bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hypoalgesia in mice lacking GABA transporter subtype 1
Authors: Xu Yin Fang , Cai You Qing , Cai Guo Qiang , Jiang Jie , Sheng Zhe Jing , Wang Zhu Gang , Fei Jian
Published: October 2007

γ‐Aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporters play a key role in the regulation of GABA neurotransmission. We reported previously that overexpression of the GABA transporter subtype 1 (GAT1), the major form of the GABA transporter in the CNS, led to hyperalgesia in mice. In the present study, nociceptive responses of GAT1‐knockout mice (GAT1−/−) were compared with those of heterozygous (GAT+/−) and wild‐type (GAT+/+) mice by four conventional pain models (tail‐immersion test, hot‐plate test, acetic acid–induced abdominal constriction test, and formalin test). In addition, the analgesic effects of two GAT1‐selective inhibitors, NO‐711 and tiagabine, were examined in all three genotypes using the same four models. Our data demonstrated that GAT1 deficiency because of genetic knockout or acute blockade by selective inhibitors leads to hypoalgesia in mice. These results confirmed the crucial role of GAT1 in the regulation of nociceptive threshold and suggested that GAT1 inhibitors have the potential for clinical use in pain therapy. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nuclear factor‐κB decoy amelioration of spinal cord injury‐induced inflammation and behavior outcomes
Authors: Rafati Danny Salah , Geissler Katja , Johnson Kathia , Unabia Geda , Hulsebosch Claire , Nesic‐Taylor Olivera , Perez‐Polo J. Regino
Published: October 2007

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in a pathophysiology characterized by multiple locomotor and sensory deficits, resulting in altered nociception and hyperalgesia. SCI triggers an early and prolonged inflammatory response, with increased interleukin‐1β levels. Transient changes are observed in subunit populations of the transcription factor nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB). There were decreases in neuronal c‐Rel levels and inverse increases in p65 and p50 levels. There were no changes in neuronal p52 or RelB subunits after SCI at any time point tested. Similarly, SCI had no effect on oligodendroglial levels of any NF‐κB subunit. There were significant early increases in COX‐2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA and protein levels after SCI. We used synthetic double‐stranded “decoy” deoxyoligonucleotides containing selective NF‐κB protein dimer binding consensus sequences. Decoys targeting the p65/p50 binding site on the COX‐2 promoter decreased SCI‐induced cell losses, NF‐κB p65/p50 DNA‐binding activity, and COX‐2 and iNOS protein levels. NF‐κB p65/p50 targeted decoys improved early locomotor recovery after moderate but not severe SCI, yet ameliorated SCI‐induced hypersensitization after both moderate and severe SCI. To determine whether changes in GABA activity played a role in decreased hypersensitivity after SCI and p65/p50 targeted decoy, we counted γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)‐containing neurons in laminae 1–3. There were significantly more GABAergic neurons in the p65/p50 targeted decoy‐treated group at the level of injury. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Region‐specific differentiation of embryonic stem cell‐derived neural progenitor transplants into the adult mouse hippocampus following seizures
Authors: Carpentino Joseph E. , Hartman Nathaniel W. , Grabel Laura B. , Naegele Janice R.
Published: October 2007

Embryonic stem (ES) cells can generate neural progenitors and neurons in vitro and incorporate into the adult central nervous system (CNS) following transplantation, suggesting their therapeutic potential for treating neurological disorders. However, our understanding of the conditions that direct ES‐derived neural progenitor (ESNP) migration and differentiation within different regions of the adult CNS is incomplete. Rodents treated with the chemoconvulsant kainic acid (KA) experience seizures and display hippocampal sclerosis, as well as enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis, similar to pathological findings in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). To examine the potential for ESNPs to incorporate into the adult hippocampus and differentiate into hippocampal neurons or glia following seizure‐induced damage, we compared the fates of ESNPs after they were transplanted into the CA3 region or fimbria 1 week following KA‐induced seizures. After 4–8 weeks, ESNPs grafted into the CA3 region had migrated to the dentate gyrus (DG), where a small subset adopted neural stem cell fates and continued to proliferate, based on bromodeoxyuridine uptake. Others differentiated into neuroblasts or dentate granule neurons. In contrast, most ESNPs transplanted into the fimbria migrated extensively along existing fiber tracts and differentiated into oligodendrocytes or astrocytes. Hippocampal grafts in mice not subjected to seizures displayed a marked tendency to form tumors, and this effect was more pronounced in the DG than in the fimbria. Taken together, these data suggest that seizures induce molecular changes in the CA3 region and DG that promote region‐specific neural differentiation and suppress tumor formation. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dephosphorylation of Akt in C6 cells grown in serum‐free conditions corresponds with redistribution of p85/PI3K to the nucleus
Authors: Sephton C. F. , Mousseau D. D.
Published: October 2007

Withdrawal of serum from cell cultures constitutes a useful model for the study of mechanisms involved in the regulation of Akt function in vitro. However, there have been several reports of changes in Akt activity that are not fully explained by the current model of phosphatidylinositol 3′‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling. We demonstrate the expected loss of Akt phosphorylation in C6 glioma cells cultured in serum‐free conditions, yet we also observed a paradoxical increase in PI3K–lipid kinase activity in the same cultures. These events corresponded with relocalization of p85, the regulatory subunit of PI3K, to the perinuclear region and a local increase in PI3K‐lipid kinase products. Treatment with platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) maintained the association between p85 and the PDGF receptor during serum withdrawal and restored PI3K‐lipid production at the plasma membrane. Although this protected Akt from dephosphorylation, it only slightly reversed cell‐cycle arrest. These effects were not sensitive to treatment with epidermal growth factor, thus precluding a generalized role for growth factors. Our data suggest that loss of growth factor signaling, including PDGF signaling, may disrupt recruitment and/or anchoring of an active p85(PI3K) complex at the plasma membrane during serum withdrawal, which could account for the concurrent loss of Akt function. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
cAMP‐dependent regulation of spinesin/TMPRSS5 gene expression in astrocytes
Authors: Yamaguchi Tatsuyuki , Watanabe Yoshihisa , Tanaka Masaki , Nakagawa Masanori , Yamaguchi Nozomi
Published: October 2007

Spinesin/TMPRSS5 is a mosaic type serine protease that is predominantly expressed in the spinal cord. To identify the mechanism of spinesin expression, we investigated its expression in vivo and in vitro using several cell lines. Immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization analyses revealed that mouse spinesin (m‐spinesin) was abundantly expressed in white matter astrocytes. Similarly, we confirmed abundant expression of m‐spinesin in astrocyte cell lines. Then, we analyzed the expression of variant forms of m‐spinesin in these cell lines. Interestingly, a transmembrane type (type 4) variant was expressed in neuroblastoma and astrocyte cell lines, whereas a cytoplasmic type (type 1) variant was specifically expressed in astrocyte cell lines. Furthermore, expression of both variants was up‐regulated by dibutyryl‐cAMP (dbcAMP) treatment only in astrocyte cell lines. We also analyzed the promoter region of the m‐spinesin gene and revealed that the 5′‐flanking region from base pairs −224 to −188 was essential for cAMP‐dependent regulation of its transcription. These results indicate that m‐spinesin is involved in the function of astrocytes in the spinal cord and that there may be astrocyte‐specific regulation of its gene expression. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ebselen, a redox regulator containing a selenium atom, induces neurofilament M expression in cultured rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells via activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinase
Authors: Nishina Atsuyoshi , Sekiguchi Akihiro , He Yuxi , Koketsu Mamoru , Furukawa Shoei
Published: October 2007

We found that ebselen [2‐phenyl‐1,2‐benzisoselenazol‐3(2H)‐one] caused phosphorylation of mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK), followed by expression of neurofilament‐M, a neuron‐specific protein, in cultured PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells. The ebselen‐induced MAPK activation was suppressed by U0126, an inhibitor of MAPK kinase (MEK1/2), but not by K252a, a selective inhibitor of Trk family tyrosine kinases; AG1478, an antagonist of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR); pertussis toxin, an inhibitor of Gi/o; or GP antagonist‐2A, an inhibitor of Gq. Furthermore, we observed that N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine, an inhibitor of tyrosine kinases, suppressed ebselen‐induced MAPK activation and buthionine sulfoximine, an activator of protein tyrosine phosphatases, enhanced the effect, indicating that ebselen activated MEK1/2 through one or more tyrosine kinases. Based on these results, we propose that ebselen stimulated intracellular tyrosine kinase activity, thus activating a MAPK cascade (tyrosine kinase–MEK1/2–ERK1/2) in PC12 cells and that this activation resulted in their neuronal differentiation. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
CD40‐CD40 ligand interactions in human microglia induce CXCL8 (interleukin‐8) secretion by a mechanism dependent on activation of ERK1/2 and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor‐κB (NFκB) and activator protein‐1 (AP‐1)
Authors: D'Aversa Teresa G. , Eugenin Eliseo A. , Berman Joan W.
Published: October 2007

CXCL8 is a CXC chemokine that recruits leukocytes to sites of inflammation. Expression of CXCL8 in the CNS has been demonstrated in neuroinflammatory diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV‐1) encephalitis, but the mechanism of secretion of this chemokine is not fully understood. CD40 is a 50‐kDa protein on the surface of microglia, and we have previously shown that it is increased in expression in HIV‐1‐infected brain tissue as well as by interferon‐γ (IFNγ) in tissue culture. We examined the expression and regulation of CXCL8 in cultured human fetal microglia after ligation of CD40 with soluble trimeric CD40 ligand (sCD40L) as well as the expression of CXCL8 on microglia in HIV encephalitic brain tissue sections. Treatment of cultured microglia with IFNγ + sCD40L resulted in significant induction of CXCL8. This expression was mediated by activation of the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway, as demonstrated by ELISA and Western blot using a specific inhibitor (U0126). Gel shift analyses demonstrated that NFκB and AP‐1, but not C/EBPβ, mediate microglial CXCL8 production. We also found increased colocalization of CXCL8 with CD68/CD40‐positive cells in HIV encephalitic brain tissue compared with HIV‐infected nonencephalitic and normal tissue. Thus, CD40‐CD40L interactions facilitate chemokine expression, leading to the influx of inflammatory cells into the CNS. These events can lead to the pathology that is associated with neuroinflammatory diseases. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Structural studies of an acidic polysaccharide of Mesona blumes gum
Authors: Feng Tao , Gu Zhengbiao , Jin Zhengyu
Published: October 2007

Mesona blumes gum can be isolated into a neutral polysaccharide (NMBG) and an acidic polysaccharide (AMBG). The yield of AMBG can be up to 90% (w/w). AMBG with a molecular weight of 6566 Da is composed of galactose, glucose, mannose, xylose, arabinose, rhamnose and galacturonic acid in the molar ratio 2.66:1:0.37:2.29:12.5:5.99:23.5. Structural features of the purified AMBG were investigated by a combination of chemical and instrumental analysis, such as periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, methylation, and 13C and 1H NMR. It was found that AMBG possessed a (1 → 4)‐α‐galacturonan backbone with some insertions of (1 → 2)‐α‐L‐Rhap residues. The branches of arabinogalactan, arabinan, galactan and xylan were all attached to the backbone via O‐4 of α‐L‐Rhap residues. In addition, some α‐L‐Rhap residues on the backbone terminated with α‐L‐Araf and some O‐6 in galacturonic acid residues were acetylated or methyl esterified. The molecular structure of AMBG at different concentrations was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that AMBG showed spherical lumps at 1 µg mL−1 but an irregular worm‐like shape at 10 µg mL−1, which indicated that the viscosity of AMBG might be caused by its notable molecular aggregation. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Effects of dietary probiotic supplementation on ileal digestibility of nutrients and growth performance in 1‐ to 42‐day‐old broilers
Authors: Li Li‐Li , Hou Zheng‐Ping , Li Tie‐Jun , Wu Guo‐Yao , Huang Rui‐Lin , Tang Zheng‐Ruan , Yang Cheng‐Bo , Gong Joshua , Yu Hai , Kong Xiang‐Feng , Pan Eric , Ruan Zheng , Xhu Wu‐Ying , Deng Ze‐Yuan , Xie Mingrong , Deng Jun , Yin Fu‐Gui , Yin Yu‐Long
Published: October 2007

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary probiotic supplementation on the ileal digestibilities of nutrients and growth performance in broilers. Two thousand, eight hundred and eighty male broiler chickens at 1 day of age were randomly allotted to eight treatment groups and fed for 6 weeks the maize–soybean meal‐based diets containing 0, 0.2, 0.4 or 0.6% AgiPro A100® (a probiotic) and 0 or 6 ppm flavomycin (an antibiotic). This well‐established antibiotic was used as a positive control for the efficacy of AgiPro A100®. Dietary supplementation with either the probiotic or the antibiotic alone did not affect (P> 0.05) feed intake or average daily gain (ADG) of broilers between days 1 and 42 of life. However, there was a significant antibiotic × probiotic interaction effect (P< 0.05) in increasing ADG during the entire experimental period. Notably, dietary supplementation with the probiotic or the antibiotic consistently improved (P< 0.05) the ileal digestibilities of crude protein and most amino acids in 21‐ and 42‐day‐old chickens. Supplementing the probiotic to broiler diets also improved (P< 0.05) the ileal digestibilities of dry matter, energy, calcium and phosphate in the birds. Collectively, these results indicated that AgiPro A100® is an effective alternative to flavomycin in chicken production. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Chitosan coating minimises eggshell breakage and improves egg quality
Authors: Caner Cenzig , Cansiz Özge
Published: October 2007

The interior quality of eggs, shell impact strength, and consumer perception of eggs coated with chitosan containing an organic acid (acetic, lactic and propionic) were evaluated. Uncoated eggs had the highest albumen pH and lowest albumen viscosity. The viscosity of eggs coated with chitosan and lactic or propionic acids were the highest. Chitosan coating also improved shell strength with chitosan + lactic acid being the best coating in this regard. The colour of shell and yolk as measured by lightness (L*), a*, b*, chroma and hue of coated and uncoated eggs were not significantly different but the difference was detected in the colour of albumen, which is an effective indication of freshness and egg quality. Based on sensory evaluation, consumers could not differentiate coated eggs from uncoated eggs; thus the general acceptability of the coated eggs was the same as uncoated eggs. This study shows a great potential of using chitosan and lactic acid mixture as a coating material for egg coating to extend the shelf life. It has no effect on consumer acceptability of the product. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Approximate closed‐form solution for the dynamical analysis of short bearings with couple stress fluid
Authors: Ruggiero Alessandro , Senatore Adolfo
Published: October 2007

The film forces in journal bearings may cause self‐exciting oscillations under particular operating conditions; if the amplitude of these oil‐whirl oscillations becomes too large, it may involve unsafe machinery dynamics. Thus, there is a need to understand the dynamic characteristics of the journal bearings evaluating the performances of the couple stress lubricants used to minimise the friction losses in steady operating conditions.

The purpose of this paper was to illustrate a method to formulate with closed‐form solutions the non‐steady fluid film forces, and the stiffness and damping coefficients for ‘short’ liquid‐lubricated couple stress journal bearings, assuming the micro‐continuum Stokes' model.

It is shown that the model allows the advantage of minimising the computational time required for the non‐linear dynamic analysis of couple stress journal bearings without any significant loss of accuracy, while the analytical form of the solution involves a better readability of the parameter effects on the system unsteady behaviour. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nanocapsules Synthesized by Miniemulsion Technique for Application as New Contrast Agent Materials
Authors: Jagielski Nicole , Sharma Sonu , Hombach Vinzenz , Mailänder Volker , Rasche Volker , Landfester Katharina
Published: October 2007

Nanocapsules containing the hydrophilic contrast agents Magnevist® and Gadovist® are synthesized in an inverse miniemulsion process. First, nanodroplets of 100 to 550 nm are formed which are subsequently encapsulated by an interfacial polyaddition in polymeric shells of polyurethane, polyurea and crosslinked dextran. The shell thickness can be adjusted by the monomer concentration. Due to the porosity of the polymeric shell, exchange of water molecules through the capsule wall can be ensured and no significant compromises in the T1 relaxitivity of the contrast compound is observed for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This clearly indicates the potential use of the contrast agent filled nanocapsules as new MRI contrast agents.

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Functional Diblock Copolymers for the Integration of Triboluminescent Materials into Polymer Matrices
Authors: Meuer Stefan , Zentel Rudolf
Published: October 2007

This work describes the synthesis and use of new diblock copolymers to integrate functional inorganic particles into a polymer matrix. These diblock copolymers were synthesized by nitroxide‐mediated polymerization (NMP) from styrene and two styrene‐like monomers with protected functional groups for the later connection to the functional inorganic material. It was possible to keep the polydispersity of the block copolymers around or below 1.2 and to preset the length of the functional block to about 20 monomers or 10 mol‐% of monomers. The groups for the surface functionalization (amino groups or chelating ligands) were obtained in their free form by polymer analogous reactions. As an example of functional inorganic materials, two highly triboluminescent materials were synthesized and investigated: an europium complex that is sensitive to fracture only and a manganese‐doped zinc sulfide that is also sensitive to reversible deformations. The interaction of the functional block copolymers with these triboluminescent crystals could be proved by (i) selective adsorption on surfaces coated with the block copolymer, (ii) by copolymer‐mediated transfer of the crystals from water to a chloroform phase and (iii) by the homogenous embedding of the crystals in a polystyrene (PS) matrix.

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Hydrodynamic Size and Electrophoretic Mobility of Poly(styrene sulfonate) versus Molecular Weight
Authors: Böhme Ute , Scheler Ulrich
Published: October 2007

The effective charge of a macromolecule in solution is significantly smaller than the nominal charge, derived form the number of charged groups and the degree of dissociation. It is reduced by counterion condensation, shielding a considerable fraction of the macromolecules charge. As an example the influence of the molecular weight on hydrodynamic size and electrophoretic mobility of poly(styrene sulfonate) has been investigated. While from diffusion the hydrodynamic size is inferred, in a combination with electrophoresis NMR the effective charge is calculated. At low molecular weight the effective charge is equal to the nominal charge, in an intermediate range the effective charge is that predicted from counterion condensation theory, while at higher molecular weights it becomes considerably smaller.

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Functionalized Poly(benzimidazole)s as Membrane Materials for Fuel Cells
Authors: Sukumar Prabakaran R. , Wu Weicheng , Markova Dilyana , Ünsal Ömer , Klapper Markus , Müllen Klaus
Published: October 2007

New polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cell applications were synthesized via covalent bonding of phosphonic acid (PA) onto poly(benzimidazole) (PBI). PBI was functionalized via N‐alkylation with an appropriate phosphonate, followed by hydrolysis of the grafted groups to the desired PA functions. Alternatively, polymer networks based on PBI and vinyl phosphonic acid (VPA) were successfully synthesized. In this second approach, PBI was first functionalized in a polymer analogous modification with polymerizable or radical‐forming groups. Thermally induced ‘grafting‐through’ or ‘grafting‐from’ polymerization of VPA led to the corresponding PBI/PVPA networks. The structure‐property relationships with respect to proton conducting properties of the membrane materials are discussed.

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Mathematical Model for Vinyl‐Divinyl Polymerization
Authors: Kizilel Seda , Papavasiliou Georgia , Gossage John , Teymour Fouad
Published: October 2007

A mathematical model for the crosslinking copolymerization of a vinyl and divinyl monomer was developed and applied to the case of methyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate batch polymerization. Model results compare favorably to the experimental findings of Li and Hamielec23 for the system investigated. The model presented utilizes the numerical fractionation technique15 and is capable of predicting a broad range of distributional properties both for pre‐ and post‐gel operating conditions as well as polymer properties that were not experimentally determined from the experimental findings of Li and Hamielec, such as crosslink density and branching frequency. The effects of divinyl monomer fraction and chain transfer agent level on the polymer properties and the dynamics of gelation were also investigated.

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Nursing support at the onset of rheumatoid arthritis: Time and space for emotions, practicalities and self‐management
Authors: Hehir M. , Carr M. , Davis B. , Radford S. , Robertson L. , Tipler S. , Hewlett S.
Published: October 2007

Background: Following a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), patients have to adapt to lifelong, unpredictable but repeated episodes of pain and disability, potentially leading to permanent loss of function and its consequences on their lives. We established nurse clinics with the aim of supporting newly diagnosed RA patients in adapting to and managing their long‐term condition. The aim of this study was to explore the content of clinic discussions in this new clinical service, in order to ascertain patients' needs upon diagnosis.

Methods: All clinic letters from the nurse to the family doctor were analysed. Every topic mentioned was systematically coded independently by a researcher and a patient research partner, who compared and agreed codes. Codes were organized into categories, and, finally, into overarching themes.

Results: Twenty‐four patients had 74 appointment letters. A total of 79 codes were identified, from which ten categories emerged, and, finally, three overarching themes. The first theme related to ‘Emotional support’, which underpinned the other two themes and was discussed in almost all appointments. Issues included discussions about the emotional consequences of RA, needing time to adjust, frustration and fears for the future. The second theme ‘Practicalities of the treatment of RA’, included subordinate themes relating to the nature of RA, such as identity, cause, timeline, consequences and treatment. Medication issues were discussed and referrals to the multidisciplinary team were made. The final theme related to the ‘Self‐management of RA’, and included discussions on physical symptoms and their management.

Conclusions: The offer to attend a nurse clinic soon after diagnosis allowed RA patients to discuss a wide range of practical and self‐management issues. However, most patients also took the opportunity and time to discuss emotional reactions and adaptations to diagnosis. The data suggest an unmet need for emotional support that a nurse clinic might be able to provide. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamic order acceptance and capacity planning on a single bottleneck resource
Authors: Herbots Jade , Herroelen Willy , Leus Roel
Published: October 2007

We present a tactical decision model for order acceptance and capacity planning that maximizes the expected profits from accepted orders, allowing for aggregate regular as well as nonregular capacity. The stream of incoming order arrivals is the main source of uncertainty in dynamic order acceptance and the company only has forecasts of the main properties of the future incoming projects. Project proposals arrive sequentially with deterministic interarrival times and a decision on order acceptance and capacity planning needs to be made each time a proposal arrives and its project characteristics are revealed. We apply stochastic dynamic programming to determine a profit threshold for the accept/reject decision as well as to deterministically allocate a single bottleneck resource to the accepted projects, both with an eye on maximizing the expected revenues within the problem horizon. We derive a number of managerial insights based on an analysis of the influence of project and environmental characteristics on optimal project selection and aggregate capacity usage. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2007
Efficient implementation of the shock‐fitting algorithm for the Lighthill–Whitham–Richards traffic flow model
Authors: Chen Wenqin , Wong S. C. , Shu Chi‐Wang
Published: October 2007

This paper firstly presents the existence and uniqueness properties of the intersection time between two neighboring shocks or between a shock and a characteristic for the analytical shock‐fitting algorithm that was proposed to solve the Lighthill–Whitham–Richards (LWR) traffic flow model with a linear speed–density relationship in accordance with the monotonicity properties of density variations along a shock, which have greatly improved the robustness of the analytical shock‐fitting algorithm. Then we discuss the efficient evaluation of the measure of effectiveness (MOE) of the analytical shock‐fitting algorithm. We develop explicit expressions to calculate the MOE–which is the total travel time that is incurred by travelers, within the space‐time region that is encompassed by the shocks and/or characteristic lines. A numerical example is used to illustrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method compared with the numerical solutions that are obtained by a fifth‐order weighted essentially non‐oscillatory scheme. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Heat‐flux‐specified boundary treatment for gas flow and heat transfer in microchannel using direct simulation Monte Carlo method
Authors: Wang Qiuwang , Yan Xiaohong , He Qunwu
Published: October 2007

Direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method has been widely used to study gaseous flow and heat transfer in micro‐fluidic devices. For flows associated with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), the heat‐flux‐specified (HFS) boundary condition broadly exists. However, problems with HFS boundary have not been realized in the simulation of microchannel flows with DSMC method. To overcome this problem, a new technique named as inverse temperature sampling (ITS) is developed. This technique provides an approach to calculate the molecular reflective characteristic temperature from the specified heat flux at the wall boundary. Coupling with DSMC method, the ITS technique can treat the HFS boundary condition in DSMC method for both simple gas and gas mixtures. For validation, heat flux obtained from two‐dimensional Poiseuille flows with wall‐temperature‐specified (WTS) boundary condition is employed as the initial thermal boundary condition of our new method. Sampled wall temperature by the ITS method agrees well with the expected value. Pressure, velocity and temperature distributions under these two thermal boundary conditions (WTS and HFS) are compared. Effects of molecule collision model and gas–surface interaction model are also investigated. Results show that the proposed ITS method could accurately simulate gaseous flow and heat transfer in MEMS. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐resolution analysis of DNA copy number alterations and gene expression in renal clear cell carcinoma
Authors: Yoshimoto T , Matsuura K , Karnan S , Tagawa H , Nakada C , Tanigawa M , Tsukamoto Y , Uchida T , Kashima K , Akizuki S , Takeuchi I , Sato F , Mimata H , Seto M , Moriyama M
Published: October 2007

We analysed chromosomal copy number aberrations (CNAs) in renal cell carcinomas by array‐based comparative genomic hybridization, using a genome‐wide scanning array with 2304 BAC and PAC clones covering the whole human genome at a resolution of roughly 1.3 Mb. A total of 30 samples of renal cell carcinoma were analysed, including 26 cases of clear cell carcinoma (CCC) and four cases of chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (ChCC). In CCCs, gains of chromosomes 5q33.1‐qter (58%), 7q11.22‐q35 (35%) and 16p12.3‐p13.12 (19%), and losses of chromosomes 3p25.1‐p25.3 (77%), 3p21.31‐p22.3 (81%), 3p14.1‐p14.2 (77%), 8p23.3 (31%), 9q21.13‐qter (19%) and 14q32.32‐qter (38%) were detected. On the other hand, the patterns of CNAs differed markedly between CCCs and ChCCs. Next, we examined the correlation of CNAs with expression profiles in the same tumour samples in 22/26 cases of CCC, using oligonucleotide microarray. We extracted genes that were differentially expressed between cases with and without CNAs, and found that significantly more up‐regulated genes were localized on chromosomes 5 and 7, where recurrent genomic gains have been detected. Conversely, significantly more down‐regulated genes were localized on chromosomes 14 and 3, where recurrent genomic losses have been detected. These results revealed that CNAs were correlated with deregulation of gene expression in CCCs. Furthermore, we compared the patterns of genomic imbalance with histopathological features, and found that loss of 14q appeared to be a specific and additional genetic abnormality in high‐grade CCC. When we compared the expression profiles of low‐grade CCCs with those of high‐grade CCCs, differentially down‐regulated genes tended to be localized on chromosomes 14 and 9. Thus, it is suggested that copy number loss at 14q in high‐grade CCC may be involved in the down‐regulation of genes located in this region. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electric consumption in SHSs in rural communities of Brazil and Peru and recommendations for sizing
Authors: Morante Federico , Zilles Roberto
Published: October 2007

The lack of data records of electric power consumption of small photovoltaic home systems, independently of the method used for sizing them, drives to consider the demand as a constant. However, the existing data reveal the variability of the consumption due to the influences of some social, cultural and psychosocial aspects of the human groups. This paper presents records of consumption data obtained from several solar home systems (SHSs) in Brazil and Peru, and it discusses about the Gamma distribution function that can express to a great extent the behaviour of the demand. By this analysis it was verified that ‘a lot of people consume little and few people consume a lot’. In that sense, a few recommendations for sizing procedures that can be useful in the implantation of extensive programmes of rural electrification by SHSs are presented. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Partial characterization of the proteome of the mouse striatum
Authors: Guo Ling T. , Friedmann Theodore , King Charles C.
Published: October 2007

Many diseases of the mammalian CNS, including Parkinson's (PD) and Lesch Nyhan disease (LND), are associated with programmatic neurodegeneration or dysfunction of dopaminergic neurons in the mesencephalon, the nigrostriatal pathway, and its projections in the striatum [1–4]. Proteomic studies on brain tissue of both animal models and human PD patients have provided evidence for dysfunction and damage of many pathways, including oxidative stress‐related damage, ubiquitin‐proteasome dysfunction, mitochondrial energy metabolism deficiencies, and synaptic function [5–11]. To date no such proteomic studies have been reported in the related and rare basal ganglia disorder LND, a developmental rather than a neurodegenerative neurological disorder caused by deficiency of the enzyme hypoxanthine‐guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) that regulates a major step in the purine salvage pathway [12]. Many studies have demonstrated that the both human LND patients and a mouse knockout model of HPRT deficiency have significantly reduced levels and uptake of dopamine in the striatum [4, 13–16] that is likely to be the principal cause of the CNS disorder. The precise molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie this neurotransmitter defect are unknown.
Pro‐oxidative DEP chemicals induce heat shock proteins and an unfolding protein response in a bronchial epithelial cell line as determined by DIGE analysis
Authors: Jung EunMi Juliana , Avliyakulov Nuraly K. , Boontheung Pinmanee , Loo Joseph A. , Nel Andre E.
Published: October 2007

Ambient particulate matter (PM) induces adverse health effects through the ability of pro‐oxidative chemicals to induce the production of oxygen radicals and oxidant injury. Utilizing a proteomics strategy involving 2‐D DIGE, immunoblotting, and real‐time PCR, we demonstrate that organic diesel exhaust particle (DEP) chemicals induce an unfolding protein response (UPR) and proinflammatory effects in the human bronchial epithelial cell line, BEAS‐2B. DIGE and MS showed the induction of at least 14 proteins, among which heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), HSP40, TPR2, and T‐complex protein 1 (zeta‐subunit) are known to play a role in the UPR. Demonstrating increased HSP70 mRNA expression and nuclear translocation of HSF1, the key transcription factor responsible for HSP expression, further strengthened this notion. Immunoblotting demonstrated increased expression of ATF4, an ER stress‐associated transcriptional enhancer responsible for differential protein translation under conditions of ER stress. Finally, the DEP extract induced the expression of IL‐6 and IL‐8 in the culture supernatant. The role of oxidative stress was demonstrated further by response subtraction in the presence of the thiol antioxidant, N‐acetyl cysteine. Our data suggest that pro‐oxidative DEP chemicals induce protein unfolding/misfolding that lead to UPR and proinflammatory effects in a cell type that is targeted by PM in the lung.
Comparative quantitative proteomics to investigate the remodeling of bioenergetic pathways under iron deficiency in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Naumann Bianca , Busch Andreas , Allmer Jens , Ostendorf Elisabeth , Zeller Martin , Kirchhoff Helmut , Hippler Michael
Published: October 2007

The basic question addressed in this study is how energy metabolism is adjusted to cope with iron deficiency in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. To investigate the impact of iron deficiency on bioenergetic pathways, comparative proteomics was combined with spectroscopic as well as voltametric oxygen measurements to assess protein dynamics linked to functional properties of respiratory and photosynthetic machineries. Although photosynthetic electron transfer is largely compromised under iron deficiency, our quantitative and spectroscopic data revealed that the functional antenna size of photosystem II (PSII) significantly increased. Concomitantly, stress‐related chloroplast polypeptides, like 2‐cys peroxiredoxin and a stress‐inducible light‐harvesting protein, LhcSR3, as well as a novel light‐harvesting protein and several proteins of unknown function were induced under iron‐deprivation. Respiratory oxygen consumption did not decrease and accordingly, polypeptides of respiratory complexes, harboring numerous iron–sulfur clusters, were only slightly diminished or even increased under low iron. Consequently, iron‐deprivation induces a transition from photoheterotrophic to primarily heterotrophic metabolism, indicating that a hierarchy for iron allocations within organelles of a single cell exists that is closely linked with the metabolic state of the cell.
Membrane proteins from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 interacting with thioredoxin
Authors: Mata‐Cabana Alejandro , Florencio Francisco J. , Lindahl Marika
Published: October 2007

Cysteine dithiol/disulphide exchange forms the molecular basis for regulation of a wide variety of enzymatic activities and for transduction of cellular signals. Thus, the search for proteins with reactive, accessible cysteines is expected to contribute to the unravelling of new molecular mechanisms for enzyme regulation and signal transduction. Several methods have been designed for this purpose taking advantage of the interactions between thioredoxins and their protein substrates. Thioredoxins comprise a family of redox‐active enzymes, which catalyse reduction of protein disulphides and sulphenic acids. Due to the inherent practical difficulties associated with studies of membrane proteins these have been largely overlooked in the many proteomic studies of thioredoxin‐interacting proteins. In the present work, we have developed a procedure to isolate membrane proteins interacting with thioredoxin by binding in situ to a monocysteinic His‐tagged thioredoxin added directly to the intact membranes. Following fractionation and solubilisation of the membranes, thioredoxin target proteins were isolated by Ni‐affinity chromatography and 2‐DE SDS‐PAGE under nonreducing/reducing conditions. Applying this method to total membranes, including thylakoid and plasma membranes, from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 we have identified 50 thioredoxin‐interacting proteins. Among the 38 newly identified thioredoxin targets are the ATP‐binding subunits of several transporters and members of the AAA‐family of ATPases.
Evidences of phase separation in moisture‐cured poly(urethane urea)s by means of temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry
Authors: Daniel‐da‐Silva Ana Luísa , Bordado João Carlos Moura , Martín‐Martínez José Miguel
Published: October 2007

The degree of phase separation in several moisture‐cured poly(urethane urea)s (PUUs) was studied by FTIR spectroscopy, wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and temperature‐modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC). This latter technique was shown to be particularly useful in analysing the degree of phase separation in PUU polymers. Both phase mixing and phase segregation coexisted in the PUUs and the degree of phase separation increased as the urea hard segment (HS) content in the PUU increased. The maximum solubility of urea HSs into the polyol soft segments (SSs) was achieved for 50 wt % urea HS content in diol‐based PUUs, whereas for triol‐based PUUs the highest solubility between HS and SS was reached for lower urea HS amount. Finally, the higher the urea HS content the higher the extent of phase separation in the PUU. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 3034–3045, 2007
Chemical denudation rates and carbon dioxide drawdown in an ice‐free polar karst catchment: Londonelva, Svalbard
Authors: Krawczyk Wiesława Ewa , Pettersson Lars‐Evan
Published: October 2007

Chemical denudation rates and carbon dioxide withdrawal were calculated for the Londonelva basin, an ice‐free karst catchment on Svalbard. Runoff was recorded 12 June to 11 October 2000 and water samples were collected daily in August. The chemical denudation rate that month amounted to 2.2 m3 km−2. The estimated chemical denudation rate for 2000 was 5.8 m3 km−2 yr−1 or 303 Σ meq+ m−2 yr−1, but this rate may be unusually low because basin runoff was only 158 × 103 m3, the lowest since recording began in 1992. For other discharge years estimated chemical denudation rates range from 5.8 to 13.3 m3 km−2 yr−1 or 300–690 Σ meq+ m−2 yr−1. The CO2 withdrawal in August 2000 amounted to 560 kg C km−2 and for the hydrological year 2000 it was 1560 kg C km−2 yr−1. In 1993, the highest recorded runoff year, withdrawal of CO2 may have reached 3800 kg C km−2 yr−1. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A relict sand‐wedge polygon site in north‐central Hungary
Authors: Kovács János , Fábián Szabolcs Ákos , Schweitzer Ferenc , Varga Gábor
Published: October 2007

Relict sand‐wedge polygons are described from palaeosol and gravel deposits in the Mogyoród area, Hungary. Based on previously reported periglacial features, the local glacial history and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates, these features suggest that the Pannonian Basin was underlain by permafrost during the Late Pleniglacial (22 000–18 000 years ago) and that the permafrost may have been continuous. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrophobic interactions and ionic networks play an important role in thermal stability and denaturation mechanism of the porcine odorant‐binding protein
Authors: Stepanenko Olesya V. , Marabotti Anna , Kuznetsova Irina M. , Turoverov Konstantin K. , Fini Carlo , Varriale Antonio , Staiano Maria , Rossi Mose' , D'Auria Sabato
Published: October 2007

Despite the fact that the porcine odorant‐binding protein (pOBP) possesses a single tryptophan residue (Trp 16) that is characterized by a high density microenvironment (80 atoms in a sphere with radius 7 Å) with only one polar group (Lys 120) and three bound water molecules, pOBP displayed a red shifted fluorescence emission spectrum (λmax = 340 nm). The protein unfolding in 5M GdnHCl was accompanied by the red shift of the fluorescence emission spectrum (λmax = 353 nm), by the increase of fluorescence quantum yield, and by the decrease of lifetime of the excited state (from 4.25 ns in native state to 3.15 ns in the presence of 5M GdnHCl). Taken together these data indicate the existence of an exciplex complex (Trp 16 with Lys 120 and/or with bound molecules of water) in the protein native state. Heat‐induced denaturation of pOBP resulted in significant red shifts of the fluorescence emission spectra: the value of the ratio (I320/I365) upon excitation at λex = 297 nm (parameter A) decreases from 1.07 to 0.64 passing from 60 to 85°C, and the calculated midpoint of transition was centered at 70°C. Interestingly, even at higher temperature, the values of the parameter A both in the absence and in the presence of GdnHCl did not coincide. This suggests that a portion of the protein structure is still preserved upon the temperature‐induced denaturation of the protein in the absence of GdnHCl. CD experiments performed on pOBP in the absence and in the presence of GdnHCl and at different temperatures were in agreement with the fluorescence results. In addition, the obtained experimental data were corroborated by the analysis of the 3D structure of pOBP which revealed the amino acid residues that contribute to the protein dynamics and stability. Finally, molecular dynamics simulation experiments pointed out the important role of ion pair interactions as well as the molecular motifs that are responsible for the high thermal stability of pOBP, and elucidated the reasons of the protein aggregation that occurred at high temperature. Proteins 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Docking and scoring protein complexes: CAPRI 3rd Edition
Authors: Lensink Marc F. , Méndez Raúl , Wodak Shoshana J.
Published: October 2007

The performance of methods for predicting protein–protein interactions at the atomic scale is assessed by evaluating blind predictions performed during 2005–2007 as part of Rounds 6–12 of the community‐wide experiment on Critical Assessment of PRedicted Interactions (CAPRI). These Rounds also included a new scoring experiment, where a larger set of models contributed by the predictors was made available to groups developing scoring functions. These groups scored the uploaded set and submitted their own best models for assessment. The structures of nine protein complexes including one homodimer were used as targets. These targets represent biologically relevant interactions involved in gene expression, signal transduction, RNA, or protein processing and membrane maintenance. For all the targets except one, predictions started from the experimentally determined structures of the free (unbound) components or from models derived by homology, making it mandatory for docking methods to model the conformational changes that often accompany association. In total, 63 groups and eight automatic servers, a substantial increase from previous years, submitted docking predictions, of which 1994 were evaluated here. Fifteen groups submitted 305 models for five targets in the scoring experiment. Assessment of the predictions reveals that 31 different groups produced models of acceptable and medium accuracy‐but only one high accuracy submission‐for all the targets, except the homodimer. In the latter, none of the docking procedures reproduced the large conformational adjustment required for correct assembly, underscoring yet again that handling protein flexibility remains a major challenge. In the scoring experiment, a large fraction of the groups attained the set goal of singling out the correct association modes from incorrect solutions in the limited ensembles of contributed models. But in general they seemed unable to identify the best models, indicating that current scoring methods are probably not sensitive enough. With the increased focus on protein assemblies, in particular by structural genomics efforts, the growing community of CAPRI predictors is engaged more actively than ever in the development of better scoring functions and means of modeling conformational flexibility, which hold promise for much progress in the future. Proteins 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Vinyl chloride monomer explosion
Authors: Long Lisa A. , Lay James , Leskin Katherine , McClure Randy , Smith Allen
Published: October 2007

On April 23, 2004, an explosion and fire at the Formosa Plastics Corporation, Illiopolis, Illinois (Formosa‐IL) polyvinyl chloride (PVC) manufacturing facility killed five and severely injured three workers. The explosion and fire destroyed most of the reactor facility and adjacent warehouse and ignited PVC resins stored in the warehouse. The plume of smoke from the smoldering fire drifted over the community and resulted in an evacuation that lasted 48 h. Vinyl chloride (VCM), a highly flammable chemical and known carcinogen, and the major component in the facility's manufacturing process, was the primary fuel for the initial fire and explosion. Formosa‐IL used VCM to manufacture a variety of PVC resins in 24 heated and pressurized reactors. Formosa‐IL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Corporation, USA (FPC USA), purchased the Illiopolis facility from Borden Chemical and operated it for ∼2 years before the incident. This article includes the incident's root and contributing causes, and CSB recommendations to prevent recurrence. This paper represents the views of the authors. The full CSB report on this incident can be found at www.csb.gov. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2008