bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spatial and temporal changes in promoter activity of the astrocyte glutamate transporter GLT1 following traumatic spinal cord injury
Authors: Lepore Angelo C. , O'Donnell John , Bonner Joseph F. , Paul Courtney , Miller Mark E. , Rauck Britta , Kushner Robert A. , Rothstein Jeffrey D. , Fischer Itzhak , Maragakis Nicholas J. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractAfter traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), there is an opportunity for preserving function by attenuating secondary cell loss. Astrocytes play crucial roles in the adult CNS and are responsible for the vast majority of glutamate buffering, potentially preventing excitotoxic loss of neurons and oligodendrocytes. We examined spatial and temporal changes in gene expression of the major astrocyte glutamate transporter GLT1 following moderate thoracic contusion SCI using transgenic BAC‐GLT1‐eGFP promoter reporter mice. In dorsal column white matter, total intensity of GLT1‐eGFP expression per region was significantly reduced following SCI at both lesion epicenter and at rostral and caudal areas where no tissue loss occurred. This regional decrease in GLT1 expression was due to significant loss of GLT1‐eGFP+ cells, partially accounted for by apoptosis of eGFP+/GFAP+ astrocytes in both white and gray matter. There were also decreased numbers of GLT1‐eGFP‐expressing cells in multiple gray matter regions following injury; nevertheless, there was sustained or even increased regional GLT1‐eGFP expression in gray matter as a result of up‐regulation in astrocytes that continued to express GLT1‐eGFP. Although there were increased numbers of GFAP+ cells both at the lesion site and in surrounding intact spinal cord following SCI, the majority of proliferating Ki67+/GFAP+ astrocytes did not express GLT1‐eGFP. These findings demonstrate that spatial and temporal alterations in GLT1 expression observed after SCI result from both astrocyte death and gene expression changes in surviving astrocytes. Results also suggest that following SCI a significant portion of astrocytes lacks GLT1 expression, possibly compromising the important role of astrocytes in glutamate homeostasis. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cd34+progenitor cells likely are involved in the good functional recovery after intracerebral hemorrhage in humans
Authors: Sobrino Tomás , Arias Susana , Pérez‐Mato María , Agulla Jesús , Brea David , Rodríguez‐Yáñez Manuel , Castillo José 
Published: April 2011

AbstractBone marrow‐derived stem/progenitor cells (CD34+ progenitor cells) were demonstrated to play an important role in the regeneration of damaged brain tissue. Our aim was to study the influence of CD34+ progenitor cells in the outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Thirty‐two patients with primary ICH (64.0% male, mean age 67.1 ± 10.8 years) were prospectively included in the study within 12 hr of symptom onset. The main outcome variable was good functional outcome at 3 months (modified Rankin scale ≤2). Circulating CD34+ progenitor cell levels were measured by flow cytometry at admission and at 7 ± 1 days, and serum levels of growth factors (determined by ELISA) were measured at admission and at 24 and 72 hr. Circulating levels of CD34+ progenitor cells at day 7 were independently associated with good functional outcome at 3 months (OR 1.17, CI95% 1.06–1.39, P = 0.012). On the other hand, CD34+ progenitor cells at day 7 were negatively correlated with residual cavity volume at 3 months (r = –0.607, P = 0.001). Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (r = 0.386), angiopoietin 1 (r = 0.518), brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (r = 0.484), and stromal cell‐derived factor‐1α (r = 0.837) but not granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor (r = –0.038) at 72 hr showed a strong correlation with CD34+ progenitor cell levels at day 7. These findings suggest that CD34+ progenitor cells may participate in the functional recovery of ICH patients. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Vitamin K has the potential to protect neurons from methylmercury‐induced cell death In Vitro
Authors: Sakaue Motoharu , Mori Naoko , Okazaki Maiko , Kadowaki Erika , Kaneko Takuya , Hemmi Natsuko , Sekiguchi Hitomi , Maki Takehiro , Ozawa Aisa , Hara Shuntaro , Arishima Kazuyoshi , Yamamoto Masako 
Published: April 2011

AbstractVitamin K (VK) has a protective effect on neural cells. Methylmercury is a neurotoxicant that directly induces neuronal death in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, in the present study, we hypothesized that VK inhibits the neurotoxicity of methylmercury. To prove our hypothesis in vitro, we investigated the protective effects of VKs (phylloquinone, vitamin K1; menaquinone‐4, vitamin K2) on methylmercury‐induced death in primary cultured neurons from the cerebella of rat pups. As expected, VKs inhibited the death of the primary cultured neurons. It has been reported that the mechanisms underlying methylmercury toxicity involve a decrement of intracellular glutathione (GSH). Actually, treatment with GSH and a GSH inducer, N‐acetyl cysteine, inhibited methylmercury‐induced neuronal death in the present study. Thus, we investigated whether VKs also have protective effects against GSH‐depletion‐induced cell death by employing two GSH reducers, L‐buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) and diethyl maleate (DEM), in primary cultured neurons and human neuroblastoma IMR‐32 cells. Treatment with VKs affected BSO‐ and DEM‐induced cell death in both cultures. On the other hand, the intracellular GSH assay showed that VK2, menaquinone‐4, did not restore the reduced GSH amount induced by methylmercury or BSO treatments. These results indicate that VKs have the potential to protect neurons against the cytotoxicity of methylmercury and agents that deplete GSH, without increasing intracellular GSH levels. The protective effect of VKs may lead to the development of treatments for neural diseases involving GSH depletion. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Neurogenesis and glial proliferation are stimulated following diffuse traumatic brain injury in adult rats
Authors: Bye Nicole , Carron Sarah , Han Xiaodi , Agyapomaa Doreen , Ng Si Yun , Yan Edwin , Rosenfeld Jeffrey V. , Morganti‐Kossmann M. Cristina 
Published: April 2011

AbstractAlthough increased neurogenesis has been described in rodent models of focal traumatic brain injury (TBI), the neurogenic response occurring after diffuse TBI uncomplicated by focal injury has not been examined to date, despite the pervasiveness of this distinct type of brain injury in the TBI patient population. Here we characterize multiple stages of neurogenesis following a traumatic axonal injury (TAI) model of diffuse TBI as well as the proliferative response of glial cells. TAI was induced in adult rats using an impact‐acceleration model, and 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine (BrdU) was administered on days 1–4 posttrauma or sham operation to label mitotic cells. Using immunohistochemistry for BrdU combined with phenotype‐specific markers, we found that proliferation was increased following TAI in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles and in the hippocampal subgranular zone, although the ultimate production of new dentate granule neurons at 8 weeks was not significantly enhanced. Also, abundant proliferating and reactive astrocytes, microglia, and polydendrocytes were detected throughout the brain following TAI, indicating that a robust glial response occurs in this model, although very few new cells in the nonneurogenic brain regions became mature neurons. We conclude that diffuse brain injury stimulates early stages of a neurogenic response similar to that described for models of focal TBI. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Water use scenarios assessment using multicriteria analysis
Authors: Boggia Antonio , Rocchi Lucia 
Published: April 2011

AbstractWater management is a fertile terrain for research, and can be investigated using several methodological instruments and approaches. Multipurpose water resources, which allow for the contemporary presence of in‐stream (fishing, swimming, etc.) and off‐stream uses (agriculture, household, etc.), are particularly difficult to management due to increasing water demand and the conflict between consumptive and not consumptive uses. New scenarios in agricultural policy (Reform of the European Common Agricultural Policy) and new requests from local stakeholders (recreational activities, rising household water demand, etc.) involve use of decision support methods to find a balance between multiple potential uses. This study describes the application of multicriteria decision aid for choosing the best project for water management and local development among a set of alternatives, using the regime method. The regime method can integrate quantitative data with quality judgement and preference index. The study aims to verify if the regime approach is understandable for the decision maker and if it is suitable for use in ambiguous situations where no quantitative information is available. It is not always possible to get the ‘best alternative’ in multicriteria evaluation: in this study we found two top‐rank alternatives, with minor differences, to submit to the decision maker. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diffusion tensor imaging in male premutation carriers of the fragile X mental retardation gene
Authors: Hashimoto Ryu‐ichiro , Srivastava Siddharth , Tassone Flora , Hagerman Randi J. , Rivera Susan M. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractOlder male premutation carriers of the FMR1 gene are associated with the risk of developing a late‐onset neurodegenerative disorder, fragile X–associated tremor/ataxia syndrome. Although previous postmortem and in vivo magnetic resonance imaging studies have indicated white matter pathology, the regional selectivity of abnormalities, as well as their relationship with molecular variables of the FMR1 gene, has not been investigated. In this study, we used diffusion tensor imaging to study male premutation carriers with and without fragile X–associated tremor/ataxia syndrome and healthy sex‐matched controls. We performed a tract of interest analysis for fractional anisotropy and axial and radial diffusivities of major white matter tracts in the cerebellar–brain stem and limbic systems. Compared with healthy controls, patients with fragile X–associated tremor/ataxia syndrome showed significant reductions of fractional anisotropy in multiple white matter tracts, including the middle cerebellar peduncle, superior cerebellar peduncle, cerebral peduncle, and the fornix and stria terminalis. Significant reduction of fractional anisotropy in these tracts was confirmed by voxel‐wise analysis using tract‐based spatial statistics. Analysis of axial and radial diffusivities showed significant elevation of these measures in middle cerebellar peduncle, even among premutation carriers without fragile X–associated tremor/ataxia syndrome. Furthermore, regression analyses demonstrated a clear inverted U‐shaped relationship between CGG‐repeat size and axial and radial diffusivities in middle cerebellar peduncle. These results provide new evidence from diffusion tensor imaging for white matter abnormalities in the cerebellar–brain stem and limbic systems among individuals with the fragile X premutation and suggest the involvement of molecular mechanisms related to the FMR1 gene in their white matter pathology. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
Automated structural imaging analysis detects premanifest Huntington's disease neurodegeneration within 1 year
Authors: Majid D.S. Adnan , Stoffers Diederick , Sheldon Sarah , Hamza Samar , Thompson Wesley K. , Goldstein Jody , Corey‐Bloom Jody , Aron Adam R. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractIntense efforts are underway to evaluate neuroimaging measures as biomarkers for neurodegeneration in premanifest Huntington's disease (preHD). We used a completely automated longitudinal analysis method to compare structural scans in preHD individuals and controls. Using a 1‐year longitudinal design, we analyzed T1‐weighted structural scans in 35 preHD individuals and 22 age‐matched controls. We used the SIENA (Structural Image Evaluation, using Normalization, of Atrophy) software tool to yield overall percentage brain volume change (PBVC) and voxel‐level changes in atrophy. We calculated sample sizes for a hypothetical disease‐modifying (neuroprotection) study. We found significantly greater yearly atrophy in preHD individuals versus controls (mean PBVC controls, −0.149%; preHD, −0.388%; P = .031, Cohen's d = .617). For a preHD subgroup closest to disease onset, yearly atrophy was more than 3 times that of controls (mean PBVC close‐to‐onset preHD, −0.510%; P = .019, Cohen's d = .920). This atrophy was evident at the voxel level in periventricular regions, consistent with well‐established preHD basal ganglia atrophy. We estimated that a neuroprotection study using SIENA would only need 74 close‐to‐onset individuals in each arm (treatment vs placebo) to detect a 50% slowing in yearly atrophy with 80% power. Automated whole‐brain analysis of structural MRI can reliably detect preHD disease progression in 1 year. These results were attained with a readily available imaging analysis tool, SIENA, which is observer independent, automated, and robust with respect to image quality, slice thickness, and different pulse sequences. This MRI biomarker approach could be used to evaluate neuroprotection in preHD. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
The next generation of the supportive care needs survey: a brief screening tool for administration in the clinical oncology setting
Authors: Girgis Afaf , Stojanovski Elizabeth , Boyes Allison , King Madeleine , Lecathelinais Christophe 
Published: April 2011

AbstractObjective: The short form of the Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS‐SF34) is a 34‐item instrument for assessing the perceived needs of people diagnosed with cancer. This research is aimed at developing a brief screening tool for administration to patients in the clinical setting, by identifying the minimum number and optimal combination of item(s) to measure each of the SCNS‐SF34 domains with high sensitivity and specificity.Methods: Secondary analyses were undertaken on data from 1458 patients at 12 major public cancer treatment centres in Australia; with a random sample of 67% (n = 977) of the patient records selected as the developmental sample for developing the screening tool, while the remaining 33% (n = 481) constituted the validation sample on which analyses were repeated. Five criteria were applied to identify the optimum subset of items for the screening tool. Where statistical results were very similar across candidate item/s, items deemed more clinically important were chosen.Results: Nine items were identified, which can be efficiently and reliably used as a brief screening tool (SCNS‐ST9). An overall comparison of the results on the SCNS‐ST9 with the original SCNS‐SF34 indicates that only 11% of people reporting at least one moderate/high need on any SCNS‐SF34 domain were missed as having a moderate/high need on the SCNS‐ST9.Conclusions: Our very brief screening tool can be implemented in a clinical setting to reliably screen for unmet needs among cancer patients, with considerable savings in time and expense, increasing its potential for wide‐scale adoption in clinical settings. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structural defects in aluminium nitride bulk crystals visualized by cathodoluminescence maps
Authors: Bickermann Matthias , Schimmel Saskia , Epelbaum Boris M. , Filip Octavian , Heimann Paul , Nagata Shunro , Winnacker Albrecht 
Published: April 2011

AbstractStructural defects in aluminium nitride (AlN) get visible in panchromatic cathodoluminescence (CL) maps as luminescence at 340 nm and 630 nm is locally enhanced. Low‐angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) and dislocations can be detected as long as they are sufficiently decorated and the defect‐related contrast is higher than local variations in background CL intensity. We applied the method to c ‐plane and a ‐plane cuts of one of our off‐oriented grown AlN crystals and describe occurrence, routes, and dissolution into dislocation bunches of LAGBs. We found that the vast majority of LAGBs are uneven a ‐planes which extend in a preferential m ‐ as well as in c ‐direction. As a consequence, their density decreases only slightly during growth. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
GaN MSM photodetectors fabricated on bulk GaN with low dark‐current and high UV/visible rejection ratio
Authors: Xie Feng , Lu Hai , Chen Dunjun , Zhang Rong , Zheng Youdou 
Published: April 2011

AbstractGaN‐based metal‐semiconductor‐metal ultraviolet photodetectors (PDs) are fabricated on bulk GaN substrate. The dislocation density of the homoepitaxial layer characterized by cathodoluminescence mapping technique is ∼5×106 cm‐2. The PDs exhibit ultra‐low dark‐current of <5 pA at room temperature under 15 V bias, with an ultraviolet/visible rejection ratios up to 5 orders of magnitude. Even at a high temperature of 150 °C, the dark current of the device at 15 V bias is still <50 pA, with a reasonable ultraviolet/visible contrast of more than 5000, indicating that such kind of devices are suitable for high temperature operation. The responsivity of the PD increases as a function of applied bias, resulting in a quantum efficiency exceeding 100% at above medium bias. The photocurrent gain of the PD is attributed to photogenerated holes trapped at surface states as well as high‐field‐induced image‐force lowering effect. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Efficiency droop in high‐Al‐content AlGaN/AlGaN quantum wells
Authors: Tamulaitis G. , Mickevičius J. , Kazlauskas K. , Žukauskas A. , Shur M. S. , Yang J. , Gaska R. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractExcitation power density dependence of photoluminescence (PL) efficiency is studied in the temperature range from 8 to 300 K for AlGaN multiple quantum well structures containing quantum wells of different width. PL efficiency droop is observed and dependence of the droop effect on the well width and lattice temperature is discussed. Photoluminescence band shape reveals strong carrier heating. It is shown that the heating effect has a substantial influence on the photoluminescence efficiency droop, especially at low lattice temperatures. Fitting of the temperature dependence of the PL band width with that obtained by the Monte Carlo simulation of carrier (exciton) hopping via localized states shows that (i) the potential fluctuations can be fairly accurately described using a double‐scaled potential profile model, (ii) the localization becomes stronger in narrower quantum wells. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Injection characteristics of polar and nonpolar multiple‐QW structures and active region ballistic overshoot
Authors: Kisin Mikhail V. , El‐Ghoroury Hussein S. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractElectron ballistic overshoot of the active region is shown to dominate the leakage current in light‐emitting III‐nitride multi‐QW diode structures. At high injection levels typical for laser diodes, the overshoot‐assisted leakage is comparable in polar and nonpolar structures whilst in the low injection LED regime nonpolar structures reveal much smaller leakage; this complies with available observations of LED efficiency droop. We show that drift‐diffusion approximation for electron transport noticeably underestimates the leakage, especially in nonpolar structures. Ballistic spill‐over also increases the electron concentration in p ‐side waveguide layers and enhances the nonradiative recombination loss. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
How Children Come to Understand Sustainable Development: A Contribution to Educational Agenda
Authors: Svetina Matija , Istenič‐Starčič Andreja , Juvančič Matevž , Novljan Tomaž , Šubic‐Kovač Maruška , Verovšek Špela , Zupančič Tadeja 
Published: April 2011

ABSTRACTThis study provides an interdisciplinary account determining how children and adolescents understand urban and architectural aspects of sustainable development. The concept of sustainability implies complex relations between ethical, economical, social, technical and other qualities of our environment. The concept is difficult to understand for children who lack the abilities of abstract reasoning and multi‐dimensional thinking. A new measure of sustainability understanding was formed based on pictorial rather than textual format and was applied to a large sample of over 2000 participants aged 6–19 years. The results indicated that girls had higher levels of appreciation toward sustainability issues than boys. The results also showed that understanding of sustainability issues increased progressively with age, particularly with adolescents from urban environments. The findings are discussed in terms of cognitive changes in adolescence and their implications for educational policy. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Target Binding Influences Permeability in Aptamer–Polyelectrolyte Microcapsules
Authors: Sultan Yasir , DeRosa Maria C. 
Published: April 2011

AbstractAptamer–polyelectrolyte microcapsules are prepared for potential use as triggered delivery vehicles and microreactors. The hollow microcapsules are prepared from the sulforhodamine B aptamer and the polyelectrolytes poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and poly(sodium 4‐styrene‐sulfonate), using layer‐by‐layer (LbL) film deposition templated on a sacrificial CaCO3 spherical core. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy confirm the formation of spherical CaCO3 cores and LbL‐aptamer microcapsules. Colocalization studies with fluorescently‐tagged aptamer and sulforhodamine B verify the ability of the aptamer to recognize its cognate target in the presence of the K+ ions that are required for its characteristic G‐quadruplex formation. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching studies confirms a significant difference in the permeability of the aptamer–polyelectrolyte microcapsules for the sulforhodamine B dye target compared to control microcapsules prepared with a random oligonucleotide. These results suggest that aptamer‐based ‘smart’ responsive films and microcapsules could be applied to problems of catalysis and controlled release.
Gasless Endoscopic Thyroidectomy via an Anterior Chest Approach—A Review of 219 Cases with Benign Tumor
Authors: Huang Xiao‐ming , Sun Wei , Zeng Liang , Liu Xiang , Lu Xing , Xu Yao‐dong , Zhang Zhi‐gang , Xu Geng 
Published: April 2011

AbstractBackgroundTo get a better cosmetic effect, and to avoid even a small incision and scar in the anterior neck zone, we adapted gasless endoscopic thyroidectomy via anterior chest approach.MethodsFrom June 2004 to June 2008, 219 patients with thyroid diseases underwent gasless endoscopic thyroidectomy via anterior chest approach. The clinical and pathologic characteristics of patients, the type of operation, operative time, length of postoperative hospital stay, and postoperative complications were analyzed retrospectively.ResultsAll 219 operations were successfully performed endoscopically. Only three patients showed temporary paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), and all of them recovered within 1–3 months after the surgery. One patient showed permanent paralysis of the RLN, one patient developed a postoperative seroma, and one patient suffered a tracheal injury. There were no injuries to the superior laryngeal nerve or any hypoparathyroidism. No further complications, such as irritating cough, tetany, and emphysema developed after the operation. Because of the anterior chest wall approach, none of the patients had a surgical scar on the neck and all were satisfied with the cosmetic effect.ConclusionsGasless endoscopic thyroid surgery through anterior chest approach is a feasible and safe method. This technique had better cosmetic results and could constitute a new treatment modality for patients with benign tumors and can also be an effective alternative treatment for the selected patients with thyroid cancer.