bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optimization of the Extraction of Alpinia oxyphylla Essence Oil in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Ju Hen‐Yi , Huang Kuo‐Chuan , Chen Jiann‐Hwa , Liu Yung‐Chuan , Chang Chieh‐Ming J. , Lee Chih‐Chen , Chang Cheng , Shieh Chwen‐Jen 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe essence oil of the Alpinia oxyphylla seed has been used as a vasodilatatory and analgesic agent in pharmacology. The extraction of the essence oil in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO2) from Alpinia oxyphylla seeds was investigated. Small particles were obtained after breaking open, sieving, and drying from the Alpinia oxyphylla seeds. The small particles were placed in a 5‐L extraction tank in a temperature‐controlled system. The CO2 flow rate of the system was set at 1 L/min in this study. Response surface methodology with a three‐factor and three‐level Box‐Behnken experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of the reaction parameters such as extraction time (1, 2, 3 h), temperature (45, 55, 65 °C), and pressure (20, 30, 40 MPa), on the extraction yield of the essence oil from Alpinia oxyphylla seeds. The results indicate that the extraction pressure was the most important parameter affecting the yield of the essence oil. A model for the estimation of the yield was developed. Based on the analysis of ridge max, the optimal extraction conditions were established as an extraction time of 2.8 h, a temperature of 67.5 °C, and a pressure of 28.5 MPa, with an expected yield of 2.78%. Extraction of Alpinia oxyphylla essence oil in SC‐CO2 under these optimal conditions was conducted, and a yield of 2.77 ± 0.19% was obtained.
Spanish Validation Of the Brief Assessment in Cognition in Schizophrenia (Bacs) in Patients With Schizophrenia and Healthy Controls
Authors: Segarra N. , Bernardo M. , Gutierrez F. , Justicia A. , Fernadez-Egea E. , Allas M. , Safont G. , Contreras F. , Gascon J. , Soler-Insa P.A. , Menchon J.M. , Junque C. , Keefe R.S.E. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractNeurocognitive impairment is a core feature of schizophrenia and is closely associated with functional outcome. The importance of cognitive assessment is broadly accepted today, and an easy-to-use, internationality validated cognitive assessment tool is needed by researchers and in daily clinical practice. The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) has been validated in English, French, Japanese and Italian. It is as sensitive to cognitive dysfunction as a standard test battery, with the advantage of requiring less than 35 minutes to complete. In our study, we tested the psychometric characteristics of a Spanish version of the BACS in 117 patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and 36 healthy controls. All BACS cognitive subtests discriminated between patients and controls (P< .001), and the concurrent validity between the BACS and a traditional neuropsychological test battery was similar to that reported in other languages. We conclude that the BACS can facilitate the comparison of the cognitive performance of patients with schizophrenia in many different countries.
Bullying Behaviour And Substance Abuse Among Underage Psychiatric Inpatient Adolescents
Authors: Luukkonen A.-H. , Riala K. , Hakko H. , Räsänen P. ,   Study-70 workgroup
Published: May 2010

AbstractBackground and objectiveOnly a few studies have examined the putative association between substance use and bullying others, and to our knowledge none of the previous studies have investigated substance abuse among victims or those who are both bullies and victims. The aim of our study was to investigate substance use among all of these three bullying subgroups and to examine the putative association between substance use and bullying behaviour.MethodsThe study sample consisted of 508 Finnish adolescents (age 12–17) admitted to psychiatric inpatient care between April 2001 and March 2006. We used the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Present and Lifetime (K-SADS-PL) to obtain DSM-IV psychiatric diagnoses, information about bullying behaviour and substance abuse of the adolescents. The level of nicotine dependence (ND) was assessed by using the modified Fagerström Tolerance Questionnaire (mFTQ).ResultsOur study showed that both among boys and girls, regular daily smoking and alcohol use among boys were statistically significantly associated with bullying behaviour. Further, among girls, but not among boys, there was also an association between bullying behaviour and more severe substance use, such as ND, use of cannabis and hard drugs.ConclusionSince an association between bullying and severe substance use was found in this study, our novel finding needs replication in adolescent general population samples.
The pathophysiology of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in women
Authors: Clayton Anita H. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractHypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is defined as a deficiency or absence of sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity that causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty. The dysfunction cannot be better accounted for by another psychiatric disorder (except another sexual dysfunction) and must not be due exclusively to the physiological effects of a substance or a general medical condition. HSDD occurs in approximately 1 in 10 adult women in the USA and its prevalence appears to be similar in Europe. A number of potential causative and contributory factors to low sexual desire have been identified, reflecting the interplay among hormonal, neurobiological, and psychosocial factors. One theory is that sexual desire is controlled in the brain by a balance between inhibitory and excitatory factors. In general, dopamine, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone play an excitatory role in sexual desire, whereas serotonin, prolactin, and opioids play an inhibitory role. It is hypothesized that decreased sexual desire may be due to a reduced level of excitatory activity, an increased level of inhibitory activity, or both. A greater understanding of the complex pathophysiology of HSDD would improve the identification and management of women for whom low sexual desire is a concern.
Preoperative determinants for failure of transobturator tapes in the management of female urodynamic stress incontinence
Authors: Abdel‐fattah Mohamed , Familusi Akinbowale , Ramsay Ian , Ayansina Dolapo , Mostafa Alyaa 
Published: May 2010

AbstractObjectivesTo determine significant preoperative risk factors for failure of transobturator tapes.MethodsSecondary analysis of data from the E‐TOT (Evaluation of Transobturator Tapes) study. Patient‐reported outcomes (n = 310) and objective outcomes (n = 297) were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses.ResultsOn univariate analysis, body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35, maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP) ≤ 30 cm H2O, preoperative mixed incontinence on urodynamics, history of at least one previous incontinence procedure, and preoperative symptoms of urgency, nocturia, or urgency incontinence were associated with failure. On multivariate regression, BMI ≥ 35 (OR 6.37; 95% CI, 1.73–23.44; P = 0.005), nocturia (OR 2.18; 95% CI, 1.04–4.58; P = 0.039), urgency incontinence (OR 3.35; 95% CI, 1.07–10.51; P = 0.039), and previous incontinence surgery (OR 2.33; 95%CI, 1.1–5.48; P = 0.048) were independently associated with patient‐reported failure. MUCP ≤ 30 cm H2O (OR 7.06; 95% CI, 2.85–17.48; P < 0.001) and previous incontinence procedure (OR 6.22; 95%CI, 2.34–16.52; P < 0.001) were independently associated with objective failure.ConclusionHistory of previous incontinence surgery was the only independent risk factor for failure of transobturator tapes based on both the patient‐reported and objective outcome.
Trends, characteristics, and outcomes of adolescent pregnancy in eastern Turkey
Authors: Edirne Tamer , Can Muhammet , Kolusari Ali , Yildizhan Recep , Adali Ertan , Akdag Beyza 
Published: May 2010

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the proportion of adolescent births in Van, Turkey, and to identify characteristics and related outcomes.MethodsMothers who gave birth at three maternity centers in Van, Turkey, were chosen randomly and were invited to complete a face‐to‐face questionnaire. Participants were asked for demographic information and pregnancy history. Pregnancy outcomes were obtained from the birth records.ResultsOf 1872 mothers who completed the questionnaires, 211 (11.3%) were younger than 19 years. Adolescent mothers showed significantly more inappropriate education for age (82.5% vs 70.1; P < 0.001) and were married to less educated partners (76.3% vs 59.4%; P < 0.001) following unofficial matrimonies (25.6% vs 10.7%; P < 0.001) than older mothers. There were no differences between the age groups in rates of arranged marriages with relatives, income, and household structure. Adolescent mothers reported higher rates of intimate partner violence (17.1% vs 10.8%; P = 0.008) and inadequate prenatal care use (28.4% vs 17.6%; P < 0.001) compared with older mothers. Adolescent births were associated with an increased risk for preterm delivery (P < 0.001) and low birth weight (P < 0.001).ConclusionsCultural factors rather than economic factors seem to be related to early age at marriage and adolescent childbearing, which are associated with poor birth outcomes.
Integrating size-structured assessment and bioeconomic management advice in Australia's northern prawn fishery
Authors: Punt André E. , Deng Roy A. , Dichmont Catherine M. , Kompas Tom , Venables William N. , Zhou Shijie , Pascoe Sean , Hutton Trevor , Kenyon Rob , van der Velde Tonya , Kienzle Marco 
Published: May 2010

Abstract
Punt, A. E., Deng, R. A., Dichmont, C. M., Kompas, T., Venables, W. N., Zhou, S., Pascoe, S., Hutton, T., Kenyon, R., van der Velde, T., and Kienzle, M. 2010. Integrating size-structured assessment and bioeconomic management advice in Australia's northern prawn fishery. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1785–1801. Three species in Australia's northern prawn fishery (Penaeus semisulcatus, P. esculentus, and Metapenaeus endeavouri) are assessed using a size-structured population model that operates on a weekly time-step. The parameters of this multispecies population model are estimated using data on catches, catch rates, length frequency data from surveys and the fishery, and tag release–recapture data. The model allows for the technical interaction among the three species. The results from the multispecies stock assessment are used to calculate the time-series of catches and levels of fishing effort that maximize net present value. The bioeconomic model takes into account costs which are proportional to catches and those which are proportional to fishing effort, as well as fixed costs. The sensitivity of the results is examined by changing the assumptions regarding the values for the economic parameters of the bioeconomic model as well as those on which the assessment are based. The results suggest that fishing effort needs to be reduced in the short term to achieve economic goals, although most stocks are estimated currently to be above the stock size corresponding to maximum sustainable yield. Short-term catches and effort levels are sensitive to model assumptions, and in particular, to trends in prices and costs.
Preparation and Analysis of PEGylated Poly-L-Lysine DNA Nanoparticles for Gene Delivery
Authors: Davis Pamela B. , Kowalczyk Tomasz H. 
Published: May 2010

INTRODUCTIONPEGylated poly-L-lysine DNA nanoparticles are composed of plasmid DNA compacted with poly-L-lysine conjugated with polyethylene glycol (PEG). They are soluble and stable in saline and tissue fluids, transfect nondividing cells, display minimal toxicity, and are effective in vivo and in humans. Moreover, they are easy to prepare in a reliable and reproducible fashion. These properties represent a substantial advance for nonviral gene transfer. This article describes the conjugation of methoxy-PEG-maleimide with the peptide CK30 and the compaction of DNA with the resultant PEGylated polylysine. It also describes the analyses used to check the morphology and colloidal stability of the nanoparticles. These assays should be performed each time the nanoparticles are prepared because, although the compaction procedure is very reproducible, variations in product quality do sometimes occur (e.g., the particles are unstable or have an unacceptable morphology). Variations seem to happen most often when the source of plasmid or method of plasmid production is changed.
Chloramphenicol Acetyltransferase Assay
Authors: Smale Stephen T. 
Published: May 2010

INTRODUCTIONWhen a transient or stable transfection assay is developed for a promoter, a primary objective is to quantify promoter strength. Because transfection efficiency in such assays can be low, promoters are commonly fused to heterologous reporter genes that encode enzymes that can be quantified using highly sensitive assays. The reporter protein’s activity or fluorescence within a transfected cell population is approximately proportional to the steady-state mRNA level. In this protocol, cells transfected with an Escherichia coli transposon chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter plasmid are lysed by repeated cycles of freezing and thawing and cellular debris is removed by centrifugation. The lysate is incubated with [14C]chloramphenicol and acetyl-coenzyme A; CAT catalyzes the acetylation of chloramphenicol. The acetylated products and the unmodified reactants are separated from the aqueous solution by organic extraction with ethyl acetate. Acetylation is monitored by autoradiography following thin-layer chromatography (TLC) to separate the acetylated from the unacetylated forms. The percent conversion of [14C]chloramphenicol to acetyl-[14C]chloramphenicol can be measured by PhosphorImager analysis of the TLC plate, by excising the radioactive spots from the TLC plate and counting in a scintillation counter, or by densitometry analysis of an autoradiograph. The acetylated 14C-labeled product can also be quantified without TLC by organic extraction and scintillation counting using reagent-grade chemicals.
SEC/Reversed-Phase Separation of E. coli Proteins: Figure 1.
Authors: Apffell Alex 
Published: May 2010

INTRODUCTIONAlthough many chromatographic modes can be coupled for the multidimensional separation of a complex mixture, a very favorable combination is that of size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and reversed-phase chromatography. The separation mechanisms are largely orthogonal and the mobile phases are compatible. The use of a retentive second dimension allows trapping of specific fractions from the SEC separation and transferring them to the reversed-phase separation. One of the advantages of multidimensional chromatography is that it is scalable in terms of automation. In a completely manual system, fractions eluting from a first dimension can be manually collected and injected into a second separation dimension. In an automated system, fraction transfer can be accomplished through automated valving. The following protocol illustrates this approach, with both a manual method and an external column switching method integrated into an automated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. As an illustration, soluble proteins from Escherichia coli are separated.
Preparation of Fixed Xenopus Embryos for Confocal Imaging
Authors: Wallingford John B. 
Published: May 2010

INTRODUCTIONAlthough live imaging of embryonic development is a powerful approach, it is often essential to use immunostaining or in situ hybridization to reveal structures or to localize proteins or gene expression patterns. For these approaches, fixed embryos must be used, and Xenopus offers many advantages. Xenopus is a vertebrate tetrapod closely related to mammals. The large size of their embryos makes them ideal for imaging patterns of gene expression during development. Also, individual Xenopus embryonic cells are larger than those of other vertebrate models, making them suitable for imaging cell morphology and subcellular processes. Xenopus embryos are amenable to simple manipulations of gene function, including knockdown and misexpression, and the large numbers of embryos produced allow even an inexperienced researcher to perform such manipulations on hundreds of embryos per day. Transgenesis is quite effective as well. Finally, because the fate map of Xenopus embryos is stereotypical, simple targeted microinjections can reliably deliver reagents into specific tissues and cell types for gene manipulation or for imaging. To improve image quality for fixed specimens, the pigment of the Xenopus embryo can be removed by bleaching. Also, although Xenopus embryos are opaque because of the large amounts of yolk stored in each cell, they can easily be rendered transparent using a process called clearing. This protocol describes the methods for bleaching and clearing Xenopus embryos, as well as a simple procedure for vibratome sectioning. These approaches are effective for imaging embryos and cells following immunostaining or in situ hybridization.
High-Magnification In Vivo Imaging of Xenopus Embryos for Cell and Developmental Biology
Authors: Kieserman Esther K. , Lee Chanjae , Gray Ryan S. , Park Tae Joo , Wallingford John B. 
Published: May 2010

INTRODUCTIONEmbryos of the frog Xenopus laevis are an ideal model system for in vivo imaging of dynamic biological processes, from the inner workings of individual cells to the reshaping of tissues during embryogenesis. Their externally developing embryos are more amenable to in vivo analysis than internally developing mammalian embryos, and the large size of the embryos make them particularly suitable for time-lapse analysis of tissue-level morphogenetic events. In addition, individual cells in Xenopus embryos are larger than those in other vertebrate models, making them ideal for imaging cell behavior and subcellular processes (e.g., following the dynamics of fluorescent fusion proteins in living or fixed cells and tissues). Xenopus embryos are amenable to simple manipulations of gene function, including knockdown and misexpression, and the large number of embryos available allows even an inexperienced researcher to perform hundreds of such manipulations per day. Transgenesis is quite effective as well. Finally, because the fate map of Xenopus embryos is stereotypical, simple targeted microinjections can reliably deliver reagents into specific tissues and cell types for gene manipulation or for imaging. Although yolk opacity can hinder deep imaging in intact embryos, almost any cell in the early embryo can be placed into organotypic culture, such that the cells of interest are directly apposed to the cover glass. Furthermore, live imaging techniques can be complemented with immunostaining and in situ hybridization approaches in fixed tissues. This protocol describes methods for labeling and high-magnification time-lapse imaging of cell biological and developmental processes in Xenopus embryos by confocal microscopy.
FAST Technique for Agrobacterium-Mediated Transient Gene Expression in Seedlings of Arabidopsis and Other Plant Species
Authors: Li Jian-Feng , Nebenführ Andreas 
Published: May 2010

INTRODUCTIONGenome sequencing has identified a massive number of uncharacterized genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and several other plant species. To decipher these unknown gene functions, several transient expression assays have been developed as rapid and convenient alternatives to the lengthy creation of transgenic plants. As one of these transient assays, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation harnesses the natural capability of Agrobacterium to transfer foreign DNA into plant cells with intact cell walls. However, pioneering applications of Agrobacterium-based transient transformation to Arabidopsis have led to rather limited success with great variability. In this protocol, we describe a Fast Agrobacterium-mediated Seedling Transformation (FAST) technique for transient gene expression analysis in Arabidopsis and other dicot or monocot species. This technique makes use of the cocultivation of young plant seedlings with Agrobacterium in the presence of the surfactant Silwet L-77. The young seedlings can be grown easily and were found to be more susceptible to Agrobacterium transformation compared with adult plants. The surfactant facilitates transformation of plant cells, thus replacing wounding or a device-dependent vacuum step during plant transformation. This protocol provides a quick, efficient, and economical assay for gene function in intact plants with minimal manual handling and without the need for a dedicated device.
Yeast Two-Hybrid System for Studying Protein-Protein Interactions--Stage 1: Construction and Characterization of a Bait Protein
Authors: Serebriiskii Ilya 
Published: May 2010

INTRODUCTIONAn important element in the characterization of the function of a protein is the identification of other proteins with which it interacts. A powerful genetic strategy for this purpose, termed the yeast two-hybrid system, uses transcriptional reporters in yeast to indirectly reflect the interaction between two proteins. The term two-hybrid derives from the two classes of chimeric, or “hybrid,” proteins used in each screen. The first, commonly referred to as the “bait,” is a fusion of a protein of interest “x” with a DNA-binding domain (DBD-x). The second, sometimes called the “prey,” is a fusion of a cDNA library “y” to a transcriptional activation domain (AD-y). Together, DBD-x and AD-y provide the basis of the detection system. The two-hybrid approach has gained wide popularity because of the relative ease and speed with which it can be used to identify novel protein-protein interactions and to analyze known interactions. In stage 1 of the method, detailed in this protocol, characterization of a novel bait is described, with attention to controls that increase the chance of the bait functioning in a two-hybrid screen.
Yeast Two-Hybrid System for Studying Protein-Protein Interactions--Stage 2: Transforming and Characterizing the Library
Authors: Serebriiskii Ilya 
Published: May 2010

INTRODUCTIONAn important element in the characterization of the function of a protein is the identification of other proteins with which it interacts. A powerful genetic strategy for this purpose, termed the “yeast two-hybrid system,” uses transcriptional reporters in yeast to indirectly reflect the interaction between two proteins. The term “two-hybrid” derives from the two classes of chimeric, or “hybrid,” proteins used in each screen. The first, commonly referred to as the “bait,” is a fusion of a protein of interest “x” with a DNA-binding domain (DBD-x). The second, sometimes called the “prey,” is a fusion of a cDNA library “y” to a transcriptional activation domain (AD-y). Together, DBD-x and AD-y provide the basis of the detection system. The two-hybrid approach has gained wide popularity because of the relative ease and speed with which it can be used to identify novel protein-protein interactions and to analyze known interactions. The second stage of the method, described in this protocol, includes the transformation of yeast with a cDNA library, followed by library characterization. It can be performed in parallel with construction of a bait protein (stage 1).