bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The thiol reagent, thimerosal, irreversibly inhibits meiosis reinitiation in mouse oocyte when applied during a very early and narrow temporal window: A pharmacological analysis
Authors: Alexandre H. , Delsinne V. , Goval J.‐J. 
Published: June 2003

AbstractThe effect of the sulfhydryl reagent, thimerosal (TMS) on meiosis resumption in germinal vesicle (GV)‐stage denuded mouse oocytes was studied. It irreversibly inhibits both GV breakdown (GVBD) and the first polar body (pb1) extrusion in concentration‐ and time‐dependent manners, the most striking result being the very early and narrow temporal window during which denuded primary oocytes released from their follicle are susceptible to a pulse of the drug. This inhibition is bypassed by dithiothreitol (DTT) with an efficiency declining with time, while thiosalicylic acid (TA), an analog of TMS devoid of the mercury atom, has no effect on meiosis reinitiation. These results strongly suggest that the inhibitory effect of TMS is a consequence of its sulfhydryl group oxidising activity. The molecular target(s) of this inhibitory oxidation should however be identified. In contrast to DTT, okadaic acid (OA), known to bypass the inhibitory effect of drugs interfering with protein kinase activities, only induces chromatin condensation and GVBD in TMS‐pulsed oocytes with a delay of about 8 hr as compared to the control situation. This confirms that a very early thiol oxidation induced by TMS exerts a much more dramatic effect on resumption on meiosis than any pharmacological manipulation of protein kinase activities leading to activation of MPF. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 65: 454–461, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An optimal nonlinear Galerkin method with mixed finite elements for the steady Navier‐Stokes equations
Authors: He Yinnian , Wang Aiwen , Chen Zhangxin , Li Kaitai 
Published: June 2003

AbstractAn optimal nonlinear Galerkin method with mixed finite elements is developed for solving the two‐dimensional steady incompressible Navier‐Stokes equations. This method is based on two finite element spaces XH and Xh for the approximation of velocity, defined on a coarse grid with grid size H and a fine grid with grid size h ≪ H, respectively, and a finite element space Mh for the approximation of pressure. We prove that the difference in appropriate norms between the solutions of the nonlinear Galerkin method and a classical Galerkin method is of the order of H5. If we choose H = O(h2/5), these two methods have a convergence rate of the same order. We numerically demonstrate that the optimal nonlinear Galerkin method is efficient and can save a large amount of computational time. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 19: 762–775, 2003.
Managing the transformation to e‐government: An Australian perspective
Authors: Clark Eugene 
Published: June 2003

AbstractAustralia is recognized as a leading country in the move to an information economy, and the Australian
government has played a pivotal role in this transformation. This commentary outlines some of the key issues
confronting Australia as it moves towards its policy goal of achieving e‐government. Although governments
differ in the pace and nature of reforms required to bring about the transformation to e‐government, many
of the underlying issues are the same for most governments. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A training program on exclusive breastfeeding in maternity wards
Authors: Labarere J. , Castell M. , Fourny M. , Durand M. , Pons J.‐C. 
Published: June 2003

AbstractObjectives: To estimate whether a 3‐day training program for health professionals was followed by changes in maternity ward practices and in the rate of exclusive breastfeeding. Methods: A retrospective study in the maternity ward of a French university hospital involved two cross‐sectional samples of 323 mother–infant pairs in 1997 and 324 in 2000. Results: The rate of exclusive breastfeeding at discharge increased from 15.8% (12.0–20.2) in the before sample to 35.2% (30.0–40.6) in the after sample (P<0.01). This result persisted in the multivariable analysis [adjusted odds ratio, 2.74 (1.72–4.37)]. Infants in the before sample were less likely to be breastfed within 1 h of birth (9.2% vs. 16.9%, P=0.01), to room‐in 24 h/day (56.6% vs. 72.6%, P<0.01), and were more likely to receive formula supplementation (77.6% vs. 54.0%, P<0.01). Conclusions: A training program for health professionals can be effective in improving maternity ward practices and increasing exclusive breastfeeding rate at discharge.
Ectopic pregnancy and emergency care: ethical and legal issues
Authors: Dickens B.M. , Faúndes A. , Cook R.J. 
Published: June 2003

AbstractEctopic or tubal pregnancy presents a medical emergency that requires prompt treatment in order to contain risks of maternal death and morbidity, including loss of future fertility. Medical circumstances involving individual patients and resources of the prevailing health care system will determine the options and means of treatment. Termination of ectopic pregnancy does not constitute or directly implicate abortion. Any practice of deliberately delaying treatment of reliably diagnosed ectopic pregnancy, on non‐clinical grounds, until rupture of the fallopian tube has occurred or is imminent, in order to justify termination of the ectopic pregnancy on grounds of saving the patient's life, is unethical and illegal. Those who undertake or counsel deliberate delay of medically‐indicated treatment can be charged with criminal offences and civil (non‐criminal) liability, and medical professional misconduct. On reliable diagnosis, prompt treatment to remove ectopic pregnancy is legally justified, and ethically and legally required.
New type of snRNP containing nuclear bodies in plant cells
Authors: Niedojadło Janusz , Górska‐Brylass Alicja 
Published: June 2003

AbstractIn larch (Larix decidua Mill.) microspores a new type of nuclear bodies has been found which are an element of the spatial organization of the splicing system in plant cell. These are bizonal bodies, ultrastructurally differentiated into a coiled part and a dense part. Using immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization at the EM level, the coiled part of the bizonal body was found to contain snRNA including U2 snRNA, Sm proteins and nucleolar proteins of the agyrophilic type and fibrillarin. The dense part contains Sm proteins but lacks snRNA. Such a separation of macromolecules related to splicing occurring within the bizonal bodies microspore is striking by the similarity of these bodies to amphibian oocyte snurposomes. The occurrence in plant cells, beside widely known coiled bodies (CBs), also of other nuclear bodies related to splicing proves that in plants similarly as for animals the differentiation among domains containing elements of the splicing system occurs.
Weak solutions for a hyperbolic system with unilateral constraint and mass loss
Authors: Berthelin F , Bouchut F 
Published: June 2003

We consider isentropic gas dynamics equations with unilateral constraint on the density and mass loss. The

γ

and pressureless pressure laws are considered. We propose an entropy weak formulation of the system that incorporates the constraint and Lagrange multiplier, for which we prove weak stability and existence of solutions. The nonzero pressure model is approximated by a kinetic BGK relaxation model, while the pressureless model is approximated by a sticky-blocks dynamics with mass loss.

Résumé

Nous considérons les équations de la dynamique des gaz isentropique avec contrainte unilatérale sur la densité et perte de masse. Les lois de pression

γ

et sans pression sont considérées. Nous proposons une formulation faible entropique du système qui incorpore la contrainte et le multiplicateur de Lagrange, pour laquelle nous montrons la stabilité faible et l’existence de solutions. Le modèle avec pression non nulle est approché par un modèle de relaxation BGK cinétique, tandis que le modèle sans pression est approché par une dynamique de bouchons collants avec perte de masse.
Asymptotic behavior of ground states of quasilinear elliptic problems with two vanishing parameters, Part II
Authors: Gazzola Filippo , Peletier Bert , Pucci Patrizia , Serrin James 
Published: June 2003

We study the pointwise asymptotic behavior of the radially symmetric ground state solution of a quasilinear elliptic equation involving the

m

-Laplacian in

ℝ^n

with two competing parameters. Roughly speaking, the first parameter

ε

measures the distance to a critical growth problem while the second parameter

δ

measures the weight of the “linear” term. We obtain the exact asymptotic behavior of the ground state, for any

1<m<n

, both at the origin and outside the origin, when the equation tends to critical growth (

ε→0

). We also obtain the “equilibrium relation” between

ε

and

δ

so that when they both vanish according to this relation, ground states neither blow up nor vanish. The results of this paper complete the description begun in [F. Gazzola, J. Serrin, Ann. Inst. H. Poincaré AN 19 (2002) 477–504].

Résumé

Nous étudions le comportement asymptotique ponctuel de l’état fondamental à symétrie radiale d’une équation elliptique quasilinéaire contenant le

m

-Laplacien en

ℝ^n

avec deux paramètres en compétition. En gros, le premier paramètre

ε

mesure la distance d’un problème à croissance critique tandis que le second paramètre

δ

mesure le poids du terme “linéaire”. Nous obtenons le comportement asymptotique exact de l’état fondamental, pour tout

1<m<n

, aussi bien à l’origine que ailleurs, lorsque l’équation tend à la croissance critique (

ε→0

). Nous obtenons également la “relation d’équilibre” entre

ε

et

δ

de façon que lorsqu’ils convergent vers 0 en respectant cette relation, l’état fondamental n’explose ni ne converge vers la solution nulle. Les résultats de ce papier complètent la description commencée en [F. Gazzola, J. Serrin, Ann. Inst. H. Poincaré AN 19 (2002) 477–504].
A Bayesian maximum entropy reconstruction of stock distribution and inference of stock density from line-transect acoustic-survey data
Authors: Brierley Andrew S. , Gull Stephen F. , Wafy Maged H. 
Published: June 2003

AbstractWe present a maximum-entropy (MaxEnt) method for inferring stock density and mapping stock distribution from acoustic line-transect data. MaxEnt is founded on the bedrock of probability theory and allows the most efficient possible use of known data in the inference process. The method takes explicit account of spatial correlation in the observed data and seeks to reconstruct a distribution of density across the whole survey area that is both consistent with the observed data and for which the entropy is maximized. The method is iterative and uses the Bayesian approach of evaluating the posterior probability of a candidate solution under the constraint of the observed data to progress towards a converged solution. We apply the method to reconstruct maps of the distribution of Antarctic krill throughout areas 100 × 80 km2. Survey data were integrated at 0.5-km intervals along ten 80-km transects, giving approximately 1600 observed data points. We inferred the krill density for all 32 000 0.5 × 0.5 km2 cells in the area. The method is demanding computationally, but appears to work well even in cases when the distribution of density is highly skewed. The MaxEnt technique has proved to be powerful for reconstructing quantitative images from incomplete and noisy physical data (e.g. radio-telescope data): we suggest that it has utility in biological systems too and could be of benefit to the fisheries-acoustics community, increasing the accuracy of acoustic estimates of stock density and generating better maps of stock distribution.
Material properties of North Atlantic cod eggs and early-stage larvae and their influence on acoustic scattering
Authors: Chu Dezhang , Wiebe Peter H. , Copley Nancy J. , Lawson Gareth L. , Puvanendran Velmurugu 
Published: June 2003

Abstract
To study the acoustic signatures of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) at different biological stages from eggs to early-stage larvae (<37 days post-hatch), we conducted a series of experiments to estimate their sound-speed and density contrasts. A laboratory version of the “Acoustic Properties of Zooplankton” system was used. Sound speed was estimated by means of travel time between two transducers using a broadband acoustic signal (∼300–600 kHz). Density was estimated using a dual-density method in which two fluids of different densities were employed. It was found that the density contrasts of cod eggs and early-stage larvae were nearly all slightly less than unity (0.969–0.998), while the effective sound-speed contrasts were only slightly greater than unity (1.017–1.024) for eggs and yolk-sac stage larvae (<5 days post-hatch), and increased significantly (>1.130) for larvae older than 16 days. This change in sound-speed contrast reflected the transition of the swimbladder from an uninflated state to an inflated state. The regression relation between estimated target strength at 500 kHz and larval length in centimetres was found to be TS = 176.1 log10L − 82.4(dB). The inflation ratio of the swimbladder for early-stage larvae was an exponential function of time. The predicted period of time until full swimbladder inflation was 43.3 days.
Characterizing uncertainty in target-strength measurements of a deepwater fish: orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus)
Authors: Kloser R.J , Horne J.K 
Published: June 2003

Abstract
The variability of ensemble 38 kHz, target-strength (TS38) estimates for orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) (4.9 dB, factor of 3.1) in deep water (>600 m) limits the use of echo integration for absolute-biomass estimates. Orange roughy are high in oil content, have a wax-ester swimbladder, and show an active-avoidance response to sampling gear. The interpretations of ensemble, in situ target strengths of orange roughy (range 〈TS38〉=−52.9 to −51.0 dB for standard fish length 〈SL〉 = 35 cm) are lower than previous model and surface-based measurements (〈TS38〉 = −48 dB, SL = 35 cm). In situ TS measurements from individuals on the periphery of dense schools were processed to minimize uncertainties from single-target selection criteria, species composition, and active avoidance. Video and acoustic-tracking data quantified the variability in TS measurements arising from the variability in fish orientation. Multi-frequency acoustics and fish tracking are used to quantify in situ TS variability due to species identification and fish density. The Kirchhoff-ray-mode backscatter model was used to illustrate the sensitivity of species-specific backscatter to assumptions of tilt-angle and material properties (density and sound-speed contrasts). We conclude that a remaining source of uncertainty for in situ TS measurements is the assumption that dispersed targets are representative of the survey population.
A method for evaluating the effects of biological factors on fish target strength
Authors: Hazen Elliott L , Horne John K 
Published: June 2003

Abstract
Understanding the relationship between fish biology and target strength potentially improves the accuracy of acoustic assessments. The effects of individual biological factors (e.g., length, tilt, and depth) on backscatter amplitude have been examined, but the relative contribution of each factor has not been quantified. Dimensionless ratios, which facilitate comparison of disparate quantities, were used to evaluate the effects of individual biological factors on echo intensities. Ratios from 25 adult walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) were calculated using a Kirchhoff-ray-mode, backscatter model parameterized for each fish. This comparative approach can be used to identify the influence of biological factors on backscatter intensity and is potentially a tool for improving accuracy when converting acoustic size to fish length.
Time-based signal characteristics as predictors of fish size and species for a side-looking hydroacoustic application in a river
Authors: Burwen Debby L , Fleischman Steven J , Miller James D , Jensen Mark E 
Published: June 2003

Abstract
Side-looking, fixed-location sonar is used to estimate the abundance of migrating chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Kenai River, Alaska. For this application, echo-envelope length has previously been shown to predict fish size better than target strength. Using tethered-fish experiments we generalize these findings to other hydroacoustic descriptors based on time measurements, including range-measurement variability and fish lateral movement. These variables are all descriptors of the echo signal through time. Measurements of these attributes were correlated with daily indices of the species composition of unrestrained fish passing the sonar site. We hypothesize that time-based characteristics are superior predictors of fish size because they capitalize on, or are robust to, the factors which compromise amplitude-based measurements with side-looking sonar.
Improved techniques for studying the temporal and spatial behavior of fish in a fixed location
Authors: Ehrenberg John E , Steig Tracey W 
Published: June 2003

Abstract
There are many situations when it is important to know accurately the behavior of fish as a function of time and space in a fixed, three-dimensional volume. One example is the optimal design of techniques that minimize the mortality of fish approaching hydroelectric dams or the cooling intakes of a power plant. The behavior of fish in other fixed volumes, such as estuaries and open rivers, is also of interest in the case of many migrating fish stocks. Both active (echosounding) and passive systems based on acoustic-emitting tags implanted in fish have been used to collect behavioral data. Active acoustic systems, including those with electronically and mechanically steered beams, only insonify a small part of the total volume of interest at any given time. Tag systems, on the other hand, can be used to monitor the behavior of tagged fish over the entire volume. A number of advances in the implementation, deployment, and analysis of acoustic-tag systems have been made over the past few years. These improvements include techniques for positioning optimally the receiving hydrophones to minimize the location measurement errors, the development of acoustic-signal waveforms that provide both unique target identification and accurate location estimates, and the development of tracking algorithms that associate and track the multiple returns from an individual fish. These various techniques are described. Guidelines are presented for selecting the various parameters for the tag system, including the positions of the hydrophones. Specific examples that compare the predicted and actual performance of the tag systems are described.
Tyrosine phosphorylation is involved in Ca2+entry in human gingival fibroblasts
Authors: Ogata Yorimasa , Nakao Sumi , Shimizu Emi , Matsuda‐Honjyo Yuko , Yamazaki Muneyoshi , Furuyama Shunsuke , Sugiya Hiroshi 
Published: June 2003

AbstractBradykinin (1 μM) and histamine (100 μM) evoked an initial transient increase and a subsequent sustained increase in intracellular Ca2+concentration ([Ca2+]i) in fura‐2‐loaded human gingival fibroblasts, which may be attributed to Ca2+release from intracellular stores and Ca2+entry from extracellular sites, respectively. In fibroblasts pretreated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as herbimycin A (1 μM) and tyrphostin 47 (20 μM), the sustained level of [Ca2+]iinduced by bradykinin and histamine increased, but not the initial peak level. In the absence of external Ca2+, bradykinin and histamine induced only the transient increase in [Ca2+]i, but a subsequent addition of Ca2+to the medium resulted in a sustained increase in [Ca2+]icaused by Ca2+entry. Thapsigargin, an inhibitor of Ca2+‐ATPase in inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate‐sensitive Ca2+stores, mimicked the effect of bradykinin and histamine. In the fibroblasts pretreated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, the bradykinin‐, histamine‐ and thapsigargin‐induced Ca2+entry was clearly enhanced, but not the transient [Ca2+]iincrease. Tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor benzylphosphonic acid (200 μM) had no effect on Ca2+entry or transient [Ca2+]iincrease. These results suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation is involved in Ca2+entry in human gingival fibroblasts.
Secondary hyperalgesia and presynaptic inhibition: an update
Authors: Cervero Fernando , Laird Jennifer M.A. , García‐Nicas Esther 
Published: June 2003

AbstractOne of the most prominent features of secondary hyperalgesia is touch‐evoked pain, i.e., pain evoked by dynamic tactile stimuli applied to areas adjacent or remote from the originating injury. It is generally accepted that the neurobiological mechanism of this sensory alteration involves the central nervous system (CNS) so that incoming impulses in low‐threshold mechanoreceptors from the area of secondary hyperalgesia can evoke painful sensations instead of touch. Some years ago we proposed a mechanistic model for this form of pain based on presynaptic interactions in the spinal dorsal horn between the terminals of low‐threshold mechanoreceptors and of nociceptors. Here we review the evidence gathered in support of this model in the intervening years with special reference to experimental studies of antidromic activity (Dorsal Root Reflexes – DRRs) in nociceptive afferents and on the acquisition of low‐threshold inputs by nociceptor‐specific neurons in the spinal dorsal horn. We also discuss and identify potential molecular mechanisms that may underlie the presynaptic interaction model and therefore that could be responsible for the development of secondary hyperalgesia.
A retrospective study of non-specific rhinitis in 22 cats and the value of nasal cytology and histopathology
Authors: Michiels L , Day M.J , Snaps F , Hansen P , Clercx C 
Published: June 2003

Case records from 40 cats subjected to rhinoscopic examination for investigation of chronic nasal disease were reviewed. Cases in which no specific underlying cause (eg neoplasia) was detected were further selected for detailed retrospective study. In these 22 cats (55% of the initial population), a final diagnosis of non-specific chronic nasal disease was made. The radiographic, rhinoscopic, cytological and histopathological findings were reviewed. Mucosal biopsy specimens were obtained in 20 cases. Despite clinical signs of more than 4 weeks duration, histopathology indicated acute inflammation in four cases. Two cases had chronic lymphoplasmacytic inflammation and 14 had mixed (lymphoplasmacytic and neutrophilic) inflammation. Specimens for cytology were obtained from 17 cases by brush sampling. Three of these samples were not diagnostic due to the poor quality of the slides; one showed normal cytology. Acute inflammation was diagnosed by cytology ( n=11) more commonly than chronic ( n=1) or mixed inflammation ( n=1). Concurrent samples, of quality suitable for both histopathological and cytological interpretation, were collected from 12 cases only. Cytological results were in agreement with the histological results in 25% of these cases, the main discrepancy being the nature of the dominant inflammatory cell type. Therefore cytology does not appear to be a reliable means for detection of chronic inflammation. Further studies are needed in order to investigate the correlation between the nature of mucosal inflammation as defined by both histological and cytological evaluation, and the relationship of these test results to prognosis and therapy.