bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Periodontal Biotype in a Young Chinese Population using Different Measurement Methods
Authors: Shao Yunmin , Yin Lanlan , Gu Jianyu , Wang Dongmiao , Lu Wei , Sun Ying 
Published: July 2018

AbstractPeriodontal biotype is used to describe the morphological characteristics of periodontal tissues and is closely related to periodontal health and prognosis of many dental treatments. This study was undertaken to explore the periodontal biotype distribution in a young Chinese population and to evaluate the accuracy of different methods for gingival thickness (GT) measurement. A total of 372 teeth from 31 periodontally healthy subjects were included. GT was measured simultaneously by probe transparency, transgingival probing and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Some other anatomic parameters, including crown width/crown length ratio, attached gingival width, labial bone thickness and papilla volume were recorded for periodontal biotype classification. As found by probe transparency, the gingivae of 222 teeth (59.68%) were thick, while those of 150 teeth (40.32%) were thin. The mean GT of included subjects was 1.03 ± 0.31 mm as measured by transgingival probing and 1.03 ± 0.24 mm as measured by CBCT. Four groups were identified by cluster analysis. Thick-flap biotype, average-scalloped biotype, average-flap biotype and thin-scalloped biotype comprised 137 teeth (36.83%), 96 teeth (25.81%), 39 teeth (10.48%) and 100 teeth (26.88%), respectively. These results demonstrate that the most common periodontal biotype in this young Chinese population was the thick-flap type with low aesthetic risk.
Methodological bias associated with soluble protein recovery from soil
Authors: Greenfield Lucy M. , Hill Paul W. , Paterson Eric , Baggs Elizabeth M. , Jones Davey L. 
Published: July 2018

AbstractProteins play a crucial role in many soil processes, however, standardised methods to extract soluble protein from soil are lacking. The aim of this study was to compare the ability of different extractants to quantify the recovery of soluble proteins from three soil types (Cambisol, Ferralsol and Histosol) with contrasting clay and organic matter contents. Known amounts of plant-derived14C-labelled soluble proteins were incubated with soil and then extracted with solutions of contrasting pH, concentration and polarity. Protein recovery proved highly solvent and soil dependent (Histosol > Cambisol > Ferralsol) and no single extractant was capable of complete protein recovery. In comparison to deionised water (10–60% of the total protein recovered), maximal recovery was observed with NaOH (0.1 M; 61–80%) and Na-pyrophosphate (0.05 M, pH 7.0; 45–75% recovery). We conclude that the dependence of protein recovery on both extractant and soil type prevents direct comparison of studies using different recovery methods, particularly if no extraction controls are used. We present recommendations for a standard protein extraction protocol.
Spatially restricted subcellular Ca2+ signaling downstream of store-operated calcium entry encoded by a cortical tunneling mechanism
Authors: Courjaret Raphael , Dib Maya , Machaca Khaled 
Published: July 2018

AbstractAgonist-dependent Ca2+ mobilization results in Ca2+ store depletion and Store-Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE), which is spatially restricted to microdomains defined by cortical ER – plasma membrane contact sites (MCS). However, some Ca2+-dependent effectors that localize away from SOCE microdomains, are activated downstream of SOCE by mechanisms that remain obscure. One mechanism proposed initially in acinar cells and termed Ca2+ tunneling, mediates the uptake of Ca2+ flowing through SOCE into the ER followed by release at distal sites through IP3 receptors. Here we show that Ca2+ tunneling encodes exquisite specificity downstream of SOCE signal by dissecting the sensitivity and dependence of multiple effectors in HeLa cells. While mitochondria readily perceive Ca2+ release when stores are full, SOCE shows little effect in raising mitochondrial Ca2+, and Ca2+-tunneling is completely inefficient. In contrast, gKCa displays a similar sensitivity to Ca2+ release and tunneling, while the activation of NFAT1 is selectively responsive to SOCE and not to Ca2+ release. These results show that in contrast to the previously described long-range Ca2+ tunneling, in non-specialized HeLa cells this mechanism mediates spatially restricted Ca2+ rise within the cortical region of the cell to activate a specific subset of effectors.
First-principles investigation of the micromechanical properties of fcc-hcp polymorphic high-entropy alloys
Authors: Li Xiaoqing , Irving Douglas L. , Vitos Levente 
Published: July 2018

AbstractHigh-entropy alloys offer a promising alternative in several high-technology applications concerning functional, safety and health aspects. Many of these new alloys compete with traditional structural materials in terms of mechanical characteristics. Understanding and controlling their properties are of the outmost importance in order to find the best single- or multiphase solutions for specific uses. Here, we employ first-principles alloy theory to address the micro-mechanical properties of five polymorphic high-entropy alloys in their face-centered cubic (fcc) and hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phases. Using the calculated elastic parameters, we analyze the mechanical stability, elastic anisotropy, and reveal a strong correlation between the polycrystalline moduli and the average valence electron concentration. We investigate the ideal shear strength of two selected alloys under shear loading and show that the hcp phase possesses more than two times larger intrinsic strength than that of the fcc phase. The derived half-width of the dislocation core predicts a smaller Peierls barrier in the fcc phase confirming its increased ductility compared to the hcp one. The present theoretical findings explain a series of important observations made on dual-phase alloys and provide an atomic-level knowledge for an intelligent design of further high-entropy materials.
Trichlorfon and spinosad resistance survey and preliminary determination of the resistance mechanism in Pakistani field strains of Bactrocera dorsalis
Authors: Khan Hafiz Azhar Ali , Akram Waseem 
Published: July 2018

AbstractThe use of insecticides has been a primary tool to manage Bactrocera dorsalis in Pakistan; however, recent reports of field control failures necessitate mapping out the insecticide resistance problem. Therefore, eight field strains from Pakistan, were evaluated for their resistance against trichlorfon and spinosad. Compared with a reference strain, six field strains showed high levels of resistance to trichlorfon, while two field strains expressed intermediate resistance. In case of spinosad, five field strains fell in the susceptible range, whereas, the rest of the strains represented minor resistance. Correlation analysis between LD50 values of trichlorfon and spinosad of all the field strains revealed non-significant association, suggesting the possibility of lack of cross-resistance between both insecticides. Synergism bioassays implementing S,S,S-tributylphosphorotrithioate (DEF) and piperonyl butoxide (PBO) revealed that the LD50 values of trichlorfon in the presence of either DEF or PBO in seven field strains were significantly reduced. However, DEF and PBO had a non-significant effect on synergizing spinosad toxicity. The results revealed resistance to trichlorfon in field strains of B. dorsalis, which might be metabolic-based. Absence or minor resistance to spinosad and lack of cross-resistance to trichlorfon, suggest that spinosad could be a potential candidate for managing B. dorsalis.
Testing general relativity with geodetic VLBI
Authors: Titov O. , Girdiuk A. , Lambert S. B. , Lovell J. , McCallum J. , Shabala S. , McCallum L. , Mayer D. , Schartner M. , de Witt A. , Shu F. , Melnikov A. , Ivanov D. , Mikhailov A. , Yi S. , Soja B. , Xia B. , Jiang T. 
Published: July 2018

Context. We highlight the capabilities of geodetic VLBI technique to test general relativity in the classical astrometric style, i.e. measuring the deflection of light in the vicinity of the Sun.Aims. In previous studies, the parameterγwas estimated by global analyses of thousands of geodetic VLBI sessions. Here we estimateγfrom a single session where the Sun has approached two strong reference radio sources, 0229+131 and 0235+164, at an elongation angle of 1–3°.Methods. The AUA020 VLBI session of 1 May 2017 was designed to obtain more than 1000 group delays from the two radio sources. The solar corona effect was effectively calibrated with the dual-frequency observations even at small elongation.Results. We obtainedγwith a greater precision (0.9 × 10−4) than has been obtained through global analyses of thousands of standard geodetic sessions over decades. Current results demonstrate that the modern VLBI technology is capable of establishing new limits on observational tests of general relativity.
Platelet Aggregation in Finnish Men and Its Relation to Fatty Acids in Platelets, Plasma and Adipose Tissue
Authors: Salo M K , Vartiainen E , Puska P , Nikkari T 
Published: July 2018

SummaryPlatelet aggregation and its relation to fatty acid composition of platelets, plasma and adipose tissue was determined in 196 randomly selected, free-living, 40-49-year-old men in two regions of Finland (east and southwest) with a nearly twofold difference in the IHD rate.There were no significant east-southwest differences in platelet aggregation induced with ADP, thrombin or epinephrine. ADP-induced platelet secondary aggregation showed significant negative associations with all C20-C22 ω3-fatty acids in platelets (r = -0.26 - -0.40) and with the platelet 20: 5ω3/20: 4ω 6 and ω3/ ω6 ratios, but significant positive correlations with the contents of 18:2 in adipose tissue (r = 0.20) and plasma triglycerides (TG) (r = 0.29). Epinephrine-induced aggregation correlated negatively with 20: 5ω 3 in plasma cholesteryl esters (CE) (r = -0.23) and TG (r = -0.29), and positively with the total percentage of saturated fatty acids in platelets (r = 0.33), but had no significant correlations with any of the ω6-fatty acids. Thrombin-induced aggregation correlated negatively with the ω3/6ω ratio in adipose tissue (r = -0.25) and the 20: 3ω6/20: 4ω 6 ratio in plasma CE (r = -0.27) and free fatty acids (FFA) (r = -0.23), and positively with adipose tissue 18:2 (r = 0.23) and 20:4ω6 (r = 0.22) in plasma phospholipids (PL).The percentages of prostanoid precursors in platelet lipids, i. e. 20: 3ω 6, 20: 4ω 6 and 20 :5ω 3, correlated best with the same fatty acids in plasma CE (r = 0.32 - 0.77) and PL (r = 0.28 - 0.74). Platelet 20: 5ω 3 had highly significant negative correlations with the percentage of 18:2 in adipose tissue and all plasma lipid fractions (r = -0.35 - -0.44).These results suggest that, among a free-living population, relatively small changes in the fatty acid composition of plasma and platelets may be reflected in significant differences in platelet aggregation, and that an increase in linoleate-rich vegetable fat in the diet may not affect platelet function favourably unless it is accompanied by an adequate supply of ω3 fatty acids.
Heparin Response and Clearance in Acute and Chronic Liver Disease
Authors: Sette H , Hughes R D , Langley P G , Gimson A E S , Williams R 
Published: July 2018

SummaryPatients with liver disease are at risk of bleeding due to abnormalities of the clotting system although they must be anticoagulated if they require haemodialysis or haemoperfusion. The anticoagulant of choice is heparin.In this study we have investigated heparin kinetics in patients with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) after a single intravenous dose of heparin (2,500 units) and found there was an increased clearance of heparin whether measured by its anti-Xa effect (t1/2 = 27.8 ± 2.9 min compared to t1/2 = 50.2 ± 2.7 min in normal controls p <0.001) or by the whole blood activated clotting time (t1/2 = 23.7 ± 2.2 min compared to t1/2 = 37.0 ± 2.0 min p <0.001). There was a decreased peak level of heparin measured by anti-Xa effect (peak level in FHF = 0.48 ± 0.05 u/ml and in controls = 0.69 ± 0.04 u/ml, p <0.02), but an increased sensitivity to heparin (sensitivity in FHF = 0.072 ± 0.011 sec/unit, in controls 0.033 ± 0.003 sec/unit, p <0.001). Patients with FHF had very low levels of antithrombin III (AT III), but there was no correlation between this and any parameters of heparin effect or clearance. In a group of patients with chronic liver disease heparin kinetics did not differ from controls despite low levels of AT III.The changes in heparin kinetics in FHF are likely to be complex with the balance between the proteins that act as cofactors, (e.g. AT III) and the proteins that have heparin neutralising activity, controlling the response of added heparin.
Intrahepatic Kinetics of lndium-111-Labelled Platelets
Authors: Peters A M , Saverymuttu S H , Malik F , Ind P W , Lavender J P 
Published: July 2018

SummaryThe intrahepatic kinetics of 111indium-labelled platelets have been studied using dynamic gamma camera scintigraphy immediately following injection. Platelets labelled in saline with mIn-oxine or 111In-acetylacetonate underwent rapidly reversible hepatic sequestration, indicating that they were “activated”. Platelets labelled in plasma with 111In-tropolonate, however, did not display this phenomenon. On the assumption that plasma-labelled platelets display a normal initial bio-distribution, mean intrahepatic platelet transit time, as a factor of the transit time of 99m-Tc labelled red cells, was 1.45 ± SE 0.12 (n = 6), implying the normal presence of a small intrahepatic platelet pool. Unlike the liver, transit through the spleen was not sensitive to the labelling medium; thus the mean intrasplenic transit time of plasma-labelled platelets was 9.3 ± SE 0.7 min (n = 10), and of saline-labelled platelets 9.5 ± SE 0.3 min (n = 8).
Aspirin and the Prevention of Experimental Arterial Thrombosis: Difficulty in Establishing Unequivocal Effectiveness
Authors: Reyers Ine , Hennissen Adje , Donati Maria Benedetta , Hornstra Gerard , de Gaetano Giovanni 
Published: July 2018

SummaryA trial of the efficacy of aspirin in the prevention of thrombotic occlusion of an “aortic loop” in rats was made simultaneously by two experimental surgeons. A relatively large dose of aspirin (80-100 mg/kg/day) was used, starting two days before operation. It appeared that aspirin was of limited benefit, reducing thrombotic occlusions by about 17% seven days after the insertion of the loop into the abdominal aorta. Although the average occlusion time was prolonged by about 17% in aspirin-treated animals, the separate trials gave no conclusive result. When the data from both operators were pooled, a statistically significant protection by aspirin was apparent (p = 0.02), by a two-tailed Student’s t test. However, on using the powerful non-parametric randomization test, the occlusion times in control and aspirin-treated groups appeared not statistically different (p = 0.07). No significant difference was also found between control and treated groups when data were analyzed by X2 test. Independently of the statistical analysis, these data are quite similar to those obtained from aspirin trials in men surviving myocardial infarction. This finding points to the usefulness of the aorta loop as an animal model for arterial thrombosis.
Plasma Fibronectin Enhances Fibrinolytic System In Vitro
Authors: Gilboa Nisan , Kaplan John E 
Published: July 2018

SummaryThe effects of plasma fibronectin on the fibrinolytic system were studied in vitro. Fibronectin caused a time and concentration-dependent increase (up to 99% with 330 ug/ml) in the amidolytic activity of tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) but not of urokinase. In the presence of fibronectin the Km of the amidolytic activity of TPA decreased without a change in Vmax. It also caused a concentration-dependent increase in lys-plas-minogen activation by TPA (up to 825% with 375 ug/ml) and by urokinase (up to 400% with 250 ug/ml), as well as in the amidolytic activity of plasmin (up to 55% with 300 ug/ml). Fibronectin did not enhance the activation of glu-plasminogen. In the presence of fibronectin the Km of lys-plasminogen activation decreased without a change in Vmax. In purified systems fibronectin significantly shortened the clot lysis time (CLT) by up to 28% and 30% in TPA- and plasmin-activated lysis, respectively. The presence of Ca2+ did not change fibronectin’s effect on CLT. Clots of non-fibronectin-depleted plasma were lysed up to about twice as fast as the clots of fibronectin-depleted plasma. In conclusion, physiologic concentrations of fibronectin enhanced the fibrinolytic system in vitro. Further studies will be required to elucidate the mechanisms involved and to document whether fibronectin has a similar effect in vivo.
Standardization of Low Molecular Weight Heparins : A Collaborative Study
Authors: Barrowcliffe T W , Curtis A D , Tomlinson T P , Hubbard A R , Johnson E A , Thomas D P 
Published: July 2018

SummaryA collaborative study was carried out, in which eight laboratories each assayed eight low molecular weight (LMW) heparins against the International Standard (IS) for heparin. APTT assays and three types of anti-Xa method were used. The results of this study showed that:1. LMW heparins cannot be validly assayed against the IS by APTT or anti-Xa methods.2. Potencies of LMW heparins vs. the IS differed considerably between the four types of assay method used and also between different laboratories using the same type of method.3. Adoption of a single LMW heparin standard would improve validity, improve inter-laboratory variation, and largely abolish the differences between the three types of anti-Xa method. However, since calibration of a LMW heparin standard against the IS would give potencies that differ widely by the different assay methods, a single assay method such as the anti-Xa amidolytic, plasma, would need to be chosen for this calibration.
Synergism between Thrombin and Epinephrine in Human Platelets: Different Dose-Response Relationships for Aggregation and Dense Granule Secretion
Authors: Steen Vidar M , Holmsen Holm 
Published: July 2018

SummarySynergism between epinephrine and thrombin in human gel-filtered platelets was studied. Suspensions of platelets, which did not contain added fibrinogen, were incubated at 37° C to measure aggregation and dense granule secretion after stimulation. Both aggregation and secretion induced with 0.03-0.3 U/ml of thrombin were markedly potentiated by epinephrine (0.5-4 ҼM), which alone was without effect. Addition of epinephrine before stimulation with thrombin resulted in a marked decrease in the concentration of thrombin required for half-maximal aggregation, without affecting the maximal aggregation response. The dose-response relationship for dense granule secretion was affected in a similar way with regard to the half-maximal response; in addition, epinephrine slightly increased maximal secretion response. However, the concentration range for thrombin at which synergism occurred was distinctly lower for aggregation than for secretion. Our observations suggest that aggregation and dense granule secretion are separate steps in the sequence of stimulus-response coupling, and suggest distinct thresholds of intracellular messengers for these different responses.
Prothrombin Time Proficiency Testing: A Robust Grading Method
Authors: Han Yangsook , Lawson William B , Jean Dodds W , Lawrence Charles E 
Published: July 2018

SummaryA robust two-way analysis of variance technique was applied to determine simultaneously the effects of method and thromboplastin on prothrombin time. A new approach to outlier detection for two-way analysis of variance was used. Focusing on the underlying error structure improved the uniformity of the grading procedure in the hematology proficiency testing program of the New York State Department of Health.The logarithm-transformed scale produced constancy of error variance and resulted in uniformity of the acceptable spread of data. The common variance was lower than that obtained by previous methods and allowed for a narrower acceptable range of reported prothrombin times by reducing the inflated standard deviation, thus improving the efficiency of the grading procedure.For proficiency testing, no advantage was found in the use of either a common thromboplastin or freeze-dried, coumadinized patient plasmas rather than artificially depleted commercial plasmas, except for special purposes.
Postoperative Changes in the Plasmatic Levels of Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator and Its Fast-Acting Inhibitor - Relationship to Deep Vein Thrombosis and Influence of Prophylaxis
Authors: Páramo J A , Alfaro M J , Rocha E 
Published: July 2018

SummaryFibrinogen, euglobulin lysis time (ELT), tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, plasminogen activator inhibitor activity (PA-inhibitor) and α2-antiplasmin (a2-AP) were measured pre- and postoperatively in 60 patients undergoing total hip replacement. Reduced fibrinolytic activity as assessed by the prolongation of euglobulin lysis time, decrease of t-PA and increase of PA-inhibitor and β2-AP could be demonstrated. These changes did not correlate with the postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) diagnosed with the 125I-fibrinogen test. However, preoperative PA-inhibitor activity was significantly higher in patients with postoperative DVT (p <0.01). The prophylactic treatment with aspirin (20 patients) and with heparin plus dihy-droergotamine (20 patients) induced significant changes in some of those parameters.This study shows that the decrease of t-PA and the increase of PA-inhibitor may contribute to the reduced postoperative fibrinolytic activity after total hip replacement. PA-inhibitor level might be a useful marker in evaluating the risk of developing DVT in patients undergoing total hip replacement.
Human Leucocyte Urokinase Inhibitor - Purification, Characterization and Comparative Studies Against Different Plasminogen Activators
Authors: Kopitar M , Rozman B , Babnik J , Turk V , Mullins D E , Wun T C 
Published: July 2018

SummaryA plasminogen activator inhibitor (PA-I) which inhibits primarily plasminogen activator of the urokinase type (u-PA) was isolated from the cytosol of human peripheral leukocytes. The inhibitor was isolated using ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration and FPLC. This inhibitor has an apparent molecular weight of 45 kDa, determined by SDS-PAGE, and a pi of 5.5-5.7. The inhibitor is a fast reacting inhibitor, is thermally unstable and is inactivated outside the pH range 7-9. Treatment of cytosol to pH 9 for 30 min at 37° C resulted in a large increase in inhibitory activity. Antibodies against human placental UK-I completely quenched the inhibitory activity of human leucocyte UK-I.
Evidence for a Direct Effect on Vascular Permeability of Platelet-Activating Factor Induced Hemoconcentration in the Guinea Pig
Authors: Handley Dean A , Lee Mark L , Saunders Robert N 
Published: July 2018

SummaryThe ability of synthetic platelet-activating factor (PAF) given intravenously to produce loss (extravasation) of protein rich plasma (resulting in hemoconcentration) has been examined using guinea pigs. Hemoconcentration induced by PAF was not prevented by prior administration of inhibitors of thromboxane synthetase (7-(3-pyridyl)heptanoic acid, UK-37,248-01), PGI2, aspirin, indomethacin or antiserum induced thrombocytopenia. Calcium channel blockers (nifedipine, verapamil, diethyl-amino octyltrimethoxybenzoate, diltiazem), antihistamines (pyrilamine, cimetidine, diphenhydramine), or the elevator of cAMP IBMX were ineffective in blocking PAF-induced hemoconcentration. In contrast, CV-3988, reported to be a specific antagonist to PAF, was 98% inhibitory of PAF extravasation when given i. a. at 3.5 mg/kg. The ED50 was 0.14 mg/kg I. A. and 15 mg/kg p.o. against 75 ng/kg PAF. These data suggest that PAF-induced hemoconcentration involves receptor mediated alterations of vascular permeability that are inhibited by a specific PAF antagonist.