bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A robust policy for serial agile production systems
Authors: Iravani S.M.R. , Buzacott J.A. , Posner M.J.M. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractOne of the major problems in modeling production systems is how to treat the job arrival process. Restrictive assumptions such as Markovian arrivals do not represent real world systems, especially if the arrival process is generated by job departures from upstream workstations. Under these circumstances, cost‐effective policies that are robust with respect to the nature of the arrival process become of interest. In this paper, we focus on minimizing the expected total holding and setup costs in a two‐stage produce‐to‐order production system operated by a cross‐trained worker. We will show that if setup times are insignificant in comparison with processing times, then near‐optimal policies can be generated with very robust performances with respect to the arrival process. We also present conditions under which these near‐optimal policies can be obtained by using only the arrival and service rates. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2005.
Single spin‐echo proton transverse relaxometry of iron‐loaded liver
Authors: St Pierre Timothy G. , Clark Paul R. , Chua‐anusorn Wanida 
Published: November 2004

AbstractA single‐spin‐echo methodology is described for the measurement and imaging of proton transverse relaxation rates (R2) in iron‐loaded and normal human liver tissue in vivo. The methodology brings together previously reported techniques dealing with (i) the changes in gain between each spin‐echo acquisition, (ii) signal level offset due to background noise, (iii) estimation of signal intensities in decay curves at time zero to enable reliable extraction of relaxation times from tissues with very short T2 values, (iv) bi‐exponential modelling of decay curves with a small number of data points, and (v) reduction of respiratory motion artefacts. The accuracy of the technique is tested on aqueous manganese chloride solutions yielding a relaxivity of 74.1 ± 0.3 s−1 (mM)−1, consistent with previous reports. The precision of the in vivo measurement of mean liver R2 values is tested through duplicate measurements on 10 human subjects with mean liver R2 values ranging from 26 to 220 s−1. The random uncertainty on the measurement of mean liver R2 was found to be 7.7%. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
First‐pass and equilibrium‐MRA of the aortoiliac region with a superparamagnetic iron oxide blood pool MR contrast agent (SH U 555 C): results of a human pilot study
Authors: Tombach Bernd , Reimer Peter , Bremer Christoph , Allkemper Thomas , Engelhardt Matthias , Mahler Marianne , Ebert Wolfgang , Heindel Walter 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to study different doses for first‐pass and equilibrium phase MRA of aortoiliac vessels with a superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) intravascular MR contrast agent (SH U 555 C) after single i.v. bolus injection. Sixteen healthy volunteers were prospectively enrolled into this single‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial. SHU 555 C was injected as an i.v. bolus at stepwise increased dose levels of 5, 10, 20 and 40 μmol Fe/kg bodyweight (b.w.) corresponding to injection volumes of 0.01, 0.02, 0.04 and 0.08 ml/kg b.w. Serial high‐resolution three‐dimensional MRA of the aortoiliac vessels was acquired during first‐pass and equilibrium, at 6 min intervals up to 42 min after contrast application using a breath‐hold three‐dimensional FLASH sequence on a 1.5 T scanner. Intravascular enhancement was calculated within the abdominal aorta and the inferior vena cava and a statistical analysis for significant differences in vessel enhancement was performed during the bolus and equilibrium phases. The visibility of vessels was ranked and effects of potential artifacts on image quality were graded for each time point and dose group. SH U 555 C showed a dose‐dependent intravascular enhancement during the observation period (42 min). The highest dose of 40 μmol Fe/kg b.w. revealed the highest image quality during first‐pass and equilibrium phases. The intravascular enhancement in the aorta increased dose‐dependently from 5 to 40 μmol kg b.w. during first‐pass and equilibrium phases (p < 0.05). Intravascular signal inhomogeneities were observed at lower doses and decreased with increasing doses. First‐pass MRA was diagnostic at doses of 10, 20 and 40 μmol Fe/kg b.w. For equilibrium MRA, a dose of 40 μmol Fe/kg b.w. was considered to be diagnostic. SH U 555 C proved to be a contrast agent with a high T1‐effect suitable for both first‐pass MRA comparable to gadolinium‐enhanced MRA and high resolution equilibrium MRA up to 42 min post‐injection (p.i.). Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐field magnetic resonance imaging of brain iron: birth of a biomarker?
Authors: Schenck John F. , Zimmerman Earl A. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe brain has an unusually high concentration of iron, which is distributed in an unusual pattern unlike that in any other organ. The physiological role of this iron and the reasons for this pattern of distribution are not yet understood. There is increasing evidence that several neurodegenerative diseases are associated with altered brain iron metabolism. Understanding these dysmetabolic conditions may provide important information for their diagnosis and treatment. For many years the iron distribution in the human brain could be studied effectively only under postmortem conditions. This situation was changed dramatically by the finding thatT2‐weighted MR imaging at high field strength (initially 1.5 T) appears to demonstrate the pattern of iron distribution in normal brains and that this imaging technique can detect changes in brain iron concentrations associated with disease states. Up to the present time this imaging capability has been utilized in many research applications but it has not yet been widely applied in the routine diagnosis and management of neurodegenerative disorders. However, recent advances in the basic science of brain iron metabolism, the clinical understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and in MRI technology, particularly in the availability of clinical scanners operating at the higher field strength of 3 T, suggest that iron‐dependent MR imaging may soon provide biomarkers capable of characterizing the presence and progression of important neurological disorders. Such biomarkers may be of crucial assistance in the development and utilization of effective new therapies for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, multiple sclerosis and other iron‐related CNS disorders which are difficult to diagnose and treat. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the Convergence of Adaptive Finite Element Methods
Authors: Carstensen Carsten 
Published: November 2004

AbstractState of the art simulations in computational mechanics aim reliability and efficiency via adaptive finite element methods (AFEMs) with a posteriori error control. The a priori convergence of finite element methods is justified by the density property of the sequence of finite element spaces which essentially assumes a quasi‐uniform mesh‐refining. The advantage is guaranteed convergence for a large class of data and solutions; the disadvantage is a global mesh refinement everywhere accompanied by large computational costs.AFEMs automatically refine exclusively wherever the refinement indication suggests to do so and so violate the density property on purpose. Then, the a priori convergence of AFEMs is not guaranteed automatically and, in fact, crucially depends on algorithmic details. The advantage of AFEMs is a more effective mesh accompanied by smaller computational costs in many practical examples; the disadvantage is that the desirable error reduction property isnot alwaysguaranteed a priori. Efficient error estimators can justify a numerical approximation a posteriori and so achieve reliability. But it isnotclear from the start that the adaptive mesh‐refinement will generate an accurate solution at all.This paper discusses particular versions of an AFEMs and their analyses for error reduction, energy reduction, and convergence results for linear and nonlinear problems. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Condition number of the stiffness matrix arising in POD Galerkin schemes for dynamical systems
Authors: Volkwein Stefan 
Published: November 2004

AbstractProper orthogonal decomposition (POD) provides a method for deriving low order models of non‐linear dynamical systems, where a so‐called POD basis is computed by a singular value decomposition and these basis functions are used in a Galerkin ansatz for the non‐linear dynamics. In this paper we prove estimates for the condition number of the stiffness matrices arising in the POD Galerkin discretization. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Curing behavior and toughening performance of epoxy resins containing hyperbranched polyester
Authors: Xu Gang , Shi Wenfang , Gong Ming , Yu Fei , Feng Jianping 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe effects of the hyperbranched polyester with hydroxyl end groups (HBPE‐OH) on the curing behavior and toughening performance of a commercial epoxy resin (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, DGEBA) were presented. The addition of HBPE‐OH into DGEBA strongly increased its curing rate and conversion of epoxide group due to the catalytic effect of hydroxyl groups in HBPE‐OH and the low viscosity of the blend at curing temperature. The improvements on impact strength and critical stress intensity factor (or fracture toughness, K1c) were observed with adding HBPE‐OH. The impact strength was 8.04 kJ m−1 when HBPE‐OH reached 15 wt% and the K1c value was approximately two times the value of pure epoxy resin when HBPE‐OH content was 20 wt%. The morphology of the blends was also investigated, which indicated that HBPE‐OH particles, as a second phase in the epoxy matrix, combined with each other as the concentration of HBPE‐OH increased. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation and enhanced properties of poly(propylene)/ silica‐grafted‐hyperbranched polyester nanocomposites
Authors: Xu Nai , Zhou Wei , Shi Wenfang 
Published: November 2004

AbstractA series of poly(propylene) silica‐grafted‐hyperbranched polyester nanocomposites by grafting the modified hyperbranched polyester (Boltorn™ H20), possessing theoretically 50% end carboxylic groups and 50% end hydroxyl groups, which endcapped with octadecyl isocyanate (C19), onto the surface of SiO2 particles (30 nm) through 3‐glycidoxy‐propyltrimethoxysilane (GPTS) was prepared. The effect of silica‐grafted‐modified Boltorn™ H20 on the mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) was investigated by tensile and impact tests. The morphological structure of impact fracture surface and thermal behavior of the composites were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. The melt viscosity of composites was investigated by melt flow index (MFI). The obtained results showed that: (1) the modified Boltorn™ H20 was successfully grafted onto the SiO2 surface confirmed by FT‐IR and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis; (2) the incorporation of silica‐grafted‐modified Boltorn™ H20 (3–5 wt% SiO2) greatly enhanced the notched impact strength as well the tensile strength of the composites; (3) the incorporation of silica‐grafted‐modified Boltorn™ H20 had no influence on the melting temperature and crystallinity of PP phase; (4) the MFI of PP composites increased when the silica‐grafted‐modified Boltorn™ H20 particles were added compared with PP/SiO2 or PP/SiO2‐GPTS composites. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of alkali post‐treatment on the particle morphology of soap‐free poly(methyl methacrylate‐ethyl acrylate‐acrylic acid) latices
Authors: Kang Kai , Kan Chengyou , Du Yi , Liu Deshan 
Published: November 2004

AbstractPoly(methyl methacrylate‐ethyl acrylate‐acrylic acid) P(MMA‐EA‐AA) latices with narrow particle size distribution and “clean” particle surface were first synthesized by batch soap‐free emulsion polymerization, and the latex particles with anomalous morphology were obtained by alkali post‐treatment. Effects of treatment temperature and time, initial pH value, as well as 2‐butanone amount, on the morphology of latex particles were investigated. Results showed that anomalous structure of the dried latex particles could be easily identified using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation under the conditions of temperature >60°C, initial pH > 10.5 and 4.0–7.0 ml of 2‐butanone used. The higher the pH value is, the earlier the anomalous structure will occur. The volume expansion (ΔV) of the particle increased with the increase in treatment temperature and 2‐butanone amount. However, with the increase of initial pH value and treatment time,ΔVincreased first and then decreased, and different maximum ofΔVvalues were observed based on different conditions. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lignocellulosic composite
Authors: El‐Meligy Magda G. , El‐Zawawy Waleed K. , Ibrahim Maha M. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractBanana pseudostem fiber which is a lignocellulosic material, relatively inexpensive, and abundantly available was assessed in terms of its fiber‐matrix adhesion and dispersion in composites. Different types of adhesives were used. The mechanical and water absorption properties were investigated. Overall, for the produced composites, the incorporation of sawdust‐urea‐formaldehyde resin into prehydrolyzed banana fiber resulted in the best mechanical properties. Good adhesion‐fiber interaction is believed to be responsible for the good ultimate performance. The superior reinforcing characteristics of sawdust resin were shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which revealed better fiber‐matrix adhesion. Water absorption tests revealed that the presence of the adhesives affected the amount of water absorbed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation of hydrogel from green polymer
Authors: El‐Zawawy Waleed K. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractA new method was used for the production of hydrogels from green polymer with a higher swelling ratio. These hydrogels were synthesized first by graft copolymerization between acrylamide (AM) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with alkaline or kraft lignin (AM‐PVA‐g‐lignin) and then by mixing with acrylamide monomer. The kraft and alkaline lignins were isolated from pulping liquor and characterized using UV and FT‐IR spectroscopy, and the formed hydrogels were characterized using FT‐IR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Compared with kraft lignin hydrogel, the alkaline lignin hydrogel had very high swelling ratios and slower water uptake and deswelling rates attributed to its compatible network structure. The hydrogels formed were used also to study the influence of sodium chloride on the absorption capacity at room temperature and swelling ratios at different temperatures. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Astrocyte intermediate filaments in CNS pathologies and regeneration
Authors: Pekny Milos , Pekna Marcela 
Published: November 2004

AbstractAstroglial cells are the most abundant cells in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), yet our knowledge about their function in health and disease has been limited. This review focuses on the recent work addressing the function of intermediate filaments in astroglial cells under severe mechanical or osmotic stress, in hypoxia, and in brain and spinal cord injury. Recent data show that when astrocyte intermediate filaments are genetically ablated in mice, reactive gliosis is attenuated and the course of several CNS pathologies is altered, while the signs of CNS regeneration become more prominent. GFAP is the principal astrocyte intermediate filament protein and dominant mutations in the GFAP gene have been shown to lead to Alexander disease, a fatal neurodegenerative condition in humans. Copyright © 2004 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cilia‐related diseases
Authors: Afzelius BA 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThere are at least eight categories of cilia in the human body and malfunctioning of any one or several of them will have different consequences for the patient. A genetic error of the respiratory cilia (9 + 2) is the cause of the airways disease named immotile‐cilia syndrome (or PCD), whereas defective ependymal cilia (9 + 2) carries an increased risk of hydrocephalus. When the so‐called nodal cilia (9 + 0) of the early embryo are malfunctioning, there is a random determination of asymmetry of the heart and visceral organs (‘a 50% risk of situs inversus’). Some genes are responsible for the synthesis, transport, and assembly of the cilia, and mutations in these genes may lead to progressive degeneration of ciliary structures, such as the connecting cilium (9 + 0) of the photoreceptor cells—this is the cause of retinitis pigmentosa. Ciliary malfunctions due to genetic errors tend to be systemic and life‐long, whereas acquired diseases are local and may be temporary only. Copyright © 2004 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (ICE) reinduction chemotherapy in a large cohort of children and adolescents with recurrent/refractory sarcoma: The Children's Cancer Group (CCG) experience
Authors: Van Winkle Patrick , Angiolillo Anne , Krailo Mark , Cheung Ying‐Kuen , Anderson Barry , Davenport Virginia , Reaman Gregory , Cairo Mitchell S. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractBackgroundThe prognosis for children with recurrent/refractory sarcomas is poor. We determined the overall response rate (ORR) and overall survival (OS) of children with recurrent/refractory sarcomas who were given ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (ICE) in three Children's Cancer Group (CCG) phase I/II trials.ProcedureChildren with recurrent/refractory sarcoma were treated with ifosfamide (1,800 mg/m2/day on day 0–4), carboplatin (400 mg/m2/day on day 0–1), etoposide (100 mg/m2/day on day 0–4) and either rhG‐CSF (10 μg/kg/day vs. 5 μg/kg/day, CCG‐0894, 71 patients), PIXY321 (500–1,000 μg/m2/day, CCG‐0924, 14 patients), or rhG‐CSF (5 μg/kg/day) and IL‐6 (2.5–5 μg/kg/day, CCG‐0931, 12 patients).ResultsNinety‐seven patients were evaluable for tumor response, 56 male and 41 female, median age 14.1 years (range 2.8–22.5 years). Tumor types were osteosarcoma (OTS) (n = 34), rhabdomyosarcoma (n = 27), Ewing sarcoma (EWS) (n = 21), soft tissue sarcoma‐not otherwise specified (n = 5), undifferentiated sarcoma (n = 6), fibrosarcoma (n = 2), peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (n = 1), and extraosseous Ewing (n = 1). The ORR was 51% (27% complete response [CR]). OS at 1 and 2 years was 49% and 28%, respectively. Patients with CR or partial response (PR) had significantly increased 1‐ and 2‐year OS, 71% and 41%, respectively, (P < 0.001). Rhabdomyosarcoma patients with embryonal histology had significant improvement in 1‐ and 2‐year OS: 82% and 46%, respectively, compared with other histologies, (P < 0.005).ConclusionsThe ORR to ICE reinduction chemotherapy in children with recurrent/refractory sarcoma was 51%. OS of 1 and 2 years appeared significantly improved in patients who had CR or PR following ICE reinduction therapy or who had rhabdomyosarcoma with embryonal histology. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Imatinib mesylate: An attractive alternative in young children with large, surgically challenging dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
Authors: Price Victoria E. , Fletcher Jonathan A. , Zielenska Maria , Cole William , Viero Sandra , Manson David E. , Stuart Mary , Pappo Alberto S. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractTo document the clinical activity of imatinib mesyalte in a child with a dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP). An 18‐month‐old girl presented with a large extremity DFSP. As surgical resection would have caused unacceptable functional defects, imatinib mesylate was administered to induce tumor reduction and or stabilization. After 23 weeks of therapy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the tumor showed a reduction in the subcutaneous thickness in the transverse plane. The drug was tolerated well without any adverse reactions. Imatinib mesylate offers a non‐surgical alternative for the treatment of large DFSP in children. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Biomoleküle in Bewegung: Proteindynamik
Authors: Parak Fritz G. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractViele Proteinmoleküle sind kleine Maschinen. Im Stillstand ist ihr Aufbau wohlbekannt. Doch wie sie arbeiten, ist meistens unklar. Die Grundlagen dieser Proteindynamik werden am Beispiel des Sauerstoffspeicher‐Proteins Myoglobin physikalisch untersucht. Dabei ist die Mößbauer‐Spektroskopie am Hämeisen besonders hilfreich. Während sich das Myoglobin bei sehr tiefen Temperaturen in einem festkörperähnlichen “Standby‐Modus” befindet, werden oberhalb einer charakteristischen Temperatur im Molekül proteinspezifische Bewegungsmoden aktiviert. Sie lassen sich als langsame, diffusionsartige Fluktuationen von Molekülsegmenten um die mittlere Struktur beschreiben. Diese Moden öffnen Kanäle in das Proteininnere, durch die Sauerstoffmoleküle zur Hämgruppe gelangen können. So ermöglichen sie Strukturänderungen, die für die biologische Funktion entscheidend sind.
A proteomic analysis of thioacetamide‐induced hepatotoxicity and cirrhosis in rat livers
Authors: Low Teck Yew , Leow Chon Kar , Salto‐Tellez Manuel , Chung Maxey C. M. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThioacetamide (TAA) administration is an established technique for generating rat models of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Oxidative stress is believed to be involved as TAA‐induced liver fibrosis is initiated by thioacetamide S‐oxide, which is derived from the biotransformation of TAA by the microsomal flavine‐adenine dinucleotide (FAD)‐containing monooxygense (FMO) and cytochrome P450 systems. A two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis‐mass spectrometry approach was applied to analyze the protein profiles of livers of rats administered with sublethal doses of TAA for 3, 6 and 10 weeks respectively. With this approach, 59 protein spots whose expression levels changed significantly upon TAA administration were identified, including three novel proteins. These proteins were then sorted according to their common biochemical properties and functions, so that pathways involved in the pathogenesis of rat liver fibrosis due to TAA‐induced toxicity could be elucidated. As a result, it was found that TAA‐administration down‐regulated the enzymes of the primary metabolic pathways such as fatty acid β‐oxidation, branched chain amino acids and methionine breakdown. This phenomenon is suggestive of the depletion of succinyl‐CoA which affects heme and iron metabolism. Up‐regulated proteins, on the other hand, are related to oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Finally, these proteomics data and the data obtained from the scientific literature were integrated into an “overview model” for TAA‐induced liver cirrhosis. This model could now serve as a useful resource for researchers working in the same area.