bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative investigation of diesel and mixed liquefied petroleum gas/diesel injection engines
Authors: Cao J , Bian Y , Qi D , Cheng Q , Wu T
Published: May 2004

Experiments are conducted on engine performance and sprays and a characteristics analysis is made between diesel and mixed liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) diesel injection engines. The performance test results show that with LPG the mixed ratio increases, engine power reduces slightly, fuel consumption and engine noise have almost no change, pollutant emissions of smoke, CO and NOx at full load are improved significantly, but the amount of unburned HC increases. The experimental results of the sprays indicate that because of flash boiling injection of mixed fuel, mean diameters in a spray decrease, the number distribution curve of fuel droplet size moves towards smaller diameters, small-size droplet numbers increase, spray quality is good and engine smoke reduces accordingly. Because large-size droplet diameters show almost no change and small-size droplet diameters decrease, the relative span factor and dispersion boundary factor of the droplet diameter increase. High-resolution digital camera photography is invaluable when carrying out a comparative investigation of spray.
A Retrospective Evaluation of Vitamin K1 Therapy to Reverse the Anticoagulant Effect of Warfarin
Authors: Fan Jingyang , Armitstead John A. , Adams Aimee G. , Davis George A.
Published: May 2004

Study Objective. To assess compliance with the 2001 consensus guidelines of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) regarding administration of vitamin K1 to reverse the anticoagulant effect of warfarin.

Design. Retrospective chart review.

Setting. University teaching hospital.

Patients. Fifty‐five adult inpatients who received both warfarin and vitamin K1 between September 2001 and January 2002.

Measurements and Main Results. The patients' medical records were evaluated; data were collected on patient demographics and on vitamin K1 dosage and route of administration, warfarin dosage, and international normalized ratio (INR) before and after vitamin K1 administration. Administration routes and 87 doses of vitamin K1 prescribed for the 55 patients were assessed for compliance with the ACCP guidelines. Administration routes were subcutaneous (40.2% of doses), intravenous (35.6%), oral (13.8%), and intramuscular (10.3%). The most frequently prescribed dose of vitamin K1 was 10 mg (32.2%), followed by 2 mg (21.8%) and 5 mg (18.4%). Rates of compliance with the ACCP guidelines categorized by INR value were as follows: INR below 5, 12.2%; INR 5–9, 27.8%; INR between 9 and 20, 26.7%; and INR above 20, 0%. Four patients had documented episodes of bleeding and received seven doses of vitamin K1. Twenty‐six patients received fresh frozen plasma with vitamin K1. Overall compliance with ACCP‐recommended doses and routes of vitamin K1 was only 17.2%.

Conclusion. The most frequently prescribed administration routes for vitamin K1 were subcutaneous and intravenous, indicating that the oral route is often not used as recommended. The vitamin K1 doses prescribed for reversal of warfarin anticoagulation were highly variable, and for most (83%) patients, the recommended guidelines were not followed. The clinical significance of noncompliance with the ACCP guidelines for vitamin K1 administration warrants further study.
Efficacy and Safety of 4‐Aminopyridine in Patients with Long‐Term Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled Trial
Authors: Grijalva Israel , Guízar‐Sahagún Gabriel , Castaneda‐Hernández Gilberto , Mino Dolores , Maldonado‐Julián Héctor , Vidal‐Cantú Guadalupe , Ibarra Antonio , Serra Omar , Salgado‐Ceballos Hermelinda , Arenas‐Hernández Rita
Published: May 2004

Objectives. To study the efficacy and safety of 4‐aminopyridine (4‐AP), and to document sensorimotor changes after discontinuation of the drug in patients with long‐term spinal cord injury.

Design. Randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial.

Setting. Clinical research unit.

Patients. Twenty‐seven patients with long‐term spinal cord injury.

Intervention. Patients were randomized to receive either oral 4‐AP 5 mg/day, which was increased by 5 mg/week to a maximum dosage of 30 mg/day, or placebo for 12 weeks. They switched to the opposite treatment for the next 12 weeks.

Measurements and Main Results. Twenty‐five patients finished the study. The results from the first 12 weeks were used to test efficacy. Positive gains in motor function, sensation, and independence occurred more frequently in patients receiving 4‐AP (69%) than those receiving placebo (46%). Significant functional improvement was also noted in those treated with 4‐AP (χ2, p=0.042). When each evaluation scale was considered separately, significant improvement was seen only in motor function (4‐AP 92% vs placebo 46%, Fisher exact test, p=0.03). Persistent effects of the drug were assessed at week 24 in the group that initially received 4‐AP. A persistent, significant 4‐AP effect was observed in evaluations of sensation and independence (67% and 83% of patients, respectively; Wilcoxon signed rank test, p=0.032 and 0.042, respectively). Fourteen (56%) patients had 26 adverse reactions. One moderate adverse reaction—posterior tibial artery vasospasm—and 25 mild adverse reactions, such as dry mouth, dizziness, nausea, gastritis, oral and peripheral paresthesia, resolved adequately. Six (24%) patients experienced transitory alterations of enzyme levels (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and creatine kinase) and thrombocytopenia.

Conclusion. Patients who received 4‐AP showed significant improvement in motor function, and a persistent effect on sensation and independent function occurred. The drug is safe; however, after starting 4‐AP therapy, patients must be carefully monitored for the possible occurrence of peripheral vasospasm.
Clinical Relevance and Management of Drug‐Related QT Interval Prolongation
Authors: Crouch Michael A. , Limon Lynn , Cassano Angela T.
Published: May 2004

Much attention recently has focused on drugs that prolong the QT interval, potentially leading to fatal cardiac dysrhythmias (e.g., torsade de pointes). We provide a detailed review of the published evidence that supports or does not support an association between drugs and their risk of QT prolongation. The mechanism of drug‐induced QT prolongation is reviewed briefly, followed by an extensive evaluation of drugs associated with QT prolongation, torsade de pointes, or both. Drugs associated with QT prolongation are identified as having definite, probable, or proposed associations. The role of the clinician in the prevention and management of QT prolongation, drug‐drug interactions that may occur with agents known to affect the QT interval, and the impact of this adverse effect on the regulatory process are addressed.
A Novel Method of Estimating Cost of Therapy by Using Patient Population Characteristics: Analysis of Fluoroquinolones in Various Populations with Different Distributions of Renal Function
Authors: Enzweiler Kevin A. , Bosso John A. , White Roger L.
Published: May 2004

Introduction. Formulary decisions regarding a given drug class are often made in the absence of patient outcome and/or sophisticated pharmacoeconomic data. Analyses that consider factors beyond simple acquisition costs may be useful in such situations. For example, the cost implications of using manufacturers' recommendations for dosing in patients with renal dysfunction may be important, depending on the distribution of various levels of renal function within a patient population.

Methods. Using four 1000‐patient populations representing different renal function distributions and a fifth population of our medical center's distribution, we determined the costs of therapy for intravenous and oral levofloxacin, gatifloxacin, and moxifloxacin for a 10‐day course of therapy for community‐acquired pneumonia. Costs considered were average wholesale prices (AWPs), 50% of AWP, or same daily price, plus intravenous dose preparation and administration costs when applicable. Costs for each renal function distribution were examined for significant differences with an analysis‐of‐variance test. Also, costs of failing to adjust dosing regimens for decreased renal function were determined.

Results. Differences in fluoroquinolone costs (AWP, 50% AWP, or when matched as the same daily price) among the populations were found. When considering same daily prices, differences among populations ranged from about $35,000 with intravenous gatifloxacin to more than $51,000 for intravenous levofloxacin (all fluoroquinolones, p>0.05). Within a population, differences in costs among the intravenous fluoroquinolones ranged from $47,000–99,000. Rank orders of the drugs and population costs of therapy were affected by the pricing structure used and varied by the specific population and drug. Differences among the fluoroquinolones or populations were much smaller (< $2100) when considering oral regimens. Costs potentially incurred by failing to adjust dosing for renal function were substantial.

Conclusion. Formulary decisions can be facilitated by considering factors such as patient characteristics and related dosing in addition to simple acquisition costs. In our example, consideration of the distribution of renal function within a given patient population and related dosing for these fluoroquinolones revealed potentially important differences within the class.
Hypertriglyceridemia, Acute Pancreatitis, and Diabetic Ketoacidosis Possibly Associated with Mirtazapine Therapy: A Case Report
Authors: Chen Julie L. , Spinowitz Noam , Karwa Manoj
Published: May 2004

A 44‐year‐old woman with a history of major depression and obsessive‐compulsive disorder was prescribed mirtazapine. She came to the emergency department approximately 2 months after starting therapy; severe hypertriglyceridemia, acute pancreatitis, and diabetic ketoacidosis were diagnosed. Although these adverse effects have been reported in early clinical trials, we found only three published cases of subclinical pancreatitis possibly associated with mirtazapine therapy. We suspect that mirtazapine‐associated hypertriglyceridemia had contributed to the development of acute pancreatitis and diabetic ketoacidosis in our patient. All these problems resolved with supportive care and discontinuation of mirtazapine. Her serum amylase, lipase, and lipid levels were normal 2 months after the acute event occurred. Health care providers should be aware of these possible adverse effects. Serum glucose and triglyceride levels should be measured at baseline and monitored regularly thereafter in all patients receiving mirtazapine therapy.
Use of two spatially explicit models to determine the effect of injury geometry on natural resource recovery
Authors: Fonseca Mark S. , Whitfield Paula E. , Judson Kenworthy W. , Colby David R. , Julius Brian E.
Published: May 2004

Disturbance to sessile communities has been evaluated in a wide variety of terrestrial and marine settings, but, to our knowledge, recovery has not explicitly considered the effects of injury shape, except in an exploratory fashion. Therefore, we have developed a simple, but spatially explicit relationship between the geometry of a disturbance and the recovery rate in the context of natural resource damage assessment.

Here, grounding of motor vessels in shoalgrass (Halodule wrightii), manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme), and turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum) habitats results in a variety of injury shapes whose recovery must be evaluated to assign penalties and restoration costs to the party responsible.

We developed two spatially explicit, cellular automata modelling techniques to evaluate injury recovery trajectory. Techniques in both SAS® and ArcINFO® were developed and applied to injuries of varying perimeter but fixed area.

The SAS method utilized either a simple Boolean or probabalistic interrogation of the status of adjacent pixels using the matrix language component of the software. ArcINFO utilized a cost/distance module to evaluate proximity of unfilled to filled (colonized) pixels and then applied a decision rule that governed conversion from unfilled to a filled state. As expected, the greater the perimeter/area ratio, the faster the recovery; and modelling approaches yielded almost identical results.

A case study involving ∼1200 m2 of almost monotypic T. testudinum revealed that both models predicted that 100% recovery of above‐ground components of the injury would not occur for approximately 60 years. This model is now being used routinely in the assessment of vessel groundings in seagrass beds within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and has been used successfully by the Government to prevail in US Federal Court challenges. Both methods have substantial, untapped capabilities to explore the effect of numerous ecological effects on the processes influencing recovery from disturbance.

Published in 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A phase II study of cisplatin, doxorubicin, and ifosfamide with peripheral blood stem cell support in patients with skeletal osteosarcoma and variant bone tumors with a poor prognosis
Authors: Patel Shreyaskumar R. , Papadopolous Nicholas , Raymond A. Kevin , Donato Michele , Seong Chu‐Myong , Yasko Alan W. , Lewis Valerae O. , Lin Patrick P. , Champlin Richard , Benjamin Robert S.
Published: May 2004

BACKGROUND

The authors evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of cisplatin, ifosfamide, and doxorubicin with peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) support in adult patients with osteosarcomas and variants with a poor prognosis.

METHODS

Between December 1994 and January 2001, 37 patients (20 males and 17 females) with a median age of 38 years (range, 18–63 years) entered the study. Ten patients had pelvic osteosarcomas (OS), 6 had malignant fibrous histiocytomas, 5 had metastatic OS, and 16 had miscellaneous histologies. The authors used doxorubicin (60–75 mg/m2) and ifosfamide (10 g/m2) followed by granulocyte–colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF) (5 μg/kg twice per day) for mobilization of PBSC, collected at a median of 12 days (range, 10–14 days). Three cycles with cisplatin (120 mg/m2), ifosfamide (10 g/m2), and doxorubicin (75 mg/m2), given 28 days apart, were planned followed by PBSC (2–4 × 106 CD34‐positive cells/kg) infusion plus G‐CSF.

RESULTS

Patients received a median of three cycles (range, one to three cycles) in addition to the mobilizing cycle. The median PBSC collection was 17.5 × 106/kg (range, 13.2–90.8 × 106/kg) with a median of 1 apheresis (range, 1–2 aphereses). Twenty‐eight patients underwent surgery, 10 achieved 95–100% necrosis, and 4 achieved 90–94% necrosis. Six patients required early discontinuation of therapy due to toxicities, two patients developed progressive disease, and one patient was deemed unresectable. The median time to progression (TTP) and overall survival by Kaplan–Meier estimates for all 37 patients was 19 months and 49 months, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors accomplished the objective of improving the rate of necrosis with intensification of preoperative therapy. However, TTP and survival rates remained poor. The toxicity profile of this regimen is prohibitive and alternative strategies need to be investigated. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Quantitation of microsporidia in cultured cells by flow cytometry
Authors: Franzen Caspar , Müller Andreas , Hartmann Pia , Salzberger Bernd
Published: May 2004

Background

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites that emerged as major opportunistic pathogens in humans since the onset of the AIDS pandemic. In the present study, we investigated whether FCM is a useful method for the quantitation of intracellular microsporidian spores in cultured cells.

Methods

Microsporidia (Encephalitozoon cuniculi) were grown in cell cultures and various cell‐lines were coincubated with microsporidian spores at different multiplicities of infection, as well as for different periods of time. After permeabilization of the cells, intracellular spores were stained with a polyclonal anti‐E. cuniculi serum and a FITC‐labeled secondary antibody. Stained cells were analyzed on a flow cytometer and results were compared with those of fluorescence microscopy.

Results

Noninfected cells showed a lower fluorescence, while the relative fluorescence observed for infected cells was significantly higher. The cell population with the more intense fluorescence, representing cells with internalized microsporidian spores, increased with the multiplicity of infection as well as over time. Results of FCM and fluorescence microscopy were in excellent agreement for all experiments.

Conclusions

We have developed a flow cytometric assay to detect and quantify cells with intracellular microsporidian spores. This method is easy to use, highly reproducible, and should be useful for future research. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Factor analysis of metabolic syndrome among the middle‐aged Bengalee Hindu men of Calcutta, India
Authors: Ghosh Arnab
Published: May 2004

Background

The prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) is known to be very high in the people of Indian origin. In India, rates are rising and CHD has been predicted to rank first among the causes of death in the Indian population by 2015. The reasons for the increased susceptibility of Indians to CHD are yet to be understood completely. However, studies hinted that clustering of risk variables of the metabolic syndrome (MS) could be responsible for the increasing incidence of CHD in the Indians. Therefore, identification of the components of the MS could be one aspect in the way to curb the increasing incidence of CHD among the Asian Indians.

Methods

Principal component factor analysis (PCFA) was undertaken to identify the components or factors of the metabolic syndrome (MS) among the middle‐aged Bengalee Hindu men of Calcutta, India, and was compared with the findings from other studies. The present cross‐sectional study consisted of 212 Bengalee Hindu men aged 30 years and above. Besides anthropometric measures, lipid profile, blood pressure, and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were collected from each participant. Waist–hip ratio (WHR), trunk–extremity ratio (TER), and central fat skinfold ratio (CFSR) were computed accordingly. The lipid profile measures that were included were total cholesterol (TC), fasting triglyceride (FTG), high (HDL‐C), low (LDL‐C), and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL‐C).

Results

Principal components factor analysis revealed four uncorrelated factors that cumulatively explained 72.37% of the observed variance of the metabolic syndrome by measured variables. These four factors could be identified as central obesity (factor 1), centralized subcutaneous fat (factor 2), lipid profile blood glucose (factor 3), and blood pressure (factor 4). The present factor analysis confirms the general finding from other factor analyses of the metabolic syndrome on different ethnic groups that have identified three to four factors. Furthermore, the first two factors, that is, central obesity and centralized subcutaneous fat cumulatively explained 47% of the observed variance of metabolic syndrome in this population.

Conclusion

Since more than one factor was identified for the metabolic syndrome and as no observed variable loaded on all four factors, therefore, more than one physiological mechanism could be accounted for the clustering of risk variables of the metabolic syndrome among the Bengalee Hindu men. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrothermal Syntheses, Structures, and Properties of Three 3‐D Lanthanide Coordination Polymers that Form 1‐D Channels
Authors: Zheng Xiang‐Jun , Wang Zhe‐Ming , Gao Song , Liao Fu‐Hui , Yan Chun‐Hua , Jin Lin‐Pei
Published: May 2004

We report the hydrothermal synthesis and crystal structure of isostructural lanthanide coordination polymers [Ln2(NDC)3(phen)2]·H2NDC [Ln = Tb (1), Ho (2) and Yb (3)] that feature 2,6‐naphthalenedicarboxylate (NDC) and 1,10‐phenanthroline (phen) ligands. The NDC ligands bridge the lanthanide ions in two different modes to form a 3‐D porous framework that accommodates large, neutral 2,6‐naphthalenedicarboxylic acid molecules as guests in the channels, stabilized through O−H···O hydrogen bonds to the NDC ligand. The effective dimension of the channel is ca. 6.0 × 8.2 Å. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that complex 2 remains stable up to 330 °C, which we confirmed also by powder X‐ray diffraction analyses. The framework collapsed upon the loss of the coordinating phen molecules. The Tb complex shows strong evidence of ferromagnetic coupling interactions. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004)
Kinetics and Mechanism of Oxidation of Fe2+ by the Tris(biguanide)manganese(IV) Ion in Aqueous Acid Media
Authors: Dhar Basab Bijayi , Mukherjee Ritam , Mukhopadhyay Subrata , Banerjee Rupendranath
Published: May 2004

Tris(biguanide)manganese(IV), [Mn(LH2)3]4+ (LH2 = biguanide, C2N5H7), quantitatively oxidises Fe2+ to Fe3+ and is itself reduced to Mn2+ with almost quantitative (> 95%) release of biguanide. The reaction rate strongly depends on added Fe3+; in the presence of externally added Fe3+, the reaction shows a clear first‐order dependence in [MnIV], whereas in the absence of any added Fe3+, an initial quick loss of MnIV is associated with a subsequent very sluggish decay. Two consecutive one‐electron transfer inner‐sphere steps are proposed for the entire redox process where [Mn(LH2)3]3+, the initial one‐electron‐reduced product of MnIV, is believed to be a steady‐state intermediate. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004)
EPR Insensitivity of the Metal‐Nitrosyl Spin‐Bearing Moiety in Complexes [LnRuII‐NO·]k
Authors: Frantz Stéphanie , Sarkar Biprajit , Sieger Monika , Kaim Wolfgang , Roncaroli Federico , Olabe José A. , Záliš Stanislav
Published: May 2004

A survey of 18 paramagnetic species [LnRu(NO)]k, including seven new examples studied by in situ electrolysis, reveals a surprisingly narrow range of EPR parameters despite a wide variety of ligands such as pyridine, polypyridines, imines, amines, nitriles, phosphanes, carbonyl, cyclopentadienides, halides, hydride, hydroxide, thiocyanate or cyanide: g1 = 2.015 ± 0.02, g2 = 1.990 ± 0.015, g3 = 1.892 ± 0.03, gav = 1.968 ± 0.02, Δg = g1 − g3 = 0.122 ± 0.037, A2(14N) = 3.3 ± 0.5 mT. This rather small variability, smaller still if the organometallic compounds are excluded, differs from the wider range of EPR data reported for nitrosyliron species with S = 1/2; apparently, the {RuNO}7 configuration involves a rather invariant and relatively covalent metal−NO interaction. DFT calculations were employed for [(NC)5Ru(NO)]3− to reproduce the EPR data, to evaluate the spin distribution (58% spin density on NO), and to reveal structural changes on reduction such as the Ru−N−O bending and Ru−NO bond lengthening. In addition, the possibility of staggered and eclipsed conformations is discussed. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004)
3‐D Water‐Soluble Reversible Neodymium(III) and Lanthanum(III) Coordination Polymers
Authors: Vermonden Tina , de Vos Wiebe M. , Marcelis Antonius T. M. , Sudhölter Ernst J. R.
Published: May 2004

The formation of soluble supramolecular 3‐D coordination polymers with Nd3+ and La3+ in aqueous solution has been studied for two bifunctional ligands consisting of two pyridine‐2,6‐dicarboxylate groups connected at the 4‐position by O(CH2CH2O)4 and O(CH2CH2O)6 spacers (C4 and C6, respectively). Viscosity measurements were used to monitor the network formation as a function of the ligand concentration, and the ratio between metal ions and ligands. For corresponding conditions C4 solutions with Nd3+ always gave much higher viscosities than C6 solutions with Nd3+. C6 is long, and flexible enough to bind with both chelating groups to only one metal ion (ring formation). This causes the polymers to stop growing, resulting in smaller average sizes of the 3‐D polymers. The ring‐structures could be demonstrated by 1H NMR spectroscopy using C6 and La3+ at low concentrations. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004)
Cover Picture: Macromol. Biosci. 5/2004
Authors: Byun Jang‐Woong , Kim Jong‐Uk , Chung Woo‐Jae , Lee Yoon‐Sik
Published: May 2004

Cover: The picture on the cover presents surface‐grafted polystyrene (PS) beads with comb‐like poly(methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains. The resulting PS‐sg‐PEG beads consist of a PS core and a flexible PEG shell layer and show good swelling properties in various solvents ranging from toluene to water. The grafted hydrophilic PEG chains on the surface of the PS beads overcome the limitations posed by hydrophobic PS beads, such as non‐specific protein adsorption.

Further details can be found in the Full Paper by J.‐W. Byun, J.‐U. Kim, W.‐J. Chung, Y.‐S. Lee* on page 512.
Synthesis and Characterization of New Methacrylic Phosphonated Surface Active Monomer
Authors: Senhaji O. , Robin J. J. , Achchoubi M. , Boutevin B.
Published: May 2004

Summary: The synthesis of novel methacrylic phosphonated surface‐active monomer by an original method is described. The crucial stage is the telomerization of undec‐10‐enyl acetate with dialkyl (alkyl = methyl or ethyl) hydrogenphosphonate. The phosphonated acetate obtained is selectively hydrolysed to give dialkyl(11‐hydroxyundecyl)phosphonate as a precursor. The alcohol function allows setting of methacrylic side, which is highly reactive in radical polymerization. Particularly, by mono‐dealkylation of dimethyl phosphonate in a selective and quantitative way, the potassium iodide permits to get, at one stage, the expected salt of sodium methyl phosphonate. The new surface‐active sodium methyl(11‐methacryloyloxyundecyl)phosphonate is characterized by 1H and 31P NMR. Its critical micelle concentration evaluated by conductometry is 2.4 × 10−2 mol · l−1.

Synthesis of dialkyl(11‐methacryloyloxyundecyl)phosphonate (DAHP) without protection of alcohol function.

image

Synthesis of dialkyl(11‐methacryloyloxyundecyl)phosphonate (DAHP) without protection of alcohol function.
Cover Picture: Macromol. Chem. Phys. 7/2004
Authors: Ubaghs Luc , Novi Christina , Keul Helmut , Höcker Hartwig
Published: May 2004

Cover: Due to thermodynamical reasons, ethylene carbonate (EC) and 1,2‐propylene carbonate (PC) are monomers which cannot be homopolymerized to polycarbonates with uniform microstructure. However, copolymerization of EC and PC with tetramethylene urea (TeU) leads to polyurethanes with randomly distributed TeU‐EC/TeU‐PC units. It was found that the reactivity of PC is significantly lower than that of EC. The properties of the polyurethanes are determined by the ratio of EC to PC which was deduced from 1H NMR analysis. This isocyanate‐free route to polyurethanes is of ecological importance.

Further details can be found in the Full Paper by L. Ubaghs, C. Novi, H. Keul,* and H. Höcker on page 888.
Polymerization of Vinyl Ethers by Iron(II) and Cobalt(II) Pyridyl Bis(imine) Complexes in the Presence of Methylaluminoxane
Authors: Kim Il , Ha Yun S. , Ha Chang‐Sik
Published: May 2004

Summary: The polymerizations of ethyl vinyl ether, n‐butyl vinyl ether and isobutyl vinyl ether were investigated with a series of pyridine bis(imine) complexes of iron(II) and cobalt(II) in the presence of methylaluminoxane. The cobalt catalysts showed much higher activity and produced higher molecular weight polymers than their iron analogues. Both catalyst systems produced predominantly atactic polymers. There were no specific trends in the activity and the polymer molecular weight, according to the steric bulk around the metal center.

The iron(II) and cobalt(II) catalysts used here.

image

The iron(II) and cobalt(II) catalysts used here.
Prevalence of spontaneous oral dyskinesia in the elderly: A reappraisal
Authors: Blanchet Pierre J. , Abdillahi Ossob , Beauvais Chantale , Rompré Pierre H. , Lavigne Gilles J
Published: May 2004

The prevalence and status of spontaneous oral dyskinesia (SOD), clinically defined as the presence of oral stereotypies of no apparent cause, remain controversial in the elderly. The reported high prevalence of SOD in institutionalized demented cases, the apparent similarity between SOD and tardive dyskinesia (TD), and the role of aging in both conditions, are used as arguments to minimise the prevalence of TD and causal role of antipsychotics. We observed 1,018 (69.3% women) noninstitutionalized, frail elderly subjects attending day care centers to document the prevalence and phenomenology of SOD. A total of 38 subjects, including 29 women, were suspected of having SOD, for a prevalence rate of 3.7% (95% confidence interval, 2.6–4.9%), 4.1% for women and 2.9% for men. A survey covering medical and dental issues was filled out by 508 volunteers. Subjects with suspected SOD reported more frequent ill‐fitting dental devices (P = 0.002; odds ratio [OR] = 3.5), oral pain (P = 0.01; OR = 3.0), and a lower rate of perception of good oral health (P = 0.04; OR = 0.4) compared to nondyskinetics. Individuals with suspected SOD typically presented with mild stereotyped masticatory or labial movements compared to the more complex phenomenology of probable TD cases. Thus, SOD is comparatively infrequent in the elderly. The relation between its distinct orodental health profile and stereotyped manifestations warrants further attention. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society
Detection of presymptomatic Parkinson's disease: Combining smell tests, transcranial sonography, and SPECT
Authors: Sommer Ulrike , Hummel Thomas , Cormann Katja , Mueller Antje , Frasnelli Johannes , Kropp Joachim , Reichmann Heinz
Published: May 2004

Olfactory loss is among the early signs of Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigated whether “idiopathic” olfactory dysfunction might relate to signs of nigral degeneration. Olfactory tests were combined with transcranial sonography of the substantia nigra and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. Thirty patients diagnosed with idiopathic olfactory loss participated. Eleven of these patients exhibited an increased echogenicity of the SN in the transcranial sonography. In 10 of these 11 patients, SPECT scans with 123I‐FP‐CIT were performed. Median uptake ratios in the basal ganglia were pathological in 5 patients, 2 patients exhibited borderline findings, and 3 patients had normal results. Considering patients with idiopathic olfactory dysfunction, noninvasive transcranial sonography seems to be helpful in identifying patients potentially at risk to develop PD. Longitudinal follow‐up studies are necessary to estimate the ratio of patients with dopaminergic cell loss in the basal ganglia who will develop PD in the future. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society
L‐dopa–responsive Parkinson's syndrome in association with phenylketonuria: In vivo dopamine transporter and D2 receptor findings
Authors: Evans Andrew H. , Costa Durval C. , Gacinovic Sveto , Katzenschlager Regina , O'Sullivan John D. , Heales Simon , Lee Phillip , Lees Andrew J.
Published: May 2004

Reports of parkinsonism in phenylketonuria are exceedingly rare. We report on a patient who had received a delayed diagnosis of phenylketonuria as an infant and subsequently developed levodopa‐responsive parkinsonism at the age of 33. Single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using 123I‐FP‐CIT ([123)I]‐2 beta‐carbomethoxy‐3beta‐(‐4‐iodophenyl)‐N‐(3‐fluoropropyl)‐nortropane) used to measure dopamine transporter levels on two occasions, 7 and 9 years after the onset of neurological symptoms, were normal. Iodine‐123‐iodo‐lisuride SPECT (IBZM) imaging, however, showed reduced caudate over putamen binding. This combination of imaging findings indicates a possible upregulation of postsynaptic D2 receptors in the context of intact presynaptic dopamine nerve terminal density. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society
Examination of the SGCE gene in Tourette syndrome patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder
Authors: De Carvalho Aguiar Patricia , Fazzari Melissa , Jankovic Joseph , Ozelius Laurie J.
Published: May 2004

Mutations in the ϵ‐sarcoglycan gene (SGCE) have been reported in families with myoclonus–dystonia (M‐D). In addition to abnormal movements, obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) has also been described in families with M‐D. OCD is a common feature in another movement disorder, namely Tourette syndrome (TS). The comorbidity of these disorders suggests that common genetic factors might be involved in their susceptibility. To evaluate this, we performed two sets of experiments. An association study using a polymorphism within an intron of the SGCE gene was assessed in patients with TS and OCD versus controls, and the SGCE gene itself was screened for mutations in all TS/OCD patients, followed by direct sequencing of the gene in a limited number of these patients. No correlation was found by either method. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society
Primary lingual dystonia induced by speaking
Authors: Baik Jong Sam , Park Jae Hyeon , Kim Jeong Yeon
Published: May 2004

We describe a 46‐year‐old woman who presented with lingual dystonia induced only by speaking, which responded well to anticholinergic treatment. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society
A modiﬁed method for determining protein binding capacity of plant polyphenolics using radiolabelled protein
Authors: Henson Ginger L. , Niemeyer Lee , Ansong Godfred , Forkner Rebecca , Makkar Harinder P. S. , Hagerman Ann E.
Published: May 2004

A modiﬁed radiochemical protein binding method for determining the protein binding capacity of plant polyphenolics (tannins) is described. Puriﬁed tannin or unfractionated plant extracts were immobilised on ﬁlter paper discs and incubated with the 125I‐labelled bovine serum albumin. Protein bound to the disc was proportional to the amount of tannin applied to the disc, although at high concentrations of polyphenolics the discs became saturated and the relationship was no longer applicable. The method was validated using puriﬁed procyanidin from Sorghum grain and has been applied to crude polyphenolic extracts from maple, white oak, black oak, walnut and tulip poplar leaves. Speciﬁc chemical assays for the determination of proanthocyanidins (acid butanol method) and hydrolysable tannins (modiﬁed potassium iodate method) were employed to validate the new protein binding method with the complex plant extracts. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Standardisation of Gymnema sylvestre R. Br. with reference to gymnemagenin by high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography
Authors: Puratchimani V. , Jha S.
Published: May 2004

A simple and reproducible HPTLC method for the determination of gymnemagenin (1) in Gymnema sylvestre has been developed. Components were separated on pre‐coated silica gel 60 F254 plates with chloroform:methanol (9:1) and scanned using a densitometric scanner in the UV reﬂectance mode at 290 nm. Linearity of determination of 1 was observed in the range 4–10 µg. The average percentage recovery of 1 from an extract was 99.09 ± 0.29, and the content of 1 in leaves of the title plant was 1.61% (dry weight). Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Computer‐assisted, high‐performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection for the analysis of coumarins in Peucedanum palustre and Angelica archangelica
Authors: Eeva Manu , Rauha Jussi‐Pekka , Vuorela Pia , Vuorela Heikki
Published: May 2004

A reversed‐phase HPLC method with atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation MS detection has been developed for the separation and identiﬁcation of coumarins in plants of Peucedanum palustre L. (Moench) and Angelica archangelica (L.) var. archangelica. The Turbo Method Development® program was utilised to optimise the mobile phase with two organic solvents (acetonitrile and methanol) and two aqueous solutions (1.0% formic acid and 10 mm ammonium acetate). Optimisation of the solvent gradients for the method was performed with the aid of the DryLab® program. Analyses were carried out using a Phenomenex Prodigy® RP C18 column. Fifty‐two peaks (14 of which were associated with coumarins) were separated in 30 min from extracts of P. palustre, and 48 peaks (15 associated with coumarins) from extracts of A. archangelica. A total of 21 different coumarin‐type compounds were identiﬁed in the aerial and the underground parts of the title plants. Isopimpinellin and pimpinellin were found for the ﬁrst time in P. palustre and were identiﬁed by comparison of retention times and MS data obtained following the analysis of pure standards. This is the ﬁrst report of the coumarin composition of the umbels of P. palustre. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Polyoxypregnane glycosides from Caralluma retrospiciens
Authors: Halaweish Fathi T. , Huntimer Eric , Khalil Ashaf T.
Published: May 2004

Six related polyoxypregnane glycosides were isolated and characterised from Caralluma retrospiciens leaves. The compounds were identiﬁed as 12β‐benzoyloxy‐8β,14β‐dihydroxypregn‐20‐one‐3‐O‐[3‐O‐methyl‐6‐deoxy‐β‐d‐allopyranosyl‐(1 → 4)‐β‐d‐cymaropyranosyl‐(1 → 4)‐β‐d‐cymaropyranoside], 12β‐benzoyloxy‐8β,14β‐dihydroxypregn‐20‐one‐3‐O‐[β‐d‐glucopyranosyl‐(1 → 4)‐3‐O‐methyl‐6‐deoxy‐β‐d‐allopyranosyl‐(1 → 4)‐β‐d‐cymaropyranosyl‐(1 → 4)‐β‐d‐cymaropyranoside], 12β‐benzoyloxy‐8β,14β‐dihydroxypregn‐20‐one‐3‐O‐[β‐d‐glucopyranosyl‐(1 → 4)‐3‐O‐methyl‐6‐deoxy‐β‐d‐galactopyranosyl‐(1 → 4)‐3‐O‐methyl‐6‐deoxy‐β‐d‐galactopyranoside], 12β‐benzoyloxy‐8β,14β‐dihydroxypregn‐20‐one‐3‐O‐[β‐d‐glucopyranosyl‐(1 → 6)‐β‐d‐glucopyranosyl‐(1 → 4)‐3‐O‐methyl‐6‐deoxy‐β‐d‐galactopyranosyl‐(1 → 4)‐3‐O‐methyl‐6‐deoxy‐β‐d‐galactopyranoside], 12β‐benzoyloxy‐11α‐isovaleroyloxy‐8β,14β‐dihydroxypregn‐20‐one‐3‐O‐[β‐d‐glucopyranosyl‐(1 → 4)‐3‐O‐methyl‐6‐deoxy‐β‐d‐galactopyranosyl‐(1 → 4)‐3‐O‐methyl‐6‐deoxy‐β‐d‐galactopyranoside], and 12β‐benzoyloxy‐11α‐isovaleroyloxy‐8β,14β‐dihydroxypregn‐20‐one‐3‐O‐[β‐d‐glucopyranosyl (1 → 4)‐3‐O‐methyl‐6‐deoxy‐β‐d‐allopyranosyl‐(1 → 4)‐β‐d‐cymaropyranosyl‐(1 → 4)‐β‐d‐cymaropyranoside]. The structures were determined by detailed analysis of one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR spectra as well as by chemical means. The compounds showed cytotoxic activities towards brine shrimp having IC50 values of 1.19 × 10−4, 8.83 × 10−5, 2.64 × 10−4, 2.26 × 10−4, 2.39 × 10−4 and 1.70 × 10−4 M, respectively. This is the ﬁrst report of the isolation of these compounds from a natural source. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Morphology and temperature responsiveness–swelling relationship of poly(N‐isopropylamide–chitosan) copolymers and their application to drug release
Authors: Lee Chia‐Fen , Wen Chia‐Jen , Lin Chia‐Lung , Chiu Wen‐Yen
Published: May 2004

Poly [N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm)–chitosan] crosslinked copolymer particles were synthesized by soapless emulsion copolymerization of NIPAAm and chitosan. An anionic initiator [ammonium persulfate (APS)] and a cationic initiator [2,2′‐azobis(2‐methylpropionamidine)dihydrochloride (AIBA)] were used to initiate the reaction of copolymerization. The chitosan–NIPAAm copolymer synthesized by using APS as the initiator showed a homogeneous morphology and exhibited the characteristic of a lower critical solution temperature (LCST). The copolymer synthesized by using AIBA as an initiator showed a core–shell morphology, and the characteristic of LCST was insignificant. The LCST of the chitosan–NIPAAm copolymer depended on the morphology of the copolymer particles. In addition, the chitosan–NIPAAm copolymer particles were processed to form copolymer disks. Then, the effect of various variables such as the chitosan/NIPAAm weight ratio, the concentration of crosslinking agent, and the pH values on the swelling ratio of chitosan–NIPAAm copolymer disks were investigated. Furthermore, caffeine was used as the model drug to study the characteristics of drug loading of the chitosan–NIPAAm copolymer disks. Variables such as the chitosan/NIPAAm weight ratio and the concentration of the crosslinking agent significantly influenced the behavior of caffeine loading. Two factors (pore size and swelling ratio) affected the behavior of caffeine release from the chitosan–NIPAAm copolymer disks. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3029–3037, 2004
The Bianchi classification of maximal D = 8 gauged supergravities
Authors: Bergshoeff E. , Gran U. , Linares R. , Nielsen M. , Ortín T. , Roest D.
Published: May 2004

The class A theories have 1/2 BPS domain wall solutions that uplift to purely gravitational solutions consisting of 7D Minkowski and a 4D Euclidean geometry. These geometries are generically singular. The two regular exceptions correspond to the near‐horizon limit of the single‐center or double‐centered Kaluza‐Klein monopole. In contrast, the class B supergravities are defined by a set of equations of motion that cannot be integrated to an action and allow for no 1/2 BPS domain walls.
Heterotic string theory on non‐Kähler manifolds with H‐flux and Gaugino condensate
Authors: Cardoso G.L. , Curio G. , Dall'Agata G. , Lüst D.
Published: May 2004

We discuss compactifications of heterotic string theory to four dimensions in the presence of H–fluxes, which deform the geometry of the internal manifold, and a gaugino condensate which breaks supersymmetry. We focus on the compensation of the two effects in order to obtain vacua with zero cosmological constant and we comment on the effective superpotential describing these vacua.
Physical reduced phase space of non‐local theories
Authors: Gomis J. , Kamimura K. , Ramírez T.
Published: May 2004

In the case of string field theory, at lowest truncation level, the physical phase space of spatially homogeneous configurations is two dimensional around q = 0, which is the relevant case for the rolling tachyon solutions, and infinite dimensional around q = M2 / g.
S‐matrix, vertex operators and correlation functions of Liouville theory
Authors: Jorjadze G.
Published: May 2004

We investigate the S‐matrix of Liouville theory on the basis of exact relation between exponentials of the in‐ and out‐fields. The vertex operators for negative integer exponentials are constructed by regularising procedure. Their vacuum matrix elements are calculated using Dotsenko‐Fateev integrals. The result is continued analytically to the generic case. The obtained correlation function coincides with the suggested 3‐point function of Dorn and Otto for positive exponentials only.
Brane/flux interactions in orientifolds
Authors: Berg M. , Haack M. , Körs B.
Published: May 2004

Combining the benefits of D‐branes and background fluxes in string compactifications opens up the possibility to explore phenomenologically interesting brane world models with stabilized moduli. However, it is difficult to determine interaction effects among open strings and fluxes in the effective action. We derive the full bosonic Lagrangian of a (spontaneously broken) 𝒩 = 4 supersymmetric model with D3‐branes and NSNS and RR 3‐form fluxes in an orientifold of type IIB, that, without fluxes, would be T‐dual to type I theory. In the limit where backreaction in form of a warp factor is neglected, the effective action can be obtained through a procedure that combines dimensional reduction and T‐duality, and it is found to be in agreement with results from gauged supergravity. This provides evidence for the consistency of this commonly used approximation scheme.
Puzzles for matrix models of chiral field theories
Authors: Landsteiner K. , Lazaroiu C.I. , Tatar R.
Published: May 2004

We summarize the field‐theory/matrix model correspondence for a chiral 𝒩= 1 model with matter in the adjoint, antisymmetric and conjugate symmetric representations as well as eight fundamentals to cancel the chiral anomaly. The associated holomorphic matrix model is consistent only for two fundamental fields, which requires a modification of the original Dijkgraaf‐Vafa conjecture. The modified correspondence holds in spite of this mismatch.
Towards complete string effective actions beyond leading order
Authors: Peeters K. , Vanhove P. , Westerberg A.
Published: May 2004

We review the current knowledge of higher‐derivative terms in closed‐string effective actions, the various approaches that have been used to obtain them and their applications.
Nonlocal quantum gravity and the size of the universe
Authors: Reuter M. , Saueressig F.
Published: May 2004

Motivated by the conjecture that the cosmological constant problem is solved by strong quantum effects in the infrared we use the exact flow equation of Quantum Einstein Gravity to determine the renormalization group behavior of a class of nonlocal effective actions. They consist of the Einstein‐Hilbert term and a general nonlinear function Fk(V) of the Euclidean spacetime volume V. For the V + V ln V‐invariant the renormalization group running enormously suppresses the value of the renormalized curvature which results from Planck‐size parameters specified at the Planck scale. One obtains very large, i.e., almost flat universes without finetuning the cosmological constant. A critical infrared fixed point is found where gravity is scale invariant.
Quasi normal modes
Authors: Sachs I.
Published: May 2004

In this talk we review different applications of quasi normal modes to black hole physics, string theory and thermalisation in quantum field theory. In particular, we describe the the relation between quasi normal modes of AdS black holes and the time scale for thermalisation in strongly coupled, large N conformal field theory. We also discuss the problem of unitarity within this approach.
Algebras in tensor categories and coset conformal field theories
Authors: Fröhlich J. , Fuchs J. , Runkel I. , Schweigert C.
Published: May 2004

The coset construction is the most important tool to construct rational conformal field theories with known chiral data. For some cosets at small level, so‐called maverick cosets, the familiar analysis using selection and identification rules breaks down. Intriguingly, this phenomenon is linked to the existence of exceptional modular invariants. Recent progress in CFT, based on studying algebras in tensor categories, allows for a universal construction of the chiral data of coset theories which in particular also applies to maverick cosets.
Ricci flows and infinite dimensional algebras
Authors: Bakas I.
Published: May 2004

The renormalization group equations of two‐dimensional sigma models describe geometric deformations of their target space when the world‐sheet length changes scale from the ultra‐violet to the infra‐red. These equations, which are also known in the mathematics literature as Ricci flows, are analyzed for the particular case of two‐dimensional target spaces, where they are found to admit a systematic description as Toda system. Their zero curvature formulation is made possible with the aid of a novel infinite dimensional Lie algebra, which has anti‐symmetric Cartan kernel and exhibits exponential growth. The general solution is obtained in closed form using Bäcklund transformations, and special examples include the sausage model and the decay process of conical singularities to the plane. Thus, Ricci flows provide a non‐linear generalization of the heat equation in two dimensions with the same dissipative properties. Various applications to dynamical problems of string theory are also briefly discussed. Finally, we outline generalizations to higher dimensional target spaces that exhibit sufficient number of Killing symmetries.
On long time unitarity restoring processes in the presence of eternal black holes
Authors: Barbón J.L.F. , Rabinovici E.
Published: May 2004

We discuss the various scales determining the temporal behaviour of correlation functions in the presence of eternal black holes. We point out the origins of the failure of the semiclassical gravity approximation to respect a unitarity‐based bound suggested by Maldacena. We find that the presence of a subleading (in the large N approximation involved) master field does restore the compliance with one bound but additional configurations are needed to explain the more detailed expected time dependence of the Poincare recurrences and their magnitude.