bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A program for the design of linear time invariant control systems: CDMCAD
Authors: Koksal M. , Hamamci S. E. 
Published: September 2004

AbstractCoefficient Diagram Method (CDM) is a new method proposed for the analysis and design of linear time‐invariant control systems. The control system design by this method results with satisfactory stability, time response and robustness properties compatible with, and in most cases better than, the ones obtained by the other present design methods. In this study, the design procedure described in the literature for CDM is improved so that a systematic and easy tool with understandable sufficient detail is presented. A visual toolbox, which can be used efficiently both for education and research, is obtained based on the procedure presented by using MATLAB. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 12: 165–174, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20011
The place of memantine in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: a number needed to treat analysis
Authors: Livingston Gill , Katona Cornelius 
Published: September 2004

AbstractIntroductionMemantine is currently the only treatment approved for moderately severe to severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is still some discussion as to its place in clinical practice and many UK clinicians are discouraged for economic reasons from prescribing it. We adopt a ‘number needed to treat’ (NNT) approach to assess the benefits reported in memantine trials.MethodWe searched Medline and the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Specialised Register for double‐blind, randomised and controlled trials of memantine in AD. If efficacy was only reported in terms of mean change, rather than as number of individuals who responded or were harmed by an intervention, we contacted the drug companies (Merz and Lundbeck) to ask for more data. We also calculated effect size.ResultsWe found two trials of memantine in AD that met our criteria. We found that NNTs for global outcome were 3 and 6, for cognitive outcome 7 and for activities of daily living 4 and 8. The effect size for memantine varied between 0.32 and 0.62. For NNH memantine was no more harmful than placebo and significantly less so for the outcome of agitation.ConclusionThe small NNTs and the lack of harm shown by the NNHs strongly suggest that memantine, as with cholinesterase inhibitors, has a valuable place in the current clinical management of AD. The effect sizes are mainly in the ‘medium’ range for clinical effect, which also suggests that memantine has a clinical place in terms of cognition and dependency. There remains a need for more studies that examine carer burden, behavioural and psychological effects, and quality of life for both the person with dementia and the caregiver. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Microbial conversion of sterol‐containing soybean oil production waste
Authors: Donova Marina V , Dovbnya Dmitry V , Sukhodolskaya Galina V , Khomutov Sergey M , Nikolayeva Vera M , Kwon Inchan , Han Kyuboem 
Published: September 2004

AbstractSoybean extract residue (scum), a waste of soybean oil production, was examined as a raw material for C17‐ketosteroid production. As a model process, its bioconversion to 9α‐hydroxyandrost‐4‐ene‐3,17‐dione (9‐OH‐AD) by Mycobacterium sp VKM Ac‐1817D was studied. The content of transformable sterols (sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol) in scum was estimated at ∼14%. The bioconversion of scum to 9‐OH‐AD was characterized by a long lag‐period (300–350 h) followed by 9‐OH‐AD accumulation. The microbial or chemical elimination of fatty non‐identified components resulted in sterol‐enriched scum preparations. Effective conversion of these preparations by Mycobacterium sp was demonstrated: 9‐OH‐AD molar yield ∼65% was reached at 60 h from the scum preparation containing 10 g dm−3 transformable sterols. The process productivity was comparable with that for high quality‐sitosterol of wood origin (tall‐oil sitosterol). Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
Mangrove ecosystem dynamics and elemental cycling at Twin Cays, Belize, during the Holocene
Authors: Wooller Matthew J. , Behling Hermann , Smallwood Barbara J. , Fogel Marilyn 
Published: September 2004

AbstractExisting at the transition between the terrestrial environment and hydrosphere, mangroves are sensitive to environmental change (e.g. sea‐level rise). We present pollen and stable isotope data from a core (TCC1) of continuous (10 m) mangrove peat from Twin Cays, ∼12 km off of the coast of Belize, Central America. Radiocarbon dates on fragments of mangrove leaves preserved in TCC1 show that the core provides an 8600 14C year record of mangrove ecosystem changes. Variation in the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope composition (δ13C = ∼−30 to −25‰; δ15N = ∼−6 to 2‰) of mangrove leaves imply that the stand structure and nutrient status of the mangroves at the site have changed during the Holocene. Pollen data from the same core show that the floral composition of the site has changed at points during the Holocene, most notably a brief (∼240 years) switch at ∼3860 14C yr BP to dominance by a species of Myrsine (not currently present at the site). Our results are consistent with significant environmental changes (either marked disturbance from hurricanes or fluctuations in sea‐level) through the Holocene. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Holocene vegetation dynamics in the northeastern Rub' al‐Khali desert, Arabian Peninsula: a phytolith, pollen and carbon isotope study
Authors: Parker A. G. , Eckersley L. , Smith M. M. , Goudie A. S. , Stokes S. , Ward S. , White K. , Hodson M. J. 
Published: September 2004

AbstractThe Holocene vegetation history of the Arabian Peninsula is poorly understood, with few palaeobotanical studies to date. At Awafi, Ras al‐Khaimah, UAE, a 3.3 m lake sediment sequence records the vegetation development for the period 8500 cal. yr BP to ∼3000 cal. yr BP. δ13C isotope, pollen and phytolith analyses indicate that C3 Pooid grassland with a strong woody element existed during the early Holocene (between 8500 and 6000 cal. yr BP) and became replaced by mixed C3 and C4 grasses with a strong C4 Panicoid tall grass element between 5900 and 5400 cal. yr BP. An intense, arid event occurred at 4100 cal. yr BP when the lake desiccated and was infilled by Aeolian sand. From 4100 cal. yr BP the vegetation was dominated by C4 Chloridoid types and Cyperaceae, suggesting an incomplete vegetation cover and Aeolian dune reactivation owing to increased regional aridity. These data outline the ecosystem dynamics and carbon cycling in response to palaeomonsoon and north‐westerly variability during the Holocene. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The dating of dipterocarp tree rings: establishing a record of carbon cycling and climatic change in the tropics
Authors: Robertson I. , Froyd C. A. , Walsh R. P. D. , Newbery D. M. , Woodborne S. , Ong R. C. 
Published: September 2004

AbstractIn a first step to obtain a proxy record of past climatic events (including the El Niño–Southern Oscillation) in the normally aseasonal tropical environment of Sabah, a radial segment from a recently fallen dipterocarp (Shorea superba) was radiocarbon dated and subjected to carbon isotope analysis. The high‐precision radiocarbon results fell into the ambiguous modern plateau where several calibrated dates can exist for each sample. Dating was achieved by wiggle matching using a Bayesian approach to calibration. Using the defined growth characteristics of Shorea superba, probability density distributions were calculated and improbable dates rejected. It was found that the tree most likely started growing around AD 1660–1685. A total of 173 apparent growth increments were measured and, therefore, it could be determined that the tree formed one ring approximately every two years. Stable carbon isotope values were obtained from resin‐extracted wholewood from each ring. Carbon cycling is evident in the ‘juvenile effect’, resulting from the assimilation of respired carbon dioxide and lower light levels below the canopy, and in the ‘anthropogenic effect’ caused by increased industrial activity in the late‐nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This study demonstrates that palaeoenvironmental information can be obtained from trees growing in aseasonal environments, where climatic conditions prevent the formation of well‐defined annual rings. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Poly(N‐hexyl‐cyclopenta[c]pyrrole) – A Novel 1,3,4‐Alkyl‐substituted Polypyrrole Soluble in Organic Solvents and Redox Conducting
Authors: Zotti Gianni , Zecchin Sandro , Schiavon Gilberto , Vercelli Barbara , Berlin Anna , Grimoldi Sara 
Published: September 2004

AbstractSummary: N‐Hexyl‐cyclopenta[c]pyrrole was synthesized and electrochemically and chemically polymerized to a novel 1,3,4‐alkyl‐substituted polypyrrole. The polymer was characterized in solution and as thin solid film by cyclic voltammetry, UV‐vis, FTIR and NMR spectroscopy, MALDI mass spectroscopy, GPC analysis, electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance, ESR spectroscopy and in situ conductivity. The polymer, with a defect‐free structure and an average degree of polymerization of 13 (electrochemically prepared) and 24 (chemically prepared), is soluble (>1%) in acetone, acetonitrile and chlorinated solvents. Its in situ conductivity as a function of potential and doping charge has the typical features of redox conductivity with a maximum value of ca 1 × 10−3 S · cm−1.Structure of poly(N‐hexyl‐cyclopenta[c]pyrrole).magnified imageStructure of poly(N‐hexyl‐cyclopenta[c]pyrrole).
Differences in the cellular distribution of D1 receptor mRNA in the hippocampus of bipolars and schizophrenics
Authors: Pantazopoulos Harry , Stone David , Walsh John , Benes Francine M. 
Published: September 2004

AbstractSeveral lines of evidence have pointed to a role of the dopamine system in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. A recent postmortem study demonstrated a selective decrease of tyrosine hydroxylase fibers on pyramidal neurons in sector CA2 in the hippocampus of schizophrenics. Although both brain imaging and postmortem studies have examined the distribution of the D1 receptor in the prefrontal and cingulate cortex, no study to date has examined its expression of mRNA using a high‐resolution autoradiographic approach. In order to further assess whether the regulation of the dopamine D1 receptor is altered in hippocampal neurons in this disorder, we used in situ hybridization (ISH) to measure the expression of messenger RNA for this receptor in the dentate gyrus and sectors CA1–4. Both the number of cells expressing D1 mRNA and the amount of expression per cell were measured in 15 schizophrenic, 15 bipolar disorder, and 15 normal control subjects. The results show a significant (21%) and selective decrease in D1 mRNA expression in sector CA3 of schizophrenic subjects. First‐degree relatives of schizophrenics did not show any differences in either the expression of D1 mRNA per cell or the number of cells expressing this mRNA when compared to a separate group of normal controls matched for age and PMI. Subjects with bipolar disorder also showed a significant (25%) and selective increase of D1 mRNA expression in sector CA2. Other hippocampal sectors did not show significant changes. These findings in schizophrenics and bipolars were also associated with inverse changes in the overall number of neurons expressing D1 mRNA in sectors CA3 and CA2, respectively. This study shows diagnosis‐specific changes in D1 mRNA expression in the hippocampus of schizophrenic versus bipolar subjects and suggests that this neuromodulatory system may show distinct changes in the pathophysiology of the two disorders. Synapse 54:147–155, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Religion, social support, fat intake and physical activity
Authors: Kim Karen Hye-cheon , Sobal Jeffery 
Published: September 2004

AbstractObjective:Most research on diet and exercise has focused on these health behaviours as proximate causes of disease, rather than examine the context of how diet and exercise are developed and maintained. This study examined religion and social support in relationship to fat intake and physical activity.Design, setting and subjects:Data from surveys of 546 adults aged 17–91 years, residing in one upstate New York county, were analysed.Results:Most relationships between the multiple facets of religion, fat intake and physical activity were not statistically significant. After controlling for demographics and social support, Conservative Protestant women and women specifying an ‘Other’ religious affiliation reported higher fat intakes than did Catholic women. There were no relationships between religion and fat intake in men. In women, religious commitment was associated with greater moderate and vigorous physical activity, whereas in men, divine social support was associated with greater moderate physical activity. Social support did not substantially change the magnitude of the relationships between religion, diet and physical activity.Conclusion:Overall, there were few relationships between religion, fat intake and physical activity, suggesting that in contemporary US society religion may play a small role in the context of how diet and exercise are developed and maintained. The limited range of religiosity in the sample, however, may have underestimated the role of religion. Significant relationships between religion and physical activity in women suggest that further research is needed to more clearly delineate religion's relationship with health behaviours.
Evaluation of the implementation of a best practice information sheet: tracheal suctioning of adults with an artificial airway
Authors: McKillop Ann 
Published: September 2004

AbstractPurpose  This report presents an evaluation of the implementation of a Best Practice Information Sheet related to tracheal suctioning of adults with an artificial airway. The Centre for Evidence‐Based Nursing Aotearoa based in Auckland, New Zealand, conducted a systematic review of the evidence and produced a Best Practice Information Sheet. The present study is an evaluation of the impact of this information sheet. The study also describes the process used to implement the Best Practice Information Sheet at each of three study sites.Method  A survey of 105 nurses was conducted at three sites: one in New Zealand and two in Australia. Using a before/after design, data were collected at the time of release of the Best Practice Information Sheet and then approximately 12 months later. Suctioning practice was observed with a focus on assessment of the patient by the nurse, the procedure used to suction and the bases for decisions made about suctioning. Before and after data were compared to capture the possible effects on practice of the recommendations in the Best Practice Information Sheet. Those involved in leading the implementation process at each site were interviewed by telephone, notes from the interviews were thematically analysed and comparisons were drawn.Results  The degree of uptake of the evidence was variable across the three sites and across the recommendations. For a number of recommendations, there was a modest trend towards the uptake of the recommendations of the Best Practice Information Sheet. Other recommendations were congruent with existing usual practice and therefore no change was observed. Each study site employed a range of strategies to implement the Best Practice Information Sheet. Improved practice was seen in relation to a greater number of recommendations at one site. This site appears to have used more sources of information to evaluate the quality of practice, which may have raised the profile of suctioning and its impact on patients.Conclusions  This study suggests a trend towards a modest uptake of best practice recommendations into nursing practice demonstrated by some behavioural changes within a 12‐month period in the context of an implementation plan and a Best Practice Information Sheet.
Major Human Cytomegalovirus Structural Protein pp65 (ppUL83) Prevents Interferon Response Factor 3 Activation in the Interferon Response
Authors: Abate Davide A. , Watanabe Shinya , Mocarski Edward S. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACTWe have identified a cytomegalovirus virion protein capable of modulating the rapid induction of an interferon-like response in cells that follows virus binding and penetration. Functional genomics revealed a role for the major cytomegalovirus structural protein, pp65 (ppUL83), in counteracting this response. The underlying mechanism involves a differential impact of this structural protein on the regulation of interferon response factor 3 (IRF-3). In contrast, NF-κB is activated independent of pp65, and neither STAT1 nor STAT3 becomes activated by either virus. pp65 is sufficient to prevent the activation of IRF-3 when introduced alone into cells. pp65 acts by inhibiting nuclear accumulation of IRF-3 and is associated with a reduced IRF-3 phosphorylation state. Thus, this investigation shows that the major structural protein of cytomegalovirus is committed to the modulation of the IRF-3 response, a primary mediator of the type I interferon response. By subverting IRF-3, the virus escapes throwing a central alarm devoted to both immediate antiviral control and regulation of the immune response.
Human Cytomegalovirus Infection Induces Rapamycin-Insensitive Phosphorylation of Downstream Effectors of mTOR Kinase
Authors: Kudchodkar Sagar B. , Yu Yongjun , Maguire Tobi G. , Alwine James C. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT
Signaling mediated by the cellular kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activates cap-dependent translation under normal (nonstressed) conditions. However, translation is inhibited by cellular stress responses or rapamycin treatment, which inhibit mTOR kinase activity. We show that during human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, viral protein synthesis and virus production proceed relatively normally when mTOR kinase activity is inhibited due to hypoxic stress or rapamycin treatment. Using rapamycin inhibition of mTOR, we show that HCMV infection induces phosphorylation of two mTOR effectors, eucaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) binding protein (4E-BP) and eIF4G. The virally induced phosphorylation of eIF4G is both mTOR and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) independent, whereas the phosphorylation of 4E-BP is mTOR independent, but PI3K dependent. HCMV infection does not induce mTOR-independent phosphorylation of a third mTOR effector, p70S6 kinase (p70S6K). We show that the HCMV-induced phosphorylation of eIF4G and 4E-BP correlates with the association of eIF4E, the cap binding protein, with eIF4G in the eIF4F translation initiation complex. Thus, HCMV induces mechanisms to maintain the integrity of the eIF4F complex even when mTOR signaling is inhibited.
Disruption of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Latent Nuclear Antigen Leads to Abortive Episome Persistence
Authors: Ye Feng-Chun , Zhou Fu-Chun , Yoo Seung Min , Xie Jian-Ping , Browning Philip J. , Gao Shou-Jiang 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT
Latent nuclear antigen (LNA) is implicated in Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) episome persistence. LNA colocalizes with KSHV episomes on chromosomes in metaphase, and it maintains the stability and replication of KSHV terminal repeat-containing plasmids. In this study, we examined the function of LNA in episome persistence in the context of full-length KSHV genome by mutagenesis analysis. We generated a KSHV mutant, BAC36-ΔLNA, with LNA disrupted by transposon-based mutagenesis with a KSHV BAC clone, BAC36, as a template. Immunofluorescence antibody staining revealed that the insertion of a transposon cassette into LNA disrupted its expression but had no effect on the expression of two adjacent genes, the vCyclin and vFLIP genes. Using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) cassette as a tracking marker for the KSHV episome, we found 8.7-fold-fewer GFP-positive cells in BAC36-ΔLNA cultures than in wild-type BAC36 cultures at the early stage following episome delivery into 293 cells by transfection, which could be partially rescued by cotransfection with a LNA expression plasmid but not a control plasmid. Cells harboring BAC36-ΔLNA with or without transient complementation rapidly lost episomes and became virus-free after 2 weeks of culture based on GFP expression and Gardella gel analysis and quantitative PCR assays for detecting KSHV genomes. In contrast, BAC36 episomes were stably maintained during the same period. Stable cultures with close to 100% of cells harboring KSHV episomes were readily established by hygromycin selection for BAC36 but not for BAC36-ΔLNA. These results conclusively indicate that LNA is essential for the establishment and persistence of KSHV episomes in mammalian cells.
A Nucleotide Binding Motif in Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) NS4B Mediates HCV RNA Replication
Authors: Einav Shirit , Elazar Menashe , Danieli Tsafi , Glenn Jeffrey S. 
Published: September 2004

ABSTRACT
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of viral hepatitis. There is no effective therapy for most patients. We have identified a nucleotide binding motif (NBM) in one of the virus's nonstructural proteins, NS4B. This structural motif binds and hydrolyzes GTP and is conserved across HCV isolates. Genetically disrupting the NBM impairs GTP binding and hydrolysis and dramatically inhibits HCV RNA replication. These results have exciting implications for the HCV life cycle and novel antiviral strategies.
The role of hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) in hypoxia induced apoptosis: Figure 1
Authors: Greijer A E , van der Wall E 
Published: September 2004

Apoptosis can be induced in response to hypoxia. The severity of hypoxia determines whether cells become apoptotic or adapt to hypoxia and survive. A hypoxic environment devoid of nutrients prevents the cell undergoing energy dependent apoptosis and cells become necrotic. Apoptosis regulatory proteins are delicately balanced. In solid tumours, hypoxia is a common phenomenon. Cells adapt to this environmental stress, so that after repeated periods of hypoxia, selection for resistance to hypoxia induced apoptosis occurs. These resistant tumours probably have a more aggressive phenotype and may have decreased responsiveness to treatment. The key regulator of this process, hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), can initiate apoptosis by inducing high concentrations of proapoptotic proteins, such as BNIP3, and can cause stabilisation of p53. However, during hypoxia, antiapoptotic proteins, such as IAP-2, can be induced, whereas the proapoptotic protein Bax can be downregulated. During hypoxia, an intricate balance exists between factors that induce or counteract apoptosis, or even stimulate proliferation. Understanding the regulation of apoptosis during hypoxia and the mechanisms of resistance to apoptosis might lead to more specific treatments for solid tumours.
DETECTION OF GREATER TUBEROSITY FRACTURES BY SONOGRAPHY
Authors: Yeroham Kleinbaum , Heyman Zahava , Ganel Avraham , Mirovski Yigal , Blankstein Alexander 
Published: September 2004

Objective: To describe the prevalence and sonographic appearance of greater tuberosity fractures in patients undertaking shoulder sonography in an outpatient clinic. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the reports of 854 sonographic shoulder examination and detected 42 patients (26 men, 14 women aged 35–60) with greater tuberosity fractures. Clinical data, sonographic results and plain radiographs correlation were evaluated. Results: 28/42 patients showed discontinuity of the humeral head. 10/42 patients showed gap greater than 2 mm. 4/42 patients showed double line configuration. In 14/2 patients, the fracture was not seen even retrospectively. Conclusions: Greater tuberosity fractures are characterized by sonography as cortical discontinuity, which may appear as a cortical gap or step-off (double line). They can be seen in shoulder sonography examination and should be looked for in every shoulder sonography examination even without clear history of trauma.