bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparative alkaline urea gradient PAGE: Application to purification of extraordinarily‐stable disulfide‐linked homodimer of human growth hormone
Authors: Grigorian Alexei L. , Bustamante Juan J. , Muñoz Jesus , Aguilar Roberto M. , Martinez Andrew O. , Haro Luis S.
Published: October 2007

The 40–60 pituitary human growth hormone (hGH) isoforms are so similar in their physico‐chemical properties (charge, size, hydrophobicity) that the limited resolutions of chromatographic separation methodologies have not permitted most of them to be isolated. However, application of high‐resolution preparative alkaline urea gradient PAGE has facilitated isolation of a disulfide‐linked mercaptoethanol‐resistant (MER) 45 kDa hGH dimer. Human pituitary extracts were separated by Sephadex G‐100 chromatography under alkaline conditions. Pooled fractions containing MER‐45 kDa hGH, as determined by SDS‐PAGE, were then separated by Sephadex G‐100 chromatography under acidic conditions followed by diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) anion‐exchange chromatography. Pooled DEAE fractions containing MER‐45 kDa hGH and other hGH isoforms were then separated by preparative electrophoresis in an alkaline polyacrylamide gradient (5–20%) slab gel containing 8 M urea into five distinct protein zones. One electroeluted zone contained pure MER‐45 kDa hGH. The dimeric hGH isoform was immunoreactive at low concentrations (effective dose to produce 50% response (ED50) ± S.E. = 58 ± 5.00 pM) in a hGH radioimmunoassay, similar to that of standard monomeric hGH (ED50 ± S.E. = 22.93 ± 3.90 pM), indicating that is was conformationally intact. Alkaline urea gradient PAGE is a valuable tool for preparative separation of structurally similar proteins such as isoforms of the hGH family.
Analysis of dideoxyadenosine triphosphate by CE with fluorescence detection. I. Derivatization through the phosphate group
Authors: Mallampati Swapna , Van Aerschot Arthur , Hoogmartens Jos , Van Schepdael Ann
Published: October 2007

A CZE method was developed, which separates 2′,3′‐dideoxyadenosine‐5′‐triphosphate (ddATP) from other metabolites and endogenous nucleotides at high concentrations (20–200 μg/mL) to allow UV detection. To enhance sensitivity, fluorescence detection which requires prior derivatization of compounds was examined. Precapillary derivatization of ddATP in the presence of N‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)‐N′‐ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDAC) with dansyl ethylenediamine (dansyl EDA) was faster and stable compared to that of 4,4‐difluoro‐5,7‐dimethyl‐4‐bora‐3a,4a‐diaza‐s‐indacene‐3‐propionyl ethylenediamine (BODIPY FL EDA). Reaction conditions, reagent concentrations and detection parameters were optimized and highest derivatization efficiency was achieved in 0.1 M 1‐methylimidazole buffer (pH 8.0) with 140 mM EDAC in 1‐methylimidazole buffer and 30 mM dansyl EDA in DMF for 90 min at 60°C. Dansyl EDA derivatives of ddATP, 2′‐deoxyadenosine‐5′‐triphosphate (dATP) and ATP were comigrating with the CZE method; therefore, a MEKC method was developed and optimized for repeatable separations. Upon dansylation, sensitivity of ddATP with fluorescence detection (LOQ = 12 ng/mL) was 160 times higher than UV detection (LOQ = 1.9 μg/mL).
A simple method to remove contaminating salt from IPG strips prior to IEF
Authors: Heppelmann Carrie J. , Benson Linda M. , Bergen H. Robert
Published: October 2007

In this study, Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast lysate is used to demonstrate how a simple wash procedure can improve IEF of IPG strips passively rehydrated in the presence of NaCl. By performing three 10 min washes after IPG strip rehydration and before IEF, corresponding second‐dimensional gels from strips containing NaCl look similar to control strips while the second‐dimensional gels of unwashed strips contains streaks and spaces devoid of protein. Up to 500 mM NaCl was added to the yeast lysate and successfully focused following this wash regime. Protein loss due to the washes was determined to be minimal by comparing replicates of washed and unwashed strips and analyzing the densities of their corresponding second‐dimensional gel spots. In the event of unknown salt contamination, indicated by low voltage during focusing, it is possible to stop focusing, wash the strips, and then continue focusing with acceptable second dimension results.
Electrokinetic injection of DNA from gel micropads: Basis for coupling polony technology with CE separation
Authors: Kosobokova Olga , Gavrilov Dmitri N. , Khozikov Vyacheslav , Stepukhovich Andrey , Tsupryk Andriy , Pan'kov Sergey , Somova Olga , Abanshin Nikolai , Gudkov Georgiy , Tcherevishnik Marina , Gorfinkel Vera
Published: October 2007

We propose a novel method for electrokinetic injection of DNA samples into capillaries from nanoliter gel micropads, deposited on glass slides, which are coated with electroconducting film. Theoretical and experimental proof is presented for the proposed method. The method allows efficient and highly precise injection without physical contact between the gel pad and the capillary. Read length of more than 700 bp at Q20 has been reproducibly demonstrated in fused‐silica capillaries using the proposed injection technique. Based on the obtained results we discuss a novel DNA sequencing system which combines DNA amplification and cycle sequencing in arrays of subnanoliter gel micropads and high‐throughput electrophoretic separation in monolith multicapillary arrays.
Transient response in steel moment frames caused by brittle connection fracture
Authors: Rodgers Janise E. , Mahin Stephen A.
Published: October 2007

Brittle fractures occurring at the beam–column connections of welded steel moment frames, such as those observed following the Mw 6.7 1994 Northridge earthquake, result in sudden decreases in connection strength and stiffness. These changes lead to various types of transient dynamic behavior at the local and global levels. The effects on global acceleration include highly transient, high‐frequency waveforms that occur immediately following fracture and decay quickly. The theoretical basis for the occurrence of these transient waveforms is examined and their presence in structural analysis results is demonstrated. Results from shaking table experiments on a simple steel moment frame with fracturing connections show that transient accelerations are consistently observed following fracture. These experiments and analyses show that, due to their short duration, the transient acceleration waveforms do not cause any sudden changes in the global lateral displacement response of typical building structures. Therefore, these global acceleration transients have relatively benign effects on overall system behavior despite their relatively large amplitudes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Understanding the accuracy of statistical haplotype inference with sequence data of known phase
Authors: Andrés Aida M. , Clark Andrew G. , Shimmin Lawrence , Boerwinkle Eric , Sing Charles F. , Hixson James E.
Published: October 2007

Statistical methods for haplotype inference from multi‐site genotypes of unrelated individuals have important application in association studies and population genetics. Understanding the factors that affect the accuracy of this inference is important, but their assessment has been restricted by the limited availability of biological data with known phase. We created hybrid cell lines monosomic for human chromosome 19 and produced single‐chromosome complete sequences of a 48 kb genomic region in 39 individuals of African American (AA) and European American (EA) origin. We employ these phase‐known genotypes and coalescent simulations to assess the accuracy of statistical haplotype reconstruction by several algorithms. Accuracy of phase inference was considerably low in our biological data even for regions as short as 25–50 kb, suggesting that caution is needed when analyzing reconstructed haplotypes. Moreover, the reliability of estimated confidence in phase inference is not high enough to allow for a reliable incorporation of site‐specific uncertainty information in subsequent analyses. We show that, in samples of certain mixed ancestry (AA and EA populations), the most accurate haplotypes are probably obtained when increasing sample size by considering the largest, pooled sample, despite the hypothetical problems associated with pooling across those heterogeneous samples. Strategies to improve confidence in reconstructed haplotypes, and realistic alternatives to the analysis of inferred haplotypes, are discussed. Genet. Epidemiol. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pleiotropy and principal components of heritability combine to increase power for association analysis
Authors: Klei Lambertus , Luca Diana , Devlin B. , Roeder Kathryn
Published: October 2007

When many correlated traits are measured the potential exists to discover the coordinated control of these traits via genotyped polymorphisms. A common statistical approach to this problem involves assessing the relationship between each phenotype and each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) individually (PHN); and taking a Bonferroni correction for the effective number of independent tests conducted. Alternatively, one can apply a dimension reduction technique, such as estimation of principal components, and test for an association with the principal components of the phenotypes (PCP) rather than the individual phenotypes. Building on the work of Lange and colleagues we develop an alternative method based on the principal component of heritability (PCH). For each SNP the PCH approach reduces the phenotypes to a single trait that has a higher heritability than any other linear combination of the phenotypes. As a result, the association between a SNP and derived trait is often easier to detect than an association with any of the individual phenotypes or the PCP. When applied to unrelated subjects, PCH has a drawback. For each SNP it is necessary to estimate the vector of loadings that maximize the heritability over all phenotypes. We develop a method of iterated sample splitting that uses one portion of the data for training and the remainder for testing. This cross‐validation approach maintains the type I error control and yet utilizes the data efficiently, resulting in a powerful test for association. Genet. Epidemiol. 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A genomic imprinting test for ordinal traits in pedigree data
Authors: Feng Rui , Zhang Heping
Published: October 2007

Genomic imprinting can lead maternally and paternally derived alleles with identical nucleotide sequences to function differently and has been found to affect the complex inheritance of a variety of human disorders. Statistical methods that differentiate the parent‐of‐origin effects on human diseases are available for binary traits and continuous traits. However, numerous common diseases are measured on discrete ordinal scales. Imprinting may also contribute to the complex genetic basis of these traits. In a previous study, we proposed a latent variable model and developed computationally efficient score statistic to test linkage of ordinal traits for any size pedigree while adjusting for non‐genetic covariates. In this study, we extend the latent variable model to incorporate parent‐of‐origin information and further develop a score statistic for testing the imprinting effect in linkage analysis. We evaluated the properties of our test statistic using simulations. We then applied our method to the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism and found a novel locus on chromosome 18 that shows a strong signal for imprinting. In addition, we identified two loci on chromosomes 3 and 4 significantly (p<0.0001) linked with alcoholism. Genet. Epidemiol. 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
High-density lipoprotein administration attenuates liver proinflammatory response, restores liver endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity, and lowers portal pressure in cirrhotic rats
Authors: Thabut Dominique , Tazi Khalid A. , Bonnefont-Rousselot Dominique , Aller Maria , Farges Olivier , Guimont Marie-Christine , Tellier Zera , Guichard Cecile , Ogier-Denis Eric , Poynard Thierry , Moreau Richard , Lebrec Didier
Published: October 2007

In patients with cirrhosis, endotoxic shock is a major complication of portal hypertension, which is related partly to intrahepatic endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) down-regulation. High-density lipoproteins (HDLs), whose plasma levels are reduced in cirrhosis, have an anti-inflammatory effect by neutralizing circulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and they increase eNOS activity in endothelial cells. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of reconstituted high-density lipoprotein (rHDL) administration on the LPS-induced proinflammatory response, intrahepatic eNOS regulation, and portal hypertension in cirrhotic rats. Cirrhotic and control rats were pretreated with rHDL or saline and challenged with LPS or saline. The neutralization of LPS in HDL was assessed by the measurement of HDL-bound fluorescent LPS levels. Plasma tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) levels were measured. The expression of hepatic TNFα, LBP, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and caveolin-1 (a major eNOS inhibitor) and the activity of protein kinase B (Akt; a major eNOS activator) and eNOS were determined. The portal pressure was measured. The plasma HDL levels were significantly lower in cirrhotic rats than in control rats. In cirrhotic rats, the plasma levels of HDL-bound fluorescent LPS were 50% lower than those in controls, and they were restored after rHDL administration. The plasma TNFα levels were significantly higher in LPS-challenged cirrhotic rats than in controls and significantly decreased after rHDL administration. rHDL administration decreased hepatic TNFα, LBP, iNOS, and caveolin-1 expression, restored hepatic eNOS and Akt activity, and significantly lowered the portal pressure and intrahepatic vascular resistance.

Conclusion:

In cirrhotic rats, rHDL administration decreases the hepatic proinflammatory signals induced by LPS, restores the hepatic eNOS activity, and lowers the portal pressure. This suggests that the decrease in circulating HDL in cirrhosis plays a role in the excessive proinflammatory response and intrahepatic eNOS down-regulation. (Hepatology 2007.)
Increased GAD67 mRNA expression in cerebellar interneurons in autism: Implications for Purkinje cell dysfunction
Authors: Yip Jane , Soghomonian Jean‐Jacques , Blatt Gene J.
Published: October 2007

It has been widely reported that in autism, the number of Purkinje cells (PCs) is decreased, and recently, decreased expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) mRNA in Purkinje cells also has been observed. However, the autism literature has not addressed key GABAergic inputs into Purkinje cells. Inhibitory basket and stellate cell interneurons in the molecular layer of the cerebellar cortex provide direct key GABAergic input into Purkinje cells and could potently influence the output of Purkinje cells to deep cerebellar nuclei. We investigated the capacity for interneuronal synthesis of gamma‐amino butyric acid (GABA) in both types of interneurons that innervate the remaining PCs in the posterolateral cerebellar hemisphere in autism. The level of GAD67 mRNA, one of the isoforms of the key synthesizing enzymes for GABA, was quantified at the single‐cell level using in situ hybridization in brains of autistic and aged‐matched controls. The National Institutes of Health imaging system showed that expression of GAD67 mRNA in basket cells was significantly up‐regulated, by 28%, in eight autistic brains compared with that in eight control brains (mean ± SEM pixels per cell, 1.03 ± 0.05 versus 0.69 ± 0.05, respectively; P < 0.0001 by independent t test). Stellate cells showed a trend toward a small increase in GAD67 mRNA levels, but this did not reach significance. The results suggest that basket cells likely provide increased GABAergic feed‐forward inhibition to PCs in autism, directly affecting PC output to target neurons in the dentate nucleus and potentially disrupting its modulatory role in key motor and/or cognitive behaviors in autistic individuals. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Aggrecan components differentially modulate nerve growth factor–responsive and neurotrophin‐3‐responsive dorsal root ganglion neurite growth
Authors: Chan Carmen C. M. , Roberts Clive R. , Steeves John D. , Tetzlaff Wolfram
Published: October 2007

Aggrecan is one of the major chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) expressed in the central nervous system. The signaling pathways activated downstream of cell interaction with aggrecan and with CSPGs in general and the importance of chondroitin sulfate–glycosaminoglycan side chains in their inhibition are unclear. Therefore, to analyze the effect of different components of aggrecan in inhibiting neurite growth, neurite outgrowth was quantified in an in vitro model in which chick dorsal root ganglion (DRG) explants were grown on substrates containing aggrecan bound to hyaluronan and link protein as a macromolecular aggregate, aggrecan monomers, hyaluronan, or ChABC‐treated aggrecan. Aggrecan aggregate, aggrecan monomer, and hyaluronan inhibited neurite outgrowth from nerve growth factor (NGF)– and neurotrophin‐3 (NT3)–responsive DRG neurons. Aggrecan inhibition was dependent on its chondroitin sulfate–glycosaminoglycans, as ChABC digestion alleviated neurite inhibition because of aggrecan. Growth cones displayed full or partial collapse on aggrecan aggregate, hyaluronan, and ChABC‐treated aggrecan. Inhibition of Rho kinase (ROCK) with Y27632 increased neurite growth on some but not all of the aggrecan components tested. With NGF in the culture medium, Y27632 increased neurite outgrowth on aggrecan aggregate, monomers, and ChABC‐treated aggrecan, but not on hyaluronan. The ROCK inhibitor also increased NT3‐responsive outgrowth on aggrecan aggregate and hyaluronan, but not on ChABC‐treated aggrecan. This study showed that the matrix proteoglycan aggrecan and its components have multiple effects on neurite outgrowth and that some of these effects involve the Rho/ROCK pathway. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Developmental expression profile of quaking, a candidate gene for schizophrenia, and its target genes in human prefrontal cortex and hippocampus shows regional specificity
Authors: Lauriat Tara L. , Shiue Lily , Haroutunian Vahram , Verbitsky Miguel , Ares Manuel , Ospina Luz , McInnes L. Alison
Published: October 2007

Decreased expression of oligodendrocyte/myelin‐related (OMR) genes, including quaking (QKI), is a consistent finding in gene expression studies of post‐mortem brain from subjects with schizophrenia, and these changes are most prominent in the hippocampus vs. the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Although expression of QKI and other OMR genes has been examined in rodents, little is known about their developmental trajectory in the human brain. Therefore, we examined expression of QKI and several putative mRNA targets of QKI in human PFC and hippocampus at different ages. The pattern of QKI expression in the PFC resembled that reported in rodents, with high QKI‐5 in the fetal brain and an increase in QKI‐6 and QKI‐7 during the period of active myelination, although QKI‐5 expression did not decrease substantially during postnatal development in the PFC in humans as it does in rodent brain. Most of the putative QKI target genes also showed linear increases in expression with increasing age in the PFC. In contrast, expression of these genes showed little evidence of developmental regulation in the hippocampus. Correlations between expression levels of the nuclear vs. cytoplasmic QKI isoforms, and putative splicing targets of the former, also differed between tissues. Thus, we speculate that a robust increase in OMR gene expression normally occurs with age in the PFC, but not in the hippocampus, which may explain why decreases in OMR gene expression in schizophrenia are more pronounced in the latter tissue. We also suggest that OMR transcripts might be processed by different splicing proteins in different tissues. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Validation of a numerical model for urban energy‐exchange using outdoor scale‐model measurements
Authors: Kawai Toru , Kanda Manabu , Narita Kenichi , Hagishima Aya
Published: October 2007

The objectives of our study are (1) to evaluate the simple urban energy balance model for mesoscale simulation (SUMM) using such data that are free from many real world uncertainties in respect to spatial variability in material, geometry, and land use, and (2) to analyse the sensitivity of land surface parameters (LSP), which are used in the model. The model was evaluated using the data obtained from comprehensive outdoor scale‐model (COSMO) experiments during a period, which covers roughly half of a year (winter and spring‐early summer) including various wind conditions. SUMM simulated surface layer energy fluxes, surface temperature, and interior temperature fairly well under windy conditions while it underestimated sensible heat flux under calm conditions. On average, simulated sensible heat flux underestimated observed value by 30% (0.73 MJ m−2 d−1) in daytime. Errors of net radiation (4%; 0.40 MJ m−2 d−1) and heat storage (5%; 0.33 MJ m−2 d−1) were smaller than that of sensible heat flux in daytime. This underestimation of sensible heat flux can be attributed to the inadequate parameterization of the surface layer bulk transfer coefficient used in SUMM under calm conditions. On the basis of the sensitivity analyses, parameterization of the surface layer bulk transfer coefficient using Monin‐Obukhov similarity theory (MOST) shows that the model performance is very sensitive to this coefficient, while it is less sensitive to the relative values of the bulk transfer coefficients of local faces. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society
Gel‐enhancing effect and protein cross‐ linking ability of tilapia sarcoplasmic proteins
Authors: Yongsawatdigul Jirawat , Piyadhammaviboon Penprabha
Published: October 2007

BACKGROUND: Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) sarcoplasmic proteins contain substantial transglutaminase (TGase) activity. The enzyme catalyzes the protein cross‐linking reaction, resulting in a more elastic gel. The objective was to investigate the gel‐enhancing effect of sarcoplasmic proteins from tilapia as related to TGase activity.

RESULTS: Total TGase activity of sarcoplasmic proteins concentrate (SpC) increased about 3.6‐fold after ultrafiltration using 30 kDa membrane, but specific activity remained unchanged, indicating minimal TGase purification by ultrafiltration. Addition of 1 mg mL−1 SpC containing 40 units TGase activity induced cross‐linking of tilapia actomyosin, and the extent of cross‐linking increased with added level of SpC. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) and troponin were preferably cross‐linked by tilapia SpC, while actin and tropomyosin were not affected. Higher retention of MHC was observed concomitantly with greater content of cross‐linked protein when SpC was added to lizardfish surimi. Lizardfish surimi with 10 g kg−1 SpC added and pre‐incubated at 37 °C for 1 h exhibited 91.6% and 26.7% increase in breaking force and deformation, respectively, when compared to the control.

CONCLUSIONS: Residual TGase activity in SpC played an important role in catalyzing the protein cross‐linking and enhancing actomyosin gelation. SpC could be a potential ingredient for improving textural properties of fish protein gel. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Effects of sowing and harvesting dates on yield and some quality characteristics of crops in sugar beet/cereal rotation system
Authors: Öztürk Özden , Topal Ali , Akınerdem Fikret , Akgün Necdet
Published: October 2007

BACKGROUND: Cereals are the main crops in rotation following sugar beet harvest. However, a delay in planting winter cereals as a result of late sugar beet harvest is a disadvantage in sugar beet/cereal rotations. In this study, field trials were carried out to investigate the effects of sowing and harvesting dates on the yield and quality of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) and cereals (wheat, Triticum aestivum L., and six‐rowed barley, Hordeum vulgare L.) during two consecutive years. Beet was sown on three dates and harvested on four dates, followed by cereals which were sown on four dates. Root yield and digestion ratio (sugar beet) and grain yield, 1000‐kernel weight, test weight and protein content (wheat and barley) were determined.

RESULTS: The highest root yield (52.53 t ha−1) was obtained from early sown (5 April) and late harvested (1 November) beet, while the highest digestion ratio (17.4%) was obtained from late sown (3 May) and late harvested (1 November) beet. Lower cereal grain yields were obtained from later sowings. The highest grain yields (5.87 and 6.02 t ha−1) were obtained from earlier sown wheat. Protein content was also affected by sowing date, which appeared to be very important under unstable climatic conditions.

CONCLUSION: It is essential to consider the timing of sowing of cereal crops when unstable climatic conditions are present. Hence sowing date recommendations in regular climatic conditions may be misleading for countries dependent on winter rainfall for cereal production. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Controlled RAFT Polymerization of N‐Vinylphthalimide and its Hydrazinolysis to Poly(vinyl amine)
Authors: Maki Yuya , Mori Hideharu , Endo Takeshi
Published: October 2007

Polymerization of NVPI was carried out by a RAFT process using five xanthate‐type, a dithiocarbamate‐type, and a dithioester‐type CTA. The xanthate‐type [O‐ethyl‐S‐(1‐ethoxy carbonyl) ethyl dithiocarbonate and O‐ethyl‐S‐(1‐ethoxycarbonyl‐1‐methyl)ethyl dithiocarbonate] and the dithiocarbamate‐type CTA (benzyl‐1‐pyrrolecarbodithioate) were the most efficient to obtain poly(NVPI) with controlled molecular weights ($\overline M _{\rm n}$ = 4 100–13 000) and low polydispersities ($\overline M _{\rm w} /\overline M _{\rm n}$ = 1.29–1.38). The effects of parameters such as solvent, temperature, and CTA‐to‐initiator molar ratio, were examined in order to determine the conditions leading to optimal control of the polymerization.

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Synergistic Ordering of Side‐Group Liquid Crystal Polymer and Small Molecule Liquid Crystal: Order and Phase Behavior of Nematic Polymer Solutions
Authors: Scruggs Neal R. , Kornfield Julia A.
Published: October 2007

Addition of a small‐molecule liquid crystal (5CB) to a cyanobiphenyl‐based side‐group liquid crystal polymer (SGLCP) stabilizes nematic order, increasing the isotropization temperature (TNI) more than 15 °C. Despite synergistic ordering at high concentration, small amounts of polymer destabilize nematic order. Even thoughTNI(SGLCP) is 27 °C greater thanTNI(5CB),2H NMR shows that the order parameter of the SGLCP is less than that of 5CB at concentrations for which monodomains were accessible (≤10 wt.‐%). The results imply that nematic order is frustrated in the bulk polymer and addition of small molecule LC relaxes this frustration by allowing greater configurational freedom. Conversely, adding small amounts of polymer to the bulk 5CB introduces frustration, resulting in the strong asymmetry of the phase diagram.

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Motivational interviewing in musculoskeletal care
Authors: Shannon Robert , Hillsdon Melvyn
Published: October 2007

Motivational interviewing is a patient‐centred counselling method designed to build motivation for behaviour change by resolving ambivalence. It was developed in the addictions field and has since been applied to medical and health promotion settings. This paper will provide a brief overview of the method and will discuss how it may be used in consultations for patients with musculoskeletal problems to increase engagement with treatment and to build motivation for helpful behaviour change. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surrogate therapeutic outcome measures in patients with myasthenia gravis
Authors: Zinman Lorne , Baryshnik Devra , Bril Vera
Published: October 2007

Treatment of acquired myasthenia gravis (MG) with immunotherapies successfully relieves symptoms and improves strength as documented by the Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis Score for disease severity (QMGS). Neuromuscular function, as demonstrated by the surrogate measures of repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) and single‐fiber electromyography (SFEMG), is sensitive for diagnosis and staging disease severity. This study of 51 patients treated with immunomodulation confirmed that RNS and SFEMG are useful to stage disease severity, but found that clinical measures such as the QMGS are more sensitive to change than electrophysiological parameters. The presence of blocking on SFEMG did predict responsiveness to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment, providing clinicians with an objective, reliable, quantitative measure to help determine which patients will benefit from this costly treatment. Muscle Nerve, 2007
Subcutaneous immunoglobulin infusion: A new therapeutic option in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
Authors: Lee De‐Hyung , Linker Ralf A. , Paulus Walter , Schneider‐Gold Christiane , Chan Andrew , Gold Ralf
Published: October 2007

Intravenous application of immunoglobulins (IVIg) is an effective and usually well tolerated yet costly therapeutic regimen in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). We report two CIDP patients treated with subcutaneous infusion of immunoglobulins (SCIg) after IVIg therapy was shown to be effective. Application of SCIg was well tolerated, easy to manage, and led to stabilization of the disease course. SCIg may represent an effective new therapeutic option in CIDP and is associated with a cost reduction of at least 50% compared to IVIg therapy. Muscle Nerve, 2007
A non‐iterative derivation of the common plane for contact detection of polyhedral blocks
Authors: Chang Shu‐Wei , Chen Chuin‐Shan
Published: October 2007

A non‐iterative derivation for finding the common plane between two polyhedral blocks is presented. By exploiting geometric relations between the normal of a plane and the closest vertex on a block, the common plane can be resolved without resorting to an iterative method. To facilitate derivations, normals in half‐space are decomposed into finite subsets in which each subset corresponds to the same closest vertex on a block. The gap function, originally dependent on the normal and the two closest vertices, becomes a function of the normal only. To compute the gap for a given normal subset, the maximum theorem and the maximum projection theorem are introduced. The maximum theorem reduces finding the maximum in a subset to its boundary. Calculating the gap in 2D in a given subset thus reduces to checking two inner products. The maximum projection theorem further reduces finding the maximum on a 3D boundary to an explicit form. Three numerical examples are used to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed scheme. The example in which the blocks are in contact further shows the existence of a local maximum while calculating the gap and illustrates the potential deficiencies in using the Cundall's iterative scheme. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Finite element modelling of inverse design problems in large deformations anisotropic hyperelasticity
Authors: Fachinotti Víctor D. , Cardona Alberto , Jetteur Philippe
Published: October 2007

This paper introduces a finite element model for the inverse design of pieces with large displacements in the elastic range. The problem consists in determining the initial shape of the piece, such that it attains the designed shape under the effect of service loads. The model is particularly focused on the design of parts with a markedly anisotropic behavior, like laminated turbine blades. Although the formulation expresses equilibrium on the distorted configuration, it uses a standard constitutive equations library that is expressed as usual for measures attached to the undistorted configuration. In this way, the modifications to a standard finite elements code are limited to the routines for the computation of the finite element internal forces and tangent matrix. Two examples are given, the first one for validation purposes, while the second is an application which has industrial interest for the design of turbine blades. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multiphase modeling of dynamic fluid–structure interaction during close‐in explosion
Authors: Xie W. F. , Young Y. L. , Liu T. G.
Published: October 2007

The modified ghost fluid method (MGFM) developed by Liu et al. (J. Comput. Phys. 2003; 190:651–681) provides us a robust method to treat moving compressible gas–gas and gas–liquid interfaces. Recently, the MGFM was extended to treat compressible fluid‐compressible structure interfaces, where the structure was assumed to be very thick or infinitely thick (Comput. Mech. 2007; 40:667–681). In this work, the MGFM is applied to investigate the complex physics that occur during an underwater explosion inside a fluid‐filled cylinder. Owing to the refraction of strong rarefaction waves at the fluid–structure interface and inside the thin cylinder wall, cavitation occurs next to the cylinder wall in the fluid; simultaneously, solid tension waves may appear next to the fluid–structure interface inside the structure. Both phenomena tend to cause the implicit double‐shock approximate Riemann problem solver (the key component used to predict the fluid–structure interface status in the MGFM) to work less effectively in regions of low pressure and to be invalid when tension waves appear in the vicinity of the fluid–structure interface. To overcome these mentioned difficulties, the MGFM will be further developed in this work. Owing to the high initial pressure, short duration and high intensity of the shock load and cavitation reload, the compressibility of the structure becomes important, and the cylinder can be modeled as a compressible fluid‐like medium. The hydro‐elasto‐plastic equation of state is, thus, used to describe the constitutive behavior of the compressible solid cylinder. A systematic study of the cavitation reload is conducted to examine the influence of the wall material, wall thickness, explosion distance, and explosion strength on the fluid and structural responses. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Isolated cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma progressing to severe systemic disease with myocardial involvement and central nervous system infiltration
Authors: Rannan‐Eliya Yi Fan , Pulford Karen , Johnson Rob , Peart Ian , Kokai George , Baillie Colin , Ait‐Tahar Kamel , Pizer Barry
Published: October 2007

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a rare tumor comprising around 10–15% of childhood lymphomas. We describe the case of a female who initially presented with localized skin disease associated with an insect bite. However, she subsequently relapsed with widespread systemic ALK‐positive ALCL that included lymphoma deposits in the myocardium, a very rare manifestation. Her disease responded well to chemotherapy but she later developed a fatal relapse in the CNS. We also present data on an immune response to ALK, demonstrating a fluctuation in the levels of circulating antibodies to ALK corresponding to the different phases of her illness. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:879–881. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Initial testing of dasatinib by the pediatric preclinical testing program
Authors: Kolb E. Anders , Gorlick Richard , Houghton Peter J. , Morton Christopher L. , Lock Richard B. , Tajbakhsh Mayamin , Reynolds C. Patrick , Maris John M. , Keir Stephen T. , Billups Catherine A. , Smith Malcolm A.
Published: October 2007

Background

Dasatinib, a dual inhibitor of the src and abl tyrosine kinases, was recently approved by the Federal Drug Administration for the treatment of imatinib mesylate‐resistant chronic myeloid leukemia.

Procedures

Dasatinib was tested against the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Program (PPTP) in vitro panel at concentrations ranging from 0.1 nM to 1.0 µM and was tested in vivo at a dose of 50 mg/kg administered orally twice daily 5 days per week for 4 weeks for the solid tumor xenografts and once daily for the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) xenografts.

Results

Dasatinib was selectively active against the cell lines of the PPTP in vitro panel, reaching an IC50 in 6 of the 22 lines. The most sensitive were the AML line Kasumi‐1, which has a gain‐of‐function c‐Kit mutation (Asn822Lys), and the rhabdoid tumor line CHLA‐266 (IC50 approximately 10 nM for each). In the in vivo panel, dasatinib induced significant differences in EFS distribution in 8 of 32 (25%) solid tumor models and 3 of 7 ALL models. Using the time to event activity measure, dasatinib had intermediate activity against 1 of 27 (4%) evaluable solid tumor xenografts and 3 of 7 ALL xenografts. One xenograft in the ALL panel, a Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) ALL xenograft, demonstrated a complete response.

Conclusions

Dasatinib was active at low nanomolar concentrations against a small subset of the PPTP's in vitro panel. Dasatinib had limited in vivo activity against the PPTP solid tumor xenografts, but was highly active against a Ph+ ALL xenograft and also had anti‐leukemia activity against two other xenografts. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:1198–1206. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
HUPO BPP pilot study: A proteomics analysis of the mouse brain of different developmental stages
Authors: Wang Jing , Gu Yong , Wang Lihong , Hang Xingyi , Gao Yan , Wang Hangyan , Zhang Chenggang
Published: October 2007

This study is a part of the HUPO Brain Proteome Project (BPP) pilot study, which aims at obtaining a reliable database of mouse brain proteome, at the comparison of techniques, laboratories, and approaches as well as at preparing subsequent proteome studies of neurologic diseases. The C57/Bl6 mouse brains of three developmental stages at embryonic day 16 (E16), postnatal day 7 (P7), and 8 wk (P56) (n = 5 in each group) were provided by the HUPO BPP executive committee. The whole brain proteins of each animal were individually prepared using 2‐DE coupled with PDQuest software analysis. The protein spots representing developmentally related or stably expressed proteins were then prepared with in‐gel digestion followed with MALDI‐TOF/TOF MS/MS and analyzed using the MASCOT search engines to search the Swiss‐Prot or NCBInr database. The 2‐DE gel maps of the mouse brains of all of the developmental stages were obtained and submitted to the Data Collection Centre (DCC). The proteins α‐enolase, stathmin, actin, C14orf166 homolog, 28 000 kDa heat‐ and acid‐stable phosphoprotein, 3‐mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase and 40 S ribosomal protein S3a were successfully identified. A further Western blotting analysis demonstrated that enolase is a protein up‐regulated in the mouse brain from embryonic stage to adult stage. These data are helpful for understanding the proteome changes in the development of the mouse brain.
Membrane subproteomic analysis of Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette‐Guérin
Authors: Zheng Jianhua , Wei Candong , Leng Wenchuan , Dong Jie , Li Rui , Li Weijun , Wang Jin , Zhang Zongde , Jin Qi
Published: October 2007

Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine has been known for a long time to prevent tuberculosis (TB) worldwide since 1921. Nonetheless, we know little about BCG membrane proteome. In the present study, we utilized alkaline incubation and Triton X‐114‐based methods to enrich BCG membrane proteins and subsequently digested them using proteolytic enzyme. The recovered peptides were further separated by 2‐D LC and identified by ESI‐MS/MS. As a result, total 474 proteins were identified, including 78 integral membrane proteins (IMPs). Notably, 18 BCG IMPs were described for the first time in mycobacterium. Further analysis of the 78 IMPs indicated that the theoretical molecular mass distribution of them ranged from 8.06 to 167.86 kDa and pI scores ranged from 4.40 to 11.60. Functional classification revealed that a large proportion of the identified IMPs (67.9%, 53 out of 78) were involved in cell wall and cell processes functional group. In conclusion, here we reported a comprehensive profile of the BCG membrane subproteome. The present investigation may allow the identification of some valuable vaccine and drug target candidates and thus provide basement for future designing of preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies against TB.
Tandem mass spectrometry for the detection of plant pathogenic fungi and the effects of database composition on protein inferences
Authors: Padliya Neerav D. , Garrett Wesley M. , Campbell Kimberly B. , Tabb David L. , Cooper Bret
Published: October 2007

LC‐MS/MS has demonstrated potential for detecting plant pathogens. Unlike PCR or ELISA, LC‐MS/MS does not require pathogen‐specific reagents for the detection of pathogen‐specific proteins and peptides. However, the MS/MS approach we and others have explored does require a protein sequence reference database and database‐search software to interpret tandem mass spectra. To evaluate the limitations of database composition on pathogen identification, we analyzed proteins from cultured Ustilago maydis, Phytophthora sojae, Fusarium graminearum, and Rhizoctonia solani by LC‐MS/MS. When the search database did not contain sequences for a target pathogen, or contained sequences to related pathogens, target pathogen spectra were reliably matched to protein sequences from nontarget organisms, giving an illusion that proteins from nontarget organisms were identified. Our analysis demonstrates that when database‐search software is used as part of the identification process, a paradox exists whereby additional sequences needed to detect a wide variety of possible organisms may lead to more cross‐species protein matches and misidentification of pathogens.
Synthesis, characterization, and thermal degradation mechanism of fast biodegradable PPSu/PCL copolymers
Authors: Papadimitriou S. , Bikiaris D. N. , Chrissafis K. , Paraskevopoulos K. M. , Mourtas S.
Published: October 2007

Poly(propylene succinate)/poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PPSu/PCL) 25/75, 50/50, and 75/25 w/w copolymers were prepared using a combination of polycondensation and ring opening polymerization. The randomness of copolymers was characterized using 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy. From molecular weights and DSC measurements it was observed that the molecular weight decreased with increasing the wt % content of PPSu, while the copolymers containing 50 and 75 wt % PPSu were completely amorphous. Enzymatic hydrolysis revealed that biodegradation rate was much enhanced compared with that of neat PCL and increased by increasing the PPSu content. From TGA analysis it was also found that the PPSu/PCL copolymers had similar thermal decomposition behaviour with the pure polyesters and exhibited their maximum decomposition rates at temperatures 400–420 °C. Two different mechanisms, which follow each other, were used to adequately describe their decomposition kinetics. The first one corresponded to the first stage taking place at 280–365 °C, where small mass loss was recorded and activation energies ranged between 94 and 156 kJ/mol. The second one took place at 370–460 °C and corresponded to the stage where the main polyester mass was decomposed. The activation energies for this stage ranged between 200 and 240 kJ/mol. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5076–5090, 2007
Synthesis of novel asymmetric dendritic‐linear‐dendritic block copolymers via “living” anionic polymerization of ethylene oxide initiated by dendritic macroinitiators
Authors: Gitsov Ivan , Simonyan Arsen , Vladimirov Nikolay G.
Published: October 2007

The first synthesis of asymmetric dendritic‐linear‐dendritic ABC block copolymers, that contain a linear B block and dissimilar A and C dendritic fragments is reported. Third generation poly(benzyl ether) monodendrons having benzyl alcohol moiety at their “focal” point were activated by quantitative titration with organometallic anions and the resulting alkoxides were used as initiators in the “living” ring‐opening polymerization of ethylene oxide. The reaction proceeded in controlled fashion at 40–50 °C affording linear‐dendritic AB block copolymers with predictable molecular weights (Mw = 6000–13,000) and narrow molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn = 1.02–1.04). The propagation process was monitored by size‐exclusion chromatography with multiple detection. The resulting “living” copolymers were terminated by reaction either with HCl/tetrahydrofuran or with a reactive monodendron that differed from the initiating dendron not only in size, but also in chemical composition. The asymmetric triblock copolymers follow a peculiar structure‐induced self‐assembly pattern in block‐selective solvents as evidenced by size‐exclusion chromatography in combination with multi‐angle light scattering. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5136–5148, 2007
Rhythmic growth of ring‐banded spherulites in blends of liquid crystalline methoxy‐poly(aryl ether ketone) and poly(aryl ether ether ketone)
Authors: Chen Jian , Yang Decai
Published: October 2007

Rhythmic growth of ring‐banded spherulites in blends of liquid crystalline methoxy‐poly(aryl ether ketone) (M‐PAEK) and poly(aryl ether ether ketone) (PEEK) has been investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized light microscopy (PLM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The measurements reveal that the formation of the rhythmically grown ring‐banded spherulites in the M‐PAEK/PEEK blends is strongly dependent on the blend composition. In the M‐PAEK‐rich blends, upon cooling, an unusual ring‐banded spherulite is formed, which is ascribed to structural discontinuity caused by a rhythmic radial growth. For the 50:50 M‐PAEK/PEEK blend, ring‐banded spherulites and individual PEEK spherulites coexist in the system. In the blends with PEEK as the predominant component, M‐PAEK is rejected into the boundary of PEEK spherulites. The cooling rate and crystallization temperature have great effect on the phase behavior, especially the ring‐banded spherulite formation in the blends. In addition, the effects of M‐PAEK phase transition rate and phase separation rate on banded spherulite formation is discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 3011–3024, 2007
Effect of temperature and membrane preparation parameters on gas permeation properties of polymethacrylates
Authors: Gülmüs Sergül Acikalin , Yilmaz Levent
Published: October 2007

Permeabilities of N2, Ar, O2, CO2, and H2 gases in PEMA (Polyethylmethacrylate) membranes have been measured above and below glass transition in the temperature range of 25–70 °C. The permeabilities of the gases were observed increasing with temperature. Arrhenius plot of permeability versus temperature data showed that there is a slope discontinuity at near to Tg of PEMA. In addition, the effects of membrane preparation parameters by solvent casting method (percentage of polymer in solvent, annealing temperature, annealing time, evaporation temperature, and evaporation time) have been investigated by using homogenous dense membranes of PEMA. It is observed that membrane preparation parameters strongly affect the membrane performance and the reproducibility of the permeability measurements. On the other hand, the effect of polymer structure on membrane performance has been investigated. Comparison of the permeabilities of N2, Ar, O2, CO2, and H2 gases in PEMA and PMMA membranes shows that PMMA membranes have smaller permeabilities and higher selectivities than PEMA membranes because of their higher glass transition temperature, Tg. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 3025–3033, 2007