bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular autonomic function and sympathetic skin response in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy
Authors: Lyu Rong‐Kuo , Tang Lok‐Ming , Wu Yih‐Ru , Chen Sien‐Tsong 
Published: October 2002

AbstractQuantitative cardiovascular autonomic function tests (AFTs) and sympathetic skin response (SSR) were performed in 12 patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). Parasympathetic autonomic function was examined by Valsalva ratio and R‐R interval variation during rest and deep breathing. Sympathetic autonomic function was evaluated by blood pressure responses to sustained handgrip and active standing. Using quantitative AFTs, subclinical autonomic dysfunction was demonstrated in three (25%) patients. Abnormal SSR was seen in six (50%) patients. Thus, mild autonomic dysfunction is present in many CIDP patients. The autonomic abnormalities involve parasympathetic or sympathetic components; in the sympathetic nervous system, both vasomotor and sudomotor fibers may be involved. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Muscle Nerve 26: 669–672, 2002
Surface EMG crosstalk between knee extensor muscles: Experimental and model results
Authors: Farina Dario , Merletti Roberto , Indino Barbara , Nazzaro Marisa , Pozzo Marco 
Published: October 2002

AbstractSurface electromyographic (EMG) crosstalk between vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and rectus femoris muscles was evaluated by selective electrical stimulation of one muscle and recording from the stimulated and another muscle with linear surface arrays of eight electrodes. The ratio between the amplitude of the signals recorded over nonstimulated and stimulated muscles and their correlation coefficient were used as indices to quantify crosstalk. Single‐differential and double‐differential detection systems were used with interelectrode distances in the range 10–40 mm. The multichannel EMG signals clearly showed that crosstalk is largely due to nonpropagating potentials that correspond in time to the end of the propagation of the action potentials generated by the stimulated muscle. The crosstalk signal increased with increasing interelectrode distance and was statistically higher for single‐ than for double‐differential recordings. The correlation‐based indices of crosstalk were poorly correlated with the amplitude‐based indices. Moreover, the characteristic spectral frequencies of the signals detected over the nonstimulated muscles were statistically higher than those from the stimulated muscles. A mathematical model of signal generation was used to explain the experimental findings. This study clarifies many controversial findings of past investigations and creates the basis for crosstalk interpretation, simulation, and reduction. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Muscle Nerve 26: 681–695, 2002
Inhibition of dystroglycan binding to laminin disrupts the PI3K/AKT pathway and survival signaling in muscle cells
Authors: Langenbach K.J. , Rando T.A. 
Published: October 2002

AbstractDystroglycan is a component of the dystrophin–glycoprotein complex (DGC) in muscle and a cell surface receptor for laminin. Numerous muscular dystrophies are the result of disruption of proteins comprising the DGC, but the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms are unknown. Because apoptosis is an early feature of muscular dystrophy in vivo, and perturbation of cell–extracellular matrix associations is known to induce apoptosis, we investigated the role of dystroglycan–laminin interactions in the propagation and maintenance of cell survival signals in muscle cells. We found that disrupting the interaction between α‐dystroglycan and the extracellular matrix protein laminin induces apoptosis in muscle cells. This increase in apoptosis is mediated in part by caspase activation and can be blocked by a caspase‐3 inhibitor. We demonstrate a role for the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway in muscle cell–survival signaling using a pharmacological inhibitor of PI3K. Treatment with this inhibitor resulted in decreased phosphorylation of AKT and its downstream effector glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)‐3β and induced apoptosis in muscle cell cultures. Disruption of dystroglycan–laminin interactions resulted in decreased phosphorylation of AKT and GSK‐3β. Furthermore, activation of AKT prior to the disruption of dystroglycan–laminin protected the muscle cells from the induction of apoptosis. These results support a role for the PI3K/AKT pathway in the propagation of cell‐survival signals mediated by the DGC and provide new insight into the molecular pathogenesis associated with the development of muscular dystrophies. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Muscle Nerve 26: 644–653, 2002
Wave properties of action potentials from fast and slow motor units of rats
Authors: Wakeling James M. , Syme Douglas A. 
Published: October 2002

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to identify the frequency, conduction velocity, and wavelength of fast and slow motor unit action potentials (MUAPs) from mixed mammalian muscle. Stimulation and blocking pulses to the sciatic nerve produced varying recruitment patterns (confirmed by force measurements) of fast and slow motor units of the medial gastrocnemius of six rats. Myoelectric signals from the muscle were resolved into their intensity in time and frequency space. Slow MUAPs had a mean frequency (± SEM) of 183 ± 8 Hz, conduction velocity of 3.5 ± 0.6 m s−1, and wavelength of 19 mm. Fast MUAPs had a mean frequency of 369 ± 11 Hz, conduction velocity of 6.7 ± 0.5 m s−1, and wavelength of 18 mm. Frequency and conduction velocity, but not wavelength, were significantly different between the fast and slow MUAPs. The distinct wave properties of fast and slow MUAPs can thus be used to distinguish action potentials from these motor units, and could be used to determine patterns of motor unit recruitment during locomotion. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Muscle Nerve 26: 659–668, 2002
Ion channel and striational antibodies define a continuum of autoimmune neuromuscular hyperexcitability
Authors: Vernino Steven , Lennon Vanda A. 
Published: October 2002

AbstractNeuromuscular hyperexcitability is a characteristic of Isaacs' syndrome. Autoantibodies specific for voltage‐gated potassium channels (VGKC) or ganglionic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChR) are markers of this disorder. To determine the frequency of these ion channel antibodies and of related neuron‐ and muscle‐specific antibodies in patients with acquired neuromuscular hyperexcitability, we tested serum specimens from 77 affected patients (35 neuromyotonia, 32 cramp‐fasciculation syndrome, 5 rippling muscle syndrome, and 5 focal neuromuscular hyperexcitability) and 85 control subjects. Among study patients, 14% had coexisting myasthenia gravis, and 16% had an associated neoplasm. We found that 35% had VGKC antibodies, 12% ganglionic AChR antibodies, 16% muscle AChR antibodies, and 10% striational antibodies. Overall, 55% had serological evidence of neurological autoimmunity compared to 2% of control subjects. Patients with neuromyotonia were more frequently seropositive (71%) than patients with cramp‐fasciculation syndrome (31%). We conclude that acquired neuromuscular hyperexcitability consists of a continuum of clinical disorders with a common autoimmune pathogenesis. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Muscle Nerve 26: 702–707, 2002
Direct, partitioned and projected solution to finite element consolidation models
Authors: Gambolati Giuseppe , Pini Giorgio , Ferronato Massimiliano 
Published: October 2002

AbstractDirect, partitioned, and projected (conjugate gradient‐like) solution approaches are compared on unsymmetric indefinite systems arising from the finite element integration of coupled consolidation equations. The direct method is used in its most recent and computationally efficient implementations of the Harwell Software Library. The partitioned approach designed for coupled problems is especially attractive as it addresses two separate positive definite problems of a smaller size that can be solved by symmetric conjugate gradients. However, it may stagnate and when converging it does not prove competitive with a global projection method such as Bi‐CGSTAB, which may take full advantage of its flexibility in working on scaled and reordered equations, and thus may greatly improve its computational performance in terms of both robustness and convergence rate. The Bi‐CGSTAB superiority to the other approaches is discussed and demonstrated with a few representative examples in two‐dimensional (2‐D) and three‐dimensional (3‐D) coupled consolidation problems. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Numerical analysis of pile behaviour under lateral loads in layered elastic–plastic soils
Authors: Yang Zhaohui , Jeremić Boris 
Published: October 2002

AbstractThis paper presents results from a finite element study on the behaviour of a single pile in elastic–plastic soils. Pile behaviour in uniform sand and clay soils as well as cases with sand layer in clay deposit and clay layer in sand deposit were analysed and cross compared to investigate layering effects. Finite element results were used to generate p–y curves and then compared with those obtained from methods commonly used in practice. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Elastic solutions for stresses in a transversely isotropic half‐space subjected to three‐dimensional buried parabolic rectangular loads
Authors: Wang Cheng‐Der , Liao Jyh‐Jong 
Published: October 2002

AbstractIn many areas of engineering practice, applied loads are not uniformly distributed but often concentrated towards the centre of a foundation. Thus, loads are more realistically depicted as distributed as linearly varying or as parabola of revolution. Solutions for stresses in a transversely isotropic half‐space caused by concave and convex parabolic loads that act on a rectangle have not been derived. This work proposes analytical solutions for stresses in a transversely isotropic half‐space, induced by three‐dimensional, buried, linearly varying/uniform/parabolic rectangular loads. Load types include an upwardly and a downwardly linearly varying load, a uniform load, a concave and a convex parabolic load, all distributed over a rectangular area. These solutions are obtained by integrating the point load solutions in a Cartesian co‐ordinate system for a transversely isotropic half‐space. The buried depth, the dimensions of the loaded area, the type and degree of material anisotropy and the loading type for transversely isotropic half‐spaces influence the proposed solutions. An illustrative example is presented to elucidate the effect of the dimensions of the loaded area, the type and degree of rock anisotropy, and the type of loading on the vertical stress in the isotropic/transversely isotropic rocks subjected to a linearly varying/uniform/parabolic rectangular load. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The fractional matching numbers of graphs
Authors: Liu Yan , Liu Guizhen 
Published: October 2002

AbstractA fractional matching of a graph G is a function f that assigns to each edge a number in [0, 1] such that, for each vertex v, ∑ f(e) ≤ 1, where the sum is taken over all edges incident to v. The fractional matching number of G is the supremum of ∑e∈E(G) f(e) over all fractional matchings f. In this paper, we provide a new formula for calculating the fractional matching numbers of graphs using the Gallai–Edmonds Structure Theorem. Thus, we characterize graphs for which the fractional matching number equals the matching number and graphs for which the fractional matching number is the maximum possible (one‐half the number of vertices). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Combinatorial algorithms for inverse network flow problems
Authors: Ahuja Ravindra K. , Orlin James B. 
Published: October 2002

AbstractAn inverse optimization problem is defined as follows: Let S denote the set of feasible solutions of an optimization problem P, let c be a specified cost vector, and x0 ∈ S. We want to perturb the cost vector c to d so that x0 is an optimal solution of P with respect to the cost vector d, and w∥d − c∥p is minimum, where ∥ · ∥p denotes some selected lp norm and w is a vector of weights. In this paper, we consider inverse minimum‐cut and minimum‐cost flow problems under the l1 normal (where the objective is to minimize ∑j∈Jwj|dj − cj| for some index set J of variables) and under the l∞ norm (where the objective is to minimize max{wj|dj − cj|: j ∈ J}). We show that the unit weight (i.e., wj = 1 for all j ∈ J) inverse minimum‐cut problem under the l1 norm reduces to solving a maximum‐flow problem, and under the l∞ norm, it requires solving a polynomial sequence of minimum‐cut problems. The unit weight inverse minimum‐cost flow problem under the l1 norm reduces to solving a unit capacity minimum‐cost circulation problem, and under the l∞ norm, it reduces to solving a minimum mean cycle problem. We also consider the nonunit weight versions of inverse minimum‐cut and minimum‐cost flow problems under the l∞ norm. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Identification of novel protein‐coding genes from human fetal hippocampus ESTs database
Authors: Ding Keyue , Sun Xiaojing , Zhou Min , Cai Jingjing , Cai Tianjing , Zhang Yan , Zhu Tong , Zhang Zhengguo , Qiang Boqin , Shen Yan 
Published: October 2002

AbstractWe presented a procedure to identify novel protein‐coding genes from human fetal hippocampus ESTs database generated in our previous study. The protocol is involved in searching the GenBank non‐redundant (nr) protein database with ESTs coding regions query. We used ESTScan program to detect and reconstruct coding regions in the ESTs sequence data. With almost 10,000 raw ESTs analyzed, 4,061 coding regions were extracted. The corresponding amino acid sequences were then searched against the GenBank nr‐protein databases; all the similarity hits were parsed in a homology analysis workbench. 22 ESTs were identified as the “seed” ESTs, which might be the fragment of the novel protein‐coding genes. Indeed, further analysis of these ESTs in full‐length cDNA cloning in silico, as well as the mapping information in UCSC and the added experimental proof, verified the effectiveness of the strategy. Taking advantage of rare ESTs resources, and the effective strategy, we would explore more novel genes in the human genome.[The ESTs sequence data described in this paper have been submitted to the GenBank data library (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/dbEST) under accession nos. BM174886‐958, BM259607‐9; and the full length cDNA sequence can be obtained in http://www.chgb.org.cn/hippocampus.htm]
Effect of penicillin induced epilepsy seizure on granulare cell layer of dentate gyrus in rat: a stereological study
Authors: Adiguzel Esat , Akdogan Ilgaz , Duzcan S. Ender , Tufan A. Cevik 
Published: October 2002

AbstractNonstereological methods have been the prefrence of investigators in the field of neuron counting. Development of stereological methods in biological sciences improved the reliability of neuroscientific investigations. This study was designed to investigate the effect of penicillin induced epilepsy seizure on total cell number of granulare cell layer of dentate gyrus. Optical fractionator method, one of the unbiased stereological methods, was used to estimate the total cell number. Seizure was observed and recorded in EEG 3–4 minutes after intracortical injection of 500 IU penicillin‐G. Rat brains were removed one week later from penicillin‐G introduction. The number of neurons in the granulare cell layer of dentate gyrus was less in the experimental group (111728±14110) compared to that in the control group (120228±16718). This difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05).
Novel elastomeric polyurethanes with pendant epoxy groups as highly reactive auxiliary groups for further derivatizations
Authors: Alferiev Ivan S. 
Published: October 2002

AbstractThe introduction of pendant, reactive groups into polyurethane macromolecules is a challenging problem. A variant of the nondegradative modification of polyurethanes with epoxy groups attached to the urethane sites is proposed. Two types of commercial elastomeric segmented polyurethanes, represented by a poly(ether urethane) and a poly(urethane urea), were functionalized by base‐induced N‐glycidylation of the urethane hard segments with an excess of epibromohydrin in dimethylacetamide solutions at low temperatures. This resulted in the modification of polymers with 0.30–0.44 mmol/g of pendant epoxy groups. Lithium or potassium tert‐butoxides were used as bases to initiate the reaction. A nonpolymeric urethane model (ethyl N‐p‐tolylcarbamoate) was used to verify the course of glycidylation. One of the polymers was subjected to epoxy ring opening with 1‐propanethiol, demonstrating the versatility of pendant glycidyl groups as auxiliary groups for further bulk modifications of polyurethanes. These functionalized polyurethanes are useful for the further covalent attachment of suitable moieties (stabilizing or biocompatibility‐enhancing agents). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4378–4385, 2002
Characterization and degradation behavior of poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate)s
Authors: Herrera Ricard , Franco Lourdes , Rodríguez‐Galán Alfonso , Puiggalí Jordi 
Published: October 2002

AbstractRandom copolyesters based on 1,4‐butanediol and different ratios between adipic and terephthalic units were synthesized from thermal polycondensation of the appropriate mixture of monomers or by melt transesterification of the mixture of homopolymers. 1H NMR spectroscopy makes feasible the study of the average block lengths of polymers once synthesized and after degradation in different media. Calorimetric data are reported, including those referred to the study of isothermal and nonisothermal crystallizations. Degradability of samples was evaluated by different methods including NMR and thermal analysis, evaluation of molecular weight by gel permeation chromatography or from intrinsic viscosity measures, scanning electron micrographs, and changes in mechanical properties. Distilled water at 70 °C acidic conditions provided by a pH 2.3 aqueous medium and enzymatic media containing lipases from Pseudomonas cepacia or Candida cylindracea were considered in this study. The degradability of the studied copolyesters strongly depends on the terephthalate content and the degradation media. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4141–4157, 2002
Fluorinated poly(arylene ether ketone)s bearing pentafluorostyrene moieties prepared by a modified polycondensation
Authors: Ding Jianfu , Liu Futian , Li Mei , Day Michael , Zhou Ming 
Published: October 2002

AbstractThe polycondensation of decafluorobenzophenone with hexafluorobisphenol A was modified by the addition of a molecular sieve dehydrating apparatus to the refluxing reaction system. This modification promoted the polymerization and enabled the reactions to be conducted in milder conditions and completed in a shorter time, thereby depressing side reactions such as branching and crosslinking. The resulting fluorinated poly(arylene ether ketone)s (FPAEK) were free of gel particles and possessed the designed molecular weights. This modified procedure was also suitable for introducing crosslinkable pentafluorostyrene (FSt) moieties into the polymers at the chain ends and/or inside the chain with the vinyl group of FSt being pendant. The resulting FSt containing fluorinated poly(arylene ether ketone)s (FPAEK‐FSt) can then be thermally crosslinked at 100 °C in the presence of 1% benzoyl peroxide (BPO) or at 250 °C without any initiator. The glass‐transition temperatures (Tg's) of FPAEK increased with increasing molecular weight and leveled off at about 147 °C for the polymer with a number‐average molecular weight of 18,600 Da, whereas the values were not apparently affected by the addition of FSt units. However, crosslinking of the FPAEK‐FSt resulted in an approximate 30 °C increase of the Tg. Spin‐coating FPAEK‐FSt onto silicon wafers followed by crosslinking gave films with excellent thermal stability, physical strength, and adhesion to the substrate as well as good reproducibility in terms of film preparation and optical properties. The refractive index and birefringence of the films measured at a wavelength of 1.55 μm were 1.502 and 2.5 × 10−3, respectively. © 2002 Government of Canada. Exclusive worldwide publication rights in the article have been transferred to Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4205–4216, 2002
Thermally stable nonlinear optical polyurea functionalized by multiple charge‐transfer chromophore
Authors: Yang Zhou , Li Shaojun , Ye Cheng 
Published: October 2002

AbstractA novel high glass‐transition temperature (272 °C) polyurea functionalized by a multiple charge‐transfer chromophore, 2‐{4‐[4,5‐bis(4‐nitrophenyl)imidazolyl]phenyl}‐4,5‐bis(4‐aminophenyl)imidazole, was synthesized. Simultaneous poling and polymerization and the in situ second‐harmonic generation (SHG) measurement technique was carried out to evaluate the thermal stability of the poling‐induced orientation. The nonlinear optical coefficient d33 of poled polyurea film was 24 pm/V at 1064 nm fundamental wavelength. The SHG signal of the poled polymer film was quite stable below 200 °C and still remained 80% of its initial value after heating at 250 °C. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4297–4301, 2002
Knowledge‐based choice of the initiator type for monomer removal by postpolymerization
Authors: Ilundain Pedro , Alvarez Daniel , Da Cunha Louis , Salazar Rafael , Barandiaran María J. , Asua José M. 
Published: October 2002

AbstractThe mechanisms involved in monomer removal by postpolymerization were investigated to establish a criterion to select the most effective initiator systems. Three redox systems yielding radicals of different hydrophobicities were studied. Efficiency in monomer removal by postpolymerization increased with the hydrophobicity of the radical formed from the initiator system. This result was independent of the water solubility of the residual monomer. The mechanistic reasons for this finding are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4245–4249, 2002
Synthesis and polymerization of 5‐(methacrylamido)tetrazole, a water‐soluble acidic monomer
Authors: Taden Andreas , Tait Alison H. , Kraft Arno 
Published: October 2002

AbstractThe reaction of methacryloyl chloride with 5‐aminotetrazole gave the polymerizable methacrylamide derivative 5‐(methacrylamido)tetrazole (4) in one step. The monomer had an acidic tetrazole group with a pKa value of 4.50 ± 0.01 in water methanol (2:1). Radical polymerization proceeded smoothly in dimethyl formamide or, after the conversion of monomer 4 into sodium salt 4‐Na, even in water. A superabsorbent polymer gel was obtained by the copolymerization of 4‐Na and 0.08 mol % N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide. Its water absorbency was about 200 g of water/g of polymer, although the extractable sol content of the gel turned out to be high. The consumption of 4‐Na and acrylamide (as a model compound for the crosslinker) during a radical polymerization at 57 °C in D2O was followed by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Fitting the changes in the monomer concentration to the integrated form of the copolymerization equation gave the reactivity ratios r4‐Na = 1.10 ± 0.05 and racrylamide = 0.45 ± 0.02, which did not differ much from those of an ideal copolymerization. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4333–4343, 2002