bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seismic control of smart base isolated buildings with new semiactive variable damper
Authors: Nagarajaiah S. , Narasimhan S.
Published: December 2006

A new semiactive independently variable damper, SAIVD, is developed and shown to be effective in achieving response reductions in smart base isolated buildings in near fault earthquakes. The semiactive device consists of four linear visco‐elastic elements, commonly known as Kelvin–Voigt elements, arranged in a rhombus configuration. The magnitude of force in the semiactive device can be adjusted smoothly in real‐time by varying the angle of the visco‐elastic elements of the device or the aspect ratio of the rhombus configuration. Such a device is essentially linear, simple to construct, and does not present the difficulties commonly associated with modelling and analysing nonlinear devices (e.g. friction devices). The smooth semiactive force variation eliminates the disadvantages associated with rapid switching devices. Experimental results are presented to verify the proposed analytical model of the device. A H∞ control algorithm is implemented in order to reduce the response of base isolated buildings with variable damping semiactive control systems in near fault earthquakes. The central idea of the control algorithm is to design a H∞ controller for the structural system that serves as an aid in the determination of the optimum control force in the semiactive device. The relative performance of the SAIVD device is compared to a variable friction device, recently developed by the authors in a separate study, and several key aspects of performance are discussed regarding the use of the two devices for reducing the responses of smart base isolated buildings in near fault earthquakes. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Plant communities of the Mongolian Transaltay Gobi
Authors: von Wehrden H. , Hilbig W. , Wesche K.
Published: December 2006

Here we present the first detailed phytosociological description of the plant communities of the Transaltay Gobi, the driest region within Outer Mongolia. It was originally gazetted as a national park by the Mongolian parliament in 1976, which included also the Dzungarian basin in south‐western Mongolia. The status of the Great Gobi A National Park in the Transaltay Gobi, and the Great Gobi B National Park in the Dzungarian Gobi was later raised to the level of Strictly Protected Area. Since the area hosts many endangered wildlife species, we offer an initial vegetation description, which is necessary to understand the habitats of this arid ecosystem. Based on a modified Braun‐Blanquet approach we designated eight zonal vegetation units, most of which are impoverished regional variants of vegetation types previously described from adjacent regions; most units contain several sub‐units. The altitudinal gradient reflects the climatic regime in the study area; therefore the vegetation distribution follows the precipitation gradient regarding both vegetation cover and diversity. The most important diagnostic species are typical drought–adapted central Asian ele‐ments, namelyHaloxylon ammodendron, Ephedra przewalskii, Reaumuria songaricaandAnabasis brevifolia. Three new associations were designated based on our vegetation data.

The main determinant for the riparian vegetation types is apparently groundwater availability, leading to locally high soil salt contents due to the high evaporation in the region. Poplar stands, reed beds andTamarixstands are the characteristic vegetation types of the oases in the working area. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
New taxa and nomenclatural combinations in Potentilla L. (Rosaceae) Notes on Potentilla XXII
Authors: Soják J.
Published: December 2006

New taxa of the sections Anserina, Niveae, Pensylvanicae and Rectae from New Guinea, China, Mongolia, Iran, Transcaucasia, Central Asia, India and Greenland are described. Three varieties described from Malesia are elevated to the rank of species and three species occurring in Kashmir (and vicinity) and China (Yunnan and vicinity) are re‐evaluated as varieties. Potentilla arbuscula var. unifoliolata (Bhutan) is treated as a distinct species of Dasiphora.

New taxa

Potentilla scorpionis Soják, sp. nova

Potentilla assimilis Soják, sp. nova

Potentilla millefoliolata Soják, sp. nova

Potentilla stipitata Soják, sp. nova

Potentilla squalida Soják, sp. nova

Potentilla assalemica Soják, sp. nova

Potentilla lineata Trevir. subsp. exortiva Soják, subsp. nova

Potentilla lyngei Jurtzev & Soják subsp. spissa Soják, subsp. nova

Potentilla polyphylla Wall. ex Lehm. var. miranda Soják, var. nova

Potentilla evestita Th. Wolf var. orthotricha Soják, var. nova

New combinations

Potentilla kinabaluensis (Stapf) Soják, comb. nova

Potentilla victorialis (Soják) Soják, comb. nova

Potentilla achillea (Soják) Soják, comb. nova

Potentilla curviseta Hook. f. var. pteropoda (Royle) Soják, comb. nova

Potentilla curviseta Hook. f. var. colletiana (Aitch. & Hemsl.) Soják, comb. nova

Potentilla hypargyrea Hand.‐Mazz. var. pellita (Soják) Soják, comb. nova

Dasiphora unifoliolata (Ludlow) Soják, comb. nova
Large eddy simulation of turbulent flow in a true 3D Francis hydro turbine passage with dynamical fluid–structure interaction
Authors: Zhang Lixiang , Guo Yakun , Wang Wenquan
Published: December 2006

Results are described from a combined numerical and laboratory model study of the turbulent flow in a true 3D blade passage of a Francis hydro‐turbine. The large eddy simulation (LES) is applied to investigate the intrinsic features and the spatial and temporal variations of the flow structures in the blade passage with strong wakes in inflow sweeping and the turbulence‐induced blade vibration. The flow passes through the vibrating boundaries. Therefore, the system under consideration is in a dynamic fluid–structure interaction (FSI). In the simulation, one‐coefficient dynamic sub‐grid scale (SGS) model is incorporated in LES with Reynolds number 148 400 to better describe the energy exchange mechanism between large and small scales under the influences of strong geometrical curvature and vibrating boundaries. The governing equation of the blade vibration with FSI has been established by generalized variational principle combining the fluid and the structure. The vibration analysis is carried out by using Wilson‐θ method. Separate iteration schemes are applied to solve the flow and the vibration in turn. The pressures on the wall sides of the blade and its vibrating accelerations are simultaneously measured. The numerical results show that the temporal and spatial distributions of turbulence in the 3D blade passage are significantly influenced by the curvature of blade configuration, the blade vibration, and the distorted wakes generated by flow passing through guide vanes. The influences of the vibration on the near‐wall flow structures are quite remarkable. The simulated results are favourably compared with the measurements. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The relationship between road traffic accidents and real economic activity in spain: common cycles and health issues
Authors: García‐ferrer Antonio , De Juan Aránzazu , Poncela Pilar
Published: December 2006

This paper analyses the aggregate relationships between traffic accidents and real economic activity in Spain during the last 30 years. Our general approach is based on two basic assumptions: (1) the number of accidents depends on the use of cars and other exogenous variables, and (2) the level of economic activity affects variation in the stock of cars, as well as degree of utilization. We propose a novel turning point characterization for monthly seasonal data that allows to check whether economic and road accident cycles coincide and, to date the beginning and end of their respective cycles. Empirical results from this section are important in establishing posterior causal models and whether or not economic activity and road accidents have a common component in the long run and a varying lead–lag relationship, depending on the cycles. These models will be the basis to check when Spain will achieve the European Union figures in terms of the fatalities/accidents ratio under different scenarios. Empirical results as well as historical experiences from other European countries proved that reducing fatalities is not only a question of diminishing accidents rates. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Radiotherapy response in oral squamous carcinoma cell lines: Evaluation of apoptotic proteins as prognostic factors
Authors: Roberg Karin , Jonsson Ann‐Charlotte , Grénman Reidar , Norberg‐Spaak Lena
Published: December 2006

Background.

In this study, we investigated the importance of apoptosis for cell death after radiotherapy, and whether the expression of pro‐ and anti‐apoptotic proteins has any correlation to the radiosensitivity.

Methods.

Three oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines, UT‐SCC‐2, UT‐SCC‐9 and UT‐SCC‐24A, were subjected to radiotherapy. After irradiation, viable and dead cells were counted to determine radiation sensitivity and apoptosis was analyzed by measurement of caspase‐3 activity. The expressions of pro‐ and anti‐apoptotic proteins were assessed using western blot analyses.

Results and Conclusion.

After irradiation, apoptotic morphology and caspase‐3 activity were only detected in cell lines exhibiting high or moderate radiosensitivity. Western blot analysis indicates that survivin, epidermal growth factor receptor, cyclooxygenase‐2, and Bcl‐xL are critical components in irradiation resistance of the investigated cell lines. Moreover, our results suggest that apoptotic cell death and the balance between pro‐ and anti‐apoptotic proteins are of importance for the outcome of radiotherapy. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2007.
Noninvasive quantitative assessment of oral tongue cancer by intraoral ultrasonography
Authors: Yamane Masashi , Ishii Junichi , Izumo Toshiyuki , Nagasawa Tohru , Amagasa Teruo
Published: December 2006

Background.

To assess tissue characterization of oral tongue cancer and prediction of subclinical cervical lymph node metastasis, we investigated whether intraoral ultrasonography could be used in conjunction with a computer‐aided diagnosis (CAD) system.

Methods.

The study population comprised 109 patients with presurgical, clinical T1N0 or T2N0 oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma who underwent partial glossectomy. All the patients were examined by preoperative intraoral and postoperative exvivo ultrasonography. To evaluate the ultrasonic imagesquantitatively, ultrasonographic parameters from tumor contour features were computed by using the proposed CAD system. The imaging results were correlated with histopathologic findings.

Results.

Oral tongue cancer was clearly identified in all patients by intraoral ultrasonography. Ultrasonic images of oral tongue cancer reflected the histopathologic structures. Subclinical cervical lymph node metastasis was predicted by intraoral ultrasonography. In a logistic regression analysis using the proposed CAD system, the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for prediction of subclinical lymph node metastasis were 87.2%, 84.3%, and 85.3%, respectively.

Conclusions.

Intraoral ultrasonography in conjunction with the proposed CAD system allows tissue characterization and prediction of subclinical cervical lymph node metastasis. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2007.
Effects of artemisinin and its derivatives on growth inhibition and apoptosis of oral cancer cells
Authors: Nam Woong , Tak Jungae , Ryu Ju‐Kyoung , Jung Mankil , Yook Jong‐In , Kim Hyung‐Jun , Cha In‐Ho
Published: December 2006

Background.

Artemisinin is of special biological interest because of its outstanding antimalarial activity. Recently, it was reported that artemisinin has antitumor activity. Its derivatives, artesunate, arteether, and artemeter, also have antitumor activity against melanoma, breast, ovarian, prostate, CNS, and renal cancer cell lines. Recently, monomer, dimer, and trimer derivatives were synthesized from deoxoartemisinin, and the dimers and the trimers were found to have much more potent antitumor activity than the monomers.

Methods.

We evaluated the antitumor activity of artemisinin and its various derivatives (dihydroartemisinin, dihydroartemisinin 12‐benzoate, 12‐(2′‐hydroxyethyl) deoxoartemisinin, 12‐(2′‐ethylthio) deoxoartemisinin dimer, deoxoartemisinin trimer) in comparison with paclitaxel (Taxol), 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU), cisplatin in vitro.

Results.

In this study, the deoxoartemisinin trimer had the most potent antitumor effect (IC50 = 6.0 μM), even better than paclitaxel (IC50 = 13.1 μM), on oral cancer cell line (YD‐10B). In addition, it induced apoptosis through a caspase‐3‐dependent mechanism.

Conclusion.

The deoxoartemisinin trimer was found to have greater antitumor effect on tumor cells than other commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs, such as 5‐FU, cisplatin, and paclitaxel. Furthermore, the ability of artemisinin and its derivatives to induce apoptosis highlights their potential as chemotherapeutic agents, for many anticancer drugs achieve their antitumor effects by inducing apoptosis in tumor cells. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2007.
Scapula osteocutaneous free flap reconstruction of the head and neck: Impact of flap choice on surgical and medical complications
Authors: Smith Russell B. , Henstrom Douglas K. , Karnell Lucy H. , Chang Kristi C. , Goldstein David P. , Funk Gerry F.
Published: December 2006

Background.

The scapula osteocutaneous free flap is frequently used to reconstruct complex head and neck defects given its tissue versatility. Because of minimal atherosclerotic changes in its vascular pedicle, this flap also may be used as a second choice when other osseous flaps are not available because of vascular disease at a preferred donor site.

Methods.

We performed a retrospective chart review evaluating flap outcome as well as surgical and medical complications based upon the flap choice.

Results.

The flap survival rate was 97%. The surgical complication rate was similar for the 21 first‐choice flaps (57.1%) and the 12 second‐choice flaps (41.7%; p = .481). However, patients having second‐choice flaps had a higher rate of medical complications (66.7%) than those with first‐choice flaps (28.6%; p = .066). Age and the presence of comorbidities were associated with increased medical complications. All patients with comorbidities that had a second‐choice flap experienced medical complications, with most being severe.

Conclusions.

The scapula osteocutaneous free flap has a high success rate in head and neck reconstruction. Surgical complications occur frequently regardless of whether the flap is used as a first or second choice. However, medical complications are more frequent and severe in patients undergoing second‐choice flaps. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2007.
Nuclear power plant communications in normative and actual practice: A field study of control room operators' communications
Authors: Carvalho Paulo V.R. , Vidal Mario C.R. , de Carvalho Eduardo F.
Published: December 2006

The safety and availability of sociotechnical critical systems still relies on human operators, both through human reliability and human ability to handle adequately unexpected events. In this article, the authors focus on ergonomic field studies of nuclear power plant control room operator activities, and more specifically on the analysis of communications within control room crews. They show how operators use vague and porous verbal exchanges to produce continuous, redundant, and diverse interactions to successfully construct and maintain individual and mutual awareness, which is paramount to achieve system stability and safety. Such continuous interactions enable the operators to prevent, detect, and reverse system errors or flaws by anticipation or regulation. This study helps in providing cues for the design of more workable systems for human cooperation in nuclear power plant operation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 43–78, 2007.
Sustainable development of a suggestion system: Factors influencing improvement activities in a confectionary company
Authors: Rapp Cecilia , Eklund Jörgen
Published: December 2006

Although the use of continuous improvement (CI) is widespread today, many organizations face problems maintaining high and sustained employee involvement in such programs. The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing employee involvement in submitting suggestions within a suggestion system in a Swedish production company. The company had maintained a successful suggestion system for about 10 years. The study builds on a database containing all the suggestions submitted (2343 in number) within the suggestion system. The following factors were identified to influence employee involvement in submitting suggestions and hence the sustainability of the suggestion system as well: (a) Situations when the employees had a personal benefit from submitting suggestions, e.g., concerning their own work environment, contributed to long‐term sustainability of the system; (b) campaigns emphasizing different themes encouraged employees to become more active within the suggestion system; (c) employees having some of their suggestions rejected were more active in submitting suggestions than employees having most suggestions rejected or accepted; (d) a high monetary reward (80 euros and above) was not found favorable for submitting new suggestions, compared to lower rewards; (e) increased support of group suggestions contributed to a sustained and high level of activity of the suggestion system. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 79–94, 2007.
CFD analysis of a high‐speed unsteady jet
Authors: Kawanabe Hiroshi , Naito Yusuke , Kosaka Hidemasa , Shioji Masahiro
Published: December 2006

The flow of a high‐speed unsteady jet is analyzed using computational fluid dynamics for an incompressible flow with the k–ε turbulence model. The pseudo‐nozzle concept is applied to the inlet condition with a large pressure gradient. The results show that the time history of the jet development agrees with the experimental data for methane and hydrogen fuels. In addition, the effect of the injection condition on the development of the jet tip is well described with this model. Furthermore, the effects of inlet conditions of the turbulence intensity and scale on the flow are investigated. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 36(1): 1– 12, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.20141
A validated fast algorithm for simulation of flooding events in plains
Authors: Dalponte D. , Rinaldi P. , Cazenave G. , Usunoff E. , Vives L. , Varni M. , Vénere M. , Clausse A.
Published: December 2006

Hydrological modelling in large plains is not a straightforward task owing to the crucial influence of several elements, namely, accumulation of water on local depressions, absence of an integrated drainage network, generalized meagre surface slopes, strong sensitivity of the soil water content before rainfall events, and variation of the soil infiltration capacity with numerous transient and local factors. It would then appear that distributed hydrological models (DHM) are prone to produce better results than lumped‐parameter models. The trade‐off in setting up a DHM, however, is how realistic its results are as compared to its simplicity.

This paper presents a physically based DHM, named AQUA, which can handle large domains discretized in squared cells of typically 80 m a side. In order to address properly the flow resistance, it relies on a relaxation parameter (α) with different values for the watercourses and the terrain. Likewise, an infiltration function (I) regulates the downward movement of water. Moreover, the model is supported by an adequate description of the gentle topographical features, which was achieved by a digital elevation model (DEM) from radar interferometry.

The testing phase took into account the Santa Catalina Creek Basin (158 km2, centre Buenos Aires Province in Argentina). The results were quite encouraging, as the model was able to reproduce the effect of various rainfall scenarios. Sensitivity analyses of the model parameters were consistent with the actual simulation results. AQUA was tested against the well‐known HEC‐1 model, with a fairly good match of their results. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A new baseflow separation method based on analytical solutions of the Horton infiltration capacity curve
Authors: Lin Kairong , Guo Shenglian , Zhang Wenhua , Liu Pan
Published: December 2006

The separation of baseflow is an important issue in hydrology. The objective of this paper is to develop a new baseflow separation method based on the Horton infiltration capacity curve. For this purpose, the mathematical expressions of three parameters for the Horton infiltration capacity curve were derived in terms of rainfall and runoff data, and the lag time of the effective rainfall in the unsaturated zone and the groundwater flow routing equation are also presented. With these equations, the baseflow hydrographs at the outlet of the basin can be separated. The flow chart of the proposed method for baseflow hydrograph separation is given. Three recent baseflow separation methods, i.e. digital filter, non‐linear reservoir and the Boussinesq equation, were chosen as parallel schemes to compare with the proposed method. Rainfall‐runoff data from four watersheds located in different climatic regions in China were selected and used as case studies. Test and application results indicate that the proposed baseflow hydrograph separation method is in accordance with the hydrological physical process. The proposed method is comparable with current available methods and reduces some of the subjective aspects for the rising limb of the baseflow hydrograph, and it is useful for unit hydrograph analysis and for the study of the rainfall‐runoff relationship. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Parenting and self‐regulation in preschoolers: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Karreman Annemiek , van Tuijl Cathy , van Aken Marcel A. G. , Deković Maja
Published: December 2006

A meta‐analysis of 41 studies was conducted to examine the strength of the relation between parenting (positive control, negative control and responsiveness) and self‐regulation in preschoolers. Results revealed significant associations between both types of parental control and self‐regulation, with effect sizes being small in magnitude. There was no significant association between self‐regulation and responsiveness. The strength of the association between parenting and self‐regulation varied with different conceptualizations of self‐regulation; positive and negative control were associated with child compliance, but not with inhibition and emotion regulation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Emotions and self‐esteem as indicators of somatic complaints in children
Authors: Terwogt Mark Meerum , Rieffe Carolien , Miers Anne C. , Jellesma Francine C. , Tolland Abigail
Published: December 2006

The literature on somatic complaints in children without a clear physical medical cause often demonstrates connections with various psychological factors, such as negative emotions and problems handling them, poor self‐image, and coping potential. We entered these elements into a structural model to elucidate the relationships among them and tested it on 330 children (mean age 10 years and 9 months). The results showed that mood balance contributed most to the prediction of self‐reported somatic complaints. Moreover, mood (in combination with anxiety and depression problems) had an indirect impact on children's somatic complaints by influencing self‐esteem. The influence and position of coping was less clear. The results are discussed in terms of the ‘symptom perception theory’. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Growth mixture modelling in developmental psychology: overview and demonstration of heterogeneity in developmental trajectories of adolescent antisocial behaviour
Authors: Connell Arin M. , Frye Alice A.
Published: December 2006

Recent advances in statistical techniques for longitudinal data analysis have provided increased capabilities for elucidating individual differences in trajectories of change in child behaviours and abilities. However, most techniques still assume that there is a single underlying distribution with respect to changes over time, about which children are normally distributed. If there are multiple subgroups of youth following distinct developmental trajectories with unique predictors, however, the results of these statistical techniques may provide an incomplete analysis of the data. A newer class of statistical techniques, latent growth mixture modelling, provides a robust framework for examining heterogeneity in patterns of development. This paper illustrates the use of latent growth mixture modelling for examining heterogeneity in developmental trajectories of adolescent antisocial behaviour. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging of dendritic cells for in vivo tracking of cellular cancer vaccines
Authors: Verdijk Pauline , Scheenen Tom W.J. , Lesterhuis W. Joost , Gambarota Giulio , Veltien Andor A. , Walczak Piotr , Scharenborg Nicole M. , Bulte Jeff W.M. , Punt Cornelis J.A. , Heerschap Arend , Figdor Carl G. , M. de Vries I. Jolanda
Published: December 2006

Success of immunotherapy with dendritic cells (DC) to treat cancer is highly dependent on their interaction with and activation of antigen specific T cells. To maximize DC–T cell contact accurate delivery of the therapeutic cells into the lymph node, or efficient trafficking of DC to the lymph nodes of the patient is essential. Since responses are seen in some patients but not in others, monitoring of the injected cells may be of major importance. Tracking of cells with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a non‐invasive method that provides detailed anatomical information and is therefore more informative for the evaluation of the localization of therapeutic cells after injection than e.g. scintigraphic imaging. To challenge the sensitivity of this novel technique, we investigated the minimum amount of label and the number of cells required for MR imaging and the effect of labeling on DC function. DC were labeled with different concentrations of a clinically approved MR contrast agent consisting of superparamagnetic iron oxide particles and were imaged at both 3 and 7 T. Our results demonstrate the following: (i) When loaded with 30 (±4) pg Fe/cell, cell numbers as low as 1,000 cells/mm3 at 3 T and 500 cells/mm3 at 7 T could be readily imaged; (ii) Labeling does not affect cell viability and function; (iii) Because of its high spatial resolution and sensitivity, MRI is ideally suited to track therapeutic cells in vivo. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A novel approach for identification of tumor‐associated antigens expressed on the surface of tumor cells
Authors: Di Cristina Manlio , Minenkova Olga , Pavoni Emiliano , Beghetto Elisa , Spadoni Andrea , Felici Franco , Gargano Nicola
Published: December 2006

To improve tumor targeting in a subset of patients, where tumor cells do not express the well‐known tumor antigens widely used in immunotherapy, we have developed a novel biotechnological tool. It is useful for tumors of various origins for the identification of tumor‐associated proteins, which are differentially expressed in tumor cells with respect to normal tissue, and exposed on the cell surface. For this purpose, a combination of techniques, such as “suppression subtractive hybridization” and “transmembrane trapping,” was employed. In applying this novel approach to breast cancer, we identified a large panel of cDNA fragments encoding for the well‐known tumor‐associated surface antigens, such as erb‐B2, erbB3 and the urokinase receptor and, more importantly, for several clones overexpressed in breast cancer, whose cDNA fragments match the sequences of hypothetical transmembrane proteins with unknown function. The latter may represent novel tumor‐specific targets. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Recent trends in breast cancer incidence among 6 Asian groups in the Greater Bay Area of Northern California
Authors: Keegan Theresa H.M. , Gomez Scarlett L. , Clarke Christina A. , Chan Jo Kay , Glaser Sally L.
Published: December 2006

Asians and Pacific Islanders are typically aggregated in United States (US) cancer statistics even though the few studies that have considered subgroups separately have found marked differences in cancer incidence. The objective of this study was to evaluate trends in breast cancer incidence rates separately for US Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, South Asian and Vietnamese women overall and by age at diagnosis, histologic subtype and stage at diagnosis. Age‐adjusted incidence rates and annual percent changes (APC) of new, primary breast cancer diagnosed in the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry of Northern California (1990–2002) were calculated using SEER*Stat. In women under 50 years of age, annual incidence rates decreased for Japanese (APC = −4.1, p = 0.02) and Filipinas (APC = −1.9, p = 0.11), and increased or fluctuated in other subgroups over the study period. In women 50 years or older, rates of invasive breast cancer increased for most subgroups, except Filipinas (APC = −1.3, p = 0.32), and in Japanese until 1998–2000. Rates of breast cancer in situ increased in most subgroups from 1990 to 2002, as did rates of lobular breast cancer for Chinese (APC = +7.46, p < 0.01) women. In Japanese women, rates of lobular breast cancer were highest in 1995–1997 and decreased thereafter. Our data support the notion that the prevalence of established risk factors influence breast cancer incidence, as breast cancer rates increased for more recently immigrated groups and decreased among more established groups, and may suggest leads into other avenues of research, such as genetic differences, that may explain differences in incidence rates among Asian subgroups. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Role of glycolysis inhibition and poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase activation in necrotic‐like cell death caused by ascorbate/menadione‐induced oxidative stress in K562 human chronic myelogenous leukemic cells
Authors: Verrax Julien , Vanbever Stéphanie , Stockis Julie , Taper Henryk , Calderon Pedro Buc
Published: December 2006

Among different features of cancer cells, two of them have retained our interest: their nearly universal glycolytic phenotype and their sensitivity towards an oxidative stress. Therefore, we took advantage of these features to develop an experimental approach by selectively exposing cancer cells to an oxidant insult induced by the combination of menadione (vitamin K3) and ascorbate (vitamin C). Ascorbate enhances the menadione redox cycling, increases the formation of reactive oxygen species and kills K562 cells as shown by more than 65% of LDH leakage after 24 hr of incubation. Since both lactate formation and ATP content are depressed by about 80% following ascorbate/menadione exposure, we suggest that the major intracellular event involved in such a cytotoxicity is related to the impairment of glycolysis. Indeed, NAD+ is rapidly and severely depleted, a fact most probably related to a strong Poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation, as shown by the high amount of poly‐ADP‐ribosylated proteins. The addition of N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) restores most of the ATP content and the production of lactate as well. The PARP inhibitor dihydroxyisoquinoline (DiQ) was able to partially restore both parameters as well as cell death induced by ascorbate/menadione. These results suggest that the PARP activation induced by the oxidative stress is a major but not the only intracellular event involved in cell death by ascorbate/menadione. Due to the high energetic dependence of cancer cells on glycolysis, the impairment of such an essential pathway may explain the effectiveness of this combination to kill cancer cells. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
MicroRNA and cancer: Current status and prospective
Authors: Wu Wei , Sun Miao , Zou Gang‐Ming , Chen Jianjun
Published: December 2006

Gene expression in normal cells is highly regulated by complex gene regulatory networks. Disruption of these networks may lead to cancer. Recent studies have revealed the existence of an abundant class of small nonprotein‐coding regulatory RNAs, known as microRNAs (miRNAs). MiRNAs may regulate diverse biological processes including development, cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, through suppressing the expression of their target genes. Posttranscriptional silencing of target genes by miRNAs occurs either by cleavage of homologous target messenger RNAs (mRNAs), or by inhibition of target protein synthesis. Computational predictions indicate that 1 miRNA may target on hundreds of genes, and suggest that over 50% of human protein‐coding genes might be regulated by miRNAs. MiRNAs are receiving increased attention in cancer genomic research. We are beginning to understand that miRNAs may act as oncogenes and/or tumor suppressor genes within the molecular architecture of gene regulatory networks, thereby contributing to the development of cancer. MiRNAs may provide useful diagnostic and prognostic markers for cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as serving as potential therapeutic targets or tools. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Modulation by budesonide of DNA methylation and mRNA expression in mouse lung tumors
Authors: Pereira Michael A. , Tao Lianhui , Liu Yue , Li Long , Steele Vernon E. , Lubet Ronald A.
Published: December 2006

Biomarkers are being developed that can aid in the evaluation of cancer therapeutic and chemopreventive drugs. Two suggested biomarkers found in mouse lung tumors are DNA hypomethylation and alterations in mRNA expression of genes, such as 18S RNA, caspase 3, cyclin B2, cyclin E1, iNOS and survivin. Budesonide is very efficacious in preventing lung tumors in mice, so that its ability to modulate biomarkers in lung tumors was determined. Lung tumors were induced by vinyl carbamate in female strain A/J mice. Budesonide (2.0 mg/kg diet) was administered for 2, 7 and 21 days or for 14 days followed by a 7‐days' holding period prior to the killing of the mice at week 27. After 2 days of budesonide treatment, the size of the lung tumors was reduced. Tumor size continued to decrease during the 21 days of treatment. In the tumors, 2 days of treatment resulted in (i) increased methylation of DNA, reversing DNA hypomethylation, (ii) increased expression of 18S RNA and (iii) decreased mRNA expression of caspase 3, cyclin B2, cyclin E1, iNOS and survivin. Termination of budesonide treatment at 7 days prior to killing did not affect the size of the tumors, but did result in increased mRNA expression of the 5 genes, approaching the expression level in tumors from control mice. Hence, budesonide rapidly decreased the size of lung tumors, reversed DNA hypomethylation and modulated mRNA expression of genes; with the molecular alterations requiring continued treatment with the drug for maintenance. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Small‐sample confidence intervals for multivariate impulse response functions at long horizons
Authors: Pesavento Elena , Rossi Barbara
Published: December 2006

Existing methods for constructing confidence bands for multivariate impulse response functions may have poor coverage at long lead times when variables are highly persistent. The goal of this paper is to propose a simple method that is not pointwise and that is robust to the presence of highly persistent processes. We use approximations based on local‐to‐unity asymptotic theory, and allow the horizon to be a fixed fraction of the sample size. We show that our method has better coverage properties at long horizons than existing methods, and may provide different economic conclusions in empirical applications. We also propose a modification of this method which has good coverage properties at both short and long horizons. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intergenerational mobility and sample selection in short panels
Authors: Francesconi Marco , Nicoletti Cheti
Published: December 2006

Using data from the first 11 waves of the BHPS, this paper measures the extent of the selection bias induced by standard coresidence conditions—bias that is expected to be severe in short panels—on measures of intergenerational mobility in occupational prestige. We try to limit the impact of other selection biases, such as those induced by labour market restrictions that are typically imposed in intergenerational mobility studies, by using different measures of socio‐economic status that account for missing labour market information. We stress four main results. First, there is evidence of an underestimation of the true intergenerational elasticity, the extent of which ranges between 12% and 39%. Second, the proposed methods used to correct for the selection bias seem to be unable to attenuate it, except for the propensity score weighting procedure, which performs well in most circumstances. This result is confirmed both under the assumption of missing‐at‐random data as well as under the assumption of not‐missing‐at‐random data. Third, the two previous sets of results (direction and extent of the bias, and differential abilities to correct for it) are also robust when we account for measurement error. Fourth, restricting the sample to a period shorter than the 11 waves under analysis leads to a severe sample selection bias. In the cases when the analysis is limited to eight waves, this bias ranges from about 40% to 65%. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification and estimation of bounds on school performance measures: a nonparametric analysis of a mixture model with verification
Authors: Dominitz Jeff , Sherman Robert P.
Published: December 2006

This paper identifies and nonparametrically estimates sharp bounds on school performance measures based on test scores that may not be valid for all students. A mixture model with verification is developed to handle this problem. This is a mixture model for data that can be partitioned into two sets, one of which (the so‐called verified set) is more likely to be from the distribution of interest than the other. An administrative classification of each student as English proficient or limited English proficient determines these sets. An analysis of performance measures for some California public schools reveals how verification information and plausible monotonicity restrictions can bound the range of disagreement about school performance based on observed scores. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nuclear receptor interactions in methotrexate induction of human dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase (hSULT2A1)
Authors: Chen Xinrong , Maiti Smarajit , Zhang Jimei , Chen Guangping
Published: December 2006

Cytosolic sulfotransferases (SULTs) are a major family of phase II drug‐metabolizing enzymes. SULT‐catalyzed sulfonation regulates hormone activities metabolizes drugs detoxifies xenobiotic toxicants bioactivates carcinogens. Human dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase (hSULT2A1 DHEA‐ST) plays a very important role in sulfating endogenous hydroxysteroids and exogenousxenobiotics. Our recent studies have shown that methotrexate can induce hSULT2A1 expression. To investigate the molecular mechanism involved in hSULT2A1 induction we generated the promoter sequence of hSULT2A1 by PCR and constructed a reporter gene vector. Both reporter gene assay and endogenous induction results suggested that human constitutive active receptor (hCAR) mediates the methotrexate induction of hSULT2A1 in both Caco‐2 and Hep G2 cells. Human vitamin D receptor (hVDR) also upregulated hSULT2A1 gene expression while human pregnane X receptor (hPXR) downregulated it. Human pregnane X receptor suppressed hCAR‐mediated methotrexate induction of hSULT2A1 in both Caco‐2 and Hep G2 cells. hVDR competed with hCAR for the hSULT2A1 promoter in Caco‐2 cells. hCAR inhibited hVDR‐mediated vitamin D3 induction of hSULT2A1 but not methotrexate induction of hSULT2A1. These results strongly support the hypothesis that cross‐talk occurs among nuclear receptors in the signal transduction pathway of hSULT2A1 and that interactions among nuclear receptors also depend on ligands (inducers) in the system. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 20:309–317, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20149
Retracted: Elevated expression of CaMKIIγ during osteoclastogenesis and its functional implications
Authors: Yao Chaohua , Stern Paula H. , Zhang Liang
Published: December 2006

Ca2+/calmodulin signaling has been recognized recently as a major regulator in osteoclastogenesis. Efforts have ensued to identify the downstream targets of this signaling pathway in the context of regulating osteoclastogenesis. The calcineurin‐NFAT pathway has thus been identified as one such target. In this article, we describe the discovery of another novel downstream target, CaMKIIγ. We also demonstrate that CaMKIIγ is the sole known CaMK expressed in significant amounts in osteoclasts and their precursors. Other known CaMKs such as CaMKIV and CaMKIIα, β, δ, were not detectable, and CaMKI was only expressed at a negligible level. Furthermore, the expression of CaMKIIγ was tightly correlated with the osteoclastogenic process, with a peak level on Day 3 of cell culturing. Osteoclastogenesis is halted by treatment with the CaMKIIγ inhibitor, KN93, independently from apoptosis, with the IC50 for osteoclastogenesis matching that for blocking CaMKIIγ function. Collectively, these data indicate that CaMKIIγ may be a significant regulator of osteoclastogenesis. J. Cell. Biochem. 101: 1038–1045, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
HiNF‐P is a bifunctional regulator of cell cycle controlled histone H4 gene transcription
Authors: Mitra Partha , Xie Ronglin , Harper J. Wade , Stein Janet L. , Stein Gary S. , van Wijnen Andre J.
Published: December 2006

Cell cycle progression beyond the G1/S phase transition requires the activation of a transcription complex containing histone nuclear factor P (HiNF‐P) and nuclear protein mapped to ataxia telangiectasia (p220NPAT) in response to cyclin dependent kinase 2 (CDK2)/cyclin E signaling. We show here that the potent co‐activating properties of HiNF‐P/p220NPAT on the histone H4 gene promoter, which are evident in the majority of human cell types, are sporadically neutralized in distinct somatic cell lines. In cells where HiNF‐P and p220NPAT do not activate the H4 gene promoter, HiNF‐P instead represses transcription. Our data suggest that the cell type specific expression of the cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitory (CKI) protein p57KIP2 inhibits the HiNF‐P dependent activation of the histone H4 promoter. We propose that, analogous to E2F proteins and other cell cycle regulatory proteins, HiNF‐P is a bifunctional transcriptional regulator that can activate or repress cell cycle controlled genes depending on the cellular context. J. Cell. Biochem. 101: 181–191, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tissue‐specific expression of Riken 2810430M08 and its function in T‐cell immune responses
Authors: Wu Tao , Hu ShenJiang , Qiao Xiaoying , Luo Hongyu , Wu Jiangping
Published: December 2006

Riken 2810430M08 is a gene with unknown functions. According to in situ hybridization (ISH), it presented a pattern of temporal expression, peaking in the mid‐gestation (embryonic Days e9–e14) stage in most tissues. In the late‐gestation stage and during the adulthood, Riken 2810430M08 was expressed in some tissues with and without a robust proliferation program. Thus, the gene might have important functions that are related and unrelated to proliferation. Its expression was induced after T‐cell receptor stimulation in T cells. However, transgenic mice with actin promoter‐driven expression of Riken 2810430M08 showed normal in vitro and in vivo T cells responses, such as fetal thymus development, adult T cells activation marker expression, lymphokine secretion, proliferation and migration, and delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH). The expression of Riken 2810430M08 during ontogeny has provided useful clues for further investigation. Additional studies are warranted to examine its role in immune and other systems. J. Cell. Biochem. 101: 89–98, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Long‐term fluoxetine administration does not result in major changes in bone architecture and strength in growing rats
Authors: Westbroek I. , Waarsing J.H. , van Leeuwen J.P.T.M. , Waldum H. , Reseland J.E. , Weinans H. , Syversen U. , Gustafsson B.I.
Published: December 2006

Many studies have indicated that serotonin and its transporter play a role in bone metabolism. In this study we investigated the effect of selective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitor (SSRI), fluoxetine (Prozac®) on bone architecture and quality in growing female rats. We therefore administrated rats with clinically relevant doses of fluoxetine for a period of 6 months. DXA scans were performed during the treatment period in order to follow parameters as body weight, fat percentage and BMD. After 6 months of treatment, femurs were used to analyze bone architecture and bone strength, by means of µCT scans and three‐point bending assays, respectively. We found a slightly diminished bone quality, reflected in a lower bone tissue strength, which was compensated by changes in bone geometry. As leptin and adiponectin could be possible factors in the serotonergic regulation of bone metabolism, we also determined the levels of these factors in plasma samples of all animals. Leptin and adiponectin levels were not different between the control group and fluoxetine‐treated group, indicating that these factors were not involved in the observed changes in bone geometry and quality. J. Cell. Biochem. 101: 360–368, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparative studies on the pyrolysis of N‐arylideneaminoamides: Kinetic and mechanistic studies
Authors: Al‐Awadi Nouria A. , Ibrahim Yehia A. , Patel Mehul , George Bobby J. , Al‐Etiabi Alya M.
Published: December 2006

Rates of thermal decomposition of title compounds have been measured using a static reaction system. They undergo a unimolecular first‐order elimination to give arylnitrile and the corresponding substituted amides. The decomposition parallels that of N‐arylidenamino cyclic amide. The relative elimination rates at 600 K were calculated. The kinetic data reveal that the electronic effects of substituents, such as methyl, phenyl, benzyl, and allyl groups, are associated with the opposing directions in which the lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom of the arylidene moiety is being delocalized. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 39: 59–66, 2007
Thermal dehydration kinetics of a rare earth hydroxide, Gd(OH)3
Authors: Chang Chengkang , Mao Dali
Published: December 2006

This paper reports the synthesis, characterization, and dehydration kinetics of a rare earth hydroxide, Gd(OH)3. Uniform rod‐like Gd(OH)3 powder was prepared by a colloidal hydrothermal method. The powder thus obtained dehydrated into its oxide form in a two‐step process, where crystalline GdOOH was obtained as the intermediate phase. Crystal structure study revealed a monoclinic structure for GdOOH, with space group P2/1m and lattice parameters a = 6.0633, b = 3.7107, c = 4.3266, and β = 108.669. The first‐step dehydration follows the F2 mechanism, while the second step follows the F1 model, indicating that both the steps are controlled by nucleation/growth mechanism. The activation energy Ea and frequency factor A are 231±12 kJ/mol and 2.08 × 1018 s−1 for the first step and 496 ± 32 kJ/mol and 7.88 × 1033 s−1 for the second step, respectively. Such high activation energy calculated from the experimental data can be ascribed to the high bonding energy of GdO bond, and the difference in activation energy for the two steps is due to the change in the bond length of hexagonal Gd(OH)3 and monoclinic GdOOH. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 39: 75–81, 2007