bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparative effects of fatty acids on proinflammatory gene cyclooxygenase 2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in retinal pigment epithelial cells
Authors: Fang I‐Mo , Yang Chang‐Hao , Yang Chung‐May , Chen Muh‐Shy 
Published: May 2009

AbstractDietary fat modification is a promising approach to prevent age‐related macular degeneration (AMD). However, which types of fatty acids carry a greater risk for AMD remains unclear. In this study, we compared the effects of 18‐carbon fatty acids with different degrees of unsaturation on the expression of the proinflammatory genes cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Additionally, we investigated whether lutein could modulate these genes induced by fatty acids in RPE. Treatment with oleic acid, linoleic acid (LA), or linolenic acid increased the expression of iNOS and COX‐2 genes and the production of prostaglandin E2and nitric oxide (NO) in RPE, whereas the saturated fatty acid stearic acid had little effect on these genes. Of the fatty acids studied, LA had the greatest effects on the induction of these genes. Furthermore, LA also induced NF‐κB transcriptional activation the most. Lutein inhibited LA‐induced expression of COX‐2 and iNOS in a dose‐dependent manner. These data suggested that specific unsaturated fatty acids, particularly LA, can stimulate RPE cells to express proinflammatory genes, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of AMD. Lutein inhibited the expression of these genes induced by LA through blockade of NF‐κB activation.
Phenethyl isothiocyanate inhibits STAT3 activation in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Gong Aiyu , He Meilan , Krishna Vanaja Donkena , Yin Ping , Karnes R. Jeffrey , Young Charles Y. F. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractThis study was undertaken to investigate the mechanism by which phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), a natural compound from cruciferous vegetables, exhibits antitumor effect on prostate cancer cells. Cell proliferation, cell cycle, Western blot, gene transfer, and reporter assays were used to test the effects of PEITC on the growth and IL6/JAK/STAT3 pathway in prostate cancer. The result showed that PEITC significantly inhibited DU145 cell proliferation in a dose‐dependent manner and induced the cell arrest at G2‐M phase. PEITC inhibited both constitutive and IL‐6‐induced STAT3 activity in DU145 cells. IL‐6‐stimulated phosphorylation of JAK2, an STAT3 upstream kinase, was also attenuated by PEITC. Moreover, an antioxidant reagent, N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC) which suppresses reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, reversed the early inhibitory effects of PEITC on cell proliferation, constitutive or IL‐6‐mediated JAK‐STAT3 phosphorylation in PCa cells. Taken together, our data demonstrated that PEITC can inhibit the activation of the JAK‐STAT3 signal‐cascade in prostate cancer cells and the underlying mechanism may be partially involved with blocking cellular ROS production during the early stage of the signaling activation by IL‐6.
A link between the interleukin‐6/Stat3 anti‐apoptotic pathway and microRNA‐21 in preimplantation mouse embryos
Authors: Shen Xing‐Hui , Han Young‐Joon , Zhang Ding‐Xiao , Cui Xiang‐Shun , Kim Nam‐Hyung 
Published: May 2009

AbstractSignal transducers and activators of transcription‐3 (Stat3) plays a central role in interleukin‐6 (IL‐6)‐mediated cell proliferation by inhibiting apoptosis in a variety of cell types. MicroRNA‐21 (miRNA‐21), a ubiquitous miRNA, acts as an anti‐apoptotic factor that seems to be indirectly but strictly linked to Stat3. In order to determine whether the IL‐6 induced Stat3 anti‐apoptosis pathway is linked with miRNA‐21, we first determined the effects of recombinant mouse IL‐6 on Stat3 expression, mouse embryo viability, and the mRNA levels of apoptosis related genes and miRNA‐21 during mouse embryo development in vitro. Addition of 10 or 100 ng/ml of recombinant IL‐6 to the culture medium did not affect the developmental ability of 2‐cell stage embryos into blastocysts. However, total cell number was significantly increased and apoptosis was reduced in blastocyst stage embryos cultured in the presence of 100 ng/ml of recombinant IL‐6. Furthermore, addition of recombinant IL‐6 to the culture medium significantly increased the copy numbers of anti‐apoptotic miRNA‐21, up‐regulated Bcl2l1, and down‐regulated casp3. Similarly, the injection of mature miRNA‐21 into cells up‐regulated Bcl2l1 and down‐regulated casp3. These results suggest that the induction of the Stat3 anti‐apoptotic pathway by IL‐6 is linked to miRNA‐21 expression, which possibly results in the regulation of cell apoptosis in early mouse embryo development. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 76: 854–862, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bias–variance trade‐off in pharmacoepidemiological studies using physician‐preference‐based instrumental variables: a simulation study
Authors: Ionescu‐Ittu Raluca , Delaney Joseph A.C. , Abrahamowicz Michal 
Published: May 2009

AbstractPurposeInstrumental variables (IV) methodology removes bias due to unobserved confounding by replacing in the analysis the treatment with another variable—the instrument—that is well correlated with the treatment and independent of confounders. Recently, physician drug preference, operationalized as the treatment prescribed to the previous patient of the same physician, was proposed as an instrument in database studies comparing two competing drugs. We assessed, in simulations, how the performance of the IV estimates depends on the strength of this instrument.MethodsThe ‘physician preference’ instrument correlates well with the treatment only if physician preferences affect the treatment received by a large fraction of patients. Yet, often there is a subgroup of patients whose treatment cannot be affected by physician's preferences. The larger this subgroup is, the weaker the instrument. We investigated the impact of weakening this instrument on the performance of IV estimates, by comparing risk difference estimates from the conventional and IV analyses in the presence of an unobserved confounder, for both continuous and binary outcomes.ResultsThe IV estimates were uniformly less biased than the conventional estimates, but had higher variance. Accordingly, the bias–variance trade‐off favors the IV estimates only when physician' preference is a strong instrument. Still, the coverage rate of the 95%CI for the IV estimates was very close to the nominal 95%, while it was consistently lower for the conventional estimates.ConclusionResearchers should consider using the ‘physician preference’ instrument when comparing two competing drugs, but should be aware of the underlying assumptions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is physician adherence to prescription guidelines a general trait of health care practices or dependent on drug type?—A multilevel logistic regression analysis in South Sweden
Authors: Ohlsson Henrik , Merlo Juan 
Published: May 2009

AbstractPurposeTherapeutic traditions at health care practices (HCPs) influence physicians' adherence to prescription guidelines for specific drugs, however, it is not known if such traditions affect all kinds of prescriptions or only specific types of drug. Our goal was to determine whether adherence to prescription guidelines is a common trait of HCPs or dependent on drug type.MethodsWe fitted separate multi‐level logistic regression models to all patients in the Skåne region who received a prescription for a statin drug (ATC: C10AA, n = 6232), an agent acting on the renin‐angiotensin system (ATC: C09, n = 7222) or a proton pump inhibitor (ATC: A02BC, n = 11 563) at 198 HCPs from July 2006 to December 2006.ResultsThere was a high clustering of adherence to prescription guidelines at HCPs for the different drug types (MORagents acting on the renin‐angiotensin system = 4.72 [95% CI: 3.90–5.92], MORStatins = 2.71 [95% CI: 2.23–3.39] and MORProton pump inhibitors =  2.16 [95% CI: 1.95–2.45]). Compared with HCPs with low adherence to guidelines in two drug types, those HCPs with the highest level of adherence for these two drug types also showed a higher probability of adherence for the third drug type.ConclusionPhysicians' decisions to follow prescription guidelines seem to be influenced by therapeutic traditions at the HCP. Moreover, these therapeutic traditions seem to affect all kinds of prescriptions. This information can be used as basis for interventions to support rational and cost‐effective medication use. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Increased prevalence of risk factors for morbidity and mortality in the US Hispanic CF population
Authors: Watts Kimberly Danieli , Seshadri Roopa , Sullivan Christine , McColley Susanna A. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractHispanic ethnicity is an independent risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. In order to compare the prevalence of risk factors for morbidity and mortality between the Hispanic CF population and the non‐Hispanic CF population, we performed a cross‐sectional study of patients in the 2004 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry. Among 22,714 CF patients, 1,511 were identified as ethnic Hispanic. Hispanic patients were diagnosed earlier (2.8 vs. 3.3 years,P = 0.005) and acquiredPseudomonas aeruginosaat a younger age (6.6 years vs. 10 years,P < 0.001). FEV1was lower for Hispanic patients (81.5% vs. 87% predicted for those under 18 years old [P < 0.001] and 2.1 L vs. 2.3 L for those 18 years and older [P = 0.01]). Hispanic patients had similar or better nutritional status. Hispanic patients were more likely to be diagnosed with liver disease (OR 1.31 [1.1, 1.56]) but less likely to be diagnosed with depression (OR 0.53 [0.39, 0.68]), bone and joint disease (OR 0.55 [0.41, 0.71]), or CF‐related diabetes (OR 0.53 [0.43, 0.62]). Hispanic patients had lower median income by zip code ($41,930 vs. $47,341;P < 0.001), a higher rate of government insurance (55.2% vs. 32.0%;P < 0.001), and greater percentage of mothers with less than a high school education (26.7% vs. 6.5%;P < 0.001). We conclude that there is an increased prevalence of important risk factors for morbidity and mortality in the Hispanic CF population. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2009; 44:594–601. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tuning the lifetime of the surface plasmon upon sputtering
Authors: Politano A. , Chiarello G. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractThe lifetime of the surface plasmon in sputtered Ag ultrathin films on Cu(111) was investigated by high‐resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy measurements. The linewidth of the surface plasmon was found to follow a square‐root dependence on the fluence. Such finding allows the tuning of the lifetime of the plasmonic excitation upon sputtering and has general implications in plasmon‐based spectroscopies and in plasmon‐mediated processes across the films and at their surfaces. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Xanthine oxidase inhibiting effects of noni (Morinda citrifolia) fruit juice
Authors: Palu Afa , Deng Shixin , West Brett , Jensen Jarakae 
Published: May 2009

AbstractMorinda citrifolia L. (noni), family Rubiaceae, has been used in Polynesia for over 2000 years for its reputed health benefits, one of which is its therapeutic effects on gout (langa e hokotanga hui). However, its healing mechanism has not been elucidated. This study showed that in an in vitro bioassay that Tahitian Noni® Juice (TNJ) inhibited xanthine oxidase (XO) concentration dependently. Concentrations of 1, 5 and 10 mg/mL of TNJ inhibited XO by 11%, 113% and 148%, respectively, with an IC50 of 3.8 mg compared with an IC50 of 2.4 µm for allopurinol. Noni fruit juice concentrate (NFJC) also inhibited XO concentration dependently. Concentrations of 1 and 5 mg/mL NFJC inhibited XO in vitro by 184% and 159%, respectively. A 0.1 mg/mL methanol extract (NFJME) from the fractionation of noni fruit puree inhibited XO by 64%. It was elucidated that the noni fruit juice inhibitory effect on XO enzymes is the mechanism by which noni ameliorates gout and gout‐like diseases. Further, the results also support the traditional usage of noni in the treatment of gout. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stable boundary layer: Parametrizations for local and larger scales
Authors: Savijärvi Hannu 
Published: May 2009

AbstractStability functions f(Ri) for a very stable boundary layer were studied by experimenting in winter Antarctic conditions with a one‐dimensional (1D) numerical model and comparing with the Plateau Site tower observations. The local representations for f(Ri) produced good simulations of the temperature profiles and wind hodographs, while the standard Monin–Obukhov formulation indicated too little, and the general‐circulation model (GCM)‐type formulations too much, vertical mixing.Next, idealised simulations were made for winter‐night hilly northern Finland landscape with a high‐resolution 2D model, using a local f(Ri) at each column. Realistic quasi‐steady mesoscale katabatic flows resulted. These enhanced vertical mixing both locally and regionally. Area‐averaged (i.e. regional) surface fluxes were compared with those obtained from simulations using GCM‐type large‐scale stability functions over flat land. New parametrizations for both local and larger scales are suggested based on the experiments. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society
Diastereochemical differentiation of bicyclic diols using metal complexation and collision‐induced dissociation mass spectrometry
Authors: Pakarinen Jaana M. H. , Vainiotalo Pirjo 
Published: May 2009

AbstractMetal complex formation was investigated for di‐exo‐, di‐endo‐ and trans‐2,3‐ and 2,5‐disubstituted trinorbornanediols, and di‐exo‐ and di‐endo‐ 2,3‐disubstituted camphanediols using different divalent transition metals (Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+) and electrospray ionization quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry. Many metal‐coordinated complex ions were formed for cobalt and nickel: [2M+Met]2+, [3M+Met]2+, [M–H+Met]+, [2M–H+Met]+, [M+MetX]+, [2M+MetX]+ and [3M–H+Co]+, where M is the diol, Met is the metal used and X is the counter ion (acetate, chloride, nitrate). Copper showed the weakest formation of metal complexes with di‐exo‐2,3‐disubstituted trinorbornanediol yielding only the minor singly charged ions [M–H+Cu]+, [2M–H+Cu]+ and [2M+CuX]+. No clear differences were noted for cobalt complex formation, especially for cis‐2,3‐disubstituted isomers. However, 2,5‐disubstituted trinorbornanediols showed moderate diastereomeric differentiation because of the unidentate nature of the sterically more hindered exo‐isomer. trans‐Isomers gave rise to abundant [3M–H+Co]+ ion products, which may be considered a characteristic ion for bicyclo[221]heptane trans‐2,3‐ and trans‐2,5‐diols. To differentiate cis‐2,3‐isomers, the collision‐induced dissociation (CID) products for [3M+Co]2+, [M+CoOAc]+, [2M–H+Co]+ and [2M+CoOAc]+ cobalt complexes were investigated. The results of the CID of the monomeric and dimeric metal adduct complexes [M+CoOAc]+ and [2M–H+Co]+ were stereochemically controlled and could be used for stereochemical differentiation of the compounds investigated. In addition, the structures and relative energies of some complex ions were studied using hybrid density functional theory calculations. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determination of mycotoxins in different food commodities by ultra‐high‐pressure liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry
Authors: Beltrán Eduardo , Ibáñez María , Sancho Juan Vicente , Hernández Félix 
Published: May 2009

AbstractA rapid multianalyte‐multiclass method with little sample manipulation has been developed for the simultaneous determination of eleven mycotoxins in different food commodities by using ultra‐high‐pressure liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS/MS). Toxins were extracted from the samples with acetonitrile/water (80:20, v/v) 0.1% HCOOH and, after a two‐fold dilution with water, directly injected into the system. Thanks to the fast high‐resolution separation of UHPLC, the eleven mycotoxins were separated by gradient elution in only 4 min. The method has been validated in three food matrices (maize kernels, dry pasta (wheat), and eight‐multicereal babyfood (wheat, maize, rice, oat, barley, rye, sorghum, millet)) at four different concentration levels. Satisfactory recoveries were obtained (70–110%) and precision (expressed as relative standard deviation) was typically below 15% with very few exceptions. Quantification of samples was carried out with matrix‐matched standards calibration. The lowest concentration successfully validated in sample was as low as 0.5 µg/kg for aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in babyfood, and 20 µg/kg for the rest of the selected mycotoxins in all matrices tested. Deoxynivalenol could be only validated at 200 µg/kg, due the poor sensitivity for this mycotoxin analysis. With only two exceptions (HT‐2 and deoxynivalenol), the limits of detection (LODs), estimated for a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3 from the chromatograms of samples spiked at the lowest level validated, varied between 0.1 and 1 µg/kg in the three food matrices tested. The method was applied to the analysis of different kinds of samples. Positive findings were confirmed by acquiring two transitions (Q quantification, q confirmation) and evaluating the Q/q ratio. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of metabolites in rat plasma after intravenous administration of salvianolic acid A by liquid chromatography/time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry
Authors: Shen Yi , Wang Xueyan , Xu Lihua , Liu Xiaowei , Chao Ruobing 
Published: May 2009

AbstractSalvianolic acid A (SalA) is one of the main active constituents in Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen). Although the pharmacokinetics of SalA in rats after intravenous (i.v.) administration of Danshen injection has been reported, the information relevant to the metabolites of SalA in vivo is absent so far. In this study, by means of liquid chromatography with time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (LC/TOFMS) and liquid chromatography with ion trap mass spectrometry (LC/MSn) techniques, the unknown metabolites of SalA in rat plasma after i.v. administration of the purified SalA at the dose of 20 mg/kg body weight were identified. A liquid‐liquid extraction method was established to separate the metabolites from the plasma and the chromatographic separations were performed on a Xterra MS C18 column (100 mm × 4.6 mm i.d., 3.5 µm) with acetonitrile/methanol/water/formic acid (20.5:19.5:64: 0.05, v/v/v/v) as the mobile phase at a constant flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. Based on the data obtained from the LC/TOFMS determination (the total ion chromatograms, MS spectra and extracted ion chromatograms), in combination with the characteristic fragment ions acquired from the LC/MSn determination, five metabolites were identified as SalA‐monoglucuronide, monomethyl‐SalA‐monoglucuronide, mono‐methyl‐SalA, dimethyl‐SalA and dimethyl‐SalA‐monoglucuronide, and the possible chemical structures were deduced. The results indicated that SalA might mainly undergo two metabolic pathways in vivo in rats, which were methylation and glucuronidation. The present studies have laid a solid foundation for the metabolic mechanism of SalA in vivo. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Toxicity Assessments of Multisized Gold and Silver Nanoparticles in Zebrafish Embryos
Authors: Bar‐Ilan Ofek , Albrecht Ralph M. , Fako Valerie E. , Furgeson Darin Y. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractThe potential toxicity of nanoparticles is addressed by utilizing a putative attractive model in developmental biology and genetics: the zebrafish (Danio rerio). Transparent zebrafish embryos, possessing a high degree of homology to the human genome, offer an economically feasible, medium‐througput screening platform for noninvasive real‐time assessments of toxicity. Using colloidal silver (cAg) and gold nanoparticles (cAu) in a panoply of sizes (3, 10, 50, and 100 nm) and a semiquantitative scoring system, it is found that cAg produces almost 100% mortality at 120 h post‐fertilization, while cAu produces less than 3% mortality at the same time point. Furthermore, while cAu induces minimal sublethal toxic effects, cAg treatments generate a variety of embryonic morphological malformations. Both cAg and cAu are taken up by the embryos and control experiments, suggesting that cAg toxicity is caused by the nanoparticles themselves or Ag+ that is formed during in vivo nanoparticle destabilization. Although cAg toxicity is slightly size dependent at certain concentrations and time points, the most striking result is that parallel sizes of cAg and cAu induce significantly different toxic profiles, with the former being toxic and the latter being inert in all exposed sizes. Therefore, it is proposed that nanoparticle chemistry is as, if not more, important than specific nanosizes at inducing toxicity in vivo. Ultimately such assessments using the zebrafish embryo model should lead to the identification of nanomaterial characteristics that afford minimal or no toxicity and guide more rational designs of materials on the nanoscale.
The determination of resudual alcohol in defatted alcohol washed soybean flakes
Authors: Black L. T. , Kirk L. D. , Mustakas G. C. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractA method is deseribed for determination of residual alcohol in soybean flakes washed with aqueous alcohol and desolventized to prepare a high‐protein food supplement. Theamount of alcohol removed from the flakes by extraction with acetone is determined quantitatively by esterification with phthalic anhydride. An excess of reagent is required since water, present in the sample causes a secondary reaction which consumes phthalic anhydride. This analysis has been applied to flakes containing from 0.2 to 10% of methanol, ethanol, or isopropanol. Accuracy of the method was established by adding known amounts of the three alcohols to soybean flakes. A relative error of less than 1% was obtained with a standard derivation of 0.05%.
X‐ray powder diffraction data on salts of ॅ‐sulfonated long chain acids
Authors: Lutz D. A. , Weil J. K. , Stirton A. J. , Witnauer L. P. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractThis paper reports x‐ray powder diffraction study for twentyfour salts of ॅ‐sulfonated normal long chain fatty acids. Acid and neutral sodium, potassium lithium, cesium, calcium, magnesium, and triethanolammonium salts of ॅ‐sulfolauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, and behenic acids were examined. The method can be used to identify and distinguish the individual salts and has possible application to the analysis of mixtures.
Properties of oil extracted from cottonseed with acetone‐hexane‐water solvent mixture
Authors: King Whlliam H. , Frampton Vernon L. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractSlightly more neutral oil was obtained on the exhaustive extraction of raw cottonseed meats with the acetone‐hexanewater (AHW) solvent mixture than was obtained under the same conditions with commerical hexane. Although most of the gossypol originally present in the seed is extracted with the oil when the AHW solvent mixture is used, the crude oils refined and bleached to yield oils of excellent colors. Methods of recovery of the solvent from the mixed solvent miscellas are reported, together with the refining and bleaching data for the recovered oils.
Chemical and physical characteristics and possible configuration of toxins from tung kernels
Authors: Holmes R. L. , O'Connor Robert T. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractBased on limited chemical and physical data, including the infrared and ultraviolet spectra of the toxins and their saponification products, it is suggested that Tung Toxin I and Tung Toxin II are diesters of a 2,3‐unsaturated‐5‐keto acid, a polyhydroxy acid and a 3,4‐unsaturated‐5‐keto tertiary alcohol. The 2,3‐unsaturated‐5‐keto acid is assumed to be in equilibrium with its enol tautomer, the keto form possessing a conjugated diene and the enol form a conjugated triene structure. The polyhydroxy acid is probably very similar to gluconic acid.