bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Environmental reporting and transport – the case of a public transport company
Authors: Andersen Otto 
Published: October 2003

AbstractThis article discusses corporate environmental reporting in the field of transport. In addition to addressing this issue in general, the article includes empirical material from a case transport company. The process of preparing the year 2000 environmental report for the company is described. The environmental report includes actions for improving the environmental performance of the company, and indicators for monitoring of the progress from year to year. This is based on separate studies of the employees' company travels, daily travel to work and the purchasing of energy. The company is using societal accounting to show its responsibility as an important societal actor, improving the stakeholder dialogue and providing knowledge at the political level. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Physical assessment of patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: an international comparison
Authors: Kovacs D. , Winston A. P. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractObjective:A questionnaire study was carried out to determine which investigations were carried out routinely on patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.Method:A specially designed questionnaire was sent to 168 clinicians working in the field of eating disorders in 25 countries. Respondents were asked to supply information about how often they carry out specific investigations on new patients with AN and BN. The questionnaire covered the use of physical examination, biochemical and haematological tests and cardiac investigations.Results:71 (42.3 per cent) questionnaires were returned. Biochemical investigations and full blood counts were carried out frequently. Significant differences were found between AN patients and BN patients in the measurement of calcium, phosphate and magnesium levels. In some cases, patients with BN were not routinely assessed for hypokalaemia. Micronutrient levels were measured rarely and only 40 per cent of respondents carried out routine electrocardiograms (ECGs) in AN.Discussion:Measurement of serum potassium should be routine in BN and other electrolytes should probably measured more often in both disorders. Detection of treatable micronutrient deficiencies should be given more emphasis and the ECG should become a routine investigation in AN. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Validation of a screening instrument for identifying risk behaviour related to eating disorders
Authors: Waaddegaard Mette , Thoning Henrik , Petersson Birgit 
Published: October 2003

AbstractObjective:To validate a screening instrument (RiBED‐8) aimed at identifying risk behaviour related to eating disorders among Danish adolescents in a two‐stage study in 1996 and a follow‐up study 2.75 years later.Methods:2094 pupils, aged 14–21 years, responded to a 49‐item self‐report questionnaire. Risk behaviour related to eating disorders was defined. The psychometric validation procedure was performed with Rasch Item analysis, testing the internal and external homogeneity, local independence and uni‐dimensionality. Furthermore, 91 semi‐structured clinical interviews were conducted to create a gold standard and to test the content, criterion and construct related validity of risk behaviour. Eight items comprised the final scale, called RiBED‐8. Furthermore, the criterion‐related validity, the stability and the predictive validity of RiBED‐8 was tested using the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI‐2) in the follow‐up study in 1998, where 508 pupils responded. In a cross‐sectional design in 1998, the concurrent general psychopathology was analysed using Hopkins Symptoms CheckList (SCL‐90‐R). Lastly, the time‐related reliability of the instrument was tested by test–retest analysis in 1998.Results:The scale was a uni‐dimensional screening instrument with local independence, internal consistency and external homogeneity towards age groups. However, the instrument did not measure less severe risk behaviour for boys. RiBED‐8 had sufficiently good psychometric properties (construct, criterion and predictive validity and test–retest reliability), and identified persons with a high level of general psychological distress and of eating pathology. Risk behaviour related to eating disorders was stable and indicated a 5.6‐times greater relative risk of having eating disorders over 2.75 years. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Wind erosion in a marginal Mediterranean dryland area: a case study from the Khanasser Valley, Syria
Authors: Masri Z. , Zöbisch M. , Bruggeman A. , Hayek P. , Kardous M. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractEvidence of wind erosion is widespread in the drylands of the Mediterranean region. The purpose of this study was to quantify the extent of windblown dust and to assess the factors that affect the susceptibility to wind erosion in areas that are marginal due to their aridity. The study was carried out in Khanasser Valley, a typical degraded, marginal area in northwestern Syria. The average annual rainfall is about 200 mm and falls mainly in the winter months. In the valley ﬂoor, cultivation of rainfed barley using conventional tillage has spread over the past decades due to mechanization, reducing the area of natural grazing land. After harvest, the stubble is grazed by sheep leaving the land bare and vulnerable to wind erosion during the following hot and dry summer months. BSNE (Big Spring Number Eight) samplers were installed to sample the horizontal ﬂux of airborne dust during the summer months of 1998–2001 at two land uses in the study area, i.e. on natural grazing land and on harvested and grazed barley ﬁelds. Sediment samples were collected at weekly intervals. The average daily mass ﬂux of airborne material for the 5 to 100 cm height was 0·285 g cm−1 width for the cropland, as compared to 0·089 g cm−1 width for the degraded grazing land. During two of the four seasons, more than 45 per cent of the total airborne sediment trapped for the season was captured during a single week, at both landuse locations. The quantity of airborne materials transported by wind was related to the wind factor, soil management and surface conditions. Nutrient and organic matter content of the airborne sediments exceeded the amounts in the parent soils, indicating that wind erosion could contribute to nutrient depletion of the source areas. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simulations to optimize sampling of aeolian sediment transport in space and time for mapping
Authors: Chappell Adrian , McTainsh Grant , Leys John , Strong Craig 
Published: October 2003

AbstractThe sampling frequency in space and time is often inadequate to estimate the accuracy and precision of aeolian sediment transport. The problem stems from a lack of knowledge about the spatial and temporal scale of variation in aeolian transport and is compounded by a shortage of resources (aeolian sediment traps and labour). This study developed a geostatistical methodology for estimating sediment transport at unsampled locations and tested the extent to which it was dependent on sampling networks (nested, grid and random) and frameworks (mobile or static sampling framework between wind erosion events). Aeolian transport data were collected in an area of Australia inﬂuenced by wind erosion (Diamantina Lakes National Park, southwestern Queensland) to evaluate the combination of events used for mapping transport. Insufﬁcient wind erosion events occurred to test sediment sampling strategies and hence simulated sampling was conducted using maps of sediment transport produced with existing models of aeolian sediment transport in the same study area. Independent validation data were used to test the estimation performance.The results suggested that sampling networks that did not include information on the spatial scale of variation (i.e. grid and random sampling) did not represent adequately the sediment transport population. In contrast, a bespoke nested sampling network performed consistently better than the other networks. Overall the static framework with a nested network was recommended for estimation and mapping of sediment transport with few resources and was likely to be especially important for use over large areas. This approach has the advantage of requiring only a single pooled within‐event variogram for sediment transport to be used to derive the model parameters for kriging or stochastic simulation for each event. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Measurement and simulation of wind erosion, roughness degradation and residue decomposition on an agricultural field
Authors: van Donk Simon J. , Skidmore Edward L. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractThe Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS) includes submodels to simulate soil erosion by wind, roughness degradation and residue decomposition. These WEPS submodels were tested using data measured on a 600 m by 415 m farmer's ﬁeld, planted with winter wheat, near Burlington, Colorado, USA. Big Spring Number Eight (BSNE) samplers were used to measure wind blown sediment ﬂux and automated devices (Sensits) detected saltating sediment. A weather station recorded relevant meteorological data. Detailed measurements of ﬁeld surface conditions were taken on three dates. One signiﬁcant dust storm occurred during the experimental period (November 2000 to April 2001). Spatial variability of sediment discharge was high. This could partially be explained by spatial differences in residue cover and mass, leaf area index, sand fraction and wetness of the surface soil.WEPS overestimated the ability of small wheat plants to protect the soil against wind erosion. A simulation without any wheat plants produced a large ﬁeld sediment loss of 4·43 kg m−2, whereas a simulation with very small wheat plants (height = 10 mm, leaf area index = 0·1, stem area index = 0·01) produced no erosion. This component of WEPS is based on laboratory wind tunnel experiments with simulated standing biomass uniformly spaced on a ﬂat surface. Wheat biomass in the ﬁeld is not uniformly spaced. WEPS should be modiﬁed to account for these non‐uniform realities.Mean ridge height was reduced from 42 mm on 19 December to 34 mm (36 mm simulated using WEPS) on 12 April. Mean random roughness was reduced from 5·8 mm on 19 December to 5·2 mm (5·3 mm simulated) on 8 March. Mean corn residue biomass was reduced only slightly from 1204 kg ha−1 on 19 December to 1174 kg ha−1 (1075–1175 kg ha−1 simulated) on 12 April. These differences between measured data and simulations were not signiﬁcant (P > 0·05), enhancing conﬁdence in the ability of WEPS to simulate roughness degradation and residue decomposition. Published in 2003 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integrative nuclear FGFR1 signaling (INFS) as a part of a universal “feed‐forward‐and‐gate” signaling module that controls cell growth and differentiation
Authors: Stachowiak Michal K. , Fang Xiaohong , Myers Jason M. , Dunham Star M. , Berezney Ronald , Maher Pamela A. , Stachowiak Ewa K. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractA novel signaling mechanism is described through which extracellular signals and intracellular signaling pathways regulate proliferation, growth, differentiation, and other functions of cells in the nervous system. Upon cell stimulation, fibroblast growth factor receptor‐1 (FGFR1), a typically plasma membrane‐associated protein, is released from ER membranes into the cytosol and translocates to the cell nucleus by an importin‐β‐mediated transport pathway along with its ligand, FGF‐2. The nuclear accumulation of FGFR1 is activated by changes in cell contacts and by stimulation of cells with growth factors, neurotransmitters and hormones as well as by a variety of different second messengers and thus was named integrative nuclear FGFR1 signaling (INFS). In the nucleus, FGFR1 localizes specifically within nuclear matrix‐attached speckle‐domains, which are known to be sites for RNA Pol II‐mediated transcription and co‐transcriptional pre‐mRNA processing. In these domains, nuclear FGFR1 colocalizes with RNA transcription sites, splicing factors, modified histones, phosphorylated RNA Pol II, and signaling kinases. Within the nucleus, FGFR1 serves as a general transcriptional regulator, as indicated by its association with the majority of active nuclear centers of RNA synthesis and processing, by the ability of nuclear FGFR1 to activate structurally distinct genes located on different chromosomes and by its stimulation of multi‐gene programs for cell growth and differentiation. We propose that FGFR1 is part of a universal “feed‐forward‐and‐gate” signaling module in which classical signaling cascades initiated by specific membrane receptors transmit signals to sequence specific transcription factors (ssTFs), while INFS elicited by the same stimuli feeds the signal forward to the common coactivator, CREB‐binding protein (CBP). Activation of CBP by INFS, along with the activation of ssTFs by classical signaling cascades brings about coordinated responses from structurally different genes located at different genomic loci. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Medulloblastoma cell invasion is inhibited by green tea (−)epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate
Authors: Pilorget Anthony , Berthet Virginie , Luis José , Moghrabi Albert , Annabi Borhane , Béliveau Richard 
Published: October 2003

AbstractEpigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG), the major green tea polyphenol, can reach the brain following oral intake and could thus act as an anti‐tumoral agent targeting several key steps of brain cancer cells invasive activity. Because integrin‐mediated extracellular matrix recognition is crucial during the cell adhesion processes involved in carcinogenesis, we have investigated the effects of EGCG on different cellular integrins of the pediatric brain tumor‐derived medulloblastoma cell line DAOY. Using flow cytometry, we report the levels of expression of several cell surface integrins in DAOY. These include high expression of α2, α3, and β1 integrins, as well as αv and β3 integrins. Moreover, we provide evidence that EGCG can antagonize DAOY cell migration specifically on collagen by increasing cell adhesive ability through specific gene and protein upregulation of the β1 integrin subunit. Our results suggest that this naturally occurring green tea polyphenol may thus be used as a nutraceutical therapeutic agent in targeting the invasive character of medulloblastomas. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Phosphorylation of PPARγ via active ERK1/2 leads to its physical association with p65 and inhibition of NF‐κβ
Authors: Chen Fei , Wang Muchun , O'Connor J. Patrick , He Mai , Tripathi Tushar , Harrison Lawrence E. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractPeroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors (PPAR) are novel nuclear receptors and PPARγ ligands have been shown to produce pro‐apoptotic effects in many cancer cell types, including colon cancer. PPARγ ligands exert their effect through PPARγ‐dependent (genomic) and PPARγ‐independent (non‐genomic) mechanisms. Recent evidence suggests that PPARγ ligands exert their pro‐apoptotic effects in part by directly antagonizing the NF‐κβ pathway as well as through activation of the MAP kinase pathway. In this report, we have demonstrated that ciglitazone, a member of the thiazoldinedione class of PPARγ ligands induces HT‐29 colon cancer cells to undergo apoptosis and prior to apoptosis, ciglitazone exposure results in a transient phosphorylation of PPARγ. This phosphorylation of PPARγ was mediated through the ciglitazone‐induced activation of Erk1/2. PPARγ phosphorylation affected the genomic pathway by being inhibitory to PPARγ–DNA binding and PPRE transcriptional activity, as well as the non‐genomic pathway by increasing the physical interaction of PPARγ with p65, leading to the inhibition of NF‐κβ. Ciglitazone induced phosphorylation of PPARγ through the MAP kinase pathway provides a potential regulatory mechanism for PPARγ's physical interaction with p65, leading to inhibition of NF‐κβ and subsequent apoptosis. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Matrix GLA protein and BMP‐2 regulate osteoinduction in calcifying vascular cells
Authors: Zebboudj Amina F. , Shin Victoria , Boström Kristina 
Published: October 2003

AbstractExpression of matrix GLA protein (MGP), an alleged calcification inhibitor, is increased in calcified arteries. We used calcifying vascular cells (CVC) that form calcified nodules in vitro to clarify the importance of MGP in vascular cell calcification and differentiation. Unexpectedly, MGP dose‐dependently increased calcification in CVC. It also increased expression of the osteogenic marker Cbfal, while decreasing expression of the smooth muscle marker α‐actin as assessed by immunoblotting. Bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP‐2), a known osteoinductive factor also increased calcification and osteogenic differentiation in CVC. We hypothesized that the effect of MGP was linked to that of BMP‐2 since previous studies show that MGP modulates BMP‐2 activity. Therefore, we compared the effect of MGP at different levels of exogenous BMP‐2. Results showed that high BMP‐2 levels significantly increased the stimulatory effect of low levels of MGP. A relative inhibition of calcification was observed at intermediate levels of MGP and a trend towards renewed stimulation at high levels of MGP. Thus, addition of MGP either promoted or inhibited calcification, depending on the relative amounts of BMP‐2 and MGP. This was confirmed in human CVC with different relative expression of BMP‐2 and MGP. Calcification in CVC with high relative expression of BMP‐2 was inhibited by MGP, while calcification in CVC with low relative expression of BMP‐2 was stimulated by MGP. MGP and BMP‐2 both accelerated nodule formation, but had opposite effects on nodule size; MGP decreased while BMP‐2 increased nodule size. The effect of BMP‐2 may partly be explained by a BMP‐2 induced decrease in MGP expression. Together, our results suggest that the effect of MGP on calcification and osteogenic differentiation is determined by availability of BMP‐2. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nuclear matrix bound fibroblast growth factor receptor is associated with splicing factor rich and transcriptionally active nuclear speckles
Authors: Somanathan Suryanarayan , Stachowiak Ewa K. , Siegel Alan J. , Stachowiak Michal K. , Berezney Ronald 
Published: October 2003

AbstractWe have used confocal microscopy combined with computer image analysis to evaluate the functional significance of a constitutively expressed form of the receptor tyrosine kinase FGFR1 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 1) in the nucleus of rapidly proliferating serum stimulated TE 671 cells, a medullobastoma human cell line. Our results demonstrate a limited number of large sites and numerous smaller sites of FGFR1 in the nuclear interior. The larger sites showed virtually complete colocalization (>90%) with splicing factor rich nuclear speckles while the smaller sites showed very limited overlap (<20%). Similar results were found for several other proliferating cell lines grown in culture. An in situ transcription assay was used to determine colocalization with transcription sites by incorporating 5‐bromouridine triphosphate (BrUTP) followed by dual staining for BrUTP and FGFR1. These results combined with those from using an antibody against the large subunit of RNA polymerase II suggest a significant degree of colocalization (26–38%) over both the large and small sites. No colocalization was detected with sites of DNA replication. The spatial arrangements of FGFR1 sites and colocalization with nuclear speckles were maintained following extraction for nuclear matrix. Moreover, immunoblots indicated a significant enrichment of FGFR1 in the nuclear matrix fraction. Our findings suggest an involvement of a nuclear matrix bound FGFR1 in transcriptional and RNA processing events in the cell nucleus. We further propose that nuclear speckles, aside from a role in transcriptional/RNA processing events, may serve as fundamental regulatory factories for the integration of diverse signaling and regulatory factors that impact transcription and cellular regulation. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Annulus cells release ATP in response to vibratory loading in vitro
Authors: Yamazaki Satoru , Weinhold Paul S. , Graff Ronald D. , Tsuzaki Mari , Kawakami Mamoru , Minchew Joe T. , Banes Albert J. 
Published: October 2003

AbstractMechanical forces regulate the developmental path and phenotype of a variety of tissues and cultured cells. Vibratory loading as a mechanical stimulus occurs in connective tissues due to energy returned from ground reaction forces, as well as a mechanical input from use of motorized tools and vehicles. Structures in the spine may be particularly at risk when exposed to destructive vibratory stimuli. Cells from many tissues respond to mechanical stimuli, such as fluid flow, by increasing intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]ic) and releasing adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ATP), extracellularly, as a mediator to activate signaling pathways. Therefore, we examined whether ATP is released from rabbit (rAN) and human (hAN) intervertebral disc annulus cells in response to vibratory loading. ATP release from annulus cells by vibratory stimulation as well as in control cells was quantitated using a firefly luciferin‐luciferase assay. Cultured hAN and rAN cells had a basal level of extracellular ATP ([ATP]ec) in the range of 1–1.5 nM. Vibratory loading of hAN cells stimulated ATP release, reaching a net maximum [ATP] within 10 min of continuous vibration, and shortly thereafter, [ATP] declined and returned to below baseline level. [ATP] in the supernatant fluid of hAN cells was significantly reduced compared to the control level when the cells received vibration for longer than 15 min. In rAN cells, [ATP] was increased in response to vibratory loading, attaining a level significantly greater than that of the control after 30 min of continuous vibration. Results of the current study show that resting annulus cells secrete ATP and maintain a basal [ATP]ec. Annulus cells may use this nucleotide as a signaling messenger in an autocrine/paracrine fashion in response to vibratory loading. Rapid degradation of ATP to ADP may alternatively modulate cellular responses. It is hypothesized that exposure to repetitive, complex vibration regimens may activate signaling pathways that regulate matrix destruction in the disc. As in tendon cells, ATP may block subsequent responses to load and modulate the vibration response. Rabbit annulus cells were used as a readily obtainable source of cells in development of an animal model for testing effects of vibration on the disc. Human cells obtained from discarded surgical specimens were used to correlate responses of animal to human cells. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Scaffold attachment factors SAFB1 and SAFB2: Innocent bystanders or critical players in breast tumorigenesis?
Authors: Oesterreich Steffi 
Published: October 2003

AbstractScaffold attachment factor B1 (SAFB1) and SAFB2 are large, multifunctional proteins that have been implicated in numerous cellular processes including chromatin organization, transcriptional regulation, RNA splicing, and stress response. While the two homologous proteins show high similarity, and functional domains are highly conserved, evidence suggests that they also have unique properties. For example, SAFB2 can be found in both the nucleus and cytoplasm, whereas SAFB1 seems to be mainly localized in the nucleus. In breast cancer cells, SAFBs function as estrogen receptor corepressors and growth inhibitors. SAFB protein expression is lost in approximately 20% of breast cancers. Interestingly, the two genes reside in close proximity, oriented head‐to‐head, on chromosome 19p13, a locus which is frequently lost in clinical breast cancer specimens. Furthermore, SAFB1 mutations have been identified in breast tumors that were not present in adjacent normal tissue. The possibility that SAFB1 and SAFB2 are novel breast tumor suppressor genes, and how they might function in this role, are discussed. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.