bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Golgi Study of the Camel Cuneate Nucleus
Authors: Zaqout Sami I. , Al‐hussain Saleh M. , Al‐saffar Raith A. , El‐dwairi Qasim A. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractNeurons in the cuneate nucleus of the camel brain stem were studied by Golgi method. Six types of neurons were identified based on soma size and shape, density of dendritic trees, morphology and distribution of spines, and appendages. Type I neurons had large spherical somata with somatic appendages. Dendritic appendages were predominant on proximal dendrites with terminal flower‐like appendages. Type II neurons had medium to large soma. Appendages and spines were found for the soma as well as along dendrites of different orders. Axons with local branches were seen for these neurons. Type III neurons were small to medium spheroidal or triangulated with large number of spines and appendages on all parts of neurons including soma, dendrites, and initial axonal segments. Axons of these neurons branch profusely and formed rich local axonal arborizations. Type IV medium‐size neurons have bipolar, round, or fusiform soma with somatic spines. Their dendrites were sparsely branching with spines and terminal side branches. Type V neurons were spheroid or triangular with small soma with somatic appendages. Their dendrites were sparsely branching and terminate as thin spiny side branches. Type VI neurons were small‐size unipolar, round, or fusiform with some dendritic spines and protrusions. These findings shed some light on the structure of the cuneate nucleus of one of the largest animals (the camel). Anat Rec, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Carbodiimides in the Synthesis of Enamino‐ and α‐Aminophosphonates as Peptidomimetics of Analgesic/Antiinflammatory and Anticancer Agents
Authors: Abdou Wafaa M. , Barghash Reham F. , Bekheit Mohamed S. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractCarbodiimide that was generated from the condensation reaction of iminophosphorane with phenylisocyanate was allowed to react with different phosphorus nucleophiles. Thus, the in situ resulted heterocumulene reacted with dialkylhydrogenphosphonates in tetrahydrofuran (THF)/FeCl3/H2O system to give fused pyrrole‐ (≈14%) and pyrimidinephosphonates (≈57%). On the other hand, with tris‐(dialkyl)aminophosphines, the reaction afforded the corresponding hexaalkylphosphinic diamides as a water‐sensitive fine powder, quite stable for a few days in a desiccator. When a protonating agent was present in the reaction medium, the reaction was markedly accelerated leading to the formation of the phosphamides. Next, some saturated and unsaturated Horner–Emmons reagents were applied in situ to the same carbodiimide to obtain more phosphorylated N‐heterocycles. The analgesic and antiinflammatory activities of the newly synthesized compounds were investigated and showed significant activities. Finally, we further estimated the antitumor activity of five new phosphonates against four carcinoma cell lines.
Measurement of cell‐bound complement activation products enhances diagnostic performance in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Kalunian Kenneth C. , Chatham W. Winn , Massarotti Elena M. , Reyes‐Thomas Joyce , Harris Cole , Furie Richard A. , Chitkara Puja , Putterman Chaim , Gross Rachel L. , Somers Emily C. , Kirou Kyriakos A. , Ramsey‐Goldman Rosalind , Hsieh Christine , Buyon Jill P. , Dervieux Thierry , Weinstein Arthur 
Published: August 2012

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the value of cell‐bound complement activation products in combination with antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti–double‐stranded DNA antibody (anti‐dsDNA), and anti–mutated citrullinated vimentin antibody (anti‐MCV) for the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).MethodsThis was a multicenter cross‐sectional study in which 593 subjects were enrolled (210 SLE patients, 178 patients with other rheumatic diseases, and 205 healthy subjects). Complement receptor 1 levels on erythrocytes (ECR1) together with complement C4d levels on erythrocytes (EC4d), platelets (PC4d), and B cells (BC4d) were determined using fluorescence‐activated cell sorting. Serologic markers were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical analyses were performed using area under the curve (AUC), logistic regression, and calculations of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity.ResultsAnti‐dsDNA was an insensitive (30%) but specific (>95%) marker for SLE. Levels of EC4d, BC4d, and PC4d were several times higher, and levels of ECR1 lower, in SLE patients compared to patients with other rheumatic diseases and healthy subjects. Among 523 anti‐dsDNA–negative subjects, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that SLE was associated with ANA positivity (≥20 units), anti‐MCV negativity (≤70 units), and elevated levels of both EC4d and BC4d (AUC 0.918, P < 0.001). A positive index score corresponding to the weighted sum of these 4 markers correctly categorized 72% of SLE patients. Specificity in relation to patients with other rheumatic diseases and healthy controls was >90%. The combination of anti‐dsDNA and index score positivity yielded 80% sensitivity for SLE and 87% specificity against other rheumatic diseases.ConclusionAn assay panel combining anti‐dsDNA, ANA, anti‐MCV, EC4d, and BC4d is sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of SLE.
Antibody levels correlate with creatine kinase levels and strength in anti–3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐coenzyme A reductase–associated autoimmune myopathy
Authors: Werner Jessie L. , Christopher‐Stine Lisa , Ghazarian Sharon R. , Pak Katherine S. , Kus Jordan E. , Daya Natalie R. , Lloyd Thomas E. , Mammen Andrew L. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractObjectiveAutoantibodies recognizing 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) are found in patients with statin‐associated immune‐mediated necrotizing myopathy and, less commonly, in statin‐unexposed patients with autoimmune myopathy. The main objective of this study was to define the association of anti‐HMGCR antibody levels with disease activity.MethodsAnti‐HMGCR levels, creatine kinase (CK) levels, and strength were assessed in anti‐HMGCR–positive patients. Associations of antibody level with CK level and strength at visit 1 were analyzed in 55 patients, 40 of whom were exposed to statins. In 12 statin‐exposed and 5 statin‐unexposed patients with serum from 5 serial visits, the evolution of antibody levels, CK levels, and strength was investigated.ResultsAntibody levels were associated with CK levels (P < 0.001), arm strength (P < 0.05), and leg strength (P < 0.05) at visit 1, but these associations were only significant among statin‐exposed patients in stratified analyses. With immunosuppressive treatment over 26.2 ± 12.6 months (mean ± SD), antibody levels declined (P < 0.05) and arm abduction strength improved (P < 0.05) in the 17 patients followed up longitudinally. The separate analysis showed that statin‐exposed patients developed decreased antibody levels (P < 0.01), decreased CK levels (P < 0.001), improved arm strength (P < 0.05), and improved hip flexion strength (P < 0.05) with treatment. Anti‐HMGCR antibody levels did not normalize in any patient.ConclusionIn the entire cohort, initial anti‐HMGCR levels correlated with indicators of disease activity; with immunosuppressive treatment, antibody levels declined and arm strength improved. Statin‐exposed patients had significant improvements in CK levels and strength whereas statin‐unexposed patients did not, suggesting a phenotypic difference between statin‐exposed and statin‐unexposed anti‐HMGCR–positive patients.
Stress‐induced cartilage degradation does not depend on the NLRP3 inflammasome in human osteoarthritis and mouse models
Authors: Bougault Carole , Gosset Marjolaine , Houard Xavier , Salvat Colette , Godmann Lars , Pap Thomas , Jacques Claire , Berenbaum Francis 
Published: August 2012

AbstractObjectiveThe main feature of osteoarthritis (OA) is degradation and loss of articular cartilage. Interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) is thought to have a prominent role in shifting the metabolic balance toward degradation. IL‐1β is first synthesized as an inactive precursor that is cleaved to the secreted active form mainly in the “inflammasome,” a complex of initiators (including NLRP3), adaptor molecule ASC, and caspase 1. The aim of this study was to clarify the roles of IL‐1β and the inflammasome in cartilage breakdown.MethodsWe assessed IL‐1β release by cartilage explants from 18 patients with OA. We also evaluated the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)–, IL‐1α–, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)–induced activity of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP‐3), MMP‐9, and MMP‐13 in NLRP3‐knockout mice and wild‐type mice and the inhibition of caspase 1 with Z‐YVAD‐FMK and the blockade of IL‐1β with IL‐1 receptor antagonist (IL‐1Ra). Cartilage explants from NLRP3‐knockout mice and IL‐1R type I (IL‐1RI)–knockout mice were subjected to excessive dynamic compression (0.5 Hz, 1 MPa) to trigger degradation, followed by assessment of load‐induced glycosaminoglycan (GAG) release and MMP enzymatic activity.ResultsDespite the expression of NLRP3, ASC, and caspase 1, OA cartilage was not able to produce active IL‐1β. LPS, IL‐1α, and TNFα dose‐dependently increased MMP‐3, MMP‐9, and MMP‐13 activity in cultured chondrocytes and in NLRP3−/− chondrocytes, and this effect was not changed by inhibiting caspase 1 or IL‐1β. The load‐induced increase in GAG release and MMP activity was not affected by knockout of NLRP3 or IL‐1RI in cartilage explants.ConclusionOA cartilage may be degraded independently of any inflammasome activity, which may explain, at least in part, the lack of effect of IL‐1β inhibitors observed in previous trials.
An epithelial tissue in Dictyostelium challenges the traditional origin of metazoan multicellularity
Authors: Dickinson Daniel J. , Nelson W. James , Weis William I. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractWe hypothesize that aspects of animal multicellularity originated before the divergence of metazoans from fungi and social amoebae. Polarized epithelial tissues are a defining feature of metazoans and contribute to the diversity of animal body plans. The recent finding of a polarized epithelium in the non‐metazoan social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum demonstrates that epithelial tissue is not a unique feature of metazoans, and challenges the traditional paradigm that multicellularity evolved independently in social amoebae and metazoans. An alternative view, presented here, is that the common ancestor of social amoebae, fungi, and animals spent a portion of its life cycle in a multicellular state and possessed molecular machinery necessary for forming an epithelial tissue. Some descendants of this ancestor retained multicellularity, while others reverted to unicellularity. This hypothesis makes testable predictions regarding tissue organization in close relatives of metazoans and provides a novel conceptual framework for studies of early animal evolution.Editor's suggested further reading in BioEssays Searching for Eve: Basal metazoans and the evolution of multicellular complexity Abstract
Using simple manipulatives to improve student comprehension of a complex biological process: Protein synthesis
Authors: Guzman Karen , Bartlett John 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBiological systems and living processes involve a complex interplay of biochemicals and macromolecular structures that can be challenging for undergraduate students to comprehend and, thus, misconceptions abound. Protein synthesis, or translation, is an example of a biological process for which students often hold many misconceptions. This article describes an exercise that was developed to illustrate the process of translation using simple objects to represent complex molecules. Animations, 3D physical models, computer simulations, laboratory experiments and classroom lectures are also used to reinforce the students' understanding of translation, but by focusing on the simple manipulatives in this exercise, students are better able to visualize concepts that can elude them when using the other methods. The translation exercise is described along with suggestions for background material, questions used to evaluate student comprehension and tips for using the manipulatives to identify common misconceptions.
Problem‐solving test: Signal transduction in Philadelphia chromosome positive leukemia cells
Authors: Szeberényi József 
Published: August 2012

AbstractTerms to be familiar with before you start to solve the test: reciprocal translocation, proto‐oncogene, gene expression, c‐Abl, tyrosine protein kinases, transmembrane protein, G protein, Src protein, malignant transformation, transfection, immunoprecipitation, pre‐immune serum, [γ‐32P]ATP, cAMP, SDS‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, autoradiography, Western blot (immunoblot), co‐immunoprecipitation, expression vector, cDNA, transient transfection, reporter gene, reporter plasmid, promoter, Ras protein, transformed foci, extracellular signal‐regulated kinase © 2012 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Fathers and Domestic Violence: Building Motivation for Change through Perpetrator Programmes
Authors: Stanley Nicky , Graham‐Kevan Nicola , Borthwick Rachel 
Published: August 2012

Men's intersecting identities as fathers and as perpetrators of domestic violence are increasingly acknowledged in research and practice and children's social services are referring such men to perpetrator programmes. This paper draws on the evaluation of a newly established voluntary programme for male perpetrators of domestic violence in north‐east England to consider how men's involvement with children's social services and fathering roles shaped motivation to engage with a process of change.The evaluation drew on project throughput data and background information on programme participants as well as interviews undertaken with men and their partners. Men who were currently involved with children's social services were found to be more likely than other programme participants to engage with the programme for more than five sessions. The desire to secure or regain access to their children or to avoid care proceedings was an extrinsic form of motivation that appeared effective in securing men's initial engagement with the programme. However, children could also function as a form of intrinsic motivation with men developing their awareness of the impact of abusive behaviour on children and viewing their participation in the programme as a means of becoming a ‘better father’. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.‘The desire to secure or regain access to their children or to avoid care proceedings was an extrinsic form of motivation’Key Practitioner Messages

Most men who contacted Strength to Change (STC), a voluntary programme for perpetrators of domestic violence in north‐east England, were parents.
Involvement with children's services and regarding the programme as a means of acquiring access to children or avoiding care proceedings facilitated rather than hindered men's engagement with the programme.
Men's identity as fathers functioned as a source of intrinsic motivation with men describing the programme as enabling them to become a ‘better father’.
Although the STC programme did not have a specific remit to address fathering, it enabled men to use the image of themselves as fathers and awareness of the impact of domestic violence on children as a means of achieving change.‘Men describing the programme as enabling them to become a ‘better father’’
The Participation of Fathers in Child Protection Conferences: A Practitioner's Perspective
Authors: Goff Sarah 
Published: August 2012

Fathers’ involvement in child protection processes appears to remain low and is problematic given their influence over the lives and wellbeing of their children and partners. Men's views need to be taken into account, as part of consideration of risk and the meaning of their participation for others in the family. While the risk or presence of abuse may necessarily limit how the participation of a father is managed in case conferences, and needs to be explored and challenged, in most cases it does not justify failing to contact or seeking to involve fathers. Involving fathers is crucial to actively managing and tackling risks. Most work on engaging fathers has been focused on engaging them one‐to‐one or in families. This article focuses on the neglected issue of the participation of fathers in child protection conferences and subsequent inter‐agency team work on the child protection plan recommended at the child protection conference. It argues that, with careful preparation and chairing, fathers’ participation can be managed using the skills of relationship‐based and authoritative practice in tandem. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.‘Fathers’ involvement in child protection processes appears to remain low’‘Fathers’ participation can be managed using the skills of relationship‐based and authoritative practice in tandem’Key Practitioner Messages

Including fathers' participation and views should be a requirement of good practice and forms an integral part of the assessment and management of risks; the extent of live participation depends on, and needs to be limited to manage, the immediate risks.
Even in complex cases involving multiple fathers, careful planning and skilled chairing can make it possible to include all the men in conferences.
The energy and commitment that can be generated for fathers at conferences can be harnessed to help enable them to change.
A quantitative approach for assessing significant improvements in elite sprint performance: Has IGF‐1 entered the arena?
Authors: Ernst Simon , Simon Perikles 
Published: August 2012

The introduction of doping substances and methods in sports triggers noticeable effects on physical performance in metric sports. Here, we use time series analysis to investigate the recent development in male and female elite sprinting performance.Time series displaying the average of the world's top 20 athletes were analyzed employing polynomial spline functions and moving averages. Outstanding changes in performance over time were statistically analyzed by Welch's t‐test and by Cohen's measurements of effect. For validation we exemplarily show that our analysis is capable of indicating the effect of the introduction of in‐ and out‐of‐competition doping testing on women's shot put as well as the effects of the market introduction of erythropoietin (EPO) and the introduction of EPO and continuous erythropoiesis receptor activator (CERA) testing on 5000 m top 20 male performances.Time series analysis for 100 m men reveals a highly significant (p < 0.001) drop by more than 0.1 s from 2006 to 2011 with a large effect size of 0.952. This is roughly half of the effect size that can be found for the development of the 5000 m performance during the introduction of EPO between 1991 and 1996. While the men's 200 m sprinting performance shows a similar development, the women's 100 m and 200 m sprinting performances only show some minor abnormalities.We will discuss here why the striking sex‐specific improvement in sprinting performance is indicative for a novel, very effective doping procedure with insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) being the primary candidate explaining the observed effects. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Whole mount nuclear fluorescent imaging: Convenient documentation of embryo morphology
Authors: Sandell Lisa L. , Kurosaka Hiroshi , Trainor Paul A. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractHere, we describe a relatively inexpensive and easy method to produce high quality images that reveal fine topological details of vertebrate embryonic structures. The method relies on nuclear staining of whole mount embryos in combination with confocal microscopy or conventional wide field fluorescent microscopy. In cases where confocal microscopy is used in combination with whole mount nuclear staining, the resulting embryo images can rival the clarity and resolution of images produced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The fluorescent nuclear staining may be performed with a variety of cell permeable nuclear dyes, enabling the technique to be performed with multiple standard microscope/illumination or confocal/laser systems. The method may be used to document morphology of embryos of a variety of organisms, as well as individual organs and tissues. Nuclear stain imaging imposes minimal impact on embryonic specimens, enabling imaged specimens to be utilized for additional assays. genesis 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evolutionary and biogeographic history of the subfamily Neoplecostominae (Siluriformes: Loricariidae)
Authors: Roxo Fábio F. , Zawadzki Cláudio H. , Alexandrou Markos A. , Costa Silva Guilherme J. , Chiachio Marcio C. , Foresti Fausto , Oliveira Claudio 
Published: August 2012

AbstractFreshwater fish evolution has been shaped by changes in the earth's surface involving changes in the courses of rivers and fluctuations in sea level. The main objective of this study is to improve our knowledge of the evolution of loricariids, a numerous and adaptive group of freshwater catfish species, and the role of geological changes in their evolution. We use a number of different phylogenetic methods to test the relationships among 52 representative taxa within the Neoplecostominae using 4676 bps of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. Our analysis revealed that the subfamily Neoplecostominae is monophyletic, including Pseudotocinclus, with three lineages recognized. The first lineage is composed of part of Pareiorhina rudolphi, P. cf. rudolphi, and Pseudotocinclus; the second is composed of Isbrueckerichthys, Pareiorhaphis, Kronichthys, and the species Neoplecostomus ribeirensis; and the third is composed of Pareiorhina carrancas, P. cf. carrancas, Pareiorhina sp. 1, a new genus, and all the species of the genus Neoplecostomus, except N. ribeirensis. The relaxed molecular clock calibration provides a temporal framework for the evolution of the group, which we use for a likelihood‐based historical biogeographic analysis to test relevant hypotheses on the formation of southeast Brazil. We hypothesize that headwater capture events and marine regressions have shaped the patterns of distribution within the subfamily Neoplecostominae throughout the distinct basins of southeast Brazil.
Higher temperature variability increases the impact of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and shifts interspecific interactions in tadpole mesocosms
Authors: Hamilton Phineas T. , Richardson Jean M.L. , Govindarajulu Purnima , Anholt Bradley R. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractThe emergence of amphibian chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has led to the decline and extinction of numerous amphibian species. Multiple studies have observed links between climatic factors and amphibian declines apparently caused by Bd. Using outdoor experimental mesocosms, we tested the response of red‐legged frog (Rana aurora) tadpoles to increased variation in temperature, a component of climate linked to amphibian declines, and Bd exposure. We included tadpoles of a sympatric competitor species, Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla), in a fully factorial design to test the effects of Bd and temperature on interspecific interactions. We found that higher variation in temperature had numerous effects in mesocosms, including interacting with Bd presence to decrease the condition of R. aurora, shifting the relative performance of competing P. regilla and R. aurora, and accelerating the development of P. regilla relative to R. aurora. Our results demonstrate that increased variation in temperature can affect amphibians in multiple ways that will be contingent on ecological context, including the presence of Bd and competing species.