bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding Conceptual Schemas: Exploring the Role of Application and IS Domain Knowledge
Authors: Khatri Vijay , Vessey Iris , Ramesh V. , Clay Paul , Park Sung-Jin
Published: March 2006

Although information systems (IS) problem solving involves knowledge of both the IS and application domains, little attention has been paid to the role of application domain knowledge. In this study, which is set in the context of conceptual modeling, we examine the effects of both IS and application domain knowledge on different types of schema understanding tasks: syntactic and semantic comprehension tasks and schema-based problem-solving tasks. Our thesis was that while IS domain knowledge is important in solving all such tasks, the role of application domain knowledge is contingent upon the type of understanding task under investigation. We use the theory of cognitive fit to establish theoretical differences in the role of application domain knowledge among the different types of schema understanding tasks. We hypothesize that application domain knowledge does not influence the solution of syntactic and semantic comprehension tasks for which cognitive fit exists, but does influence the solution of schema-based problem-solving tasks for which cognitive fit does not exist.

To assess performance on different types of conceptual schema understanding tasks, we conducted a laboratory experiment in which participants with high- and low-IS domain knowledge responded to two equivalent conceptual schemas that represented high and low levels of application knowledge (familiar and unfamiliar application domains). As expected, we found that IS domain knowledge is important in the solution of all types of conceptual schema understanding tasks in both familiar and unfamiliar applications domains, and that the effect of application domain knowledge is contingent on task type. Our findings for the EER model were similar to those for the ER model. Given the differential effects of application domain knowledge on different types of tasks, this study highlights the importance of considering more than one application domain in designing future studies on conceptual modeling.
Fluorescent Immunohistochemistry and In Situ Hybridization Analysis of Mouse Pancreas Using Low-power Antigen-retrieval Technique
Authors: Ge Shundi , Crooks Gay M. , McNamara George , Wang Xiuli
Published: March 2006

To facilitate the immunological reaction of antibodies with antigens in fixed tissues, it is necessary to unmask or retrieve the antigens through pretreatment of the specimens. However, adjustment of heating-induced antigen retrieval is always required for different tissues and antigens. In this study, by using a low-power antigen-retrieval technique with appropriate dilution of antibodies, we successfully immunostained key antigens in pancreas such as insulin, PDX-1, glucagon, cytokeratin, and CD31, which have previously presented a particular challenge for investigators because of the rapid autodigestion and high nonspecific antibody binding in this tissue. Satisfactory results were obtained when immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis were combined in the same slides.
Oxidation Fundamentals and Its Application to Turbine Oil Testing
Authors: Gatto VJ , Moehle WE , Cobb TW , Schneller ER
Published: March 2006

The current turbine oil oxidation bench tests have been in place for many years. Recently, however, the basestocks used to formulate these lubricants have changed significantly. Traditional basestocks, containing high levels of aromatics and sulfur, have been substantially displaced by more highly refined basestocks, which have very low levels of aromatics and almost no sulfur. Over time it has become clear that the oxidation performance of the different basestock classes is quite different. One key question, however, remains unanswered. “What modifications are required in current bench tests to adequately mimic oxidation processes in modern turbine lubricants?” In order to adequately address this critical question, the fundamentals of lubricant oxidation and stabilization will be discussed. Data will be presented on the oxidation of different basestocks under varying conditions of temperature, metal catalysts and antioxidant type, using model bulk oil oxidation tests. The data highlights the fundamental oxidation mechanisms that can occur in turbine oil systems and new test methods are proposed.
Uncertainty and Debt-Maturity in Emerging Markets
Authors: Bussiere Matthieu , Fratzscher Marcel , Koeniger Winfried
Published: March 2006

Although a lot has been written on the link between debt maturity and financial crises, it remains puzzling why the private sector in emerging market economies holds such a large share of short-term debt in the presence of substantial macroeconomic risk. To understand this phenomenon, we propose a simple model in which debt maturity depends on economic uncertainty about investment returns. We show in particular that if lenders are risk averse, higher uncertainty can (i) lower the total debt level a country is able to borrow and (ii) tilt the debt profile towards short-term debt. We take these model implications to the data using a panel of 28 emerging market economies and various indicators for macroeconomic uncertainty. We find substantial empirical support for the model's predictions.
Online Fund-Raising Mechanisms: A Field Experiment
Authors: Chen Yan , Li Xin , MacKie-Mason Jeffrey K
Published: March 2006

We implemented one of the first web-based online field experiments of fund-raising. We embedded our experiment in the Internet Public Library to test four mechanisms: Voluntary Contribution (VCM), Premium, Seed Money and Matching. Although the gift size is not significantly different across mechanisms, the Seed and Matching mechanisms each generate significantly higher user click-through response rate than the Premium mechanism. Because this is one of the earliest embedded, web-based field experiments, we report our methodology findings in some detail. Cookies work better as participant assignment techniques than pop-up windows and elicitation of geographic information. Participant clickstream data that nominally demonstrate a desire to donate is a poor predictor of actual giving.
Influence of Particles and Electrolyte on Gas Hold-Up and Mass Transfer in a Slurry Bubble Column
Authors: Ruthiya Keshav C , van der Schaaf John , Kuster Ben F.M. , Schouten Jaap C
Published: March 2006

In this paper, the influence of carbon and silica particle slurry concentration up to 20 g/l (4 vol%) on regime transition, gas hold-up, and volumetric mass transfer coefficient is studied in a 2-dimensional slurry bubble column. From high speed video image analysis, the average large bubble diameter, the frequency of occurrence of large bubbles, the gas-liquid interfacial area, and the large bubble hold-up are obtained. The liquid side mass transfer coefficient is calculated from the volumetric mass transfer coefficient and the gas-liquid interfacial area. The lyophilic silica particles are rendered lyophobic by a methylation process to study the influence of particle wettability. The influence of organic electrolyte (sodium gluconate) and the combination of electrolyte and particles is also studied. It is found that lyophilic silica, lyophobic silica, and lyophobic carbon particles at concentrations larger than 2 g/l (0.4 vol%) decrease the gas hold-up and shift the regime transition point (where the first large bubbles appear) to a lower gas velocity. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient increases with gas velocity, increases with electrolyte concentration, decreases with slurry concentration, and is higher for lyophobic particles. The liquid side mass transfer coefficient increases with gas velocity, bubble diameter, and is higher for lyophobic particles. A correlation for the mass transfer coefficient based on dimensionless numbers is proposed for the heterogeneous regime.
Intercooled Double-Bed Reactor for LTWGS Reaction with Catalyst Poisoning by Chlorine: Inlet Temperatures for the Maximization of the Production
Authors: Ayastuy Jose Luis , Gutiérrez-Ortiz Miguel Angel , González-Marcos Jose Antonio , González-Velasco Juan Ramon
Published: March 2006

An intercooled double-bed reactor for industrial Low Temperature WGS reaction, subject to catalyst deactivation by irreversible chlorine chemisorption is modelled and optimised.Decline of the catalyst activity due to poisoning by chlorine decreases the reactor CO outlet conversion. After some time of operation, the lowest targeted CO conversion is reached, and further operation is inefficient. The reactor Efficient Production (EP) is calculated as the total amount of CO converted until the CO outlet conversion falls below the permissible minimum value, namely 0.85, which occurs at the operation time called the Catalyst Lifetime (CLT).Deactivation kinetics was assumed to be first order to chlorine partial pressure, and both the chlorine adsorption and deactivation rate constants were considered independent of temperature. For computation, spatio-temporal discretization of the reactor was adopted, and maximum CLT of 26 kh has been assumed.As the operation temperature is determining the overall reactor performance, two inlet temperature strategies for both reactors have been employed to maximise the EP: (a) isothermal and (b) time-trajectory.For a base case, optimum inlet isothermal temperatures for the first and second reactors of 483 and 458 K were found, respectively, at which 972.0 kmol of CO were converted within the CLT of 25.584 kh, being the EP of 958.6 kmol of CO. The maximum EP of 971.0 kmol was achieved for 483 and 462.3 K, for the first and second reactor, respectively. Varying the inlet temperature for both reactors along the time, higher production and EP were achieved.In comparison to the EP obtained for the single-bed reactor, the intercooled double-bed reactor allows to achieve higher EP, for both strategies.Also a sensitivity study to other operational variables, such as steam to gas ratio and total inlet flow, was carried out, in order to investigate their influence on optimal inlet temperatures.
Comprehensive Modeling of Gas Fluidized-Bed Reactors Allowing for Transients, Multiple Flow Regimes and Selective Removal of Species
Authors: Mahecha-Botero Andres , Grace John , Elnashaie Said S.E.H. , Lim C. Jim
Published: March 2006

A multiphase reaction engineering model is being developed to investigate the dynamic and steady state behaviour of fluidized-bed catalytic reactors. It accounts for transients, axial and radial dispersion, temperature and pressure profiles, interphase mass and heat transfer, different hydrodynamic flow regimes, catalyst deactivation, reactions with changes in molar flows and various energy options. The model is general enough that it can treat catalytic systems, subject to mass and energy transfer resistances within the phases, as well as permeating membranes. It is able to handle multiple phases and regions (low-density phase, high-density phase, freeboard region and permselective membranes). The model reduces as special cases to a number of simpler fluidized bed reactor models previously reported in the literature, allowing evaluation of the influence of different simplifying assumptions. As a case study, the model is shown to simulate oxy-chlorination fluidized-bed reactors for the production of ethylene dichloride from ethylene, extending a recent paper by Abba et al. (Chem. Eng. Sci., (2002) 57, 4797-4807).
Modeling a Silicon CVD Spouted Bed Pilot Plant Reactor
Authors: Piña Juliana , Bucalá Verónica , Schbib Noemí Susana , Ege Paul , de Lasa Hugo Ignacio
Published: March 2006

This study reports a comprehensive multiphase gas-solid dynamic mathematical model that successfully describes the batch growth of silicon particles in a CVD submerged spouted bed reactor. This multiphase reactor model takes into account the hydrodynamics and interphase mass exchange between the different fluidized bed regions (spout or grid zone, bubbles and emulsion phase) and uses applicable kinetic rate models to describe both heterogeneous and homogeneous reactions. The model also incorporates a population balance equation representing particle growth and agglomeration.The CVD submerged spouted bed reactor operation is simulated by means of a sequential modular procedure, which involves the solution of the reactor model and the population balance equation.It is shown that the proposed CVD multiphase reactor model successfully simulates experimental data obtained from batch operation in a pilot scale reactor at REC Silicon Inc. The modeling of experiments obtained for different operating conditions allows correlating the scavenging factor as a function of the silane concentration for short- and long-term operations.
Engaging Baccalaureate Clinical Faculty
Authors: Kelly Ruth E
Published: March 2006

Role theory was utilized in this descriptive study to investigate clinical faculty in baccalaureate nursing programs. The Clinical Faculty Role Questionnaire was developed and employed to study 134 full-time and part-time clinical faculty members. Theory derivation was used and the concept of role engagement was empirically supported. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationships among the variables. T-test results identified differences between full-time and part-time faculty members on role variables of status, role conception, and role engagement. The relationships between study concepts and areas of educational content related to the teaching role were explored and identified as supportive of the clinical educator role. Ancillary qualitative investigation resulted in the identification of several themes: the need for clinical competence; for part-time faculty, a desire to be included in program planning.
Was Welfare Reform Successful?
Authors: Blank Rebecca M
Published: March 2006

Major welfare reform legislation passed the U.S. Congress in August 1996 by a broad bipartisan majority and was signed into law by President Clinton. Almost 10 years and many research articles later, the long-term effects of welfare reform are still being debated.
The Menace of an Unchecked Housing Bubble
Authors: Baker Dean
Published: March 2006

An unprecedented run-up in the stock market propelled the U.S. economy in the late nineties and now an unprecedented run-up in house prices is propelling the current recovery. According to Dean Baker, like the stock bubble, the housing bubble will burst. Eventually, it must. When it does, the economy will be thrown into a severe recession, and tens of millions of homeowners, who never imagined that house prices could fall, likely will face serious hardships.
The High Cost of the Iraq War
Authors: Stiglitz Joseph
Published: March 2006

Joseph E. Stiglitz calculates that the full cost of the Iraq War may reach $2 trillion, much more than the $60 billion OMB Director Mich Daniels originally foresaw.
Distribution Control Centre: Software Integration
Authors: Gupta R. P. , Varma R. K.
Published: March 2006

This paper proposes an agent based integration strategy for software elements at the Distribution Control Centre (DCC). The proposed agent-based software integration enables to "plug-and-play" new software applications developed by any vendor or developer with no or minimal changes in the existing software system at DCC. Consequently, it permits the development of the distribution automation system in a phased manner by different vendors. The strategy has been successfully implemented and tested in an actual 10 MVA, 33 kV distribution system to validate its efficacy.
Online Condition Monitoring of Line-Insulator Leakage Currents
Authors: Metwally Ibrahim A. , Sumry Saif AR , Al-Harthy Saif SH
Published: March 2006

This paper introduces some field analyses of the wooden pole fire reports and online condition monitoring recorded data for line insulators of 33kV and 132kV overhead power lines of Petroleum Development Oman (PDO). From the statistical analysis of PDO pole fire reports, it was found that PDO southern directorates had higher number of pole fires during May-September 2004. Pole fires mostly occur for single poles of 33kV distribution lines close to graded roads, where the most common burning locations are at crossarm fixation and at ground foundation. Pollution monitoring systems provide very useful information which can be used to predict the pole fire events.
Optimal Number and Location of TCSC and Loadability Enhancement in Deregulated Electricity Markets Using MINLP
Authors: Sharma Ashwani Kumar
Published: March 2006

This paper proposes a new method of optimal number and location of TCSC using mixed integer non-linear programming approach in the deregulated electricity markets. Optimal number and location of TCSC controller can effectively enhance system loadability and their placement is a crucial issue due to their high cost. Since, in the competitive electricity environment more and more transactions are negotiated, which can compromise the system security. Therefore, it has become essential to determine secure transactions occurring in the new environment for better planning and management. The system loadability has been determined in a hybrid market model utilizing the secure transaction matrix. The proposed technique has been tested on IEEE 24-bus reliability test system (RTS).
Non-Contact Determination of the Phase Sequence and Voltage Level of Overhead Conductors in Air Insulated Substations
Authors: Li Fei , Moore Philip J.
Published: March 2006

This paper describes how the phase sequence and voltage level (132 kV, 275 kV or 400 kV) of single-circuit overhead conductors can be calculated from measurements made by passive, non-contact sensors situated on a moving platform at ground level.The investigation relies on sensing the electric field along the profile of the conductors through the use of passive sensors. The fabrication of the passive sensor is described together with an analysis of its performance. The variation of the vertical component of electric field strength along the lateral profile beneath single-circuit conductors has been studied using finite element modeling software, ANSYS. The results of this simulation have led to a proposed method of determining the magnitude and phase sequence information from overhead conductors via analysis of the induced voltages on the sensors.The paper concludes with an investigation made in a 400 kV substation in the UK. Analysis of the experimental results shows that the proposed technique can successfully evaluate the phase sequence, voltage level, the spacing between phases and the orientation of high-voltage overhead conductors.
Breath Figures as a Dynamic Templating Method for Polymers and Nanomaterials
Authors: Bunz U. H. F.
Published: March 2006

This review describes the use of breath figures as a templating method for the fabrication of self‐assembled polymeric‐ and nanoparticle‐based micro‐ and nanostructures. If moist air is blown over a solution of a polymer or stabilized nanoparticles in an organic solvent, such as carbon disulfide, benzene, or chloroform, evaporative cooling leads to the formation of water droplets on the liquid surface. The monodisperse droplets arrange into a hexagonal array and sink into the polymer solution. Removal of the solvent and the water leaves an imprint of the water droplets as a hollow, air‐filled, hexagonally ordered, polymeric bubble array. Progress in the field of breath‐figure formation is reviewed. The application of breath figures for the generation of functional structures in chemistry and materials science is discussed.
Photoluminescent carbon nanocapsule/polycyanate composites with hydrogen bond interactions
Authors: Su Fu‐Kun , Hong Jin‐Long , Liao Guei‐Fe , Lin Lieh‐Li , Hwang Gan‐Lin , Day Tzy‐Chin
Published: March 2006

Dispersion of carbon nanocapsules (CNC) in a liquid aromatic dicyanate, 4,4′‐ethylidenediphenyldicyanate (LECy), and in the polycyanate (PCn) resin, derived from the subsequent cure of LECy, was attempted in this study. CNC was primarily oxidized to introduce carboxylic acid groups to yield carboxylated CNC (CNC‐COOHs), which can then be dispersed in the monomeric LECy through hydrogen bond (H‐bond) interactions between COOHs in CNC‐COOHs and cyanate (OCN) groups in LECy. Upon heating, the constituent LECy proceeds to polycyclotrimerization to generate a PCn resin, with s‐triazine rings as the crosslinking points. Here, the inherent s‐triazine rings serve as H‐bond sites to COOHs in CNC‐COOHs and effectively promote the homogeneity in the resulting CNC‐COOHs/PCn composites; further, the H‐bond interactions were confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. The CNC‐COOHs clusters in the liquid LECy were characterized using light scattering, to reveal a wide‐range of size distribution with a mean diameter of 278 ± 25 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was further applied to show the well dispersion of CNC‐COOHs clusters in the PCn matrix phase of the resulting composite. The absorption and emission spectra of the resulting CNC‐COOHs/PCn blend were also determined to show their characteristic properties of the photoluminescence (PL) of CNC‐COOHs and PCn components. The emission spectrum of the resulting CNC‐COOHs/PCn blend was bathochromically shifted compared with the pure PCn. This energy‐transfer process is due to π–π electron overlapping of aromatic ring between the PCn matrix and the CNC‐COOHs, resulting in the extended conjugated lengths. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 3784–3788, 2006
Synthesis of monodisperse nickel‐coated polymer particles by electroless plating method utilizing functional polymeric ligands
Authors: Jun Jung‐Bae , Seo Min‐Su , Cho Seong‐Heun , Park Jin‐Gyu , Ryu Jee‐Hyun , Suh Kyung‐Do
Published: March 2006

In the electroless plating process, to omit a sensitizing process with SnCl2, we utilized amino‐functional groups on polymer particles. At first, highly monodisperse functional polymer particles could be prepared by a two‐step seeded polymerization of styrene, divinylbenzene, and glycidyl methacrylate. Then, surface epoxy‐functional groups were converted to amino‐functional groups by treating the particles with a diamine. By using these surface amino functionalities, we tried to prepare uniformly metal‐coated monodisperse polymer particles by electroless plating method. The constituents of an electroless nickel solution bath are nickel salt, a reducing agent, suitable complexing agents, and stabilizers. And the metal thickness was simply controlled by changing the loading amount of substrate polymer particles. Morphological observation of nickel‐plated polymer particles was conducted by using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The structural composition of plated nickel was also investigated. Most of all, the function and the efficiency of the amino‐functional group of polymer particles as a polymeric ligand for metal binding was elucidated. From all observations, it was evident that in the electroless metal plating process without any sensitization step, the deposition of metal clusters on substrate particles is largely dependent upon the particle surface functionality. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 3801–3808, 2006
Thermooxidative degradation of natural rubber/clay composite
Authors: Chen Mei , Ao Ning‐Jian , Liao Yuan‐Yen , Chen Ying , Zhou Hui‐Ling
Published: March 2006

The clay is treated with a reducing agent and an acid so as to obtain a clay containing various metal components with a variable‐valence state. Then, the clay is coprecipitated with natural rubber (NR) latex to prepare a vulcanized NR/clay composite. The degradation process of the NR/clay composite under hot air condition was studied dynamically by using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer attaching an in situ sample cell and was also investigated using the TGA method. The test result obtained from the infrared spectrometry indicated that under low decomposition temperature, the decomposition products of the test samples mainly are ethylene, low molecular olefinic hydrocarbon, and carbonyl compounds. As the decomposition temperature rises, the low molecular olefinic hydrocarbon content decreases, the olefine with longer chain is formed, and a lot of alkane decomposition products are formed at the same time. When the content of the metal components with a variable‐valence state in clay such as Cu, Mn, Co, and Fe increases, the oxidation products containing the carbonyl group, the olefinic hydrocarbon, and CO2 in the decomposition product of the test sample also increase. The TGA result clearly shows a shoulder peak that appears by the side of the main peak on the DTG curve of NR/clay composite. With the increase in the content of metal components with variable‐valence state in clay, the initial degradation temperature of the test sample (T0), the degradation peak temperature (Tp1), and the final degradation temperature (Tf1) in first‐stage reaction, as well as the degradation peak temperature (Tp2) and the last final degradation temperature (Tf) in second‐stage reaction of all the test samples more or less shift to the direction of low temperature; besides, the activation energy (E) of the reaction of the test samples more or less decreases. This means that the metal components with variable‐valence state promote the oxidative degradation of the clay–rubber masterbatch. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 3809–3815, 2006
Evolutionary changes in the cochlea and labyrinth: Solving the problem of sound transmission to the balance organs of the inner ear
Authors: Carey John , Amin Nivee
Published: March 2006

This review article examines the evolutionary adaptations in the vertebrate inner ear that allow selective activation of auditory or vestibular hair cells, although both are housed in the same bony capsule. The problem of separating acoustic stimuli from the vestibular end organs in the inner ear has recently reemerged with the recognition of clinical conditions such as superior canal dehiscence syndrome and enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome. In these syndromes, anatomical defects in the otic capsule alter the functional separation of auditory and vestibular stimuli and lead to pathological activation of vestibular reflexes in response to sound. This review demonstrates that while the pars superior of the labyrinth (utricle and semicircular canals) has remained fairly constant throughout evolution, the pars inferior (saccule and other otolith, macular, and auditory end organs) has seen considerable change as many adaptations were made for the development of auditory function. Among these were a relatively rigid membranous labyrinth wall, a variably rigid otic capsule, immersion of the membranous labyrinth in perilymph, a perilymphatic duct to channel acoustic pressure changes away from the vestibular organs, and different operating frequencies for vestibular versus auditory epithelia. Even in normal human ears, acoustic sensitivity of the labyrinth to loud clicks or tones is retained enough to be measured in a standard clinical test, the vestibular‐evoked myogenic potential test. Anat Rec Part A, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Automatic generation of Japanese–English bilingual thesauri based on bilingual corpora
Authors: Tsuji Keita , Kageura Kyo
Published: March 2006

The authors propose a method for automatically generating Japanese–English bilingual thesauri based on bilingual corpora. The term bilingual thesaurus refers to a set of bilingual equivalent words and their synonyms. Most of the methods proposed so far for extracting bilingual equivalent word clusters from bilingual corpora depend heavily on word frequency and are not effective for dealing with low‐frequency clusters. These low‐frequency bilingual clusters are worth extracting because they contain many newly coined terms that are in demand but are not listed in existing bilingual thesauri. Assuming that single language‐pair‐independent methods such as frequency‐based ones have reached their limitations and that a language‐pair‐dependent method used in combination with other methods shows promise, the authors propose the following approach: (a) Extract translation pairs based on transliteration patterns; (b) remove the pairs from among the candidate words; (c) extract translation pairs based on word frequency from the remaining candidate words; and (d) generate bilingual clusters based on the extracted pairs using a graph‐theoretic method. The proposed method has been found to be significantly more effective than other methods.
Alginate–chitosan complex coacervation for cell encapsulation: Effect on mechanical properties and on long‐term viability
Authors: Baruch Limor , Machluf Marcelle
Published: March 2006

The use of chitosan in complexation with alginate appears to be a promising strategy for cell microencapsulation, due to the biocompatibility of both polymers and the high mechanical properties attributed by the use of chitosan. The present work focuses on the optimization and characterization of the alginate–chitosan system to achieve long‐term cell encapsulation. Microcapsules were prepared from four types of chitosan using one‐ and two‐stage encapsulation procedures. The effect of reaction time and pH on long‐term cell viability and mechanical properties of the microcapsules was evaluated. Using the single‐stage encapsulation procedure led to increase of at least fourfold in viability compared with the two‐stage procedure. Among the four types of chitosan, the use of high molecular weight (MW) chitosan glutamate and low MW chitosan chloride provided high viability levels as well as good mechanical properties, i.e., more than 93% intact capsules. The high viability levels were found to be independent of the reaction conditions when using high MW chitosan. However, when using low MW chitosan, better viability levels (195%) were obtained when using a pH of 6 and a reaction time of 30 min. An alginate–chitosan cell encapsulation system was devised to achieve high cell viability levels as well as to improve mechanical properties, thus holding great potential for future clinical application. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 82:570–579, 2006

This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Intraoperative touch imprint cytology for the diagnosis of sentinel lymph node metastases in breast cancer
Authors: Chicken D W , Kocjan G , Falzon M , Lee A C , Douek M , Sainsbury R , Keshtgar M R S
Published: March 2006

Background

Intraoperative detection of sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases enables the surgeon to take an immediate decision to proceed to completion axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of touch imprint cytology (TIC) for the diagnosis of SLN metastases in sentinel nodes from women with breast cancer.

Methods

Touch imprints from 235 sentinel nodes in 133 women with breast cancer were diagnosed by cytopathology and compared with definitive histopathology results. After a feasibility study, a real-time study was performed with the surgeon proceeding to ALND based on the TIC diagnosis. The clinical opinion of the operating surgeon as to whether the SLN appeared to contain metastases was recorded, as was the time taken for the result to be available.

Results

TIC detected metastases with a sensitivity of 81·1 per cent and a specificity of 100 per cent. False-negative TIC diagnoses were associated with micrometastases and lobular carcinoma. The majority of false-negative diagnoses were due to sampling rather than interpretation errors. Clinical assessment of sentinel nodes had a sensitivity of 64·3 per cent and a specificity of 87·6 per cent.

Conclusion

TIC is feasible and enables the rapid diagnosis of SLN metastases with an acceptable accuracy for clinical use in ductal carcinoma of the breast.
A generalization of the weighted Strichartz estimates for wave equations and an application to self‐similar solutions
Authors: Kato Jun , Nakamura Makoto , Ozawa Tohru
Published: March 2006

Weighted Strichartz estimates with homogeneous weights with critical exponents are proved for the wave equation without a support restriction on the forcing term. The method of proof is based on expansion by spherical harmonics and on the Sobolev space over the unit sphere, by which the required estimates are reduced to the radial case. As an application of the weighted Strichartz estimates, the existence and uniqueness of self‐similar solutions to nonlinear wave equations are proved on up to five space dimensions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Long‐term persistence of hepatitis B surface antigenand antibody induced by DNA‐mediated immunization results in liver and kidney lesions in mice
Authors: Zi Xiao‐Yuan , Yao Yu‐Cheng , Zhu Hai‐Ying , Xiong Jun , Wu Xiu‐Ju , Zhang Nan , Ba Yue , Li Wen‐Lin , Wang Xin‐Ming , Li Jian‐Xiu , Yu Hong‐Yu , Ye Xu‐Ting , Lau Joseph T. Y. , Hu Yi‐Ping
Published: March 2006

DNA‐mediated immunization has been recognized as a new approach for prevention and treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, the side effects of this approach have not been well described. Here we report that DNA‐mediated immunization by intramuscular injection of plasmid DNA encoding HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) induced long‐term persistence of HBsAg and HBsAg‐specific antibody (anti‐HBs) in the sera of the immunized BALB/c mice and resulted in liver and kidney lesions. The lesions persisted for 6 months after injection. Lesions were also found in normal mice injected with the sera from immunized mice, and in HBV‐transgenic mice injected with anti‐HBs antibody, or sera from immunized mice. Furthermore, lesions were accompanied by deposition of circulating immune complex (CIC) of HBsAg and anti‐HBs antibody in the damaged organs. These results indicate that long‐term persistence of HBsAg and anti‐HBs in the immunized mice can result in deposited CIC in liver and kidney, and in development of lesions. The use of DNA containing mammalian replication origins, such as the plasmids used in this study, is not appropriate for human vaccines due to safety concerns relating to persistence of DNA; nevertheless, the safety of DNA‐mediated immunization protocols still needs to be carefully evaluated before practical application.See accompanying commentary: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eji.200635986
NK cells contribute to the early clearance of HSV‐1 from the lung but cannot control replication in the central nervous system following intranasal infection
Authors: Reading Patrick C. , Whitney Paul G. , Barr Daniel P. , Smyth Mark J. , Brooks Andrew G.
Published: March 2006

While infection of the respiratory tract with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) can have severe clinical complications, little is known of the immune mechanisms that control both the replication and spread of HSV‐1 in this site. To better understand the contribution of innate immunity and in particular natural killer (NK) cells to the control of infection at this site, we have utilized a mouse model of intranasal HSV‐1 infection. NK cell numbers increased in the lung following intranasal infection and they produced IFN‐γ and acquired an enhanced cytotoxic capacity. While depletion of NK cells resulted in increased HSV‐1 titres in the lung, the time taken to clear the virus was unaffected. Interestingly, HSV‐1 was also effectively cleared from the lungs of RAG‐1–/– mice that lack both B and T cells. However, RAG‐1–/– mice could not control the spread of virus to the central nervous system and its subsequent replication in the brain. Together, these data demonstrate that NK cells are recruited, activated and contribute to early protection of the lung during acute HSV‐1 infection of the respiratory tract, but in the absence of adaptive immunity are unable to control the replication and spread of virus in the nervous system.
Long‐lived memory CD8+ T cells are programmed by prolonged antigen exposure and low levels of cellular activation
Authors: Bachmann Martin F. , Beerli Roger R. , Agnellini Paola , Wolint Petra , Schwarz Katrin , Oxenius Annette
Published: March 2006

CD8+ T cells play a crucial role in controlling intracellular pathogens. The level of memory CD8+ T cells developing after vaccination or infection influences the degree of T cell‐mediated protection after secondary infection. We used defined animal models and infections/immunizations by replicating or non‐replicating antigens to define on a molecular and cellular level in vivo the parameters that identify and shape long‐lived CD8+ T cell memory. We show that the timing of antigen exposure during vaccination is key for the induction of long‐lived T cell memory. Brief antigen exposure induced high numbers of effector cells but limited development of long‐lived CD8+ memory T cells. In contrast, prolonged antigen exposure for up to 9 days induced similar numbers of effector T cells but additionally resulted in high levels of memory CD8+ T cells. Unexpectedly CD127 (IL‐7Rα) expression on CD8+ T cells during the acute priming phase was a necessary but not sufficient requirement for entering the pool of long‐lived antigen‐independent memory CD8+ T cells. However, we provide strong evidence for the interpretation that programming of long‐lived memory T cells was driven by low levels of transcription factor eomesodermin and protease inhibitor Spi2A as well as reduced phosphorylation of c‐JUN.
Changes in nutraceutical lipid components of rice at different degrees of milling
Authors: Ha Tae‐Yeoul , Ko Soon‐Nam , Lee Sun‐Mi , Kim Hak‐Ryul , Chung Soo‐Hyun , Kim Sung‐Ran , Yoon Hye‐Hyun , Kim In‐Hwan
Published: March 2006

The concentrations of several nutraceutical lipid components [tocol (i.e. tocopherol + tocotrienol) phytosterol, γ‐oryzanol, octacosanol, and squalene] in milled rice and brown rice were determined. The lipid content decreased significantly (p <0.05) as the degree of milling increased, as did the total tocol content. Significant differences (p <0.05) were observed in the relative percentages of α‐tocopherol, α‐tocotrienol, and γ‐tocotrienol in brown rice and milled rice. β‐Sitosterol was the most abundant sterol, representing 50–56% of the total sterol content of all samples analyzed. There were no significant differences in the relative percentages of the sterol isomers as the degree of milling increased. The concentrations of γ‐oryzanol, squalene, and octacosanol in rice decreased significantly (p <0.05) as the degree of milling increased.
Pro‐oxidant activity of Fe2+ in oxidation of cod phospholipids in liposomes
Authors: Mozuraityte Revilija , Rustad Turid , Storrø Ivar
Published: March 2006

This work examines how different factors such as temperature, amount of injected Fe2+, lipid concentration, pH, concentration of NaCl and concentration of dissolved oxygen influenced the lipid oxidation rate of liposomes made from cod phospholipids. The rate of lipid oxidation was measured by consumption of dissolved oxygen by liposomes in a closed vessel. The rate of oxygen consumption in liposomes was proportional to the concentration of iron and the lipid concentration in the assay mixture. The oxygen consumption rate was dependent on pH, with a maximum observed between pH 4 and 5. The addition of salt (final concentration 0.04–0.8 M) decreased the rate of oxygen consumption. The rate of oxidation was independent of the concentration of dissolved oxygen (in the range of 230–5 μM). The oxygen consumption rate followed Arrhenius kinetics, and the variation in activation energy found (60–87 kJ/moles×K) might be due to variations in the composition of raw materials used in the experiments and different susceptibility to oxidation.
Chemistry of aqueous mineral carbonation for carbon sequestration and explanation of experimental results
Authors: Chen Zhong‐Ying , O'Connor William K. , Gerdemann S.J.
Published: March 2006

In aqueous mineral carbonation for carbon sequestration, high‐pressure CO2 is injected into water or sodium bicarbonate solution mixed with olivine or serpentine to produce magnesium carbonate. Thus, CO2 gas is fixed in a solid carbonate for sequestration. Such reactions are generally slow, and a significant amount of research was conducted to increase the reaction rate. This article is an initial effort using basic thermodynamic analysis to understand this complicated heterogeneous chemical process, and to explain some experimental results. The approach started with decomposing the process into two basic steps: magnesium ion dissolution from the olivine or serpentine, and magnesite precipitation. Thermodynamic calculation then is used to assess two important parameters for each of these two steps: the pH and carbonic ion concentration. The calculations explain the roles of increased CO2 pressure, elevated temperature, and adding sodium bicarbonate for enhancing the carbonation reaction, and these results agreed well with the experimental data. The analysis also indicates that for reaction routes in which leaching magnesium silicate and forming magnesium carbonate occur in the same reactor, lowering the pH helps dissolve magnesium ions from silicate, but it lowers carbonic ion concentration and limits precipitation of magnesite; careful balance of these two steps is critical. Further improvement may be built upon this model. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2006
New aldehydes and related alcohols in fresh lemon peel extract (Citrus limon L.)
Authors: Naef Regula , Jaquier Alain
Published: March 2006

New branched unsaturated and saturated aldehydes and related alcohols were identified in a solvent extract of freshly grated lemon peel by GC/MS‐analysis: (E)‐2‐methyl‐2‐heptenal, (E)‐2‐methyl‐2‐nonenal, (E)‐2‐methyl‐2‐undecenal, 4‐methyl‐nonanal, 4‐methyl‐undecanal, 4‐methyl‐nonanol and 4‐methyl‐undecanol. Their structures, established from their mass spectra, were confirmed by synthesis and the organoleptic descriptors are given. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genetic background of different cancer cell lines influences the gene set involved in chromosome 8 mediated breast tumor suppression
Authors: Seitz Susanne , Korsching Eberhard , Weimer Jörg , Jacobsen Anja , Arnold Norbert , Meindl Alfons , Arnold Wolfgang , Gustavus Dirk , Klebig Christiane , Petersen Iver , Scherneck Siegfried
Published: March 2006

Several lines of evidence suggest that chromosome 8 is likely to harbor tumor‐suppressor genes involved in breast cancer. We showed previously that microcell‐mediated transfer of human chromosome 8 into breast cancer cell line MDA‐MB‐231 resulted in reversion of these cells to tumorigenicity and was accompanied by changes in the expression of a breast cancer–relevant gene set. In the present study, we demonstrated that transfer of human chromosome 8 into another breast cancer cell line, CAL51, strongly reduced the tumorigenic potential of these cells. Loss of the transferred chromosome 8 resulted in reappearance of the CAL51 phenotype. Microarray analysis identified 78 probe sets differentially expressed in the hybrids compared with in the CAL51 and the rerevertant cells. This signature was also reflected in a panel of breast tumors, lymph nodes, and distant metastases and was correlated with several prognostic markers including tumor size, grading, metastatic behavior, and estrogen receptor status. The expression patterns of seven genes highly expressed in the hybrids but down‐regulated in the tumors and metastases (MYH11, CRYAB, C11ORF8, PDGFRL, PLAGL1, SH3BP5, and KIAA1026) were confirmed by RT‐PCR and tissue microarray analyses. Unlike with the corresponding nontumorigenic phenotypes demonstrated for the MDA‐MB‐231‐ and CAL51‐derived microcell hybrids, the respective differentially expressed genes strongly differed. However, the majority of genes in both gene sets could be integrated into a similar spectrum of biological processes and pathways, suggesting that alterations in gene expression are manifested at the level of functions and pathways rather than in individual genes. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The physician–patient relationship: the impact of patient‐obtained medical information
Authors: Xie Bin , Dilts David M. , Shor Mikhael
Published: March 2006

We investigate the impact of patient‐obtained medical information (POMI) on the physician–patient relationship when patients, as a group, are heterogeneously informed and a physician's interests do not coincide with those of her patients. Introducing additional well‐informed patients to the population discontinuously affects the physician's strategy, having no effect unless a sufficient quantity is added. When few patients are well informed, increasing the precision of their information level has no effect on the physician's strategy. Alternately, when a sufficient number of well‐informed patients exists, increasing the precision of their information allows all patients to free‐ride by receiving more appropriate treatment recommendations.

Counterintuitively, we also identify circumstances under which increasing the general level of information may potentially harm patients. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Therapeutic results in patients with relapsed diffuse large B cell Non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma achieving complete response only after autologous stem cell transplantation
Authors: Ferrara Felicetto , Viola Assunta , Copia Carolina , Schiavone Ettore Mariano , Celentano Maria , Pollio Filiberto , D'Amico Maria Rosaria , Palmieri Salvatore
Published: March 2006

Forty patients with relapsed diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) autografted in partial response (PR) (n = 23) or in refractory relapse (RR) (n = 17) achieved complete remission (CR) after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Salvage treatment consisted of ifosphamide, epirubicin and etoposide (IEV) in 33 patients and Cisplatinum, ARA‐C and dexamethasone (DHAP) in 7 patients. All PR and 8 RR patients were conditioned with BEAM, while 9 RR cases received the BCV regimen. There were no significant differences between the two groups as age, serum LDH, duration of CR1 and IPI at relapse are concerned. Relapse rate after ASCT was 39% in PR group as opposed to 88% in RR group (p = 0.003). Median relapse free survival from ASCT was 6 months for RR patients as opposed to 34 months for PR patients (p = 0.003); median overall survival from ASCT was 10 months for RR subset as opposed to not reached for RR subgroup (p = 0.001). These data demonstrate that CR achieved after ASCT in DLBCL patients who are refractory to previous salvage therapy does not result in long‐term disease control. Alternative preparative regimens, allogeneic SCT and/or monoclonal antibodies in the post‐ASCT phase should be considered for RR patients despite CR achievement. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.