bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vega Project
Authors: Sagdeev Roald
Published: October 2003

Vega was the last successful deep space mission of the Soviet space program. It was built on the legacy of the Venera‐9 to Venera‐16 series of spacecraft launched, starting in 1975, to study Venus. In its last encounter (1986), Halley's comet's perihelion was much closer to Venus than to Earth. That created a unique opportunity to launch Vega during the astronomical window for Venus (December 1984) and to use that planet's gravity assist for redirecting the craft to the comet. Using such a choice of spacecraft trajectory, it was decided to combine a scenario to explore Venus with a Halley's comet encounter by employing a two‐element space vehicle: a planetary reentry module, carrying the Venus Lander and balloon, and a Halley flyby probe. The integrated mission was called Vega, a contraction of the Russian words “Venera” (Venus) and “Gallei” (Halley) and was conducted by the Soviet Union and a number of other countries within the framework of an Intercosmos program.

The Vega mission comprised two identical spacecraft, Vega 1 and Vega 2. This was a standard approach in the Soviet Union, aimed primarily at increasing the overall reliability of the mission. In addition, if both flybys were successful, there would be a significant increase in the scientific return, which was particularly valuable considering the expected variability of the comet's activity.

The Vega project was truly international. The spacecraft production and launch operation were controlled by the Soviet aerospace agency (at that time called the Ministry of General Machine Building), but the scientific program and its payload were coordinated by the International Science and Technical Committee (ISTC), representing scientific institutions and space agencies from nine countries. The ISTC designed the Vega mission program to optimize international efforts related to the Halley's comet campaign, which included the European Giotto and the Japanese Suisei and Sakigake space missions.

This article discusses the launch of the two spacecraft and these encounters with Halley's comet: The mission was scientifically highly successful.
Feature Recognition and Object Classification
Authors: Bow Sing‐Tze
Published: October 2003

The application of pattern recognition is very wide. It can be applied, in theory, to any situation in which visual information is used in a decision process. Take, as an example, mail sorting. This job does not look heavy in comparison with steel manufacturing plant workers. But although the steel manufacturing plant has been highly automated, mail sorting remains weary, monotonous, and boring. Should a pattern recognition technique be used to identify the name and address of an addressee on the envelope, the efficiency and the effectiveness of mail sorting would increase highly.

In the future, the use of pattern recognition to process documents (including text, graphics, and images) for archiving and retrieval will obviously be urgent and of great significance when dealing with large quantities of documents.

Another important area of application is in medical imaging and diagnosis. The objective is to automate laboratory examination of medical images such as (1) chest Xrays for pneumoconiosis and (2) cervical smears and mammograms to detect precancer or early stages of cancer and to differentiate those abnormal cells from the cancerous cells even though they look very much the same.

Automation of aerial and satellite photo interpretation is another important application of pattern recognition. Among the applications in this field are (1) crop forecasts and (2) analysis of cloud patterns. In summary, for rapid development of the natural, social, and technological sciences in the coming century, pattern recognition, including object classification, is, without doubt, an indispensable and integral built‐in part of most machine intelligence systems that will be used for data analysis and decision making. This article given information on image processing, data reduction through feature extraction approached for pattern classification and multilayer perceptron in model.
Ground Penetrating radar
Authors: Conyers Lawrence B.
Published: October 2003

Ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) is a geophysical method that can accurately map the spatial extent of near‐surface objects or changes in soil media and produce images of those features. Data are acquired by reflecting radar waves off subsurface features in a way that is similar to radar methods used to detect airplanes in the sky. Radar waves are propagated in distinct pulses from a surface antenna, reflected off buried objects, features or bedding contacts in the ground, and detected back at the source by a receiving antenna. As radar pulses are being transmitted through various materials on their way to the buried target feature, their velocity changes, depending on the physical and chemical properties of the material through which they are traveling. When the travel times of the energy pulses are measured and velocity through the ground is known, distance (or depth in the ground) can be accurately measured. A three‐dimensional data set is then produced. In the GPR method, radar antennas are moved along the ground in transects, and two‐dimensional profiles of a large number of periodic reflections are created. Thus produces a profile of subsurface stratigraphy and buried features along lines.

When data are acquired in a series of transects within a grid and reflections are correlated and processed, an accurate three‐dimensional picture of buried features and associated stratigraphy can be constructed.

Ground‐penetrating radar surveys allow for a wide aerial coverage in a short period of time, with excellent subsurface resolution of buried materials and geological stratigraphy. Some radar systems have been able to resolve stratigraphy and other features at depths in excess of 40 meters, when soil and sediment conditions are suitable. More typically, GPR is used to map buried materials of interest at depths from a few tens of centimeters to five meters in depth. Radar surveys cannot only identify buried objects for possible future excavation but also interpolate between excavations, projecting subsurface knowledge into areas that have not yet been, or may never be excavated.

GPR surveys are most typically used by geologists, archaeologists, hydrologists, soil engineers, and other geoscientists.
Optical Microscopy
Authors: Davidson Michael W. , Abramowitz Mortimer
Published: October 2003

The past decade has witnessed an enormous growth in the application of optical microscopy for micron and submicron level investigations in a wide variety of disciplines. Rapid development of new fluorescent labels has accelerated the expansion of fluorescence microscopy in laboratory applications and research. Advances in digital imaging and analysis have also enabled microscopists to acquire quantitative measurements quickly and efficiently on specimens ranging from photosensitive caged compounds and synthetic ceramic superconductors to real‐time fluorescence microscopy of living cells in their natural environment. Optical microscopy, with help of digital video, can also be used to image very thin optical sections, and confocal optical systems are now in operation at most major research institutions.

This article discusses the history and current use of optical microscopy. Specific topics include microscope objectives, eye pieces, condensers, and optical aberrations. Recommendations are made. Contrast enhancing techniques, reflected light microscopy, darkfield microscopy, phase contrast microscopy, Rheinberg illumination, and differential interference contrast are detailed. Other topics include photomicrography both on film and with electronic analog and digital imaging systems and photographic films.
Photographic Color Display Technology
Authors: Kahn Bruce E.
Published: October 2003

This article reviews color photographic output technology based on silver halide materials. The largest product market in this category is reflection print material, such as that used in color photographic paper. Color paper is used primarily for making prints from photographic negatives and recently, as a high quality output medium for digital images. A number of other types of products employ very similar emulsion technology. In addition to reflection display materials, several types of transmissive color photographic display materials use this technology. The film that is used for projecting motion pictures (motion picture “print” film) is based on this technology. Large color photographic display materials, used primarily for advertising, are available on either clear or translucent plastic supports. These materials also use nearly identical emulsion technology to that used in photographic paper and motion picture print film. Because photographic emulsion technology is the basis for, and common among all of these different types of color photographic display products, photographic emulsion technology for display materials is the focus of this review.

There is relatively little information published in journal articles or product information on the technologies described in this report. For this reason, this article relies heavily on information published in the patent literature. Although the patent literature gives a good indication of the type of technologies available and areas of research and intellectual property interest, it does not specifically show which technologies are actually used, or in which products. As such, this article focuses on the technologies available in color photographic display materials and should not be taken to indicate or imply which technologies, compounds, or materials are used in any particular product.
Cathode Ray Tubes
Authors: Casanova Alig R.
Published: October 2003

The cathode‐ray‐tube (CRT) is best known as the display for television and computer monitors. It is a vacuum tube in which electrons move in a beam. A cut‐away diagram of the interior of a CRT for color television display is shown. Inside the tube, the large, nearly flat, area, called the screen, is covered with phosphor materials that convert the electron‐beam energy into light. The beam is rapidly swept over this area, and its intensity is varied, so a display appears to the viewer, who visually integrates the light. When the display is rapidly changed, the viewer sees motion, as in television.

The CRT is described in this article. In particular, the parts of the CRT, such as the cathode, electron gun, phosphors, deflection system, and shadow mask, are explained. The electrons come from the negative electrode, called the cathode, and form a beam, or ray, inside a vacuum tube, leading to the name cathode‐ray‐tube. Much interesting physics is associated with the beam formation and direction and its conversion to light, as well as with the manufacture of CRTs. CRTs have been used in other display applications, such as oscilloscopes, radar, and photorecording tubes. Some history of the tube, which extends during the last century, is presented.
Effects of natural barriers on the spillover of a marine mollusc: implications for fisheries reserves
Authors: Tewfik Alexander , Béné Christophe
Published: October 2003

The movement of organisms and dispersal of propagules is fundamental to the maintenance of populations over time. However, the existence of barriers, created through the spatial configuration of habitats, may significantly affect dispersal patterns and thus influence community dynamics and resource sustainability.

Within marine environments unstructured or open habitats may form partial or complete ecological barriers due to elevated risk of predation or physical stresses associated with them. The existence and effects of such barriers may be of particular importance when considering the establishment of marine protected areas with a fisheries enhancement focus.

In this paper, the spillover of post‐settlement queen conch (Strombus gigas) from a protected area in the Turks and Caicos Islands is investigated. It is hypothesized that the reserve boundaries overlap with a series of shallow, sand habitats that effectively enclose the protected population, reducing the spillover of conch into the adjacent fished areas.

To test this, density gradient maps for juvenile and adult conch populations were constructed using underwater visual survey data at 68 sites within and surrounding the protected area. These maps illustrate very low densities coinciding with poor, shallow sand habitats along the two marine boundaries of the reserve where spillover is expected to take place.

These sand habitats are thought to create ecological barriers to a slow, sedentary gastropod largely due to their shallowness (physical stresses of solar exposure or anoxia) and lack of food reducing the tendency of individuals to move across these areas, despite the 10‐times higher density of adult queen conch observed in the protected area compared with outside.

Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Concurrent cisplatin, paclitaxel, and radiotherapy as preoperative treatment for patients with locoregional esophageal carcinoma
Authors: Urba Susan G. , Orringer Mark B. , Ianettonni Mark , Hayman James A. , Satoru Hayasaka
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

A Phase II trial was conducted at the University of Michigan to determine the efficacy of a preoperative regimen of concurrent cisplatin, paclitaxel, and radiation for patients with locoregional esophageal carcinoma.

METHODS

Sixty‐nine patients with esophageal carcinoma were treated with cisplatin 75 mg/m2 on Day 1, paclitaxel 60 mg/m2 on Days 1, 8, 15, and 22, and radiation 1.5 Gray (Gy) twice per day on Days 1–5, 8–12, and 15–19, for a total dose of 45 Gy. Transhiatal esophagectomy was performed on approximately Day 50.

RESULTS

The treatment regimen was well tolerated. Only 13% of patients developed Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia and 17% of patients required feeding tubes. Ninety percent of all patients had complete tumor resection at the time of surgery. Nineteen percent of patients achieved a complete histologic response in the resected specimen. The median survival period was 24 months. One‐, 2‐, and 3‐year survival probabilities were 75%, 50%, and 34%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This cisplatin‐based preoperative regimen, which contained paclitaxel rather than 5‐fluorouracil, was well tolerated. The survival data compared favorably with other previously reported combinations. This regimen is a reasonable preoperative approach for patients with localized esophageal carcinoma. Cancer 2003. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
The effect of tumor size and lymph node status on breast carcinoma lethality
Authors: Michaelson James S. , Silverstein Melvin , Sgroi Dennis , Cheongsiatmoy Justin A. , Taghian Alphonse , Powell Simon , Hughes Kevin , Comegno Arthur , Tanabe Kenneth K. , Smith Barbara
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

It has long been known that both tumor size and the presence of malignant disease in the regional lymph nodes are indicators of outcome for patients with invasive breast carcinoma; however, the way in which these two characteristics could be integrated into an overall assessment of prognosis has not been obvious.

METHODS

Kaplan–Meier survival estimates (15 years) according to tumor size and lymph node status were obtained for women with invasive breast carcinoma who were observed at the University of Southern California/Van Nuys Breast Center (Van Nuys, California) or at Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, Massachusetts).

RESULTS

To isolate the individual contributions to death made by tumor size and lymph node status, data were sorted according to both of these variables. For women with tumors of equivalent size, lethality increased with increasing number of positive lymph nodes, such that there was an extra ≈6% chance of death associated with each positive lymph node. For women with equivalent lymph node status, tumor size was associated with increased lethality, such that each millimeter of tumor diameter was associated with an additional ≈1% chance of death. The overall lethality was equal to the sum of the contribution from lymph node status and the contribution from tumor size, and this finding led to the creation of a new technique (the Size+Nodes method) for predicting outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

The Size+Nodes method was shown to be capable of accurately estimating the risk of death due to invasive breast carcinoma from information on the size of the primary tumor and the number of positive lymph nodes. In addition, this method was used to stratify women into groups according to breast carcinoma lethality. In contrast, classification of women according to lymph node positivity, T status, or disease stage created groups with wide and overlapping levels of lethality. Cancer 2003. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Monitoring of circulating angiogenic factors in dendritic cell–based cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Brostjan Christine , Bayer Anita , Zommer Anna , Gornikiewicz Alexander , Roka Sebastian , Benkö Thomas , Yaghubian Rubina , Jakesz Raimund , Steger Günther , Gnant Michael , Friedl Josef , Stift Anton
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

A promising treatment approach for patients with malignant disease that recently has found its way into clinical trials is based on vaccination with autologous dendritic cells loaded with tumor antigens. However, adequate assays for monitoring clinical and immunologic responses still are under debate. In recent years, the determination of angiogenic markers has shown considerable potential in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with malignant disease, because tumor growth and spread are promoted by angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels.

METHODS

The authors established a method for measuring the plasma levels of three modulators of angiogenesis: vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet‐derived endothelial cell growth factor, and thrombospondin‐1. The angiogenic blood profile of a healthy control group was characterized and compared with a group of patients with malignant disease. Ultimately, levels of circulating angiogenic factors were monitored in the course of dendritic cell–based cancer immunotherapy.

RESULTS

Baseline levels of angiogenic mediators varied substantially among healthy individuals but showed consistent values for each individual. Blood levels of circulating angiogenic factors were elevated significantly in patients with advanced disease and were highly sensitive to dendritic cell–based immunotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, the current report was the first to analyze circulating levels of angiogenic factors during dendritic cell–based immunotherapy. The authors observed a noteworthy change in the angiogenic blood profile with treatment, and this change was correlated with the induction of an immunologic response. Cancer 2003. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
The surgical treatment of cancer
Authors: Cullinane Carey A. , Borneman Tami , Smith David D. , Chu David Z. J. , Ferrell Betty R. , Wagman Lawrence D.
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

Costs associated with the provision of medical care continue to escalate. Therefore, providers must evaluate the cost‐effectiveness and benefit to individual healthcare practices. The authors evaluated the immediate and short‐term resource utilization needs of patients undergoing surgical intervention with curative or palliative intent.

METHODS

Three hundred two patients undergoing surgery with therapeutic intent were observed from the time of admission for intervention until the time of death or until 6 months from the time of the surgical procedure. Surgeons preoperatively identified each case as either curative or palliative in intent. Demographic information, as well as the nature of all interactions with the cancer center, was recorded.

RESULTS

Surgeons identified 58 (19%) procedures as palliative and 244 (81%) as curative in intent. Demographic characteristics between the two groups were similar, although recurrent or metastatic disease was more often present in palliative rather than curative patients (P = 0.0078) and palliative intent patients were more likely to have received previous therapy. During the 6‐month period, 4690 encounters occurred with the cancer center. The mean number of encounters per patient in each group was similar, although curative intent patients were more likely to have visits with therapeutic intent including chemotherapy administration (P = 0.01), radiation (P = 0.003), or repeat surgical procedures (P = 0.006). In contrast, palliative patients were more likely to be admitted for management of symptoms (P = 0.0001) and had fewer hospital‐free days than did curative patients (P = 0.0069).

CONCLUSIONS

The average number of encounters for patients undergoing treatment of disease was not significantly different, suggesting that patients undergoing surgery with palliative intent do not require a greater amount of resources than curative intent patients. The nature of the interactions, however, was different, suggesting that resource needs are different and may need to be anticipated in the assessment of how better quality outcomes can be achieved in the palliative surgery setting. Cancer 2003. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Combination chemotherapy for hormone‐refractory prostate carcinoma
Authors: Syed Samira
Published: October 2003

Although there has been progress in the development of chemotherapy combinations with enhanced activity in patients with hormone‐refractory prostate carcinoma, the innate lack of selectivity to tumor cells with those combinations has resulted in diminishing returns and has approached the limits of acceptable toxicity. However, progress is being made, and several promising new therapies offer the dual hopes of maximizing efficacy with minimal toxicity to normal tissues.
RAD21 and KIAA0196 at 8q24 are amplified and overexpressed in prostate cancer
Authors: Porkka Kati P. , Tammela Teuvo L.J. , Vessella Robert L. , Visakorpi Tapio
Published: October 2003

To detect genes that are overexpressed in prostate cancer, a subtracted cDNA library was first constructed from the PC‐3 cell line and subsequently screened by using cDNA microarray hybridization. Sixty‐eight genes were found to be overexpressed (ratio > 3) in PC‐3. Half of these genes were in chromosomal regions, which, using comparative genomic hybridization, we previously showed to be gained in PC‐3. Subsequently, the expression and copy number of selected genes were studied by quantitative RT‐PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization in prostate cancer cell lines, xenografts, and clinical tumor specimens of benign prostate hyperplasia and untreated as well as hormone‐refractory prostate carcinomas. Two genes from chromosomal region 8q24—RAD21 and KIAA0196—showed increased expression in clinical prostate carcinomas and were also amplified in 30–40% of xenografts and hormone‐refractory tumors. In addition, the expression of KIAA0196 was significantly (P = 0.0051) higher in tumors with the gene amplification than in those without it. The data suggest that KIAA0196 and possibly RAD21 are putative target genes for the common amplification of 8q23‐24 in prostate cancer. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dysregulation and overexpression of HMGA2 in myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia
Authors: Andrieux Joris , Demory Jean‐Loup , Dupriez Brigitte , Quief Sabine , Plantier Isabelle , Roumier Christophe , Bauters Francis , Laï Jean Luc , Kerckaert Jean‐Pierre
Published: October 2003

Among cytogenetic studies of patients affected with myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia (MMM), a rare chronic myeloproliferative disorder, we found several reports of structural abnormalities of the long arm of chromosome 12. Two MMM patients had a balanced translocation involving 12q: t(4;12)(q32;q15) and t(5;12)(p14;q15), respectively. FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) analysis showed that BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) RP11‐366L20 overlaps the breakpoint in both cases. A gene, HMGA2, most of which is included in that BAC, thus was identified as a potential candidate. Using reserves transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), we looked for expression of HMGA2 in blood mononuclear cells from these 2 patients and demonstrated a transcript in both. Moreover, we found the gene expressed in the hematopoietic cells of 10 of 10 additional patients bearing no 12q anomalies. HMGA2, not expressed in normal subjects, is implicated in benign solid tumors such as lipomas, leiomyomas, and other rare tumors of mesenchymal origin. We postulate that its dysregulation and overexpression in myeloid progenitors contribute also to the pathogenesis of MMM. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Accuracy and applications of group MEG studies using cortical source locations estimated from participants' scalp surfaces
Authors: Holliday Ian E. , Barnes Gareth R. , Hillebrand Arjan , Singh Krish D.
Published: October 2003

We contend that powerful group studies can be conducted using magnetoencephalography (MEG), which can provide useful insights into the approximate distribution of the neural activity detected with MEG without requiring magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for each participant. Instead, a participant's MRI is approximated with one chosen as a best match on the basis of the scalp surface from a database of available MRIs. Because large inter‐individual variability in sulcal and gyral patterns is an inherent source of blurring in studies using grouped functional activity, the additional error introduced by this approximation procedure has little effect on the group results, and offers a sufficiently close approximation to that of the participants to yield a good indication of the true distribution of the grouped neural activity. T1‐weighted MRIs of 28 adults were acquired in a variety of MR systems. An artificial functional image was prepared for each person in which eight 5 × 5 × 5 mm regions of brain activation were simulated. Spatial normalisation was applied to each image using transformations calculated using SPM99 with (1) the participant's actual MRI, and (2) the best matched MRI substituted from those of the other 27 participants. The distribution of distances between the locations of points using real and substituted MRIs had a modal value of 6 mm with 90% of cases falling below 12.5 mm. The effects of this approach on real grouped SAM source imaging of MEG data in a verbal fluency task are also shown. The distribution of MEG activity in the estimated average response is very similar to that produced when using the real MRIs. Hum. Brain Mapping 20:142–147, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Catastrophe and impoverishment in paying for health care: with applications to Vietnam 1993–1998
Authors: Wagstaff Adam , Doorslaer Eddy van
Published: October 2003

This paper presents and compares two threshold approaches to measuring the fairness of health care payments, one requiring that payments do not exceed a pre‐specified proportion of pre‐payment income, the other that they do not drive households into poverty. We develop indices for ‘catastrophe’ that capture the intensity of catastrophe as well as its incidence and also allow the analyst to capture the degree to which catastrophic payments occur disproportionately among poor households. Measures of poverty impact capturing both intensity and incidence are also developed. The arguments and methods are empirically illustrated with data on out‐of‐pocket payments from Vietnam in 1993 and 1998. This is not an uninteresting application given that 80% of health spending in that country was paid out‐of‐pocket in 1998. We find that the incidence and intensity of ‘catastrophic’ payments – both in terms of pre‐payment income as well as ability to pay – were reduced between 1993 and 1998, and that both incidence and intensity of ‘catastrophe’ became less concentrated among the poor. We also find that the incidence and intensity of the poverty impact of out‐of‐pocket payments diminished over the period in question. Finally, we find that the poverty impact of out‐of‐pocket payments is primarily due to poor people becoming even poorer rather than the non‐poor being made poor, and that it was not expenses associated with inpatient care that increased poverty but rather non‐hospital expenditures. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Head and neck cancer patients with pulmonary nodules: Value and role of CT‐guided transthoracic needle aspiration biopsies
Authors: Mesurolle Benoît , Mignon François , Meingan Philippe , Domenge Christian , Vasile Manuella , Sigal Robert
Published: October 2003

Background.

To evaluate transthoracic needle aspiration biopsies of pulmonary lesions in patients with squamous cell cancer of head and neck.

Methods.

Retrospective series of 85 patients with squamous cell cancer of head and neck cancer and pulmonary nodules who underwent CT‐guided needle aspiration biopsy.

Results.

Diagnostic samples were obtained in 85% of patients. There were 8 benign and 77 malignant lesions. Among the 73 proved cases, 4 were false‐negative cases. CT‐guided biopsy had an accuracy of 81%, a sensitivity of 94%, and a negative predictive value of 60%. Accuracies were 68% for lesions of 20 mm or smaller and 89% for lesions greater than 20 mm. In a subset of 45 solitary lesions, among 30 positive biopsies, 15 were categorized as primary malignancies, 3 as metastatic, and 12 as indeterminate malignancies.

Conclusions.

In head and neck cancer patients, the prevalence of thoracic malignancies is high when a pulmonary lesion is detected. CT‐guided biopsy of pulmonary lesion is an accurate procedure. However, a third of positive biopsies were categorized as indeterminate malignancies. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 25: 000–000, 2003
Prognostic significance of perioperative blood transfusion in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Taniguchi Yoshitaka , Okura Masaya
Published: October 2003

Background.

The influence of perioperative blood transfusion on survival in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is still not convincingly determined. To investigate the effect of perioperative allogeneic transfusion on survival in stage II–IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, we studied a consecutive series of 105 patients undergoing primary tumor resection and neck dissection.

Methods.

Retrospective analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards models with 16 variables.

Results.

Perioperative red blood cell transfusion was required in 64 (61%) patients. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the number of positive nodes and ≥3 units of red blood cell transfusion were an independent prognostic indicators. The calculated odds ratio for death after ≥3 units transfused was 5.79 (95% confidence interval, 1.56–21.53, p < .01).

Conclusions.

More than 3 units of allogeneic red blood cells transfused might shorten the survival of patients with oral cavity cancer. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 25: 000–000, 2003
Long‐term transgene expression in cardiac and skeletal muscle following fetal administration of adenoviral or adeno‐associated viral vectors in mice
Authors: Bouchard Sarah , MacKenzie Tippi C. , Radu Antoneta P. , Hayashi Satoshi , Peranteau William H. , Chirmule Narendra , Flake Alan W.
Published: October 2003

Background

In utero gene transfer may provide advantages for the correction of congenital genetic disorders. In the present study we compare the ability of adenovirus (AdCMVLacZ), and two serotypes of adeno‐associated virus (AAVCMVLacZ serotypes 2 and 2/5), to target cardiac and skeletal muscle after prenatal systemic or intramuscular injection in mice and assess the immune response to the vectors.

Methods

Day 14 gestation fetal mice underwent direct intraperitoneal or intramuscular injection of AdCMVLacZ, and AAVCMVLacZ serotypes 2 and 2/5 vectors. Tissues were processed for β‐galactosidase expression in frozen or high‐resolution thin plastic sections at early and late time points. Neutralizing antibodies to Ad and AAV were analyzed in separate fetal experimental and neonatal or adult control groups after administration and re‐administration of the vectors.

Results

A single injection of each vector in utero resulted in sustained expression of β‐galactosidase transgene in skeletal and cardiac muscle. Transgene expression was detected for the length of the study, i.e. 86, 58, and 31 weeks after birth for AdCMVLacZ, and AAVCMVLacZ serotypes 2 and 2/5, respectively. High‐level expression in the myocardium was observed independent of the vector or route of administration. Neutralizing antibody responses to AAV and Ad antigens were reduced and long‐term expression in muscle was not ablated on postnatal re‐administration of vector.

Conclusions

Sustained, high‐level cardiac and skeletal muscle transgene expression can be obtained after prenatal gene transfer with each of these vectors. The potential for immune response to viral antigens is altered, but not entirely ablated after in utero exposure. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Expression of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) in erythrogenic bone marrow does not correct hyperphenylalaninemia in Pahenu2 mice
Authors: Harding Cary O. , Neff Mark , Jones Kelly , Wild Krzysztof , Wolff Jon A.
Published: October 2003

Background

Treatment of many inherited liver enzyme deficiencies requires the removal of toxic intermediate metabolites from the blood of affected individuals. We propose that circulating toxins can be adequately cleared and disease phenotype influenced by enzyme expressed in tissues other than the liver, such as bone marrow. Our specific hypothesis was that phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) expressed in bone marrow would lower blood phenylalanine levels in hyperphenylalaninemic Pahenu2 mice, a model of human phenylketonuria (PKU).

Methods

Germline‐modified marrow PAH‐expressing mice were developed using a transgene that contained the mouse liver PAH cDNA under the transcriptional control of a human β‐globin promoter. Marrow PAH‐expressing mice were bred to Pahenu2 mice to generate progeny that lacked liver PAH activity but expressed PAH in bone marrow.

Results

Marrow PAH expression did not affect the health, function, or reproductive capacity of transgenic animals. Hyperphenylalaninemia persisted in transgenic Pahenu2 homozygous mice despite PAH activity in marrow lysates, and was not altered following supplementation with tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), a required cofactor for PAH. PAH activity measured in intact marrow cells was significantly lower than in marrow lysates; no such difference was measured in isolated hepatocytes vs. liver homogenate.

Conclusions

Marrow PAH expression did not correct hyperphenylalaninemia in Pahenu2 mice. Phenylalanine clearance may have been limited by the natural perfusion rate of the marrow compartment, by insufficient PAH expression in marrow, or by other cellular factors affecting phenylalanine metabolism in intact marrow cells. Differences in PAH activity measured in intact marrow cells vs. cell lysates suggest that hepatocytes and PAH‐expressing marrow cells are fundamentally different in their ability to metabolize phenylalanine. The efficacy of bone‐marrow‐directed gene therapy as a metabolic sink in the treatment of phenylketonuria may be limited, although further experiments with greater marrow PAH expression levels will be necessary to definitively prove this conclusion. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pre‐administration of angiopoietin‐1 followed by VEGF induces functional and mature vascular formation in a rabbit ischemic model
Authors: Yamauchi Akihiko , Ito Yoshinori , Morikawa Masayuki , Kobune Masayoshi , Huang Jianhua , Sasaki Katsunori , Takahashi Kazuhiro , Nakamura Kiminori , Dehari Hironari , Niitsu Yoshiro , Abe Tomio , Hamada Hirofumi
Published: October 2003

Background

Angiopoietin‐1 (Ang1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) play important roles in vascular formation and maturation, suggesting that the combination of these two would be a promising therapy for ischemia. However, it remains unclear what the best schedule of administration of these cytokines might be.

Methods

Six experimental groups were used to prepare the rabbit ischemic hindlimb model following naked plasmid intramuscular administration as follows: empty vector (C), single gene (Ang1, A; VEGF, V), Ang‐1 followed by VEGF (A − V), co‐administration of Ang1 and VEGF (A + V), and VEGF followed by Ang1 (V − A).

Results

Thirty days after gene administration, A − V showed a significantly increased blood pressure and blood‐flow recovery in the ischemic limb compared with the control group. Histological findings by α‐smooth muscle‐actin (α‐SMA) staining revealed that the two combination groups had more mature vessels as compared with the control group. Significantly, A − V revealed the highest density of α‐SMA‐positive vessels compared with VEGF alone or Ang1 alone. Angiographic assessment revealed that A − V had a greater increased arterial diameter compared with VEGF alone. Edema, one of the major adverse effects induced by VEGF, was not found in A − V throughout the experiments, while VEGF alone and V − A showed severe edema induced by VEGF.

Conclusions

The pre‐administration of Ang1 followed by VEGF resulted in an improvement of hemodynamic status, an increased number of vessels covered with α‐actin‐positive mural cells, and prevention of VEGF‐mediated edema. Thus, priming by Ang1 gene administration would be beneficial for therapeutic angiogenesis in VEGF gene therapy. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Advantages and limitations of particle‐mediated transfection (gene gun) in cancer immuno‐gene therapy using IL‐10, IL‐12 or B7‐1 in murine tumor models
Authors: Kitagawa Toru , Iwazawa Takashi , Robbins Paul D. , Lotze Michael T. , Tahara Hideaki
Published: October 2003

Background

Previous studies have shown that particle‐mediated transfection (PMT; gene gun) is an efficient method of non‐viral gene transfer. We have examined the advantages and limitations of PMT in cancer immuno‐gene therapy using IL‐10, IL‐12 or B7‐1, all of which have been shown to be effective in murine tumor models using retroviral vectors.

Methods

Murine cell lines (MCA205, MCA207, NIH‐3T3) were treated with in vitro PMT, liposome‐mediated transfection (LMT) or retroviral transfection. In vivo PMT was also examined for in vivo experiments using C57BL/6.

Results

Transfection efficiency and cytokine expression of PMT were similar to those of LMT, another non‐viral approach, in culture when murine adherent cells were used. Tumor establishment of MCA205 was suppressed when they were transfected with the mIL‐12 and/or mB7‐1 gene using PMT in vitro. In a treatment of established tumor, vaccination with tumor cells transfected with an IL‐12 gene suppressed tumor growth, whereas a B7‐1 gene was not effective. When an IL‐10 gene was used to supply a high level of expression for antitumor effects, neither in vitro nor in vivo PMT could suppress even tumor establishment. These failures appear to be caused by the characteristics of PMT which allows high, but transient, expression of transfected genes.

Conclusions

Particle‐mediated transfection is a useful non‐viral transfection method in a system which does not require high‐level gene expression for a prolonged time of period. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Minding experience: An exploration of the concept of “experience” in the early French anthropology of Durkheim, Lévy‐Bruhl, and Lévi‐Strauss
Authors: Throop C. Jason
Published: October 2003

In line with the growing concern with the unexamined reliance upon the concept of “experience” in
anthropology, this article explores in some detail the various usages and definitions of the concept in the work
of three of early French anthropology's most influential theorists: Émile Durkheim
(1858–1918), Lucien Lévy‐Bruhl (1857–1939), and Claude
Lévi‐Strauss (1908–). With its important influence on both British and American
anthropology, the early French anthropological tradition, as epitomized in the writings of these three thinkers,
has indeed played a pivotal role in shaping many current taken‐for‐granted understandings of the
concept of experience in the discipline of anthropology as a whole. In the process of exploring how experience
is viewed by these three scholars, this paper will thus take some initial steps toward the historical
contextualization of many of the unquestioned assumptions underpinning current understandings of experience in
the discipline of anthropology and the social sciences more generally. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of nonlinear viscoelastic properties on tack
Authors: Verdier C. , Piau J.‐M.
Published: October 2003

The influence of rheological and surface properties on adhesive tackiness are studied. In particular, the importance of the elongational properties is emphasized in a model, which considers only the adhesive contribution while neglecting the importance of cavitation and surface roughness. This simple analysis allows us to recover the different types of curves (i.e., different adhesive materials) obtained in the literature on tack. Elastic, strain‐hardening, and viscous adhesive materials are considered. The question of the importance of surface properties is raised and discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 3139–3149, 2003
Pressure dependence of the second virial coefficient of dilute polystyrene solutions
Authors: Moses Corey L. , Van Hook W. Alexander
Published: October 2003

The pressure derivatives of the second virial coefficients [dA2/dP; 0.1 ≤ P (MPa) ≤ 35.0] for dilute polystyrene (PS) solutions in good, θ, and poor solvents were measured with static light scattering. The solvent quality improved (dA2/dP > 0) in the good and poor solvents that we investigated (toluene, chloroform; and methylcyclohexane) but deteriorated (dA2/dP < 0) in θ solvents (cyclohexane and 50‐50 cis,trans‐decalin). The effects of temperature [22 < T (°C) < 45] and molecular weight [25 × 103 < weight‐average molecular weight (amu mol−1) < 900 × 103] on dA2/dP for PS/cyclohexane solutions were examined. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 3070–3076, 2003
Ortho‐positronium lifetime distribution analyzed with MELT and LT and free volume in poly(ε‐caprolactone) during glass transition, melting, and crystallization
Authors: Dlubek G. , Supej M. , Bondarenko V. , Pionteck J. , Pompe G. , Krause‐Rehberg R. , Emri I.
Published: October 2003

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) was used to study the free volume behavior in the temperature range between 100 and 370 K in semicrystalline poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL). For the analysis of the spectra we used the well‐known routine MELT as well as the new program LT8.0, which allows both discrete and log‐normal distributed annihilation rates. From experiments, confirmed by the analysis of simulated spectra, we found that MELT returns too large values for the o‐Ps lifetime τ3 associated with too small intensities I3. This is due to the underestimation of the width of o‐Ps lifetime distribution in MELT (the spectra analyzed contained 3 million counts). The same effects were observed in the parameters obtained from the discrete term analysis. LT, however, returns, when allowing the o‐Ps lifetime to be distributed, rather accurate values for τ3, I3, and the width (standard deviation σ3) of the o‐Ps lifetime distribution. The effect of the glass transition, melting, and crystallization on the annihilation parameters was observed. These results were compared with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and pressure–volume–temperature (PVT) experiments. From this comparison, the number density of holes and the fractional free (hole) volume have been estimated. At a “knee” temperature Tk ≈ 1.5 Tg, a leveling off of the o‐Ps lifetime τ3 and a distinct decrease in the width, σ3, of its distribution was observed; the latter effect was detected for the first time. Fast motional processes and/or the disappearance of the dynamic heterogeneity of the glass and the transition to a homogeneous liquid are discussed as possible reasons for these effects. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 3077–3088, 2003
Effect of carbon dioxide sorption on the phase behavior of weakly interacting polymer mixtures: Solvent‐induced segregation in deuterated polybutadiene/polyisoprene blends
Authors: RamachandraRao Vijayakumar S. , Vogt Bryan D. , Gupta Ravi R. , Watkins James J.
Published: October 2003

The effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) sorption on the lower critical solution temperatures of deuterated polybutadiene/polyisoprene blends was determined with in situ small‐angle neutron scattering. CO2 was a poor solvent for both polymers and exhibited very weak selectivity between the blend components. The sorption of modest concentrations of CO2, at pressures up to 160 bar, induced phase segregation at temperatures well below the binary‐phase‐separation temperature and caused an increased asymmetry in the lower critical solution temperature curve. The origin of solvent‐induced phase segregation in this weakly interacting polymer blend system was attributed predominantly to an exacerbation of the existing disparity in the compressibility of the components upon CO2 sorption. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 3114–3126, 2003
Segmental‐ and normal‐mode dielectric relaxation of poly(propylene glycol) under pressure
Authors: Roland C. M. , Psurek T. , Pawlus S. , Paluch M.
Published: October 2003

Dielectric measurements were obtained on poly(propylene glycol) (molecular weight: 4000 Da) at pressures in excess of 1.2 GPa. The segmental (α process) and normal‐mode (α′ process) relaxations exhibited different pressure sensitivities of their relaxation strengths, as well as their relaxation times. Such results are contrary to previous reports, and (at least for the dielectric strength) can be ascribed to the capacity for intermolecular hydrogen‐bond formation in this material. With equation‐of‐state measurements, the relative contributions of volume and thermal energy to the α‐relaxation times were quantified. Similar to other H‐bonded liquids, temperature is the more dominant control variable, although the effect of volume is not negligible. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 3047–3052, 2003
Selecting the best treatment in designed experiments
Authors: Polansky Alan M.
Published: October 2003

A common question in biological experimentation is concerned with finding an optimal level for a treatment using data obtained from a designed experiment. For example, an experiment might concern a group of hyperactive adolescent males that have been grouped into blocks according to some relevant factors. Within each group the subjects are randomly assigned to several treatments for hyperactivity. An important aspect of the study would then be determining which of the treatment options is most effective in reducing hyperactivity in the subjects. Basing such a determination directly on the estimated treatment effects may be unreliable because of the inherent variability associated with the estimates. Other methods, such as multiple comparison procedures and best subset selection procedures can also be applied to this problem. Unfortunately, such procedures are often difficult to interpret and rely on assumptions that may not be appropriate for the experiment under consideration. In this paper we develop a method of assigning a confidence level to each treatment that measures how confident we are that each treatment is optimal. The method for assigning the confidence levels is based on a more general methodology developed for the problem of regions, where one assigns levels of confidence that an unknown parameter is within specified subsets of the parameter space. The actual computation of the confidence levels is based on the bootstrap. The method is applied to an example and is studied empirically. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.