bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Functional morphology of the palato‐maxillary apparatus in “Palatine dragging” snakes (Serpentes: Elapidae: Acanthophis, Oxyuranus)
Authors: Deufel Alexandra , Cundall David 
Published: July 2009

AbstractElapid snakes have previously been divided into two groups (palatine erectors and palatine draggers) based on the morphology and inferred movements of their palatine bone during prey transport (swallowing). We investigated the morphology and the functioning of the feeding apparatus of several palatine draggers (Acanthophis antarcticus, Oxyuranus scutellatus, Pseudechis australis) and compared them to published records of palatine erectors. We found that the palatine in draggers does not move as a straight extension of the pterygoid as originally proposed. The dragger palato‐pterygoid joint flexes laterally with maxillary rotation when the mouth opens and the jaw apparatus is protracted and slightly ventrally during mouth closing. In contrast, in palatine erectors, the palato‐pterygoid joint flexes ventrally during upper jaw protraction. In draggers, the anterior end of the palatine also projects rostrally during protraction, unlike the stability of the anterior end seen in erectors. Palatine draggers differ from palatine erectors in four structural features of the palatine and its relationships to surrounding elements. The function of the palato‐pterygoid bar in both draggers and erectors can be explained by a typical colubroid muscle contraction pattern, which acts on a set of core characters shared among all derived snakes. Although palatine dragging elapids share a fundamental design of the palato‐maxillary apparatus with all higher snakes, they provide yet another demonstration of minor structural modifications producing functional variants. J. Morphol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Atomic force microscopy for cellular level manipulation: imaging intracellular structures and DNA delivery through a membrane hole
Authors: Afrin Rehana , Zohora Umme Salma , Uehara Hironori , Watanabe‐Nakayama Takahiro , Ikai Atsushi 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThe atomic force microscope (AFM) is a versatile tool for imaging, force measurement and manipulation of proteins, DNA, and living cells basically at the single molecular level. In the cellular level manipulation, extraction, and identification of mRNA's from defined loci of a cell, insertion of plasmid DNA and pulling of membrane proteins, for example, have been reported. In this study, AFM was used to create holes at defined loci on the cell membrane for the investigation of viability of the cells after hole creation, visualization of intracellular structure through the hole and for targeted gene delivery into living cells. To create large holes with an approximate diameter of 5–10 µm, a phospholipase A2 coated bead was added to the AFM cantilever and the bead was allowed to touch the cell surface for approximately 5–10 min. The evidence of hole creation was obtained mainly from fluorescent image of Vybrant DiO labeled cell before and after the contact with the bead and the AFM imaging of the contact area. In parallel, cells with a hole were imaged by AFM to reveal intracellular structures such as filamentous structures presumably actin fibers and mitochondria which were identified with fluorescent labeling with rhodamine 123. Targeted gene delivery was also attempted by inserting an AFM probe that was coated with the Monster Green Fluorescent Protein phMGFP Vector for transfection of the cell. Following targeted transfection, the gene expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) was observed and confirmed by the fluorescence microscope. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hepatitis B viral loads in southern African Blacks with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Viana Raquel , Wang Renwei , Yu Mimi C. , Welschinger Robert , Chen Chien‐Yu , Kew Michael C. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractAlthough viral loads are known to influence the development of hepatitis B virus‐induced hepatocellular carcinoma in a number of populations, little information is available in the Black African population. Black African patients with hepatocellular carcinoma differ from those in other populations in having a lower frequency of e antigen‐positivity and in other respects that might affect viral loads. Hepatitis B viral loads were measured using real‐time polymerase chain reaction assay in 124 Black Africans with hepatocellular carcinoma and compared with those in 125 Black adult asymptomatic viral carriers. The geometric mean viral load in the cancer patients was 553,618 copies/ml (95% CI 301,953–1,015,033 copies/ml), with 62.1% having loads >1 × 105 copies/ml and 87.1% >1 × 104 copies/ml, whereas that in the carriers was 16,084 copies/ml (95% CI 9,184–28,168 copies/ml), with only 15.2% having values >1 × 105 copies/ml and 49.6% >1 × 104 copies/ml (P < 0.001 in each instance). Mean viral load was significantly higher in e antigen‐positive than e antigen‐negative cancer patients (5,905,357 copies/ml [1,362,847–25,588,520] cf 238,173 copies/ml [97,200–685,730]: P < 0.001) after adjusting for age and sex. No statistically significant difference existed between patients in different age groups, in men and women, or in patients infected with genotype A or D after adjusting for the other variables. Conclusion: Black Africans with hepatocellular carcinoma have high hepatitis B viral loads in spite of the relative infrequency of e antigen‐positivity. J. Med. Virol. 81:1525–1530, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An animal model for open femur fracture and osteomyelitis—Part II: Immunomodulation with systemic IL‐12
Authors: Lindsey Brock A. , Clovis Nina B. , Smith E. Suzanne , Salihu Sydha , Hubbard David F. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractInfection resulting from open fracture is a common problem in orthopedics. The purpose of this project was to study the effect of Interleukin‐12 (IL‐12) systemic therapy on a previously established open fracture model. One hundred seven male Sprague‐Dawley rats were assigned to five groups: (1) normal (baseline),(2) control (controlled for anesthesia), (3) fracture, (4) staph, and (5) staph and IL‐12 (SIL). Each group was divided into four time periods: 6, 10, 14, and 21 days after injury and fixation. The operative groups had a standardized femur fracture and fixation using a Kirschner wire as an intramedullary device. The two infection groups (staph and SIL) were inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus following fracture and fixed with an identical technique. The SIL group was treated with systemic IL‐12 for a total of 10 doses over 10 days. Significantly decreased serum IL‐12 levels were noted at day 10 in the operative groups compared to the normal and control groups. The SIL group showed significantly higher macrophage activation levels and total platelet counts at day 21 compared to all the other groups. The overall infection rate was not changed by IL‐12 supplementation; however, bacterial qualitative growth scores were significantly lower in the SIL group at day 10, which corresponded to the lowest level of systemic IL‐12 in the fracture group. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:43–47, 2010
Varve counting reveals high resolution radiocarbon reservoir age variations in palaeolake Lisan
Authors: Prasad Sushma , Negendank J. F. W. , Stein Mordechai 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThe laminated lacustrine sediments deposited in the last glacial Lake Lisan represent annual deposits of primary aragonite and silty detritus that reflect the annual supply of bicarbonate‐bearing freshwater to the lake. A varve‐counting curve was constructed for the time interval of ca. 17.4–22 cal. ka BP based on aragonite U/Th, and atmospheric radiocarbon ages of organic debris recovered from the studied section. Radiocarbon in the primary (evaporitic) aragonite comprises both atmospheric and old carbon (reflecting the reservoir age). The aragonite reservoir ages were determined by comparing the aragonite radiocarbon dates to the varve counting curve, and are found to lie in the range 1900–600 a and display a continuous decline. This opens the possibility for high (annual) resolution monitoring of the reservoir age, similar in quality to tree ring counting, during the upper part of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2. Our work also demonstrates that a ‘uniform’ reservoir age correction is inappropriate when determining the chronology of short‐term climate events in lacustrine environments. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Segmented Block Copolymers with Monodisperse Hard Segments: The Influence of H‐Bonding on Various Properties
Authors: Biemond Gerard J. E. , Feijen Jan , Gaymans Reinoud J. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThe properties of segmented‐copolymer‐based H‐bonding and non‐H‐bonding crystallisable segments and poly(tetramethylene oxide) segments were studied. The crystallisable segments were monodisperse in length and the non‐hydrogen‐bonding segments were made of tetraamidepiperazineterephthalamide (TPTPT). The polymers were characterised by DSC, FT‐IR, SAXS and DMTA. The mechanical properties were studied by tensile, compression set and tensile set measurements. The TPTPT segmented copolymers displayed low glass transition temperatures (Tg, −70 °C), good low‐temperature properties, moderate moduli (G′ ≈ 10–33 MPa) and high melting temperatures (185–220 °C). However, as compared to H‐bonded segments, both the modulus and the yield stress were relatively low.magnified image
The Calderón approach to an elliptic boundary problem
Authors: Faierman M. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractWe consider a boundary problem for an elliptic system in a bounded region Ω ⊂ ℝn and where the spectral parameter is multiplied by a discontinuous weight function ω (x) = diag(ω1(x), …, ωN (x)). The problem is considered under limited smoothness assumptions and under an ellipticity with parameter condition. Recently, this problem was studied under the assumption that the ωj (x)–1 are essentially bounded in Ω. In this paper we suppose that ω (x) vanishes identically in a proper subregion Ω of Ω and that the ωj (x)–1 are essentially bounded in . Then by using methods which are a variant of those used in constructing the Calderón projectors for the boundary Γ of Ω, we shall derive results here which will enable us in a subsequent work to apply the ideas of Calderón to develop the spectral theory associated with the problem under consideration here (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Closed graph and open mapping theorems for topological $ \tilde \lc $‐modules and applications
Authors: Garetto Claudia 
Published: July 2009

AbstractWe present closed graph and open mapping theorems for $ \tilde \lc $‐linear maps acting between suitable classes of topological and locally convex topological $ \tilde \lc $‐modules. This is done by adaptation of De Wilde's theory of webbed spaces and Adasch–Ernst–Keim's theory of barrelled spaces to the context of locally convex and topological $ \tilde \lc $‐modules, respectively. We give applications of the previous theorems to Colombeau theory as well to the theory of Banach $ \tilde \lc $‐modules. In particular we obtain a necessary condition for 𝒢∞‐hypoellipticity on the symbol of a partial differential operator with generalized constant coefficients (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) Derived from Poly(ionic liquid) for the Use as Hole‐Injecting Material in Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Kim TaeYoung , Suh Minwon , Kwon Soon Jae , Lee Tae Hee , Kim Jong Eun , Lee You Jong , Kim Joo Hyung , Hong MunPyo , Suh Kwang S. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractWe report that poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) derived from poly(ionic liquid) (PEDOT:PIL) constitutes a unique polymeric hole‐injecting material capable of improving device lifetime in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). Imidazolium‐based poly(ionic liquid)s were engineered to impart non‐acidic and non‐aqueous properties to PEDOT without compromising any other properties of PEDOT. A fluorescent OLED was fabricated using PEDOT:PIL as a hole‐injection layer and subjected to a performance evaluation test. In comparison with a control device using a conventional PEDOT‐based material, the device with PEDOT:PIL was found to achieve a significant improvement in terms of device lifetime. This improvement was attributed to a lower indium content in the PEDOT:PIL layer, which can be also interpreted as the effective protection characteristics of PEDOT:PIL for indium extraction from the electrodes.magnified image
Factors responsible for force steadiness impairment with fatigue
Authors: Missenard Olivier , Mottet Denis , Perrey Stéphane 
Published: July 2009

AbstractIn this study we investigated the contribution of muscle activation to the impairment of fine force control with fatigue. In three experiments, we manipulated muscle activation and measured force variability before and after a fatigue protocol. When muscle activation was left free (subjects had to match the same absolute force pre‐ and post‐fatigue), fatigue increased muscle activation at moderate force levels only, and force variability increased regardless of the level of force. When muscle activation was controlled (subjects had to match the same electromyographic activity), fatigue no longer increased force variability, except at low force levels. When voluntary muscle activation was suppressed (muscles were electrically stimulated), force variability was unaffected by fatigue. We conclude that the impairment of force steadiness with fatigue is mainly due to the increase in muscle activation at moderate forces, but there are other central sources of force fluctuation present at low force levels. Muscle Nerve, 2009
Long‐term therapy with deflazacort decreases myocardial fibrosis in mdx mice
Authors: Marques Maria Julia , Oggiam Daniella Silva , Barbin Isabel Cristina Chagas , Ferretti Renato , Santo Neto Humberto 
Published: July 2009

AbstractWe evaluated the effects of long‐term administration of deflazacort (DFZ) on the progression of myocardial fibrosis in mdx mice. Mdx mice (6 months old) were treated with DFZ for 15 months. Myocardial fibrosis (MF) was evaluated by histomorphometric methods, and treated and untreated mdx mice of the same age (21 months) were compared. DFZ significantly decreased MF. We conclude that long‐term therapy with DFZ is effective in slowing down the progression of fibrosis in the dystrophin‐deficient heart. Muscle Nerve, 2009
Elicitability of muscle cramps in different leg and foot muscles
Authors: Minetto Marco Alessandro , Botter Alberto 
Published: July 2009

AbstractTo explore the efficacy of muscle motor point stimulation in eliciting muscle cramps, 11 subjects underwent eight sessions of electrical stimulation of the following muscles bilaterally: abductor hallucis flexor hallucis brevis, and both heads of the gastrocnemius muscles. Bursts of 150 square wave stimuli (duration: 152 μs; current intensity: 30% supramaximal) were applied. The stimulation frequency was increased from 4 pulses per second (pps) at increments of 2 pps until a cramp was induced. The number of cramps that could be elicited was smaller in flexor hallucis brevis than in abductor hallucis (16 vs. 22 out of 22 trials each; P < 0.05) and in the lateral gastrocnemius than in the medial gastrocnemius (5 vs. 20 out of 22 trials each; P < 0.0001). We show that leg and foot muscles have different cramp susceptibility, and the intermuscle variability in the elicitability profile for electrically induced cramps supports the use of the proposed method for cramp research. Muscle Nerve, 2009
Comparison of sales and reimbursement data regarding outpatient antibiotic use in a northern Italian Region
Authors: Gagliotti Carlo , Mazzetti Ilaria , Moro Maria Luisa 
Published: July 2009

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate the accuracy of systemic antibiotic use statistics, based on the reimbursement data of the Emilia‐Romagna Region (Italy), focusing on agents prescribed for urinary tract infections.MethodsReimbursement data were obtained from the drug prescription database that includes all outpatient drug prescriptions reimbursed by the Regional Health Service in 2007. Reimbursements were compared to sales data, provided by International Medical Statistics (IMS) Health.ResultsThe reimbursement data of the Emilia‐Romagna Region significantly underestimates the actual use of systemic antibiotics when compared to sales. The overall underestimation of antibiotic use is 19%, ranging from 7% for second‐third‐generation cephalosporins to 98% for nitrofurantoin. Considering agents prescribed for urinary tract infections (UTIs), use of nitrofurantoin and sulfamethoxazole‐trimethoprim are more underestimated while fluoroquinolones and fosfomycin are less underestimated than the average for systemic antibiotics.ConclusionsSales data from community pharmacies are important for accurate estimation of systemic antibiotic use in Emilia‐Romagna especially for agents, such as nitrofurantoin, purchased without reimbursement in most cases. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Substituent effect on electron affinity, gas‐phase basicity, and structure of monosubstituted propargyl radicals and their anions: a theoretical study
Authors: Lee Gab‐Yong 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThe substituent effect of electron‐withdrawing groups on electron affinity and gas‐phase basicity has been investigated for substituted propargyl radicals and their corresponding anions. It is shown that when a hydrogen of the α‐CH2 group or acetylenic CH in the propargyl system is substituted by an electron‐withdrawing substituent, electron affinity increases, whereas gas‐phase basicity decreases. The calculated electron affinities are 0.95 eV (CHCCH2•), 1.15 eV (CHCCHF•), 1.38 eV (CHCCHCl•), 1.48 eV (CHCCHBr•) for the isomers with terminal CH and 1.66 eV (CFCCH2•), 1.70 eV (CClCCH2•), 1.86 eV (CBrCCH2•) for the isomers with terminal CX at B3LYP level. The calculated gas‐phase basicities for their anions are 378.4 kcal/mol (CHCCH2:−), 371.6 kcal/mol (CHCCHF:−), 365.1 kcal/mol (CHCCHCl:−), 363.5 kcal/mol (CHCCHBr:−) for the isomers with terminal CH and 362.6 kcal/mol (CFCCH2:−), 360.4 kcal/mol (CClCCH2:−), 356.3 kcal/mol (CBrCCH2:−) for the isomers with terminal CX at B3LYP level. It is concluded that the larger the magnitude of electron‐withdrawing, the greater is the electron affinity of radical and the smaller is the gas‐phase basicity of its anion. This tendency of the electron affinities and gas‐phase bacisities is greater in isomers with the terminal CX than isomers with the terminal CH. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Redox‐initiated poly(methyl methacrylate) emulsion polymerizations stabilized with block copolymers based on methoxy‐poly(ethylene glycol), ε‐caprolactone, and linoleic acid
Authors: Tan Boonhua , Nabuurs Tijs , Feijen Jan , Grijpma Dirk W. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractA redox initiating system, consisting of t‐butyl hydroperoxide (tBHPO), isoascorbic acid (iAA), and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid ferric‐sodium salt (FeEDTA) was employed in emulsion polymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA) at high solids contents of 30 wt % in water. The system was stabilized using, linoleic acid (LA)‐functionalized and nonfunctionalized surfactants based on methoxy‐PEG (MPEG) and ε‐caprolactone (CL). To optimize polymerization conditions and to avoid coagulation and solidification during the reaction, the temperature, the amount of initiator, the chemical characteristics of the surfactant, and the surfactant to monomer ratio were varied. MPEO45‐CL6.5‐LA (the subscripts refer to the average number of repeating monomer units) was found to be the most suitable surfactant, as it performs adequately under suboptimal reaction conditions. In the emulsion polymerization of MMA in water at ∼30 wt %, best results were obtained at a reaction temperature of 60 °C, with an initiator system comprising tBHPO iAA and FeEDTA, and a surfactant to monomer ratio of 10/90 by weight or higher. Under these conditions, stable PMMA latices with average particle sizes of 200–300 nm were obtained at complete monomer conversion. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4234–4244, 2009
Synthesis of dendritic carbohydrate end‐functional polymers via RAFT: Versatile multi‐functional precursors for bioconjugations
Authors: Xu Jiangtao , Boyer Cyrille , Bulmus Volga , Davis Thomas P. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractWell‐defined pyridyl disulfide (PDS) end‐functionalized polymer‐dendritic carbohydrate scaffolds are reported as novel precursors for the attachment of biomolecules. This synthetic approach combines reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and “click” reactions. Poly(N‐(2‐hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide) (PHPMA) with 2‐mercaptothiozalidine end‐groups was prepared by RAFT polymerization yielding molecular weights of Mn = 4300 and 9900, both with a polydispersity of less than 1.2. These polymers were then attached to dendritic mannose scaffolds preconstructed via consecutive “click” reactions. Finally, the ω‐dithiobenzoate RAFT end‐group of PHPMA was modified to yield PDS functionality, by aminolysis in the presence of 2,2′‐dithiodipyridine. This PDS end‐functionalized PHPMA‐dendritic carbohydrate scaffold is a versatile precursor for bioconjugations, as the synthetic procedure can easily accommodate a range of sugar functionalities. In addition, the PDS groups can be used to react with any thiol present in a biomolecule (e.g., cysteine residue in proteins, or SH terminal nucleotides). To demonstrate the utility of these scaffolds we describe their bioconjugation to short interfering RNA. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4302–4313, 2009
Postpolymerization modification of poly(pentafluorophenyl methacrylate): Synthesis of a diverse water‐soluble polymer library
Authors: Gibson Matthew I. , Fröhlich Eleonore , Klok Harm‐Anton 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThis article explores the feasibility of poly(pentafluorophenyl methacrylate) (PPFMA) prepared by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization as a platform for the preparation of diverse libraries of functional polymers via postpolymerization modification with primary amines. Experiments with a broad range of functional amines and PPFMA precursors of different molecular weights indicated that the postpolymerization modification reaction proceeds with good to excellent conversion for a diverse variety of functional amines and is essentially independent of the PPFMA precursor molecular weight. The RAFT end group, which was well preserved throughout the polymerization, is cleaved during postpolymerization modification to generate a thiol end group that provides possibilities for further orthogonal chain‐end modification reactions. The degree of postpolymerization modification can be controlled by varying the relative amount of primary amine that is used and random polymethacrylamide copolymers can be prepared via a one‐pot/two‐step sequential addition procedure. Cytotoxicity experiments revealed that the postpolymerization modification strategy does not lead to any additional toxicity compared with the corresponding polymer obtained via direct polymerization, which makes this approach also of interest for the synthesis of biologically active polymers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4332–4345, 2009