bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neonatal diethylstilbestrol exposure induces persistent elevation of c‐fos expression and hypomethylation in its exon‐4 in mouse uterus
Authors: Li Shuanfang , Hansman Roberta , Newbold Retha , Davis Barbara , McLachlan John A. , Barrett J. Carl 
Published: September 2003

AbstractPerinatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) induces reproductive tract cancers later in life in both humans and animals. Because there is no clear evidence that perinatal DES exposure induces gene mutation, we proposed that perinatal DES exposure causes epigenetic methylation changes that result in persistent alterations in gene expression, leading to tumorigenesis. The proto‐oncogene c‐fos is one of the immediately induced genes in uterine epithelium after estrogen simulation and a key player in uterine carcinogenesis. Here, we investigated c‐fos expression in mice neonatally exposed to DES (2 μg/pup/day on postnatal days 1–5). The mRNA levels of c‐fos in uteri of neonatal DES‐treated mice were persistently 1.4–1.9‐fold higher than that in the control mice from day 5 to day 60. Overall, the uterine c‐fos expression level in the neonatal DES‐exposed group was significantly higher than that in the control group. After examination of the methylation status of the c‐fos gene, we found that the CpGs in promoter and intron‐1 regions were completely unmethylated. In exon‐4, from day 17 to day 60, the percentage of unmethylated CpGs was higher in neonatal DES‐exposed mice uteri than that in control (42%, 51%, 47%, and 42% in DES‐exposed mice vs 33%, 34%, 33%, and 21% in control mice at day 17, 21, 30, and 60, respectively). These results suggest that perinatal DES exposure may permanently alter gene expression and methylation, and the methylation modification may occur in either the promoter regions or other regulatory sites in the gene. Published 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.†
Community as a factor in implementing interorganizational partnerships: Issues, constraints, and adaptations
Authors: Mulroy Elizabeth A. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractThis article reports findings from a community‐based study of collaboration among seven nonprofit human
service agencies in a very low‐income urban neighborhood. The project, funded by a federal demonstration
grant, was developed to prevent child abuse and neglect as an alternative to the existing public child welfare
system. Findings suggest that privatization, funding uncertainties, and community‐level factors posed
external stressors that constrained executives' ability to collaborate. The article identifies five key
stressors, analyzes how each constrained the partnership, and then discusses specific adaptations made by
executive leadership in political, technical, and interpersonal areas that facilitated strategic adjustment and
realignment in a very complex interorganizational arrangement and set of relationships. Finally, implications are
drawn for nonprofit managers, social policy, and nonprofit research.
Continuity planning for nonprofits
Authors: Meyer‐Emerick Nancy , Momen Mehnaaz 
Published: September 2003

AbstractMany nonprofits assist in emergency response and disaster relief to alleviate human suffering. In order to
enhance those efforts and the maintenance of routine nonprofit operations, this article introduces the concept of
continuity planning. Continuity planning does not focus on specific risks, such as floods or hurricanes, but on the
maintenance of critical operational processes despite natural, anthropogenic, or technological interruptions.
Continuity planning has yet to be widely applied within the nonprofit sector, primarily due to a lack of fiscal or
personnel resources. This article explores several continuity‐planning options for nonprofits and provides a
brief explanation of the process.
The diffusion of a pediatric care innovation in a large urban nonprofit health care system
Authors: Barth Michael C. , Sherlock Cynthia Hansel 
Published: September 2003

AbstractThis article documents and analyzes the diffusion of an innovation in pediatric primary care, the Healthy
Steps for Young Children Program, in a large health care system, Advocate Health Care in Chicago. We use
Everett Rogers's model (1995) for the diffusion of innovations to provide the framework for this
discussion of the key decision points, challenges, obstacles, critical success factors, and other factors that
have contributed to the ongoing expansion efforts in Advocate. In so doing we chronicle the progression of
Healthy Steps from Advocate's initial decision to pilot the program at five pediatric sites to its
decision to expand the approach broadly within the Advocate system. Rogers's model facilitates both
description and the development of useful guides for future innovations within a broad range of nonprofit
organizations.
Solid‐phase synthesis: a paradigm shift
Authors: Marshall Garland R. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractA personal review by the first graduate student of Professor R. Bruce Merrifield of the evolution of solid‐phase synthesis and its acceptance by various subsets of the chemistry community. Solid‐phase synthesis, as currently practised in the synthesis of biopolymers, combinatorial solid‐phase organic chemistry, synthesis of natural products, catalyst selection, chemical ligation and materials development, has proven a paradigm shift for the chemistry community. Copyright © 2003 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stabilization of electromechanical systems via interconnection and damping assignment
Authors: Rodríguez Hugo , Ortega Romeo 
Published: September 2003

AbstractIn this article, we propose a general controller structure for asymptotic position regulation of electromechanical systems derived using the Interconnection and Damping Assignment Passivity‐Based Control methodology recently proposed in the literature. The controller is applicable to arbitrary fully actuated electromechanical systems with linear magnetic materials consisting of inductances, permanent magnets, and one mechanical co‐ordinate. We assume linear magnetic materials and fully actuated electrical dynamics; however, no restrictions are imposed on the particular form of the parameters that define the system dynamics, i.e. the inductance matrix, the magnetic coupling or the potential energy function. This allows us to treat—in a unified framework and without any additional simplifying assumptions—very diverse applications, including magnetic suspensions, and stepper and permanent magnet synchronous motors. Instrumental for our developments is the inclusion of ‘virtual’ couplings between the electrical and the mechanical subsystem, which is naturally suggested in this control methodology. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The influence of sward canopy structure on foraging decisions by grazing cattle. I. Patch selection
Authors: Griffiths W. M. , Hodgson J. , Arnold G. C. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractPatch selection by grazing dairy cows in response to simultaneous variation in combinations of sward structural characteristics was examined in three experiments in which four mature dairy cows were offered a choice of patches (typically 0.9 m × 0.9 m) of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) presented in a linear arrangement. Treatments involved combinations of variations in sward height, stubble height and/or depth of regrowth, prepared by preliminary cutting treatments. They were arranged in balanced sets of four to nine treatments, which were arranged in linear sequences of eighteen to twenty‐seven patches. Within experiments, sequences were balanced across replicate sets of patches, which were grazed separately by individual cows. The number of bites removed and the residence time for each patch were highly correlated in all three experiments, and the results are reported using number of bites per patch as an estimator of foraging behaviour. In the first experiment, with vegetative swards, cows preferentially selected the tallest swards. When swards comprising reproductive stem were offered in Experiment 2, cows selectively grazed short‐stubble swards rather than tall‐stubble swards, although both offered a similar depth of regrowth. Cows did not exhibit preference for swards comprising the greatest quantity of leaf mass, indicating that the spatial distribution of plant components assumed greater importance. In the third experiment, the number of bites removed increased with increasing depth of regrowth, and was negatively correlated with sward height. The three patch‐appraisal cues investigated were broadly ranked in order of importance as (i) depth of regrowth, (ii) sward maturity and (iii) sward height. There was no evidence, at least at a short temporal scale, that patch behaviour was influenced by conditions in adjacent patches, suggesting that the cows assessed grazing opportunities on a patch‐by‐patch basis.
The influence of sward canopy structure on foraging decisions by grazing cattle. II. Regulation of bite depth
Authors: Griffiths W. M. , Hodgson J. , Arnold G. C. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractBite depth was measured in four experiments in which grazing cows were offered, individually, patches of perennial ryegrass swards, typically 0·9 m × 0·9 m, of contrasting structural composition within linear sequences of eighteen to twenty‐seven patches. Bite depths were analysed in relation to the independent effects of pseudo‐stem height, re‐growth depth, stubble height and sward height. In vegetative swards comprising predominantly leaf, with re‐growth and stubble strata of vegetative origin, bite depth was strongly related to sward height. However, when the leaf–stem contrast between strata increased, bite depth was strongly correlated with the depth of re‐growth. Cows were observed to penetrate into a mature stubble stratum with increasing sward height, indicating that stubble height is only a partial regulator of bite depth. In an experiment designed to investigate the independent effects of pseudo‐stem and sward height, pseudo‐stem was only a partial regulator of bite depth. Evidence to support the concept that bite depth is a fixed proportion of sward height across swards of different structure was inconsistent, but there was evidence of a maximum bite depth of 0·70 of sward height. There were also indications that bite depth was conditioned by the number of bites removed. This suggested that cows initially took a cautious approach to grazing, building up bite depth with feedback over the first 20–30 bites in a new patch. Behaviour at the current patch was not affected by the characteristics of the preceding or succeeding patch in sequence.
Modelling phosphorus leaching to watercourses from extended autumn grazing by cattle
Authors: McGechan M. B. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractA modelling approach was undertaken to investigate the effect of grazing animals on phosphorus pollution of water draining from grazed fields. Following a similar study in relation to slurry spreading in winter, the dual‐porosity hydrological and contaminant transport model, MACRO, was calibrated to represent transport of phosphorus from faeces through the soil to field drains. Rapid flows, through water‐filled macropores in wet soil, of phosphorus sorbed onto colloidal particles in the faeces of cattle appeared to be the dominant transport mechanism. The outputs of the model supported experimental evidence that levels of phosphorus pollution of water draining from grazed fields can rise substantially if grazing is extended into late autumn, particularly if grazing is extended until soil has wetted up to around the field capacity water content. The critical housing date, to avoid phosphorus losses rising to an unacceptable level, varied considerably between years. The outputs of the model suggest that phosphorus pollution does not occur during grazing under dry conditions where soil macropores do not contain water, so that losses would remain low if animals are housed before soil substantially wets up in the autumn.
Effects of sulphur supply on the morphology of shoots and roots of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)
Authors: Wang Y. F. , Wang S. P. , Cui X. Y. , Chen Z. Z. , Schnug E. , Haneklau S. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractA sulphur (S)‐deficient top soil was used in a pot experiment to investigate the effect of S supply on shoot and root growth and development in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). The treatments consisted of three rates of addition of S: 0, 20 and 40 mg kg−1 soil and each was replicated four times. Alfalfa was harvested at 15, 30, 45, 60 and 75 d after seedling emergence.By the end of the experiment, plants with S supply had a significantly larger leaf area, heavier leaf, shoot and root dry weight per pot than controls. The effects of adding S also significantly increased plant height, basal stem diameter, chlorophyll concentration of young leaves, root length and root surface area compared with controls. The effects of S were greater on shoots than on roots. The ratio of root to shoot dry weight was 0·47 when S was supplied and 0·88 without added S, indicating that c. 0·32 and 0·47 of the total net photosynthate, produced with or without S supply, respectively, were used for the development of roots. Overall, overcoming S deficiency resulted in a significant increase in shoot and root growth.
Forage potential of semi‐leafless grain peas
Authors: Koivisto J. M. , Benjamin L. R. , Lane G. P. F. , Davies W. P. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractIndividually sown plants of a forage‐type pea (Pisum sativum L.), cv. Magnus, and a grain‐type pea cv. Eiffel, were harvested several times over the growing season to determine how the quantity of plant components changed with time from sowing. There was no difference between the pea types in the mean dry weight per plant. The leaf‐to‐stem ratio of the two types was also not different. An appropriate grain‐type pea cultivar could be a suitable substitute for forage‐type cultivar in some forage production systems.
Use of the Sperm‐Class Analyser® for objective assessment of human sperm morphology
Authors: Soler C. , De Monserrat J. J. , Gutiérrez R. , Nuñez J. , Nuñez M. , Sancho M. , Pérez‐Sánchez F. , Cooper T. G. 
Published: September 2003

SummaryThe Sperm‐Class Analyser® was validated for assessing morphometric parameters of the head and midpiece of unwashed and washed human ejaculated spermatozoa from volunteers providing a wide range of semen quality. A higher proportion of sperm could be assessed (86% fresh semen and 75% washed sperm) if Hemacolor staining was used rather than DiffQuik (80 and 73%) or Papanicolaou (78 and 68%). Different stains employed different fixatives and the area, length, width and perimeter of the sperm head was significantly larger for washed sperm stained by Hemacolor and DiffQuik. Acrosomal area ranged from 48 to 51% of the sperm head area and this percentage was larger for washed sperm stained with DiffQuik. Sperm at the end of the slide, distant from the initial semen droplet, were larger in area and perimeter than those at that site or in the middle. The high precision and reproducibility of the equipment required assessing only 50 sperm on the slide. Far greater variation was found in head width, relative acrosomal area and midpiece width between different slides prepared from the same ejaculate, highlighting the inherent variability within the ejaculate and smear preparation, and requiring more than one slide to be assessed.
Possible role of arachidonic acid in the regulation of lactate production in rat Sertoli cells
Authors: Meroni Silvina B. , Riera María F. , Pellizzari Eliana H. , Schteingart Helena F. , Cigorraga Selva B. 
Published: September 2003

SummaryThe aim of the study was to determine whether arachidonic acid (AA) is involved in the regulation of Sertoli cell lactate production and if this fatty acid participates in follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) regulation of Sertoli cell function. In a first set of experiments the effect of AA and porcine pancreas phospholipase A2 (PLA2) on lactate production, glucose uptake, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and LDH A mRNA levels in Sertoli cell cultures obtained from 20‐day‐old rats was evaluated. In a second set of experiments the effect of two PLA2 inhibitors – quinacrine (Q) and AACOCF3 – on FSH stimulation of the above‐mentioned parameters of Sertoli cell function was investigated. Treatment with PLA2 and AA increased Sertoli cell lactate production. The observed action of exogenously added PLA2 involved its catalytic properties responsible for AA release. PLA2 and AA treatments also stimulated Sertoli cell glucose uptake, LDH activity and LDH A mRNA levels. In order to determine whether AA participates in FSH regulation of Sertoli cell lactate production cells were incubated with FSH in the absence or presence of the PLA2 inhibitors Q and AACOCF3. Both drugs partially inhibited the ability of FSH to stimulate lactate production, glucose uptake and LDH activity. The present investigation suggests that AA is involved in the regulation of lactate production, glucose transport, LDH activity and LDH A mRNA levels. In addition, these results suggest that cytosolic PLA2 and AA may participate in FSH‐regulation of Sertoli cell energetic metabolism.
The complementary DNA sequence and polymorphisms of bovine procathepsin‐D (CTSD)
Authors: Higuchi M. , Miyashita N. , Nagamine Y. , Watanabe A. , Awata T. 
Published: September 2003

SummaryThe complementary DNA (cDNA) partial sequence of the bovine cathepsin‐D (CTSD) precursor, procathepsin‐D was determined. The bovine procathepsin‐D cDNA sequence and deduced protein sequence exhibited higher homology to their counterparts in sheep than other animals. A comparison of the cDNA sequence among cattle revealed nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the encoding region and one nucleotide deletion in 3′‐untranslated region. Among these SNPs, a guanine (G) to adenine (A) substitution in the pro‐fragment region and a change from G to cytosine (C) in the heavy‐chain region resulted in a glycine to serine and a glycine to alanine substitution, respectively. Using polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism, nine different cattle breeds were screened for the presence of both polymorphisms. It was found that three Japanese beef breeds (Japanese Black, Japanese Shorthorn and Japanese Brown) and two zebu breeds (Brahman and Santa Gertrudis) contained these polymorphisms.
The effects of selective phosphodiesterase III and V inhibitors on adrenergic and non‐adrenergic, non‐cholinergic relaxation responses of guinea‐pig pulmonary arteries
Authors: Tasatargil A. , Sadan G. , Ozdem S. S. 
Published: September 2003

Summary 1 The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of several possible neurotransmitters in mediating non‐adrenergic, non‐cholinergic (NANC) relaxation, and the effects of phosphodiesterase (PDE) III and V inhibitors on adrenergic and NANC relaxation in branch pulmonary artery (PA) of guinea‐pig. 2 Under the NANC conditions, electrical field stimulation (EFS, 60 V, 0.2 ms, 20 Hz) induced a tetrodotoxin‐sensitive relaxation of the histamine‐precontracted PA rings. The nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (l‐NAME, 10−4 m) and the guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H‐[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3‐a]quinoxalin‐1‐one (ODQ, 10−5 m) partially inhibited the EFS‐induced relaxation. The inhibitory effect of l‐NAME was reversed completely by l‐arginine (10−3 m), but not d‐arginine (10−3 m). 3 This NANC relaxation was attenuated by 8‐phenyltheophylline (10−5 m), a P1‐purinoceptor antagonist. 4 The NANC response was potentiated by 10−6 m zaprinast, a type V PDE inhibitor, but was unaffected by 3 × 10−6 m milrinone, a type III PDE inhibitor. 5 Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) caused a concentration‐dependent vasodilator effect which was potentiated by zaprinast, but unaffected by milrinone. Moreover, the effect of combination of zaprinast with milrinone was not significantly different from that observed with zaprinast alone. 6 Isoprenaline produced a concentration‐dependent vasodilatation in branch PA of guinea‐pig which was potentiated by both zaprinast and milrinone, the efficacy of milrinone being greater than zaprinast. 7 These results suggest that both nitrergic and purinergic pathways are involved in mediating the NANC relaxation in branch PA of guinea‐pig. The combination of PDE III or V inhibitors with vasorelaxant drugs may be a hopeful approach for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
A Case for Global Corporate Governance Rules: An Auditor's Perspective
Authors: Roussey Robert S 
Published: September 2003

This paper reflects on the premise that there is a need for global corporate governance rules. In coming to this premise, the views of various authors regarding the need for harmonisation of financial reporting systems are considered. If, in the view of these authors, there is a need for a uniform set of international accounting standards and international auditing standards, then it is reasoned that there is also a need for global corporate governance standards.The paper considers the importance of corporate governance and, particularly, the auditor's involvement in the governance process, including new rules issued by the International Auditing Practices Committee on communicating matters of governance interest to those in an entity charged with governance. The paper also considers the new initiative of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the World Bank, and the use of Global Shares by global business enterprises as further compelling reasons to start a movement for global governance rules.The paper concludes with a recommendation for the international securities regulators to seriously consider the formation and implementation of such rules.
Some Empirical Evidence to Support the Relationship Between Audit Reports and Stock Prices — The French Case
Authors: Soltani Bahram 
Published: September 2003

Acting as an independent intermediary, the auditor facilitates market transactions by providing an ‘opinion’ on financial statements which should help to reduce the information asymmetry between the company and its potential investors. Whether audit qualifications have informational value to investors is a question that needs further investigation, as previous empirical studies on this issue yield mixed results. Moreover, a majority of the research papers in this area have been conducted in Anglo‐Saxon countries, in contrast to continental European countries where very little attention has been paid to the auditors' role in stock markets.The present study is based on a large sample of qualified opinions (543 for the period 1986–1995), using different expected event dates and market models. The results of the study demonstrate the significant negative abnormal returns around the announcement dates of audit opinions. The empirical part of this study was carried out in the French market which has some significant differences from the UK and the USA markets. The author believes that the differences, in the area of reporting, level of disclosure, and accounting and auditing practices, can play an important role in the research field of event studies.