bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genetically Detoxified Pertussis Toxin Induces Th1/Th17 Immune Response through MAPKs and IL-10-Dependent Mechanisms
Authors: Nasso Maria , Fedele Giorgio , Spensieri Fabiana , Palazzo Raffaella , Costantino Paolo , Rappuoli Rino , Ausiello Clara Maria 
Published: July 2009

Abstract
Genetically detoxified pertussis toxin (dPT) maintains the protein structure and the immunological properties, but not the enzymatic activity. In search of an adjuvant able to direct polarization of T cells to induce/potentiate protective immune response to a variety of infectious disease, we investigated the role played by dPT on human dendritic cell-driven Th polarization and analyzed the intracellular signaling events. To reach these aims, we used a highly purified dPT preparation devoid of contamination and monocyte-derived dendritic cells, a well-characterized model to study ex vivo the polarization of the immune responses. First, we analyzed dPT-induced monocyte-derived dendritic cell maturation, longevity, and cytokine production and, in a second step, we analyzed TLR4/2 engagement by dPT, the connected signaling events, and their relevance to the skewing of Th cell polarization. These approaches allowed us to clarify some of the mechanisms that are responsible for dPT-driven regulation of T cell polarization. We demonstrated that dPT acts utilizing TLR4/TLR2 engagement, being the signaling induced by the former stronger. dPT, through a crucial role played by MAPK and IL-10, favors the expansion of the Th1/Th17 immunity. Indirect evidences indicated that dPT-induced Th17 expansion is counterregulated by the PI3K pathway. For its properties and being already used in humans as vaccine Ag in pertussis, dPT may represents a valid candidate adjuvant to foster immune protective response in vaccines against infectious diseases where Th1/Th17 are mediating host immunity.
The p110δ Isoform of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Controls Susceptibility to Leishmania major by Regulating Expansion and Tissue Homing of Regulatory T Cells
Authors: Liu Dong , Zhang Tingting , Marshall Aaron J. , Okkenhaug Klaus , Vanhaesebroeck Bart , Uzonna Jude E. 
Published: July 2009

Abstract
Resistance to Leishmania major and most intracellular pathogens is usually associated with a strong T cell-mediated immunity, particularly a CD4+ Th1 response. Mice with an inactivating knock-in mutation in the p110δ isoform of PI3K (referred to as p110δD910A) show severely impaired T cell responses. Because a strong T cell response is thought to mediate resistance to intracellular pathogens, we examined the outcome of L. major infection in p110δD910A mice. Paradoxically, p110δD910A mice on “resistant” and “susceptible” genetic backgrounds showed more robust resistance manifested as significantly reduced lesion size and accelerated parasite clearance. This enhanced resistance was associated with dramatically diminished immune responses, including impaired cell proliferation and effector cytokine (IFN-γ and TNF) production. Interestingly, the ability of macrophages and dendritic cells from p110δD910A mice to produce NO and destroy Leishmania parasites was similar to those of wild-type mice. We show that the enhanced resistance of p110δD910A mice was due to impaired expansion and effector functions of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Adoptive transfer studies demonstrated that p110δD910A mice lost their increased resistance when given enriched Tregs from wild-type mice. We suggest on the basis of these and further observations that the lack of this enzyme prominently affects Treg expansion and homing to infection sites, and that in the absence of Tregs, weak Th1 responses are capable of containing parasites and prevent pathology. We also suggest that temporary pharmacological inhibition of this enzyme may be a very effective form of treatment against cutaneous leishmaniasis.
The Veterans Health Administration: A Preliminary Analysis of the Influence of <i>The Independent Budget</i> and Bureaucratic Performance on Funding Trends
Authors: Kidder Elizabeth 
Published: July 2009

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health system in the U.S. with 7.9 million U.S. veterans enrolled. Both the number of veterans seeking VHA health services and the cost of delivering such services continue to rise as a result of myriad factors. Kidder examines VHA funding outcomes over the past 10 years in light of the participation of veterans' service organizations (VSOs) in committee hearings; the reliance of lawmakers upon The Independent Budget (IB); and the impact of new performance-based management initiatives on budget outcomes. Her article highlights the political nature of the VHA budget and the influential role of VSOs in funding outcomes.
Informal Ontology Design
Authors: Altheim Murray 
Published: July 2009

Wiki software has historically provided little support for any form of organizational structure. Even given the assumption that the majority of wiki users have previous experience with file system-like hierarchies, most wiki systems keep things simple (as is the wiki way) and employ a flat page structure. As a wiki grows beyond a few dozen pages, some form of organization becomes increasingly necessary. This has typically been accomplished by adding “category links” to each page, essentially ad hoc terms from an unstructured and uncontrolled vocabulary. Because these terms are themselves often undefined it can be difficult to ascertain the reason why a given page belongs to a category. Even when this is done carefully, as the number of terms in the categorization grows a classification scheme for the terms themselves likewise becomes increasingly necessary.
This paper describes problems with existing wiki and “semantic wiki” categorization schemes and outlines an approach to information organization that avoids the pitfalls of computer-based ontologies by instead looking to library science for solutions. It describes the design and implementation of a wiki system permitting user-authored assertions, which are dynamically harvested to create a Topic Map graph mirroring the explicit structure of the wiki and providing it with an underlying classification system.
Beyond the Semantic Web: the Semantic Space
Authors: Lévy Pierre 
Published: July 2009

Today, the sharing of semantics remains a conundrum. Semantics can be shared within a universe of discourse, but individuals and communities cannot be relieved of the need to define their own universes of discourse. The emergence of collective intelligence is increasingly seen as necessary for human survival, but it is difficult for people who live in diverse universes of discourse to know when they are talking about the same things. Collective intelligence — the ability of a community to exhibit self-sustaining, rational behaviors — is inversely related to its participants' ability to understand each other.
Diverse minds can create, recognize, and think in terms of diverse sets of distinct concepts and relationships between them. A conceptual addressing system can map such sets into a shared abstract "semantic space" that is structured by an algebraically definable group of transformations. Information Economy Meta Language (IEML) is such a "semantic space addressing system"; it defines a very large space of semantic addresses. A small number of the points in that space — more than 2,500 of them — are now listed in an "IEML Dictionary", along with interpretations of each of them in several natural languages. A language for compactly specifying sets of locations in the space exists, and a parser that translates expressions in this language into XML is available. A programming language for discovering and asserting relationships between sets of semantics is being developed, along with a variety of related software tools.
The semantic space research program could provide a scientific (measurable, principled, experimentally repeatable) foundation on which technologies and professional disciplines can be created, including distributed collaborative semantic search engines, models and simulations of collective intelligences, tools and editorial practices for the automated production of multimedia documents, and many more.
A New Carbazole‐Constructed Hyperbranched Polymer: Convenient One‐Pot Synthesis, Hole‐Transporting Ability, and Field‐Effect Transistor Properties
Authors: Li Zhong'an , Liu Yunqi , Yu Gui , Wen Yugeng , Guo Yunlong , Ji Li , Qin Jingui , Li Zhen 
Published: July 2009

AbstractA new hyperbranched polymer (HB‐car), constructed fully by carbazole moieties, is successfully synthesized through a one‐pot Suzuki coupling reaction. The resultant polymer is well‐characterized, and its hole‐transporting ability is studied carefully. The device, in which HB‐car is utilized as a hole‐transporting layer and tris‐(8‐hydroxyquinoline) aluminum as an electron‐emitting layer as well as electron‐transporting layer, gives a much higher efficiency (3.05 cd A–1), than that of a poly(N‐vinylcarbazole) based device (2.19 cd A–1) under similar experimental conditions. The remarkable performance is attributed to its low energy barrier and enhanced hole‐drifting ability in the HB‐car based device. In addition, for the first time, a field‐effect transistor (FET) based on the hyperbranched polymer is fabricated, and the organic FET device shows that HB‐car is a typical p‐type FET material with a saturation mobility of 1 × 10–5 cm2 V–1 s–1, a threshold voltage of –47.1 V, and an on‐to‐off current ratio of 103.
An analysis of secular change in the human mandible over the last century
Authors: Martin D. C. , Danforth Marie Elaine 
Published: July 2009

AbstractIn light of several recent investigations that have identified notable secular change in cranial size and morphology over the last century, the present study addresses its possible effects in the mandible in U.S. populations. Standard measurements of 407 mandibles from the Terry (Smithsonian) and Hamann‐Todd (Cleveland Museum of Natural History) Collections, which are primarily composed of individuals living in the early 20th century, were compared with those of 595 mandibles from the Forensic Anthropology Database (Tennessee), which is primarily composed of individuals living from the later part of the century. The t‐tests between the two temporally‐different samples by sex and race showed statistically significant decreases in mandibular body width and bigonial breadth as well as significant increases in mandibular body length in nearly all subgroups. White males showed the greatest amount of change, and Black females, the least. Overall, these findings support the conclusion that the mandible is transforming into a longer, narrower, more gracile bone, paralleling many of the morphological shifts seen in the cranium. Factors involved likely include changes in diet, medical care, and dental practices. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Meta‐analysis of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor p.Val66Met in adult ADHD in four European populations
Authors: Sánchez‐Mora C. , Ribasés M. , Ramos‐Quiroga J.A. , Casas M. , Bosch R. , Boreatti‐Hümmer A. , Heine M. , Jacob C.P. , Lesch K‐P. , Fasmer O.B. , Knappskog P.M. , Kooij J.J. Sandra , Kan C. , Buitelaar J.K. , Mick E. , Asherson P. , Faraone S.V. , Franke B. , Johansson S. , Haavik J. , Reif A. , Bayés M. , Cormand B. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractAttention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a multifactorial, neurodevelopmental disorder that often persists into adolescence and adulthood and is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Before the advent of the first genome‐wide association studies in ADHD, genetic research had mainly focused on candidate genes related to the dopaminergic and serotoninergic systems, although several other genes had also been assessed. Pharmacological data, analysis of animal models and association studies suggest that Brain‐Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is also a strong candidate gene for ADHD. Several polymorphisms in BDNF have been reported and studied in psychiatric disorders but the most frequent is the p.Val66Met (rs6265G > A) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), with functional effects on the intracellular trafficking and secretion of the protein. To deal with the inconsistency raised among different case–control and family‐based association studies regarding the p.Val66Met contribution to ADHD, we performed a meta‐analysis of published as well as unpublished data from four different centers that are part of the International Multicentre Persistent ADHD CollaboraTion (IMpACT). A total of 1,445 adulthood ADHD patients and 2,247 sex‐matched controls were available for the study. No association between the p.Val66Met polymorphism and ADHD was found in any of the four populations or in the pooled sample. The meta‐analysis also showed that the overall gene effect for ADHD was not statistically significant when gender or comorbidity with mood disorders were considered. Despite the potential role of BDNF in ADHD, our data do not support the involvement of p.Val66Met in the pathogenesis of this neuropsychiatric disorder. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ePaper: A personalized mobile newspaper
Authors: Shapira Bracha , Shoval Peretz , Tractinsky Noam , Meyer Joachim 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThis paper describes ePaper, a research prototype system of a personalized newspaper on a mobile reading device. The ePaper aggregates content (i.e., news items) from various news providers, classifies the news items according to concepts from a news domain ontology, and delivers an electronic newspaper to each subscribed user (reader). The system personalizes the content of the newspaper according to the user's profiles and preferences by applying ontological content‐based and collaborative filtering algorithms. The user's profile is updated implicitly and dynamically, based on the tracking of their reading. Beyond personalization, the ePaper can also provide the user with a “standard edition” of a selected newspaper, as well as browsing capabilities in a repository of news items. The layout of the newspaper is adapted to the specifications of the reading device and to the user's preferences. In this overview paper, we highlight the main research challenges involved in the development of ePaper and describe how we addressed them.
Comparison of the internalization of targeted dendrimers and dendrimer‐entrapped gold nanoparticles into cancer cells
Authors: Shi Xiangyang , Wang Su He , Lee Inhan , Shen Mingwu , Baker James R. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractDendrimer‐based nanotechnology significantly advances the area of targeted cancer imaging and therapy. Herein, we compared the difference of surface acetylated fluorescein isocyanate (FI) and folic acid (FA) modified generation 5 (G5) poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (G5.NHAc‐FI‐FA), and dendrimer‐entrapped gold nanoparticles with similar modifications ([(Au0)51.2‐G5.NHAc‐FI‐FA]) in terms of their specific internalization to FA receptor (FAR)‐overexpressing cancer cells. Confocal microscopic studies show that both G5.NHAc‐FI‐FA and [(Au0)51.2‐G5.NHAc‐FI‐FA] exhibit similar internalization kinetics regardless of the existence of Au nanoparticles (NPs). Molecular dynamics simulation of the two different nanostructures reveals that the surface area and the FA moiety distribution from the center of the geometry are slightly different. This slight difference may not be recognized by the FARs on the cell membrane, consequently leading to similar internalization kinetics. This study underlines the fact that metal or inorganic NPs entrapped within dendrimers interact with cells in a similar way to that of dendrimers lacking host NPs. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 91: 936–942, 2009.This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Human tropoelastin sequence: Dynamics of polypeptide coded by exon 6 in solution
Authors: Tintar D. , Samouillan V. , Dandurand J. , Lacabanne C. , Pepe A. , Bochicchio B. , Tamburro Antonio M. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractCalorimetric studies were performed on exon 6 in powdered form and in solution [water and 2,2,2‐trifluoroethanol (TFE), a structure‐inducing solvent or cosolvent]. Dynamic dielectric spectroscopy (DDS) analyses were realized in water and 20% TFE. The major role of solvent–peptide organization is evidenced with these techniques. Calorimetric measurements reveal the structural water organization around the polypeptide as well as the presence of hydrophobic interactions in TFE solution. Dielectric measurements showed for exon 6/water a decrease of relaxations times of bulk solvent implying a faster dynamics with a slight increase of the activation entropy, suggesting that exon 6 probably creates disorder within the solvent. For TFE/water mixtures, an influence of exon 6 on its environment was seen with a relaxation associated with the exon 6/solvent interactions reinforced by storage of 72 h. Finally, exon 6/solvent interactions were clearly observed with additionof TFE. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 91: 943–952, 2009.This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Micronization of lysozyme by supercritical assisted atomization
Authors: Adami Renata , Osséo Libero Sesti , Reverchon Ernesto 
Published: July 2009

AbstractSupercritical Assisted Atomization (SAA) has been used to produce lysozyme microparticles. Lysozyme has been micronized using water, buffered water at pH 6.2 and water–ethanol mixtures at different volume percentages. Precipitated lysozyme particles were spherical, with a narrow particle size distribution (PSD) ranging from 0.1 to 4 µm. The concentration of lysozyme in the liquid solvent mixture had a nonlinear effect on the particle distribution, with an increase of the X0.9 from about 1 to 3 µm varying the enzyme concentration from 5 to 20 mg/mL. Precipitation temperature was set as low as possible to avoid enzyme degradation. High‐performance liquid chromatography analysis showed no degradation of lysozyme and the enzyme activity, measured by turbidimetric enzymatic assay, only slightly decreased after SAA processing. Depending on the process conditions lysozyme retained from 95% to 100% of the biological activity compared to the untreated enzyme. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009; 104: 1162–1170. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Retracted: De novo synthesis and assembly of multiplex riboswitches in vitro
Authors: Sun Hao‐Hua , Zhu Cong , Wu Ye , Guo Jiang‐Feng 
Published: July 2009

AbstractRetraction: The following article from Biotechnology Progress, “De novo synthesis and assembly of multiplex riboswitches in vitro”, by Hao‐Hua Sun, Cong Zhu, Ye Wu, and Jiang‐Feng Guo, published online on 14 July 2009 in Wiley Online Library (www.wileyonlinelibrary.com), and in Volume 25, pp. 1228‐1235, has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor, Michael M. Domach, and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The retraction has been agreed as Hao‐Hua Sun did not inform all co‐authors of the original submission of the manuscript which is a violation of the journal’s editorial policy.© 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009
A versatile software tool for the numerical simulation of fluid flow and heat transfer in simple geometries
Authors: Lopes A. M. G. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThe present work describes a software tool aimed at the simulation of fluid flow and heat transfer for two‐dimensional problems in a structured Cartesian grid. The software deals with laminar and turbulent situations in steady‐state or transient regime. An overview is given on the theoretical principles and on the utilization of the program. Results for some test cases are presented and compared with benchmarking solutions. Although EasyCFD is mainly oriented for educational purposes, it may be a valuable tool for a first analysis of practical situations. EasyCFD is available at www.easycfd.net. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 18: 14–27, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20230
Prevalence of childhood abuse in mothers taking part in a study of parenting their own children
Authors: Sneddon Helga , Iwaniec Dorota , Stewart Moira C. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThis paper describes the incidence of maltreatment histories in a community sample of mothers of one‐year‐old infants in Northern Ireland. The occurrence of five subsets of childhood maltreatment is examined: emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical abuse, physical neglect and sexual abuse. Of the 201 women who completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, 70 mothers (35%) reported that they had experienced one or more types of maltreatment during childhood. Forty‐eight mothers (24%) gave a history of being emotionally abused, 43 (21%) of emotional neglect, 27 (13%) of physical abuse, 20 (10%) of sexual abuse and 19 (10%) of physical neglect. Physical abuse was the only type of maltreatment which showed an association with maternal socio‐economic status, with a higher incidence reported amongst Occupational Classes 4 and 5 (lower supervisory and technical occupations and semi‐routine and routine groups). More than half of those with a history of abuse experienced more than one type of maltreatment (42 mothers or 60% of those reporting maltreatment). Differences in rates of incidence to more recent studies on younger adults are discussed, as well as implications for prevention and intervention. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of Flavopiridol Analogues that Selectively Inhibit Positive Transcription Elongation Factor (P‐TEFb) and Block HIV‐1 Replication
Authors: Ali Akbar , Ghosh Animesh , Nathans Robin S. , Sharova Natalia , O'Brien Siobhan , Cao Hong , Stevenson Mario , Rana Tariq M. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThe positive transcription elongation factor (P‐TEFb; CDK9/cyclin T1) regulates RNA polymerase II‐dependent transcription of cellular and integrated viral genes. It is an essential cofactor for HIV‐1 Tat transactivation, and selective inhibition of P‐TEFb blocks HIV‐1 replication without affecting cellular transcription; this indicates that P‐TEFb could be a potential target for developing anti‐HIV‐1 therapeutics. Flavopiridol, a small molecule CDK inhibitor, blocks HIV‐1 Tat transactivation and viral replication by inhibiting P‐TEFb kinase activity, but it is highly cytotoxic. In the search for selective and less cytotoxic P‐TEFb inhibitors, we prepared a series of flavopiridol analogues and evaluated their kinase inhibitory activity against P‐TEFb and CDK2/cyclin A, and tested their cellular antiviral potency and cytotoxicity. We identified several analogues that selectively inhibit P‐TEFb kinase activity in vitro and show antiviral potency comparable to that of flavopiridol, but with significantly reduced cytotoxicity. These compounds are valuable molecular probes for understanding P‐TEFb‐regulated cellular and HIV‐1 gene transcription and provide potential anti‐HIV‐1 therapeutics.