bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Molecular characterization and gene expression of apolipophorin III from the ghost moth, Thitarodes pui (Lepidoptera, Hepialidae)
Authors: Sun Zixuan , Yu Junfeng , Wu Wenjing , Zhang Guren 
Published: December 2011

AbstractApolipophorin III (apoLp‐III) functions in lipid transport and immune activation in insects. We cloned a cDNA encoding putative apoLp‐III from larvae of Thitarodes pui, a host species of Ophiocordyceps sinensis, with great economic importance in the Tibetan Plateau. Excluding a putative signal peptide of the first 20 amino acid residues, the 171‐residue mature apoLp‐III has a calculated molecular mass of 18,606 Da. T. pui apoLp‐III shares little sequence homologies (<36%) with other apoLp‐IIIs. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that T. pui apoLp‐III belongs to a distinct, early diverging lineage of lepidopteran apoLp‐IIIs. Homology modeling of T. pui apoLp‐III shows a bundle of five amphipathic α‐helices, including a short helix 3′. T. pui apoLp‐III was constitutively expressed in larval fat body at lower levels than pupal and adult fat body. Significant induction of apoLp‐III expression, associated with strongest nodulation response, was observed in both sixth and eighth instar larvae challenged with Beauveria bassiana conidia at 1 hr after inoculation, compared with saline‐injected controls. The inoculation experiment as well as previous field studies revealed the relative susceptibility of the sixth instar to the entomopathogenic fungus. ApoLp‐III transcripts in the infected sixth and eighth instars were found to be induced highest 2‐ and 14.7‐fold, respectively, during the first 12 hr. In late‐stage infection, the infected susceptible sixth instar showed decrease in apoLp‐III expression followed by production of B. bassiana hyphal bodies, whereas the infected eighth instar showed longer lasting increase in the expression. These results suggest that apoLp‐III might contribute to T. pui immune response against fungal pathogens. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy may be safe and effective in patients with systemic sclerosis and borderline pulmonary artery pressure
Authors: Kovacs Gabor , Maier Robert , Aberer Elisabeth , Brodmann Marianne , Graninger Winfried , Kqiku Xhylsime , Scheidl Stefan , Tröster Natascha , Hesse Christian , Rubin Lewis , Olschewski Horst 
Published: December 2011

AbstractObjectiveBorderline pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), characterized by a marked exercise‐induced increase in pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) with normal resting values, may precede overt PAH in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We undertook the present study to investigate whether PAH treatment is safe in these patients and might attenuate hemodynamic progression.MethodsSSc patients with borderline PAH underwent right heart catheterization at baseline, after a 12‐month observation period, and subsequently after 6 months of bosentan therapy. Changes in mean PAP at 50W during the observation period versus during therapy were compared.ResultsTen patients completed the study. Mean PAP at rest, at 50W, and during maximal exercise increased significantly during the observation period (mean ± SD increases of 2.5 ± 3.0 mm Hg [P = 0.03], 4.0 ± 2.9 mm Hg [P = 0.002], and 6.8 ± 4.1 mm Hg [P = 0.0005], respectively) and tended to decrease during the treatment period (decreases of 2.5 ± 3.9 mm Hg [P = 0.07], 1.5 ± 4.5 mm Hg [P = 0.32], and 1.8 ± 7.0 mm Hg [P = 0.43], respectively). The changes during the observation period versus the therapy period were significantly different (P = 0.03 at rest, P = 0.01 at 50W [primary end point], and P = 0.02 during maximal exercise). The changes in resting pulmonary vascular resistance were also significantly different during the observation period (increase of 8 ± 25 dynes · seconds · cm−5) versus during the therapy period (decrease of 45 ± 22 dynes · seconds · cm−5) (P < 0.0005). Changes in resting pulmonary arterial wedge pressure were not significantly different between the observation period and the treatment period, despite the significant increase during the observation period (2.6 ± 2.5 mm Hg [P = 0.01]). No relevant adverse effects were reported.ConclusionIn SSc patients with borderline abnormal pulmonary hemodynamics, resting and exercise PAP may increase significantly within 1 year of observation. Bosentan might be safe and effective to attenuate these changes. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm the exploratory findings of this hypothesis‐generating pilot study.
Avidity maturation of anti–citrullinated protein antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Suwannalai P. , van de Stadt L. A. , Radner H. , Steiner G. , El‐Gabalawy H. S. , Zijde C. M. Jol‐van der , van Tol M. J. , van Schaardenburg D. , Huizinga T. W. J. , Toes R. E. M. , Trouw L. A. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractObjectiveAnti–citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) are highly specific for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and are present years before the onset of symptoms. The avidity of autoantibodies can have a strong impact on their effector potency. This study was undertaken to analyze the avidity of ACPAs in serum samples obtained from ACPA‐positive healthy individuals (predisease), patients with early disease, and patients with established RA as well as the avidity maturation over time in samples from healthy subjects who later developed RA.MethodsWe measured ACPA avidity in serum samples from ACPA‐positive healthy individuals, symptomatic individuals, and patients with established RA in 5 collections from The Netherlands, Canada, and Austria. We determined the dynamics of avidity maturation of ACPAs from the predisease stage to established disease in 1 case from the native North American population and in 10 cases from a Dutch blood donor cohort.ResultsThe overall ACPA response was characterized by low‐avidity antibodies. Higher‐avidity ACPAs were observed in symptomatic patients only, while low‐avidity ACPAs were observed in both healthy subjects and patients. In longitudinal samples obtained from subjects prior to disease onset, ACPA avidity increased over time until disease onset. No further avidity maturation was observed after disease onset.ConclusionOur findings indicate that avidity maturation of the ACPA response takes place prior to disease onset.
Steam Reforming of Bio‐Oil for Hydrogen Production: Effect of Ni‐Co Bimetallic Catalysts
Authors: Zhang Y. , Li W. , Zhang S. , Xu Q. , Yan Y. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractVarious Ni‐Co bimetallic catalysts were prepared by incorporating sol‐gel and wet impregnation methods. A laboratory‐scale fixed‐bed reactor was employed to investigate their effects on hydrogen production from steam reforming of bio‐oil. The catalyst causes the condensation reaction of bio‐oil, which generates coke and inhibits the formation of gas at temperatures of 250 °C and 350 °C. At 450 °C and above the transformation of bio‐oil is initiated and gaseous products are generated. The catalyst also can promote the generation of H2 as well as the transformation of CO and CH4 and plays an active role in steam reforming of bio‐oil or gaseous products from bio‐oil pyrolysis. The developed 3Ni9Co/Ce‐Zr‐O catalyst achieved maximum hydrogen yield and lowest coke formation rate and provided a better stability than a commercial Ni‐based catalyst.
Insights into Protein Sorption and Desorption on Dextran‐Modified Ion‐Exchange Media
Authors: Bowes B. D. , Traylor S. J. , Timmick S. M. , Czymmek K. J. , Lenhoff A. M. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractA diverse array of experimental techniques was used to compare protein sorption and transport on agarose‐based resins with and without dextran extenders. Van 't Hoff plots indicated similar trends for lysozyme on the resins, with enthalpically dominated sorption. Salt breakthrough curves demonstrated significant exclusion of salt from the dextran, consistent with Donnan equilibrium predictions. Polarization‐sensitive confocal microscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) exhibited little effect of dextran modification on the respective rotational and translation mobilities of adsorbed protein at equilibrium. Finally, confocal microscopy imaging of intraparticle elution behavior showed that slower elution can occur for dextran‐modified resins.
From an Octakis(3‐cyanopropyl)silsesquioxane Building Block to a Highly COOH‐Functionalized Hybrid Organic–Inorganic Material
Authors: Boullanger Arnaud , Gracy Guillaume , Bibent Nicolas , Devautour‐Vinot Sabine , Clément Sébastien , Mehdi Ahmad 
Published: December 2011

AbstractA new nanostructured and highly COOH‐functionalized hybrid organic–inorganic material has been synthesized by the hydrolysis of oligomeric octahedral silsesquioxane (POSS), which contains eight cyanopropyl groups. The hybrid, elemental building block oligomeric octakis(3‐cyanopropyl)silsesquioxane (CN‐POSS) was synthesized from oligomeric octakis(3‐chloropropyl)silsesquioxane (Cl‐POSS) by an exchange reaction. The formation and nanostructuration of the COOH‐functionalized hybrid material were induced by noncovalent hydrogen bonding between COOH‐POSS units without decomposition of the core. The material has been fully characterized by scanning electron microscopy, FTIR and 1H, 13C, and 29Si solid‐state NMR spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and elemental analysis, which confirm that the POSS core remains intact after each chemical modification step. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates that the organic units are thermally stable up to 200 °C. The activation energy related to the proton conductivity of COOH‐POSS has been evaluated and confirms the presence of strong hydrogen bonds. Finally, the accessibility and adsorption capacity of the COOH groups towards transition metal ions have been demonstrated and underline the potential of these hybrid materials in extraction chemistry.
Regioselective Formation of Silylated Cyclobutenes by the Photochemical [2+2] Cycloaddition of 2(5H)‐Furanones to Trialkylsilylacetylenes
Authors: D'Annibale Andrea , D'Auria Maurizio , Mancini Giovanna , Pace Alessio Daniel , Racioppi Rocco 
Published: December 2011

AbstractEnantiopure 5‐alkyl‐4‐methyl‐2(5H)‐furanones reacted by [2+2] photochemical cycloaddition with several trialkylsilylacetylenes to afford regioselectively 3‐oxabicyclo[3.2.0]hept‐6‐en‐2‐ones silylated at the vinylic C‐7 atom. The possible reasons for such regioselectivity are discussed. The anti/syn stereoselectivity of the photocycloaddition depends on the nature of the alkyl group on the silicon atom in the starting silylacetylenes.
Nitrogen‐ and Phosphorus‐Containing Lewis Base Catalyzed [4+2] and [3+2] Annulation Reactions of Isatins with But‐3‐yn‐2‐one
Authors: Lian Zhong , Shi Min 
Published: December 2011

AbstractNitrogen‐ and phosphorus‐containing Lewis base catalyzed [4+2] and [3+2] annulations of isatins with but‐3‐yn‐2‐one proceeded smoothly to give the corresponding spiro[indoline‐3,2′‐pyran]‐2,4′(3′H)‐diones and spiro[furan‐2,3′‐indoline]‐2′,4(5H)‐diones in good‐to‐excellent yields under mild conditions. The substrate scope has been carefully examined. Moreover, the additive effect of water has also been investigated in detail along with plausible reaction mechanisms based on previous literature and our own investigations.
Incorporating biological information into association studies of sequencing data
Authors: Chen Gary , Wei Peng , DeStefano Anita L. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractWe summarize the methodological contributions from Group 3 of Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 (GAW17). The overarching goal of these methods was the evaluation and enhancement of state‐of‐the‐art approaches in integration of biological knowledge into association studies of rare variants. We found that methods loosely fell into three major categories: (1) hypothesis testing of index scores based on aggregating rare variants at the gene level, (2) variable selection techniques that incorporate biological prior information, and (3) novel approaches that integrate external (i.e., not provided by GAW17) prior information, such as pathway and single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) annotations. Commonalities among the findings from these contributions are that gene‐based analysis of rare variants is advantageous to single‐SNP analysis and that the minor allele frequency threshold to identify rare variants may influence power and thus needs to be carefully considered. A consistent increase in power was also identified by considering only nonsynonymous SNPs in the analyses. Overall, we found that no single method had an appreciable advantage over the other methods. However, methods that carried out sensitivity analyses by comparing biologically informative to noninformative prior probabilities demonstrated that integrating biological knowledge into statistical analyses always, at the least, enabled subtle improvements in the performance of any statistical method applied to these simulated data. Although these statistical improvements reflect the simulation model assumed for GAW17, our hope is that the simulation models provide a reasonable representation of the underlying biology and that these methods can thus be of utility in real data. Genet. Epidemiol. 35:S29–S34, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Identification of genetic association of multiple rare variants using collapsing methods
Authors: Sun Yan V. , Sung Yun Ju , Tintle Nathan , Ziegler Andreas 
Published: December 2011

AbstractNext‐generation sequencing technology allows investigation of both common and rare variants in humans. Exomes are sequenced on the population level or in families to further study the genetics of human diseases. Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 (GAW17) provided exomic data from the 1000 Genomes Project and simulated phenotypes. These data enabled evaluations of existing and newly developed statistical methods for rare variant sequence analysis for which standard statistical methods fail because of the rareness of the alleles. Various alternative approaches have been proposed that overcome the rareness problem by combining multiple rare variants within a gene. These approaches are termed collapsing methods, and our GAW17 group focused on studying the performance of existing and novel collapsing methods using rare variants. All tested methods performed similarly, as measured by type I error and power. Inflated type I error fractions were consistently observed and might be caused by gametic phase disequilibrium between causal and noncausal rare variants in this relatively small sample as well as by population stratification. Incorporating prior knowledge, such as appropriate covariates and information on functionality of SNPs, increased the power of detecting associated genes. Overall, collapsing rare variants can increase the power of identifying disease‐associated genes. However, studying genetic associations of rare variants remains a challenging task that requires further development and improvement in data collection, management, analysis, and computation. Genet. Epidemiol. 35:S101–S106, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of linkage disequilibrium on the identification of functional variants
Authors: Thomas Alun , Abel Haley J. , Di Yanming , Faye Laura L. , Jin Jing , Liu Jin , Wu Zheyan , Paterson Andrew D. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractWe summarize the contributions of Group 9 of Genetic Analysis Workshop 17. This group addressed the problems of linkage disequilibrium and other longer range forms of allelic association when evaluating the effects of genotypes on phenotypes. Issues raised by long‐range associations, whether a result of selection, stratification, possible technical errors, or chance, were less expected but proved to be important. Most contributors focused on regression methods of various types to illustrate problematic issues or to develop adaptations for dealing with high‐density genotype assays. Study design was also considered, as was graphical modeling. Although no method emerged as uniformly successful, most succeeded in reducing false‐positive results either by considering clusters of loci within genes or by applying smoothing metrics that required results from adjacent loci to be similar. Two unexpected results that questioned our assumptions of what is required to model linkage disequilibrium were observed. The first was that correlations between loci separated by large genetic distances can greatly inflate single‐locus test statistics, and, whether the result of selection, stratification, possible technical errors, or chance, these correlations seem overabundant. The second unexpected result was that applying principal components analysis to genome‐wide genotype data can apparently control not only for population structure but also for linkage disequilibrium. Genet. Epidemiol. 35:S115–S119, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Missense PANK2 mutation without “Eye of the tiger” sign: MR findings in a large group of patients with pantothenate kinase‐associated neurodegeneration (PKAN)
Authors: Delgado Rafael Fermin , Sanchez Pedro Roa , Speckter Herwin , Then Eddy Perez , Jimenez Ramney , Oviedo Jairo , Dellani Paulo R. , Foerster Bernd , Stoeter Peter 
Published: December 2011

AbstractPurpose:To present some unusual MR findings in a group of patients from the south‐west of the Dominican Republic suffering from Pantothenate Kinase Associated Neurodegeneration (PKAN).Materials and Methods:Twenty patients and one preclinical case homozygous for the PANK2 mutation, 13 heterozygous gene carriers and 14 healthy volunteers were scanned prospectively using a 3 Tesla system.Results:All patients showed the typical signal reduction within the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra. A surprising finding was the absence of the bright spot (“tiger's eye”) in the medial part of the pallidum in 6 patients, but not in the preclinical case. Both fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were increased with high significance in the globus pallidus, whereas a reduction of FA in the anterior parts of the internal capsule was accompanied by an elevation of MD.Conclusion:Our findings support the hypothesis that the absence of the “tiger's eye” in PKAN might be secondary, probably caused by an increased accumulation of iron. This could artificially increase FA and MD values and change fiber tracking results. Except for the fronto‐basal tracts, white matter was preserved well. This encouraging finding might support efforts to develop further therapeutic strategies in this devastating dystonia. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:788–794. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Identification of active compounds from medicinal plant extracts using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry and multivariate data analysis
Authors: Ching Jianhong , Soh Wei‐Li , Tan Chay‐Hoon , Lee Jun‐Feng , Tan Jiun‐Yu Christina , Yang Jun , Yap Chun‐Wei , Koh Hwee‐Ling 
Published: December 2011

AbstractConventional methods of drug discovery from natural products include bioassay‐guided fractionation, which is tedious and has low efficiency. The aim of this work is to develop a platform method to rapidly identify bioactive compounds from crude plant extracts and their partially purified fractions using multivariate data analysis (MVDA). Soxhlet extraction and liquid–liquid fractionation were used to prepare different extracts and fractions from the leaves of a medicinal plant, Ardisia elliptica. The extracts and fractions were analysed chemically using GC‐MS, and their ability to inhibit platelet aggregation was investigated. Two MVDA methods were developed and optimised to analyse the results. In the first method, compounds with the highest contribution scores for biological activity calculated by different models were listed as potential antiplatelet compounds. For the second MVDA method, a correlation of the concentrations of constituents and biological activities in the various extracts and fractions for each compound was done. Compounds with the highest correlation coefficients were identified as potential antiplatelet compounds. One of the predicted components was isolated, purified and confirmed to possess antiplatelet effects. This platform method can be developed and optimised for other plant extracts and biological activities, thus reducing time and cost of drug discovery while improving efficiency.
Er:YAG laser debonding of porcelain veneers
Authors: Morford Cynthia K. , Buu Natalie C.H. , Rechmann Beate M.T. , Finzen Frederick C. , Sharma Arun B. , Rechmann Peter 
Published: December 2011

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesThe removal of porcelain veneers using Er:YAG lasers has not been previously described in the scientific literature. This study was designed to systematically investigate the efficacy of an Er:YAG laser on veneer debonding, possibly without damage to the underlying tooth, and preservation of the veneer integrity.Study Design/Materials and MethodsThe Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy was used on 10 flat veneer samples (IPS Empress Esthetic, e.max Press HT) to assess which infrared laser wavelengths transmits through a veneer. Additionally, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra for a bonding cement (RelyX) were obtained. Consequently, Er:YAG laser energy transmission (wavelength 2,940 nm, 10 Hz repetition rate, pulse duration 100 µseconds at 133 mJ/pulse) through different veneer thicknesses was measured. Twenty‐four veneers were bonded to freshly extracted and prepared incisors. The energy necessary for debonding was determined and then the veneers were debonded with the laser. Time needed for total debonding was measured and possible damage to the underlying tooth structure was assessed by light microscopy.ResultsWhile the veneer materials did not show any characteristic water absorption bands in the FTIR, the bonding cement showed a broad H2O/OH absorption band. The veneers transmitted between 11.5% and 43.7% of the incident Er:YAG energy with Emax transmitting twice the energy as EE at comparable thicknesses. Initial signs of cement ablation occurred at 1.8–4.0 J/cm2 with the fiber tip positioned at a distance of 3–6 mm from the veneer surface and 133 mJ output energy. All 24 bonded veneers were completely removed with an average removal time of 113 ± 76 seconds. Underlying tooth structure was not damaged. The debonding mainly occurred at the cement/veneer interface. None of the Emax veneers fractured during debonding, while 36% of the EE did.ConclusionEr:YAG laser irradiation effectively debonds porcelain veneers while preserving tooth structure. Maintaining veneer integrity possibly depends on the flexure strength of the veneer porcelain. Lasers Surg. Med. 43:965–974, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.