bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparative studies of 3D‐constitutive models for concrete: application to mixed‐mode fracture
Authors: Pivonka P. , Ožbolt J. , Lackner R. , Mang H. A. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractThis paper focuses on the predictive capabilities of 3D‐constitutive models for concrete when used for the simulation of mixed‐mode fracture in consequence of shear‐tensile loading. For this purpose, two types of constitutive models are chosen. Models belonging to the first type such as the extended Leon model (ELM) and two multi‐surface models are formulated within the framework of plasticity theory. The ELM (J. Eng. Mech. (ASCE) 1994; 120: 1983–2011), a single‐surface model, accounts for the dependence of the concrete strength on the Lode angle. The first multi‐surface model consists of a tension‐cut‐off for the description of tensile cracking of concrete and a Drucker–Prager surface for the description of compressive failure. To improve the description of concrete cracking, in the second multi‐surface model the tension‐cut‐off function is replaced by three Rankine surfaces.The second type of material models considered in the presented investigation is formulated on the basis of the microplane concept.The performance of the material models is investigated on both the constitutive and the structural level. On the constitutive level, re‐analyses of Willam's test are performed. For the assessment of the model performance on the structural level, a double‐edge‐notched concrete specimen is investigated. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Searching for balance: Vietnamese NGOs operating in a state‐led civil society
Authors: Lux Steven J. , Straussman Jeffrey D. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractScholars and practitioners have tried to draw the link between the emergence and growth of non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society in developing and transitional societies. While the literature on the role of NGOs in development is extensive, there is very little attention to the evolution of NGOs in the few remaining communist countries, even though China and Vietnam also display the development of indigenous NGOs. Some of the major political and operational issues concerning the evolution of NGOs in developing countries, especially their relationship with the state and, more broadly, the evolution of civil society, are magnified in one‐party states. This article describes deeper cultural forces that predate both the colonial and communist periods in Vietnam that shaped the evolution of state‐led civil society during the latter part of the 20th century. We argue that the cultural factors outlined are not necessarily appreciated by western donor models of NGOs in development, especially state‐led formation of civil society. The article draws conclusions about the implications of our analysis for international donors who have an interest in facilitating the maturation of local NGOs in Vietnam. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
State organisations as agencies: an identifiable and meaningful focus of research?
Authors: Thynne Ian 
Published: April 2004

AbstractThis article addresses the designation and study of state agencies as an important component of modern governance. It recognises that the recent interest in agencies has not been accompanied by any agreement on what actually constitutes an agency. In response, it distinguishes several types of organisations as possible candidates for agency status and thereafter classifies different applications of agencies in terms of these types. Two types are singled out for attention, with relevant lines of research being suggested. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The design of public agencies: overcoming agency costs and commitment problems
Authors: Yesilkagit Kutsal 
Published: April 2004

AbstractThis article focuses on problems of institutional design from a political perspective. It examines the problems of agentification using a principal–agent framework, and attempts to explain the choices made between problems of commitment and problems of agency. The fundamental problem addressed is the degree of autonomy possible within a broader framework of political control of policy. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Governmental autonomisation and control: the Norwegian way
Authors: Christensen Tom , Lægreid Per 
Published: April 2004

AbstractThis article examines the trade‐off between control and autonomy produced in Norway by the autonomisation, agencification and devolution resulting from a more active administrative reform policy over the past 15 years. It asks what balance exists between political control and managerial autonomy in practice, how stable it is and how political and administrative leaders view these issues in the light of their experience. It examines the broad implications of increased autonomisation as experienced by the administrative and political leadership. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Proteomic profiling of proteins decreased in hepatocellular carcinoma from patients infected with hepatitis C virus
Authors: Yokoyama Yuichiro , Kuramitsu Yasuhiro , Takashima Motonari , Iizuka Norio , Toda Toshifusa , Terai Shuji , Sakaida Isao , Oka Masaaki , Nakamura Kazuyuki , Okita Kiwamu 
Published: April 2004

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of death in Japan. It has been suggested that hepatitis C virus (HCV) plays an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis, because of high incidence among the patients. To understand the mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis after HCV infection, we performed a comparative study on the protein profiles between tumorous and nontumorous specimens from the patients infected with HCV by means of two‐dimensional electrophoresis. Eleven spots were decreased in HCC tissues from over 50% of the patients. Eight proteins out of 11 spots were identified using peptide mass fingerprinting with matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization‐time of flight‐mass spectrometry. These proteins were liver type aldolase, tropomyosin β‐chain, ketohexokinase, enoyl‐CoA hydratase, albumin, smoothelin, ferritin light chain, and arginase 1. The intensity of enoyl‐CoA hydratase, tropomyosin β‐chain, ketohexokinase, liver type aldolase, and arginase 1 was significantly different (p< 0.05). The decrease of 8 proteins was characteristic in HCC. We will discuss the implication of these proteins for the loss of function of hepatocytes and for the possibility of carcinogenesis of HCV‐related HCC.
A convenient method to extract matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry spectra from phosphate‐containing peptide mixtures
Authors: Huang Sheng‐Yu , Hsu Jue‐Liang , Morrice Nicholas A. , Wu Chin‐Jen , Chen Shu‐Hui 
Published: April 2004

AbstractHere we report that the addition of HCl or HNO3 to the matrix at a limited concentration dramatically increases the signal‐to‐noise ratio of the matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry spectrum of phosphate‐containing peptide mixtures such as those obtained from an immobilised metal affinity capture eluent or a phosphate‐containing tryptic digest. These improved spectra permitted both peptide identification and the determination of protein phosphorylation sites. In comparison to existing methods for removing salts, this method requires less sample manipulation and thus less sample loss is expected.
Industrial‐scale proteomics: From liters of plasma to chemically synthesized proteins
Authors: Rose Keith , Bougueleret Lydie , Baussant Thierry , Böhm Günter , Botti Paolo , Colinge Jacques , Cusin Isabelle , Gaertner Hubert , Gleizes Anne , Heller Manfred , Jimenez Silvia , Johnson Andrew , Kussmann Martin , Menin Laure , Menzel Christoph , Ranno Frederic , Rodriguez‐Tomé Patricia , Rogers John , Saudrais Cedric , Villain Matteo , Wetmore Diana , Bairoch Amos , Hochstrasser Denis 
Published: April 2004

AbstractHuman blood plasma is a useful source of proteins associated with both health and disease. Analysis of human blood plasma is a challenge due to the large number of peptides and proteins present and the very wide range of concentrations. In order to identify as many proteins as possible for subsequent comparative studies, we developed an industrial‐scale (2.5 liter) approach involving sample pooling for the analysis of smaller proteins (Mr generally < ca. 40 000 and some fragments of very large proteins). Plasma from healthy males was depleted of abundant proteins (albumin and IgG), then smaller proteins and polypeptides were separated into 12 960 fractions by chromatographic techniques. Analysis of proteins and polypeptides was performed by mass spectrometry prior to and after enzymatic digestion. Thousands of peptide identifications were made, permitting the identification of 502 different proteins and polypeptides from a single pool, 405 of which are listed here. The numbers refer to chromatographically separable polypeptide entities present prior to digestion. Combining results from studies with other plasma pools we have identified over 700 different proteins and polypeptides in plasma. Relatively low abundance proteins such as leptin and ghrelin and peptides such as bradykinin, all invisible to two‐dimensional gel technology, were clearly identified. Proteins of interest were synthesized by chemical methods for bioassays. We believe that this is the first time that the small proteins in human blood plasma have been separated and analyzed so extensively.
Annotation of post‐translational modifications in the Swiss‐Prot knowledge base
Authors: Farriol‐Mathis Nathalie , Garavelli John S. , Boeckmann Brigitte , Duvaud Séverine , Gasteiger Elisabeth , Gateau Alain , Veuthey Anne‐Lise , Bairoch Amos 
Published: April 2004

AbstractHigh‐throughput proteomic studies produce a wealth of new information regarding post‐translational modifications (PTMs). The Swiss‐Prot knowledge base is faced with the challenge of including this information in a consistent and structured way, in order to facilitate easy retrieval and promote understanding by biologist expert users as well as computer programs. We are therefore standardizing the annotation of PTM features represented in Swiss‐Prot. Indeed, a controlled vocabulary has been associated with every described PTM. In this paper, we present the major update of the feature annotation, and, by showing a few examples, explain how the annotation is implemented and what it means. Mod‐Prot, a future companion database of Swiss‐Prot, devoted to the biological aspects of PTMs (i.e., general description of the process, identity of the modification enzyme(s), taxonomic range, mass modification) is briefly described. Finally we encourage once again the scientific community (i.e., both individual researchers and database maintainers) to interact with us, so that we can continuously enhance the quality and swiftness of our services.
N‐Terminal myristoylation predictions by ensembles of neural networks
Authors: Bologna Guido , Yvon Cédric , Duvaud Séverine , Veuthey Anne‐Lise 
Published: April 2004

AbstractN‐terminal myristoylation is a post‐translational modification that causes the addition of a myristate to a glycine in the N‐terminal end of the amino acid chain. This work presents neural network (NN) models that learn to discriminate myristoylated and nonmyristoylated proteins. Ensembles of 25 NNs and decision trees were trained on 390 positive sequences and 327 negative sequences. Experiments showed that NN ensembles were more accurate than decision tree ensembles. Our NN predictor evaluated by the leave‐one‐out procedure, obtained a false positive error rate equal to 2.1%. That was better than the PROSITE pattern for myristoylation for which the false positive error rate was 22.3%. On a recent version of Swiss‐Prot (41.2), the NN ensemble predicted 876 myristoylated proteins, while 1150 proteins were predicted by the PROSITE pattern for myristoylation. Finally, compared to the well‐known NMT predictor, the NN predictor gave similar results. Our tool is available under http://www.expasy.org/tools/myristoylator/myristoylator.html.
Craze‐initiation kinetics in polystyrene
Authors: Tervoort T. A. , Govaert L. E. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractIn this study it is shown, for a commercial polystyrene grade, that the strain‐rate dependence of craze initiation is equivalent to that of yielding. This implies that the kinetics of craze initiation are determined by the nonlinear flow behavior, and that the actual cavitation process is governed by an additional, apparently rate‐independent, criterion. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2066–2073, 2004
The three‐phase structure and mechanical properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate)
Authors: Rastogi R. , Vellinga W. P. , Rastogi S. , Schick C. , Meijer H. E. H. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractThe relation between the mechanical properties and the microstructure of PET has been investigated, combining results from WAXS, SAXS, FTIR, DSC, and uniaxial compression tests. The rigid amorphous fraction in the PET was explicitly taken into consideration in interpreting structure–property relations. WAXS results prove that glass crystallized PET with a high volume fraction of rigid amorphous material and small crystal size, on uniaxial compression shows a considerable loss in crystalline fraction. FTIR results in combination with these WAXS results suggest that during this loss in crystallinity, short‐range conformational order is retained, while long‐range structural order is lost. At the same time, material with small crystals and a high amount of rigid amorphous material was found to show unexpectedly low yield stress. It is concluded that in the interpretation of these phenomena it is necessary to take the three‐phase structure of PET, including the rigid amorphous fraction into account. This is expected to hold for other semicrystalline polymers, where a rigid amorphous fraction is prominent, such as PHB, PBT, PEN, PEEK, etc. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2092–2106, 2004
Prostasomes are secreted from poorly differentiated cells of prostate cancer metastases
Authors: Sahlén Göran , Ahlander Anders , Frost Anders , Ronquist Gunnar , Norlén Bo Johan , Nilsson B. Ove 
Published: April 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDProstasomes are small (40–500 nm), granule‐like bodies, found in normal epithelial cells of the prostate and secreted into the prostate duct system. Also poorly differentiated prostate cancer cells are producing prostasomes, since we could isolate and purify prostasomes from vertebral metastases with biochemical methods. To find out whether these prostasomes are secreted into extracellular sites of the metastases, we used electron microscopy.METHODSSmall biopsies from vertebral metastases of prostate cancer, taken directly from the operating field at surgery, were immediately fixated, embedded in plastic and processed for electron microscopy.RESULTSWe found that prostasomes could be identified extracellularly in the interstitial tissues as well as in the cytoplasm of the metastatic cells.CONCLUSIONWe conclude that prostasomes produced by the cells of vertebral metastases of prostate cancer are distributed both intracellularly and extracellularly in the interstitial spaces of the tissue. Thus, prostasomes of metastases could perhaps be exploited as targets for immunodiagnosis and/or immunotherapy. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The potential value of (Myo)fibroblastic stromal reaction in the diagnosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma
Authors: Tomas Davor , Krušlin Božo 
Published: April 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDReactive stromal changes that occur in different human cancers probably are involved in local tumor spreading. The aim of this study was to analyze changes of the stroma in prostatic carcinoma and to establish their possible diagnostic significance.METHODSFor the definition of reactive stroma in prostate cancer Mallory trichrome method and immunohistochemical analysis of vimentin, α‐smooth muscle actin, and desmin were performed.RESULTSCompared with adjacent peritumoral tissue and stroma in benign prostatic hyperplasia, reactive stroma in prostate cancer showed increased vimentin expression, and decreased desmin expression (P < 0.05). Mallory method also showed more pronounced desmoplastic reaction in stroma of prostatic adenocarcinoma (P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONSOur study indicates that a reactive stroma, which occurs in prostatic carcinoma, could be clearly shown by Mallory method and confirmed by immunohistochemistry. We suggest that Mallory trichrome method may be used as a helpful additional diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of suspicious cases of prostatic adenocarcinoma. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Incorporating psychological influences in probabilistic cost analysis
Authors: Kujawski Edouard , Alvaro Mariana L. , Edwards William R. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractToday's typical probabilistic cost analysis assumes an “ideal” project that is devoid of the human and organizational considerations that heavily influence the success and cost of real‐world projects. In the real world “Money Allocated Is Money Spent” (MAIMS principle); cost underruns are rarely available to protect against cost overruns while task overruns are passed on to the total project cost. Realistic cost estimates therefore require a modified probabilistic cost analysis that simultaneously models the cost management strategy including budget allocation. Psychological influences such as overconfidence in assessing uncertainties, dependencies among cost elements, and risk are other important considerations that are generally not addressed. It should then be no surprise that actual project costs often exceed the initial estimates and are delivered late and/or with a reduced scope. This paper presents a practical probabilistic cost analysis model that incorporates recent findings in human behavior and judgment under uncertainty, dependencies among cost elements, the MAIMS principle, and project management practices. Uncertain cost elements are elicited from experts using the direct fractile assessment method and fitted with three‐parameter Weibull distributions. The full correlation matrix is specified in terms of two parameters that characterize correlations among cost elements in the same and in different subsystems. The analysis is readily implemented using standard Monte Carlo simulation tools such as @Risk and Crystal Ball®. The analysis of a representative design and engineering project substantiates that today's typical probabilistic cost analysis is likely to severely underestimate project cost for probability of success values of importance to contractors and procuring activities. The proposed approach provides a framework for developing a viable cost management strategy for allocating baseline budgets and contingencies. Given the scope and magnitude of the cost‐overrun problem, the benefits are likely to be significant. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 7: 000–000, 2004
Preventing human rights abuses in psychiatric establishments: the work of the CPT
Authors: Niveau G. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractThe mission of the European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT) is to visit all places where people are detained and deprived of their liberty by a public authority, in States which are signatories to the Convention. Within this context, the CPT has visited many closed psychiatric establishments. We have studied reports, which were made public concerning 78 psychiatric establishments visited by the CPT between 1990 and 2001. No act considered to be torture was reported by the CPT, but several cases of deliberate ill-treatment of patients are described. Many serious cases of dysfunction concerning staff, treatment, the use of seclusion and restraint as well as lack of adequate safeguards, were also noted by the CPT. The recommendations, comments and requests for information issued by the CPT are intended to promote the reform of these establishments in order to promote human rights, in the States visited. These recommendations as well as the CPT’s annual reports, serve as reference standards for psychiatric practice, which respect human rights.
How Software Project Risk Affects Project Performance: An Investigation of the Dimensions of Risk and an Exploratory Model*
Authors: Wallace Linda , Keil Mark , Rai Arun 
Published: April 2004

ABSTRACTTo reduce the high failure rate of software projects, managers need better tools to assess and manage software project risk. In order to create such tools, however, information systems researchers must first develop a better understanding of the dimensions of software project risk and how they can affect project performance. Progress in this area has been hindered by: (1) a lack of validated instruments for measuring software project risk that tap into the dimensions of risk that are seen as important by software project managers, and (2) a lack of theory to explain the linkages between various dimensions of software project risk and project performance. In this study, six dimensions of software project risk were identified and reliable and valid measures were developed for each. Guided by sociotechnical systems theory, an exploratory model was developed and tested. The results show that social subsystem risk influences technical subsystem risk, which, in turn, influences the level of project management risk, and ultimately, project performance. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.
Visual and olfactory cues for mate orientation behaviour in male white‐spotted longicorn beetle, Anoplophora malasiaca
Authors: Fukaya Midori , Akino Toshiharu , Yasuda Tetsuya , Yasui Hiroe , Wakamura Sadao 
Published: April 2004

AbstractOlfactory and visual cues were shown to mediate short‐distance orientation in Anoplophora malasiaca (Thomson) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). In a laboratory test, more than 80% (n = 42) of males walked straight upward when presented with an untreated surface with a 75° slope. When a freshly killed female was fixed at a short distance (10 cm ahead and 5 cm to left/right) from the starting point, 50% of males (n = 30) were oriented toward the female before direct contact. Similar behavioural responses were observed when female extract was directly applied to the slope or to a glass rod model fixed on the slope. When black, white, and transparent coloured rods with the extract were presented, the orientation response was significantly greater for black than to white and transparent rods, to which only a negligible response was observed.