bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identificação de espécies de Candida e susceptibilidade antifúngica in vitro: estudo de 100 pacientes com candidíases superficiais
Authors: Crocco Elisete I. , Mimica Lycia M. J. , Muramatu Laura H. , Garcia Cristina , Souza Valéria M. , Ruiz Ligia R. B. , Zaitz Clarisse
Published: April 2005

FUNDAMENTO: Leveduras do gênero Candida determinam colonização, infecções superficiais e infecções sistêmicas em imunodeprimidos. As várias apresentações da doença levam à necessidade de utilizar diferentes métodos diagnósticos e tratamentos. OBJETIVOS: Diferenciar as espécies de Candida e correlacioná-las com as regiões anatômicas. Avaliar a susceptibilidade a cetoconazol, fluconazol, itraconazol e anfotericina B. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 100 pacientes imunocompetentes com candidíase cutânea ou mucosa atendidos na Santa Casa de S. Paulo entre maio de 1999 e julho de 2001. Correlacionou-se a região acometida e a espécie de Candida, isolada através técnica CHROMagar Candida®. Avaliou-se a susceptibilidade das espécies a cetoconazol, fluconazol, itraconazol e anfotericina B, através do Etest®. RESULTADOS: C. albicans foi isolada em 76,0% dos materiais, C. krusei em 19% e C. tropicalis em 1%. Não houve correlação significante entre a região acometida e as espécies. A maioria das amostras mostrou susceptibilidade aos antifúngicos. CONCLUSÃO: C. albicans foi a espécie mais observada. A maioria das amostras de Candida mostrou-se susceptível aos antifúngicos.
Laser e luz pulsada de alta energia: indução e tratamento de reações alérgicas relacionadas a tatuagens
Authors: Sacks Tatiana , Barcaui Carlos
Published: April 2005

Os autores apresentam dois casos de reações alérgicas relacionadas a tatuagens, em que o laser e a luz pulsada de alta energia tiveram papel fundamental na indução e no tratamento dessas reações. No primeiro, houve surgimento de lesão eczematosa no local do pigmento vermelho utilizado na tatuagem. Após várias tentativas terapêuticas, a luz pulsada de alta energia foi utilizada com sucesso na remoção do pigmento e desaparecimento dos sintomas. No segundo, os autores demonstram um caso de reação anafilática induzida pelo laser Nd:YAG de pulso longo.
Síndrome dos cabelos anágenos frouxos associada à distrofia macular: descrição de uma família
Authors: Sato Mário Teruo , Brenner Fabiane Mulinari , Marzagão Rodrigo , Sabbag Fábio , Bordignon Gisele , Fillus Neto José , Eiras-Stofella Daura R. , Franco Antonio , Moreira Júnior Carlos Augusto
Published: April 2005

Descreve-se uma família com síndrome dos cabelos anágenos frouxos (SCAF) associada à distrofia macular. Foram descritos os achados dermatológicos, oftalmológicos e de microscopia óptica e eletrônica de varredura de 11 indivíduos. Dois apresentaram SCAF, sem qualquer alteração ocular. Dos quatro indivíduos com alteração ocular, duas irmãs apresentaram SCAF e dispersões pigmentares em pólo posterior da retina, com coloboma da mácula. Em dois irmãos encontraram-se as mesmas características da SCAF e fundo de olho com dispersões pigmentares em pólo posterior, sem coloboma. Os achados sugerem que essa associação seja uma nova entidade nosológica dentro das displasias ectodérmicas.
Renal Phenotype of UT-A Urea Transporter Knockout Mice
Authors: Fenton Robert A. , Flynn Anneliese , Shodeinde Adetola , Smith Craig P. , Schnermann Jurgen , Knepper Mark A.
Published: April 2005

The urea transporters UT-A1 and UT-A3 mediate rapid transepithelial urea transport across the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD). In a previous study, using a new mouse model in which both UT-A1 and UT-A3 were genetically deleted from the IMCD (

UT-A1/3

−/− mice), we investigated the role of these transporters in the function of the renal inner medulla. Here the authors report a new series of studies investigating more generally the renal phenotype of

UT-A1/3

−/− mice. Pathologic screening of 33 tissues revealed abnormalities in both the testis (increased size) and kidney (decreased size and vascular congestion) of

UT-A1/3

−/− mice. Total urinary nitrate and nitrite (NOx) excretion rates in

UT-A1/3

−/− mice were more than double those in wild-type mice. Total renal blood flow was not different between

UT-A1/3

−/− and wild-type mice but underwent a greater percentage decrease in response to NG-Nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (l-NAME) infusion. Whole kidney GFR (FITC-inulin clearance) was not different in

UT-A1/3

−/− mice compared with controls and underwent a similar increase in response to a greater dietary protein intake. Fractional urea excretion was markedly elevated in

UT-A1/3

−/− mice on a 40% protein diet, reaching 102.4 ± 8.8% of the filtered load, suggesting that there may be active urea secretion somewhere along the renal tubule. Although there was a marked urinary concentrating defect in

UT-A1/3

−/− mice, there was no decrease in aquaporin 2 or aquaporin 3 expression. Furthermore, although urea accumulation in the inner medulla was markedly attenuated, there was no decrease in sodium ion concentration in tissue from outer medulla or two levels of the inner medulla. These results support our conclusion that the urinary concentrating defect in

UT-A1/3

−/− mice is caused by a failure of urea transport from the IMCD lumen to the inner medullary interstitium, resulting in osmotic diuresis.
Monozygotic twins concordant for blood karyotype, but phenotypically discordant: A case of “mosaic chimerism”
Authors: Bourthoumieu Sylvie , Yardin Catherine , Terro Faraj , Gilbert Brigitte , Laroche Cécile , Saura Robert , Vincent Marie‐Claire , Esclaire Françoise
Published: April 2005

We report on 23 years old discordant monozygotic (MZ) twins, one with minor anomalies and mental delay, the other one being normal. Both had 46,XX,dup(11)(p12p15)/46,XX mosaicism in blood, with a similar proportion of abnormal cells (respectively, 16% and 17%). However, interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis performed on buccal smear and urinary sediment using specific probes located at the duplicated region showed that mosaicism was only present in the abnormal twin, with 68% abnormal cells. We hypothesize that the postzygotic chromosomal rearrangement may have occurred early in one embryo after the twinning event, and the blood mosaicism observed in both twins would have resulted from blood exchanges via placental anastomoses. This hypothesis of chimerism is strongly supported by twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome observed during fetal life of our twins. This case and those previously reported lead us to suggest that blood is particularly unsuitable for cytogenetic investigations of twins. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Congenital anomaly of cervical vertebrae is a major complication of Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome
Authors: Yamamoto Toshiyuki , Kurosawa Kenji , Masuno Mitsuo , Okuzumi Shigeharu , Kondo Soichi , Miyama Sahoko , Okamoto Nobuhiko , Aida Noriko , Nishimura Gen
Published: April 2005

Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome (RTS; MIM# 180849) is a well‐known malformation syndrome, characterized by broad thumbs and halluces, a characteristic facies, short stature, and mental retardation. RTS is accompanied by a variety of morbid complications, particularly of the skeleton. Based on the experience of five RTS patients with malformation of the craniovertebral junction, we draw attention to previously unrecognized life‐threatening complications of RTS, including instability of C1–C2, os odontoideum, hypoplasia of the dens, and fusion of the cervical vertebrae. One patient developed severe cervical myelopathy. Malformation of the cervical spine may be a common syndromic constituent of RTS, to which special attention should be paid to prevent its neurologic sequelae. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Autopsy findings of a 37‐year‐old man with a complex mosaic karyotype involving del(18p), monosomy 13, and trisomy 20
Authors: Halushka Marc K. , Stetten Gail , McMichael Joseph L. , Blakemore Karin J. , Hutchins Grover M.
Published: April 2005

We report on the autopsy findings of a 37‐year‐old man with a complex karyotype (mos46,XY,del(18)(p11.1)[14]/46,XY, −13, del (18)(p11.1), +20[8]/47,XY,del(18)(p11.1), +20[8]). He was known to be blind, non‐ambulatory, have severe mental retardation, and a seizure disorder. External physical findings at the time of autopsy included micrognathia, short stubby fingers, and rocker bottom feet. Left lobe dominance of the liver and mislocation of the ileocecal junction and appendix were noted on internal examination. The brain was small (700 g) and poorly developed. Microscopically it showed an absence of neurons in the olivary and dentate nuclei, absence of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, severe depletion of internal granular cells in the cerebellum, and cerebellar dysplasia. Fat infiltration was noted in an unusual distribution in several organs including a pattern in the heart consistent with arrythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD). Findings of this mosaic chromosomal karyotype have not been previously described. This report will discuss this individuals physical findings and their relation to similar monochromosomal aberrations. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Complex system of poly(methacrylic acid) with poly(vinylpyrrolidone) in aqueous media
Authors: Liu Shuyang , Yang Mingjiao , Dan Yi
Published: April 2005

Two‐component polymer solutions [i.e., poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP)] were prepared through solution polymerization. The complex system PMAA/PVP was obtained through the mixing of a PMAA solution and a PVP solution in different volume ratios at certain concentrations. The properties of the component solutions and the complex system were investigated with transmittance, surface tension, and viscosity measurements. The results showed that the properties of the complex system were related not only to the ratio of PMAA to PVP but also to the concentration of the PMAA and PVP solutions. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 2280–2286, 2005
Improvement of the tribological behavior of ultra‐high‐molecular‐weight polyethylene by incorporation of poly (phenyl p‐hydroxyzoate)
Authors: Zhou Jiansong , Yan Fengyuan
Published: April 2005

Ultra‐high‐molecular‐weight polyethylene/poly (phenyl p‐hydroxyzoate) composites (coded as UHMWPE/PPHZ) were prepared by compression molding. The effects of the poly (phenyl p‐hydroxyzoate) on the tribological properties of the UHMWPE/PPHZ composites were investigated, based on the evaluations of the tribological properties of the composites with various compositions and the examinations of the worn steel surfaces and composites structures by means of scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the incorporation of the PPHZ led to a significant decrease in the wear rate of the composites. The composites with the volume fraction of the PPHZ particulates within 45% ∼ 75% showed the best wear resistance. The friction coefficient of the UHMWPE/PPHZ composites decreased with increasing load and sliding velocity, while the wear rates increased with increasing load. This was attributed to the enhanced softening and plastic deformation of the composites at elevated load or sliding velocity. The UHMWPE/PPHZ composites of different compositions had differences in the microstructures and the transfer film characteristics on the counterpart steel surface as well. This accounted for their different friction and wear behaviors. The transfer film of the UHMWPE/PPHZ composites appeared to be thinner and more coherent, which was largely responsible for their better wear resistance of t composite than the UHMWPE matrix. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 2336–2343, 2005
Preparation and electrochemical characterization of sulfonated polysulfone cation‐exchange membranes: Effects of the solvents on the degree of sulfonation
Authors: Nagarale R. K. , Gohil G. S. , Shahi Vinod K. , Rangarajan R.
Published: April 2005

Sulfonated polysulfone cation‐exchange membranes with various degrees of sulfonation were prepared by a treatment with chlorosulfonic acid in different solvents of various polarities, and the effect of the solvent polarity on the degree of sulfonation was explored. These membranes were characterized by their ion‐exchange capacity, volume fraction of water, and electrochemical properties. The counterion transport numbers, permselectivity, and fixed charge densities of these membranes were estimated from membrane potential data and varied with the degree of sulfonation, concentration, and external salt concentration. The counterion mobility in the membrane phase was also estimated from membrane conductance measurements. These membrane were found to have good electrochemical properties and are suitable for various types of electromembrane processes. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 2344–2351, 2005
Synthetic Approaches to Sterically Hindered N‐Arylimidazoles through Copper‐Catalyzed Coupling Reactions
Authors: Alcalde Ermitas , Dinarès Immaculada , Rodríguez Sandra , Garcia de Miguel Cristina
Published: April 2005

Optimization studies allowed the efficient synthesis of a simple structural motif based on meta‐bis(1‐imidazolyl)benzenes 1 through copper‐catalyzed coupling of 1,3‐diiodobenzene and imidazole under mild reaction conditions. This protocol was then used to prepare a representative sterically hindered N‐arylimidazole 2a, the most common structural motif among N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHC). Having optimized the main variables governing CuI‐catalyzed imidazole N‐arylation, the first Ullmann‐type synthesis of N‐mesitylimidazole (2a) is reported. Moreover, the coupling between boronic acids as the aryl donor partners and either imidazole or benzimidazole was examined; in all cases the reactions proceeded in very low yield. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)
NMR Spectroscopic and Molecular Modelling Studies on Cyclodextrin–Dipeptide Inclusion Complexes
Authors: Kahle Claudia , Deubner Ralph , Schollmayer Curd , Scheiber Josef , Baumann Knut , Holzgrabe Ulrike
Published: April 2005

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are often used to separate the enantiomers of chiral drugs by HPLC, GC, and capillary electrophoresis (CE). For dipeptides containing one aromatic amino acid, a reversal of the migration order is observed in CE upon increasing the pH value of the background electrolyte from 2.5 to 3.5. In order to understand the mechanism of chiral recognition of this phenomenon, NMR experiments, namely complexation‐induced chemical shifts (CICS) and ROESY, were performed. Comparing the CICSs obtained for the pairs Diac‐β‐CD/Ala‐Phe and HDAS‐β‐CD/Ala‐Phe and Diac‐β‐CD/Ala‐Tyr and HDAS‐β‐CD/Ala‐Tyr revealed very small changes, thereby indicating a rather weak interaction of the respective guest molecules with their host. The CICS for β‐CD and HS‐β‐CD confirmed an inclusion of the aromatic moiety into the CD cavity. It is shown that, at pH 2.5, the D,D‐enantiomer of Ala‐Tyr immerses deeper into the cavity of β‐cyclodextrin than the L,L‐enantiomer, and this was subsequently confirmed by molecular dynamics simulations. Furthermore, at pH 3.5 the immersion is shallower, as shown by the 1H and ROESY NMR findings and confirmed by the molecular dynamics simulations. The immersion depths of the dipeptides were calculated by defining a plane in the cavity to gain information about the different behaviour of the studied chemical species. The employed procedure is easily generalised to other host‐guest complexes and is expected to improve data evaluation in other cases, too. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)
An Efficient Asymmetric Synthesis of 2‐Substituted 1,4‐Benzodiazepin‐3‐one as a Potential Molecular Scaffold
Authors: Cabedo Nuria , Pannecoucke Xavier , Quirion Jean‐Charles
Published: April 2005

2‐Substituted 1,4‐benzodiazepine‐2‐one compounds (9–12) were obtained by a highly diastereoselective alkylation of a seven‐membered ring benzolactam (8) in the presence of (R)‐phenylglycinol as a chiral inductor. The corresponding acid derivative (16) afforded a conformationally constrained structure suitable for preparing peptidomimetic analogues useful as a novel molecular scaffold. After cleavage of the chiral appendage this approach might also lead efficiently to enantiomerically pure 2‐substituted benzodiazepines (15). (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)
A Dipyridoimidazolium Salt from Phenylchlorocarbene and 2,2'‐Bipyridyl: Synthesis, Reaction Mechanism, and Effect of Rotamerism
Authors: Bonneau Roland , Liu Michael T. H.
Published: April 2005

Phenylchlorocarbene, generated by photolysis or thermolysis of the phenylchlorodiazirine, reacts with 2,2'‐bipyridyl to give, in alkane solvents, the 6‐phenyldipyrido[1,2‐c:2',1'‐e]imidazolium chloride. We investigated the mechanism of the reaction by flash photolysis. Like the mechanism of formation of 3‐phenylindolizine from phenylchlorocarbene + 2‐vinylpyridine, the process involves generation of the carbene, formation of a pyridinium ylide, and cyclization of the syn rotamer of this ylide, with the two N atoms of the bipyridyl in a syn relationship. The cyclization product then eliminates Cl– to give a stable aromatic cation. We observed and identified all the intermediate species and measured the rate constants for the successive elementary reactions. This enabled us to define experimental conditions under which the reaction is nearly quantitative (the chemical yield of isolated product is >90 %). By contrast, use of a polar solvent such as dichloromethane yields a mixture of the products resulting from the cyclization of both the syn‐ and the anti‐bipyridylium ylide rotamers. Semiempirical calculations qualitatively account for the effect of solvent polarity on the relative rates of cyclization of the syn‐ and anti‐bipyridylium ylide rotamers and thus on the nature of the products. These calculations predict that, in the presence of o‐phenanthroline, a model for the syn bipyridyl rotamer, phenylchlorocarbene should not give the expected diazacyclopentaphenanthrene, in agreement with the experiment findings. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)
Thio‐ and Dithioesters as Dipolarophiles in Reactions with Thiocarbonyl Ylides
Authors: Urbaniak Katarzyna , Mloston Grzegorz , Gulea Mihaela , Masson Serge , Linden Anthony , Heimgartner Heinz
Published: April 2005

The thiocarbonyl S‐methylides 3a–c, generated in situ by thermal decomposition of the corresponding 2,5‐dihydro‐1,3,4‐thiadiazoles, undergo [3+2] cycloadditions with diphenyl trithiocarbonate (5a) to give 1,3‐dithiolanes. The regioselectivity of the reaction of the cycloaliphatic dipoles 3b and 3c is reversed in comparison with that of the aromatic 3a. A mixture of both regioisomeric cycloadducts is formed in the reaction between 3b and methyl dithiobenzoate (6a), whereas only one regioisomer is obtained with thiophthalide (7). Dialkyl phosphonodithioformates 8 are shown to be efficient C=S dipolarophiles in reactions with thiocarbonyl S‐methylides 3a–3d, affording 1,3‐dithiolane‐4‐phosphonates. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)
Conformation‐Directed Macrocyclization Reactions
Authors: Blankenstein Jörg , Zhu Jieping
Published: April 2005

The importance of conformational pre‐organization in successful macrocyclization reactions has been recognized ever since Eschenmoser’s synthesis of vitamin B12 and Woodward’s synthesis of erythromycin. Different approaches to productive preorganization are possible depending mainly on the degree of freedom in the choice of the structural elements. In diversity‐oriented synthesis, in which it is not imperative that the molecular framework has a fixed structure, matching building blocks can be used to assemble a macrocycle. In target‐oriented synthesis, more subtle structural elements have to be considered in order to pre‐organize the linear substrate into a folded conformer suitable for ring closure. In this microreview, some selected examples of macrocyclization reactions are presented to illustrate the different rational approaches. Special attention is paid to the role of intramolecular weak forces and protecting groups in the conformational pre‐organization that facilitates macrocyclization reactions. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)
Cycloadditions and Methylene Transfer in Reactions of Substituted Thiocarbonyl S‐Methylides with Thiobenzophenone: A Computational Study
Authors: Sustmann Reiner , Sicking Willi , Huisgen Rolf
Published: April 2005

Regiochemistry and methylene transfer reactions in cycloadditions of aliphatic thiocarbonyl S‐methylides and thiobenzophenone are analyzed by ab initio [(U)HF/3‐21G*] and DFT calculations [(U)B3LYP/6‐31G*//(U)HF/3‐21G* and (U)B3LYP/6‐31G*]. The formation of regioisomeric 1,3‐dithiolanes is explained by the competition of concerted (2,4‐substituted 1,3‐dithiolane) and stepwise cycloaddition via C,C‐biradicals (4,5‐substituted 1,3‐dithiolane). Aliphatic thiocarbonyl S‐methylides with sterically demanding substituents undergo substantial methylene transfer in the reaction with thiobenzophenone. This process involves dissociation of the C,C‐biradical intermediate with liberation of thiobenzophenone S‐methylide which, in turn, combines with a second molecule of thiobenzophenone. Calculated activation parameters for the different processes are in agreement with the experimental observations. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)
Novel [6]‐ and [7]Helicene‐Like Quinones via Mono‐ and Bidirectional Chromium‐Templated Benzannulation of Bridged Binaphthyl Carbene Complexes
Authors: Schneider Jochen F. , Nieger Martin , Nättinen Kalle , Lewall Burhanshah , Niecke Edgar , Dötz Karl Heinz
Published: April 2005

A new organometallic approach to novel, functionalised, helicene‐like quinones and bisquinones has been developed based on the chromium‐templated [3+2+1] benzannulation reaction. The [5]helicene‐analogous monocarbene chromium complexes 4, 5, 17 and 19, derived from dibromo‐substituted methylene‐ or silylene‐tethered binaphthols 2 and 3, react with various alkynes to give [6]helicene‐like quinones 6–13 and 20–29 after oxidative work‐up. A rare competition of angular vs. linear annulation is observed for the incorporation of phenylacetylene that affords quinones 21/22 and 28/29. Protection of the phenolic benzannulation product with camphanic acid chloride 14, followed by chromatographic separation, provides access to enantiopure [6]helicene‐like derivatives. Bidirectional benzannulation of helical biscarbene complexes 16 and 18 results in bisangular and angular‐linear bisquinones 30–36 after oxidative work‐up. X‐ray crystal structures of the heterocyclic [5]‐, [6]‐ and [7]helicene‐derivatives and the angular‐linear annulation products indicate an increasing distortion of the helical framework with progressive annulation. The CD spectra of the methylene‐tethered biaryls (3, 9, 14, 36) reflect the different interactions between the aryl chromophores; cyclovoltammetric studies of bisangular bisquinones 30 and 33 reveal three reversible, one‐electron reduction steps. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)
Growth Tolerance of Rhizobia Isolated from Sand Dune Legumes of the Southwest Coast of India
Authors: Arun A. B. , Sridhar K. R.
Published: April 2005

This paper describes the properties of rhizobia from extreme soil environments which are characterized by high temperatures, salt concentrations and also rather extreme pH values due to the contamination by spray water from the sea. Coastal sand dunes are such extreme habitats which support a variety of microorganisms. To explore stress‐tolerant rhizobia, ten rhizobial strains were isolated from five wild legumes from two dune systems of the southwest coast of India. They were tested for growth performance or tolerance at a wide range of temperatures (30–55 °C), salinity (0.1–4.5 % w/v) and initial pH values (3.5–11). Growth of five isolates was highest between 30–40 °C, while four isolates showed considerable growth up to 2.5 % salinity (at 35 °C). All isolates demonstrated elevated growth at an initial pH of between 5–6 (at 35 °C and 2 % salinity), while five isolates had additional growth peaks at an initial pH of between pH 7.5–9 indicating alkaline tolerance and were suitable for efficient phosphate solubilization. The stress tolerance traits of these rhizobia are of potential value for strain improvement in agriculture or the bioremediation of soils at elevated temperatures, salinity and extreme pH values, and thus are of high biotechnological importance.
Transformation of Recalcitrant Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Cultivars is Facilitated by Wounding with Carborundum
Authors: Çürük S. , Çetiner S. , Elman C. , Xia X. , Wang Y. , Yeheskel A. , Zilberstein L. , Perl‐Treves R. , Watad A. A. , Gaba V.
Published: April 2005

Transformation of the recalcitrant melon (Cucumis melo L.) cultivars Kιrkağaç 637 and Noi Yarok was accomplished by wounding cotyledon explants by vortexing with carborundum prior to inoculation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The addition of silver nitrate to the regeneration‐selection medium reduced the transformation efficiency, as the percentage of the explants forming putative transgenic calli and bud‐like protuberances was decreased and no transgenic shoots were produced. Chimeric transgenic plants were obtained after the regeneration of putatively transformed callus, bud‐like protuberances, buds and shoots on selective medium with kanamycin. The treatments producing the most buds or shoots from explants after 30–40 days of cultivation were the most successful for the production of transgenic plants. Only treatments where explants were vortexed with carborundum produced transgenic melon shoots of either cultivar. Subculture every 18–20 days on fresh regeneration‐selection medium containing 50 mg/L kanamycin after either a relatively high (100 mg/L) or low level (50 mg/L) of kanamycin in the first regeneration‐selection medium was necessary for the successful transformation of cultivar Kιrkağaç 637. These techniques are now being used in breeding programs for the production of melon lines bearing resistances to zucchini yellow mosaic virus and cucumber mosaic virus, important viruses limiting agricultural production.
Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) mRNA expression is stimulated by developing embryos in the oviduct
Authors: Lee Kai‐Fai , Kwok Ka‐Leung , Chung Man‐Kin , Lee Yin‐Lau , Chow Judy F.C. , Yeung William S.B.
Published: April 2005

In mammal, fertilization and early preimplantation embryo development occurs in the oviduct. Evidence is accumulating that the oviductal epithelia secrete various biomolecules to the lumen during the secretory phase of the estrus cycle to enhance embryo development. This secretory activity of the oviduct is under the regulation of steroid hormones. Observations also suggested that the gametes and embryos modulate the physiology and gene‐expressing pattern of the oviduct. However, the underlying molecular changes remain elusive. We hypothesize that the developing embryos interact with the surrounding environment and affect the gene expression patterns of the oviduct, thereby modulating the oviductal secretory activity conducive to the preimplantation embryo development. To test this hypothesis, suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used to compare the gene expressions in mouse oviduct containing transferred in vitro cultured preimplantation embryos with that of oviduct containing oocytes during the preimplantation period. We reported here the identification and characterization of phospholipids transfer protein (PLTP), which is highly expressed in the embryo‐containing oviduct and localized at the oviductal epithelium by in situ hybridization. PLTP contains signal peptide putative for secretory function. More importantly, PLTP mRNA increases in the oviductal epithelia of pregnant, but not pseudo‐pregnant mice when assayed by real‐time PCR. Taken together, our data suggested that PLTP may play important role(s) during in vivo preimplantation embryo development. This molecule would be a target to delineate the mechanisms and the roles of oviductal secretory proteins on early embryonic development. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
e‐Innovation and trust dynamics
Authors: Smid Gerhard , Bijlsma‐Frankema Katinka , Derksen Hans , Bernaert George
Published: April 2005

The creation of sustained change and innovation in large ‘old’ organizations is a challenge for innovators and we contend, not well supported by rather static models for innovator–actor interactions in handbooks.

This paper proposes a dynamic trust‐related approach of innovator–actor interactions, based on literature and the findings of a case study of innovation processes in a Dutch multinational.

The paper concludes that effectiveness can be enhanced if innovators understand the dynamics of the field and their development over time and focus on the risks the actors perceive, which shape their areas of relevance.

If innovators create a situation in which mutual risks are curbed, mutual learning is promoted and value‐congruence becomes possible and can be the basis for a well‐monitored process of trust‐based cooperation.

Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of future redeployment on organizational trust
Authors: Ferres Natalie , Connell Julia , Travaglione Anthony
Published: April 2005

This study compares levels of organizational trust and connected variables between two groups of employees from an Australian public health organization.

One group (N = 123) is based in a hospital that will close as part of the organization's transformational strategy, and the other group (N = 152) is based in other hospitals that will remain open. The first group will become redeployed amongst departments in the remaining hospitals.

The relationships between trust, transformational leadership, fairness, perceived organizational support (POS), commitment, organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB conscientiousness) and intention to turnover were investigated, in addition to the relative levels of these variables between the two cohorts of employees.

The hypothesis that future redeployment would result in comparatively negative evaluations of organizational trust and associated constructs was not supported, whereas the hypothesis that traditional exchange relationships would be relevant regardless of an employee's situation was partially upheld.

The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.

Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thermal effects in partially saturated soils: a constitutive model
Authors: Bolzon Gabriella , Schrefler Bernhard A.
Published: April 2005

The present paper is centred on the assessment of an elastic–plastic model for partially saturated soils, earlier proposed by the authors, for its predictive capability with respect to temperature changes, on the light of available experimental results. The model is cast within a constitutive framework that uses Bishop's stress and suction as main variables governing the volumetric response of the material. Some enhancement to the original temperature‐independent formulation is proposed. In particular, functions describing the yield surface and the compressibility modulus are modified to account for the shrinking of the elastic domain and for the increase of irreversible volumetric strain with heating. Some examples illustrate the main features of the present proposal. Comparison with some experimental results is also included. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Photonic quasicrystals for application in WDM systems
Authors: Romero‐Vivas J. , Chigrin D. N. , Lavrinenko A. V. , Sotomayor Torres C. M.
Published: April 2005

Photonic quasicrystals can possess an isotropic (complete) photonic bandgap even in the case of low refractive indices of the constitutive materials, which makes them attractive optical materials with important technological applications. In this work, several aspects related to the design of waveguides and cavities using the two‐dimensional (2D) octagonal quasiperiodic lattice are investigated numerically. As an example, the integration of waveguides and a resonating cavity to design an add/drop filter for wavelength division multiplexing applications is briefly described. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
SESAG: an object‐oriented application framework for real‐time systems
Authors: Hsiung Pao‐Ann , Lee Trong‐Yen , Fu Jih‐Ming , See Win‐Bin
Published: April 2005

Advancements in hardware and software technologies have made possible the design of real‐time systems and applications where stringent timing constraints are imposed on critical tasks. The design of such systems is more complex than that of temporally unrestricted systems because system correctness depends on the satisfaction of functional as well as temporal requirements. To aid users in correctly and efficiently designing systems, object‐oriented frameworks provide a useful environment for significant reuse and reduction in design effort. In contrast to other application domains, there has been relatively little work on an application framework for the design of real‐time systems. Facing the growing need for real‐time applications, we propose a novel application framework called SESAG, which consists of five components, namely Specifier, Extractor, Scheduler, Allocator, and Generator. Within SESAG, several design patterns are proposed and used for the development of real‐time applications. A new evaluation metric called relative design effort is proposed for evaluating SESAG. Experiences in using SESAG show a significant increase in design productivity through design reuse and a significant decrease in design time and effort. Two complex application examples have been developed using SESAG and evaluated using the new evaluation metric. The examples demonstrate relative design efforts of at most 18% of the design efforts required by conventional methods. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Environmental models for predicting oceanic dolphin habitat in the Northeast Atlantic
Authors: Hastie Gordon D. , Swift René J. , Slesser George , Thompson Paul M. , Turrell William R.
Published: April 2005

Dolphin distributions have been related to a range of oceanographic determinants. The complex topography and hydrography of the Faroe-Shetland Channel have a significant influence on the distribution of many species. However, there is no published detail on how dolphin distributions there are influenced by either topography or hydrography. The study therefore aims to relate dolphin distributions in the Faroe-Shetland Channel to environmental variables, using a general additive modelling framework applied to passive acoustic survey data. Models were created using data from 2001, and were cross-validated to test their predictive power. Predictions were calculated at each stage in the model-building process, and were tested against data from 2002. The results suggest that water noise level, time of day, month, water depth, and surface temperature were significant influences on the probability of detecting dolphins acoustically during 2001. Furthermore, the model was a significant predictor of dolphin distribution in 2002. The model with the greatest predictive power included the terms water noise level, time of day, month, and water depth. The results provide information of potential use in understanding the determinants of dolphin distributions, and hopefully will help managers address concerns about the potential impacts on dolphins of anthropogenic activity.
Microsatellite diversity within Oryza sativa with emphasis on indica–japonica divergence
Authors: GAO LI-ZHI , ZHANG CHI-HONG , CHANG LI-PING , JIA JI-ZENG , QIU ZONG-EN , DONG YU-SHEN
Published: April 2005

The molecular evolution of cultivated rice Oryza sativa L. has long been a subject of rice evolutionists. To investigate genetic diversity within and differentiation between the indica and japonica subspecies, 22 accessions of indica and 35 of japonica rice were examined by five microsatellite loci from each chromosome totalling 60 loci. Mean gene diversity value in the indica rice (H=0·678) was 1·18 times larger than in the japonica rice (H=0·574). Taking the sampling effect into consideration, average allele number in the indica rice was 1·40 times higher than that in the japonica rice (14·6 vs 10·4 per variety). Chromosome-based comparisons revealed that nine chromosomes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11) harboured higher levels of genetic diversity within the indica rice than the japonica rice. An overall estimate of FST was 0·084–0·158, indicating that the differentiation is moderate and 8·4–15·8% of the total genetic variation resided between the indica and japonica groups. Our chromosome-based comparisons further suggested that the extent of the indica–japonica differentiation varied substantially, ranging from 7·62% in chromosome 3 to 28·72% in chromosome 1. Cluster analyses found that most varieties formed merely two clusters for the indica and japonica varieties, in which two japonica varieties and five indica varieties were included in the counterpart clusters, respectively. The 12 chromosome-based trees further showed that 57 rice varieties cannot be clearly clustered together into either the indica or japonica groups, but displayed relatively different clustering patterns. The results suggest that the process of indica–japonica differentiation may have proceeded through an extensive contribution by the alleles of the majority in the rice genome.
Evolutionary history of the Drosophila bipectinata species complex
Authors: KOPP ARTYOM , BARMINA OLGA
Published: April 2005

Groups of recently diverged species offer invaluable glimpses into the history and genetic basis of speciation and phenotypic evolution. In this report, we combine phylogenetic and population-genetic approaches to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the Drosophila bipectinata species complex. This complex is a group of four closely related, largely sympatric species – D. bipectinata, D. parabipectinata, D. malerkotliana and D. pseudoananassae. Using the sequences of one mitochondrial and six nuclear loci, we show that D. bipectinata and D. parabipectinata are the two most closely related species, and that together with D. malerkotliana they form a monophyletic clade to which D. pseudoananassae is a relatively distant outgroup. Genetic divergence among D. bipectinata, D. parabipectinata and D. malerkotliana is extremely low, and we estimate that these species diverged only 283000–385000 years ago. We also find that mitochondrial DNA shows evidence of recent gene flow across species boundaries. Despite the low genetic divergence, species of the bipectinata complex show an unusually high degree of morphological differentiation. This contrast underscores the importance of understanding the genetic basis of functional differentiation among closely related species.
Special Issue: Intelligent agents in design
Authors: GERO JOHN S. , BRAZIER FRANCES M.T.
Published: April 2005

This Special Issue had its genesis in an international Workshop on
Agents in Design held in June 2002, at MIT by the Guest Editors.
Computational agents have been developed within the artificial
intelligence community over an extended period. The concept of an agent
can be traced to Carl Hewitt's 1977 work on “actors.”
Hewitt defined actors as self-contained, interactive, and concurrently
executing objects. Since then, considerable research has gone into
developing the concept of an agent and into formalizing agents, developing
multiagent systems, and exploring their use. The use of agents in design
is more recent, and the first PhDs in the area appeared in the early
1990s. Although a precise and unique definition of an agent has yet to be
agreed upon, one distinguishing characteristic of an agent is that it
exhibits autonomous behavior. Research on agents in design focuses on two
primary areas: how to make agents useful in design, and how to apply them
to design tasks. This Special Issue has papers from both areas.
Constructing design methodologies using multiagent systems
Authors: SHAKERI CIRRUS , BROWN DAVID C.
Published: April 2005

An innovative approach has been developed for discovering better
design methodologies that is based on simulating the design process using
a multiagent system that mimics the behavior of a design team. The system
implements a knowledge-based model of design in which highly specialized
knowledge from expert sources is applied to synthesize a design. The
agents activate the pieces of design knowledge when they become
applicable. The use of knowledge by agents is recorded by tracing the
steps that the agents have taken during a design project. Many traces are
generated by solving a large number of design projects that differ in
their requirements. A set of design methodologies is constructed by using
inductive learning techniques to generalize the traces generated. These
methodologies then can be used to guide human design teams through future
design projects.
Constructive memory for situated design agents
Authors: LIEW PAK-SAN , GERO JOHN S.
Published: April 2005

Design is situated. “Situatedness” in designing entails the explicit consideration of the state of the environment, the knowledge and experiences of the designer, and the interactions between the designer and the environment during designing. Central to the notion of situatedness is the notion of design situation and constructive memory. A design situation models a particular state of interaction between a design agent and the environment at a particular point in time. Memory construction occurs whenever a design agent uses past experiences and knowledge within the current design environment in a situated manner. This paper is concerned with the development of an agent-based computational design tool that takes into consideration the notion of situatedness in designing. A key element of this tool is a constructive memory system that supports the dynamic nature of designing. Memories of past experiences are constructed as required by the current situation, and past experiences are refined for future utility according to the current interactions between the agent and the environment. This latter case of knowledge improvement is illustrated through a series of experiments that demonstrates the effect of grounding on the operating modes and responses of a constructive memory system.
THACKERAY, CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, AND THE DEMISE OF JOS SEDLEY
Authors: Thomas Deborah A.
Published: April 2005

VANITY FAIRIS A NOVEL OF ENIGMAS. In particular, after finishing the book, readers have often wondered why Thackeray refuses to tell us clearly whether or not Becky actually kills Joseph Sedley in chapter 67–a question recently given prominence by John Sutherland as one of the “Great Puzzles in Nineteenth-Century Literature” (66–72). The explanation most commonly given for Thackeray's evasiveness on this point is that such unanswered questions inVanity Fairare part of the artistry of this unconventional work of fiction, a book that A. E. Dyson has described as “surely one of the world's most devious novels” (76). This view ofVanity Fairas a novel of narrative legerdemain–intended to keep the reader constantly alert and pondering what is being shown (or concealed)–is certainly true. However, an additional possible explanation for Thackeray's ambiguity on the subject of Jos's death also ought to be considered. This explanation lies in Thackeray's horrified reaction to the public execution of François Benjamin Courvoisier on 6 July 1840. The echoes between Thackeray's appalled description of the events of that morning and his subsequent famous novel suggest that he privately conceived of Becky as murdering Jos. The echoes also suggest that one reason why Thackeray handled this fictional murder obliquely is that, by the time of writingVanity Fair, he had come to believe that, although executions might occur, they should not take place in public. Exploring the subtle connections between Thackeray's profound revulsion at the death of Courvoisier and Thackeray's later treatment of Jos's death gives deeper meaning to the intentional ambiguities in chapter 67. These connections make the ambiguities surrounding the death of Jos part of a widespread debate over capital punishment in the 1840s and have significant ramifications in terms of the parallel between public executions and pornography and with regard to the role of Becky in this novel.
RACIAL AND CRIMINAL TYPES: INDIAN ETHNOGRAPHY AND SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'STHE SIGN OF FOUR
Authors: McBratney John
Published: April 2005

IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, scientific taxonomies shaped fictional narratives in highly ambiguous ways. On the one hand, novels–to take the predominant literary genre of the time–invoked the language of science to lend their structures the authority of those models of rationality that seemed to provide the most credible explanations of the observable world. Quite naturally, the project of realism, in its search for verisimilitude, drew upon those explanatory schemas that seemed to offer the closest simulacra of the real. Yet the novels of the period also resisted the authority of the scientific discourses they incorporated. If scientific taxonomies tend toward aggregation–in other words, the fitting of newly discovered forms within classificatory systems of previously known structures–novels, it can be argued, tend toward disaggregation, the resistance of individual characters to those social categories that seek to contain them.
BETWEEN ECONOMIES INTHE MILL ON THE FLOSS: LOANS VERSUS GIFTS, OR, AUDITING MR. TULLIVER'S ACCOUNTS
Authors: Blake Kathleen
Published: April 2005

MR. TULLIVER DRAWS LITTLE ATTENTIONfrom critics ofThe Mill on the Flosscompared to his children, Maggie and Tom, and his finances are hardly ever looked at in any detail, just as other sections of George Eliot's novel that concern economics are not. Yet George Eliot says Mr. Tulliver has his tragedy, as do his daughter and son, and it is precisely Mr. Tulliver's money trouble, his bankruptcy, that sets the condition for the troubles of the next generation. I seek to trace a narrative logic for a novel that has seemed to many to strain plot coherence, and I do so by an economic analysis that allows a link to be drawn between such seemingly disparate tragedies as a father's financial ruin and death and his children's drowning, with the sister giving up love then life itself to reclaim her brother's favor, seeking in vain to rescue him from a flood.
ANTISEMITISM AND SOCIAL CRITIQUE IN DICKENS'SOLIVER TWIST
Authors: Meyer Susan
Published: April 2005

WHEN SIKES AND NANCY RECAPTURE OLIVER, in Dickens'sOliver Twist, intending to return him to the gang of thieves, Sikes warns Oliver against crying out to passersby, announcing that his dog will go for Oliver's throat if he so much as speaks one word. Looking at the dog, who is eyeing Oliver and growling and licking his lips, “with a kind of grim and ferocious approval,” Sikes tells Oliver, “He's as willing as a Christian, strike me blind if he isn't!” (109; ch. 16). Sikes of course simply intends to say that his dog is as good as human, but Dickens's joke, in the context of the novel, is a chilling one. Sikes's bloodthirsty dogisas willing as the novel has shown many a professed Christian to be to exercise brute power over the weak and helpless, to drive Oliver into a life of crime, and to commit physical violence against him. In the course of the novel, Dickens shows what professed Christians have been willing to do to the poor and invites his readers to contemplate what they as Christians should instead be willing to do.Oliver Twistis of course deeply concerned with the condition of England's poor, and Dickens invokes the idea of Christianity as a rhetorical tool through which to make the social commentary that is at the novel's moral center.