bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vasoactive intestinal peptide and nitric oxide promote survival of adult rat myenteric neurons in culture
Authors: Sandgren Katarina , Lin Zhong , Svenningsen Åsa Fex , Ekblad Eva 
Published: May 2003

AbstractSeveral motility disorders originate in the enteric nervous system (ENS). Our knowledge of factors governing survival of the ENS is poor. Changes in the expression of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in enteric neurons occur after neuronal injury and in intestinal adaptation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether VIP and nitric oxide (NO) influence survival of cultured, dissociated myenteric neurons. Neuronal survival was evaluated after 0, 4, and 8 days in culture. Influence of VIP and NO on neuronal survival was examined after culturing in the presence of VIP, NO donor, VIP antiserum, or NOS inhibitor. A marked loss of neurons was noted during culturing. VIP and NO significantly promoted neuronal survival. Corroborating this was the finding of an enhanced neuronal cell loss when cultures were grown in the presence of VIP antiserum or NOS inhibitor. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Changes in subcellular distribution of protocadherin gamma proteins accompany maturation of spinal neurons
Authors: Kallenbach Sacha , Khantane Sabrina , Carroll Patrick , Gayet Odile , Alonso Serge , Henderson Christopher E. , Dudley Keith 
Published: May 2003

AbstractProtocadherins gamma (Pcdhγ) are a family of transmembrane proteins in which variable extracellular domains are associated with an invariant cytoplasmic domain, potentially allowing these proteins to trigger common cellular responses through diverse extracellular signals. We studied the expression of the family by in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry for the conserved portion of the mRNA or protein. During mouse development, Pcdhγ expression is highest in neural tissues, but is also present in some nonneural tissues. In the adult, Pcdhγ expression is maintained at high levels in brain, in particular in hippocampus and in the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, whereas it is downregulated in spinal cord. Using antibodies against the conserved cytoplasmic domain, we show that in cultured embryonic spinal cord neurons, Pcdhγ protein is present initially in both axonal and dendritic growth cones. At later stages of differentiation in vitro, Pcdhγ distribution becomes polarised to the somatodendritic compartment. We propose that members of the Pcdhγ family may play roles in neuronal growth and maturation. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Altered CTX‐catalyzed and endogenous [32P]ADP‐ribosylation of stimulatory G protein αs isoforms in postmortem bipolar affective disorder temporal cortex
Authors: Andreopoulos Stavroula , Li Peter P. , Siu Kin Po , Kish Stephen J. , Warsh Jerry J. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractReports of elevated Gs α subunit (αs) immunolabeling and cAMP‐mediated hyper‐functionality in autopsied cerebral cortical brain regions from bipolar affective disorder (BD) patients suggest signal transduction abnormalities occur in this disorder. Because covalent modification of αs can affect its turnover and levels, we determined whether CTX‐catalyzed and endogenous [32P] adenosine diphosphate (ADP)‐ribosylation of αs isoforms are altered in temporal and occipital cortical regions, which show elevated αs levels in BD as compared to nonpsychiatric subjects. Reduced CTX‐catalyzed [32P]ADP‐ribosylated αs‐S and endogenous [32P]ADP‐ribosylation of a 39‐kDa αs‐like protein were found in BD temporal cortex compared to controls. These findings suggest that clearance of these αs isoforms through ADP‐ribosylation may be decreased in BD temporal cortex. Although no differences were observed in mean levels of endogenous and CTX‐catalyzed [32P]ADP‐ribosylation of αs‐L in BD temporal cortex, αs‐L immunolabeling was elevated significantly and correlated inversely with the degree of endogenous [32P]ADP‐ribosylation of this subunit. In addition, endogenous [32P]ADP‐ribosylation of an exogenous substrate, myelin basic protein, was similar in BD and comparison subject temporal cortex. Taken together, these observations suggest that elevations of αs in BD brain are more likely related to factors affecting the disposition or availability of αs to this posttranslational enzymatic modification. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
FM signal multipath reduction using multiplier‐less digital adaptive filters
Authors: El‐Eraki S. M. , Batchelor J. C. , Lee P. , Langley R. J. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractMultipath interference can be removed from constant envelope signals using adaptive channel equalization based on the constant modulus algorithm (CMA). To be useful in a vehicular mobile radio system, adaptation must occur rapidly by using uncomplicated and cost‐effective hardware. This paper will present a new multiplier‐less filter structure based on logarithmic algebra with anticipated savings in computational complexity. This paper will discuss the filter application for analogue FM multipath reduction. The simulated distortion is observed to be consistent with that of published measurements. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 38: 1–3, 2003
A dual‐frequency dielectric resonator antenna
Authors: Nannini C. , Ribero J. M. , Dauvignac J. Y. , Pichot Ch. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractA dual‐frequency cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna is presented. This paper proposes a configuration in which the shape and volume of the radiating structure remain unchanged. The behaviour of this antenna after altering some of its attributes is investigated. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 38: 9–10, 2003
Applications of transformed‐space non‐uniform PSTD (TSNU‐PSTD) in scattering analysis without the use of the non‐uniform FFT
Authors: Liu Xiaoping , Chen Yinchao 
Published: May 2003

AbstractIn this work, we extend the transformed‐space, non‐uniform pseudo‐spectral time domain (TSNU‐PSTD) Maxwell solver for a 2D scattering analysis. Prior to implementing the PSTD in this analysis, we first transform the non‐uniform grids {xi} and {yj} sampled in the real space for describing complex geometries to uniform ones {ui} and {vj}, in order to fit the dimensions of practical structures and utilize the standard fast Fourier transform (FFT). Next, we use a uniform‐sampled, standard FFT to represent spatial derivatives in the space domain of (u, v). It is found that this scheme is as efficient as the conventional uniform PSTD with the computational complexity of O(N log N), since the difference is only the factors of du/dx and dv/dy between the conventional PSTD and the TSNU‐PSTD technique. Additionally, we apply an anisotropic version of the Berenger's perfectly matched layers (APML) to suppress the wraparound effect at the open boundaries of the computational domain, which is caused by the periodicity of the FFT. We also employ the pure scattered‐field formulation and develop a near‐to‐far‐zone field transformation in order to calculate scattered far fields. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 38: 16–21, 2003
A feeding scheme for enhancing the impedance bandwidth of a suspended plate antenna
Authors: Ning Chen Zhi , Chia M. Y. W. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractThis paper presents a new feeding structure for increasing the impedance bandwidth of a suspended plate antenna. A vertical probe‐fed conducting sheet is used to feed the radiating plate instead of a thin probe. The measurements of the impedance and radiation characteristics of the proposed suspended plate antenna are carried out. A 2:1 VSWR impedance bandwidth of 60% is achieved. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 38: 21–25, 2003
A fast analysis of electromagnetic scattering by arbitrarily shaped homogeneous dielectric objects
Authors: Nie Xiao Chun , Li Le Wei , Yuan Ning , Yeo Tat Soon , Gan Yeow Beng 
Published: May 2003

AbstractIn this paper, we present a fast analysis of electromagnetic scattering by arbitrarily shaped 3D homogeneous dielectric objects. The solution is based on the PMCHW integral equation formulation. The method of moments (MoM) is used to solve the integral equations and the precorrected fast Fourier transform (P‐FFT) method is used to eliminate the need to generate and store the square impedance matrix and to speed up the matrix–vector product. Several numerical examples are included, which illustrate the accuracy and capability of the present method. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 38: 30–35, 2003
Dual‐band planar inverted‐F antenna
Authors: Villeger S. , Le Thuc P. , Staraj R. , Kossiavas G. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractA new kind of planar inverted F antenna (PIFA) is presented. To reduce the size of the structure, the resonator has been curled under itself. A capacitive load is added to decrease the frequencies of higher resonances. The result is the achievement of a dual‐band antenna. Theoretical results are computed by the software design package IE3D. The effects of various physical parameters are presented and discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 38: 40–42, 2003
A dual‐band rectangular patch antenna stacked with parasitic gridded patch
Authors: Row Jeen‐Sheen , Ai Ching‐Yuan 
Published: May 2003

AbstractThis paper describes a new aperture‐coupled microstrip patch antenna with H‐shaped slots for dual‐band and dual‐polarized operations. Two orthogonal modes are excited in a single long rectangular patch to achieve the two resonant frequencies with a separation of more than 2:1. By using five parasitic conducting strips stacked on the driven patch, the impedance bandwidths can be increased and isolation of more than 34 dB between the two ports is obtained. Moreover, the cross‐polarization levels for the two polarizations are found to be better than 25 dB. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 38: 44–46, 2003
Efficient analysis of integrated optical circuits by the spectral index method
Authors: Greedy S. , Sewell P. , Vukovic A. , Benson T. M. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractThe ability to optimise the performance of today's opto‐electronic circuits over a range of operational parameters and fabrication tolerances is foremost in the designer's mind. The ability to investigate the effects of tolerancing and integration upon device performance over a range of wavelengths is highly desirable for their successful exploitation. The spectral index (SI) method is a well‐established method traditionally used for the analysis of the modal properties of semiconductor rib waveguides. In this paper the efficiency and accuracy of the SI method is exploited for the first time in a scattering‐matrix approach to the analysis of complex integrated optical circuits. The SI approach yields highly accurate results with minimal computational effort. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 38: 68–73, 2003
Centre‐specific ultrasound nuchal translucency medians needed for Down syndrome screening
Authors: Logghe H. , Cuckle H. , Sehmi I. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractNuchal translucency (NT) measurements were compared between 13 centres participating in a multi‐marker Down syndrome screening program. Results from 4765 women were analysed, and there were highly statistically significant between‐centre differences after allowing for gestation (P < 0.0001). Examination of maternal serum marker levels, expressed in multiples of the median (MoM) for gestation, showed that this was not due to gestational errors. Regression analysis was carried out to derive an equation with a centre‐specific component that could be used to express NT in MoMs. Use of this equation reduced the variance of logNT by 15% compared to a published equation. The equation can be readily modified for use in other centres. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prenatal detection of fetal hemoglobin E gene from maternal plasma
Authors: Fucharoen Goonnapa , Tungwiwat Warunee , Ratanasiri Thawalwong , Sanchaisuriya Kanokwan , Fucharoen Supan 
Published: May 2003

AbstractIn order to provide a noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of the hemoglobin E (Hb E) related disorder, we have evaluated the possibility of identifying the fetal βE‐globin gene in maternal plasma. The analysis was performed during 8 to 18 weeks of gestation using DNA extracted from 200 µL of plasma from pregnant women whose husbands carried Hb E. The βE‐globin mutation in maternal plasma was detected by a nested PCR amplification followed by the Mnl I restriction analysis. The result was compared with that of routine analysis of the CVS specimens. Among the five pregnant women examined, the fetal βE‐globin gene was identified in maternal plasma in three of them and the result was completely concordant with the conventional CVS analysis. This simple noninvasive prenatal detection of the fetal βE‐globin gene should prove useful in a prevention and control program of Hb E/β‐thalassemia in countries where the βE‐globin gene is prevalent. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chaotic and periodic analysis of fetal magnetocardiogram recordings in growth restriction
Authors: Anastasiadis P. G. , Kotini A. , Anninos P. , Adamopoulos A. , Sigalas J. , Koutlaki N. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractObjectiveWe studied how chaotic and periodic heart rate dynamics differ between normal fetuses (n = 19) and intrauterine growth restricted fetuses (n = 11) at 34 to 37 weeks of gestation. We quantified the chaotic dynamics of each heart rate time series obtained by fetal magnetocardiography (FMCG) using correlation dimension.MethodsThe FMCG was recorded digitally by a single‐channel biomagnetometer in an electrically shielded room of low magnetic noise. The position of the fetal heart was determined using ultrasonography.ResultsThe correlation dimension was significantly lower in IUGR than in normal fetuses (p < 0.001, t‐test). The periodic dynamics were also obtained by FMCG and measured by power spectrum. The low‐frequency components and therefore the periodicity of the low‐frequency range were significantly higher in IUGR than in normal fetuses (p < 0.001, t‐test).ConclusionsThe analysis of FMCG recordings may offer important perspectives to understand significant features of the heart function of the fetuses. This technique improves the recognition of IUGR fetuses over healthy ones and may help improve perinatal morbidity and mortality. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mechanical properties and characterization of slowly cooled isotactic polypropylene/high‐density polyethylene blends
Authors: Finlay J. , Hill M. J. , Barham P. J. , Byrne K. , Woogara A. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractIn previous studies, we found that Young's moduli of quenched isotactic polypropylene/high‐density polyethylene (iPP/HDPE) exceeded the upper bound, calculated from the Voigt model, with the moduli of the quenched homopolymers as those of the two components. We suggested that this might be due to crystallization, as the components crystallized at higher temperatures in the blend than on their own. We repeated the same set of measurements, this time on iPP/HDPE blends that were cooled slowly. We also examined crystallization at various rates of cooling with differential scanning calorimetry. At slow cooling rates, the HDPE and iPP components in the blends crystallize at lower temperatures than in the pure homopolymers, suggesting that the presence of one component inhibits rather than promotes the crystallization of the other. Electron microscopy of slowly cooled blends revealed very different interfacial morphologies depending on whether the HDPE or the iPP crystallizes first. Young's moduli of most of the blends lie on the upper bound; however, some blends with co‐continuous morphologies fall well below the lower bound. The mechanical properties are discussed in terms of the interfacial morphology, the crystallization behavior, and the large‐scale phase separation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1384–1392, 2003
Anisotropic friction model of DNA electrophoresis in polymer solutions: Comparison with direct observations
Authors: Noguchi Hiroshi , Ueda Masanori , Baba Yoshinobu , Takasu Masako 
Published: May 2003

AbstractThe electrophoresis of DNA chains in uncrosslinked polymer solutions with a Brownian dynamics simulation with an anisotropic friction tensor was analyzed. According to the degree of anisotropy, three types of migration behavior are obtained: fluctuation without or with periodicity between U‐shaped and compact conformations, or migration with linear conformation. We found good agreement between our simulation results and the direct observations of DNA by fluorescence microscopy. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1316–1322, 2003
Small‐angle X‐ray scattering study of a weak polyelectrolyte in water
Authors: Taylor Timothy J. , Stivala Salvatore S. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractSmall‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) was used to obtain solution parameters of a weak polyelectrolyte in water in the absence of any additives, such as neutralizing agents or salt. Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) was used as a weak polyelectrolyte from which SAXS data were obtained in the dilute region of 1–10 mg cm−3. An intrinsic viscosity of 15.7 dL g−1was obtained from a plot of reciprocal reduced viscosities versus the concentration. The application of the SAXS data, that is, the contour length (L= 1.97 × 104Å), the persistence length (a* = 58.5 Å), and the molecular weight (M= 5.9 × 105Da), to the Yamakawa–Fujii equation suggested that PAA in water at 25 °C could be described as a wormlike chain having a cylindrical body ofd= 6 Å. An end‐to‐end distance (r= 1.6 × 103Å) was calculated fromr= 2a*L− 2(a*)2. The nonisotropic expansion factor (α = 2.9) was calculated for PAA expanding from the random coil in dioxane at 30 °C (Θ temperature) to the wormlike chain in water at 25 °C. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1263–1272, 2003
Molecular characterization of a hyperbranched polyester. II. Small‐angle neutron scattering
Authors: De Luca Edoardo , Richards Randal W. , Grillo I. , King S. M. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractA series of fractions of a hyperbranched polyester in deutero tetrahydrofuran solution were investigated by small‐angle neutron scattering. Concentrations of polymer from 2 to 5% w/v were used, and the molecular parameters were obtained from Zimm plots of the data. Second virial coefficients were positive, and these values were confirmed by dilute‐solution light scattering on a small number of fractions with deutero tetrahydrofuran as a solvent. The small‐angle neutron scattering data exhibited the general features predicted for the particle scattering functions of nonrandomly branched polymers, but an exact fit of the theoretical equation to the data could not be obtained for all fractions of the hyperbranched polymer, particularly those of high molecular weight. Excluded volume effects were cited as a possible cause for this disagreement. A fractal dimension of ∼2.5 was obtained from the scattering vector dependence of the differential scattering cross section of the polymer in deutero tetrahydrofuran solution, which agreed with the scaling exponent for the dependence of the radius of gyration on weight‐average molecular weight. Hydrogenous tetrahydrofuran solutions of the hyperbranched polymer exhibited negative second virial coefficients that were attributed to isotopic influences on the thermodynamic properties of the polymer–solvent combination. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1352–1361, 2003
Miscibility of polysulfone blends with poly(1‐vinylpyrrolidone‐co‐styrene) copolymers and their interaction energies
Authors: Kim J. H. , Kim Y. , Kim C. K. , Lee J. W. , Seo S. B. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractThe miscibility of polysulfone (PSf) with various hydrophilic copolymers was explored. Among these blends, PSf gave homogeneous mixtures with poly(1‐vinylpyrrolidone‐co‐styrene) [P(VP–S)] copolymers when these copolymers contained 68–88 wt % 1‐vinylpyrrolidone (VP). Miscible PSf blends with P(VP–S) copolymers underwent phase separation on heating caused by lower critical solution temperature (LCST)‐type phase behavior. The phase behavior depended on the copolymer composition. Changes in the VP content of P(VP–S) copolymers from 65 to 68 wt % shifted the phase behavior from immiscibility to miscibility and the LCST behavior. The phase‐separation temperatures of the miscible blends first increased gradually with the VP content, then went through a broad maximum centered at about 80 wt % VP, and finally decreased just before the limiting content of VP for miscibility with PSf. The interaction energies of binary pairs involved in PSf/P(VP–S) blends were evaluated from the phase‐separation temperatures of PSf/P(VP–S) blends with lattice‐fluid theory combined with a binary interaction model. The decrease in the contact angle between water and the membrane surface with increasing VP content in P(VP–S) copolymers indicated that the hydrophobic properties of PSf could be improved via blending with hydrophilic P(VP–S) copolymers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1401–1411, 2003
Doctors and their patients: A context for understanding the wish to hasten death
Authors: Kelly Brian , Burnett Paul , Badger Shirlene , Pelusi Dan , Varghese Francis T. , Robertson Marguerite 
Published: May 2003

AbstractThere is a paucity of research that has directly examined the role of the health professional in dealing with a terminally ill patient's wish to hasten death (WTHD) and the implications of this for the support and services needed in the care for a dying patient. Themes to emerge from a qualitative analysis of interviews conducted on doctors (n=24) involved in the treatment and care of terminally ill patients were (i) the doctors' experiences in caring for their patients (including themes of emotional demands/expectations, the duration of illness, and the availability of palliative care services); (ii) the doctors' perception of the care provided to their respective patients (comprising themes concerning satisfaction with the care for physical symptoms, for emotional symptoms, or overall care); (iii) the doctors' attitudes to euthanasia and (iv) the doctors' perception of their patients' views/beliefs regarding euthanasia and hastened death. When responses were categorised according to the patients' level of a WTHD, the theme concerning the prolonged nature of the patients' illnesses was prominent in the doctor group who had patients with the highest WTHD, whereas there was only a minority of responses concerning support from palliative care services and satisfaction with the level of emotional care in this group.This exploratory study presents a set of descriptive findings identifying themes among a small group of doctors who have been involved in the care of terminally ill cancer patients, to investigate factors that may be associated with the WTHD among these patients. The pattern of findings suggest that research investigating the doctor–patient interaction in this setting may add to our understanding of the problems (for patients and their doctors) that underpins the wish to hasten death in the terminally ill. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.