bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diversion of blood flow from noncompliant to compliant vasculature in awake dogs: mechanical impact on right atrial pressure
Authors: Zidon Terese M. , Sheriff Don D.
Published: December 2005

The distribution of cardiac output between compliant vasculature (e.g., splanchnic organs and skin) and noncompliant vasculature (e.g., skeletal muscle) is proposed to constitute an important determinant of the amount of blood available to the heart (central blood volume and pressure). The aim here was to directly test the hypothesis that diversion of blood flow from a relatively noncompliant vasculature (muscle) to compliant vasculature (splanchnic organs and skin) acts to reduce right atrial pressure. The approach was to inflate an occluder cuff on the terminal aorta for 30 s in one of two modes of ventricular pacing in five awake dogs with atrioventricular block and autonomic blockade. In one trial, cardiac output was maintained constant, meaning cuff inflation caused a portion of terminal aortic flow (a noncompliant circulation) to be diverted to the splanchnic and skin circulations (compliant circulations). In the other trial, arterial pressure was maintained constant, meaning blood flow to these other regions did not change. The response of right atrial pressure (corrected for differences in arterial pressure between the two trials) fit our hypothesis, being lower when blood flow was diverted to compliant regions. We conclude that a small (4% of cardiac output) diversion of blood flow from a noncompliant region to a compliant region reduces right atrial pressure by 0.7 mmHg.
Enhanced Neuronal Damage After Ischemic Insults in Mice Lacking Kir6.2-Containing ATP-Sensitive K+Channels
Authors: Sun Hong-Shuo , Feng Zhong-Ping , Miki Takashi , Seino Susumu , French Robert J.
Published: December 2005

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)–sensitive potassium (KATP) channels, incorporating Kir6.x and sulfonylurea receptor subunits, are weak inward rectifiers that are thought to play a role in neuronal protection from ischemic insults. However, the involvement of Kir6.2-containing KATPchannel in hippocampus and neocortex has not been tested directly. To delineate the physiological roles of Kir6.2 channels in the CNS, we used knockout (KO) mice that do not express Kir6.2. Immunocytochemical staining demonstrated that Kir6.2 protein was expressed robustly in hippocampal neurons of the wild-type (WT) mice and absent in the KO. To examine neuronal sensitivity to metabolic stress in vitro, and to ischemia in vivo, we 1) exposed hippocampal slices to transient oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) and 2) produced focal cerebral ischemia by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Both slice and whole animal studies showed that neurons from the KO mice were severely damaged after anoxia or ischemia, whereas few injured neurons were observed in the WT, suggesting that Kir6.2 channels are necessary to protect neurons from ischemic insults. Membrane potential recordings from the WT CA1 pyramidal neurons showed a biphasic response to OGD; a brief hyperpolarization was followed by a small depolarization during OGD, with complete recovery within 30 min after returning to normoxic conditions. By contrast, CA1 pyramidal neurons from the KO mice were irreversibly depolarized by OGD exposure, without any preceding hyperpolarization. These data suggest that expression of Kir6.2 channels prevents prolonged depolarization of neurons resulting from acute hypoxic or ischemic insults, and thus protects these central neurons from the injury.
Mutation of Lkb1 and p53 Genes Exert a Cooperative Effect on Tumorigenesis
Authors: Wei Chongjuan , Amos Christopher I. , Stephens L. Clifton , Campos Imelda , Deng Jian Min , Behringer Richard R. , Rashid Asif , Frazier Marsha L.
Published: December 2005

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a dominantly inherited disorder characterized by gastrointestinal hamartomatous polyps and mucocutaneous melanin pigmentation. Germ line mutations in LKB1 cause PJS. We have generated mice carrying an Lkb1 exon 2 to 8 deletion by gene targeting in embryonic stem cells. Heterozygotes develop gastric hamartomas that are histologically similar to those found in humans with PJS. LKB1 is also reportedly a mediator of p53-dependent apoptosis. To explore the potential combined effects of p53 and Lkb1 alterations on tumorigenesis, we carried out a series of matings with Lkb1+/− and p53 null mice to generate Lkb1+/−/p53+/− and Lkb1+/−/p53−/− mice. Similar to the Lkb1+/− mice, gastrointestinal hamartomas have also been detected in the mice with these two genotypes. The Lkb1+/−/p53+/− mice displayed a dramatically reduced life span and increased tumor incidence compared to the mice with either Lkb1 or p53 single gene knockout. The time to onset of polyposis in Lkb1+/−/p53−/− mice is ∼2 months earlier than Lkb1+/−/p53+/− and Lkb1+/− mice, whereas the latter two show a similar time to onset which is at ∼6 months of age. These results strongly suggested that mutations of p53 and Lkb1 gene cooperate in the acceleration of tumorigenesis. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(24): 11297-303)
Widespread CXCR4 Activation in Astrocytomas Revealed by Phospho-CXCR4-Specific Antibodies
Authors: Woerner B. Mark , Warrington Nicole M. , Kung Andrew L. , Perry Arie , Rubin Joshua B.
Published: December 2005

The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is expressed in many cancers where it may regulate tumor cell growth and migration. The role of CXCR4 in cancer will depend on it being in an activated, signaling state. To better define the significance of CXCR4 expression in cancer, we developed an antibody that can distinguish CXCR4 phosphorylated on serine 339, a residue previously identified as a site for ligand-induced phosphorylation. With this antibody, we investigated the mechanisms of CXCR4 phosphorylation and evaluated the phosphorylation status of CXCR4 in human astrocytomas. In vitro, phosphorylation of serine 339 occurred in response to CXCL12 or epidermal growth factor (EGF) treatment and was increased by protein kinase C activation. In all grades of astrocytomas, CXCR4 was expressed in tumor cells and some endothelial cells, whereas CXCL12 was present in endothelial cells and infiltrating microglia. We found that CXCR4 phosphorylated on serine 339 was present in tumor cells and vascular endothelial cells in all grades of astrocytoma. These data indicate that CXCR4 is expressed and activated in astrocytomas and that phosphorylation of CXCR4 can occur through ligand activation or transactivation via the EGF receptor. These studies extend the potential roles of CXCR4 in cancer to include functions associated with benign (grade 1) tumors. The ability to distinguish phosphorylated CXCR4 will be invaluable for the continued analysis of the role of CXCR4 in cancer and the development of CXCR4 antagonist therapy for patients suffering with primary tumors of the brain and other sites. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(24): 11392-9)
FBXO31 Is the Chromosome 16q24.3 Senescence Gene, a Candidate Breast Tumor Suppressor, and a Component of an SCF Complex
Authors: Kumar Raman , Neilsen Paul M. , Crawford Joanne , McKirdy Ross , Lee Jaclyn , Powell Jason A. , Saif Zarqa , Martin Julie M. , Lombaerts Marc , Cornelisse Cees J. , Cleton-Jansen Anne-Marie , Callen David F.
Published: December 2005

A BAC located in the 16q24.3 breast cancer loss of heterozygosity region was previously shown to restore cellular senescence when transferred into breast tumor cell lines. We have shown that FBXO31, although located just distal to this BAC, can induce cellular senescence in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and is the likely candidate senescence gene. FBXO31 has properties consistent with a tumor suppressor, because ectopic expression of FBXO31 in two breast cancer cell lines inhibited colony growth on plastic and inhibited cell proliferation in the MCF-7 cell line. In addition, compared with the relative expression in normal breast, levels of FBXO31 were down-regulated in breast tumor cell lines and primary tumors. FBXO31 was cell cycle regulated in the breast cell lines MCF-10A and SKBR3 with maximal expression from late G2 to early G1 phase. Ectopic expression of FBXO31 in the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-468 resulted in the accumulation of cells at the G1 phase of the cell cycle. FBXO31 contains an F-box domain and is associated with the proteins Skp1, Roc-1, and Cullin-1, suggesting that FBXO31 is a component of a SCF ubiquitination complex. We propose that FBXO31 functions as a tumor suppressor by generating SCFFBXO31 complexes that target particular substrates, critical for the normal execution of the cell cycle, for ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(24): 11304-313)
Methyl CpG–Binding Domain Protein 3 Mediates Cancer-Selective Cytotoxicity by Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors via Differential Transcriptional Reprogramming in Lung Cancer Cells
Authors: Noh Eun Joo , Jang Eun Ryoung , Jeong Gajin , Lee You Mie , Min Churl Ki , Lee Jong-Soo
Published: December 2005

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDI) have been reported to inhibit the growth and survival of cancer cells while leaving normal cells untouched. However, the mechanisms underlying this selective cell death are poorly understood. Gene expression analysis revealed that HDI treatment induced up-regulation of p21WAF1/Cip1 and down-regulation of ErbB2 in cancer cells but not normal cells. Overexpression of p21WAF1/Cip1 and/or silencing of ErbB2 enhanced cancer cell growth inhibition, suggesting that HDI-induced up-regulation/down-regulation of these genes play critical roles in HDI-induced growth inhibition of cancer cells. Most importantly, we found that the gene silencing factor methyl CpG–binding domain protein 3 (MBD3) was not only released from cancer-selective promoter of the HDI up-regulated p21WAF1/Cip1 gene but also recruited to that of the HDI-down-regulated ErbB2 gene. Furthermore, silencing of MBD3 by small interfering RNA abrogated the HDI-induced gene regulation and growth inhibition in lung cancer but not in normal cells. Together, our results support the critical potential of MBD3 in HDI-induced cancer-selective cell death via cancer differential gene expression. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(24): 11400-10)
Cancer Cells Regulate Lymphocyte Recruitment and Leukocyte-Endothelium Interactions in the Tumor-Draining Lymph Node
Authors: Carrière Virginie , Colisson Renaud , Jiguet-Jiglaire Carine , Bellard Elisabeth , Bouche Gérard , Al Saati Talal , Amalric François , Girard Jean-Philippe , M'Rini Christine
Published: December 2005

The physiologic function of the secondary lymphoid organs to recruit large numbers of naïve lymphocytes increases the probability that antigens encounter their rare, sometimes unique, specific T lymphocytes and initiate a specific immune response. In peripheral lymph nodes (LNs), this recruitment is a multistep process, initiated predominantly within the high endothelial venules (HEVs), beginning with rolling and chemokine-dependent firm adhesion of the lymphocytes on the venular endothelium surface. We report here that, in C57BL/6 mice, the recruitment of naïve lymphocytes is impaired in LNs draining a B16 melanoma tumor. Intravital microscopy analysis of the tumor-draining LNs revealed that this effect is associated with an important defect in lymphocyte adhesion in the HEVs and a progressive decrease in the expression of the LN chemokine CCL21. In parallel with these effects, the tumor up-regulated, essentially through a P-selectin–dependent mechanism, the rolling and sticking of circulating polymorphonuclear cells within the LN low-order venules where few rolling and sticking events are usually observed. These effects of the tumor were independent of the presence of metastasis into the LN and occurred as long as the tumor developed. Together, these results indicate that the tumor proximity disturbs the LN physiology by modifying the molecular, spatial, and cellular rules that usually control leukocyte-endothelium interactions into the peripheral LNs. In addition, they emphasize a new role for the low-order venules of the peripheral LNs, which compared with the HEVs, seem to be the preferential port of entry for cells linked to inflammatory processes. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(24): 11639-48)
Activation of Tumor-Associated Macrophages by the Vascular Disrupting Agent 5,6-Dimethylxanthenone-4-Acetic Acid Induces an Effective CD8+ T-Cell–Mediated Antitumor Immune Response in Murine Models of Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma
Authors: Jassar Arminder S. , Suzuki Eiji , Kapoor Veena , Sun Jing , Silverberg Michael B. , Cheung Lumei , Burdick Marie D. , Strieter Robert M. , Ching Lai-Ming , Kaiser Larry R. , Albelda Steven M.
Published: December 2005

5,6-Dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA) is a small molecule in the flavanoid class that has antitumor activity thought to be due to ability to induce high local levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α that disrupt established blood vessels within tumors. The drug has completed phase 1 testing in humans and is currently in phase 2 trials in combination with chemotherapy. Although characterized as a “vascular disrupting agent,” there are some studies suggesting that DMXAA also has effects on the immune system that are important for its efficacy. The goal of this study was to carefully define the immune effects of DMXAA in a series of murine lung cancer and mesothelioma cell lines with varying immunologic characteristics. We show that DMXAA efficiently activated tumor-associated macrophages to release a variety of immunostimulatory cytokines and chemokines, including TNF-α; IFN-inducible protein-10; interleukin-6; macrophage inflammatory protein-2; monocyte chemotactic protein-1; and regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed, and secreted. DMXAA treatment was highly effective in both small and large flank tumors. Animals cured of tumors by DMXAA generated a systemic memory response and were resistant to tumor cell rechallenge. DMXAA treatment led to initial tumor infiltration with macrophages that was followed by an influx of CD8+ T cells. These CD8+ T cells were required for antitumor efficacy because tumor inhibitory activity was lost in nude mice, mice depleted of CD8+ T cells, and perforin knockout mice, but not in CD4+ T-cell–depleted mice. These data show that activation of tumor-associated macrophages by DMXAA is an efficient way to generate a CD8+ T-cell–dependent antitumor immune response even in animals with relatively nonimmunogenic tumors. Given these properties, DMXAA might also be useful in boosting other forms of immunotherapy. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(24): 11752-61)
High Expression of ErbB Family Members and Their Ligands in Lung Adenocarcinomas That Are Sensitive to Inhibition of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor
Authors: Fujimoto Nobukazu , Wislez Marie , Zhang Jie , Iwanaga Kentaro , Dackor Jennifer , Hanna Amy E. , Kalyankrishna Shailaja , Cody Dianna D. , Price Roger E. , Sato Mitsuo , Shay Jerry W. , Minna John D. , Peyton Michael , Tang Ximing , Massarelli Erminia , Herbst Roy , Threadgill David W. , Wistuba Ignacio I. , Kurie Jonathan M.
Published: December 2005

Recent findings in tumor biopsies from lung adenocarcinoma patients suggest that somatic mutations in the genes encoding epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Kirsten ras (KRAS) confer sensitivity and resistance, respectively, to EGFR inhibition. Here, we provide evidence that these genetic mutations are not sufficient to modulate the biological response of lung adenocarcinoma cells to EGFR inhibition. We found high expression of ErbB family members, ErbB ligands, or both in three models that were sensitive to EGFR inhibition, including alveolar epithelial neoplastic lesions in mice that develop lung adenocarcinoma by oncogenic KRAS, human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines, and tumor biopsies from lung adenocarcinoma patients. Thus, lung adenocarcinoma cells that depend on EGFR for survival constitutively activate the receptor through a combination of genetic mutations and overexpression of EGFR dimeric partners and their ligands. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(24): 11478-85)
Checkpoint Abrogation in G2 Compromises Repair of Chromosomal Breaks in Ataxia Telangiectasia Cells
Authors: Terzoudi Georgia I. , Manola Kaliopi N. , Pantelias Gabriel E. , Iliakis George
Published: December 2005

Checkpoint abrogation in G2 compromises repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) and confers enhanced G2 chromosomal radiosensitivity in ataxia telangiectasia (AT) cells. To directly test this hypothesis, we combined calyculin A–induced premature chromosome condensation with conventional cytogenetics to evaluate chromosome damage before and after the G2 checkpoint in irradiated primary AT and normal human lymphocytes and their lymphoblastoid derivatives. Direct analysis of radiation damage in G2 by premature chromosome condensation reveals practically indistinguishable levels of chromosomal breaks in AT and normal cells. Yet a 4-fold increase in metaphase chromosome damage is observed in AT cells as compared with normal cells which, in contrast to AT cells, exhibit a strong G2 arrest manifest as an abrupt reduction in the mitotic index. Thus, an active checkpoint facilitates repair of chromosomal breaks in normal cells. Treatment with caffeine that abrogates the G2 checkpoint without significantly affecting DSB rejoining increases metaphase chromosome damage of normal cells to the AT level but leaves unchanged interphase chromosome damage in G2. Caffeine has no effect on any of these end points in AT cells. These observations represent the first direct evidence that the G2 checkpoint facilitates repair of chromosome damage, presumably by supporting repair of DNA DSBs. Failure to arrest will lead to chromatin condensation and conversion of unrepaired DNA DSBs to chromosomal breaks during G2-to-M phase transition. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(24): 11292-6)
A Prospective Study of Meat and Meat Mutagens and Prostate Cancer Risk
Authors: Cross Amanda J. , Peters Ulrike , Kirsh Victoria A. , Andriole Gerald L. , Reding Douglas , Hayes Richard B. , Sinha Rashmi
Published: December 2005

High-temperature cooked meat contains heterocyclic amines, including 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). In rodents, a high intake of PhIP induces prostate tumors. We prospectively investigated the association between meat and meat mutagens, specifically PhIP, and prostate cancer risk in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Diet was assessed using a 137-item food frequency questionnaire and a detailed meat-cooking questionnaire linked to a database for BaP and the heterocyclic amines 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-b]quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (DiMeIQx), and PhIP. During follow-up, we ascertained a total of 1,338 prostate cancer cases among 29,361 men; of these, 868 were incident cases (diagnosed after the first year of follow-up) and 520 were advanced cases (stage III or IV or a Gleason score of ≥7). Total, red, or white meat intake was not associated with prostate cancer risk. More than 10 g/d of very well done meat, compared with no consumption, was associated with a 1.4-fold increased risk of prostate cancer [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.05-1.92] and a 1.7-fold increased risk (95% CI, 1.19-2.40) of incident disease. Although there was no association with MeIQx and DiMeIQx, the highest quintile of PhIP was associated with a 1.2-fold increased risk of prostate cancer (95% CI, 1.01-1.48) and a 1.3-fold increased risk of incident disease (95% CI, 1.01-1.61). In conclusion, very well done meat was positively associated with prostate cancer risk. In addition, this study lends epidemiologic support to the animal studies, which have implicated PhIP as a prostate carcinogen. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(24): 11779-84)
Cyclophosphamide Allows for In vivo Dose Reduction of a Potent Oncolytic Virus
Authors: Kambara Hirokazu , Saeki Yoshinaga , Chiocca E. Antonio
Published: December 2005

The success of cancer virotherapy depends on its efficacy versus toxicity profile in human clinical trials. Progress towards clinical trials can be hampered by the relatively elevated doses of oncolytic viruses administered in animal models to achieve an anticancer effect and by the even higher doses required in humans to approximate an animal bioequivalent dose. Such elevated doses of injected viral proteins may also lead to undesirable toxicities and are also very difficult to produce in a biotechnological setting. We report that a relatively potent herpes simplex virus type 1 oncolytic virus (rQNestin34.5) produces 45% survivors at a dose of 3 × 104 plaque-forming units (pfu) in a 9-day-old mouse model of human glioma. Unlike our previous findings with less potent oncolytic viruses, though, the preadministration of cyclophosphamide did not enhance this survival or affect oncolytic virus tumor distribution and tumor volume. However, when oncolytic virus doses were reduced (3 × 103 and 3 × 102 pfu), cyclophosphamide significantly enhanced both animal survival and oncolytic virus tumor distribution and also reduced tumor volumes. These findings thus show that cyclophosphamide allows for dose reduction of doses of a relatively potent oncolytic virus, a finding with implications for the development of clinical trials. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(24): 11255-8)
Bcl-2/Adenovirus E1B 19 kDa Interacting Protein-3 Knockdown Enables Growth of Breast Cancer Metastases in the Lung, Liver, and Bone
Authors: Manka David , Spicer Zachary , Millhorn David E.
Published: December 2005

The mouse breast cancer cell lines 4T1, 4T07, and 67NR are highly tumorigenic but vary in metastatic potential: 4T1 widely disseminates, resulting in secondary tumors in the lung, liver, bone, and brain; 4T07 spreads to the lung and liver but is unable to establish metastatic nodules; 67NR is unable to metastasize. The Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa interacting protein-3 (Bnip-3) was recently shown to be absent after hypoxia in pancreatic cancer cell lines whereas its overexpression restored hypoxia-induced cell death. We found that Bnip-3 expression increased after 6 hours of hypoxia in all cell lines tested but was highest in the nonmetastatic 67NR cells and lowest in the highly metastatic 4T1 cells. Hypoxia-induced expression of Bnip-3 in the disseminating but nonmetastatic 4T07 cells was intermediate compared with 4T1 and 67NR cells. Cleaved caspase-3, a key downstream effector of cell death, increased after 6 hours of hypoxia in the 67NR and 4T07 cells by 1.9- and 2.5-fold, respectively. Conversely, cleaved caspase-3 decreased by 45% in the highly metastatic 4T1 cells after hypoxia. Small interfering RNA oligonucleotides targeting endogenous Bnip-3 blocked cell death and increased clonigenic survival after hypoxic challenge in vitro and increased primary tumor size and enabled metastasis to the lung, liver, and sternum of mice inoculated with 4T07 cells in vivo. These data inversely correlate the hypoxia-induced expression of the cell death protein Bnip-3 to metastatic potential and suggest that loss of Bnip-3 expression is critical for malignant and metastatic evasion of hypoxia-induced cell death. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(24): 11689-93)
Relationships between Gulf of California Moisture Surges and Tropical Cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Basin
Authors: Higgins R. W. , Shi W.
Published: December 2005

Relationships between Gulf of California moisture surges and tropical cyclones (TCs) in the eastern Pacific basin are examined. Standard surface observations are used to identify gulf surge events at Yuma, Arizona, for a multiyear (July–August 1979–2001) period. The surges are related to TCs using National Hurricane Center 6-hourly track data for the eastern Pacific basin. Climate Prediction Center (CPC)- observed daily precipitation analyses and the NCEP Regional Reanalysis are used to examine the relative differences in the precipitation, atmospheric circulation, and moisture fields for several categories of surge events, including those that are directly related to TCs, indirectly related to TCs, and not related to TCs.

It is shown that the response to the surge in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico is strongly discriminated by the presence or absence of TCs. Surges related to TCs tend to be associated with much stronger and deeper low-level southerly flow, deeper plumes of tropical moisture, and wetter conditions over the core monsoon region than surges that are unrelated to TCs. The response to the surge is also strongly influenced by the proximity of the TC to the Gulf of California (GOC) region. Tropical cyclones that track toward the GOC region exert a stronger, more direct influence on Yuma surges than those that track away from the GOC.
Effects of El Niño–Southern Oscillation on the Climate, Water Balance, and Streamflow of the Mississippi River Basin
Authors: Twine Tracy E. , Kucharik Christopher J. , Foley Jonathan A.
Published: December 2005

Climatic and hydrologic observations and results from a terrestrial ecosystem model coupled to a regional-scale river-routing algorithm are used to document the associations between the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon and anomalies in climate, surface water balance, and river hydrology within the Mississippi River basin. While no ENSO signal is found in streamflow at the outlet of the basin in Vicksburg, Mississippi, significant anomalies in all water balance components are found in certain regions within the basin. ENSO is mainly associated with positive winter temperature anomalies, but hydrologic patterns vary with season, location, and ENSO phase. El Niño precipitation anomalies tend to affect evapotranspiration (ET) in the western half of the basin and runoff in the eastern half. La Niña events are associated with ET anomalies in the central portion of the basin and runoff anomalies in the southern and eastern portions of the basin. Both ENSO phases are associated with decreased snow depth. Anomalous soil moisture patterns occur at seasonal time scales and filter noisier spatial patterns of precipitation anomalies into coherent patterns with larger field significance; however, for all water budget components, there is a large amount of variability in response within a particular ENSO phase. With anomalies that are up to 4 times those of a typical event, it is clear that improved predictability of the onset and strength of an upcoming ENSO event is important for both water resource management and disaster mitigation.
Methods for the Reconstruction of Vertical Profiles from Surface Data: Multivariate Analyses, Residual GEM, and Variable Temporal Signals in the North Pacific Ocean
Authors: Nardelli Bruno Buongiorno , Santoleri Rosalia
Published: December 2005

Different methods for the extrapolation of vertical profiles from sea surface measurements have been tested on 14 yr of conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) data collected within the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) program at A Long-Term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment (ALOHA) station in the North Pacific Ocean. A new technique, called multivariate EOF reconstruction (mEOF-R), has been proposed. The mEOF-R technique is similar to the previously developed coupled pattern reconstruction (CPR) technique and relies on the availability of surface measurements and historical profiles of salinity, temperature, and steric heights. The method is based on the multivariate EOF analysis of the vertical profiles of the three parameters and on the assumption that only a few modes are needed to explain most of the variance/covariance of the fields. The performances of CPR, single EOF reconstruction (sEOF-R), and mEOF-R have been compared with the results of residual GEM techniques and with ad hoc climatologies, stressing the potential of each method in relation to the length of the time series used to train the models and to the accuracy expected from planned satellite missions for the measurement of surface salinity, sea level, and temperature. The mEOF-R method generally produces the most reliable estimates (in the worst cases comparable to the climatologies) and seems to be slightly less susceptible to errors in the surface input. Multivariate EOF analysis of HOT data also gave by itself interesting results, being able to discriminate the three major signals driving the temporal variability in the area.
Targeted Observations with an Airborne Wind Lidar
Authors: Weissmann M. , Busen R. , Dörnbrack A. , Rahm S. , Reitebuch O.
Published: December 2005

This study investigates the possibilities and limitations of airborne Doppler lidar for adaptive observations over the Atlantic Ocean. For the first time, a scanning 2-μm Doppler lidar was applied for targeted measurements during the Atlantic “The Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment” (THORPEX) Regional Campaign (A-TReC) in November and December 2003. The DLR lidar system was operated for 28.5 flight hours, and measured 1612 vertical profiles of wind direction and wind speed with a horizontal and vertical resolution of 5–10 km and 100 m, respectively. On average, there were 25 reliable wind values on every profile, which cover 2500 m in the vertical (about one-third of the mean vertical extent of the profiles). A statistical comparison of 33 dropsondes and collocated lidar winds profiles allowed individual estimates of the standard deviation to be assigned to every wind value and to determine threshold values for an objective quality control of the data. The standard deviation of the difference between dropsonde and lidar winds was correlated with the derived quality indices of the lidar data and was within a range of 0.6–1.8 m s−1. Comparisons of the lidar data to the operational analysis revealed differences of up to ±15 m s−1. This emphasizes the need for more representative and higher resolved wind measurements in data-sparse regions above the Atlantic Ocean. The study constitutes the basis for the assimilation of the lidar data and impact studies at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).
Droplet Spectra Measurements with the FSSP-100. Part I: Low Droplet Concentration Measurements
Authors: Coelho Afrâniode Araújo , Brenguier Jean-Louis , Perrin Thierry
Published: December 2005

Entrainment-mixing processes such as droplet spectrum broadening and its impact on the onset of precipitation are, among many others, physical phenomena whose experimental study relies on in-cloud airborne measurements. For more than 30 yr, droplet sizing has been performed mostly with the Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe (FSSP-100). The probe performance was extensively studied and probabilistic procedures were developed for characterizing the transfer function of the probe and correcting instrumental artifacts in the measurement of both the total droplet concentration and the droplet spectral shape. These procedures are revised here with a focus on low concentration measurements and the spectral distortion that may be generated by the real-time pulse processing, when the actual droplet spectrum is broad. The transfer matrix method is extended to account for this instrumental artifact.
Corporate Environmental Initiatives and Anticipated Firm Performance: The Differential Effects of Process-Driven Versus Product-Driven Greening Initiatives
Authors: Gilley K. Matthew , Worrell Dan L. , Davidson Wallace N. , El–Jelly Abuzar
Published: December 2005

We investigate the influence of environmental initiatives on firms’ anticipated economic performance using an event study methodology. Framing our arguments within an organizational reputation framework, we propose that, due to potential positive effects of these initiatives on firm performance (through increases in reputation), shareholders will react positively to announced environmental initiatives. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found no overall effect of announced environmental initiatives on stock returns. However, our findings indicate that reactions to product-driven initiatives are significantly different than reactions to process-driven ones.
Strategic fit in transitional economies: The case of China’s electronics industry
Authors: Lukas Bryan A. , Tan J. Justin , Hult G. Tomas M.
Published: December 2005

The strategic fit paradigm, originally derived from observations in market-based economies, asserts that an appropriate match between environment and strategy has significant and positive implications for business performance. Based on a random sample of Chinese electronics firms, this study systematically examines the applicability of the strategic fit paradigm in China’s centrally planned economy in transition. Results indicate that while environment-strategy coalignment is evident, coalignment only improves performance under certain environmental conditions.
A Preliminary Typology of Organizational Learning: Synthesizing the Literature
Authors: Miller Danny
Published: December 2005

Two fundamental contrasts among major organizational paradigms are used to construct a typology of organizational learning: these are voluntarism vs. determinism, and methodical vs. emergent behavior. Six kinds of learning are identified: the methodical modes, in descending order of voluntarism, include analytic, experimental and structural learning. The emergent modes, again in descending order of voluntarism, include synthetic, interactive and institutional learning. Hypotheses are generated about the appropriate contexts, typical outcomes and common relationships among these kinds of learning.
What Makes Teams Work: Group Effectiveness Research from the Shop Floor to the Executive Suite
Authors: Cohen Susan G. , Bailey Diane E.
Published: December 2005

In this article, we summarize and review the research on teams and groups in organization settings published from January 1990 to April 1996. The article focuses on studies in which the dependent variables are concerned with various dimensions of effectiveness. A heuristic framework illustrating recent trends in the literature depicts team effectiveness as a function of task, group, and organization design factors, environmental factors, internal processes, external processes, and group psychosocial traits. The review discusses four types of teams: work, parallel, project, and management. We review research findings for each type of team organized by the categories in our heuristic framework. The article concludes by comparing the variables studied for the different types of teams, highlighting the progress that has been made, suggesting what still needs to be done, summarizing key leamings from the last six years, and suggesting areas for further research.
Programmable Automation and the Locus of Decision-Making Power
Authors: Collins Paul D. , Ryan Lori Verstegen , Matusik Sharon F.
Published: December 2005

Computer-based technology is often credited with making decentralized decision-making possible, helping firms to respond rapidly to changing market conditions. Research on this subject, however, shows contradictory effects: some studies support decentralization and others support centralization. This longitudinal study examines how one form of computer-based technology, programmable automation (PA), affects centralization. Unlike previous studies, it attempts to clear up some of the confusion surrounding technology’s effect on centralization by distinguishing between strategic and operating decisions, and between decision-making authority and influence. As expected, PA flattened the hierarchy. It had no effect on strategic decision-making power, but surprisingly, did influence centralized line-operating authority and influence. This finding is particularly striking because firms with decentralized line-operating decision-making are more likely to adopt PA.
The Changing Nature of Careers: A Review and Research Agenda
Authors: Sullivan Sherry E.
Published: December 2005

This review analyzes how the changing nature of careers can be conceptualized by examining two major categories of careers research. Specifically, the developmental stage theories of Super (1957) and Levinson (1978, 1986, 1996) and the boundaryless career concept (Arthur & Rousseau, 1996) are used to assess our understanding of careers in today’s dynamic work environment. Directions for future research on existing topics, as well as five major recommendations for a new research agenda, are offered.
The Role of Social Support in the Stressor-Strain Relationship: An Examination of Work-Family Conflict
Authors: Carlson Dawn S. , Perrewé Pamela L.
Published: December 2005

This study examines the role of social support in work-family conflict. Although previous research has examined social support as a promising coping mechanism, questions as to how social support affects work-family conflict remain unanswered. Social support is examined as an antecedent, an intervening, a moderating, and an independent variable in the stressors to work-family conflict relationship. Results suggest that social support may be best viewed as an antecedent to perceived stressors. From this, a more full model of work-family conflict is developed and tested. Discussion centers around how social support reduces the likelihood that situations will be perceived as stressful, thus, indirectly affecting work-family conflict through perceived stressors.
Effect of Electron Beam Radiolysis on Mechanical Properties of High Performance Polyimides. A Comparative Study of Transparent Polymer Films
Authors: Devasahayam Sheila , Hill David J. T. , Connell John W.
Published: December 2005

The mechanical properties of four optically transparent polyimides prepared from the dianhydrides ODPA and 6FDA and the diamines ODA and DAB were assessed. The property changes when these polymers are subjected to high-energy electron-beam irradiation (1 MeV) for doses up to 18.5 MGy and temperatures up to 523 K were also studied and compared. The corresponding changes on radiolysis of Kapton are reported for comparison with the other polymers. The tensile properties of the four polyimides differed mainly by the nature of the dianhydride, with the ODPA polymers undergoing necking and cold drawing and the 6FDA polymers brittle fracture. The four polyimides were synthesized with the objective of obtaining optimum transparency for space applications where high-energy radiation doses of 15-20 MGy may be expected in geosynchronous orbits over a life span of 20 years. The polyimides were shown to maintain good optical and tensile properties at temperatures up to about 450 K for a dose of 18.5 MGy, but above this temperature the moduli of the polymers began to deteriorate and there was a small decrease in the transmittance of the exposed polymer films.
Inverse Gas Chromatography Characterization of Carbon Fiber Surfaces - Effects of Applied Surface Treatment
Authors: Allington Richard D. , Hamerton Ian , Hay John N. , Howlin Brendan J. , Attwood David
Published: December 2005

Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) is used to characterize the surfaces of carbon fibers subjected to electrolytic surface treatment at a range of treatment levels. Surface area analysis via BET shows only small differences in specific surface area as a function of treatment level. IGC data yield dispersive surface energies and the acid-base character of the fiber surfaces and show that surface treatment up to the standard level causes a reduction in the dispersive surface energy, consistent with surface oxidation and the corresponding X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results. Surface treatment also has a major effect on the acid-base characteristics of the fiber, its initially basic nature being replaced by acidic character and then amphoteric behavior at higher treatment levels.
Picking out the Pieces of the Liberal Peaces: Representations of Conflict Economies and the Implications for Policy
Authors: Cooper Neil
Published: December 2005

This article examines the different ways in which the dynamics of civil war economies have been represented and the influences this has had on post-conflict peacebuilding (PCPB). The article suggests that regulation to address the dynamics of war economies and shadow trade has been asymmetric in its focus and its effects. It also argues that, particularly post-9/11, there has been a convergence in the discourse on weak states and shadow economies. While ostensibly promising a progressive fusion between solidarism and security, this monolithic discourse may well produce policy that prioritizes policing and hermetic protection for the developed world at the expense of effective strategies to address the dynamics of war economies and shadow trade.
Rebuilding an Inclusive Political Community After War
Authors: Mani Rama
Published: December 2005

This article argues that the central need in a society in the aftermath of violent conflict is to rebuild the state’s representation function, which should be constructed around an inclusive political and civic community. This inclusive community must overcome the fragmentation of society that occurs or is exacerbated during war, and view all community members as survivors of conflict. The main means of pursuing reconciliation in post-conflict societies has been through measures of ‘transitional justice’, primarily trials or truth commissions. However, this article argues that these transitional justice measures, while fulfilling certain needs and accruing some benefits, do not necessarily fulfil the specific need of delivering reconciliation or helping to rebuild inclusive societies. Instead, these measures could, paradoxically, deepen divisions within society. A new paradigm of ‘reparative justice’ is thus proposed as part of a comprehensive alternative, within the framework of a critical approach to post-conflict peacebuilding (PCPB), that would facilitate the reconstruction of an inclusive political and civic community while pursuing the objectives of justice and reconciliation.
Intervention and Culture: An Anthropological Approach to Peace Operations
Authors: Rubinstein Robert A.
Published: December 2005

Culture is increasingly an important consideration in peace operations. Efforts to ameliorate culture-based difficulties between organizations participating in missions and between mission elements and local populations are proliferating. These focus on providing guidance about what to expect and how to act toward individuals from other cultural groups. This article shows that such advice is insufficient for understanding how culture affects peacekeeping. A general framework is presented for linking cultural elements to a deeper symbolic level from which peacekeeping derives its legitimacy, standing, and authority. The importance of the root metaphor of the United Nations as an institution for creating a world in which national interests and cut-throat geopolitical power relations are trumped by collective action is explicated. Peacekeeping is shown to be linked to this root metaphor through a number of behavioral inversions. When those inversions are not part of a peacekeeping mission, the entire instrument of peacekeeping is destabilized.
Comparison of Measured and Estimated Cognitive Ability in Older Adolescents With and Without ADHD
Authors: Miller Carlin J. , Marks David J. , Halperin Jeffrey M.
Published: December 2005

Premorbid intellectual function estimation is a crucial part of patient evaluation following a traumatic brain injury (TBI), especially in individuals with ADHD who are at higher risk for TBI compared to their non-ADHD peers. This study investigates the value of using regression-based estimates of intelligence for concurrently predicting measured intelligence in a sample of older adolescents with and without a childhood history of ADHD. Correlations between measured and estimated intelligence are highly significant in the full sample and in the individual groups. Adding reading performance to the regression equation increases the accounted-for variance in both groups. Results indicate that regression equations based on demographic characteristics constitute a valid method for estimating premorbid functioning in adolescents with ADHD and that they can play an essential role in the assessment of individuals with ADHD who sustain TBI, especially when measures of word reading are used to augment demographic estimates.
A Laboratory School Comparison of Mixed Amphetamine Salts Extended Release (Adderall XR®) and Atomoxetine (Strattera®) in School-Aged Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Wigal Sharon B. , McGough James J. , McCracken James T. , Biederman Joseph , Spencer Thomas J. , Posner Kelly L. , Wigal Tim L. , Kollins Scott H. , Clark Tanya M. , Mays David A. , Zhang Yuxin , Tulloch Simon J.
Published: December 2005

Mixed amphetamine salts extended release (MAS XR; Adderall XR®) and atomoxetine (Strattera®) were compared in children 6 to 12 years old with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) combined or hyperactive/impulsive type in a randomized, double-blind, multicenter, parallel-group, forced-dose-escalation laboratory school study. Primary efficacy measure was the SKAMP (Swanson, Kotkin, Agler, M-Flynn, and Pelham) behavioral rating scale. Changes in mean SKAMP deportment scores from baseline were significantly greater for MAS XR ( n = 102) than for atomoxetine ( n = 101) overall (-0.56 and -0.13, respectively; p < .0001) and at each week ( p < .001). Adverse events were similar for both treatment groups. The extended time course of action and greater therapeutic efficacy of MAS XR suggests that it is more effective than atomoxetine in children with ADHD.
Role Play and Language Development in the Preschool Years
Authors: Andresen Helga
Published: December 2005

The paper relies on Vygotsky's thesis that preschool children in role play are acting in the zone of proximal development (ZPD). One aim is to specify this thesis with respect to language development. The empirical investigations show that language is the central means of creating pretence. By explicit metacommunication, children collaboratively negotiate the plot, transform meanings and distinguish fiction from reality. Thus, metacommunication functions as a verbal frame, determining the meanings within play. Thereby children overcome sympraxic language use which is characteristic of toddlers. Another result is that role play changes during the preschool years. The paper argues that these changes can be subsumed under a general developmental phenomenon, namely the transition of interpsychic into intrapsychic processes. A point of special interest is why preschoolers, through role play, can act in the ZPD, although their ability to cooperate with other children is only at a nascent stage. To explain this, the paper discusses several aspects of psychosocial development.
A Review of Controversies about Social Representations Theory: A British Debate
Authors: Voelklein Corina , Howarth Caroline
Published: December 2005

Since its inception more than forty years ago, social representations theory has been subjected to several criticisms, particularly within British discursive psychology. This paper reviews four major controversies that lie in the areas of (a) theoretical ambiguities, (b) social determinism, (c) cognitive reductionism and (d) lack of a critical agenda. A detailed discussion and evaluation of these criticisms reveals that while some can be regarded as misinterpretations, others need to be treated as serious and constructive suggestions for extending and refining the current theoretical framework. The main argument underlying this review is that many of the criticisms are based on the difficulty in understanding and integrating the complex, dynamic and dialectical relationship between individual agency and social structure that forms the core of social representations theory. Engaging with the critics is thus thought to provide clarification and to initiate critical dialogue, which is seen as crucial for theoretical development.
A critique of market analysis for suburban tourism in Beijing, China
Authors: Huimin Gu , Kavanaugh Raphael R.
Published: December 2005

Based on a sample survey, this article reveals suburban tourism behavior characteristics of Beijing, the capital of China. Data shows that the major purpose of travel is for leisure, with attraction as the most important affecting factor, and that self-paid, low expenditure of travel by middle and lower income class is the main stream of the suburban tourism.