bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of dextromethorphan on in vitro contractile responses of mouse and rat urinary bladders
Authors: Levin Robert M. , Whitbeck Catherine , Sourial Michael W. , Tadrous Mina , Millington William R. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractPurposeDextromethorphan (DXM) is a cough‐suppressing ingredient in a variety of over‐the‐counter cough and cold medications. Dextromethorphan elevates the threshold for coughing primarily through a central mechanism. At doses recommended for treating coughs the drug is safe and effective. At much higher doses, DXM produces dissociative effects similar to those of phencyclidine and ketamine. Opioid analgesics structurally related to DXM also inhibit bladder contractions and produce urinary retention through a non‐opioid mechanism. This study evaluated the direct effects of DXM on in vitro contractile responses of rat and mouse urinary bladders.MethodsMale rats and mice were anaesthetized and their bladders removed. Bladder strips were suspended in 15 ml oxygenated Tyrode's solution containing glucose. Bladder strip contractions were evoked by field stimulation (FS), carbachol or elevated KCl concentrations and contractile responses recorded. The strips were then exposed to 3 µM (DXM) for 30 min and re‐stimulated. This sequence was repeated at 10, 30, and 100 µM DXM.Results(a) The rat bladder generated significantly greater tension than the mouse bladder. (b) Dextromethorphan produced a dose‐dependent inhibition of the response to FS that was approximately equal for rat and mouse bladders. FS at 8 or 32 Hz was significantly more sensitive to DXM inhibition than 2 Hz. (c) The response to carbachol was more sensitive to inhibition by DXM than the responses to FS or KCl.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that DXM inhibits bladder contractions in vitro and that mouse and rat bladders are affected to approximately the same extent. Neurourol. Urodynam. 25:802–807, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Uroselectivity in male dogs of silodosin (KMD‐3213), a novel drug for the obstructive component of benign prostatic hyperplasia
Authors: Tatemichi Satoshi , Tomiyama Yoshitaka , Maruyama Itaru , Kobayashi Shinya , Kobayashi Kumi , Maezawa Ayaka , Kobayashi Mamoru , Yamazaki Yoshinobu , Shibata Nobuo 
Published: August 2006

AbstractAimsOur main aim was to compare the prostatic selectivity of silodosin with that of other α1‐adrenoceptor (AR) antagonists.MethodsWe examined uroselectivities in two sets of experiments namely, in vitro and in vivo functional studies using male dogs. In the in vitro study, after evaluating the inhibitory effects of silodosin on noradrenaline (NA)‐induced contractions in the isolated prostate and isolated carotid artery using the Magnus method, we calculated prostatic selectivity. In the in vivo study, we examined the effects of drugs on the hypogastric nerve stimulation (HNS)‐induced increase in intraurethral pressure (IUP) and on blood pressure. The uroselectivity of silodosin was compared with those of tamsulosin and naftopidil.ResultsIn vitro, all drugs antagonized NA‐induced contraction in both prostate and carotid artery. The prostatic selectivity of silodosin (79.4) was much higher than those of tamsulosin (1.78), naftopidil (0.55), BMY 7378 (0.115), and prazosin (0.01). In vivo, intravenously (i.v.) administered silodosin dose‐dependently inhibited the HNS‐induced increase in IUP with much less hypotensive effect than either tamsulosin or naftopidil, the uroselectivity (ED15/ID50) of silodosin (237) being significantly higher than those of tamsulosin (1.21) and naftopidil (2.65).ConclusionsOur results clearly demonstrate that silodosin is a potent and highly selective α1A‐AR antagonist. A selective α1A‐AR antagonist such as silodosin may have good potential as a less‐hypotensive drug for the treatment of urinary dysfunction in benign prostatic hyperplasia patients. Neurourol. Urodynam. 25:792–799, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Equity valuation, production, and financial planning: A stochastic programming approach
Authors: Xu Xiaodong , Birge John R. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractMost of the operations management literature assumes that a firm can always finance production decisions at an optimal level or borrow at a constant interest rate; however, operational decisions are constrained by limited capital and often critically depend on external financing. This paper proposes an integrated corporate planning model, which extends the forecasting‐based discount dividend pricing method into an optimization‐based valuation framework to make production and financial decisions simultaneously for a firm facing marker uncertainty. We also develop an efficient algorithm to solve the resulting integer stochastic programming model with nonlinear constraints. Compared with traditional valuation and planning models, our method yields higher equity valuations, indicating that valuation without considering contingent decisions is inherently inaccurate. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2006
Sojourn time analysis of a queueing system with two‐phase service and server vacations
Authors: Katayama Tsuyoshi , Kobayashi Kaori 
Published: August 2006

AbstractWe consider a two‐phase service queueing system with batch Poisson arrivals and server vacations denoted by MX/G1‐G2/1. The first phase service is an exhaustive or a gated bulk service, and the second phase is given individually to the members of a batch. By a reduction to an MX/G/1 vacation system and applying the level‐crossing method to a workload process with two types of vacations, we obtain the Laplace–Stieltjes transform of the sojourn time distribution in the MX/G1‐G2/1 with single or multiple vacations. The decomposition expression is derived for the Laplace–Stieltjes transform of the sojourn time distribution, and the first two moments of the sojourn time are provided. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2007
Stochastic programming models for replication of electricity forward contracts for industry
Authors: Kwon Roy H. , Scott Rogers J. , Yau Sheena 
Published: August 2006

AbstractForward contracts for electricity are valuable to consumers (suppliers) that wish to obtain (sell) power at prices that are more stable than those typically seen in electricity markets. Only a limited variety of forward contracts are available on the market so the need is for a “custom” contract that meets a specific profile of electricity requirements (usually uncertain) over time. This paper develops stochastic programming models that can be used by the supplier of a custom contract to design a procurement strategy that minimizes its expected costs of supply in meeting contract obligations. The procurement strategy will consist of a mix of forwards available in the market, and, in each period, blending its own generation with spot purchases of power. The model also integrates spot selling of power. We consider that expected spot prices and forward prices may disagree since electricity is not storable, creating apparent arbitrage opportunities. We bound the transaction amounts to limit effects of apparent arbitrage and for consistency with the assumption of constant variable generation costs and market prices. For sample cases we compute the optimal procurement strategy, demonstrate the magnitude of the saving, and illustrate the sensitivity of this saving to the magnitude of the upper bounds on the allowed forward positions (a proxy for risk). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2006
Collective tree exploration
Authors: Fraigniaud Pierre , Ga̧sieniec Leszek , Kowalski Dariusz R. , Pelc Andrzej 
Published: August 2006

AbstractAnn‐node tree has to be explored bykmobile agents (robots), starting at its root. Every edge of the tree must be traversed by at least one robot, and exploration must be completed as fast as possible. Even when the tree is known in advance, scheduling optimal collective exploration turns out to be NP‐hard. We investigate the problem of how communication among robots influences the time for exploring unknown trees. To this end, we consider two scenarios. In the first scenario, robots can communicate by writing at the currently visited node previously acquired information, and reading information available at this node. In the second scenario robots are oblivious of one another, and each of them knows only the part of the tree previously explored by itself. We show that this difference of communication capability significantly influences time of collective exploration. Under the first scenario, we construct an exploration algorithm whose running time for any tree is onlyO(k/ logk) larger than the optimal exploration time with full knowledge of the tree, while under the second scenario we prove that every algorithm works in timeΩ(k) larger than optimal, for some trees. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 48(3), 166–177 2006
Reduction of Pt usage in fuel cell electrocatalysts using carbon nanotubes and non‐Pt metals
Authors: Yoo E. , Nagashima Y. , Yamazaki T. , Matsumoto T. , Nakamura J. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractElectrocatalysts supported by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been studied to reduce Pt usage in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). The PEFC using Pt‐deposited CNTs at the anode and cathode shows higher performance than a commercial Pt‐deposited carbon black (CB) with reducing 60% Pt loading per electrode area in PEFC below 500 mA/cm2. These high performances are considered to be due to the efficient formation of the triple‐phase boundaries of gas‐electrode‐electrolyte. Mo2C/CNTs anode catalysts prepared as a non‐Pt electrocatalyst show about half the voltage of a popular PEFC with Pt/CB below 600 mA/cm2 with 1.5 atm‐H2. The Mo2C/CNTs gave five time, larger voltage and current compared to Mo2C/CB at least. CNTs are thus found to be better material than CB in PEFC. It is also found that Ru/defective CNTs catalysts shows high CO tolerance in hydrogen electro‐oxidation. The Ru catalyst particles were found to be very small with 1 nm diameter. It is thus considered that highly dispersed Ru nanopaticles supported on defective CNTs are attributed to the high CO tolerance. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Copolymerization of cyclopentadiene with styrene by methylaluminoxane catalyst
Authors: Hou Junxian , Zhang Dongheng , Lin Ruhai , Zhang Deshun , Wang Shulan , Sun Wen‐Hua 
Published: August 2006

AbstractRandom copolymerization of cyclopentadiene (CPD) and styrene initiated by methylaluminoxane was investigated. The copolymer was analyzed using FT‐IR, 1H‐NMR and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The reactivity ratios of the monomers were rCPD = 19.53, rstyrene = 0.60. A single glass transition temperature is observed for each copolymer, which is in agreement with a random type copolymer structure. And a cationic initiation mechanism was speculated based on the polymerization results. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel composite anode materials of Ag and polymeric carbon for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Gao J. , Yang L. C. , Fu L. J. , Xu M. , Liu W. J. , Wu Y. P. , Holze R. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractA new composite anode material of Ag and polymeric carbon was prepared by heat‐treating the mixture of polyacrylonitrile and AgNO3. They were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and electrochemical measurements. It was found that the addition of Ag was favorable for the improvement of electrochemical performance of the composite in comparison with the virginal polymeric carbon. These improvements were due to an increase of electronic conductivity, alloying of lithium with Ag and smaller particle size of the composites. The optimal amount of Ag addition is 5% based on the molar ratio of the monomer unit. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Purification and characterization of an N‐acetyl‐d‐galactosamine‐specific lectin from seeds of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)
Authors: Qureshi Insaf A. , Dash Prasanta , Srivastava P. S. , Koundal K. R. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractA novel lectin (CAA‐II) was isolated and purified from the seeds of Cicer arietinum by ammonium sulphate fractionation and affinity chromatography on an N‐acetyl‐d‐galactosamine‐linked agarose column. The lectin is composed of four identical subunits of 30 kDa and the molecular mass of the native lectin was estimated to be 120 kDa by gel filtration chromatography and confirmed by mass spectrometry. The lectin showed agglutination activity against rabbit erythrocytes (trypsin‐treated and untreated) as well as against human erythrocytes. Haemagglutination inhibition assays showed that the lectin is a galactose‐specific protein having a high affinity for N‐acetyl‐d‐galactosamine. The molecular weight, haemagglutination pattern, carbohydrate specificity and N‐terminal amino acid sequence indicated that the lectin is clearly distinct from the previously reported chickpea lectin CAA‐I. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Risk factors for statin‐associated rhabdomyolysis
Authors: Schech Stephanie , Graham David , Staffa Judy , Andrade Susan E. , Grenade Lois La , Burgess Margaret , Blough David , Stergachis Andy , Chan K. Arnold , Platt Richard , Shatin Deborah 
Published: August 2006

AbstractPurposeTo identify and characterize risk factors for rhabdomyolysis in patients prescribed statin monotherapy or statin plus fibrate therapy.MethodsA nested case‐control study was conducted within a cohort of 252 460 new users of lipid‐lowering medications across 11 geographically dispersed U.S. health plans. Twenty‐one cases of rhabdomyolysis confirmed by medical record review were compared to 200 individually matched controls without rhabdomyolysis. A conditional logistic regression model was applied to evaluate the effects of age, gender, comorbidities, concurrent medication use, dosage, and duration of statin use on the development of rhabdomyolysis.ResultsStatin users 65 years of age and older have four times the risk of hospitalization for rhabdomyolysis than those under age 65 (odds ratio (OR) = 4.36, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5,14.1). We also observed a joint effect of high statin dosage and renal disease (p = 0.022). When these two variables were added to the model with age, we obtained an OR of 5.73 for dosage (95%CI: 0.63, 52.6) and 6.26 for renal disease (95%CI: 0.46, 63.38). Although not statistically significant, we did observe a greater than twofold increase in risk for rhabdomyolysis among females (OR = 2.53, 95%CI: 0.91, 7.32).ConclusionsFindings of this study indicate that older age is a risk factor for rhabdomyolysis among statin users. Although the evidence is not as strong, high statin dosage, renal disease, and female gender may be additional risk factors. Patients at higher risk of developing rhabdomyolysis should be closely monitored for signs and symptoms of the disease. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differential associations of beta‐blockers with hemorrhagic events for chronic heart failure patients on warfarin
Authors: Berlowitz Dan R. , Miller Donald R. , Oliveria Susan A. , Cunningham Fran , Gomez‐Caminero Andres , Rothendler James A. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractPurposeBeta‐blockers have many different physiologic effects that could potentially influence the risk of hemorrhagic events in chronic heart failure patients (CHF) on warfarin. We examined how different beta‐blockers vary in their associated risk of a hemorrhagic event.MethodsWe used databases from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that contain information on medications prescribed, diagnoses, and hospitalizations. We identified patients with CHF on warfarin and either metoprolol, carvedilol, atenolol, or no beta‐blocker during 1999–2001. We modeled time to first hemorrhagic event using a Cox proportional hazards model, adjusting for age, ethnicity, comorbidities, and other factors. INR levels were examined in a subsample of 3546 patients.ResultsWe identified 66 988 CHF patients on warfarin. Hemorrhagic events occurred in 15.3% of the sample and, in 3.8% of the sample, the hemorrhage was considered severe. Compared to patients on carvedilol, the hazards ratio for a new hemorrhagic event was 1.25 (1.17, 1.34) for no beta‐blocker, 1.27 (1.18, 1.38) for atenolol, and 1.38 (1.28, 1.48) for metoprolol. No differences in INR levels were evident among the four groups.ConclusionsThe risk for a hemorrhagic event among CHF patients on warfarin may be affected by beta‐blocker use and varies depending on which beta‐blocker is prescribed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Proteomic analysis of pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma
Authors: Jin Lian‐Jin , Shin Bong Kyung , Jung Woon Yong , Lee Hyun‐Juu , Cho Su Jin , Han Joung‐Ho , Ha Seong‐Yeon , Kim Ae‐Ree , Sik Kim Young , Sun Kim In , Uhm Chang‐Sub , Kim Han Kyeom 
Published: August 2006

AbstractSclerosing hemangioma (SH) is a rare benign pulmonary tumor derived from the primitive respiratory epithelium. However, the pathogenesis of SH has not yet been clear. Surfactant protein, thyroid transcription factor‐1, epithelial membrane antigen, cytokeratin, and vimentin have been identified in SH by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. To identify proteins specifically regulated in SH, 2‐D PAGE was performed using SH and paired normal tissues. Ten selected differentially expressed protein spots were identified by PMF, MALDI‐TOF‐MS, and database searching. Apolipoprotein A‐1, antizyme inhibitor, heat shock 27‐kDa protein 1, and antioxidant proteins, such as peroxiredoxin II (Prx II) and GST, were identified among the down‐regulated proteins in SH. Western blot and immunohistochemistry confirmed reduced expressions of Prx II and GST in SH versus normal lung tissue. This study is the first report on the reduced expressions of Prx II and GST in SH.
Reconstructing protein complexes: From proteomics to systems biology
Authors: Armstrong J. Douglas , Pocklington Andrew J. , Cumiskey Mark A. , Grant Seth G. N. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractModern high throughput technologies in biological science often create lists of interesting molecules. The challenge is to reconstruct a descriptive model from these lists that reflects the underlying biological processes as accurately as possible. Once we have such a model or network, what can we learn from it? Specifically, given that we are interested in some biological process associated with the model, what new properties can we predict and subsequently test? Here, we describe, at an introductory level, a range of bioinformatics techniques that can be systematically applied to proteomic datasets. When combined, these methods give us a global overview of the network and the properties of the proteins and their interactions. These properties can then be used to predict functional pathways within the network and to examine substructure. To illustrate the application of these methods, we draw upon our own work concerning a complex of 186 proteins found in neuronal synapses in mammals. The techniques discussed are generally applicable and could be used to examine lists of proteins involved with the biological response to electric or magnetic fields.
FPRL‐1 induces modifications of migration‐associated proteins in human neutrophils
Authors: Boldt Karsten , Rist Wolfgang , Weiss Stefanie M. , Weith Andreas , Lenter Martin C. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractHuman polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) are an important cell population of the innate immune system, which migrates following concentration gradients of chemokines or chemoattractants to locations of infection and inflammation in order to eliminate invading microorganisms and cell debris. For both migration and adhesion of PMNs to various tissues, the dynamic remodeling of the cytoskeleton is key prerequisite. In this context, the formyl peptide receptor‐like 1 (FPRL‐1) is an important chemoattractant receptor expressed on PMNs. In this study, we show that a short stimulation of FPRL‐1 with either a synthetic peptide ligand (W‐peptide) or a natural ligand (sCKβ8‐1) changes the protein pattern of PMNs as assessed by 2‐D‐DIGE. MS analysis of selected deregulated protein species resulted in the identification of proteins that are involved in the remodeling process of the actin‐ and tubulin‐based cytoskeleton, such as L‐plastin, moesin, cofilin, and stathmin. Subsequent validation experiments performed either by Western blotting or phosphoprotein‐specific gel staining (Pro‐Q Diamond) revealed that L‐plastin is phosphorylated, whereas moesin, cofilin, and stathmin are dephosphorylated in PMNs upon FPRL‐1 stimulation. These findings suggest that FPRL‐1 signaling targets proteins that regulate the motility of PMNs and moreover show that 2‐D‐DIGE is a technique capable of detecting and quantifying differently modified (e.g., phosphorylated) protein variants.
What's so special about polymers? A little known organizing principle gives rise to an abundance of polymer phase transitions
Authors: Di Marzio Edmund A. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractWe argue that if an organizing principle exists it must have to do with the linear connectivity of the monomers since this feature is what distinguishes polymers from all other materials. We then compare a linear polymer threading a pore in a membrane (PTM) with an equal number of unconnected monomers which are also allowed to transit through a pore in a membrane. The crucial difference between the two cases is that the connected monomers are distinguishable from one another by virtue of their location along the polymer chain whereas the disconnected monomers are indistinguishable. Because of this, the disconnected monomers obey the ideal gas laws while the connected monomers undergo a first‐order thermodynamic phase transition! Four other phase transitions occurring in isolated linear polymer molecules are known. They are the helix to random coil (HR) transitions in biological polymers, surface adsorption (SA), polymer collapse (C), and a model of polymerization (P). These five kinds of transitions can be coupled to one another resulting in a sizable number of exactly solvable minimal models of phase transitions. There are also five classes of phase transitions in many polymers systems. The coupling of these 10 classes of transitions to each‐other results in a plethora of phases. These in turn provide the basis for the many polymer structures observed in the world about us. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2612–2620, 2006
The phase diagram of a single polymer chain: New insights from a new simulation method
Authors: Rampf F. , Binder K. , Paul W. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractWe present simulation results for the phase behavior of a single chain for a flexible lattice polymer model using the Wang‐Landau sampling idea. Applying this new algorithm to the problem of the homopolymer collapse allows us to investigate not only the high temperature coil–globule transition but also an ensuing crystallization at lower temperature. Performing a finite size scaling analysis on the two transitions, we show that they coincide for our model in the thermodynamic limit corresponding to a direct collapse of the random coil into the crystal without intermediate coil–globule transition. As a consequence, also the many chain phase diagram of this model can be predicted to consist only of gas and crystal phase in the limit of infinite chain length. This behavior is in agreement with findings on the phase behavior of hard‐sphere systems with a relatively short‐ranged attractive square well. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2542–2555, 2006