bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Autoimmunity during Thymectomy-Induced Lymphopenia: Role of Thymus Ablation and Initial Effector T Cell Activation Timing in Nonobese Diabetic Mice
Authors: Gagnerault Marie-Claude , Lanvin Olivia , Pasquier Virginie , Garcia Corinne , Damotte Diane , Lucas Bruno , Lepault Françoise 
Published: October 2009

Abstract
Autoimmune diseases develop in selected normal mouse strains when thymectomy (Tx) is performed at 3 days of age (d3-Tx). Insufficient T cell regulation after Tx may result from a defect in regulatory T (Treg) cells or from an augmented effector T (Teff) cell number/pathogenicity. We have previously shown that Tx at 3 wk (wk3-Tx), the age of massive islet Ag release, accelerates diabetes onset. We now have determined diabetes incidence in d3-Tx nonobese diabetic mice and compared the frequency and function of their Teff and Treg cells with those of wk3-Tx mice. We found that d3-Tx had no effect on diabetes incidence, but induced gastritis. After day 3 and week 3 Tx, Treg cells were fully competent and their frequency increased. The number of diabetogenic T cells was greatly amplified after wk3-Tx and likely overcame Treg cell control, leading to an early tolerance breakdown. By contrast, in d3-Tx mice, activation concerned few cells and Teff cell amplification remained controlled. This suggests that Tx enhances autoimmunity when it coincides with the first encounter of autoreactive T cells with their cognate Ag. The relationship between Tx-induced lymphopenia, tissue remodeling, and autoimmunity is discussed.
Azeotropic Binary Solvent Mixtures for Preparation of Organic Single Crystals
Authors: Li Xiaoran , Kjellander B. K. Charlotte , Anthony John E. , Bastiaansen Cornelis W. M. , Broer Dirk J. , Gelinck Gerwin H. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractHere, a new approach is introduced to prepare large single crystals of
π‐conjugated organic molecules from solution. Utilizing the concept of azeotropism, single crystals of tri‐isopropylsilylethynyl pentacene (TIPS‐PEN) with dimensions up to millimeters are facilely self‐assembled from homogeneous solutions comprising two solvents with opposing polarities and a positive azeotropic point. At solvent compositions close to the azeotropic point, an abrupt transition of morphology from polycrystalline thin‐films to large single crystals is found. How to adjust the initial ratio of the binary solvents so that the change in solvent composition during evaporation favors the specific H‐aggregation and promotes an efficient self‐assembly of TIPS‐PEN is explained. The charge‐carrier (hole) mobilities are substantially enhanced by a factor of 4 from the morphology of thin‐films to large single crystals used as active layer in field‐effect transistors. Additionally, this approach is extended to other π–π stacked organic molecules to elucidate its broad applicability.
Reduced amygdala activity during aversive conditioning in human narcolepsy
Authors: Ponz Aurélie , Khatami Ramin , Poryazova Rositsa , Werth Esther , Boesiger Peter , Schwartz Sophie , Bassetti Claudio L. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractNarcolepsy with cataplexy is a sleep‐wake disorder caused by a loss of hypothalamic hypocretins. Here we assessed the time course of amygdala activation during aversive conditioning in unmedicated patients with narcolepsy. Unlike healthy matched control subjects, narcolepsy patients had no enhancement of amygdala response to conditioned stimuli and no increase in functional coupling between the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex. These findings suggest that human narcolepsy is accompanied by abnormal emotional learning, and that, in line with animal data, the hypocretin system and the amygdala are involved in this process. ANN NEUROL 2010;67:394–398
Inhibitory effect of molt‐inhibiting hormone on phantom expression in the Y‐organ of the kuruma prawn, Marsupenaeus japonicus
Authors: Asazuma Hideaki , Nagata Shinji , Nagasawa Hiromichi 
Published: October 2009

AbstractMolting in crustaceans is induced by ecdysteroids as in insects. The ecdysteroid titre in hemolymph is negatively regulated by molt‐inhibiting hormone (MIH) that inhibits the secretion of ecdysteroids from the Y‐organ, an ecdysteroid‐producing gland of crustaceans, whereas little is known about the molecular mechanism of inhibition by MIH. Recently, the Halloween genes encoding cytochrome P450 monooxygenases were characterized as the steroidogenic enzymes in insects. To elucidate whether the ecdysteroidogenesis in the Y‐organ is regulated by molt‐inhibiting hormone (MIH), we analyzed the expression level of an orthologue of a member of the Halloween genes, phantom (Cyp306a1, phm), in the Y‐organ of a decapod crustacean, Marsupenaeus japonicus. A cDNA encoding phm (Mj‐phm) was cloned by degenerate PCR and 5′‐ and 3′‐RACEs. The deduced amino acid sequence of Mj‐phm showed about 40% identity to those of insect phm. The six motif sequences and the four substrate recognition sites were well conserved between Mj‐PHM and other PHM. RT‐PCR showed the specific expression of Mj‐phm mRNA in the Y‐organ. In addition, quantitative real‐time PCR verified that the expression level of Mj‐phm was significantly increased at the pre‐molt stage and decreased after ecdysis. Furthermore, exposure of the Y‐organ to MIH significantly decreased the Mj‐phm expression level in vitro. These results indicate that the transcription of Mj‐phm in the Y‐organ may be regulated by the inhibitory mechanism of MIH of M. japonicus, which involves the consequent negative regulation of ecdysteroidogenesis at the transcriptional level. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On the relationship between interdisciplinarity and scientific impact
Authors: Larivière Vincent , Gingras Yves 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThis article analyzes the effect of interdisciplinarity on the scientific impact of individual articles. Using all the articles published in Web of Science in 2000, we define the degree of interdisciplinarity of a given article as the percentage of its cited references made to journals of other disciplines. We show that although for all disciplines combined there is no clear correlation between the level of interdisciplinarity of articles and their citation rates, there are nonetheless some disciplines in which a higher level of interdisciplinarity is related to a higher citation rates. For other disciplines, citations decline as interdisciplinarity grows. One characteristic is visible in all disciplines: Highly disciplinary and highly interdisciplinary articles have a low scientific impact. This suggests that there might be an optimum of interdisciplinarity beyond which the research is too dispersed to find its niche and under which it is too mainstream to have high impact. Finally, the relationship between interdisciplinarity and scientific impact is highly determined by the citation characteristics of the disciplines involved: Articles citing citation‐intensive disciplines are more likely to be cited by those disciplines and, hence, obtain higher citation scores than would articles citing non‐citation‐intensive disciplines.
Isomerization in the CDR2 of a monoclonal antibody: Binding analysis and factors that influence the isomerization rate
Authors: Dick Lawrence W. , Qiu Difei , Wong Rosie B. , Cheng Kuang‐Chuan 
Published: October 2009

AbstractIsomerization of a monoclonal antibody is one of the common routes of protein degradation. An isomerization in the complementarity‐determining region (CDR) was found previously and is investigated in depth in this work. Affinity analysis proves that the antibody with one isomerized heavy chain has lower binding. Binding constants were determined, and exhibited a slower on‐rate in conjunction with a faster off‐rate for this isomerization. To determine the role of the buffer on the rate of isomerization, this antibody was incubated in various matrices and the amount of isomerized antibody was determined by hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC). The rate was found to be dependent on the pH as well as the net negative charge of the buffer components that can act as proton acceptors. An Arrhenius plot was performed to predict the levels of isomerization and a comparison of real samples proved the model was correct. This work affirms that isomerization in the CDR of a therapeutic antibody is important to monitor and the formulation buffer plays a significant role in the rate of the isomerization. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010; 105: 515–523. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
High‐performance affinity chromatography method for identification of L‐arginine interacting factors using magnetic nanobeads
Authors: Hiramoto Masaki , Maekawa Naoya , Kuge Takeshi , Ayabe Fumiaki , Watanabe Atsushi , Masaike Yuka , Hatakeyama Mamoru , Handa Hiroshi , Imai Takeshi 
Published: October 2009

AbstractL‐Arginine exhibits a wide range of biological activities through a complex and highly regulated set of pathways that remain incompletely understood at both the whole‐body and the cellular levels. The aim of this study is to develop and validate effective purification system for L‐arginine interacting factors (AIFs). We have recently developed novel magnetic nanobeads (FG beads) composed of magnetite particles/glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)–styrene copolymer/covered GMA. These nanobeads have shown higher performance compared with commercially available magnetic beads in terms of purification efficiency. In this study, we have newly developed L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐AME)‐immobilized beads by conjugating L‐AME to the surface of these nanobeads. Firstly, we showed that inducible nitric oxide synthase, which binds and uses L‐arginine as a substrate, specifically bound to L‐AME‐immobilized beads. Secondly, we newly identified phosphofructokinase, RuvB‐like 1 and RuvB‐like 2 as AIFs from crude extracts of HeLa cells using this affinity chromatographic system. The data presented here demonstrate that L‐AME‐immobilized beads are effective tool for purification of AIFs directly from crude cell extracts. We expect that the present method can be used to purify AIFs from various types of cells. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of rapid ventricular pacing during percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty in patients with critical aortic stenosis: Should we be using it?
Authors: Witzke Christian , Don Creighton W. , Cubeddu Roberto J. , Herrero‐Garibi Jesus , Pomerantsev Eugene , Caldera Angel , McCarty David , Inglessis Ignacio , Palacios Igor F. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractBackground: Rapid ventricular pacing (RP) during percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) facilitates balloon positioning by preventing the “watermelon seeding” effect during balloon inflation. The clinical consequences of RP BAV have never been compared with standard BAV in which rapid pacing in not used. We evaluated the immediate results and in‐hospital adverse events of patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing BAV with and without RP. Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients with severe AS undergoing retrograde BAV. Patients who underwent BAV with RP were compared to those who did not receive RP during BAV. Procedural outcomes, complications, and in‐hospital adverse events were compared between both groups. Stratified analyses were performed to evaluate RP in pre‐specified subsets for confounding and effect modification. Results: Between January 2005 and December 2008, 111 consecutive patients underwent retrograde BAV at Massachusetts General Hospital. Sixty‐seven patients underwent BAV with RP. Nearly 90% of patients were NYHA class III or IV and the mean AVA was 0.64 cm2. Baseline characteristics and balloon sizes were similar in the two groups. The average post‐BAV AVA was smaller in the RP group compared to the no‐RP group (0.87 v. 1.02 cm2, p = 0.02). Pre and post‐cardiac output, in‐hospital mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, frequency of cardiopulmonary arrest, vasopressor use, and major complications were similar in the two groups. Conclusions: 1) RP allows precise balloon placement during BAV. 2) RP BAV is associated with lower post‐BAV AVA. 3) RP BAV may be safely performed in patients with high‐risk cardiac features. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The benefit of renal artery stenting in patients with atheromatous renovascular disease and advanced chronic kidney disease
Authors: Kalra Philip A. , Chrysochou Constantina , Green Darren , Cheung Ching M. , Khavandi Kaivan , Sixt Sebastian , Rastan Aljoscha , Zeller Thomas 
Published: October 2009

AbstractBackground: Around 16% of all patients who present with atheromatous renovascular disease (ARVD) in the United States undergo revascularization. Historically, patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been considered least likely to show improvement in renal functional terms, or survival. We aimed to investigate whether differences in outcomes after revascularization compared to medical management might be observed in ARVD patients if stratified by their CKD classes. Methods: Two prospective cohorts, a UK center with a traditionally conservative approach, and a German center who undertook a proactive revascularization approach, were compared. An improvement in renal function was defined as > 20% renal improvement at one year's follow‐up. To improve validity and comparability, revascularized patients in the UK center were also used within analyses, Results: 347 (UK conservative group), 89 (UK revascularized group), and 472 (German center) patients were included in the analysis. When subdivided by CKD stage, patient ages between the two centers were comparable. Improvements in renal function were observed in twice as many patients who underwent revascularization as compared to medical treatment, particularly in the latter CKD stages, 15.2 (German revascularization) vs. 0% in CKD 1–2, 12.2 (UK), and 32.8 (German) revascularization vs. 14.1% in CKD3, and 53.1 and 53.8 vs. 28.3 in patients with CKD 4–5. The improvements in eGFR were 10.2 (16) and 8.1 (12.5) ml/min/year in the German and UK revascularized groups, respectively, vs. −0.05 (6.8) ml/min/year in the medical cohort in CKD 4–5. Improvements in blood pressure control were noted at 1 year overall and within each CKD category. Multivariate analysis revealed that revascularization independently reduced the risk of death by 45% in all patients combined (RR 0.55, P = 0.013). Conclusions: Although this study has significant methodological limitations, it does shows that percutaneous renal revascularization can improve renal function in advanced CKD (stages 4–5), and that this can provide a survival advantage in prospective analysis. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Self‐Assembling of Er2O3–TiO2 Mixed Oxide Nanoplatelets by a Template‐Free Solvothermal Route
Authors: Julián‐López Beatriz , Martos Mónica , Ulldemolins Natalia , Odriozola José A. , Cordoncillo Eloisa , Escribano Purificación 
Published: October 2009

AbstractAn easy solvothermal route has been developed to synthesize the first mesoporous Er2O3–TiO2 mixed oxide spherical particles composed of crystalline nanoplatelets, with high surface area and narrow pore size distribution. This synthetic strategy allows the preparation of materials at low temperature with interesting textural properties without the use of surfactants, as well as the control of particle size and shape. TEM and Raman analysis confirm the formation of nanocrystalline Er2O3–TiO2 mixed oxide. Mesoscopic ordered porosity is reached through the thermal decomposition of organic moieties during the synthetic process, thus leading to a template‐free methodology that can be extended to other nanostructured materials. High specific surface areas (up to 313 m2 g−1) and narrow pore size distributions are achieved in comparison to the micrometric material synthesized by the traditional sol–gel route. This study opens new perspectives in the development, by solvothermal methodologies, of multifunctional materials for advanced applications by improving the classical pyrochlore properties (magnetization, heat capacity, catalysis, conductivity, etc.). In particular, since catalytic reactions take place on the surface of catalysts, the high surface area of these materials makes them promising candidates for catalysts. Furthermore, their spherical morphology makes them appropriate for advanced technologies in, for instance, ceramic inkjet printers.
Inverted Opal Fluorescent Film Chemosensor for the Detection of Explosive Nitroaromatic Vapors through Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer
Authors: Fang Qunling , Geng Junlong , Liu Bianhua , Gao Daming , Li Fei , Wang Zhenyang , Guan Guijian , Zhang Zhongping 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThis paper reports an inverted opal fluorescence chemosensor for the ultrasensitive detection of explosive nitroaromatic vapors through resonance‐energy‐transfer‐amplified fluorescence quenching. The inverted opal silica film with amino ligands was first fabricated by the acid–base interaction between 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane and surface sulfonic groups on polystyrene microsphere templates. The fluorescent dye was then chemically anchored onto the interconnected porous surface to form a hybrid monolayer of amino ligands and dye molecules. The amino ligands can efficiently capture vapor molecules of nitroaromatics such as 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene (TNT) through the charge‐transfer complexing interaction between electron‐rich amino ligands and electron‐deficient aromatic rings. Meanwhile, the resultant TNT–amine complexes can strongly suppress the fluorescence emission of the chosen dye by the fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) from the dye donor to the irradiative TNT–amino acceptor through intermolecular polar–polar resonance at spatial proximity. The quenching response of the highly ordered porous films with TNT is greatly amplified by at least 10‐fold that of the amorphous silica films, due to the interconnected porous structure and large surface‐to‐volume ratio. The inverted opal film with a stable fluorescence brightness and strong analyte affinity has lead to an ultrasensitive detection of several ppb of TNT vapor in air.
Inference after variable selection using restricted permutation methods
Authors: Wang Rui , Lagakos Stephen W. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractWhen confronted with multiple covariates and a response variable, analysts sometimes apply a variable‐selection algorithm to the covariate‐response data to identify a subset of covariates potentially associated with the response, and then wish to make inferences about parameters in a model for the marginal association between the selected covariates and the response. If an independent data set were available, the parameters of interest could be estimated by using standard inference methods to fit the postulated marginal model to the independent data set. However, when applied to the same data set used by the variable selector, standard (“naive”) methods can lead to distorted inferences. The authors develop testing and interval estimation methods for parameters reflecting the marginal association between the selected covariates and response variable, based on the same data set used for variable selection. They provide theoretical justification for the proposed methods, present results to guide their implementation, and use simulations to assess and compare their performance to a sample‐splitting approach. The methods are illustrated with data from a recent AIDS study. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 37: 625–644; 2009 © 2009 Statistical Society of Canada
Assessing cytotoxicity of (iron oxide‐based) nanoparticles: an overview of different methods exemplified with cationic magnetoliposomes
Authors: Soenen Stefaan J. H. , De Cuyper Marcel 
Published: October 2009

AbstractIron oxide nanoparticles are the most widely used T2/T2* contrast agents and for biomedical research purposes, one of the main applications is the in vitro labeling of stem or therapeutic cells, allowing them to be subsequently tracked in vivo upon transplantation. To allow this, the nanoparticles used should not show any sign of cytotoxicity and not affect cellular physiology as this could impede normal cell functionality in vivo or lead to undesired side‐effects. Assessing the biocompatibility of the nanoparticles has proven to be quite a difficult task. In the present work, a small overview of commonly used assays is presented in order to assess several aspects, such as cell viability, induction of reactive oxygen species, nanoparticle uptake, cellular morphology, cellular proliferation, actin cytoskeleton architecture and differentiation of stem cells. The main focus is on comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the different assays, highlighting several common problems and presenting possible solutions to these problems as well as pointing out the high importance of the relationship between intracellular nanoparticle concentration and cytotoxicity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A New Class of Boron Nanotube
Authors: Wang Jing , Liu Ying , Li You‐Cheng 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThe configurations, stability and electronic structures of a new class of boron sheet and related boron nanotubes are predicted within the framework of density functional theory. This boron sheet is sparser than those of recent proposals. Our theoretic results show that the stable boron sheet remains flat and is metallic. There are bands similar to the π‐bands in graphite near the Fermi level. Stable nanotubes with various diameters and chiral vectors can be rolled from the sheet. Within our study, only the thin (8, 0) nanotube with a band gap of 0.44 eV is semiconducting, while all the other thicker boron nanotubes are metallic, independent of their chirality. It indicates the possibility, in the design of nanodevices, to control the electronic transport properties of the boron nanotube through the diameter.
Electrostatic Interaction of Spherical Microparticles in Dusty Plasmas
Authors: Filippov A. V. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractElectrostatic interaction of two spherical microparticles in a plasma is studied. An investigation of the interaction between a point‐like charge and a conducting spherical body in a plasma shows that plasma screening results in decrease a potential barrier as the point‐like charge approaches the likely charged microparticle, the decrease being more pronounced in case that the microparticle radius is comparable with the Debye screening length. The interaction of two conducting spherical microparticles is considered in the bipolar or bispherical coordinate system for cases of constant charges and constant surface potentials of the microparticles. The latter case firstly considered by us is more suitable to the physics of the electrostatic interaction of microparticles in a plasma where their electrostatic surface potentials are defined by the floating potential of the plasma. The interaction potentials are shown to highly differ in these cases, the electrostatic energy being the interaction potential only in the case of the constant charges independent on the interparticle distance. In the case of the constant surface potentials a work of external sources to sustain surface potentials should be taken into account. By integration of the interaction force calculated using the Maxwell stress tensor, the interaction potential is also defined for the latter case. Approximated analytical expressions for the interaction potential, which are more accurate than the available in the literature, are obtained for both the constant charges and the constant surface potentials (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)