bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Staged adoption of software product families
Authors: Bosch Jan 
Published: June 2005

AbstractSeveral approaches to implement the concepts of software product families exist, but there is a tendency towards a revolutionary adoption. A revolutionary adoption of software product families is, however, a high‐risk undertaking that may easily fail. Even if an iterative, evolutionary adoption is applied, there is a substantial risk that mismatches may develop in the organization due to a sub‐optimal adoption approach. Mismatches between the optimal approach and the one currently used by an organization may lead to several problems, such as a high degree of erosion, mismatches between product needs and shared components, organizational ‘noise’ and inefficient knowledge management. This article (1) presents the problems resulting from the aforementioned mismatch, (2) presents the relevant decision dimensions that define the space of alternatives, (3) discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative and (4) presents a framework for selecting the best alternative for each decision dimension based on a three‐stage adoption model. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Micro‐PIXE in ecophysiology
Authors: Przybyłowicz W. J. , Mesjasz‐Przybyłowicz J. , Migula P. , Nakonieczny M. , Augustyniak M. , Tarnawska M. , Turnau K. , Ryszka P. , Orłowska E. , Zubek Sz. , Głowacka E. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractTwo selected examples of PIXE microanalysis in ecophysiology are presented. Studies of heavy metal distributions in mycorrhizal and non‐mycorrhizal roots of Plantago lanceolata showed different filtration mechanisms of Zn/Pb and Fe/Mn, both enabling plants to cope with metals present in the environment. Studies of the mechanism used by the beetle Chrysolina pardalina to eliminate excessive amounts of Ni revealed that Malpighian tubules are responsible for the elimination of this metal from the hemolymph. In both examples GeoPIXE software was used for true elemental mapping using the Dynamic Analysis method and analysis of spectra from selected micro‐areas. Specimen thickness and matrix composition were obtained from proton backscattering spectra. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐energy PIXE using very energetic protons: quantitative analysis and cross‐sections
Authors: Denker A. , Bohne W. , Campbell J. L. , Heide P. , Hopman T. , Maxwell J. A. , Opitz‐Coutureau J. , Rauschenberg J. , Röhrich J. , Strub E. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractLatterly, PIXE using high‐energy protons has been applied effectively for the qualitative analysis of archaeological and art objects, providing information from deep inside the object. This is due to the high cross‐sections for the excitation of K‐lines of heavy elements together with the large penetration depth of high‐energy protons, resulting in analysable depth of up to several millimetres. After the extension of the GUPIX software package to proton energies of up to 100 MeV, quantitative analysis came within reach. Measurements on thin and thick metal targets, and also on alloy standards with known composition and various thickness, were performed. The concentrations obtained were compared with the certified values. The agreement was good for samples with a thickness of around 2 mm. However, for several centimetre thick samples, the heavy elements were overestimated when using the K‐lines of these elements for the data evaluation. To clarify this, K‐shell cross‐section measurements were carried out for various Z. The measurements and the results are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A perspective on the tenth international conference on particle induced x‐ray emission and its applications
Authors: Grime Geoffrey W. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractThe tenth meeting in the series of triennial International Conferences on Particle Induced X‐ray Emission (PIXE) and its Applications marks a milestone for the field. Not only is there the significance of the tenth occurrence of the meeting, reflecting perhaps a symbolic coming of age of the technique, but a new policy on publishing the proceedings has been introduced. Extended abstracts of all conference submissions have been published as a CD‐ROM, while contributions deemed by a panel of experienced PIXE scientists to represent the current status of PIXE development and applications were selected for publication in this journal, and so to be presented to a wider scientific audience than would normally be the case. The aim of this short introduction is to present an overview of the background and current state of development of PIXE to enable the succeeding papers to be seen in perspective. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improvement of reproducibility in grazing‐exit EPMA (GE‐EPMA)
Authors: Tetsuoka K. , Nagamura T. , Tsuji K. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractIn grazing exit electron probe microanalysis (GE‐EPMA), characteristic x‐rays emitted from only near surface regions of a specimen are detected at extremely low exit angles near 0°. Therefore, GE‐EPMA is useful for localized surface analysis. However, there is a practical problem with GE‐EPMA, namely, reproducibility of angle adjustment. Therefore, we developed a new instrument, a ‘laser beam and four‐separated photodetector system’, to adjust the sample inclination. It was found that the reproducibility of angle adjustment was improved by about one‐tenth by applying this system. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Self‐element secondary fluorescence enhancement in XRF analysis
Authors: Karydas A. G. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractIn XRF analysis, the need for improved quantification approaches for non‐homogeneous samples requires a better understanding of all the energy‐dispersive spectrum features, in particular, the K/L or L/M intensity ratios among the characteristic x‐rays of the same element. These ratios are affected by the secondary fluorescence contribution of the more energetic characteristic x‐rays (K‐ or L‐lines) to the corresponding one of lower energy (L‐ or M‐lines, respectively). Theoretical calculations of the secondary fluorescence contribution among the characteristic x‐ray lines of the same element (self‐element secondary fluorescence enhancement) are presented for pure element targets by means of the fundamental parameter approach. For representative cases, the calculations were also performed for different exciting monochromatic x‐ray beam energies and as a function of the target thickness. The calculations predict that for pure targets and monochromatic exciting radiation, the self‐element secondary fluorescence enhancement contributes to the primary fluorescence intensity in a non‐negligible amount, up to about 20–25%. An experimental approach is proposed for the estimation in thick pure targets of the relative increase of the Mα, β fluorescence intensity due to the L‐line self‐element secondary fluorescence enhancement. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
L x‐ray transitions in F‐like to Na‐like xenon ions determined at a room temperature electron beam ion trap
Authors: Kentsch U. , Zschornack G. , Grossmann F. , Ovsyannikov V. P. , Ullmann F. , Fritzsche S. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractFluorine‐like to sodium‐like xenon ions were investigated by wavelength‐dispersive x‐ray spectrometry at the Dresden Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) working at room temperature. In addition to the precise measurement of the L x‐ray transition energies following ionization, excitation and recombination processes in the highly charged xenon ions, the spectra were analyzed for different gas pressures in the trap. Multiconfiguration Dirac‐Fock calculations are introduced that were applied to the energies, transition probabilities and excitation cross‐sections. The production of neon‐like xenon ions was demonstrated even at very high gas pressures. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
EXAFS and XANES study of arsenic in contaminated soil
Authors: Arčon Iztok , van Elteren Johannes T. , Glass Hylke J. , Kodre Alojz , Šlejkovec Zdenka 
Published: June 2005

AbstractHistorical mining, processing and refinement of arsenic in purpose built calciners in Cornwall, UK, have resulted in extremely high contamination of soils with arsenic in some localized areas. The x‐ray absorption spectroscopic methods XANES (x‐ray absorption near‐edge structure) and EXAFS (extended x‐ray absorption fine structure) were used to retrieve arsenic molecular information, i.e. oxidation state and local structure around As atoms, in the soil from a calciner's residue dump near Camborne (which contained 8.82 wt% arsenic) and identify the most abundant modes of As bonding. The results show that arsenic is predominantly in pentavalent form, tetrahedrally bound to oxygen atoms in the first coordination sphere. Fe and Al atoms are found in the next neighbour coordination shells around As. The As–Fe and As–Al distances and coordination numbers strongly suggest that arsenate in the soil is present in two forms, viz. as amorphous or poorly crystalline hydrous oxides of Fe (most likely FeAsO4) and adsorbed on aluminium (hydr)oxides or aluminosilicates such as clay. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A novel high‐resolution XRF spectrometer for elemental mapping based on a monolithic array of silicon drift detectors and on a polycapillary x‐ray lens
Authors: Longoni A. , Fiorini C. , Guazzoni C. , Buzzetti S. , Bellini M. , Strüder L. , Lechner P. , Bjeoumikhov A. , Kemmer J. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractThis paper describes a novel x‐ray fluorescence spectrometer designed for elemental mapping applications. The spectrometer is based on a ring‐shaped monolithic array of silicon drift detectors (SDDs) with a hole in the center. The coaxial x‐ray excitation beam, focused by a polycapillary x‐ray lens, reaches the sample after passing through the central hole. This geometry optimizes the useful solid angle for collecting the fluorescence from the sample, while the optics maximizes the photon density in the excitation spot. These features, together with the very high detection rate of SDDs, allow a high scanning rate in elemental mapping to be achieved. Moreover, the spectroscopic resolution of SDDs (cooled by thermoelectric Peltier elements) is comparable to that of the classical Si(Li) liquid nitrogen‐cooled detectors. Several examples of applications of the novel spectrometer in various fields, from archeometry to biology, are presented. This paper introduces also a new multi‐element detector based on SDDs whose structure has been specifically optimized for very high resolution and very fast elemental mapping. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stability results for obstacle problems with measure data
Authors: Leone Chiara 
Published: June 2005

We study the convergence properties of the solutions of some elliptic obstacle problems with measure data, under the simultaneous perturbation of the operator, the forcing term and the obstacle.RésuméOn étudie les propriétés de convergence des solutions de problémes d'obstacles elliptiques avec données mesures, lorsque l'opérateur differentiel, les données ou les obstacles changent.
Absorptive capacity: Enhancing the assimilation of time‐based manufacturing practices
Authors: Tu Qiang , Vonderembse Mark A. , Ragu‐Nathan T.S. , Sharkey Thomas W. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractIncreasingly, manufacturers are making radical changes in management practices and investing heavily in advanced technologies as they attempt to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. Organizations seeking to implement these changes should have an internal environment that emphasizes knowledge assimilation and sharing and creates continuous learning capability, i.e., absorptive capacity. This study reviews the construct of absorptive capacity, develops a valid and reliable instrument to measure it, and examines its impact on the organization's ability to assimilate innovative manufacturing technology and management practice. To illustrate the links, this study tests the relationships among absorptive capacity, time‐based manufacturing practices, and value to customer. Structural equation modeling, applied to a relatively large sample (n= 303), indicates strong, positive, and direct relationships between absorptive capacity and time‐based manufacturing practices, and between time‐based manufacturing practices and value to customer. The managerial implications of these empirical findings are also discussed.
Postglacial vegetation, fire, and climate history of the Siskiyou Mountains, Oregon, USA
Authors: Briles Christy E. , Whitlock Cathy , Bartlein Patrick J. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractThe forests of the Siskiyou Mountains are among the most diverse in North America, yet the long-term relationship among climate, diversity, and natural disturbance is not well known. Pollen, plant macrofossils, and high-resolution charcoal data from Bolan Lake, Oregon, were analyzed to reconstruct a 17,000-yr-long environmental history of high-elevation forests in the region. In the late-glacial period, the presence of a subalpine parkland of Artemisia, Poaceae, Pinus, and Tsuga with infrequent fires suggests cool dry conditions. After 14,500 cal yr B.P., a closed forest of Abies, Pseudotsuga, Tsuga, and Alnus rubra with more frequent fires developed which indicates more mesic conditions than before. An open woodland of Pinus, Quercus, and Cupressaceae, with higher fire activity than before, characterized the early Holocene and implies warmer and drier conditions than at present. In the late Holocene, Abies and Picea were more prevalent in the forest, suggesting a return to cool wet conditions, although fire-episode frequency remained relatively high. The modern forest of Abies and Pseudotsuga and the present-day fire regime developed ca. 2100 cal yr B.P. and indicates that conditions had become slightly drier than before. Sub-millennial-scale fluctuations in vegetation and fire activity suggest climatic variations during the Younger Dryas interval and within the early Holocene period. The timing of vegetation changes in the Bolan Lake record is similar to that of other sites in the Pacific Northwest and Klamath region, and indicates that local vegetation communities were responding to regional-scale climate changes. The record implies that climate-driven millennial- to centennial-scale vegetation and fire change should be considered when explaining the high floristic diversity observed at present in the Siskiyou Mountains.
Protein transduction of Rab9 in Niemann‐Pick C cells reduces cholesterol storage
Authors: Narita Keishi , Choudhury Amit , Dobrenis Kostantin , Sharma Deepak K. , Holicky Eileen L. , Marks David L. , Walkley Steven U. , Pagano Richard E. 
Published: June 2005

ABSTRACTNiemann‐Pick disease type C (NPC) is a genetic disorder in which patient cells exhibit lysosomal accumulation of cholesterol and sphingolipids (SLs) caused by defects in either NPC1 or NPC2 proteins. We previously demonstrated that NPC1 human skin fibroblasts overexpressing endosomal Rab proteins (Rab7 or Rab9) showed a correction in the storage disease phenotype. In the current study, we used protein transduction to further investigate Rab9‐mediated reduction of stored lipids in NPC cells. Recombinant human Rab9 fused with the herpes simplex virus VP22 protein fragment was overexpressed, purified, and added to culture medium to induce protein transduction. When VP22‐Rab9 was transduced into NPC1 fibroblasts, nearly all cells showed significant reduction in cellular free cholesterol levels, with no cytotoxicity up to 5 µM. A fraction of the VP22‐Rab9 that was transduced into the cells was shown to bind to rab GDP dissociation inhibitor, suggesting that this pool of VP22‐Rab9 had become prenylated. The reduction in cellular free cholesterol was associated with correction of abnormal intracellular trafficking of BODIPY‐lactosylceramide and an increase of sterols in the culture media. The clearance of lysosomal free cholesterol was also associated with a decrease in LDL‐receptor levels. In addition, we demonstrated reduction of intracellular cholesterol by VP22‐Rab9 transduction in NPC2 fibroblasts and in cultured mouse NPC1 neurons. These observations provide important new information about the correction of membrane traffic in NPC cells by Rab9 overexpression and may lead to new therapeutic approaches for treatment of this disease.
Haploinsufficiency of the cardiac transcription factor Nkx2‐5 variably affects the expression of putative target genes
Authors: Jay Patrick Y. , Rozhitskaya Olga , Tarnavski Oleg , Sherwood Megan C. , Dorfman Adam L. , Lu Yali , Ueyama Tomomi , Izumo Seigo 
Published: June 2005

ABSTRACTHeterozygous mutations of the cardiac transcription factor Nkx2‐5 cause congenital heart disease. To elucidate the molecular pathways of transcription factor mutant phenotypes or diseases, direct targets are commonly sought in studies of homozygous null mutant animals and by heterologous promoter‐reporter gene transactivation assays. The expression of putative target genes in a physiologic range of transcription factor concentration, however, is often not examined. Heterozygous Nkx2‐5 knockout (Nkx2‐5+/−) mice have no more than half‐normal levels of Nkx2‐5 protein. We therefore measured the mRNA expression of four putative targets of the cardiac transcription factor Nkx2‐5 in wild‐type and Nkx2‐5+/− animals in a variety of developmental and pathologic states. Wild‐type and Nkx2‐5+/− embryonic hearts expressed similar levels of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), the RNA helicase Csm, and homeodomain only protein HOP. In the failing adult ventricle, ANF and BNP were up‐regulated to the same extent in wild‐type and Nkx2‐5+/− myocardium. Csm and HOP were down‐regulated in heart failure, and Nkx2‐5+/− hearts expressed about half‐normal levels in healthy and failing states. No consistent relationship existed between the expression of putative transcriptional targets and Nkx2‐5 gene dosage in the physiologically relevant range. Any dependence of gene expression on Nkx2‐5 gene dosage is affected by factors specific to the individual gene and the physiologic context.
Early life immune challenge alters innate immune responses to lipopolysaccharide: implications for host defense as adults
Authors: Ellis Shaun , Mouihate Abdeslam , Pittman Quentin J. 
Published: June 2005

ABSTRACTFever is the most common manifestation of the innate immune response to invading pathogens. Animals prevented from developing fever have increased morbidity and mortality to infection. We now show that early life events can program this innate immune response, in that rats that have been challenged neonatally with the immune stimulant lipopolysaccharide (LPS) have both suppressed febrile responses to LPS as adults and significantly reduced nuclear factor (NF)‐κB activation in peripheral immune organs. This was associated with reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) in the plasma after adult LPS challenge, compared with animals that have received saline neonatally. In contrast, adult LPS challenge elicited higher corticosterone levels in the animals that had been treated neonatally with LPS. When this increased corticosterone response was negated by adrenalectomy or by administration of the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU‐486, both the cytokine and febrile responses were normalized. This study indicates that the innate immune response can be programmed by a neonatal LPS challenge, whereby an amplified hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal response causes reduced cytokine synthesis and an attenuated febrile response to an adult immune challenge. In light of the importance of fever in the host defense response, these alterations may have deleterious consequences on an individual's ability to combat disease later in life.
The effects of climate change on storm surges around the United Kingdom
Authors: Lowe J.A , Gregory J.M 
Published: June 2005

Coastal flooding is often caused by extreme events, such as storm surges. In this study, improved physical models have been used to simulate the climate system and storm surges, and to predict the effect of increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases on the surges. In agreement with previous studies, this work indicates that the changes in atmospheric storminess and the higher time-average sea-level predicted for the end of the twenty-first century will lead to changes in the height of water levels measured relative to the present day tide. However, the details of these projections differ somewhat from earlier assessments.
Uncertainty in projections of future extreme water levels arise from uncertainty in the amount and timing of future greenhouse gas emissions, uncertainty in the physical models used to simulate the climate system and from the natural variability of the system. The total uncertainty has not yet been reliably quantified and achieving this should be a priority for future research.
Pre‐ and post‐engraftment bloodstream infection rates and associated mortality in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients
Authors: Almyroudis N.G. , Fuller A. , Jakubowski A. , Sepkowitz K. , Jaffe D. , Small T.N. , Kiehn T.E. , Pamer E. , Papanicolaou G.A. 
Published: June 2005

Abstract: We report on bloodstream infection (BSI) rates, risk factors, and outcome in a cohort of 298 adult and pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients at Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Hospital from September 1999 through June 2003.Methods. Prospective surveillance study. BSI rates are reported per 10,000 HSCT days. Date of engraftment is defined as the first of at least 3 consecutive dates of absolute neutrophil count >500/mm3 after stem cell infusion. BSI severity grades: severe (intravenous antibiotics), life threatening (sepsis), or fatal (caused or contributed to death).Results. The incidence of pre‐ and post‐engraftment BSI was 22% and 19.5%, respectively. Pre‐engraftment highest rates were observed for viridans streptococci (58), Enterobacteriaceae (39), and Enterococcus faecium (34). Post‐engraftment rates ranged from 0.2 to 2.9 without any predominant pathogen. In multivariate analyses, pre‐engraftment BSI was associated with diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia, age >18 years and peripheral blood stem cell graft; post‐engraftment BSI was associated with acute graft‐versus‐host disease, neutropenia, and liver or kidney dysfunction. Attributable mortality was 12.5% and 1.7% for pre‐ and post‐engraftment BSI, respectively. BSI fatality rates were 24% for viridans streptococci, 8% for E. faecium, 11% for Staphylococcus aureus, and 67% for Candida.Conclusions. Pre‐engraftment BSI, especially by viridans streptococci and E. faecium, was associated with substantial attributable mortality. Post‐engraftment BSI was a marker of post‐transplant complications and rarely the primary cause of death.
Sexually dimorphic expression of Usp9x is related to sex chromosome complement in adult mouse brain
Authors: Xu J. , Taya S. , Kaibuchi K. , Arnold A. P. 
Published: June 2005

AbstractWe found the expression of Usp9x, an X‐linked gene which encodes a ubiquitin protease implicated in synaptic development, to be significantly higher in the adult female mouse brains than in male brains. The sex difference in expression of Usp9x was localized to specific brain regions such as neocortex. Furthermore, in gonadally intact and gonadectomized mice, XX mice expressed Usp9x mRNA and protein more highly than XY mice irrespective of their gonadal type. No sex difference was found in the neonatal brain or peripheral tissues such as the adult kidney. This finding implies that the difference in sex chromosome complement between XY males and XX females could potentially contribute to sexual differentiation of brain structure and function. The relation of genomic dose and Usp9x expression could help explain the neural and behavioural phenotype of women with XO Turner syndrome.