bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Serum cartilage metabolites as biomarkers of degenerative lumbar scoliosis
Authors: Hosogane Naobumi , Watanabe Kota , Tsuji Takashi , Miyamoto Takeshi , Ishii Ken , Niki Yasuo , Nakamura Masaya , Toyama Yoshiaki , Chiba Kazuhiro , Matsumoto Morio 
Published: January 2012

AbstractSeveral biomarkers have been used to evaluate osteoarthritis of the limb joints. Here we evaluated the use of serum cartilage metabolites as biomarkers for degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS). Fifty‐two DLS patients with Cobb angle > 10° were compared with 19 control patients. Serum levels of hyaluronic acid (HA), keratan sulfate (KS), cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), collagen type II cleavage (C2C), and procollagen type II C‐propeptide (CPII) were measured. Serum levels of KS (DLS 1.20 ± 0.44 µg/ml vs. control 0.98 ± 0.33 µg/ml), CPII (DLS 1905.1 ± 948.2 ng/ml vs. control 1223.6 ± 884.4 ng/ml), and C2C (DLS 219.1 ± 59.2 ng/ml vs. control 177.7 ± 71.7 ng/ml) were significantly higher in DLS. There were no significant differences in the levels of HA or COMP. There was a significant positive correlation between the Cobb angle and CPII in DLS. This is the first study to evaluate the cartilage biomarkers in DLS. The results suggest DLS patients have higher levels of type II collagen synthesis and degradation, indicated by elevated serum CPII and C2C, respectively. As type II collagen is a major component of collagens in the nucleus pulposus and facet joint cartilages, its enhanced turnover may be related to the development and progression of DLS. © 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 30:1249–1253, 2012
Comparison and evaluation of molecular methods used for identification and discrimination of lactic acid bacteria
Authors: Pál Károly , Szén Orsolya , Kiss Attila , Naár Zoltán 
Published: January 2012

AbstractBACKGROUND: Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains are present in a great variety of habitats, including fermented products, probiotic concoctions and the human colon. Some species are so closely related that it is difficult to distinguish them by microbiological techniques. Nevertheless, discrimination of isolates is an important issue in respect of application, and molecular methods such as restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) or species‐specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) might help in resolving this problem. In this study, PCR, RFLP and sequencing were applied to identify lactobacilli and bifidobacteria originating from various sources and the DSMZ strain collection.RESULTS: The microbiological composition of foods was analysed by molecular methods. Using species‐specific PCR primers, three restriction enzymes (AluI, HhaI and RsaI) and sequencing, three Bifidobacterium and six Lactobacillus reference strains could be distinguished and four additional lactobacilli of food origin were identified.CONCLUSION: A combination of three molecular methods resulted in successful discrimination of nine reference strains and four isolates of food origin. Since these methods are not always accurate owing to their high genetic homogeneity, it is advisable to use more than one method for the identification of L. casei and closely related species. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Antifungal activity of plant extracts against Colletotrichum lagenarium, the causal agent of anthracnose in cucumber
Authors: Chen Yijuan , Dai Guanghui 
Published: January 2012

AbstractBACKGROUND: Colletotrichum lagenarium is an important plant‐pathogenic fungus that causes anthracnose of cucumber, a disease that is widespread under both greenhouse and field cultivation. To find a promising method for the control of this disease, extracts of eight plants from China were screened in the study presented here.RESULTS: The results showed that the extract of Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl had significantly greater inhibitory activity against C. lagenarium than the other seven plant extracts tested in vitro. At 5 days after inoculation in a potted seedling experiment, C. camphora extract demonstrated 95% control of C. lagenarium at a concentration of 16 mg mL−1, and the MIC50 was 2.596 mg mL−1. Microscopic observation showed that this extract had a significant impact on the morphology of the fungus, leading to shorter hyphae that were more branched; this observation was associated with the inhibition of mycelial growth. Stability assays revealed that the extract was relatively stable at 80 °C, under acidic conditions and when exposed to light and short periods of UV radiation.CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that the extract from C. camphora could be used as a potent phytochemical fungicide. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
ARFI‐prepared MRgHIFU in liver: Simultaneous mapping of ARFI‐displacement and temperature elevation, using a fast GRE‐EPI sequence
Authors: Auboiroux Vincent , Viallon Magalie , Roland Joerg , Hyacinthe Jean‐Noël , Petrusca Lorena , Morel Denis R. , Goget Thomas , Terraz Sylvain , Gross Patrick , Becker Christoph D. , Salomir Rares 
Published: January 2012

AbstractMR acoustic radiation force imaging (ARFI) is an elegant adjunct to MR‐guided high intensity focused ultrasound for treatment planning and optimization, permitting in situ assessment of the focusing and targeting quality. The thermal effect of high intensity focused ultrasound pulses associated with ARFI measurements is recommended to be monitored on line, in particular when the beam crosses highly absorbent structures or interfaces (e.g., bones or air‐filled cavities). A dedicated MR sequence is proposed here, derived from a segmented gradient echo‐echo planar imaging kernel by adding a bipolar motion encoding gradient with interleaved alternating polarities. Temporal resolution was reduced to 2.1 s, with in‐plane spatial resolution of 1 mm. MR‐ARFI measurements were executed during controlled animal breathing, with trans‐costal successively steered foci, to investigate the spatial modulation of the focus intensity and the targeting offset. ARFI‐induced tissue displacement measurements enabled the accurate localization, in vivo, of the high intensity focused ultrasound focal point in sheep liver, with simultaneous monitoring of the temperature elevation. ARFI‐based precalibration of the focal point position was immediately followed by trans‐costal MR‐guided high intensity focused ultrasound ablation, monitored with a conventional proton resonance frequency shift MR thermometry sequence. The latter MR thermometry sequence had spatial resolution and geometrical distortion identical with the ARFI maps, hence no coregistration was required. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A kinetic model for vessel‐encoded dynamic angiography with arterial spin labeling
Authors: Okell Thomas W. , Chappell Michael A. , Schulz Ursula G. , Jezzard Peter 
Published: January 2012

AbstractThe ability to visualize blood flow in a vessel‐selective manner is of importance in a range of cerebrovascular diseases. Conventional X‐ray methods are invasive and carry risks to the patient. Recently, a noninvasive dynamic angiographic MRI‐based technique has been proposed using vessel‐encoded pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling, yielding vessel‐selective angiograms of the four main brain‐feeding arteries. In this study, a novel kinetic model for the signal evolution in such acquisitions is derived and applied to healthy volunteers and to a patient with Moya‐Moya disease. The model incorporates bolus dispersion, T1 decay and radio frequency effects and is applicable to other angiographic methods based on continuous or pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling. The model fits the data well in all subjects and yields parametric maps relating to blood volume, arrival time, and dispersion, changes to which may indicate disease. These maps are also used to generate synthesized images of blood inflow without bias from T1 decay and radio frequency effects, greatly improving collateral vessel visibility in the patient with Moya‐Moya disease. Relative volume flow rates in downstream vessels are also quantified, showing the relative importance of each feeding artery. This framework is likely to be of use in assessing collateral blood flow in patient groups. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
DANTE‐prepared pulse trains: A novel approach to motion‐sensitized and motion‐suppressed quantitative magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Li Linqing , Miller Karla L. , Jezzard Peter 
Published: January 2012

AbstractDelay alternating with nutation for tailored excitation (DANTE) pulse trains are well appreciated as frequency‐selective excitation methods in Fourier transform NMR and for spatial tagging in MRI. In this study, nonselective DANTE pulse trains are used in combination with gradient pulses and short repetition times as motion‐sensitive preparation modules. We show that while the longitudinal magnetization of static tissue is mostly preserved, flowing spins are largely (or fully) attenuated as they fail to establish transverse steady state due to a spoiling effect caused by flow along the applied gradient. The attenuation of flowing spins is effectively insensitive to spin velocity (above a low threshold) and can be approximately quantified with a simple T1 longitudinal magnetization decay model. The relevant analytical equations for moving spins and static spins during DANTE module application are derived for both transient and steady state epochs. The equations are validated by comparing analytical solutions and numerical Bloch equation simulations against experimental observations in phantoms and in vivo. Based on this contrast mechanism, the application of the DANTE preparation to black blood vessel imaging is proposed. A simple demonstration of DANTE black blood imaging modules shows that it provides excellent blood signal suppression and static tissue signal preservation. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fibrillation potential onset in peripheral nerve injury
Authors: Willmott Andrew D. , White Chris , Dukelow Sean P. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractIntroduction:Fibrillation potentials are an accepted electrical marker of muscle denervation that occur in axonal nerve injury. Clinically, they are used to determine the type of, and prognosis for nerve injuries. The time of occurrence after nerve injury plays a critical role in clinical decision making. This study explores the evolution of the generally accepted guideline that fibrillation potentials occur 1 to 4 weeks after axonal nerve injury. Methods: Pubmed, Ovid, and EMBASE, and current textbooks were reviewed. References were recursively followed back to the initial description of fibrillation potentials. Results: The majority of our understanding regarding the timing of onset of fibrillation potentials appears to arise from animal experiments in the mid‐20th century. Conclusions: Despite frequent use in human clinical care, published evidence for the 1 to 4 week guideline comes almost entirely from animal studies. An appreciation of this background and resulting limitations aids clinical application of this guideline. Muscle Nerve 46: 332–340, 2012
Altered mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling in dystrophic (mdx) muscle
Authors: Smythe Gayle M. , Forwood Jade K. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractIntroduction:Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) results from a deficiency in the protein, dystrophin. Dystrophic myotubes are susceptible to stressful stimuli. This may be partly due to altered regulation of pro‐survival signaling pathways, but a role for mitogen‐activated protein (MAP) kinases has not been investigated.Methods:We examined patterns of phosphorylation of key MAP kinase proteins in cultured myotubes responding to oxidative stress, and in muscle tissue in vivo.Results:Dystrophic (mdx) myotubes have an increased susceptibility to oxidant‐induced death compared with wild‐type (C57Bl/10ScSn) myotubes. This correlates with late phosphorylation of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK), and persistently high p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation in mdx myotubes. JNK and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) also showed altered phosphorylation levels in mdx muscle tissue.Conclusions:We show altered patterns of MAP kinase protein phosphorylation in dystrophic muscle in vitro and in vivo. These pathways may be novel pharmacological targets for treating DMD. Muscle Nerve 46: 374–383, 2012
Spatially resolved photocurrent mapping of efficient organic solar cells fabricated on a woven mesh electrode
Authors: Kylberg William , de Castro Fernando Araujo , Chabrecek Peter , Geiger Thomas , Heier Jakob , Nicholson Patrick G. , Nüesch Frank , Theocharous Evangelos , Sonderegger Uriel , Hany Roland 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTFlexible organic photovoltaic devices may soon find applications in various fields, such as portable electronics or building‐integrated photovoltaics, occupying market niches that are currently not covered by the prevailing photovoltaic technology based on silicon and other inorganic materials. For these applications, there is an urgent need to replace the commonly used indium tin oxide by transparent and electrically conductive materials that can be processed cost‐effectively by large‐area compatible printing and coating processes. Here, we fabricated P3HT/PCBM organic solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of 3.1% on a flexible, transparent and conductive woven fabric electrode. The electrode is produced by a roll‐to‐roll process and consists of a polymer‐embedded fibre/metal wire grid. Metal wires protrude as little as 5 µm from the electrode plane, providing electrical contact points on a smooth surface suitable for thin film deposition. The use of spatially resolved photocurrent mapping experiments showed a high level of detailed information, with the unexpected indication that there probably exists a maximum in the cell performance versus mesh size opening and that woven fabric electrodes with largest geometrical open area do not necessarily perform better. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Proteomics and plant disease: Advances in combating a major threat to the global food supply
Authors: Rampitsch Christof , Bykova Natalia V. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractThe study of plant disease and immunity is benefiting tremendously from proteomics. Parallel streams of research from model systems, from pathogens in vitro and from the relevant pathogen‐crop interactions themselves have begun to reveal a model of how plants succumb to invading pathogens and how they defend themselves without the benefit of a circulating immune system. In this review, we discuss the contribution of proteomics to these advances, drawing mainly on examples from crop‐fungus interactions, from Arabidopsis‐bacteria interactions, from elicitor‐based model systems and from pathogen studies, to highlight also the important contribution of non‐crop systems to advancing crop protection.
The current state of microbial proteomics: Where we are and where we want to go
Authors: Chao Tzu‐Chiao , Hansmeier Nicole 
Published: January 2012

AbstractProteomics allows the assessment of cellular processes in an unprecedented scale by providing a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative overview of the protein content of a cell. Consequently, proteomics has been employed to investigate a multitude of bacterial processes ranging from the analysis of environmental communities, identification of virulence factors to the proteome‐guided optimization of production strains. Proteomics has, in short, become an indispensable tool for the global analysis of bacterial physiology. Nonetheless, challenges exist, especially in the accurate prediction of phenotypic consequences based on any given proteome composition. In this review, we will give an overview of current highlights in the area of microbial proteomics, discuss some current challenges and present new developments that may help in overcoming them.
Profiling protease activities by dynamic proteomics workflows
Authors: Klingler Diana , Hardt Markus 
Published: January 2012

AbstractProteases play prominent roles in many physiological processes and the pathogenesis of various diseases, which makes them interesting drug targets. To fully understand the functional role of proteases in these processes, it is necessary to characterize the target specificity of the enzymes, identify endogenous substrates and cleavage products as well as protease activators and inhibitors. The complexity of these proteolytic networks presents a considerable analytic challenge. To comprehensively characterize these systems, quantitative methods that capture the spatial and temporal distributions of the network members are needed. Recently, activity‐based workflows have come to the forefront to tackle the dynamic aspects of proteolytic processing networks in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo. In this review, we will discuss how mass spectrometry‐based approaches can be used to gain new insights into protease biology by determining substrate specificities, profiling the activity‐states of proteases, monitoring proteolysis in vivo, measuring reaction kinetics and defining in vitro and in vivo proteolytic events. In addition, examples of future aspects of protease research that go beyond mass spectrometry‐based applications are given.
Electron transfer dissociation mass spectrometry in proteomics
Authors: Kim Min‐Sik , Pandey Akhilesh 
Published: January 2012

AbstractMass spectrometry has rapidly evolved to become the platform of choice for proteomic analysis. While CID remains the major fragmentation method for peptide sequencing, electron transfer dissociation (ETD) is emerging as a complementary method for the characterization of peptides and post‐translational modifications (PTMs). Here, we review the evolution of ETD and some of its newer applications including characterization of PTMs, non‐tryptic peptides and intact proteins. We will also discuss some of the unique features of ETD such as its complementarity with CID and the use of alternating CID/ETD along with issues pertaining to analysis of ETD data. The potential of ETD for applications such as multiple reaction monitoring and proteogenomics in the future will also be discussed.
Sensitivity to silthiofam, tebuconazole and difenoconazole of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici isolates from China
Authors: Yun Yingzi , Yu Fangwei , Wang Ning , Chen Huaigu , Yin Yanni , Ma Zhonghua 
Published: January 2012

AbstractBACKGROUND: Wheat take‐all caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt) has become an emerging threat to wheat production in the last few years. Silthiofam is very effective against Ggt, and recently it has been widely used for the control of take‐all in China. However, farmers have noted a decline in control efficacy with this compound in some wheat fields, suggesting that the pathogen may have developed resistance to silthiofam.RESULTS: Of the 66 Ggt isolates collected from different locations in China, 27 were resistant to silthiofam. There was no cross‐resistance between silthiofam and tecuconazole or difenoconazole. The effectiveness of silthiofam in controlling take‐all was compromised on wheat inoculated with silthiofam‐resistant isolates. Based on the DNA fingerprinting generated by microsatellite PCR, two predominant genetic clusters were found among these isolates and were clearly associated with the sensitivity to silthiofam.CONCLUSION: Silthiofam has a high risk in the development of resistance in Ggt. Tebuconazole and difenoconazole show great potential for control of take‐all on wheat. Results from this study provide useful information for take‐all control and the management of fungicide resistance. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Impact of buffer growth on crystalline quality of GaN grown on Si(111) substrates
Authors: Drechsel Philipp , Stauss Peter , Bergbauer Werner , Rode Patrick , Fritze Stephanie , Krost Alois , Markurt Toni , Schulz Tobias , Albrecht Martin , Riechert Henning , Steegmüller Ulrich 
Published: January 2012

AbstractIn this work we focus on the impact of different buffer and nucleation layers on the corresponding crystalline quality of gallium nitride (GaN), grown by metal‐organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD). In situ curvature measurements, X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are used for advanced characterization. The influence of various growth modes on meltback etching and cracking is analyzed. Also the effect of a silicon nitride (SiN) mask on the growth of GaN and its coalescence is investigated. Furthermore, associated potential consequences for the growth of aluminium nitride (AlN) interlayers are examined to obtain a homogeneous surface without cracks and with good crystalline quality. Our studies indicate that an incomplete coalesced GaN surface located underneath the AlN interlayer leads to an increased defect density. Additionally we studied the influence of growth temperature at nucleation on the material quality and the process stability. Finally we demonstrate interlayer induced compressive strain during GaN growth with an XRD rocking‐curve full width half maximum (FWHM) as low as 450 arc seconds for the $10{\bar {1}}2$ reflection.
Comparison study of N‐ and In‐polar {0001} InN layers grown by MOVPE
Authors: Dinh Duc V. , Pristovsek M. , Solopow S. , Skuridina D. , Kneissl M. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractWe compare InN layers grown directly on c ‐plane (0001) sapphire and on (0001) GaN templates using metal‐organic vapor phase epitaxy. InN grown on nitridated c ‐plane sapphire showed N‐polarity, while InN grown on c ‐plane GaN templates showed In‐polarity. N‐polar and In‐polar InN layers showed different surface morphology and crystallinity. N‐polar InN was smoothest when grown at higher growth temperatures, while In‐polar InN was smoothest at intermediate growth temperatures. Growth mode of the N‐polar InN on sapphire is Frank‐Van der Merwe, while growth mode of the In‐polar InN on GaN templates is Volmer‐Weber. Electrical properties were similar for both layers. Lowtemperature photoluminescence of In‐polar InN layers is shifted to higher energies most likely due to biaxial compressive stresses. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Current‐voltage measurement of AlxIn1‐xN/AlN/GaN heterostructures
Authors: Pandey Saurabh , Fraboni Beatrice , Cavalcoli Daniela , Minj Albert , Cavallini Anna 
Published: January 2012

AbstractCurrent‐voltage measurements with Schottky contacts in a planar back‐to‐back configuration have been performed for InAlN/AlN/GaN heterostructures with different AlN interlayer thicknesses. We have identified the onset of a 2‐dimensional electron gas (2DEG) controlled conduction from current‐voltage curves analyses. A model has been proposed to determine the 2DEG electrical properties and the effects of the AlN thickness on the measured current‐voltage curves have been discussed. The 2DEG properties extracted from current‐voltage analyses have been compared with Hall measurements which shows excellent agreement in values. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)