bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
DNA‐Synthetic Polymer Conjugates
Authors: Ono Akira 
Published: September 2006

AbstractSummary: By conjugating functional moieties of biopolymers to artificial polymers, novel functional materials can be developed, since such conjugated polymers could combine the functions of the biopolymers and the functions, solidity, and economical advantages of the artificial polymers. This article reviews studies for developing novel materials from DNA and their analogues, and discusses a recent report by Wang and co‐workers (Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2006, 207, 389) that describes the preparation of a thymine‐poly(thiophene) conjugate, a novel conjugated polymer that carries a nucleobase. In addition, they demonstrate that the conjugated polymer is useful for detecting HgII ions. Thus, the report indicates that developing conjugated polymers, which have the functions of DNA on a stable polymer backbone, is one of the promising ways to synthesize practical functional polymers.A schematic representation of the DNA duplex structure and a poly(thiophene) carrying a thymine residue.magnified imageA schematic representation of the DNA duplex structure and a poly(thiophene) carrying a thymine residue.
Electronic Conductive Microporous Polymer‐Based Structures
Authors: Yakisir Dinçer , Mighri Frej , Bousmina Mosto 
Published: September 2006

AbstractSummary: This study aims at developing a highly electronic conductive microporous structure from thermoplastic polymers filled with carbon black (CB) and graphite (GR). The matrix was a low viscosity poly(propylene) (PP) and the conductive additives were composed of high specific surface area CB and synthetic flake GR. Conductive blends were first developed using a corotating twin‐screw extruder. Rheological properties and conductivities of these blends were then characterized as a function of blend composition. Blends that show the best compromise between electronic conductivity and processability were subsequently extruded through a sheet die to obtain films of around 500 µm in thickness. These films were then stretched in two successive steps under controlled temperature and stretching rate to generate a film of controlled microporous structure.TEM of film made from a 50 wt.‐% PP/25 wt.‐% CB/25 wt.‐% GR blend after stretching.magnified imageTEM of film made from a 50 wt.‐% PP/25 wt.‐% CB/25 wt.‐% GR blend after stretching.
Risk tolerance in the present and the future: an experimental study
Authors: Noussair Charles , Wu Ping 
Published: September 2006

AbstractWe design an experiment to study the consistency of risk preferences between lotteries that are resolved and paid in the present versus in the future. The results show that a substantial fraction of subjects (38.6%) exhibits a greater level of risk aversion for lotteries resolved and paid in the present than in the future. Additional treatments suggest that the effect is neither specific to gambles that are realized immediately, nor is due to steep discounting of future payoffs. Our experiment suggests that risk tolerance increases the farther in the future the gamble is realized. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Price‐setting power and information asymmetry in sealed bidding
Authors: Parco James E. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractDiverging from the historical precedent of using a midpoint rule (k=½) to experimentally structure two‐person bargaining under incomplete information, extreme values of k (k={0, 1}) are invoked in an asymmetric information environment endowing one player with exclusive price‐setting power and the other player with veto‐only power. Theoretical analysis suggests that regardless of who possesses an information advantage, expected profits for a seller (buyer) decrease (increase) in k. Yet, experimental results show that under conditions of dramatic information asymmetry, not only is the observed share of the surplus is much smaller than predicted for the player with price‐setting power, but also the player with the information advantage is unable to garner a greater share of the surplus as has been consistently demonstrated in previous studies providing a boundary test of Daniel et al.'s Information Disparity Hypothesis (1998). Published in 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On‐the‐job leisure as a cause of asymmetric observed‐effort distributions
Authors: Dickinson David L. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractWhen employers observe imperfect measures of worker effort, theorists typically assume that observed effort is unimodal and symmetrically distributed. Though observable effort may be distributed in different ways within a work day, for example, available field data on these effort distributions are rare. The symmetry assumption is largely untestable as a result. This paper presents empirical data from two experimental work environments that question the validity of such assumptions. For these piece‐rate work environments the author finds that observed effort is significantly negatively‐skew (i.e. modal>mean effort). The author's hypothesis is that on‐the‐job leisure causes this skewness in observed effort distributions. There are both theoretical and practical implications of this asymmetry. Some implications from the theoretical agency literature that we discuss include: self‐selection into rank‐order tournaments, optimal wage spreads in rank‐order tournaments, and optimal wage contracts with asymmetric information. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An experimental examination of demand reduction in multi‐unit versions of the Uniform‐price, Vickrey, and English auctions
Authors: Porter David , Vragov Roumen 
Published: September 2006

AbstractDemand reduction in Uniform‐price and English auctions are strategic reactions by participants to reduce price and thus increase potential profits. Laboratory experiments similar to the field experiments performed by List and Reiley (Am. Econ. Rev. 2000; 9(4): 961–972) in which two individuals with demands for two units vie for two units through a Uniform‐price, English or Vickrey auction are conducted. We find strong support for demand reduction in both the English and Uniform‐price auctions, with significantly more dramatic reductions in the English auction. However, there is significant overbidding in both the Vickrey and Uniform‐price auction. This overbidding solves a puzzle found by List and Reiley in their field experiment data. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Low expression of HER2 protein in breast cancer is biologically significant
Authors: Tovey SM , Reeves JR , Stanton P , Ozanne BW , Bartlett JMS , Cooke TG 
Published: September 2006

AbstractHER2 status is routinely tested using immunohistochemistry or FISH following the licensing of a therapeutic agent targeting HER2. However, neither of these methods provides quantitative information relating to the 70–80% of patients with levels of expression lower than the assay detection thresholds. In this study, radioimmunohistochemistry was used to detect quantitative HER2 protein expression in 178 breast cancers. Survival analysis was performed, as were correlations with known prognostic variables and with overexpression of other HER family members. It is demonstrated that the populations expressing very high and very low levels of HER2 are each associated with increased risk of cancer‐specific death on survival analysis (p = 0.0043). The group with low levels of HER2 was more likely to be of higher grade, EGFR‐positive and ER/HER3/HER4‐negative. HER2‐positive cases were frequently ER‐negative/HER3‐positive, whilst cases with normal HER2 expression were often ER‐positive/HER4‐positive. The aggressive nature of the tumour group with low HER2 expression may be explained by actions of other HER family members, particularly EGFR, but whether these or other factors have a negative regulatory effect on HER2 expression remains to be determined. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differential capacity of anti‐RAP and anti‐megalin antibodies to produce progressive passive Heymann nephritis — implications for the pathogenesis of idiopathic human membranous glomerulonephritis
Authors: Makker SP , Tramontano A 
Published: September 2006

AbstractPassive Heymann nephritis (PHN) induced with heterologous antisera has been described according to various criteria, which may or may not include induction of chronic disease and proteinuria. Characteristics of the glomerular immune deposits determined by the antigenic specificities of the antisera presumably account for differences in disease outcome. In this study, the clinical and immunohistological features in the model produced with monospecific antisera were compared against megalin or receptor associated protein (RAP), two proteins that have been implicated as target antigens in PHN. Rats injected with either anti‐megalin or anti‐RAP antiserum developed typical glomerular immune deposits of PHN when examined after 7 days. Although the deposits stained for complement, none of the animals had abnormal proteinuria in this time frame. Over a longer time course (7–16 weeks), immune deposits persisted and proteinuria increased to pathological levels in all animals injected with anti‐megalin serum. By contrast, immune deposits had cleared from the kidneys of rats injected with anti‐RAP antiserum when examined at 7–8 weeks post‐injection and the proteinuria levels observed up to 13 weeks remained in the normal range. Additional doses of anti‐RAP antiserum given 4 and 17 days after the first injection did not prolong the duration of glomerular immune deposits. These results demonstrate a clear divergence in pathogenic potential of antisera generated against the two renal antigens, which suggest differences in the immune deposits linked to a soluble antigen that is non‐covalently bound to the podocyte membrane versus those linked to an integral membrane antigen. These observations could provide clues to the nature of the unknown glomerular autoantigen of idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis in humans. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Contact allergy to topical drugs: prevalence in a clinical setting and estimation of frequency at the population level
Authors: Menezes de Pádua C. A. , Uter W. , Schnuch A. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractObjectivesTo estimate the prevalence of contact allergy (CA) to a set of topical drugs patch tested in the research network IVDK (Information Network of Departments of Dermatology; www.ivdk.org) between 1995 and 2004, and to extrapolate these clinical data to the German population.MethodsClinical data comprised results of allergy patch tests with topical drugs in patients with suspected CA. Clinical epidemiology and drug utilization research (CE‐DUR) methods were employed to grossly estimate the incidence of CA to these topical drugs during two 5‐year periods (1995–1999 and 2000–2005) in the German general population. To estimate the number of persons eligible for patch testing (with the topical drugs) on a general population level, sales data of patch test material were obtained. By relating this denominator to the CA frequency observed in the IVDK, the incidence of CA to selected topical drugs in the German general population was crudely estimated.ResultsIn general, topical aminoglycosides showed the highest CA frequencies and, except for gentamicin sulfate, frequencies of CA to all other allergens tested were lower in the 2nd period of analysis. According to the medium model, 1‐year incidence rates ranged from 1 (hydrocortisone‐17‐butyrate) to 29 persons/100 000 (neomycin sulfate) in the general population (1995–1999).ConclusionThe CE‐DUR approach yielded incidence estimates of CA to relevant topical drugs in the German general population, which, despite their limited precision in absolute terms, illustrate the relative frequency of this particular adverse effect. However, comparative risk assessment should preferably take exposure information into account. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effectiveness and safety of ritodrine hydrochloride for the treatment of preterm labour: a systematic review
Authors: Yaju Yukari , Nakayama Takeo 
Published: September 2006

AbstractPurposeTo analyse the available data on the effectiveness and safety of ritodrine hydrochloride in delaying delivery and in decreasing the incidence of preterm birth.MethodsSystematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effectiveness and safety of ritodrine hydrochloride with a placebo or with no treatment. Main outcome measures were relative risks (RRs) for perinatal mortality, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), delivery within 48 hours or 7 days, preterm birth before 37 weeks gestation and low birth weight. We searched computerised databases (MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Ichushi Web) from their inception to October 2004, and searched the references of eligible trials.ResultsSeventeen RCTs were included and meta‐analysis was conducted. Pooled RRs relative to placebo for delivery within 48 hours or 7 days for parenteral ritodrine hydrochloride were 0.74 (95%CI (confidential interval): 0.56, 0.97), 0.85 (95%CI: 0.74, 0.97). There was no significant decrease in perinatal mortality, the proportion of RDS, preterm birth and low birth weight infants. Maternal side‐effects significantly increased in patients receiving ritodrine with respect to those receiving a placebo. Pooled RRs relative to placebo for oral ritodrine hydrochloride showed no significant decrease in primary and secondary endpoints.ConclusionsThe effectiveness of parenteral ritodrine hydrochloride for tocolysis in preterm labour is limited to short‐range prolongation of gestation. The effectiveness of maintenance tocolytic therapy with oral ritodrine hydrochloride was not proved. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A call for international harmonization in therapeutic risk management
Authors: Hirst Ceri , Cook Suzanne , Dai Wanju , Perez‐Gutthann Susana , Andrews Elizabeth 
Published: September 2006

AbstractTherapeutic risk management is required to ensure that the benefits of a particular drug outweigh the risks in general practice. Current risk management strategies and handling of risk management and pharmacovigilance issues differ across borders. Differences in key regulatory decisions on the same product around the world, including the handling of safety issues with cisapride, dofetilide, and isotretinoin, bring into question the robustness of these decisions and the procedures currently in place to manage the risks to the public of products with potentially unfavorable risk‐benefit balances. These differences may be partly due to differences in health care systems, regulatory requirements and procedures, and cultures. Greater international harmonization in approaches to risk management potentially would improve safety of medicines around the world by developing a greater uniformity in acquiring and interpreting risk‐benefit evidence. The appropriateness and effectiveness of risk management interventions in different regions should be examined, and international strategies should be ‘fine‐tuned’ for each regional health care setting. Recently issued international guidance on risk management and pharmacovigilance may help to improve consistency of decision‐making around the world and promote better international communication and collaboration. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Polymer‐nanofiber composites: Enhancing composite properties by nanofiber oxidation
Authors: Rasheed Asif , Dadmun Mark D. , Britt Phillip F. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractNanocomposites of styrene and vinyl phenol copolymers, which contain varying (10, 20, and 40 mol %) vinyl phenol content, were prepared with 1 wt % unoxidized, 1 wt % oxidized, and 5 wt % oxidized carbon nanofibers. Dynamic mechanical analysis and differential scanning calorimetry indicate that the composites prepared from oxidized nanofibers exhibit improved thermal and structural properties relative to those prepared from unoxidized nanofibers. The optimum enhancement in the mechanical and thermal properties was observed for the composite containing oxidized nanofibers and the 20% vinyl phenol copolymer. These results are in excellent agreement with our previous work on carbon nanotube–polymer composites and suggest that the presence of intermolecular interactions between the copolymer matrix and nanofibers are responsible for the observed property enhancement. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3053–3061, 2006
Analysis of novel angiotensin‐I‐converting enzyme inhibitory peptides from protease‐hydrolyzed marine shrimp Acetes chinensis
Authors: Hai‐Lun HE , Xiu‐Lan Chen , Cai‐Yun Sun , Yu‐Zhong Zhang , Bai‐Cheng Zhou 
Published: September 2006

AbstractAcetes chinensis is an underutilized shrimp species thriving in the Bo Hai Gulf of China. In a previous study, we had used the protease from Bacillus sp. SM98011 to digest this kind of shrimp and found that the oligopeptide‐enriched hydrolysate possessed antioxidant activity and high angiotensin I‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 0.97 mg/ml. In this paper, by ultrafiltration, gel permeation chromatography and reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (RP‐HPLC), five peptides with high ACE inhibitory activity were purified from the shrimp hydrolysates and their sequences were identified by amino acid composition analysis and molecular weight (MW) analysis. Three of them, FCVLRP (a), IFVPAF (f) and KPPETV (j), were novel ACE inhibitory peptides. Their IC50 values were 12.3 µM, 3.4 µM and 24.1 µM, respectively, and their recoveries were 30 mg/100 g (solid basis of shrimp), 19 mg/100 g and 33 mg/100 g, respectively. Lineweaver‐Burk plots for the three novel peptides showed that they are all competitive inhibitors. To test the ACE inhibitory activity of peptide a, f, j after they were digested by digestive enzymes in vivo, 12 derived peptides from FCVLRP and IFVPAF were synthesized based on their amino acid sequences and the cleavage sites of digestive enzymes. No digestive enzyme cleavage site was found in KPPETV. The IC50 values of the derived peptides were determined and the result showed that except for VPAF, FC and FCVL, the ACE inhibitory activity of the other nine derived peptides did not significantly change when compared with their original peptides. Surprisingly, five peptides had lower IC50 values than their original peptides, particularly for RP (IC50 value = 0.39 µM), which is about 30 times lower than its original peptide and almost the lowest IC50 value for ACE inhibitory peptides reported. Therefore, the novel peptides identified from A. chinensis hydrolysates probably still maintain a high ACE inhibitory activity even if they are digested in vivo. This is the first report about novel ACE inhibitory peptides from hydrolysates of marine shrimp A. chinensis. The novel peptides from hydrolysate of A. chinensis and some of their derived peptides with high ACE inhibitory activity probably have potential in the treatment of hypertension or in clinical nutrition. Copyright © 2006 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determination of glyoxylyl‐peptide concentration using oxime chemistry and RP‐HPLC analysis
Authors: Garcia Jean‐Michel , Far Samia , Diesis Eric , Melnyk Oleg 
Published: September 2006

AbstractGlyoxylyl‐peptides are useful peptide derivatives in the context of hydrazone, oxime or thiazolidine ligations. We describe a method for the determination of glyoxylyl‐peptide concentration based on the reaction of the α‐oxo aldehyde group with an excess of O‐benzylhydroxylamine. The amount of O‐benzylhydroxylamine necessary to convert the α‐oxo aldehyde group into the corresponding O‐benzyloxime was determined by RP‐HPLC analysis and corresponded to the quantity of glyoxylyl‐peptide used in the experiment. The method is rapid, sensitive, accurate and allows the automated analysis of several samples. Copyright © 2006 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Randomly coloring sparse random graphs with fewer colors than the maximum degree
Authors: Dyer Martin , Flaxman Abraham D. , Frieze Alan M. , Vigoda Eric 
Published: September 2006

AbstractWe analyze Markov chains for generating a randomk‐coloring of a random graphGn,d/n. When the average degreedis constant, a random graph has maximum degreeΘ(logn/log logn), with high probability. We show that, with high probability, an efficient procedure can generate an almost uniformly randomk‐coloring whenk=Θ(log logn/log log logn), i.e., with many fewer colors than the maximum degree. Previous results hold for a more general class of graphs, but always require more colors than the maximum degree. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2006
Concentration for self‐bounding functions and an inequality of Talagrand
Authors: McDiarmid Colin , Reed Bruce 
Published: September 2006

AbstractWe see that the entropy method yields strong concentration results for general self‐bounding functions of independent random variables. These give an improvement of a concentration result of Talagrand much used in discrete mathematics. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2006
Using Biological Inspiration to Engineer Functional Nanostructured Materials
Authors: Wendell David W. , Patti Jordan , Montemagno Carlo D. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractHumans have always looked to nature for design inspiration, and material design on the molecular level is no different. Here we explore how this idea applies to nanoscale biomimicry, specifically examining both recent advances and our own work on engineering lipid and polymer membrane systems with cellular processes.
System dynamics and organizational interventions
Authors: Rouwette Etiënne A. J. A. , Vennix Jac A. M. 
Published: September 2006

AbstractSystem dynamics models of organizational problems have been constructed since the 1950s. In the second half of the 1970s publications began appearing on explicit procedures to involve clients in the process of model construction. After about 30 years of applying and researching participative modelling approaches, it is useful to consider the extent to which these procedures have matured into a full‐blown methodology. Does client involvement in system dynamics modelling yield repeatable results? Is the procedure adequately codified, or does its success depend on the experience and skills of the practitioner? Participative modelling is often associated with beneficial process results, such as consensus and participants' commitment to results. What evidence do we have that these ‘soft’ results actually materialize? Which conditions (types of interventions and client or problem characteristics) are especially favourable to these outcomes? The paper discusses these questions and closes with a set of topics relevant for further development of participative modelling and alternative strategies to study these topics. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Second‐order intervention: enhancing organizational competence and performance
Authors: Schwaninger Markus , Janovjak Matej , Ambroz Kristjan 
Published: September 2006

AbstractWhile most managerial interventions into organizational and business processes have the character of a direct interference, the interventions of consultants are rather indirect. They are meant to improve the organization and its performance, via a dialogue with the management. To clarify the specific role of consultants we shall introduce the concept of second‐order intervention, therewith sharpening or, in a certain sense, redefining that role. We shall revert to a case study, which refers to a System Dynamics (SD) modelling and simulation project, to illustrate how a series of second‐order interventions has opened new paths towards superior organizational competence and performance. This was an exploratory study, in the tradition of Action Research, not a hypothesis‐testing venture. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.