bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Safety and efficacy assessment of standardized herbal formula PM012
Authors: Sohn Sung-Hwa , Kim Soo-Jeong , Kim Yong , Shim Insop , Bae Hyunsu 
Published: March 2012

Abstract

Background
This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the herbal formula PM012 on an Alzheimer's disease model, human presenilin 2 mutant transgenic mice (hPS2m), and also to evaluate the toxicity of PM012 in Sprague-Dawely rats after 4 or 26 weeks treatment with repeated oral administration.

Methods
Spatial learning and memory capacities of hPS2m transgenic mice were evaluated using the Morris Water Maze. Simultaneously, PM012 was repeatedly administered orally to male and female SD rats (15/sex/group) at doses of 0 (vehicle control), 500, 1,000 and 2,000 mg/kg/day for 4 or 26 weeks. To evaluate the recovery potential, 5 animals of each sex were assigned to vehicle control and 2,000 mg/kg/day groups during the 4-week recovery period.

Results
The results showed that PM012-treated hPS2m transgenic mice showed significantly reduced escape latency when compared with the hPS2m transgenic mice. The repeated oral administration of PM012 over 26 weeks in male and female rats induced an increase and increasing trend in thymus weight in the female treatment groups (main and recovery groups), but the change was judged to be toxicologically insignificant. In addition, the oral administration of the herbal medicine PM012 did not cause adverse effects as assessed by clinical signs, mortality, body weight, food and water consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, blood clotting time, organ weights and histopathology. The No Observed Adverse Effects Levels of PM012 was determined to be 2,000 mg/kg/day for both sexes, and the target organ was not identified.

Conclusion
These results suggest that PM012 has potential for use in the treatment of the Alzheimer's disease without serious adverse effects.
History of malaria research and its contribution to the malaria control success in Suriname: a review
Authors: Breeveld Florence JV , Vreden Stephen GS , Grobusch Martin P 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
Suriname has cleared malaria from its capital city and coastal areas mainly through the successful use of chloroquine and DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) during the Global Malaria Eradication programme that started in 1955. Nonetheless, malaria transmission rates remained high in the interior of the country for a long time. An impressive decline in malaria cases was achieved in the past few years, from 14,403 registered cases in 2003 to 1,371 in 2009. The introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in 2004 has further fuelled the decrease in the number of infections with Plasmodium falciparum. The only population group still heavily burdened with malaria is gold mining industry workers. Interestingly, an important part of malaria cases diagnosed and treated in Suriname originate from border regions. Therefore, practical initiatives of combined efforts between neighbouring countries must be scaled up in order to effectively attack these specific areas. Furthermore, it is of vital importance to keep investing into the malaria control programme and public awareness campaigns. Especially the correct use of ACT must be promoted in order to prevent the emergence of resistance. However, effective preventive measures and adequate therapeutic options are on their own not enough to control, let alone eliminate malaria. Changing personal and social behaviour of people is particularly difficult, but crucial in making the current success sustainable. With this in mind, research on successfully implemented interventions, focusing on behavioural modifications and methods of measuring their effectiveness, must be expanded.
QoS-aware multihop routing in wireless sensor networks with power control using demodulation-and-forward protocol
Authors: Wu Jianjun , Ren Shubo , Jiang Yun , Song Lingyang 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
In this article, we propose a low-complexity joint power allocation and route planning algorithm for multiple antennas wireless sensor networks using dynamic programming. The sensor nodes utilize orthogonal space time block codes with demodulation-and-forward protocol. Unlike the previous work which typically optimize all the parameters, we cast this Quality-of-Service aware packet forwarding problem into two disjoint procedures: dynamic programming based route planning and subsequent adaptive power allocation. Simulation results indicate that the proposed protocol obtains comparative performance with the optimal results and significantly outperforms classical routing algorithms.
Bioconversion of glycerol to ethanol by a mutant Enterobacter aerogenes
Authors: Nwachukwu RES , Shahbazi A , Wang L , Ibrahim S , Worku M , Schimmel K 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
The main objective of this research is to develop, by adaptive evolution, mutant strains of Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048 that are capable of withstanding high glycerol concentration as well as resisting ethanol-inhibition. The mutant will be used for high ethanol fermentation from glycerol feedstock. Ethanol production from pure (P-) and recovered (R-) glycerol using the stock was evaluated. A six-tube-subculture-generations method was used for developing the mutant. This involved subculturing the organism six consecutive times in tubes containing the same glycerol and ethanol concentrations at the same culture conditions. Then, the glycerol and/or ethanol concentration was increased and the six subculture generations were repeated. A strain capable of growing in 200 g/L glycerol and 30 g/L ethanol was obtained. The ability of this mutant, vis-à-vis the original strain, in utilizing glycerol in a high glycerol containing medium, with the concomitant ethanol yield, was assessed. Tryptic soy broth without dextrose (TSB) was used as the fermentation medium. Fermentation products were analyzed using HPLC.
In a 20 g/L glycerol TSB, E. aerogenes ATCC 13048 converted 18.5 g/L P-glycerol and 17.8 g/L R-glycerol into 12 and 12.8 g/L ethanol, respectively. In a 50 g/L P-glycerol TSB, it utilized only 15.6 g/L glycerol; but the new strain used up 39 g/L, yielding 20 g/L ethanol after 120 h, an equivalence of 1.02 mol ethanol/mol-glycerol. This is the highest ethanol yield reported from glycerol bioconversion. The result of this P-glycerol fermentation can be duplicated using the R-glycerol from biodiesel production.
Replication study confirms the association between UBAC2 and Behçet's disease in two independent Chinese sets of patients and controls
Authors: Hou Shengping , Shu Qinmeng , Jiang Zhengxuan , Chen Yuanyuan , Li Fuzhen , Chen Feilan , Kijlstra Aize , Yang Peizeng 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
Introduction
The purpose of this study was to replicate genetic factors associated with the susceptibility to Behçet's disease (BD). We conducted a two-stage candidate genes association and functional study, involving 477 BD patients and 1,334 normal controls of Chinese Han descent.

Methods
The genotyping of five candidate genes/loci, including LOC100129342, KIAA1529, CPVL, UBASH3B and UBAC2, were performed using TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays. Real-time PCR and luciferase reporter assay were performed to test the function of the identified promoter polymorphism. The main outcome measures were genotype frequencies and expression levels in BD patients.

Results
The first-stage study results showed that UBAC2 (rs9513584, Pc = 0.018, OR = 1.4), but not LOC100129342, KIAA1529, CPVL, UBASH3B was associated with the susceptibility to BD in Chinese Han. The fine-mapping association study of UBAC2 identified six risk SNPs for BD in the Chinese cohort; three of them were verified in validation study (rs3825427, first-stage Pc = 2.2 × 10-3, second-stage Pc = 9.3 × 10-3, combined Pc = 6.9 × 10-6; rs9517668, first-stage Pc = 1.7 × 10-3, second-stage Pc = 0.03, combined Pc = 3.3 × 10-4; rs9517701, first-stage Pc = 5.1 × 10-3, second-stage Pc = 9.0 × 10-3, combined Pc = 2.9 × 10-5; respectively). Functional analysis showed that the risk T allele of the promoter polymorphism rs3825427 had a significantly lower promoter activity than the non-risk G allele (P = 0.002) and a decreased expression of UBAC2 transcript variant 1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and skin of normal controls carrying the risk T allele than that in individuals with the G allele (P = 0.045, P = 0.025; respectively). The mRNA expression of UBAC2 transcript variant 1 was significantly decreased in PBMCs and skin of BD patients as compared with controls (P = 0.025; P = 0.047, respectively). The mRNA expression of UBAC2 transcript variant 2 was significantly increased in skin of BD patients as compared with controls (P = 0.004).

Conclusions
This study replicates a predisposition gene to BD, UBAC2, and suggests that UBAC2 may be involved in the development of BD through its transcriptional modulation.
RhoA as a Mediator of Clinically Relevant Androgen Action in Prostate Cancer Cells
Authors: Schmidt Lucy J. , Duncan Kelly , Yadav Neelu , Regan Kevin M. , Verone Alissa R. , Lohse Christine M. , Pop Elena A. , Attwood Kristopher , Wilding Gregory , Mohler James L. , Sebo Thomas J. , Tindall Donald J. , Heemers Hannelore V. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractRecently, we have identified serum response factor (SRF) as a mediator of clinically relevant androgen receptor (AR) action in prostate cancer (PCa). Genes that rely on SRF for androgen responsiveness represent a small fraction of androgen-regulated genes, but distinguish benign from malignant prostate, correlate with aggressive disease, and are associated with biochemical recurrence. Thus, understanding the mechanism(s) by which SRF conveys androgen regulation to its target genes may provide novel opportunities to target clinically relevant androgen signaling. Here, we show that the small GTPase ras homolog family member A (RhoA) mediates androgen-responsiveness of more than half of SRF target genes. Interference with expression of RhoA, activity of the RhoA effector Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK), and actin polymerization necessary for nuclear translocation of the SRF cofactor megakaryocytic acute leukemia (MAL) prevented full androgen regulation of SRF target genes. Androgen treatment induced RhoA activation, increased the nuclear content of MAL, and led to MAL recruitment to the promoter of the SRF target gene FHL2. In clinical specimens RhoA expression was higher in PCa cells than benign prostate cells, and elevated RhoA expression levels were associated with aggressive disease features and decreased disease-free survival after radical prostatectomy. Overexpression of RhoA markedly increased the androgen-responsiveness of select SRF target genes, in a manner that depends on its GTPase activity. The use of isogenic cell lines and a xenograft model that mimics the transition from androgen-stimulated to castration-recurrent PCa indicated that RhoA levels are not altered during disease progression, suggesting that RhoA expression levels in the primary tumor determine disease aggressiveness. Androgen-responsiveness of SRF target genes in castration-recurrent PCa cells continued to rely on AR, RhoA, SRF, and MAL and the presence of intact SRF binding sites. Silencing of RhoA, use of Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 inhibitors, or an inhibitor of SRF-MAL interaction attenuated (androgen-regulated) cell viability and blunted PCa cell migration. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that the RhoA signaling axis mediates clinically relevant AR action in PCa.
Systematics and evolution of arctic‐alpine Arabis alpina (Brassicaceae) and its closest relatives in the eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Karl Robert , Kiefer Christiane , Ansell Stephan W. , Koch Marcus A. 
Published: March 2012

• Premise of the study: The high mountains in southern Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean are assumed to play a major role as a primary center of genetic diversity and species richness in Eurasia. We tested this hypothesis by focusing on the widespread perennial arctic‐alpine Arabis alpina and its sympatrically distributed closest relatives in the eastern Mediterranean.• Methods: Plastid (trnL intron, trnL‐F intergenic spacer) and nuclear (ITS) DNA sequence analysis was used for phylogenetic reconstruction. Broad‐scale plastid haplotype analyses were conducted to infer ancestral biogeographic patterns.• Key results: Five Arabis species, identified from the eastern Mediterranean (Turkey mainland and Cyprus), evolved directly and independently from A. alpina, leaving Arabis alpina as a paraphyletic taxon. These species are not affected by hybridization or introgression, and species divergence took place at the diploid level during the Pleistocene.• Conclusions: Pleistocene climate fluctuations produced local altitudinal range‐shifts among mountain glacial survival areas, resulting not only in the accumulation of intraspecific genotype diversity but also in the formation of five local species. We also show that the closest sister group of Arabis alpina consists exclusively of annuals/winter annuals and diverged prior to Pleistocene climatic fluctuations during the colonization of the lowland Mediterranean landscape. These findings highlight that Anatolia is not only a center of species richness but also a center for life‐history diversification.
RemoteLabs Platform
Authors: Crabeel Nils , Campos Neves Betina , Malheiro Benedita 
Published: March 2012

This paper reports on a first step towards the implementation of a framework for remote experimentation of electric machines â?? the RemoteLabs platform. This project was focused on the development of two main modules: the user Web-based and the electric machines interfaces. The Web application provides the user with a front-end and interacts with the back-end â?? the user and experiment persistent data. The electric machines interface is implemented as a distributed client server application where the clients, launched by the Web application, interact with the server modules located in platforms physically connected the electric machines drives. Users can register and authenticate, schedule, specify and run experiments and obtain results in the form of CSV, XML and PDF files. These functionalities were successfully tested with real data, but still without including the electric machines. This
inclusion is part of another project scheduled to start soon.
Reconciling Multiple Standards
Authors: Kantelo Kip , Del Pozo Pablo Rodriguez 
Published: March 2012

AbstractStem cell research by Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) is subject to the ethical standards of both the Qatar Supreme Council of Health (SCH) and the National Academies of Sciences (NAS) in the United States (US). The authors examined their personal experiences with the policy-making process in Qatar and the ethical review process in both Qatar and the US. The objectives of this examination were to characterize different approaches to ethical oversight of stem cell research; consider factors underlying the different approaches; identify advantages and shortcomings of the approaches;and suggest areas where the approaches could enrich each other.The authors identified two different approaches. First, Top-down, in which a centralized agency passes a set of regulations, often drawn from different international experiences and intended to be complete and stable. This is the model followed in Qatar. Secondly, Bottom-up, in which various agents (researchers, universities, funders, and others) reach a level of consensus and produce non-mandatory guidelines including a set of principles and accompanying specific points. Institutions later adopt the guidelines. This is the approach of the NAS. Each approach results from the interplay of several factors, including Local experience, Organization of the state, and Political culture.Top-down is rapidly available and provides a clear, monolithic framework, generally with few internal contradictions.However, speed and consistency may limit flexibility. There may not be room for ethically acceptable alternative solutions if the framework poses scientific or practical difficulties. Top-down regulation runs the risk of rapid obsolescence in a dynamic field.Bottom-up, being the product of deliberation, tends to be more flexible. However, this approach risks being hijacked by interminable discussions. Guidelines are not always immediately available. In a decentralized environment, competing guidelines may emerge. Approaches can enrich each other by establishingbasic guiding principles to inform detailed rules; avoiding too much detail that will be difficult to change; maintaining a mix of guidelines and regulation to provide certainty and flexibility while avoiding arbitrariness; adjusting according to experience of and feedback from stakeholders; and accepting imperfection in details and implementation.
Identification of Two Novel Splice variants of SOX2OT which are Co-expressed with Pluripotency Genes during Neural Differentiation of Stem Cells
Authors: Shahryari AR , Shafiee M , Samaei N , Semnani S , Vesai M , Mowla SJ 
Published: March 2012

AbstractOur objectives were: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as new regulators of stem cell pluripotency and neurogenesis. Recent studies revealed that the expression of several lncRNAs correlates with the expression of pluripotency regulators such as OCT4 and Nanog. Surprisingly, the SOX2 gene, another master regulator of pluripotency, is embedded within an intron of an lncRNA, known as SOX2OT. SOX2OT and has been suspected to participate in regulation of the SOX2 expression and related processes; nevertheless, its function has still remained untested. In this study, we investigated a potential correlation between the expression pattern of SOX2OT, also its newly discovered splice variants (SOX2OT-S1 and SOX2OT-S2) and master regulators of stem cell pluripotency (SOX2 and OCT4) in mesenchymal stem cells, as well as during the course of neural differentiation of the human EC cell line, NTERA2 (NT2).We treated the NT2 cells with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) for four weeks to differentiate into neural phenotype. By designing specific primers for real-time PCR, we evaluated the expression pattern of SOX2OT, SOX2OT-S1, SOX2OT-S2, SOX2 and OCT4 in mesenchymal stem cells and also during the induction of neural differential of NT2 cells.Our results showed that by using a different set of primers, we discovered two novel variants of SOX2OT, named SOX2OT-S1 (lacking exon4) and SOX2OT-S2 (lacking exons3 and 4). The expression pattern of SOX2OT variants was positively correlated with the expression of SOX2 and OCT4 in NT2 cells. Surprisingly, SOX2OT variants showed a distinct expression pattern during the course of neural differentiation of NT2 cells. The expression pattern of SOX2OT variants was similar to that of OCT4 and SOX2 during early differentiation of NT2 cells. However, in contrast to OCT4 and SOX2, a low expression of SOX2OT variants persist in later time points of neural differentiation of NT2 cells.We found that close correlation between the expression pattern of SOX2OT variants and master regulators of pluripotency (OCT4 and SOX2) suggests that they may be involved in similar regulatory pathways including: self-renewal, pluripotency, and differentiation.
Unravelling Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells Physiology
Authors: Al Farsi H , Lis R , Al Thawadi H , Azzazen D , Soria J , Therwat A , Pujade Laurain E , Mirshahi M 
Published: March 2012

AbstractOvarian cancer is a highly metastatic disease. Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy with the majority of cases being diagnosed after the disease has become metastatic. Recent reports have shown that 25% of cancerous cells within tumors have features of cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs have been identified on the basis of their ability for self-renewal and to have the capacity to differentiate into cancer cells and also form tumors in animal models. EMT describes a mechanism by which cells lose their epithelial characteristics and acquire more migratory mesenchymal properties. It also seems to have a key role in the acquisition of invasive and migratory properties in many types of carcinoma cells. The aim of this study is to understand the molecular changes and signaling pathways associated with ovarian cancer cell transformation which may lead to the identification of targets for novel therapeutic interventions.OVCAR-3 and hospicells were cultured in vitro according to standard procedure. OVCAR cells were stained using anti CD133 –prominin-1 and anti CD117-APC and sorted by FACS system as positive and negative. The supernatant of OVCAR CD117+ and CD117- were analyzed by cytokine array And 174 different membrane coupled anti-cytokines along with appropriate controls were studied. The gene expression patterns of OVCAR-3 cultured with supernatant of Hospicells (clone M16) or control cells were analysed and compared by a two-colour topic-defined microarray. The products of microarray consisted of genes related to cytokines, interleukins and growth factors. The up regulated 86 codes genes were analysed by DAVID functional annotation tool.We demonstrated that OVCAR-3 cell line for several reasons did not appear to be monoclonal. It contains tow subpopulations: one expressing CD117 and the other not. The fact that OVCAR-3 expresses at the same time CD133 and CD117 is indicative of the stem cell nature of this cell line. The cytokines secreted by CD117+ and CD117- were not the same and indicate the different profile of these cells in cell behavior. Analysis was of OVCAR gene array after 8h incubation of Hospicells by DAVID functional annotation tool intricate gpl 130 (IL6 ST) cytokine receptor interaction (IL6, IL11, OSM, LIF, CNTF ligands) and angiogenic factors expression.We found that OVCAR-3 is apparently a suitable model for studying ovarian cancer stem cells and Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition in Ovarian Cancer Cells.
Effect of Tensile Strain and Shear Stress on the Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Endothelial Cells
Authors: Safaei Najmeh , Tafazzoli-Shadpour Mohammad , Haghighipour Nooshin , Shokrgozar Mohammad Ali , Shojaei Shahrokh , Mahdian Reza 
Published: March 2012

AbstractStem Cells are undifferentiated cells that have special ability to produce similar cells and differentiate to many functionalized cells. Mechanical stimuli have a determinant effect on morphology and function of body cells, because they are constantly affected by internal and external mechanical loadings. In this research, the importance of mechanical stimuli was assessed on the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) to vascular endothelial cells.