bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Open-Label Phase II Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Two Doses of Pertuzumab in Castrate Chemotherapy-Naive Patients With Hormone-Refractory Prostate Cancer
Authors: de Bono Johann Sebastian , Bellmunt Joaquim , Attard Gerhardt , Droz Jean Pierre , Miller Kurt , Flechon Aude , Sternberg Cora , Parker Chris , Zugmaier Gerhard , Hersberger-Gimenez Veronica , Cockey Louise , Mason Malcolm , Graham John
Published: January 2007

Purpose

To determine the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) 50% decline rate within 24 weeks of starting treatment with single-agent pertuzumab in castrate patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC).

Patients and Methods

Two independent Simon's two-stage designs were used to evaluate two doses of pertuzumab administered intravenously once every 3 weeks. An interim analysis of the first 23 assessable patients in the first cohort treated at 420 mg (loading dose of 840 mg) allowed termination of additional enrollment if ≤ three patients had a ≥ 50% decline in PSA after all patients had completed at least three cycles of therapy or withdrew due to insufficient therapeutic response, death, or study-related toxicity before completing three cycles. A second cohort of patients treated at 1,050 mg could be enrolled with the same design, and if more than three patients had a ≥ 50% decline in PSA, 27 more patients would be treated at 1,050 mg.

Results

Sixty-eight castrate, chemotherapy-naive men with HRPC were enrolled. A total of 35 patients were treated at 420 mg; no PSA declines ≥ 50% were observed at the interim analysis and recruitment was stopped. A total of 33 patients were then treated at 1,050 mg, and no PSA declines ≥ 50% were observed at the interim analysis. Pertuzumab was well tolerated.

Conclusion

Pertuzumab has no clinically significant single-agent activity in castrate patients with HRPC at either of the tested dose levels. This may reflect the continued presence of significant levels of intraprostatic androgen driving androgen receptor signaling.
Peritumoral Fibroblast SPARC Expression and Patient Outcome With Resectable Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Infante Jeffrey R. , Matsubayashi Hiroyuki , Sato Norihiro , Tonascia James , Klein Alison P. , Riall Taylor A. , Yeo Charles , Iacobuzio-Donahue Christine , Goggins Michael
Published: January 2007

Purpose

SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine) is a protein involved in cell matrix interactions, wound repair, and cell migration, and has been reported to inhibit cancer growth. SPARC undergoes epigenetic silencing in many pancreatic cancers, but stromal fibroblasts adjacent to infiltrating pancreatic adenocarcinomas frequently express SPARC. We evaluated the prognostic significance of tumor and peritumoral SPARC expression in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Patients and Methods

The expression patterns of SPARC were characterized by immunohistochemistry in 299 primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma resection specimens from patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy at Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, MD) between 1998 and 2003. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression modeling were used to assess the mortality risk associated with the presence or absence of tumor SPARC and peritumoral SPARC status.

Results

By Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients whose pancreatic cancer stromal fibroblasts expressed SPARC (median survival, 15 months) had a significantly worse prognosis than patients whose tumor stroma did not express SPARC (median survival, 30 months; log-rank P < .001). In contrast, the expression of SPARC in pancreatic cancer cells was not associated with prognosis (log-rank P = .13). Controlling for other prognostic factors (tumor size, positive lymph nodes, margin status, tumor grade, and age), the relative hazard for patients whose stroma expressed SPARC compared with those whose stroma did not was 1.89 (95% CI, 1.31 to 2.74); the expression of SPARC in pancreatic cancer cells remained unrelated to prognosis (relative hazard, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.73 to 1.42).

Conclusion

The expression of SPARC by peritumoral fibroblasts portends a poorer prognosis for patients with pancreatic cancer.
Final Results of a Prospective Clinical Trial With VAMP and Low-Dose Involved-Field Radiation for Children With Low-Risk Hodgkin's Disease
Authors: Donaldson Sarah S. , Link Michael P. , Weinstein Howard J. , Rai Shesh N. , Brain Sam , Billett Amy L. , Hurwitz Craig A. , Krasin Matthew , Kun Larry E. , Marcus Karen C. , Tarbell Nancy J. , Young Jeffrey A. , Hudson Melissa M.
Published: January 2007

Purpose

To evaluate outcome and assess complications in children and adolescents with low-risk Hodgkin's disease treated with vinblastine, doxorubicin, methotrexate, and prednisone (VAMP) chemotherapy and low-dose, involved-field radiation therapy (IFRT).

Patients and Methods

One hundred ten children with low-risk Hodgkin's disease were treated with four cycles of VAMP and 15 Gy IFRT for those who achieved a complete response (CR) or 25.5 Gy for those with a partial response after two cycles of VAMP.

Results

With median follow-up of 9.6 years (range, 1.7 to 15.0), 5- and 10-year overall survival were 99.1% and 96.1%, respectively, and 5-and 10-year event-free survival (EFS) were 92.7% and 89.4%. Factors contributing to 10-year EFS were: early CR (P = .02), absence of B symptoms (P = .01), lymphocyte predominant histologic subtype (P = .04), and less than three initial sites of disease (P = .02). Organ toxicity has been limited to correctable hypothyroidism in 42% of irradiated patients, and one case of cardiac dysfunction. Seventeen healthy babies have been born to 106 survivors. There have been two malignant tumors: one thyroid cancer within the radiation therapy field and one Ewing's sarcoma outside the radiation therapy field.

Conclusion

Risk-adapted, combined-modality therapy using VAMP chemotherapy with radiation is effective and well tolerated. Pediatric patients with low-risk Hodgkin's disease can be cured with therapy without an alkylating agent, bleomycin, etoposide, or high-dose, extended-field radiotherapy. Thus, these children are expected to retain normal fertility, organ function, and be at low risk of a second malignant tumor.
Understanding the Language Demands of Schooling: Nouns in Academic Registers
Authors: Fang Zhihui , Schleppegrell Mary J. , Cox Beverly E.
Published: January 2007

Developing academic, or school-based, literacy poses a significant challenge for many students, because the language through which academic subjects are presented is markedly different from the social language that students use in everyday ordinary life. This article focuses on one aspect of academic language, the functions of nouns and nominal structures in constructing knowledge in different subject areas and the challenges they present for comprehension of academic texts. Using a functional linguistics framework and analyzing written texts from language arts, science, and history, at elementary and secondary levels, we illustrate the ways nominal expressions expand the amount of information in a clause, establish and maintain reference, and enable information to be distilled and further expanded. We also show how the semantic features of the nominal elements vary in different academic registers, as texts introduce grammatical “participants” of different types according to the purposes of the text. We suggest that the notion of linguistic register offers a means of transcending debates about academic language, enabling a pedagogy that can raise students' consciousness about specific grammatical resources and how those resources function to construct knowledge in the language of schooling.
Acting ”Cool” and ”Appropriate”: Toward a Framework for considering Literacy Classroom Interactions When Race is a Factor
Authors: Rex Lesley A.
Published: January 2007

In this article I draw on 3 incidents to investigate how teachers and students purposefully negotiate to manage incipient conflict when race is a confounding factor. I do so to propose a methodology and theoretical framework for researching multiracial classroom teaching and learning that could inform White literacy teachers' pedagogy with students of color. The approach construes race as a dynamic part of classroom social life in which expressions of race are affected by and affect teachers' and students' classroom norms of conduct. Race is observed in discursive practices that interactively and in fluentially construct social relationships, personal identity, and academic knowledge. I demonstrate the approach by illustrating how students manage problems and boundaries within commonplace classroom interactions.

The language experience of the African diaspora is enmeshed with issues of culture, identity, memory, and citizenship. (Morgan, 1994, p. 339)

For the sake of all children, it is time to act in ways that reflect genuine valuation of language diversity and to implement policies fostering multilingualism and dialect awareness. (Smitherman, 2004, p. 186)
Effects of extracellular changes on spontaneous heart rate of normoxia-and anoxia-acclimated turtles (Trachemys scripta)
Authors: Stecyk Jonathan A. W. , Farrell Anthony P.
Published: January 2007

Heart rate (fH) of the anoxia-tolerant freshwater turtle (Trachemys scripta) during prolonged anoxia exposure is 2.5-to 5-times lower than the normoxic rate, but whether alterations in blood composition that accompany prolonged anoxia contribute to this bradycardia is unknown. We examined how temperature acclimation, oxygen deprivation,acidosis, hyperkalemia, hypercalcemia and adrenaline affect chronotropy in the turtle myocardium. We monitored spontaneous contraction rates of right-atrial preparations obtained from 21°C- and 5°C-acclimated turtles that had been exposed to either normoxia or anoxia (6 h at 21°C; 2 weeks at 5°C). Sequential exposures to saline solutions were designed to mimic, in a step-wise manner, the shift from a normoxic to anoxic extracellular condition (for normoxia-acclimated preparations) or the reverse (for anoxia-acclimated preparations). Our results clearly show that prolonged anoxia exposure re-sets the intrinsic fH of turtles at both temperatures, with reductions in intrinsic fH in the range of 25%–53% compared with normoxia. This intrinsic change would contribute to the bradycardia observed with prolonged anoxia. Further, we found negative chronotropic effects of extracellular anoxia, acidosis and hyperkalemia, and positive chronotropic effects of hypercalcemia and adrenaline. The exact nature of these extracellular effects depended, however,on the acclimation temperature and the prior exposure of the animal to anoxia. With normoxia-acclimated preparations at 21°C, combined anoxia and acidosis (pH reduced from ∼7.8 to ∼7.2) significantly reduced spontaneous fH by 22% and subsequent exposure to hyperkalemia (3.5 mmol l–1K+) further decreased fH. These negative chronotropic effects were ameliorated by increasing the adrenaline concentration from the tonic level of 1 nmol l–1 to 60 nmol l–1. However, in anoxia-acclimated preparations at 21°C, anoxia alone inhibited fH (by ∼30%). This negative chronotropic effect was counteracted by both hypercalcemia (6 mmol l–1Ca2+) and adrenaline (60 nmol l–1). At 5°C,only the combination of anoxia, acidosis (pH reduced from ∼8.0 to∼7.5) and hyperkalemia (3.5 mmol l–1 K+)significantly reduced spontaneous fH (by 23%) with preparations from normoxia-acclimated turtles. This negative chronotropic effect was fully reversed by hypercalcemia (10 mmol l–1Ca2+). By contrast, spontaneous fH of anoxia-acclimated preparations at 5°C was not affected by any of the extracellular changes. We conclude that prior temperature and anoxia experiences are central to determining fH during prolonged anoxia in Trachemys scripta both as a result of the re-setting of pacemaker rhythm and through the potential influence of extracellular changes.
Spectral sensitivity of four species of fiddler crabs (Uca pugnax,Uca pugilator,Uca vomerisandUca tangeri) measured byin situmicrospectrophotometry
Authors: Jordão Joana M. , Cronin Thomas W. , Oliveira Rui F.
Published: January 2007

Fiddler crabs have compound eyes that are structurally fairly well understood. However, there has been much debate regarding their spectral sensitivity and capacity to enable colour discrimination. We examined the visual pigments of two North-American species (Uca pugnax and U. pugilator), one species from the Indo-West Pacific (U. vomeris)and the only Eastern-Atlantic species (U. tangeri) of fiddler crabs using in situ microspectrophotometry of frozen sections of dark-adapted eyes. Only one spectral class of visual receptor was found in the larger (R1–7) retinular cells of each species, with maximum absorption peaking between 508 nm and 530 nm (depending upon species). The R8 retinular cell, that might contain a short-wavelength sensitive photopigment and provide a basis for colour vision, was too small to analyze by these methods. Rhabdoms were lined with screening pigment which strongly influenced each species'spectral sensitivity, sharpening the peak and shifting the maximum towards longer wavelengths, on occasion to as far as the 600 nm region. We hypothesize that sensitivity to longer wavelengths enhances contrast between background(blue sky or tall vegetation) and the male major claw during the waving display.
Relationship between n-3 PUFA content and energy metabolism in the flight muscles of a migrating shorebird: evidence for natural doping
Authors: Maillet Dominique , Weber Jean-Michel
Published: January 2007

During their fall migration from the Arctic to South America, semipalmated sandpipers Calidris pusilla stop in the Bay of Fundy (east coast of Canada) before flying non-stop for ∼4500 km across the ocean. Refueling birds double their body mass by feeding on Corophium volutator, an amphipod containing high amounts of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), particularly eicosapentaenoic (20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6). In mammals, high dietary intake of n-3 PUFA is known to increase capacity for oxidative metabolism. Therefore, we hypothesized that tissue incorporation of n-3 PUFA would be associated with increases in the activity of key muscle enzymes to upregulate energy metabolism for prolonged exercise.

Birds were collected at various stages of fat loading to monitor changes in lipid composition and flight muscle enzymes simultaneously. Enzymes were measured to assess oxidative capacity [citrate synthase (CS)],β-oxidation [carnitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT) and 3-hydroxyacyl dehydrogenase (HOAD)] and glycolytic capacity [lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)]. Changes in the fatty acid composition of muscle membranes (phospholipids) and fuel reserves (neutral lipids) were measured separately to distinguish between membrane-related and systemic effects of n-3 PUFA. Results show that muscle CS and HOAD are stimulated during refueling and that their activities are correlated with n-3 PUFA content in phospholipids (22:6 for CS, 20:5 for HOAD)and in neutral lipids (20:5 for CS). This suggests that 20:5 and 22:6 have different effects on energy metabolism and that they act via changes in membrane structure and systemic mechanisms. CPT and LDH did not change during refueling, but LDH activity was significantly related to the n-3 PUFA content of fuel reserves. This study shows that oxidative capacity increases rapidly during refueling and supports the idea that dietary n-3 PUFA are used as molecular signals to prime flight muscles of some long-distance migrants for extreme exercise.
Predicting the energy cost of terrestrial locomotion: a test of the LiMb model in humans and quadrupeds
Authors: Pontzer Herman
Published: January 2007

The energy cost of terrestrial locomotion has been linked to the muscle forces generated to support body weight and swing the limbs. The LiMb model predicts these forces, and hence locomotor cost, as a function of limb length and basic kinematic variables. Here, I test this model in humans, goats and dogs in order to assess the performance of the LiMb model in predicting locomotor cost for bipeds and quadrupeds. Model predictions were compared to observed locomotor cost, measured via oxygen consumption, during treadmill trials performed over a range of speeds for both walking and running gaits. The LiMb model explained more of the variation in locomotor cost than other predictors, including contact time, Froude number and body mass. The LiMb model also accurately predicted the magnitude of vertical ground forces. Results suggest the LiMb model reliably links locomotor anatomy to force production and locomotor cost. Further, these data support the idea that limb length may underlie the scaling of locomotor cost for terrestrial animals.
Serotonin stimulates [Ca2+]i elevation in ciliary ectodermal cells of echinoplutei through a serotonin receptor cell network in the blastocoel
Authors: Katow Hideki , Yaguchi Shunsuke , Kyozuka Keiichiro
Published: January 2007

A full-length serotonin receptor mRNA from the 5Hthpr gene was sequenced from larvae of the sea urchin, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus.The DNA sequence was most similar to 5HT-1A of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus found by The Sea Urchin Genome Project,and the protein sequence predicted the presence of seven transmembrane domains. Immunohistochemistry with anti-5HThpr antibodies indicated that the protein was expressed on blastocoelar cells that comprised the major blastocoelar network (serotonin receptor cell network). These network cells inserted their processes into the ectoderm in various regions, including the ciliary band region. Serotonin injected into the blastocoel stimulated a transient elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration([Ca2+]i) in the ectoderm, as detected by Oregon-Green dextran, injected earlier in development. The calcium transient propagated as a wave at about 175 μm s–1, but was not detectable in the serotonin receptor-positive cell network. In larvae treated with p-chlorophenylalanine, a potent and irreversible serotonin synthesis inhibitor, serotonin application did not stimulate[Ca2+]i, the serotonin receptor cell network did not develop properly, and the swimming behavior of the larvae was abnormal. However, formation of a different nervous system comprising synaptotagmin-possessed neurites was not affected by p-chlorophenylalanine treatment. These results imply that serotonin secreted from the apical ganglion into the blastocoel stimulates the elevation of [Ca2+]i in the larval ectodermal cells through the serotonin receptor cell network.
Running stability is enhanced by a proximo-distal gradient in joint neuromechanical control
Authors: Daley M. A. , Felix G. , Biewener A. A.
Published: January 2007

We currently know little about how animals achieve dynamic stability when running over uneven and unpredictable terrain, often characteristic of their natural environment. Here we investigate how limb and joint mechanics of an avian biped, the helmeted guinea fowl Numida meleagris, respond to an unexpected drop in terrain during running. In particular, we address how joint mechanics are coordinated to achieve whole limb dynamics. Based on muscle–tendon architecture and previous studies of steady and incline locomotion, we hypothesize a proximo-distal gradient in joint neuromechanical control. In this motor control strategy, (1) proximal muscles at the hip and knee joints are controlled primarily in a feedforward manner and exhibit load-insensitive mechanical performance, and (2) distal muscles at the ankle and tarsometatarso-phalangeal (TMP) joints are highly load-sensitive, due to intrinsic mechanical effects and rapid, higher gain proprioceptive feedback. Limb kinematics and kinetics during the unexpected perturbation reveal that limb retraction, controlled largely by the hip, remains similar to level running throughout the perturbed step, despite altered limb loading. Individual joints produce or absorb energy during both level and perturbed running steps, such that the net limb work depends on the balance of energy among the joints. The hip maintains the same mechanical role regardless of limb loading, whereas the ankle and TMP switch between spring-like or damping function depending on limb posture at ground contact. Initial knee angle sets limb posture and alters the balance of work among the joints, although the knee contributes little work itself. This distribution of joint function results in posture-dependent changes in work performance of the limb, which allow guinea fowl to rapidly produce or absorb energy in response to the perturbation. The results support the hypothesis that a proximo-distal gradient exists in limb neuromuscular performance and motor control. This control strategy allows limb cycling to remain constant, whereas limb posture,loading and energy performance are interdependent. We propose that this control strategy provides simple, rapid mechanisms for managing energy and controlling velocity when running over rough terrain.
Hair plate mechanoreceptors associated with body segments are not necessary for three-dimensional path integration in desert ants,Cataglyphis fortis
Authors: Wittlinger Matthias , Wolf Harald , Wehner Rüdiger
Published: January 2007

In formicine ants, the hair fields associated with the neck and the petiole(alitrunk–petiole and petiole–gaster joints) have long been established to function in graviception. Here, we examine a possible role of these hair receptors in three-dimensional (3-D) path integration of the(formicine) desert ant, Cataglyphis fortis. Cataglyphisjudge the ground distance when travelling over hills, allowing correct homing even in (unpredictably) uneven terrain. We eliminated the function of these hair sensors in graviception either by shaving the hairs or by immobilising the joints monitored by the hair plates. With that major component of their sense of graviception eliminated, one would expect the ants to disregard, or at least misgauge, the ascents and descents performed across hills during outbound journey. The ants should thus consider the (much longer) actual walking trajectory, instead of the base distance, when calculating their homing distance. Surprisingly, neither shaving nor immobilisation of the hair sensillae affected correct path integration, across both uneven terrain (3-D)and level surface. If anything, the ants underestimated homing distance, which may reflect a general, safety-oriented navigation strategy. Animals that had performed the outbound journey with their gaster fixed in a horizontal position underestimated their homing so dramatically that this latter explanation cannot hold.
The directional hearing abilities of two species of bamboo sharks
Authors: Casper Brandon M. , Mann David A.
Published: January 2007

Auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) were used to measure the directional hearing thresholds of the white-spotted bamboo shark Chiloscyllium plagiosum and the brown-banded bamboo shark Chiloscyllium punctatum at four frequencies and seven directions, using a shaker table designed to mimic the particle motion component of sound. Over most directions and frequencies there were no significant differences in acceleration thresholds, suggesting that the sharks have omni-directional hearing abilities. Goldfish Carassius auratus were used as a baseline to compare a species with specialized hearing adaptations versus sharks with no known adaptations, and were found to have more sensitive directional responses than the sharks. Composite audiograms of the sharks were created from the average of all of the directions at each frequency and were compared with an audiogram obtained for C. plagiosum using a dipole stimulus. The dipole stimulus audiograms were significantly lower at 50 and 200 Hz compared to the shaker audiograms in terms of particle acceleration. This difference is hypothesized to be a result of the dipole stimulating the macula neglecta, which would not be stimulated by the shaker table.
The interaction of CO2 concentration and spatial location on O2 flux and mass transport in the freshwater macrophytes Vallisneria spiralis and V. americana
Authors: Nishihara Gregory N. , Ackerman Josef D.
Published: January 2007

The biology of aquatic organisms determines the maximum rates of physiological processes, but the mass transport of nutrients determines the nominal rates at which these processes occur. Maximum O2 flux(Pmax) at 17.1 mmol m–3 CO2was higher for the leaves of the freshwater macrophyte Vallisneria spiralis [Pmax=0.013±0.001 mmol m–2 s–1 (gchla+bm–2)–1 (mean ± s.e.m.)] than for the closely related species, Vallisneria americana[Pmax=0.008±0.001 mmol m–2s–1 (gchla+bm–2)–1]. The O2 flux saturated at freestream velocities >4.5±1.2 cm s–1 and was spatially invariant for both species. However, a tenfold decrease in CO concentration to 1.71 mmol m–3 changed the nature of the relationship between O2 flux and spatial location along the leaf surface, and reduced the O2 flux of V. spiralis to values similar to V. americana. The O2 flux[Pmax=0.007±0.001 mmol m–2s–1 (gchla+bm–2)–1] saturated at the upstream location(i.e. 1 cm from the leading edge of the leaf) but was found to increase linearly with freestream velocity [slope=0.057±0.011 mmol m–2 s–1 (gchla+bm–2)–1 (m s–1)–1] at the downstream location (i.e. 7 cm from the leading edge) at freestream velocities >1.8±0.9 cm s–1. Conversely, mass transfer rates did not vary with CO2 concentration, and were characteristic of a laminar concentration boundary layer at the upstream location and a turbulent concentration boundary layer at the downstream location. Rates of mass transfer measured directly from O2 profiles were not predicted by theoretical values based on hydrodynamic measurements. Moreover, the concentration boundary layer thickness (δCBL) values measured directly from O2 profiles were 48±2% and 21±1% of the predicted theoretical δCBL values at the upstream and downstream locations, respectively. It is evident that physiological processes involving mass transport are coupled and vary in space. Mass transport investigations of biological systems based solely on hydrodynamic measurements need to be interpreted with caution.
Cu2+ and acute thermal stress induce protective eventsviathe p38-MAPK signalling pathway in the perfusedRana ridibundaheart
Authors: Gaitanaki Catherine , Pliatska Maria , Stathopoulou Konstantina , Beis Isidoros
Published: January 2007

In the present study, we investigated the induction of the p38-MAPK signalling pathway by copper, as exemplified by CuCl2, in the isolated perfused heart of the amphibian Rana ridibunda. We found that p38-MAPK phosphorylation by CuCl2 occurs in a dose-dependent manner, with maximum activation (8.73±1.43-fold relative to control values) attained by perfusion with 500 μmol l–1CuCl2 for 15 min, while this activation sustained even after 60 min of reperfusion with normal bicarbonate buffer. CuCl2 also induced the phosphorylation of the small heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) in a p38-MAPK dependent manner, as revealed by experiments using the p38-MAPK inhibitor SB203580. p38-MAPK and Hsp27 phosphorylations were also strongly induced by hyperthermia (42°C), while the simultaneous use of hyperthermia and CuCl2 had a synergistic effect on p38-MAPK activation. Furthermore,perfusions with the potent antioxidant L-ascorbic acid (100 μmol l–1), the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT) (150 U ml–1) or superoxide dismutase (SOD) (30 U ml–1) in the presence of 500 μmol l–1CuCl2 did not attenuate the CuCl2-induced p38-MAPK activation, implying that at least the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenged by these agents are not implicated in this kinase activation. The p38-MAPK phosphorylation induced by the combined action of CuCl2 and hyperthermia was partially inhibited by catalase, indicating that hyperthermia possibly activates the kinase through the production of H2O2. Caspase-3, an effector protease of apoptosis,remained inactive in hearts perfused at normal or hyperthermic conditions, in the absence or presence of 500 μmol l–1 CuCl2. All the above results suggest that, in the amphibian Rana ridibundaheart, p38-MAPK activation by copper has a possible protective role through the small Hsp27.
Trimethylamine oxide suppresses stress-induced alteration of organic anion transport in choroid plexus
Authors: Villalobos Alice R. A. , Renfro J. Larry
Published: January 2007

The effect of physicochemical stress on organic anion transport across the vertebrate blood–cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier in the presence and absence of an endogenous cytoprotectant, trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), was investigated in isolated IVth choroid plexus (CP) of spiny dogfish shark(Squalus acanthias), an animal with naturally high levels of TMAO(∼70 mmol l–1). Active transepithelial absorption of the organic anion, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), by IVth CP mounted in Ussing chambers was measured after in vitro stress, and a marker for the cellular stress response, inducible heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), was assayed by immunoblot analysis. Transient heat stress (a shift from the normal 13.5°C to 23.5°C for 1 h) decreased 2,4-D transport by ∼66%;however, the same stress minus TMAO (isosmotic replacement with urea) had no effect on transport rate. In the absence of TMAO, stress-induced Hsp70 accumulation was more than double that seen in the presence of TMAO. Likewise,exposure to 50 μmol l–1 Zn for 6 h induced a twofold greater Hsp70 accumulation in the absence of TMAO than in its presence, and the higher Hsp70 level was associated with a higher 2,4-D transport rate. Heat stress and 50 μmol l–1 Zn also induced more pronounced increases in Hsp70 mRNA in the absence of TMAO. Thus, the cellular stress response can significantly alter CP organic anion transport capacity, and an endogenous osmolyte can suppress that response.
Preparation of Mixed Oxide Nanotubes by Precursor-accumulation on Carbon Nanofiber Templates
Authors: Ogihara Hitoshi , Sadakane Masahiro , Nodasaka Yoshinobu , Ueda Wataru
Published: January 2007

Various mixed oxide nanotubes, such as perovskite-type compounds, ferrites, and silica-based mixed oxides, could be synthesized using carbon nanofibers as templates. Carbon nanofibers are effective templates for preparing mixed oxide nanotubes because they are easily coated with mixed oxide by the accumulation of precursors on their surface.
Synthesis and Photophysical Properties of [60]Fullerene Adducts Carrying Oligocarbazole Dendrons
Authors: Nakamura Yosuke , Konno Takashi , Watanabe Satoru , Suzuki Masato , Yoshihara Toshitada , Tobita Seiji , Nishimura Jun
Published: January 2007

[60]Fullerene adducts carrying oligocarbazole moieties were successfully prepared by the Bingel reactions. Their fluorescence spectra and transient absorption spectra suggested the intramolecular electron transfer from the oligocarbazole moiety to the fullerene moiety mainly via 1C60*.
Formation of Intrinsic Point Defects in Fluorine-doped Synthetic SiO2 Glass by 60Co γ-ray Irradiation
Authors: Kajihara Koichi , Hirano Masahiro , Skuja Linards , Hosono Hideo
Published: January 2007

Intrinsic point defect formation in a fluorine-doped synthetic silica (SiO2) glass by 60Co γ-ray irradiation was examined. The most abundantly formed defects are oxygen vacancies (Si–Si bonds). The concentrations of Si–Si bonds and interstitial oxygen molecules increase almost linearly with the γ-ray dose. These observations indicate that the primarily intrinsic defect process in SiO2 glass irradiated with 60Co γ-rays is the Frenkel pair formation, rather than a simple cleavage of an Si–O bond into a pair of silicon and oxygen dangling bonds.
Density Functional Study on the 1,4-Hydride Migration in the η5-Naphthalene Manganese Complex [(exo-R-η5-C10H8)Mn(CO)3]
Authors: Hwang Sungu , Jang Joonkyung , Chung Young Keun
Published: January 2007

The mechanism of 1,4-hydride migration in [(exo-R-η5-C10H8)Mn(CO)3] was investigated by density functional theoretical study. Diene hydride intermediate is located, and the Gibbs free energy of activation and the stability of the equilibrium mixture are in good agreement with the experimental results.
Peculiar Crystal Structure of a Thiophene/Phenylene Co-oligomer of 2,5-Bis(4′-methoxybiphenyl-4-yl)thiophene
Authors: Hotta Shu , Goto Midori , Azumi Reiko
Published: January 2007

The crystal structure of a thiophene/phenylene co-oligomer of 2,5-bis(4′-methoxybiphenyl-4-yl)thiophene has been investigated. The crystals are orthorhombic with space group Cmc21. The crystal structure is characterized by that the molecular long axis is rigorously perpendicular to the bottom crystal plane (the bc-plane).
Total Synthesis of (−)-12,13-epi-Obtusenyne
Authors: Suzuki Toshio , Yoshino Nobuyuki , Uemura Toshiyuki , Hagiwara Hisahiro , Hoshi Takashi
Published: January 2007

The stereoselective total synthesis of (−)-12,13-epi-obtusenyne is described. The oxonene skeleton possessing cis-orientated alkyl substituents at the α,α′-positions to ether linkage was stereoselectively constructed via cyclization of the corresponding hydroxy epoxide promoted by Eu(fod)3.
Isomerism Effect on Flexibility of Layered Frameworks in Organic Salts of 4,4′-Biphenyldisulfonic Acid with Primary Amines
Authors: Mizobe Yuji , Miyata Mikiji , Hisaki Ichiro , Tohnai Norimitsu
Published: January 2007

Organic salt of 4,4′-biphenyldisulfonic acid with isopropylamine yields a flexible layered framework with guest-responsive channels, while the salt with n-propylamine does a rigid one with fixed channels. The flexibilities of the framework are modulated by an isomerism effect of alkyl groups on the basis of different directions of methyl groups.
Dinuclear Palladium Complex with a Bridging Dialkylsilylene Ligand
Authors: Watanabe Chieko , Iwamoto Takeaki , Kabuto Chizuko , Kira Mitsuo
Published: January 2007

A novel dinuclear palladium complex with one bridging dialkylsilylene ligand 6 was synthesized by the reaction of isolable dialkylsilylene 7 (R2Si:) with two equiv of bis(tricyclohexyl)phosphinepalladium (8). Complex 6 as a prototypical dipalladasilacyclopropane reacts with molecular hydrogen to give dihydrosilane 10 (R2SiH2) together with 8 and metallic palladium.
A Novel Preparation of Tungsten Carbide Particles with High Specific Surface Area by Carburizing Tungsten Sulfides
Authors: Hara Yoshinori , Minami Noriko , Matsumoto Hajime , Itagaki Hiroaki
Published: January 2007

High surface area tungsten carbide (WC) was prepared by the carburization of tungsten sulfide (WS2) with a mixture gas of H2/CH4. In particular, the surface area of WC derived from W(CO)6/S as starting material showed around 80 m2/g, which is the highest value among reported. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results revealed that WS2 decomposed into small WC crystals with a plate-like structure retaining the entire morphology of the original WS2 when WS2 was transformed into WC. That may be one of reasons why WC obtained in this way gives a high surface area.
Fabrication of Large, Free-standing Nanofilms of Platinum and Platinum–Palladium Alloy
Authors: Li Yuanzhi , Kunitake Toyoki , Onoue Shinya , Muto Emi , Watanabe Hirohmi
Published: January 2007

A facile approach was developed to fabricate macroscopic, free-standing nanofilms (thickness, 50 nm) of platinum and platinum–palladium alloy, which are flexible and remain intact in air.
Addition of Allylindium Bromide to Nitrile Oxides in Aqueous Media: Convenient Synthesis of 5-Methylisoxazolines
Authors: Sawant Sanghapal D , Singh Parvinder P , Qazi Naveed A , Kumar H M Sampath
Published: January 2007

5-Methylisoxazolines were obtained in good yields through a highly selective nucleophilic addition of allylindium reagent to benzonitrile oxides with concominant C–O heterocyclization.
An Effect of Protruding Ends of λ-DNA on its Adsorption onto Hydrophobic Solid Surfaces during Molecular Combing
Authors: Kudo Hidetoshi , Suga Kosaku , Fujihira Masamichi
Published: January 2007

We investigated an effect of difference in extremities of DNA on its adsorption onto chemically modified cover glass slips. Two kinds of DNA were used. These are λ-DNA and λ-DNA treated with T4 DNA polymerase, which have protruding ends and blunt ends, respectively. The glass substrate surfaces were silanized with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APS) or octadecyltrimethoxysilane (OTS). Both DNA molecules were adsorbed on the APS-treated surface due to electrostatic interaction between the positively charged ammonium groups and the negatively charged phosphate groups along the DNA chains, while only untreated λ-DNA was adsorbed on the OTS-treated surface. The latter result is attributable to hydrophobic interaction between the protruding ends and the OTS-treated surface.
Marketing Models of Service and Relationships
Authors: Rust Roland T. , Chung Tuck Siong
Published: January 2007

Given the growth of the service sector, and advances in information technology and communications that facilitate the management of relationships with customers, models of service and relationships are a fast-growing area of marketing science. This article summarizes existing work in this area and identifies promising topics for future research. Models of service and relationships can help managers manage service more efficiently, customize service more effectively, manage customer satisfaction and relationships, and model the financial impact of those customer relationships. Models for managing service have often emphasized analytical approaches to pricing, but emerging issues such as the trade-off between privacy and customization are attracting increasing attention. The trade-offs between productivity and customization have also been addressed by both analytical and empirical models, but future research in the area of service customization will likely place increased emphasis on e-service and truly personalized interactions. Relationship models will focus less on models of customer expectations and length of relationship, and more on modeling the effects of dynamic marketing interventions with individual customers. The nature of service relationships increasingly leads to financial impact being assessed within customer and across product, rather than the traditional reverse, suggesting the increasing importance of analyzing customer lifetime value (CLV) and managing the firm’s customer equity.
Structural Modeling in Marketing: Review and Assessment
Authors: Chintagunta Pradeep , Erdem Tülin , Rossi Peter E. , Wedel Michel
Published: January 2007

The recent marketing literature reflects a growing interest in structural models, stemming from (1) the desire to test a variety of behavioral theories with market data, and (2) recent developments that facilitate estimation of and inference for these models. Whether one should always go through the effort of developing such tightly parameterized models with the associated computational burden of estimating them and whether it pays off to make strict behavioral assumptions in terms of better decisions remain open questions. To shed some light on these issues, we provide examples of structural approaches to consumer choice and demand as well as examples where the goal is to study the nature of competition in the marketplace. From that review comes our discussion of issues in the development and application of structural models, including their estimation, testing, and validation, their applicability in the practice of marketing, and their usefulness for normative as well as descriptive purposes.
Invited Commentary—Research Perspectives at the Interface of Marketing and Operations: Applications to the Motion Picture Industry
Authors: Swami Sanjeev
Published: January 2007

In this comment, I discuss some research issues at the interface of marketing and operations particularly relevant to the motion picture industry. The major focus of my comments will be on the exhibition component of the motion picture value chain. Based on research findings and available data, I discuss the following issues: dynamic and interesting characteristics of the motion picture industry, the applicability of management science tools to artistic products, the practitioners’ viewpoint, and the possibility of moving from specific to general research problems (and vice versa) in this field. Four promising research areas have been identified for marketing academics and researchers: (i) an integrated scheduling approach, (ii) relationship management and contract design, (iii) the role of forecasting accuracy in movie decision support systems, and (iv) the impact of digital conversion of movies on operations scheduling.
Invited Commentary—Dynamic Structural Consumer Models and Current Marketing Issues
Authors: Sun Baohong
Published: January 2007

Structural models integrate behavioral and psychological decision theory into economics models and are more aligned with the true underlying economic primitives of the consumers. This allows researchers to investigate more behavior-driven and process-oriented customer decision processes such as learning of product attributes, formation of a consideration sets, stockpiling, and flexible consumption that cannot be easily handled by traditional marketing models. Chintagunta et al. (2006) gives an excellent review on the development and applications of structural models in marketing for modeling both consumer demand and firm competition.

Recent interests in consumer research have diversified from frequently purchased packaged goods to services, high-tech, Internet, and information industries. Consumers are observed to be more sophisticated, long-term oriented, risk averse, and rational when making purchase and consumption decisions in these product categories. Structural models are better choices to capture the nature of the sophisticated decision process under the new marketing environment and engineering. Given the thorough review of Chintagunta et al. (2006), I will focus only on the dynamic structural demand models that have the components of information processing, rational expectation, and/or endogenous decisions to trade off current and future utilities, and I discuss some current marketing issues that can be most appropriately addressed by these models.
Invited Commentary—Commentary on Structural Modeling in Marketing: Review and Assessment
Authors: Chan Tat Y.
Published: January 2007

Chintagunta, Erdem, Rossi, and Wedel (2006) (CERW) discuss many different issues related to the use of structural models in marketing. They use examples of structural models that involve both consumer demand and supply-side competition to provide a critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of structural modeling and its future in marketing. While they have done a very nice job, the purpose of this commentary is to provide additional discussion of the three issues raised in their paper.
A Branch-and-Price Algorithm for the Multilevel Generalized Assignment Problem
Authors: Ceselli Alberto , Righini Giovanni
Published: January 2007

The multilevel generalized assignment problem (MGAP) is a variation of the generalized assignment problem, in which agents can execute tasks at different efficiency levels with different costs. We present a branch-and-price algorithm that is the first exact algorithm for the MGAP. It is based on a decomposition into a master problem with set-partitioning constraints and a pricing subproblem that is a multiple-choice knapsack problem. We report on our computational experience with randomly generated instances with different numbers of agents, tasks, and levels; and with different correlations between cost and resource consumption for each agent-task-level assignment. Experimental results show that our algorithm is able to solve instances larger than those of the maximum size considered in the literature to proven optimality.
DNA Sequencing by Hybridization via Genetic Search
Authors: Blazewicz Jacek , Oguz Ceyda , Swiercz Aleksandra , Weglarz Jan
Published: January 2007

An innovative approach to DNA sequencing by hybridization utilizes isothermic oligonucleotide libraries. In this paper, we demonstrate the utility of a genetic algorithm for the combinatorial portion of this new approach by incorporating characteristics of DNA sequencing by hybridization in addition to isothermic oligonucleotide libraries. Specialized crossover and mutation operators were developed for this purpose. After initial experiments for parameter adjustment, the performance of the genetic algorithm approach was evaluated with respect to previous methods in the literature. The results indicate that the proposed new approach is superior to previous approaches. The proposed new crossover operator that inherits some features of the structured weighted combinations might also be of value for some other combinatorial problems, including the traveling salesman problem.
Joint Pricing-Production Decisions in Supply Chains of Complementary Products with Uncertain Demand
Authors: Wang Yunzeng
Published: January 2007

Consider n manufacturers, each producing a different product and selling it to a market, either directly or through a common retailer. The n products are perfectly complementary in the sense that they are always sold and consumed jointly or in sets of one unit of each. Demand for the products during a selling season is both price sensitive and uncertain. Each of the n manufacturers faces the problem of choosing a production quantity and a selling price for his product. Two settings are considered, regarding the decision sequence of the n manufacturers: They are either simultaneous or sequential. The retailer, when present, employs a consignment-sales contract with revenue sharing to bind her relationship with the manufacturers and to extract profit for herself. Using a multiplicative demand model in this paper, we fully characterize individual firms’ decisions in equilibria, under each of the two game settings, and derive closed-form performance measures, both for the channel and for individual channel members. These closed-form solutions allow us to explore the effects of channel structure and parameters on firms’ decisions and performance that lead to conclusions of managerial interest.
Efficient Supply Chain Management at the U.S. Coast Guard Using Part-Age Dependent Supply Replenishment Policies
Authors: Deshpande Vinayak , Iyer Ananth V. , Cho Richard
Published: January 2007

The United States Coast Guard (USCG), now part of the Department of Homeland Security, has the mission to secure the U.S. coastline using a combination of air and sea capabilities. This paper focuses on an application of operations research techniques at the USCG to improve the performance of its aircraft service parts supply chain. We focused on evaluating the supply chain benefits from linking the aircraft maintenance database with the aircraft parts inventory database. This required us to (a) develop an approach to link the databases and (b) use aircraft maintenance information to improve the inventory management of service parts at the USCG. We first used mathematical programming tools to merge the maintenance database with the demand database. We then developed state-dependent supply replenishment policies that use part-age information to manage the service parts supply chain. We show that one of the proposed policies permits analytic estimation of the benefits of linking the data sets. The impact of these inventory policies was evaluated using empirical demand data for 41 critical parts over a five-year period. Computational results suggest that our proposed policies can lead to significant reductions in inventory cost over the current system, as high as 70% for some parts. Based on the insights from this study, the USCG is currently contracting with commercial vendors to develop an operational database and decision-support implementation across all parts.