bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Implications of tissue transglutaminase expression in malignant melanoma
Authors: Fok Jansina Y. , Ekmekcioglu Suhendan , Mehta Kapil 
Published: July 2006

Abstract
Human malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive form of cancer; the 5-year survival rate in patients with stage III or IV disease is &lt;5%. In patients with metastatic melanoma, systemic therapy becomes ineffective because of the high resistance of melanoma cells to various anticancer therapies. We have found previously that development of the drug resistance and metastatic phenotypes in breast cancer cells is associated with increased tissue transglutaminase (TG2) expression. In the study reported here, we investigated TG2 expression and its implications in metastatic melanoma. We found that metastatic melanoma cell lines expressed levels of TG2 up to 24-fold higher than levels in radial growth phase of primary melanoma cell lines. Activation of endogenous TG2 by the calcium ionophore A23187 induced a rapid and strong apoptotic response in A375 cells and A23187-induced apoptosis could be blocked by TG2-specific inhibitors. These findings indicated that activation of endogenous TG2 could serve as a strategy for inducing apoptosis in malignant melanomas. Importantly, tumor samples from patients with malignant melanomas showed strong expression of TG2, suggesting that TG2 expression is selectively up-regulated during advanced developmental stages of melanoma. We observed that 20% to 30% of TG2 protein was present on cell membranes in association with β1 and β5 integrins. This association of TG2 with cell surface integrins promoted strong attachment of A375 cells to fibronectin-coated surfaces, resulting in increased cell survival in serum-free medium. Inhibition of TG2 by small interfering RNA inhibited fibronectin-mediated cell attachment and cell survival functions in A375 cells. Overall, our results suggest that TG2 expression contributes to the development of chemoresistance in malignant melanoma cells by exploiting integrin-mediated cell survival signaling pathways. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(6):1493–503]
Chemotherapy and chemosensitization of non–small cell lung cancer with a novel immunomodulatory oligonucleotide targeting Toll-like receptor 9
Authors: Wang Hui , Rayburn Elizabeth R. , Wang Wei , Kandimalla Ekambar R. , Agrawal Sudhir , Zhang Ruiwen 
Published: July 2006

Abstract
Lung cancer is a leading cause of death world-wide and the long-term survival rate for lung cancer patients is one of the lowest for any cancer. New therapies are urgently needed. The present study was designed to evaluate an immunomodulatory oligonucleotide as a novel type of therapy for lung cancer. The in vivo effects of the immunomodulatory oligonucleotides were determined in four tumor models derived from human non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines (A549, H1299, H358, and H520), administered alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic agents used to treat lung cancer. The in vitro effects of the immunomodulatory oligonucleotide on the growth, apoptosis, and proliferation of NSCLC cells were also determined. We also examined NSCLC cells for expression of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), the receptor for the immunomodulatory oligonucleotide. We showed several important findings: (a) treatment with the immunomodulatory oligonucleotide led to potent antitumor effects, inhibiting tumor growth by at least 60% in all four in vivo models; (b) combination with the immunomodulatory oligonucleotide led to enhanced effects following treatment with gemcitabine or Alimta; (c) the immunomodulatory oligonucleotide increased apoptosis, decreased proliferation, and decreased survival in A549 cells in vitro; and (d) both TLR9 mRNA and protein were expressed in NSCLC cells. The immunomodulatory oligonucleotide has potent antitumor effects as monotherapy and in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic agents, and may act directly on NSCLC cells via TLR9. The present study provides a rationale for developing the immunomodulatory oligonucleotide for lung cancer therapy. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(6):1585–92]
A Bayesian Assessment of Climate Change Using Multimodel Ensembles. Part I: Global Mean Surface Temperature
Authors: Min Seung-Ki , Hense Andreas 
Published: July 2006

Abstract
A Bayesian approach is applied to the observed global surface air temperature (SAT) changes using multimodel ensembles (MMEs) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) simulations and single-model ensembles (SMEs) with the ECHO-G coupled climate model. A Bayesian decision method is used as a tool for classifying observations into given scenarios (or hypotheses). The prior probability of the scenarios, which represents a degree of subjective belief in the scenarios, is changed into the posterior probability through the likelihood where observations enter, and the posterior is used as a decision function. In the identical prior case the Bayes factor (or likelihood ratio) becomes a decision function and provides observational evidence for each scenario against a predefined reference scenario. Four scenarios are used to explain observed SAT changes: “CTL” (control or no change), “Nat” (natural forcing induced change), “GHG” (greenhouse gas–induced change), and “All” (natural plus anthropogenic forcing–induced change). Observed and simulated global mean SATs are decomposed into temporal components of overall mean, linear trend, and decadal variabilities through Legendre series expansions, coefficients of which are used as detection variables. Parameters (means and covariance matrices) needed to define the four scenarios are estimated from SMEs or MMEs. Taking the CTL scenario as reference one, application results for global mean SAT changes for the whole twentieth century (1900–99) show “decisive” evidence (logarithm of Bayes factor &gt;5) for the All scenario only. While “strong” evidence (log of Bayes factor &gt;2.5) for both the Nat and All scenarios are found in SAT changes for the first half (1900–49), there is decisive evidence for the All scenario for SAT changes in the second half (1950–99), supporting previous results. It is demonstrated that the Bayesian decision results for global mean SATs are largely insensitive to both intermodel uncertainties and prior probabilities.
Development of a 50-Year High-Resolution Global Dataset of Meteorological Forcings for Land Surface Modeling
Authors: Sheffield Justin , Goteti Gopi , Wood Eric F. 
Published: July 2006

Abstract
Understanding the variability of the terrestrial hydrologic cycle is central to determining the potential for extreme events and susceptibility to future change. In the absence of long-term, large-scale observations of the components of the hydrologic cycle, modeling can provide consistent fields of land surface fluxes and states. This paper describes the creation of a global, 50-yr, 3-hourly, 1.0° dataset of meteorological forcings that can be used to drive models of land surface hydrology. The dataset is constructed by combining a suite of global observation-based datasets with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) reanalysis. Known biases in the reanalysis precipitation and near-surface meteorology have been shown to exert an erroneous effect on modeled land surface water and energy budgets and are thus corrected using observation-based datasets of precipitation, air temperature, and radiation. Corrections are also made to the rain day statistics of the reanalysis precipitation, which have been found to exhibit a spurious wavelike pattern in high-latitude wintertime. Wind-induced undercatch of solid precipitation is removed using the results from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Solid Precipitation Measurement Intercomparison. Precipitation is disaggregated in space to 1.0° by statistical downscaling using relationships developed with the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) daily product. Disaggregation in time from daily to 3 hourly is accomplished similarly, using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3-hourly real-time dataset. Other meteorological variables (downward short- and longwave radiation, specific humidity, surface air pressure, and wind speed) are downscaled in space while accounting for changes in elevation. The dataset is evaluated against the bias-corrected forcing dataset of the second Global Soil Wetness Project (GSWP2). The final product provides a long-term, globally consistent dataset of near-surface meteorological variables that can be used to drive models of the terrestrial hydrologic and ecological processes for the study of seasonal and interannual variability and for the evaluation of coupled models and other land surface prediction schemes.
Kinetic Studies on the Electron Transfer between Azide and Nickel(IV) Oxime Imine Complexes in Aqueous Solution
Authors: Bhattacharya Santanu , Banerjee Pradyot 
Published: June 2006

Abstract
In aqueous solution at 30 °C, azide is oxidized to N2 by [NiIV(L1)2]2+ and [NiIV(L2)]2+ (where HL1 = 6-amino-3-methyl-4-azahex-3-en-2-one oxime and H2L2 = 3,14-dimethyl-4,7,10,13-tetraazahexadeca-3,13-diene-2,15-dione dioxime). The reaction is of overall second order, first order in both [N3−] and [NiIV] and exhibits a strong dependence on [H+] of the medium. In the range 2.0 ≤ pH &lt; 6.0 for [NiIV(L1)2]2+ and 2.0 ≤ pH &lt; 4.5 for [NiIV(L2)]2+ single step two-electron transfer reactions are encountered, whereas a distinct biphasic process with initial faster step of NiIV → NiIII conversion followed by a second slower step of NiIII → NiII reduction was observed in the range 6.0 ≤ pH ≤ 8.0 and 4.50 ≤ pH ≤ 8.0 for the respective oxidants. The bell-shaped pH-rate profile for the reduction of Ni(IV) → Ni(III) step confirms the involvement of an ‘outside’ protonated Ni(IV)-complex as a kinetic intermediate. All the kinetic parameters have been evaluated and the mechanism of the reaction is discussed. Application of Marcus cross-reaction relations shows that the reaction of [NiIV(Lx)]2+ and N3− follows an outer-sphere mechanism, but the reduction of [NiIII(Lx)]+ may differ from this path.
New Synthesis of Isoquinoline and 3,4-Dihydroisoquinoline Derivatives
Authors: Kobayashi Kazuhiro , Shiokawa Taiyo , Omote Hiroki , Hashimoto Kenichi , Morikawa Osamu , Konishi Hisatoshi 
Published: July 2006

Abstract
A simple and efficient synthesis of isoquinoline and 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline derivatives is described. 1-Alkyl(or aryl)isoquinoline and 1-isoquinolinamine derivatives were obtained by intramolecular cyclization of 2-(2-methoxyethenyl)benzonitriles initiated by the addition of alkyl(or aryl)lithiums and lithium dialkylamides to the nitrile carbons, respectively. Synthesis of 4-aryl-3,4-dihydroisoquinolines was achieved by reactions of 2-(1-arylethenyl)benzonitriles with organolithiums, followed by aqueous workup. Treatment of the reaction mixtures with electrophiles prior to aqueous workup allowed the synthesis of 4,4-disubstituted 3,4-dihydroisoquinolines.
Hydrological evaluation of high‐resolution precipitation forecasts of the Gard flash‐flood event (8–9 September 2002)
Authors: Chancibault K. , Anquetin S. , Ducrocq V. , Saulnier G.‐M. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractOn 8 and 9 September 2002, an extreme flash‐flood event occurred over south‐eastern France. This event was simulated with the non‐hydrostatic mesoscale model Meso‐NH. Several experiments were performed, differing in their initial conditions. A first experiment used the 4D‐Var large‐scale French operational analysis, as initial state. For the second experiment, the initial state was provided by a mesoscale initialization using surface observations, radar and satellite data. Finally, in the last experiment, only the mesoscale analysis of surface observations was used as initial state. The aim of this study is to assess the validity of the high‐resolution simulations for hydrological purposes. Then simulated and observed mean areal rainfall depth, over nine watersheds with surface areas ranging from 200 to 2200 km2, were compared. This comparison highlighted the contribution of both initialization procedures to a better location of the mesoscale convective system and to larger amounts of rain, during the first ten hours of simulation. Also, a hydrological model was used to compare stream flows: the simulated and observed rainfall fields were used as input data to a single‐event TOPMODEL version. The comparison of the hydrological responses shows that the mesoscale initialization leads to higher peak flows and more realistic flood timing than with the simulation starting from large‐scale analysis. The full initialization allowed a simulation of peak flows higher than the ones obtained with the mesoscale surface‐observation initialization. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society.
Probabilistic forecasting from ensemble prediction systems: Improving upon the best‐member method by using a different weight and dressing kernel for each member
Authors: Fortin Vincent , Favre Anne‐catherine , Saïd Mériem 
Published: June 2006

AbstractEnsembles of meteorological forecasts can both provide more accurate long‐term forecasts and help assess the uncertainty of these forecasts. No single method has however emerged to obtain large numbers of equiprobable scenarios from such ensembles. A simple resampling scheme, the ‘best member’ method, has recently been proposed to this effect: individual members of an ensemble are ‘dressed’ with error patterns drawn from a database of past errors made by the ‘best’ member of the ensemble at each time step. It has been shown that the best‐member method can lead to both underdispersive and overdispersive ensembles. The error patterns can be rescaled so as to obtain ensembles which display the desired variance. However, this approach fails in cases where the undressed ensemble members are already overdispersive. Furthermore, we show in this paper that it can also lead to an overestimation of the probability of extreme events. We propose to overcome both difficulties by dressing and weighting each member differently, using a different error distribution for each order statistic of the ensemble. We show on a synthetic example and using an operational ensemble prediction system that this new method leads to improved probabilistic forecasts, when the undressed ensemble members are both underdispersive and overdispersive. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society.
Asset Replacement Principles
Authors: Perrin R. K. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractUsing a general model of asset replacement, a replacement principle is derived which applies to both appreciating assets such as forests and depreciating assets such as equipment. The resulting replacement criterion provides a definition of opportunity costs appropriate for the replacement decision. The theory is presented graphically for the continuous time case, and two discrete‐time examples are considered. Theoretical implications of changing discount rates and market forces are considered as they affect replacement policies.
A General Model for Evaluating Agricultural Flood Plains
Authors: Lacewell Ronald D. , Eidman Vernon R. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractAn important part of agricultural flood plain development is providing flood protection. However, planning procedures have been criticized for (1) considering only flood protection methods as means of coping with flood losses, (2) developing inequitable land owner assessments following installation of a protection project, and (3) inadequately anticipating land use adjustments and their effect on project benefits. The model discussed in this paper can be used to estimate the incidence of agricultural flood damages and avoid the above criticisms. The model can be used to evaluate alternative protection plans, estimate flood insurance premiums, equitably allocate assessments, and select improved land use patterns.
Real Property Taxes and Farm Real Estate Values: Incidence and Implications
Authors: Pasour E. C. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThe relationship between reductions in real property taxes and farm real estate values is investigated. Average per acre value of farm real estate in North Carolina is regressed on the tax rate and other variables relating to farm size, land productivity, urban influence, and recreational demand. The results indicate that property tax reductions for farm real estate are largely capitalized into higher real estate values. The effect of a given decrease in tax rate for owners of farm real estate is contrasted with a similar decrease for owners of residential real estate.
Allocation of Scarce Resources to Agricultural Research: Review of Methodology
Authors: Shumway C. Richard 
Published: July 2006

AbstractWith an increasing stress on research budgets, the impetus for investigation of alternative models for managing research is growing. Much work has been invested already in technique development. To precede additional research, the current state‐of‐the‐art in resource allocation methodology pertinent to agricultural research management is presented. The focus is on quantitative approaches for improving internal consistency of subjective judgments. The marginal principle is applicable to the selection of an optimal investment in management, and a rudimentary framework for implementing that principle is suggested.
Costs and Returns of Education in Five Agricultural Areas of Eastern Brazil
Authors: Patrick George F. , Kehrberg Earl W. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThis study tests the hypothesis that education has a major role in agricultural development by estimating costs and returns of schooling and extension in areas at various modernization levels. Public and private costs are estimated from secondary information and farm surveys. Value‐added and auxiliary equations, estimated from farm‐level data, are used to derive annual returns of education. Although based on weak statistical results, schooling returns are negative or low, but increase with modernization level. Extension returns are generally high for individuals, but cover social costs in only two geographic areas. This suggests education's role in development may be limited.
The Economics of Outer Continental Shelf Leasing
Authors: Kalter Robert J. , Stevens Thomas H. , Bloom Oren A. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractAn analytical framework of the Outer Continental Shelf lands petroleum investment and production decision process is developed and utilized to evaluate public resource leasing policy alternatives. The impacts of alternative lease systems upon rates of production, investment levels, total resource recovery, and government revenue are presented and discussed. Trade‐offs implicit in various leasing strategies and the geophysical‐institutional‐engineering‐economic interactions which must be accounted for in public resource management are pointed out. Possible modifications in the current institutional system are suggested.
A Cross‐Spectral Analysis of Beef Prices
Authors: Barksdale Hiram C. , Hilliard Jimmy E. , Ahlund Mikael C. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractChanges in retail beef prices lag price changes at other market levels. At the slaughter level, quantity lags prices by approximately nine months over the higher frequencies (short run), but price and quantity are out of phase over the lower frequencies (long run). Independent causality tests support the spectral interpretations.
Social Rates of Return and Other Aspects of Agricultural Research: The Case of Cotton Research in São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Ayer Harry W. , Schuh G. Edward 
Published: July 2006

AbstractEconomic impacts of investments in cotton seed research and development in São Paulo, Brazil, are estimated. The internal rate of return to Brazilian society is estimated to have been approximately 90 percent. The effect on export earnings was large, and consumers benefited via a decrease in the price and an increase in the quantity of cotton cloth. Of total net benefits producers captured about 60 percent and consumers 40 percent. Landowners and managers received the largest share of producer benefits. Laborers benefited through an increase in employment, but wage rates were not raised. Policy implications are given.
Welfare Implications of Stabilizing Consumption and Production
Authors: Subotnik Abraham , Houck James P. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractSome economists are now urging the use of buffer stocks to help stabilize farm and food prices. Moreover, price stabilization has been shown to be socially beneficial from a theoretical point of view. Our purpose is to analyze the welfare implications of stabilized consumption and production and to compare them with the known implications of stabilized prices. It is shown that stabilized consumption is the least beneficial in its welfare implications. The relation between the gains from stabilization and the size of buffer stocks necessary to achieve stabilization also is analyzed. Finally, the presentation is extended to cover instability due to fluctuations in export demand.
On Exact Multicollinearity and the Estimation of the Cobb‐Douglas Production Function
Authors: Doll John P. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThe assumptions of the economic model underlying the traditional Cobb‐Douglas production function analysis imply that exact multicollinearity should exist among the inputs. Restricted estimation procedures may lead to parameter estimates with additional economic content. Conventional methods of input aggregation and model specification may result in biased or misinterpreted estimates.
Combining Income and Wealth: An Analysis of Farm Family “Well‐Being”
Authors: Carlin Thomas A. , Reinsel Edward I. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractPersonal distribution of well‐being of farm families relative to all U. S. families is substantially improved when wealth is considered along with money income. The “live poor and die rich” paradox facing older farm families could often be overcome by providing an easier means whereby they could use up equity in family living.
Migration Analysis and Farm Number Projection Models: A Synthesis
Authors: MacMillan James A. , Tung F. L. , Tulloch John R. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractAlternative farm number projection models are examined for the Canadian Prairie Provinces including a synthesis of Markov transition probabilities and migration functions. The procedure indicates a potential for overcoming deficiencies of standard farm projection models. Explanatory variables include: off‐farm work, age of operators, capital, and regional economic structure.
Estimation of Flexibility Coefficients for Recursive Programming Models—Alternative Approaches
Authors: Sahi R. K. , Craddock W. J. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThis paper presents a critical evaluation of some methods commonly used in estimating flexibility coefficients for recursive programming models. It also suggests an alternative procedure for estimating coefficients that vary from year to year depending upon economic and noneconomic conditions. This method was found empirically superior to some previous approaches.
The Productivity and Allocation of Research: U.S. Agricultural Experiment Stations
Authors: Bredahl Maury , Peterson Willis 
Published: July 2006

AbstractIn this paper are presented estimates of the marginal products and internal rates of return to investment in agricultural research by commodity groups (cash grains, poultry, dairy, and livestock). The results are reported both in terms of national aggregates and on a state‐by‐state basis. Internal rates of return for the country as a whole range from 36% to 46%. At the state level the evidence suggests that the payoff to research is greatest for the commodities with the largest absolute value of output.