bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism in the phenotypic expression of obsessive‐compulsive disorder
Authors: Katerberg Hilga , Cath Danielle C. , Denys Damiaan A. J. P. , Heutink Peter , Polman Annemiek , van Nieuwerburgh Filip C. W. , Deforce Dieter L. D. , Bochdanovits Zoltán , van Balkom Anton J. L. M. , den Boer Johan A. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractObsessive‐Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by the presence of obsessions and compulsions, and shows considerable phenotypic variability. Family and twin studies have indicated a genetic component in the etiology of OCD, and the catechol‐O‐methyl transferase (COMT) gene is an important candidate gene for OCD. This study investigates the influence of the functional COMT Val158Met polymorphism on the phenotypic expression of OCD, using an item‐level factor‐analytic approach in a large sample. The COMT Val158Met variant was genotyped in 373 patients and 462 controls. It was tested whether there was an association between the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and OCD or dimensional phenotypes such as YBOCS severity score, age of onset of obsessive‐compulsive symptoms and six symptom dimensions recently found in a large item‐level factor‐analytic study [Katerberg et al., submitted]. We further investigated possible sex‐specific associations between the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and OCD or dimensional phenotypes. There was a trend for an association of the COMT 158Met allele with OCD in males, and an interaction between the COMT Val158Met genotype and sex on the somatic and sensory phenomena symptom dimension, with females showing lower scores. In conclusion, a dimensional approach seems fruitful in detecting genes of importance for OCD. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A view of the data on P2P file‐sharing systems
Authors: Yee Wai Gen , Nguyen Linh Thai , Frieder Ophir 
Published: June 2009

AbstractPeer‐to‐peer (P2P) file sharing is a leading Internet application. Millions of users use P2P file‐sharing systems daily to search for and download files, accounting for a large portion of Internet traffic. Due to their scale, it is important to fully understand how these systems work. We analyze user queries and shared files collected on the Gnutella system, draw some conclusions on the nature of the application, and propose some research problems.
Risk‐minimizing hedging strategies with restricted information and cost
Authors: Yang Jianqi , Xiao Qingxian 
Published: June 2009

AbstractWith the assumption that information cost is characterized by a Poisson process, this paper presents risk‐minimizing problems under jump‐diffusion models. First, the explicit optimal strategy under complete information is given using Itô formula. Second, the optimal strategy problem under restricted information is solved by projection. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fluorine‐18 labeling of phosphopeptides: A potential approach for the evaluation of phosphopeptide metabolism in vivo
Authors: Richter Susan , Bergmann Ralf , Pietzsch Jens , Ramenda Theres , Steinbach Jörg , Wuest Frank 
Published: June 2009

AbstractPhosphopeptides are very useful reagents to study signal transduction pathways related with cellular protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation. Phosphopeptides have also been identified as important drug candidates to modulate intracellular signaling mechanisms through targeting phosphotyrosine, phosphoserine, or phosphothreonine residue‐binding protein domains. In this report, we describe the development of a convenient method for the mild and sufficient radiolabeling of phosphopeptides with the short‐lived positron emitter fluorine‐18 (18F) to allow radiopharmacological studies on phosphopeptide metabolism in vivo by means of positron emission tomography (PET). Radiolabeling was accomplished via conjugation of the N‐terminus of polo‐box domain (PBD)‐binding phosphopeptide H‐Met‐Gln‐Ser‐pThr‐Pro‐Leu‐OH with the bifunctional labeling agent N‐succinimidyl‐4‐[18F]fluorobenzoate ([18F]SFB) in reproducible isolated radiochemical yields of 25–28%. Radiopharmacological evaluation in vitro and in vivo of radiolabeled phospheptide [18F]FB‐Met‐Gln‐Ser‐pThr‐Pro‐Leu‐OH [18F]‐3 and its non‐phosphorylated analog [18F]FB‐Met‐Gln‐Ser‐Thr‐Pro‐Leu‐OH [18F]‐4 involved metabolic stability, cell uptake studies, and small animal PET experiments. Radiolabeled phosphopeptide [18F]‐3 showed a remarkable high metabolic stability in vivo compared to the corresponding non‐phosphorylated peptide [18F]‐4. The presented method indicates that radiolabeling of phosphopeptides with [18F]SFB is a promising approach for studying phosphopeptide metabolism in vivo. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 92: 479–488, 2009.This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
New daunomycin–oligoarginine conjugates: Synthesis, characterization, and effect on human leukemia and human hepatoma cells
Authors: Miklán Zsanett , Orbán Erika , Csík Gabriella , Schlosser Gitta , Magyar Anna , Hudecz Ferenc 
Published: June 2009

AbstractIn this article, the synthesis, a novel chromatographic procedure and characteristics of a new class of daunomycin (Dau)–oligoarginine conjugates are described. In these compounds oligoarginine with 6 or 8 residues (Argn, n = 6, 8) is attached to Dau by different covalent bond: squaric amide (Dau‐□‐Argn), oxime (DauNOCH2COArgn), or hydrazone (HGlu(Argn)NHNDau). Conjugates were characterized by RP‐HPLC and mass spectrometry. We report also on our findings concerning chemical and biological properties of Dau‐conjugates as a function of covalent linkage, site of conjugation and length of the oligoarginine moiety. Stability, fluorescent properties as well as cytostatic effect and cellular uptake of these compounds were studied. Dau‐conjugates with squaric amide or oxime linkage were stable, but continuous release of free Dau was observed from the hydrazone conjugate in solution. We found that some spectral characteristics (e.g., the amplitude of the emission spectrum) of conjugates could be sensitive for the site of coupling (amino vs. oxo function). Cytostasis and cellular uptake of conjugates were investigated both on human leukemia (HL‐60) and human hepatoma (HepG2) cell lines by MTT assay and flow cytometry We found that cytostatic effect and uptake properties of Dau‐conjugates were dependent on the acid stability of the linkage (hydrazone vs. oxime/amide) applied and more markedly on the cell line studied. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 92: 489–501, 2009.This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
The structure of well‐folded β‐hairpin peptides promotes resistance to peptidase degradation
Authors: Cline Lauren L. , Waters Marcey L. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractTo investigate the effect of peptide secondary structure on proteolytic resistance, we have synthesized a series of peptides based on a well‐folded β‐hairpin, WKWK. Mutations were made within the peptide which either decreased or increased the propensity to form β‐hairpin structures and one scrambled sequence was used as an unstructured control. The peptides were incubated with three different enzymes, α‐chymotrypsin, trypsin, and pronase E, which represented both specific and non‐specific proteases. The reactions were quenched at varying time points and analyzed with RP‐HPLC to determine the rate of degradation for each of the peptides. We found that an increase in structure correlates well with an increase in resistance to degradation. We have shown that having both strong side chain interactions and a rigid D‐Pro‐Gly β‐turn resulted in the most proteolytic resistant peptides. The results from this study suggest that β‐hairpin structure is a viable way to provide added protease resistance to a peptide. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 92: 502–507, 2009.This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Sustainability practices: trends in New Zealand businesses
Authors: Collins Eva , Roper Juliet , Lawrence Stewart 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThis paper reports on the sustainability practices of New Zealand businesses based on two national surveys and a series of focus groups and interviews. There was an average increase of 10% in the number of companies adopting environmental practices from 2003 to 2006. There was less of an increase for social practices, although still more commonly adopted by companies than environmental practices. Values and beliefs of management were the overwhelming driver for the adoption of sustainability practices with reputation and brand also significant drivers. Costs, management time, and knowledge/skills were the three most commonly reported barriers to adoption of sustainability initiatives. The implications of the study are that for New Zealand business, there is a strong link with the business case for sustainability. For policymakers interested in achieving sustainability goals, the results suggest that a ‘soft’ approach to business practices may be in order in New Zealand. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Patches: character skinning with local deformation layer
Authors: Lee Jieun , Kim Myung‐Soo , Yoon Seung‐Hyun 
Published: June 2009

AbstractWe present a layered geometric approach to the skinning of character animation. On top of a global shape deformation, B‐spline surface patches are attached to various body parts for local control. The patches are directly manipulated so as to generate example local shapes at some important poses. During character animation, the B‐spline control points move continuously by kinematically interpolating a set of example patches, and at the same time they can also move dynamically by elastic simulation. The movement of control points changes the shape of a local patch, and consequently skin vertices move according to the patch deformation, finally generating the desired local deformation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by generating natural local details at various poses including muscular effects and elastic deformation. Moreover, dealing with only a small number of control points, the proposed method is very efficient, while generating hundreds to thousands frames per second. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TFAN: A low complexity 3D mesh compression algorithm
Authors: Mamou Khaled , Zaharia Titus , Prêteux Françoise 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThis paper proposes a novel approach for mono‐resolution 3D mesh compression, called TFAN (Triangle Fan‐based compression). TFAN treats in a unified manner meshes of arbitrary topologies, i.e., manifold or not, oriented or not, while offering a linear computational complexity (with respect to the number of mesh vertices) for both encoding and decoding algorithms. In addition, the TFAN compressed representation is optimized for real‐time decoding applications. In order to validate the proposed approach, two databases have been considered for experimentations. The first is the MPEG‐4 test set, which includes over 3500 general purpose manifold meshes. The second, related to the French national project SEMANTIC‐3D, includes over 4000 computer assisted design (CAD) meshes of highly irregular, non‐manifold topologies. In both cases, the TFAN approach outperforms existing techniques such as MPEG‐4/3DMC (3D Mesh Coding) or Touma and Gotsman, with decoding times lower by an order of magnitude at equivalent or even better levels of compression efficiency (±10% in bitrate). In addition, when applied to non‐manifold 3D data, the compression performances are significantly enhanced (6–30% gain in bitrate). Due to its high compression performances the TFAN approach has been recently retained for ISO standardization, within the framework of the MPEG‐4/AFX standard. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantitative analysis of neurons with Kv3 potassium channel subunits, Kv3.1b and Kv3.2, in macaque primary visual cortex
Authors: Constantinople Christine M. , Disney Anita A. , Maffie Jonathan , Rudy Bernardo , Hawken Michael J. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractVoltage‐gated potassium channels that are composed of Kv3 subunits exhibit distinct electrophysiological properties: activation at more depolarized potentials than other voltage‐gated K+ channels and fast kinetics. These channels have been shown to contribute to the high‐frequency firing of fast‐spiking (FS) GABAergic interneurons in the rat and mouse brain. In the rodent neocortex there are distinct patterns of expression for the Kv3.1b and Kv3.2 channel subunits and of coexpression of these subunits with neurochemical markers, such as the calcium‐binding proteins parvalbumin (PV) and calbindin D‐28K (CB). The distribution of Kv3 channels and interrelationship with calcium‐binding protein expression has not been investigated in primate cortex. We used immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescent labeling and stereological counting techniques to characterize the laminar and cell‐type distributions of Kv3‐immunoreactive (ir) neurons in macaque V1. We found that across the cortical layers ≈25% of both Kv3.1b‐ and Kv3.2‐ir neurons are non‐GABAergic. In contrast, all Kv3‐ir neurons in rodent cortex are GABAergic (Chow et al. [1999] J Neurosci. 19:9332–9345). The putatively excitatory Kv3‐ir neurons were mostly located in layers 2, 3, and 4b. Further, the proportion of Kv3‐ir neurons that express PV or CB also differs between macaque V1 and rodent cortex. These data indicate that, within the population of cortical neurons, a broader population of neurons, encompassing cells of a wider range of morphological classes may be capable of sustaining high‐frequency firing in macaque V1. J. Comp. Neurol. 516:291–311, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Arborization pattern of Engrailed‐positive neural lineages reveal neuromere boundaries in the Drosophila brain neuropil
Authors: Kumar Abhilasha , Fung S. , Lichtneckert Robert , Reichert Heinrich , Hartenstein Volker 
Published: June 2009

AbstractThe Drosophila brain is a highly complex structure composed of thousands of neurons that are interconnected in numerous exquisitely organized neuropil structures such as the mushroom bodies, central complex, antennal lobes, and other specialized neuropils. While the neurons of the insect brain are known to derive in a lineage‐specific fashion from a stereotyped set of segmentally organized neuroblasts, the developmental origin and neuromeric organization of the neuropil formed by these neurons is still unclear. In this study we used genetic labeling techniques to characterize the neuropil innervation pattern of engrailed‐expressing brain lineages of known neuromeric origin. We show that the neurons of these lineages project to and form most arborizations, in particular all of their proximal branches, in the same brain neuropil compartments in embryonic, larval and adult stages. Moreover, we show that engrailed‐positive neurons of differing neuromeric origin respect boundaries between neuromere‐specific compartments in the brain. This is confirmed by an analysis of the arborization pattern of empty spiracles‐expressing lineages. These findings indicate that arborizations of lineages deriving from different brain neuromeres innervate a nonoverlapping set of neuropil compartments. This supports a model for neuromere‐specific brain neuropil, in which a given lineage forms its proximal arborizations predominantly in the compartments that correspond to its neuromere of origin. J. Comp. Neurol. 517:87–104, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Differential responsiveness in brain and behavior to sexually dimorphic long calls in male and female zebra finches
Authors: Gobes Sharon M.H. , ter Haar Sita M. , Vignal Clémentine , Vergne Amélie L. , Mathevon Nicolas , Bolhuis Johan J. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractIn zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), as in most other songbird species, there are robust sex differences in brain morphology and vocal behavior. First, male zebra finches have larger song system nuclei—involved in sensorimotor learning and production of song—than females. Second, male zebra finches learn their song from a tutor, whereas female zebra finches develop a learned preference for the song of their father but do not sing themselves. Third, female zebra finches produce an unlearned “long call,” while males learn their long call (which is different from that of females) from their song tutor. We investigated behavioral and molecular neuronal responsiveness to this sexually dimorphic communication signal. Behavioral responsiveness was quantified by measuring the number of calls and approaches in response to calls that were broadcast from a speaker. We quantified neuronal activation by measuring the number of neurons expressing Zenk, the protein product of the immediate early geneZENK, in a number of different forebrain regions in response to male calls, to female calls, or to silence. In both sexes female calls evoked more calls and approaches than male calls. There was significantly greater Zenk expression in response to female calls compared to silence in the caudomedial nidopallium, caudomedial mesopallium, and the hippocampus in females, but not in males. Thus, male and female zebra finches both show a behavioral preference for female calls, but differential neuronal activation in response to sexually dimorphic calls. J. Comp. Neurol. 516:312–320, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Patterned rhodopsin expression in R7 photoreceptors of mosquito retina: Implications for species‐specific behavior
Authors: Hu Xiaobang , England James H. , Lani Aaron C. , Tung Jennifer J. , Ward Nicholas J. , Adams Sheila M. , Barber Kathleen A. , Whaley Michelle A. , O'Tousa Joseph E. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractVisual perception of the environment plays an important role in many mosquito behaviors. Characterization of the cellular and molecular components of mosquito vision will provide a basis for understanding these behaviors. A unique feature of the R7 photoreceptors in Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae is the extreme apical projection of their rhabdomeric membrane. We show here that the compound eye of both mosquitoes is divided into specific regions based on nonoverlapping expression of specific rhodopsins in these R7 cells. The R7 cells of the upper dorsal region of both mosquitoes express a long wavelength op2 rhodopsin family member. The lower dorsal hemisphere and upper ventral hemisphere of both mosquitoes express the UV‐sensitive op8 rhodopsin. At the lower boundary of this second region, the R7 cells again express the op2 family rhodopsin. In Ae. aegypti, this third region is a horizontal stripe of one to three rows of ommatidia, and op8 is expressed in a fourth region in the lower ventral hemisphere. However, in An. gambiae the op2 family member expression is expanded throughout the lower region in the ventral hemisphere. The overall conserved ommatidial organization and R7 retinal patterning show these two species retain similar visual capabilities. However, the differences within the ventral domain may facilitate species‐specific visual behaviors. J. Comp. Neurol. 516:334–342, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genoarchitectonic profile of developing nuclear groups in the chicken pretectum
Authors: Ferran J.L. , de Oliveira E. Dutra , Merchán P. , Sandoval J.E. , Sánchez‐Arrones L. , Martínez‐De‐La‐Torre M. , Puelles L. 
Published: June 2009

AbstractEarlier results on molecularly coded progenitor domains in the chicken pretectum revealed an anteroposterior subdivision of the pretectum in precommissural (PcP), juxtacommissural (JcP), and commissural (CoP) histogenetic areas, each specified differentially (Ferran et al. [2007] J Comp Neurol 505:379–403). Here we examined the nuclei derived from these areas with regard to characteristic gene expression patterns and gradual histogenesis (eventually, migration patterns). We sought a genoarchitectonic schema of the avian pretectum within the prosomeric model of the vertebrate forebrain (Puelles and Rubenstein [2003] Trends Neurosci 26:469–476; Puelles et al. [2007] San Diego: Academic Press). Transcription‐factor gene markers were used to selectively map derivatives of the three pretectal histogenetic domains: Pax7 and Pax6 (CoP); FoxP1 and Six3 (JcP); and FoxP2, Ebf1, and Bhlhb4 (PcP). The combination of this genoarchitectonic information with additional data on Lim1, Tal2, and Nbea mRNA expression and other chemoarchitectonic results allowed unambiguous characterization of some 30 pretectal nuclei. Apart from grouping them as derivatives of the three early anteroposterior domains, we also assigned them to postulated dorsoventral subdomains (Ferran et al. [2007]). Several previously unknown neuronal populations were detected, thus expanding the list of pretectal structures, and we corrected some apparently confused concepts in the earlier literature. The composite gene expression map represents a substantial advance in anatomical and embryological knowledge of the avian pretectum. Many nuclear primordia can be recognized long before the mature differentiated state of the pretectum is achieved. This study provides fundamental notions for ultimate scientific study of the specification and regionalization processes building up this brain area, both in birds and other vertebrates. J. Comp. Neurol. 517:405–451, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Connexin30 null and conditional connexin26 null mice display distinct pattern and time course of cellular degeneration in the cochlea
Authors: Sun Yu , Tang Wenxue , Chang Qing , Wang Yunfeng , Kong Weijia , Lin Xi 
Published: June 2009

AbstractMutations in connexin26 (Cx26) and Cx30 are the most common cause of nonsyndromic inherited deafness in humans. To understand the underlying molecular mechanisms, we investigated the pattern and time course of cellular degeneration in the cochlea of conditional Cx26 (cCx26) null and Cx30 null mice. In cCx26 null mice, initial degeneration was observed around postnatal day 14 in outer hair cells (OHCs) and supporting cells surrounding the OHCs. All cells in the middle turn organ of Corti were lost 1 month after birth, and degeneration gradually spread to the basal and apical turns. Most spiral ganglion (SG) neurons in the middle and basal turns disappeared in the first 3 months, whereas significant amounts of apical SG neurons survived. In the cochlea of Cx30 null mice, survival of most inner HCs, supporting cells, and SG neurons was observed for up to 18 months. The most severe degeneration was found in apical SG neurons and OHCs. OHC loss followed a slow time course and a base to apex gradient. Gross structures of the endolymphatic space and stria vascularis observed at the light microscope level were unchanged in either Cx null mouse models. This study revealed that cellular degeneration in the cochlea of cCx26 null mice was dramatically more rapid and widespread than that observed in Cx30 null mice. The radically different pathogenesis processes displayed by cCx26 and Cx30 null mice suggest heterogeneous underlying deafness mechanisms, despite co‐assembly of Cx26 and Cx30 in forming gap junctions in the cochlea. J. Comp. Neurol. 516:569–579, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.