bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and physicochemical characteristics of a liver‐targeted conjugate of fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate with lactosaminated human albumin
Authors: Stefano Giuseppina Di , Tubaro Michela , Lanza Marcella , Boga Carla , Fiume Luigi , Traldi Pietro 
Published: November 2003

AbstractIn previous experiments fluorodeoxyuridine monophosphate (FUdRMP) was conjugated with lactosaminated human albumin (L‐HSA). Fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR) is an anticancer agent and L‐HSA is a hepatotropic carrier of drugs obtained by the covalent linkage of lactose residues to the albumin molecule. The conjugate was synthesised via the imidazolide of FUdRMP at alkaline pH. Peripheral venous administration of L‐HSA‐FUdRMP produced enhanced FUdR levels in hepatic blood and might accomplish a non‐invasive loco‐regional chemotherapy of liver micrometastases. In the present paper some physicochemical characteristics of L‐HSA‐FUdRMP are reported. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that the coupling reaction did not cause covalent aggregation of the L‐HSA molecules. 31P NMR spectra of the conjugate showed that FUdRMP was linked to L‐HSA by phosphoamide bonds to lysine and histidine residues, and the area of the peak due to the lysine bond represented more than 80% of the spectrum of L‐HSA‐FUdRMP. MALDI analysis revealed a partial degradation of the peptide backbone of the conjugate which could not be detected using other methods of analysis. The degradation was not caused by the coupling of lactose molecules to albumin, but rather a consequence of FUdRMP conjugation with L‐HSA. This fragmentation was dependent on the pH of the medium used for the FUdRMP coupling reaction. By decreasing the pH to 7.5, conjugates were obtained with a lower drug load but with a substantially reduced fragmentation, which should be preferred for a clinical use of L‐HSA‐FUdRMP. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structural identification of new glycolipids based on cyclodextrin using high‐resolution positive and negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Moutard Stephane , Djedaïni‐Pilard Florence , Meudal Sophie , Luijten Wim , Perly Bruno , Pilard Serge 
Published: November 2003

AbstractIn the continuing challenge to increase the performance of cyclodextrins (CDs) for various applications, new phospholipidyl‐cyclodextrin derivatives showing improved self‐organization properties in water have been synthesized, as new carriers for drug vectorization, starting from natural β‐cyclodextrin. Due to the important chemical modifications of the original cyclic oligosaccharide molecules, simple nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments do not easily lead to both an unambiguous assignment of the structures and to a rapid evaluation of the purity of the final products. However, positive and negative ion electrospray ionization (ESI‐MS) in combination with accurate mass measurements and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) led to the positive structural identification of the first series of these new amphiphilic compounds. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quadrupole mass filters with octopole fields
Authors: Ding Chuanfan , Konenkov N. V. , Douglas D. J. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractThe performance of quadrupole mass filters with added octopole fields in the range 2.0–4.0% has been investigated. The added fields are much greater than those normally added to conventional rod sets by mechanical tolerances or construction errors. Quadrupole rod sets with added octopole fields were constructed with round rods by making one pair of rods greater in diameter than the other pair. For positive ions, resolution at half height of only about 200 is possible if the negative direct current (dc) output of the quadrupole power supply is connected to the smaller rods. If the positive dc output of the quadrupole power supply is connected to the smaller rods, the resolution improves dramatically; a resolution at half height of 5800 has been observed with a rod set with 2.6% added octopole field. For negative ions the best resolution is obtained with the polarity of the dc reversed, i.e. with the negative dc applied to the smaller rods. These findings are unexpected in view of the literature that argues that to obtain high mass resolution with quadrupole mass filters, higher order multipoles must be kept as small as possible. Numerical simulations of peak shapes agree qualitatively with experiments. Simulation of the boundaries of the first stability region for positive ions shows that when the positive dc is applied to the smaller rods, the addition of a 2.0% octopole field causes the boundaries to shift slightly but the boundaries are well defined, and the tip of the stability region remains sharp. When the positive dc is applied to the larger rods, the boundaries of the stability region move out and become diffuse. For instruments that require a rod set that can be used both as a linear trap and a mass filter, these rod sets may offer improved trap performance while still being capable of providing conventional mass analysis. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterizing degradation products of peptides containing N‐terminal Cys residues by (off‐line high‐performance liquid chromatography)/matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight measurements
Authors: Krokhin Oleg V. , Ens Werner , Standing Kenneth G. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractA transformation analogous to the well‐known conversion of an N‐terminal glutamine residue to pyroglutamic acid is the cyclization of an N‐terminal carboxamidomethylated cysteine residue (the normal product of alkylation with iodoacetamide). This yields 5‐oxothiomorpholine‐3‐carboxylic acid, with the same 17 Da mass loss observed in the Gln reaction. Nineteen tryptic peptides with Cys at the N‐terminal were identified for this study, and compared with eight with N‐terminal Gln. When examined by MALDI‐QqTOF and (off‐line HPLC)/MALDI‐QqTOF measurements, these were all found to undergo the cyclization reactions. The average degree of degradation during overnight digestion was found to be ∼51 and ∼34% for Cys and Gln, respectively; more detailed information on the time course of the reactions was obtained for the peptides CCTESLVNR and QYYTVFDR. Taking this modification into account while sequencing is likely to increase the probability of protein identification by peptide mass fingerprinting, especially for cysteine‐rich proteins. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A high‐performance matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization orthogonal time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer with collisional cooling
Authors: Loboda A. V. , Ackloo S. , Chernushevich I. V. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractA high‐performance orthogonal time‐of‐flight (TOF) mass spectrometer was developed specifically for use in combination with a matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) source. The MALDI source features an ionization region containing a buffer gas with variable pressure. The source is interfaced to the TOF section via a collisional focusing ion guide. The pressure in the source influences the rate of cooling and allows control of ion fragmentation. The instrument provides uniform resolution up to 18 000 FWHM (full width at half maximun). Mass accuracy routinely achieved with a single‐point internal recalibration is below 2 ppm for protein digest samples. The instrument is also capable of recording spectra of samples containing compounds with a broad range of masses while using one set of experimental conditions and without compromising resolution or mass accuracy. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Metabolite profiling in rat urine by liquid chromatography/electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry. Application to the study of heavy metal toxicity
Authors: Lafaye Alexandra , Junot Christophe , Gall Béatrice Ramounet‐Le , Fritsch Paul , Tabet Jean‐Claude , Ezan Eric 
Published: November 2003

AbstractThis work reports the use of reverse‐phase liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ion trap (QIT) mass spectrometry for the analysis of the metabolome in rat urine. An injection of 20 μL of urine into the chromatographic system is followed by a slow gradient elution and mass spectrometric detection in the scanning mode from m/z 100–1000 in both positive and negative modes. Over a time scale of 90 min, 30 and 20 resolved peaks were observed in the positive and the negative modes, respectively, corresponding to the presence of a few hundred m/z ratios. By using a QIT analyzer, data‐dependent tandem mass spectrometry of selected m/z ratios identified several compounds in rat urine and characterized various chemical families, including carboxylic acids, amines, sulfated compounds, glucuronides and glycosides, by the observation of characteristic fragment ions or neutral losses. The method has been applied to the investigation of the chronic toxicity of heavy metals in rat urine. A few tens of m/z ratios, differing in intensity more than threefold from control values, were observed in both positive and negative modes. The time variations for some selected ions suggest that LC/ESI‐MS could allow selective characterization of biomarkers in response to specific toxic compounds. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Study on Preparation and Thickening Efficiency of an Inverse Emulsion of Anionic Starch‐graft‐Polyacrylamide
Authors: Lu Shaojie , Yao Kangde , Lin Songbai , Cao Deyong , Chen Yiping 
Published: November 2003

AbstractA series of graft copolymers of starch with polyacrylamide was made by using a K2S2O8 initiation system in inverse emulsion. The corresponding anionic graft copolymers, which have a different hydrolysis degree, are prepared by alkaline hydrolysis of the uncharged graft copolymers. Adequate hydrolytic conditions including type and amount of hydrolyzing agent, temperature, and time were studied. These graft copolymers have been tested for their temperature sensitivity, salt tolerance and shear stability, and a comparison has been made with ungrafted polyacrylamide (PAM). Experiments showed that a high hydrolysis degree can be obtained in a shorter time when NaOH and Na2CO3 were used together as hydrolyzing agents, and the highest solution viscosity was observed when the hydrolysis degree of the graft copolymers was approximately 30%, . In addition, the shear stability, temperature sensitivity and salt tolerance in the graft copolymers were also investigated.
Mechanism of acidic pH‐induced contraction in spontaneously hypertensive rat aorta: role of Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum
Authors: Rohra D. K. , Saito S.‐Y. , Ohizumi Y. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractAim:
This study was conducted to investigate the mechanism of acidic pH‐induced contraction (APIC) with regard to Ca2+ handling using isometric tension recording experiments.Results:  Decreasing extracellular pH from 7.4 to 6.5 produced a marked and sustained contraction of spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) aorta, that was 128.7 ± 2.0% of the 64.8 mm KCl‐induced contraction. Verapamil, an inhibitor of voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCC) significantly inhibited the APIC. In Ca2+‐deficient solution, sustained contraction induced by acidic pH was abolished completely, while a transient contraction was still observed suggesting the release of Ca2+ from intracellular site. Ryanodine (1 μm), a ryanodine receptor blocker, and 10 μm cyclopiazonic acid (CPA; a sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase inhibitor) abolished the transient contraction induced by acidosis. In normal Ca2+‐containing solution, ryanodine significantly decreased the rate of rise as well as maximum level of APIC. Interestingly, ryanodine and CPA showed an additive inhibitory effect with verapamil and the combined treatment of ryanodine or CPA with verapamil nearly abolished the APIC.Conclusions:  It is concluded that acidic pH induces Ca2+ release from ryanodine/CPA‐sensitive store of sarcoplasmic reticulum in SHR aorta. This Ca2+ plays an important role in the facilitation of the rate of rise of APIC, as well as contributing to the sustained contraction via a mechanism which is independent of Ca2+ influx through VDCC.
Identification and regulation of the gastric H+/K+‐ATPase in the rat heart
Authors: Beisvag V. , Falck G. , Loennechen J. P. , Qvigstad G. , Jynge P. , Skomedal T. , Osnes J.‐B. , Sandvik A. K. , Ellingsen Ø. 
Published: November 2003

AbstractPrevious reports indicate that H+/K+‐adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) might be expressed in the heart.Aims:  The objectives of the present study were to explore the presence of H+/K+‐ATPase protein and gene expression in the rat heart and to investigate whether the enzyme could contribute to potassium transport across the sarcolemma.Methods and results:  We performed reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) on mRNA from myocardium and isolated cardiomyocytes using primers specific for the gastric H+/K+‐ATPase α‐subunit. The PCR products were sequenced and the predicted gastric H+/K+‐ATPase sequence was verified. Western blots from myocardium detected a 34‐kDa band and a 94‐kDa band, indicating the β‐subunit and α‐subunit of the gastric H+/K+‐ATPase, respectively. Immunocytochemistry detected significant immunoreactivity of the β‐subunit in cardiomyocytes. H+/K+‐ATPase‐dependent potassium transport was assessed by 86Rb+‐uptake in isolated cardiomyocytes. Both ouabain and the selective H+/K+‐ATPase inhibitor Schering 28080 reduced 86Rb+‐uptake at maximum specific inhibition, by 70 and 25%, respectively; the effects were additive. Competitive RT‐PCR analysis indicated a significant upregulation of the myocardial H+/K+‐ATPase in heart failure after myocardial infarction.Conclusion:  The gastric isoform of H+/K+‐ATPase is expressed in rat cardiac myocytes, both at transcript and protein levels. Functional studies indicate that the enzyme could contribute to potassium and pHi regulation in cardiomyocytes.
E‐mail me your thoughts: digital communication and narrative writing
Authors: Merchant Guy 
Published: November 2003

AbstractThe use of ICT for communicating with those not physically present in the classroom can add a new dimension to literacy work. This study illustrates how the interactive nature of e‐mail opens new possibilities for young writers, enriching the curricular emphasis on genres and forms, and expanding children's horizons by encouraging them to write in new ways for new audiences. The paper reports on a study into the use of e‐mail as a means of providing support for classroom writing projects at Key Stage 2. These projects, with pupils in the 7–10 age range, focused on two popular narrative genres: sword and sorcery adventures, and sci‐fi stories. The research shows how digital communication can be used to enrich print‐based literacy whilst at the same time providing a creative exploration of new forms of interactive written discourse on screen.
Lifting the flaps on information: purpose and play in non‐fiction texts
Authors: Smith Vivienne 
Published: November 2003

AbstractBooks with flaps comprise a small, but recognisable sub‐genre of non‐fiction texts for children. Whilst they are popular with young readers, they sit unhappily within an educational discourse of non‐fiction that is dominated by notions of information retrieval and genre theory. This article considers the purpose and function of flaps in a number of texts and proposes that the best of these books provide pertinent lessons for readers about the nature of ‘information’, and about the playful nature of reading itself.
Thinking aloud: children's interactions with text
Authors: Sainsbury Marian 
Published: November 2003

AbstractThis article describes a small‐scale exploratory study in which young children were taught to think aloud as they read, revealing some of their thought processes as they made sense of the text. The children spontaneously made predictions, adjusted their understanding, entered imaginatively into the characters' feelings and related their reading to events in their own experience. They had difficulty, though, in appreciating a surprise ending. The think‐aloud method proved fruitful for research purposes and could offer valuable insights to teachers.
Does Sexual Harassment Training Change Attitudes? A View from the Federal Level*
Authors: Antecol Heather , Cobb‐clark Deborah 
Published: November 2003

Objective. Employment‐related sexual harassment imposes large costs on both workers and their employers and many organizations have responded by implementing formal policies, grievance procedures, or training programs. However, limited evaluation of these interventions leaves us knowing very little about their impact. Our goal is to add to this limited empirical literature by analyzing the relationship between sexual harassment training and employees' views about what behaviors in fact constitute sexual harassment.Method. We use probit analysis and data drawn from the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (USMSPB) of the U.S. federal government to determine—separately by gender—the impact of sexual harassment training on the propensity of workers to define specific unwanted sexual behaviors in the workplace as forms of sexual harassment.Results. We find that sexual harassment training is associated with an increased probability—particularly for men—of considering unwanted sexual gestures, remarks, touching, and pressure for dates to be a form of sexual harassment. We also find that the proportion of agency staff receiving training is positively related to the propensity that an individual employee has a definition of sexual harassment that includes these forms of unwanted sexual behavior.Conclusions. Our results suggest that sexual harassment training programs may be useful in leading workers to be more sensitive to the issue of sexual harassment. Widespread training within the agency has an effect over and above that attributable to the individual's receipt of training itself and training appears to be particularly successful in clarifying men's views about the “gray” area generated by unwanted sexual behavior originating with co‐workers rather than supervisors.
Campaign Finance Laws and the Competition for Spending in Gubernatorial Elections*
Authors: Bardwell Kedron 
Published: November 2003

Objective. The diversity of campaign finance laws in the U.S. states allows the effects of these reforms to be measured. I investigate the impact of contribution limits and public financing on campaign spending in gubernatorial elections.Methods. I conduct a multivariate regression analysis of general election spending in races for governor from 1980 to 2000. I analyze levels of spending per voter, as well as challengers' share of total spending.Results. State contribution limits do not hold down overall spending. Candidate acceptance of public funding and spending limits reduces spending by incumbent governors more than it reduces that of challengers. As for challengers' share of spending, I find that public funding programs improve challengers' ability to match incumbents' spending dollar for dollar.Conclusions. State programs that offer public funding to candidates effectively favor challengers. This points to the potential of these reforms to make federal elections more competitive.
The Impact of Structural Reform on County Government Service Provision*
Authors: Benton J. Edwin 
Published: November 2003

Objective. This study examines the effect that county government structure has on county spending in an environment of rapid population growth. In particular, it looks at the consequence of changing from a traditional commission noncharter form to an appointed administrator/elected executive commission type with a home rule charter.Methods. This study uses a pooled time‐series design to analyze the spending behavior of seven rapid‐growth counties in Florida that adopted a modernized structure between 1980 and 1990.Results. The findings indicate that changing the form of county government leads to a statistically significant increase in total spending as well as for spending for traditional and regional services.Conclusions. In addition to the theoretical implications for studying government structural impacts, there are practical implications for county officials in rapidly growing areas who view the adoption of modernized structures as a means to facilitate the expansion of current services and/or the addition of new services.
Job Skill and Black Male Wage Discrimination*
Authors: Coleman Major G. 
Published: November 2003

Objective. Debate over the causes of wage inequality have raised suggestions that, rather than discrimination, skill differences may be the reason for racial wage disparities. The purpose of this research is to examine what impact on‐the‐job skill differences have on wage inequality.Method. I regress the log wage onto race and a measure of skill. The Multi‐City Study of Urban Inequality Employer Survey is particularly useful in this analysis because it contains the employer's evaluation of the worker's relative skill against other workers.Result. When white and black men have the same employer's competitive performance rating, rather than decreasing racial wage differences, the differences actually increase.Conclusion. The wage gap is not a skills gap, but evidence of racial discrimination in the labor market.
Acclimation Effects and Separate Opinion Writing in the U.S. Courts of Appeals*
Authors: Hettinger Virginia A. , Lindquist Stefanie A. , Martinek Wendy L. 
Published: November 2003

Objective. This article investigates the existence of a freshman effect on separate opinion authorship on the U.S. Courts of Appeals. First, we evaluate the extent to which freshman judges demonstrate unique behavior with respect to writing concurring and dissenting opinions. Second, we examine the potential for background factors to condition any freshman effect.Methods. Individual judges' decisions to author separate opinions, drawn from the Courts of Appeals Database (1960 to 1988), are modeled as a function of a host of individual‐ and circuit‐level factors, including the freshman status of the judge.Results. After controlling for alternative explanations, we find that freshman judges on the courts of appeals are less likely to author concurring and dissenting opinions. Prior federal or appellate court experience, however, does not appear to condition the freshman effect.Conclusion. Freshman circuit court judges experience significant acclimation effects following their elevation to the federal appellate bench.
Changing Local Modes of Economic and Environmental Governance in England: A Tale of Two Areas*
Authors: Jonas Andrew E. G. , Gibbs David C. 
Published: November 2003

Objectives. Using an urban regime theory approach, the article aims to investigate the degree to which environmental policy in England is devolved to the local level of the state and integrates with local economic governance.Methods. Intensive case study research was undertaken in two local areas of the eastern region of England having divergent economic growth trajectories. Methods included analysis of local media and documentation from local and regional organizations, and 30 primary interviews with strategic local actors.Results. The Cambridge Subregion area is experiencing pressures of economic development, creating conflict around the Green Belt and contested meanings of sustainable development. In Waveney—a declining area in search of growth—local groups have struggled to manage local economic regeneration in an environmentally sustainable manner. Both areas have witnessed new territorial‐institutional developments in relation to environmental policy making, with limited evidence of policy integration at the subregional scale.Conclusion. Despite the emphasis on local policy integration through sustainable development, the relationship between the economy and the environment in England is a focus of conflict and new territorial‐institutional developments. Urban regime theory needs to broaden its focus to include the full variety of interests in local environmental policy and the mechanisms producing new territorial scales of economic and environmental governance.