bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ball‐Milling Modification of Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Purification, Cutting, and Functionalization
Authors: Rubio Noelia , Fabbro Chiara , Herrero M. Antonia , de la Hoz Antonio , Meneghetti Moreno , Fierro Jose L. G. , Prato Maurizio , Vázquez Ester 
Published: February 2011

AbstractSingle‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) can be successfully cut with relatively homogeneous sizes using a planetary mill. The optimized conditions produce highly dispersible SWNTs that can be efficiently functionalized in a variety of synthetic ways. As clearly shown by Raman spectroscopy, the milling/cutting procedure compares very favorably with the most common way of purifying SWNTs, namely, treatment with strong oxidizing acids. Moreover a similar milling process can be used to functionalize and cut pristine SWNTs by one‐step nitrene chemistry.
A practical use of model checking for synthesis: generating a dam controller for flood management
Authors: Gallardo M. M. , Merino P. , Panizo L. , Linares A. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractProgram synthesis with automated methods has been an active research area for many years; however, we still lack well‐known and accepted techniques for this software engineering task. In this case, the design space to be considered is infinite, even when the solution is restricted to software that meets the requirements. In this paper we propose the use of model checking (MC) techniques to automatically synthesize controllers. Given a goal in the evolution of a plant, MC can be used to search for acceptable software controllers that enable the plant to evolve as desired. We also develop a realistic application in the context of a joint project with a major water reservoir management company. This application generates controllers for dam management during flood seasons. The controllers give the proper orders (open or close the outflow elements) at precise times in order to avoid disasters and to preserve the water level in the dam. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DOLAR: virtualizing heterogeneous information spaces to support their expansion
Authors: Saidis Kostas , Smaragdakis Yannis , Delis Alex 
Published: February 2011

AbstractUsers expect applications to successfully cope with the expansion of information as necessitated by the continuous inclusion of novel types of content. Given that such content may originate from ‘not‐seen thus far’ data collections and/or data sources, the challenging issue is to achieve the return of investment on existing services, adapting to new information without changing existing business‐logic implementation. To address this need, we introduce DOLAR (Data Object Language And Runtime), a service‐neutral framework which virtualizes the information space to avoid invasive, time‐consuming, and expensive source‐code extensions that frequently break applications. Specifically, DOLAR automates the introduction of new business‐logic objects in terms of the proposed virtual ‘content objects’. Such user‐specified virtual objects align to storage artifacts and help realize uniform ‘store‐to‐user’ data flows atop heterogeneous sources, while offering the reverse ‘user‐to‐store’ flows with identical effectiveness and ease of use. In addition, the suggested virtual object composition schemes help decouple business logic from any content origin, storage and/or structural details, allowing applications to support novel types of items without modifying their service provisions. We expect that content‐rich applications will benefit from our approach and demonstrate how DOLAR has assisted in the cost‐effective development and gradual expansion of a production‐quality digital library. Experimentation shows that our approach imposes minimal overheads and DOLAR‐based applications scale as well as any underlying datastore(s). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identifying spatio‐temporal patterns of articulated criminal offending: An application using phenomenologically meaningful police jurisdictional geographies
Authors: Porter Jeremy R. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractImproving our understanding of the differentials, articulation and mobility of criminal offending within and between urban and rural areas may ultimately have important policy implications for the allocation of valuable federal, state and local resources. This paper introduces a new comprehensive place level system delineation, which corresponds directly to meaningful police jurisdictional coverage areas. This coverage allows for the implementation of a multivariate spatial econometric technique that has the potential to contribute to law enforcement's ability to combat criminal offending through the introduction of an algorithm for the tracking of the almost ‘real time’ spatial mobility of crime. The results suggest a more robust application of spatial clustering statistics in identifying spatio‐temporal relationships in the spatial mobility of crime. It is expected that the ability to track criminal offending in a more ‘real‐time’ manner can have direct implications on future research concerned with the simulation of crime‐specific offending patterns. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Concise Review: Culture Mediated Changes in Fate and/or Potency of Stem Cells
Authors: Roobrouck Valerie D. , Vanuytsel Kim , Verfaillie Catherine M. 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
Although Gurdon demonstrated already in 1958 that the nucleus of intestinal epithelial cells could be reprogrammed to give rise to adult frogs, the field of cellular reprogramming has only recently come of age with the description by Takahashi and Yamanaka in 2006, which defined transcription factors can reprogram fibroblasts to an embryonic stem cell-like fate. With the mounting interest in the use of human pluripotent stem cells and culture-expanded somatic stem/progenitor cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells, increasing attention has been given to the effect of changes in the in vitro microenvironment on the fate of stem cells. These studies have demonstrated that changes in culture conditions may change the potency of pluripotent stem cells or reprogram adult stem/progenitor cells to endow them with a broader differentiation potential. The mechanisms underlying these fate and potency changes by ex vivo culture should be further investigated and considered when designing clinical therapies with stem/progenitor cells.
LacdiNAc (GalNAcβ1-4GlcNAc) Contributes to Self-Renewal of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells by Regulating Leukemia Inhibitory Factor/STAT3 Signaling
Authors: Sasaki Norihiko , Shinomi Masahito , Hirano Kazumi , Ui-Tei Kumiko , Nishihara Shoko 
Published: February 2011

Abstract
Self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) is maintained by leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3) signaling. However, this signaling control does not function in neither mouse epiblast stem cells (mEpiSCs) nor human ESCs (hESCs) or human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). To date, the underlying molecular mechanisms that determine this differential LIF-responsiveness have not been clarified. Here, we show that the cell surface glycan LacdiNAc (GalNAcβ1-4GlcNAc) is required for LIF/STAT3 signaling. Undifferentiated state mESCs expressed LacdiNAc at a higher level than differentiated state cells. Knockdown of β4GalNAc-T3 reduced LacdiNAc expression and caused a decrease in LIF/STAT3 signaling that lessened the rate of self-renewal of mESCs. A biochemical analysis showed that LacdiNAc expression on LIF receptor (LIFR) and gp130 was required for the stable localization of the receptors with lipid raft/caveolar components, such as caveolin-1. This localization is required for transduction of a sufficiently strong LIF/STAT3 signal. In primed state pluripotent stem cells, such as hiPSCs and mEpiSC-like cells produced from mESCs, LacdiNAc expression on LIFR and gp130 was extremely weak and the level of localization of these receptors on rafts/caveolae was also low. Furthermore, knockdown of β4GalNAc-T3 decreased LacdiNAc expression and reduced the efficiency of reversion of primed state mEpiSC-like cells into naïve state mESCs. These findings show that the different LIF-responsiveness of naïve state (mESCs) and primed state (mEpiSCs, hESCs, and hiPSCs) cells is dependent on the expression of LacdiNAc on LIFR and gp130 and that this expression is required for the induction and maintenance of the naïve state.
Absolute abundances and affinity states of dopamine receptors in mammalian brain: A review
Authors: Cumming Paul 
Published: February 2011

AbstractThe abundances of dopamine (DA) D1and D2receptors have been assayed with radioligands in membrane preparations and by autoradiography in vitro, and also in living brain using positron emission tomography (PET). This review compares the saturation binding parameters (BmaxandKD) obtained in striatum by these several methods, and in different species. Some uncertainty in quantitation is derived from the incomplete specificities of commonly used ligands, especially Sch 23,390 for D1sites and spiperone for D2‐like sites. In striatal membrane preparations, the D1Bmaxranges from 10 to 139 pmol g−1tissue, whereas the D2Bmaxranges from 8 to 42 pmol g−1tissue. Receptor concentrations in human material, despite the more extended post mortem interval, are roughly similar to those reported in rodent and nonhuman primate. Estimates ofBmaxby quantitative autoradiography are generally five times higher than corresponding results for similar ligands in membrane preparations. The saturation binding parameters in living striatum have been estimated by serial PET studies with ligands over a range of specific activities. The few PET estimates of D1Bmax, (40–80 pmol g−1) and numerous PET estimates of D2Bmax(20–40 pmol g−1) are in general agreement with membrane estimates, but fall far short of the mean of autoradiographic results in vitro. Apparent affinities for D1and D2ligands in vivo are typically 10 times lower than for corresponding in vitro studies, presumably because the unbound ligand concentration is not corrected for the free fraction in living brain tissue. The disparateBmaxresults by method suggest the presence of a large reservoir or reserve of D1and D2receptors in intact brain sections, which are unavailable to PET ligands in vivo, and which may be lost during the preparation of washed membranes. A subset of receptors existing in a high affinity state for agonists is detected in washed membrane preparations, in which the coupling to intracellular G‐proteins may have become artificially limiting. However, in most PET and autoradiographic studies in vitro, agonist and antagonist ligands have similarBmax. Discrepancies in the literature highlight the need for a better understanding of affinity states in vivo and trafficking of G‐protein coupled receptors between plasma membrane and intracellular compartments. Synapse, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cocaine alters dendritic spine density in cortical and subcortical brain regions of the postpartum and virgin female rat
Authors: Frankfurt Maya , Salas‐Ramirez Kaliris , Friedman Eitan , Luine Victoria 
Published: February 2011

AbstractCocaine use during pregnancy induces profound neural and behavioral deficits in both mother and offspring. The present study was designed to compare the effects of cocaine exposure on spine density of postpartum and virgin female rat brains. Timed, pregnant, primiparous rats were injected with either cocaine (30 mg/kg) or saline, once daily, from gestational day 8 to 20. Twenty‐four hours after giving birth, dam brains were processed for Golgi‐impregnation. Virgin females were also injected with the same dose of cocaine or saline for 12 days and sacrificed 24 h after the last injection for comparison. Pregnant rats had significantly greater spine density in the medial amygdala (MeA) and medial preoptic area (MPOA) and lower spine density in CA1 than virgin females independent of cocaine treatment. Cocaine significantly increased dendritic spine density on the apical branch of pyramidal cells in the prefrontal cortex (PFC, 15%), both apical (13%) and basal (14.8%) branches of CA1 and cells in the MeA (28%) of pregnant rats. In the MPOA, cocaine administration resulted in a decrease in dendritic spine density (14%) in pregnant rats. In virgin females, cocaine had fewer effects but did increase dendritic spine density on both branches of CA1 neurons and in the MeA. The present study is the first to demonstrate that spine density differs between pregnant and virgin females and that pregnancy makes the brain more vulnerable to cocaine, which has important clinical implications. Synapse, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
[76Br]BMK‐152, a nonpeptide analogue, with high affinity and low nonspecific binding for the corticotropin‐releasing factor type 1 receptor
Authors: Jagoda Elaine M. , Lang Lixin , Mccullough Karen , Contoreggi Carlo , Kim B. Moon , Ma Ying , Rice Kenner C. , Szajek Lawrence P. , Eckelman William C. , Kiesewetter Dale O. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractCorticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF), a neuropeptide, regulates endocrine and autonomic responses to stress through G‐protein coupled receptors, CRF1 or CRF2. A PET ligand able to monitor changes in CRF1 receptor occupancy in vivo would aid in understanding the pathophysiology of stress‐related diseases as well as in the clinical development of nonpeptide antagonists with therapeutic value. We have radiolabeled the CRF1 receptor ligand, [8‐(4‐bromo‐2,6‐dimethoxyphenyl)‐2,7‐dimethylpyrazolo[1,5‐α][1,3,5]triazin‐4‐yl]‐N,N‐bis‐(2‐methoxyethyl)amine (BMK‐152) (ClogP = 2.6), at both the 3 and 4 position with [76Br]. Using in vitro autoradiography saturation studies the 4‐[76Br]BMK‐152 exhibited high affinity binding to both rat (Kd = 0.23 ± 0.07 nM; n = 3) and monkey frontal cortex (Kd = 0.31 ± 0.08 nM; n = 3) consistent with CRF1 receptor regional distribution whereas with the 3‐[76Br]BMK‐152, the Kds could not be determined due to high nonspecific binding. In vitro autoradiography competition studies using [125I]Tyr0‐o‐CRF confirmed that 3‐Br‐BMK‐152 (Ki = 24.4 ± 4.9 nM; n = 3) had lower affinity (70‐fold) than 4‐Br‐BMK‐152 (Ki = 0.35 ± 0.07 nM; n = 3) in monkey frontal cortex and similiar studies using [125I]Sauvagine confirmed CRF1 receptor selectivity. In vivo studies with P‐glycoprotein (PGP) knockout mice (KO) and their wild‐type littermates (WT) showed that the brain uptake of 3‐[76Br]BMK/4‐[76Br]BMK was increased less than twofold in KO versus WT indicating that 3‐[76Br]BMK‐152/4‐[76Br]BMK was not a Pgp substrate. Rat brain uptakes of 4‐[76Br] BMK‐152 from ex vivo autoradiography studies showed regional localization consistent with known published CRF1 receptor distribution and potential as a PET ligand for in vivo imaging of CRF1 receptors. Synapse 2011. Published 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Serotonergic projections and serotonin receptor expression in the reticular nucleus of the thalamus in the rat
Authors: RodrÍGuez José J. , Noristani Harun N. , Hoover Walter B. , Linley Stephanie B. , Vertes Robert P. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractThe reticular nucleus (RT) of the thalamus, a thin sheet of GABAergic neurons located between the external medullary lamina and the internal capsule of the thalamus, has functionally distinct afferent and efferent connections with thalamic nuclei, the neocortex, the basal forebrain and the brainstem. RT is critically positioned to rhythmically pace thalamocortical networks leading to the generation of spindle activity during the early phases of sleep and during absence (spike‐wave) seizures. Serotonin, acting on 5‐HT1A receptors on parvalbumin‐containing cells of RT, has been implicated in this rhythmicity. However, the precise source(s) of 5‐HT afferents to the RT remains to be determined. In the present study, we injected the retrograde tracer, Fluorogold, into dorsal and ventral regions of RT to determine the origins of raphe input to RT. We further characterized the distribution of 5‐HT fibers to RT by using immunohistochemistry for 5‐HT and for the 5HT transporter (SERT) detection. Finally, we described the presence of the two major postsynaptic 5‐HT receptors in RT, 5‐HT1A and 5‐HT2A receptors. Our results show that the dorsal raphe nucleus and the supralemniscal nucleus (B9) of the midbrain are the principal sources of raphe projections to RT. In addition, serotonergic fibers (5‐HT and SERT positive) were richly distributed throughout RT, and 5‐HT1A and 5‐HT2A receptors were highly expressed on RT neurons and dendrites. These findings suggest a significant 5‐HT modulatory influence on GABAergic neurons of RT in the control of rhythmical (or spindle) activity in thalamocortical systems directly associated with sleep and possibly with absence seizures. Synapse, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Imaging of alcohol‐induced dopamine release in rats:Preliminary findings with [11C]raclopride PET
Authors: Sullivan Jenna M. , Risacher Shannon L. , Normandin Marc D. , Yoder Karmen K. , Froehlich Janice C. , Morris Evan D. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractMicrodialysis studies report that systemic alcohol increases extracellular dopamine (DA) in the rat striatum. The present study examined whether changes in striatal DA could be detected in rats using small animal positron emission tomography (PET). PET images were acquired in 44 alcohol‐naïve male Wistar and alcohol‐preferring (P) rats. Subjects received up to three [11C]raclopride scans (rest, alcohol, and saline). Animals were anesthetized with isoflurane and secured on a stereotactic‐like holder during all scans. Blood samples were collected from the tail or lateral saphenous vein of 12 animals 10 min after tracer injection for determination of blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Time activity curves were extracted from the striatum and the cerebellum and binding potential (BPND) was calculated as a measure of D2 receptor availability. Wistars given 1.0 g kg−1 alcohol (20%v/v) i.v. or 3.0 g kg−1 alcohol (20%v/v) i.p. showed significant alcohol‐induced decreases in BPND. In P rats (given 1.5, 2.25, or 3.0 g kg−1 alcohol), no individual group showed a statistical effect of alcohol on BPND, but taken together, all P rats receiving i.p. alcohol had significantly lower BPND than rest or saline scans. Large decreases in BPND were primarily observed in rats with BAC above 200 mg%. Also, a significant difference was found between baseline BPND of Wistars who had undergone jugular catheterization surgery for i.v. alcohol administration and those who had not. Preliminary results suggest that alcohol‐induced DA release in the rat striatum is detectable using small animal PET given sufficiently large cohorts and adequate blood alcohol levels. Synapse, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Induction of oxidative stress in liver and kidney of rats exposed to Nigerian bonny light crude oil
Authors: Adedara Isaac A. , Teberen Roy , Ebokaiwe Azubike P. , Ehwerhemuepha Theresa , Farombi Ebenezer O. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractThe local population of Niger‐Delta in the Southern part of Nigeria have used bonny light crude oil (BLCO) as a remedy for various ailments and are exposed to some extent to this widespread environmental contaminant or its metabolites through the food chain. BLCO's hepatorenal toxicity was studied using oxidative stress indices to elucidate the precise nature and mechanism of action. BLCO was orally administered at concentrations of 0, 200, 400, and 800 mg kg−1 to adult male rats for 7 days. After exposure, kidney weight was unaffected, but liver weight decreased significantly at 800 mg kg−1 only compared with control. BLCO exposure resulted in dose‐dependent elevation of serum aminotransferases, total bilirubin, urea, and creatinine. Activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase decreased significantly, whereas γ‐glutamyltransferase activity and the level of glutathione increased significantly in BLCO‐treated animals compared with control in both liver and kidney of rat. Renal activities of glucose‐6‐phosphatase and 5′‐nucleotidase markedly decreased in a dose‐dependent manner in BLCO‐exposed rats. In addition, the levels of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation significantly increased, dose dependently, in liver and kidney of BLCO‐treated rats compared with control. BLCO‐treated rats showed marked degeneration of kidney evident in cortical hemorrhages, tubular necrosis, protein casts, and cellular infiltration. However, no treatment‐related liver histopathology was observed. The results suggested that BLCO elicits disruption of antioxidant status and concomitant elevation of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation differentially in liver and kidney of rats. The hepatorenal toxicity of BLCO could be due to induction of oxidative stress in liver and kidney. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2012.
Toxicity evaluation of verapamil and tramadol based on toxicity assay and expression patterns of Dhb, Vtg, Arnt, CYP4, and CYP314 in Daphnia magna
Authors: Le Thai‐Hoang , Lim Eun‐Suk , Lee Sung‐Kyu , Park Jin‐Soo , Kim Yang‐Hoon , Min Jiho 
Published: February 2011

AbstractIn this study, the toxicities of two pharmaceuticals, verapamil and tramadol were evaluated in Daphnia magna using the conventional toxicity tests (acute and chronic test) and the expression patterns of five stress responsive genes. In the chronic toxicity test, several parameters, such as the survival percentage, the body length of D. magna, the time of first reproduction, and the number of offspring per female, were adversely affected during the exposure to 4.2 mg L−1 verapamil and 34 mg L−1 tramadol. During the 24‐h short‐term exposure, verapamil particularly caused a downregulated expression of the CYP4 and CYP314 genes, whereas tramadol upregulated the expression of the CYP314 gene. Neither pharmaceutical affected the expression of Dhb, Arnt, and Vtg. However, during the 21‐day long‐term exposure, both verapamil and tramadol significantly reduced the expression level of the Vtg gene, a biomarker of the reproduction ability in an oviparous animal, whereas neither affected the other genes. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2011.
An algorithm based on OmniView technology to reconstruct sagittal and coronal planes of the fetal brain from volume datasets acquired by three‐dimensional ultrasound
Authors: Rizzo G. , Capponi A. , Pietrolucci M. E. , Capece A. , Aiello E. , Mammarella S. , Arduini D. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractObjectiveTo describe a novel algorithm, based on the new display technology ‘OmniView’, developed to visualize diagnostic sagittal and coronal planes of the fetal brain from volumes obtained by three‐dimensional (3D) ultrasonography.MethodsWe developed an algorithm to image standard neurosonographic planes by drawing dissecting lines through the axial transventricular view of 3D volume datasets acquired transabdominally. The algorithm was tested on 106 normal fetuses at 18–24 weeks of gestation and the visualization rates of brain diagnostic planes were evaluated by two independent reviewers. The algorithm was also applied to nine cases with proven brain defects.ResultsThe two reviewers, using the algorithm on normal fetuses, found satisfactory images with visualization rates ranging between 71.7% and 96.2% for sagittal planes and between 76.4% and 90.6% for coronal planes. The agreement rate between the two reviewers, as expressed by Cohen's kappa coefficient, was > 0.93 for sagittal planes and > 0.89 for coronal planes. All nine abnormal volumes were identified by a single observer from among a series including normal brains, and eight of these nine cases were diagnosed correctly.ConclusionsThis novel algorithm can be used to visualize standard sagittal and coronal planes in the fetal brain. This approach may simplify the examination of the fetal brain and reduce dependency of success on operator skill. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.