bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Median nerve deformation in differential finger motions: Ultrasonographic comparison of carpal tunnel syndrome patients and healthy controls
Authors: van Doesburg Margriet H. M. , Henderson Jacqueline , Yoshii Yuichi , van der Molen Aebele B. Mink , Cha Stephen S. , An Kai‐Nan , Amadio Peter C. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractWe investigated the median nerve deformation in the carpal tunnel in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and controls during thumb, index finger, middle finger, and a four finger motion, using ultrasound. Both wrists of 29 asymptomatic volunteers and 29 patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome were evaluated by ultrasound. Cross‐sectional images during motion from full extension to flexion were recorded. Median nerve cross‐sectional area, perimeter, aspect ratio of the minimal enclosing rectangle, and circularity in extension and flexion positions were calculated. Additionally, a deformation index was calculated. We also calculated the intra‐rater reliability. In both controls and patients, the median nerve cross‐sectional area became significantly smaller from extension to flexion in all finger motions (p < 0.05). In flexion and extension, regardless of the specific finger motion, the median nerve deformation, circularity and the change in perimeter were all significantly greater in CTS patients than in controls (p < 0.05). We found excellent intra‐rater reliability for all measurements (ICC > 0.84). With this study we have shown that it is possible to assess the deformation of the median nerve in carpal tunnel syndrome with ultrasonography and that there is more deformation of the median nerve in carpal tunnel syndrome patients during active finger motion. These parameters might be useful in the evaluation of kinematics within the carpal tunnel, and in furthering our understanding of the biomechanics of carpal tunnel syndrome in the future. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 30:643–648, 2012
Potent antitumour activity of the combination of HSV‐TK and endostatin armed oncolytic adeno‐associated virus for bladder cancer in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Pan Jian Gang , Zhou Xing , Zeng Ge Wa , Han Rui Fa 
Published: September 2011

AbstractBackgroundGene therapy may offer a new tool for the treatment of bladder cancer. Previously, we have shown a significant antitumour effect in bladder cancer xenografts in a nude mouse model using intratumoural herpes simple virus thymidine (HSV‐TK) and Endostatin gene therapy.ObjectivesGiven the high vascularity of human bladder cancer and the ability of HSV‐TK or Endostatin monotherapy to eradicate the tumours, we decided to test a novel combination of cytotoxicity and antiangiogenisis gene therapy using intratumourally delivered HSV‐TK and Endostatin adeno‐associated viruses (AAVs).MethodsWe constructed plasmid AAV‐TK‐IRES‐Endostatin (pAAV‐TIE) and packaged the AAV particles contain gene fragments of HSV‐TK and Endostatin. The function of HSV‐TK and Endostatin was evaluated separately in vitro via T24 bladder tumour cells and human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVEC) cells. The combination anticancer effect of recombinant AAV‐TIE (rAAV‐TIE) was measured in vivo while rAAV‐HSV‐TK and rAAV‐Endostatin as control groups.ResultsIn vitro, rAAV‐TIE was found to induce a significant increase in apoptosis in HUVEC cells equally as rAAV‐Endostatin and confirmed that the inhibition of endothelial cells mediated by rAAV‐TIE was associated with the apoptotic process. rAAV‐TIE was found to induce a significant increase in apoptosis in T24 cells equally as rAAV‐HSV‐TK and confirmed that the inhibition of T24 cells mediated by rAAV‐TIE was associated with the apoptotic process too. In vivo, our results showed that the tumours in mice injected with the rAAV‐TIE not only took significantly longer to emerge but also that their growth, once established, was significant slower than that of tumours grown, compared with single HSV‐TK or Endostatin treated animals.ConclusionsWe concluded that the inhibition of angiogenesis using Endostatin gene transfer, together with the cytotoxicity HSV‐TK gene therapy, resulted in a significant antitumour effect compared to the single gene based therapy in BTCC. The results warrant further development of the combination gene therapy, and suggest that this approach, directed towards systemic efficiency, could be used as an additional treatment for human BTCC. J. Surg. Oncol. 2012; 105:249–257. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Assessment of pulpal vitality using laser speckle imaging
Authors: Stoianovici Charles , Wilder‐Smith Petra , Choi Bernard 
Published: September 2011

AbstractBackground and ObjectiveThe pulpal chamber of each tooth contains the vasculature necessary to maintain a viable tooth. A critical need exists to develop an objective, repeatable method to assess pulpal viability. We hypothesized that the existence of blood perfusion within the pulp can be determined with analysis of laser speckle imaging (LSI) patterns generated by transillumination of the tooth.Study Design/Materials and MethodsWe used nine extracted human cuspids and incisors. A Tygon tube was inserted into a channel created within each tooth and Intralipid pumped through the tube in a controlled manner with a syringe infusion pump. We evaluated the feasibility of LSI for flow assessment using both transillumination and epiillumination imaging configurations. With the transillumination geometry, we also assessed the effect of the angle of incidence of the probe laser light on the speckle flow index (SFI) values extracted from the collected speckle images.ResultsTransillumination LSI, and not epiillumination LSI, enables differentiation between the absence and presence of perfusion in an in vitro tooth model. SFI values are insensitive to the relative angle of incidence of the laser light, over a wide range of angles.ConclusionsOur preliminary in vitro data suggest that transillumination LSI is a promising method to identify the presence of blood flow in the pulpal chamber. Future in vivo evaluation is warranted. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Global analytic, Gevrey and C∞ hypoellipticity on the 3‐torus
Authors: Himonas A. Alexandrou , Petronilho Gerson , Carvalho dos Santos L. A. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractIt is proved that a class of sub‐Laplacians on the 3‐dimensional torus is globally analytic, Gevrey and C∞ hypoelliptic if and only if either a Diophantine condition holds or there is a point of finite type for the vector fields defining the operator under consideration. This work is motivated by the desire of attaining a better understanding of necessary and sufficient conditions for the global Gevrey and C∞ hypoellipticity of a sub‐Laplacian on a compact analytic manifold. This together with the more delicate local hypoellipticity are well‐known open problems in the theory of linear partial differential equations.
High frequency and reduced penetrance of lRRK2 g2019S mutation among Parkinson's disease patients in Cantabria (Spain)
Authors: Sierra María , González‐Aramburu Isabel , Sánchez‐Juan Pascual , Sánchez‐Quintana Coro , Polo José Miguel , Berciano José , Combarros Onofre , Infante Jon 
Published: September 2011

AbstractThe frequency and penetrance of the LRRK2 G2019S mutation varies considerably in different Parkinson disease (PD) populations. This information is essential both for clinical purposes and genetic counseling. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and penetrance of the G2019S mutation of the LRRK2 gene in a small region in northern Spain (Cantabria). The G2019S mutation was tested in 367 consecutive patients with PD attended as outpatients in a tertiary Hospital in Northern Spain, and 126 at‐risk family members of probands were also investigated for G2019S mutation and disease status. The gene penetrance was estimated in terms of cumulative age‐specific incidence of PD by the Kaplan‐Meier method. Thirty‐two PD patients (8.7%) carried the G2019S mutation. Penetrance estimation of the G2019S mutation was 2% at 50 years, 12% at 60 years, 26% at 70 years, and 47% at 80 years. The frequency of the G2019S mutation of the LRRK2 gene in PD patients from Cantabria is among the highest reported so far after North African Arabs and Ashkenazi Jews. At the age of 80 years only one‐half of G2019S mutation carriers manifest motor symptoms of PD. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
Observation and numerical simulation of an event of vortex/wave shedding from a mountain near the Hong Kong International Airport
Authors: Chan Pak Wai 
Published: September 2011

AbstractIn the evening of 11 April 2011, vortex/wave shedding from a mountain to the south of the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) appeared to occur following the establishment of fresh to strong easterly airflow in Hong Kong. This paper documents the observations by the various meteorological instruments of the event and discusses the possibility of forecasting the vortex/wave shedding using a high resolution numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. The vortex/wave shedding was well observed by the Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system at HKIA. The vortex/wave appeared as an area of reversed flow against the background east to southeasterly airflow in the airport area. It was detached from the mountain and moved to the northwest with the background southeasterly flow, with a gradual decrease of the spatial extent in the area of reversed flow. The vortex/wave brought about significant wind shear to both arrival flight paths to the west of HKIA, as evidenced from the headwind profile data measured by the LIDARs and the aircraft data. It had rather large vertical extent, reaching the top of the boundary layer, but did not extend downward to the surface, as shown from the vertical scans of the LIDAR and the surface wind observations. The shedding event is successfully captured by high‐resolution NWP model with a spatial resolution of 50 m. The model output has a lead time of 6–7 h ahead of the event, indicating the possible occurrence of terrain‐induced wind shear in the form of vortex/wave shedding from a mountain. As a result, the numerical simulation could be useful in giving an early alert to the aviation weather forecaster about the significant wind shear event, which could be hazardous to the landing aircraft. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Evaluation of the acute effects of distal coronary microembolization using multidetector computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Saeed Maythem , Hetts Steven W. , Ursell Philip C. , Do Loi , Kolli K. Pallav , Wilson Mark W. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to test the potential of clinical imaging modalities, 64‐slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for qualitative and quantitative evaluation of acute microinfarcts and to determine the effects of <120 μm microemboli on left ventricular function, perfusion, cardiac injury biomarkers, arrhythmia, and cellular and vascular structures. Under X‐ray fluoroscopy, 40–120 μm (16 mm3) microemboli were delivered to embolize the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery of nine pigs. MDCT/MRI were performed at 72 h in a single session. Microinfarcts were visible in six of nine animals on delayed contrast‐enhanced MDCT/MR images but measurable in all animals using semiautomated threshold methods. Other MDCT and MRI sequences demonstrated decline in left ventricular ejection fraction, regional strain and perfusion in visible and invisible microinfarcted regions. Microemboli caused significant elevation in cardiac injury enzymes and arrhythmias. Various sizes of microinfarcts appeared microscopically as distinct aggregates of macrophages replacing myocardium. Semiautomated threshold methods are necessary to measure and confirm/deny the presence of myocardial microinfarcts. This study offers support for alternative applications of MDCT/MRI in assessing clinical cases in which microemboli <120 μm escape protective devices during percutaneous coronary interventions. Although microembolization resulted in no mortality, it caused left ventricular dysfunction, perfusion deficit, cellular damage increase in cardiac injury enzymes, and arrhythmias. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
RXR antagonism induces G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and ameliorates obesity by up‐regulating the p53–p21$^{\rm{Cip1}}$ pathway in adipocytes
Authors: Nakatsuka Atsuko , Wada Jun , Hida Kazuyuki , Hida Aya , Eguchi Jun , Teshigawara Sanae , Murakami Kazutoshi , Kanzaki Motoko , Inoue Kentaro , Terami Takahiro , Katayama Akihiro , Ogawa Daisuke , Kagechika Hiroyuki , Makino Hirofumi 
Published: September 2011

AbstractThe peroxisome proliferator activated receptor‐γ (PPARγ) agonist, pioglitazone (PIO), exerts anti‐diabetic properties associated with increased fat mass, whereas the retinoid X receptor (RXR) antagonist HX531 demonstrates anti‐obesity and anti‐diabetic effects with reduced body weight and fat pad mass. The cell cycle abnormality in adipocytes has not been well‐investigated in obesity or during treatment with modulators of nuclear receptors. We therefore investigated cell size and cell cycle distributions of adipocytes in vivo and examined the expression of cell cycle regulators in cultured human visceral preadipocytes. The cell size distribution and cell cycle analyses of in vivo adipocytes derived from OLETF rats demonstrated that HX531 brought about G0/G1 cell cycle arrest associated with the inhibition of cellular hypertrophy, which resulted in the reduction of fat pad mass. In contrast, PIO promoted proliferation activities associated with the increase in M + late M:G0 + G1 ratio and the appearance of both small and hypertrophied adipocytes. In cultured human visceral preadipocytes HX531 up‐regulated cell cycle regulators, p53, p21$^{\rm{Cip1}}$, cyclin D1, Fbxw7 and Skp2, which are known contributors towards G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. The knockdown of p53 with a shRNA lentivirus reversed the HX531‐induced up‐regulation of p21$^{\rm{Cip1}}$, which is one of the major p53‐effector molecules. We conclude that HX531 exerts anti‐obesity and anti‐diabetes properties by up‐regulating the p53‐p21$^{\rm{Cip1}}$ pathway, resulting in G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and the inhibition of cellular hypertrophy of adipocytes. Copyright © 2012 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Properties of chlorinated polyethylene rubber/ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer blend‐based foam
Authors: Zhang Bao Sheng , Zhang Zhen Xiu , Lv Xiu Feng , Lu Bing Xue , Xin Zhen Xiang 
Published: September 2011

AbstractA series of chlorinated polyethylene rubber (CM)/ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) blends were prepared at different blending ratio. The blends were foamed by compression molding and azodicarbonamide (AZDC) was used as chemical blowing agent. Cure characteristics were researched first, and then the morphology and physical properties were investigated. It was found that neat CM foams presented a series of problems such as low hardness and high shrinkage ratio. To solve the above problems, some EVA was added into CM matrix. And the results indicated that these aforementioned defects were improved after the addition of EVA component. Tensile strength increased first and then fell, and morphology properties of CM/EVA blends were also investigated. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Poly(dicyclopentadiene)‐montmorillonite nanocomposite formation via simultaneous intergallery‐surface initiation and chain crosslinking using ROMP
Authors: Simons Ranya , Guntari Stefanie Nina , Goh Tor Kit , Qiao Greg G. , Bateman Stuart A. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractExfoliated poly(dicyclopentadiene) (pDCPD)—montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites were synthesized via intergallery‐surface‐initiated ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). This is the first example of in situ polymerization of pDCPD from clay intergallery surfaces using ROMP. Grubbs catalyst was immobilized on the surface of MMT clay modified with vinylbenzyl dimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride (VOAC), and DCPD polymerized from the clay surface while simultaneously crosslinking to form a thermoset nanocomposite in a one‐pot reaction. X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated that the resultant nanocomposites exhibited exfoliated morphologies with heterogeneous clay platelet distribution. Conventional bulk‐initiated nanocomposites containing VOAC modified MMT were also synthesized as a comparison, and these resulted in nanocomposites with intercalated morphologies. The differences between the morphologies demonstrated that growing polymer chains from the initiator sites on the intergallery surface of the clay platelets pushed the platelets apart during the polymerization of the intergallery‐surface‐initiated nanocomposites, aiding in the exfoliation process. Compression testing indicated that the intergallery‐surface‐initiated nanocomposites led to improvements of up to 50% in the compressive Young's Modulus, while the bulk‐initiated nanocomposites at the same clay loadings did not exhibit improved properties. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
Unravelling the detailed microstructure of a semiconducting (quasi‐metal) soluble polymer incorporating conjugated thienylene methine sequences
Authors: Stagnaro Paola , Panizza Manuela , Gandini Alessandro , Prevosto Daniele , Lucchesi Mauro 
Published: September 2011

AbstractThis article reports a thorough spectroscopic characterization and the complete microstructural unravelling of a novel soluble poly(thienylene methylene) recently obtained by a straightforward process based on the methanesulfonic acid‐catalyzed self‐condensation of 2‐acetoxymethyl‐3,4‐dimethylthiophene. These macromolecules were found to generate both in situ (in the acidic reaction medium) and ex situ (by the addition of appropriate dopants) conjugated sequences consisting of alternating aromatic‐ and quinoid‐like thiophene rings, that is, conjugated thienylene methine sequences. The effect of different types of dopants on the electronic features of these polymers was assessed by the extent of bathochromic shifts they induced in the macromolecule UV–vis spectra. Doped films obtained by solution casting were characterized by dielectric spectroscopy to evaluate their electronic conductivity. The observed low values of conductivity were explained on microscopic basis evidencing the presence of polymer branching. All the structures arising from side reactions responsible for branching were determined by an exhaustive NMR study, which led to the formulation of the corresponding mechanisms. Remarkably, all these polymers, irrespective of their specific structural features and molecular weights, retained complete solubility in common solvents. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011
“Smart” poly(2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate‐ran‐9‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)‐9H‐carbazole) copolymers synthesized by nitroxide mediated radical polymerization
Authors: Lessard Benoît , Marić Milan 
Published: September 2011

AbstractA series of poly(2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate‐ran‐9‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)‐9H‐carbazole) (poly(DMAEMA‐ran‐VBK)) random copolymers, with VBK molar feed compositions fVBK,0 = 0.02–0.09, were synthesized using 10 mol % [tert‐butyl[1‐(diethoxyphosphoryl)‐2,2‐dimethylpropyl]amino] nitroxide (SG1) relative to 2‐([tert‐butyl[1‐(diethoxyphosphoryl)‐2,2‐dimethylpropyl]amino]oxy)‐2‐methylpropionic acid (BlocBuilder) at 80 °C and 90 °C. Controlled polymerizations were observed, even with fVBK,0 = 0.02, as reflected by a linear increase in number average molecular weight (Mn) versus conversion X ≤ 0.6 with final copolymers characterized by relatively narrow, monomodal molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn ≈ 1.5). Poly(DMAEMA‐ran‐VBK) copolymers were deemed sufficiently pseudo‐“living” to reinitiate a second batch of N,N‐dimethylacrylamide (DMAA), with very few apparent dead chains, as indicated by the monomodal shift in the gel permeation chromatography chromatograms. Poly(DMAEMA‐ran‐VBK) random copolymers exhibited tuneable lower critical solution temperature (LCST), in aqueous solution, by modifying copolymer composition, solution pH and by the addition of the water‐soluble poly(DMAA) segment. 1H NMR analysis determined that, in water, the VBK units of the poly(DMAEMA‐ran‐VBK) random copolymer were segregated to the interior of the copolymer aggregate regardless of solution temperature and that poly(DMAEMA‐ran‐VBK)‐b‐poly(DMAA) block copolymers formed micelles above the LCST. In addition, the final random copolymer and block copolymer exhibited temperature dependent fluorescence due to the VBK units. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011
The proteomics of cancer stem cells. Potential clinical applications for innovative research in oncology
Authors: Scatena Roberto , Bottoni Patrizia , Pontoglio Alessandro , Giardina Bruno 
Published: September 2011

AbstractCancer stem cells (CSCs) or tumour‐maintaining cells are becoming an important new reality in oncology. The intriguing molecular pathophysiology of CSCs may justify some of the obscure pathogenetic, diagnostic, prognostic, and above all, therapeutic aspects of cancer and, eventually, lead to new solutions in oncology. CSC is a cell within the tumour that possesses the capacity to self‐renew and, in doing so, gives rise to the heterogeneous lineages that comprise the tumour. The precise identification of this peculiar subpopulation of cancer cells, which has some intriguing similarities to normal stem cells, is becoming an important and urgent topic in oncology. In fact, some debated CSC markers have been already adopted by pharmacological research as targets of new and/or old anticancer drugs, showing an intriguing therapeutic index. These discussed identification markers include cell surface proteins, different activated signalling pathways, several molecules of the stem cell niche, various drug resistance mechanisms (ABCG2 and ALDH), telomerase, oncogenes and oncosuppressors (p16INK4 – Rb) and lastly, various microRNAs. In this new promising area of cancer research, proteomics, in general, and oncoproteomics, in particular, can and must play a significant role if the methodological approaches and the experimental protocols are correctly designed and interpreted.