovered towards the normal level after administration with Epimedium brevicornum Maxim. extract. Four active constituents of Epimedium brevicornum Maxim. were found into the blood circulation of kidney‐deficient rats and two of their metabolites in the urine. This work suggests that the metabonomic approach is a potentially powerful tool to explore the therapeutic basis and to clarify the possible action mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Port‐a‐Cath perforation of the right atrium closed with an amplatzer ASD occluder
Authors: Wani Sunil , Dick Florian , Meier Bernhard
Published: January 2007

Right atrial perforation can lead to tamponade and death. Closure devices are used for sealing of shunts in the heart. We describe an indwelling catheter that caused perforation of the right atrium and was treated with a percutaneous closure device. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Facile Synthetic Route to 2 H‐Chromenes: Reconsideration of the Mechanism of the DBU‐Catalyzed Reaction between Salicylic Aldehydes and Ethyl 2‐Methylbuta‐2,3‐dienoate
Authors: Dai Lun‐Zhi , Shi Yong‐Ling , Zhao Gui‐Ling , Shi Min
Published: January 2007

Reactions of salicylaldehydes with ethyl buta‐2,3‐dienoate or penta‐3,4‐dien‐2‐one catalyzed by a catalytic amount of potassium carbonate produce the corresponding 2 H‐chromene products in moderate to good yields under mild conditions. A plausible reaction mechanism is discussed in the light of the results of an 18O‐labeling experiment. In addition, in view of these findings, the catalytic function of DBU in reactions of this kind is reconsidered.
Fullerene‐Derivatized Amino Acids: Synthesis, Characterization, Antioxidant Properties, and Solid‐Phase Peptide Synthesis
Authors: Yang Jianzhong , Alemany Lawrence B. , Driver Jonathan , Hartgerink Jeffrey D. , Barron Andrew R.
Published: January 2007

A series of [60]fullerene‐substituted phenylalanine (Baa) and lysine derivatives have been prepared by the condensation of 1,2‐(4′‐oxocyclohexano)fullerene with the appropriately protected (4‐amino)phenylalanine and lysine, respectively. Conversion of the imine to the corresponding amine is achieved by di‐acid catalyzed hydroboration. The reduction of the imine is not accompanied by hydroboration of the fullerene cage. The [70]fullerene phenylalanine derivative has also been prepared as have the di‐amino acid derivatives. The compounds were characterized by MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry, UV/Vis spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy allowed the observation of diastereomers. Fullerene‐substituted peptides may be synthesized on relatively large scale by solid‐phase peptide synthesis. The presence of the C60‐substituted amino acid in a peptide has a significant effect on the secondary structures and self‐assembly properties of peptides as compared to the native peptide. The antioxidant assay of Baa and a Baa‐derived anionic peptide was determined to be significantly more potent than Trolox.
New Structural Features in Heavy Alkaline Earth‐Metal Chemistry — Molecular Heterobimetallic Group 1, Ba Complexes
Authors: Zuniga Maria Felisa , Deacon Glen B. , Ruhlandt‐Senge Karin
Published: January 2007

The preparation of heterobimetallic complexes consisting of alkali and heavy alkaline earth metals remains a challenge due to limited available synthetic strategies. Here we present a new class of group 1, Ba compounds of the type [Mn{Ba(Odpp)2+n}] (M=Na(n=1) (1), K(n=1) (2), Cs(n=1) (3), Li(n=2) (4); HOdpp=2,6‐diphenylphenol) and the Lewis base adducts [Li2(thf)2{Ba(Odpp)4}]⋅PhMe (5) and [K{Ba(Odpp)3(diglyme)}] (6) (diglyme=[bis(2‐methoxy)ethyl ether]) as the first representatives of heterobimetallic group 1, Ba species of low nuclearity. The compounds display a significant degree of metal–arene interaction, believed to be a key factor in stabilizing these highly reactive species. Obtained by solid‐state direct metalation, the target compounds are available without further work‐up.
Expression of nebulette during early cardiac development
Authors: Esham Michael , Bryan Kourtney , Milnes Jennifer , Holmes William B. , Moncman Carole L.
Published: January 2007

Nebulette, a cardiac homologue of nebulin, colocalizes with α‐actinin in the pre‐myofibrils of spreading cardiomyocytes and has been hypothesized to play a critical role in the formation of the thin‐filament‐Z‐line complex early during myofibrillogenesis. Data from mesodermal explants or whole tissue mounts of developing hearts suggest that the pattern of myofibrillogenesis in situ may differ from observations of spreading cardiomyocytes. To evaluate the role of nebulette in myofibrillogenesis, we have analyzed the expression of nebulette in chicken heart rudiments by immunoblots and immunofluorescence. We detect the 110 kDa nebulette in heart rudiments derived from stage 9–10 using the anti‐nebulin mAb, N114, or polyclonal anti‐nebulette Abs by immunoblotting. Immunofluorescence analysis of explants stained with anti‐nebulette and anti‐α‐actinin Abs demonstrates that both proteins localize along actin filaments in punctate to continuous manner at early stages of cardiac development and later give rise to striations. In both cases, the punctate staining had a periodicity of ∼1.0 μm indicating a pre‐myofibrils distribution at the earliest time points examined. We demonstrate that nebulette is indeed associated with premyofibrils in very early stages of myofibrillogenesis and suggest that nebulette may play an important role in the formation of these structures. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Results of the 2006 Innsbruck International Consensus Conference on intraperitoneal chemotherapy in patients with ovarian cancer
Authors: Marth Christian , Walker Joan L. , Barakat Richard R. , Casado Antonio , Gadducci Angiolo , Miller Brigitte , Odicino Franco , Pujade‐Lauraine Eric , Sehouli Jalid , Tropé Claes , Wenzel Lari , Zeimet Alain G.
Published: January 2007

In February 2006, the International Consensus Conference on Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in Ovarian Cancer Patients in provided the first worldwide consensus after the National Cancer Institute issued an announcement encouraging the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer with anticancer drugs after surgery, including intraperitoneal (IP) therapy. At that conference, a consensus was obtained on important questions regarding the standard of care in IP therapy for patients with ovarian cancer.
Morphological and molecular left–right asymmetries in the development of the proepicardium: A comparative analysis on mouse and chick embryos
Authors: Schulte Inga , Schlueter Jan , Abu‐Issa Radwan , Brand Thomas , Männer Jörg
Published: January 2007

The proepicardium (PE) is an embryonic progenitor cell population that delivers the epicardium, the majority of the cardiac interstitium, and the coronary vasculature. In the present study, we compared PE development in mouse and chick embryos. In the mouse, a left and a right PE anlage appear simultaneously, which subsequently merge at the embryonic midline to form a single PE. In chick embryos, the right PE anlage appears earlier than the left and only the right anlage acquires the full PE‐phenotype. The left anlage remains in a rudimentary state. The expression patterns of PE marker genes (Tbx18, Wt1) correspond to the morphological data, being bilateral in the mouse and unilateral in the chick. Bmp4, which is unilaterally expressed in the right PE of chick embryos, is symmetrically expressed in the sinus venosus wall cranial to the PE in mouse embryos. Asymmetric development of the chicken PE might reflect side‐specific differences in topographical relationships to tissues with PE‐inducing or repressing activity or might result from the PE‐repressing activity of the right PE, which grows earlier. To test these hypotheses, we analyzed PE development in chick embryos, firstly, subsequent to experimentally induced inversion of PE topographical relationships to neighbouring tissues; secondly, in organ cultures; and, thirdly, subsequent to induction of cardia bifida. In all three experiments, only the right PE develops the full PE phenotype. Our results suggest that PE development might be controlled by the L–R pathway in the chick but not in the mouse embryo. Developmental Dynamics 236:684–695, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Involvement of TBK1 and IKKϵ in lipopolysaccharide‐induced activation of the interferon response in primary human macrophages
Authors: Solis Mayra , Romieu‐Mourez Raphaëlle , Goubau Delphine , Grandvaux Nathalie , Mesplede Thibault , Julkunen Ilkka , Nardin Alessandra , Salcedo Margarita , Hiscott John
Published: January 2007

Interferon (IFN) is an important effector of the innate immune response, induced by different viral or bacterial components through Toll‐like receptor‐dependent and ‐independent mechanisms. In human macrophages and macrophage‐activated killer cells, we demonstrate that (i) the type I IFN response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is weak compared to the host response to virus infection; (ii) there is a temporal difference in the induction of tank‐binding kinase‐1 (TBK1) and IkappaB kinase (IKK)‐related kinase epsilon (IKKϵ) kinase activities in response to LPS, with TBK1 activated early and IKKϵ induced in the late phase of IFN induction; and (iii) interferon regulatory factor (IRF)‐7 is induced following LPS treatment, but there is no evidence that IRF‐7 becomes activated by phosphorylation in vivo. Specifically, TBK1 kinase activity is rapidly increased after LPS stimulation (15 min) whereas IKKϵ activation occurs at 8 h. RNA interference‐mediated inhibition of TBK1 and IKKϵ expression in macrophages interfere with IFNB and IRF7 gene expression following LPS activation. Macrophage priming with rIFN‐α increased IRF‐7 expression, led to a sharp up‐regulation of the IFNB gene and to a rapid induction of IFNA2 upon LPS stimulation. These data support a differential role of TBK1 and IKKϵ in the downstream response mediated by IRF‐3 and IRF‐7 to LPS in primary human macrophages.
Translation efficiency of EBNA1 encoded by lymphocryptoviruses influences endogenous presentation of CD8+ T cell epitopes
Authors: Tellam Judy , Rist Michael , Connolly Geoff , Webb Natasha , Fazou Chrysa , Wang Fred , Khanna Rajiv
Published: January 2007

Lymphocryptoviruses (LCV) that infect humans and Old World primates display a significant degree of genetic identity. These viruses use B lymphocytes as primary host cells to establish a long‐term latent infection and express highly homologous latent viral proteins. Of particular interest is the expression of the EBV‐encoded nuclear antigen‐1 (EBNA1), which plays a crucial role in maintaining the viral genome in B cells. Using human and Old World primate homologues of EBNA1, we show that the internal repeat sequences differentially influence their in vitro translation efficiency. Although the glycine‐alanine repeat domain of human LCV (EBV) EBNA1 inhibits its self‐synthesis, the repeat domains within the simian LCV homologues of EBNA1 do not inhibit self‐synthesis. As a consequence, simian LCV EBNA1‐expressing cells are more efficiently recognized by virus‐specific CTL when compared to human EBV EBNA1, even though both proteins are highly stable in B cells. Interestingly, we also show that similar to human EBNA1, CD8+ T cell epitopes from simian LCV EBNA1 are predominantly derived from newly synthesized protein rather than the long‐lived pool of stable protein. These observations provide additional evidence that supports the theory that immune recognition of EBNA1 can occur without compromising the biological maintenance function of this protein.
Type II collagen without adjuvant induces eosinophilic arthritis
Authors: Bockermann Robert , Holmdahl Rikard
Published: January 2007

Eosinophilia is a characteristic feature of many inflammatory diseases including inflammatory bowel disease and asthma. It also occurs in a subtype of rheumatoid arthritis but the role of eosinophils has been unclear and animal models have been lacking. Here, we introduce a new mouse model to study the role of eosinophilia in arthritis. Intraperitoneal injection of type II collagen alone, without any adjuvant, was sufficient to induce chronic arthritis in a mouse with transgenic T cells specific for type II collagen. The arthritis was accompanied by infiltration of eosinophils into the synovial tissue and the disease could be blocked with neutralizing anti‐IL‐5 antibodies. To our knowledge, this is the first description of an eosinophilic disease form of destructive arthritis.
Role of the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase p110δ in generation of type 2 cytokine responses and allergic airway inflammation
Authors: Nashed Baher F. , Zhang Tingting , Al‐Alwan Monther , Srinivasan Ganesh , Halayko Andrew J. , Okkenhaug Klaus , Vanhaesebroeck Bart , HayGlass Kent T. , Marshall Aaron J.
Published: January 2007

Phosphoinositide 3‐kinases (PI3K) regulate immune activation via their roles in signal transduction of multiple classes of receptors. Here, we examined the effect of genetic inactivation of the hemopoietic cell‐restricted PI3K isoform p110δ on systemic cytokine and chemokine responses and allergic airway inflammation. We found that type 2 cytokine responses (IL‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐13) are significantly decreased in p110δ mutants, whereas type 1 cytokine responses (IFN‐γ and CXCL10) were robust. Elevated IFN‐γ production during the primary response to ovalbumin (OVA) was associated with reduced production of the regulatory cytokine IL‐10. IFN‐γ and IL‐10 production normalized after secondary OVA immunization; however, type 2 cytokine production was persistently reduced. Type 2 cytokine‐dependent airway inflammation elicited by intranasal challenge with OVA was dramatically reduced, with reduced levels of eosinophil recruitment and mucus production observed in the lungs. Induction of respiratory hyper‐responsiveness to inhaled methacholine, a hallmark of asthma, was markedly attenuated in p110δ‐inactivated mice. Adoptive transfer of OVA‐primed splenocytes from normal but not p110δ‐inactivated mice could induce airway eosinophilia in naive, airway‐challenged recipient mice. These data demonstrate a novel functional role for p110δ signaling in induction of type 2 responses in vivo and may offer a new therapeutic target for Th2‐mediated airway disease.
Quantifying the reduction in accessibility of the inhibitory NK cell receptor Ly49A caused by binding MHC class I proteins in cis
Authors: Andersson Katja E. , Williams Geoffrey S. , Davis Daniel M. , Höglund Petter
Published: January 2007

Murine natural killer (NK) cells are inhibited by target cell MHC class I molecules via Ly49 receptors. However, Ly49 receptors can be made inaccessible to target cell MHC class I by a cis interaction with its MHC class I ligand within the NK cell membrane. It has recently been demonstrated that MHC class I proteins transfer from the target cells to the NK cell. Here, we establish that the number of transferred MHC class I proteins is proportional to the number of Ly49A receptors at the NK cell surface. Ly49A+ NK cells from mice expressing the Ly49A ligand H‐2Dd showed a 90% reduction in Ly49A accessibility compared to Ly49A+ NK cells from H‐2Dd‐negative mice. The reduction was caused both by lower expression of Ly49A and interactions in cis between Ly49A and H‐2Dd at the NK cell surface. Approximately 75% of the Ly49A receptors on H‐2Dd‐expressing NK cells were occupied in cis with endogenous H‐2Dd and only 25% were free to interact with H‐2Dd molecules in trans. Thus, H‐2Dd ligands control Ly49A receptor accessibility through interactions both in cis and in trans.