bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification of specific calcitonin-like receptor residues important for calcitonin gene-related peptide high affinity binding
Authors: Banerjee Sugato , Evanson Janel , Harris Erik , Lowe Stephen L , Thomasson Kathryn A , Porter James E 
Published: June 2006

AbstractBackgroundCalcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a vasoactive neuropeptide whose biological activity has potential therapeutic value for many vascular related diseases. CGRP is a 37 amino acid neuropeptide that signals through a G protein-coupled receptor belonging to the secretin receptor family. Previous studies on the calcitonin-like receptor (CLR), which requires co-expression of the receptor-activity-modifying protein-1 (RAMP1) to function as a CGRP receptor, have shown an 18 amino acid N-terminus sequence important for binding CGRP. Moreover, several investigations have recognized the C-terminal amidated phenylalanine (F37) of CGRP as essential for docking to the mature receptor. Therefore, we hypothesize that hydrophobic amino acids within the previously characterized 18 amino acid CLR N-terminus domain are important binding contacts for the C-terminal phenylalaninamide of CGRP.ResultsTwo leucine residues within this previously characterized CLR N-terminus domain, when mutated to alanine and expressed on HEK293T cells stably transfected with RAMP1, demonstrated a significantly decreased binding affinity for CGRP compared to wild type receptor. Additional decreases in binding affinity for CGRP were not found when both leucine mutations were expressed in the same CLR construct. Decreased binding characteristic of these leucine mutant receptors was observed for all CGRP ligands tested that contained the necessary amidated phenylalanine at their C-terminus. However, there was no difference in the potency of CGRP to increase cAMP production by these leucine mutant receptors when compared to wild type CLR, consistent with the notion that the neuropeptide C-terminal F37 is important for docking but not activation of the receptor. This observation was conserved when modified CGRP ligands lacking the amidated F37 demonstrated similar potencies to generate cAMP at both wild type and mutant CLRs. Furthermore, these modified CGRP ligands displayed a significant but similar loss of binding for all leucine mutant and wild type CLR because the important receptor contact on the neuropeptide was missing in all experimental situations.ConclusionThese results are consistent with previous structure-function investigations of the neuropeptide and are the first to propose specific CLR binding contacts for the amidated F37 of CGRP that are important for docking but not activation of the mature CGRP receptor.
Identifying priorities in methodological research using ICD-9-CM and ICD-10 administrative data: report from an international consortium
Authors: De Coster Carolyn , Quan Hude , Finlayson Alan , Gao Min , Halfon Patricia , Humphries Karin H , Johansen Helen , Lix Lisa M , Luthi Jean-Christophe , Ma Jin , Romano Patrick S , Roos Leslie , Sundararajan Vijaya , Tu Jack V , Webster Greg , Ghali William A 
Published: June 2006

Abstract
Background
Health administrative data are frequently used for health services and population health research. Comparative research using these data has been facilitated by the use of a standard system for coding diagnoses, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Research using the data must deal with data quality and validity limitations which arise because the data are not created for research purposes. This paper presents a list of high-priority methodological areas for researchers using health administrative data.

Methods
A group of researchers and users of health administrative data from Canada, the United States, Switzerland, Australia, China and the United Kingdom came together in June 2005 in Banff, Canada to discuss and identify high-priority methodological research areas. The generation of ideas for research focussed not only on matters relating to the use of administrative data in health services and population health research, but also on the challenges created in transitioning from ICD-9 to ICD-10. After the brain-storming session, voting took place to rank-order the suggested projects. Participants were asked to rate the importance of each project from 1 (low priority) to 10 (high priority). Average ranks were computed to prioritise the projects.

Results
Thirteen potential areas of research were identified, some of which represented preparatory work rather than research per se. The three most highly ranked priorities were the documentation of data fields in each country's hospital administrative data (average score 8.4), the translation of patient safety indicators from ICD-9 to ICD-10 (average score 8.0), and the development and validation of algorithms to verify the logic and internal consistency of coding in hospital abstract data (average score 7.0).

Conclusion
The group discussions resulted in a list of expert views on critical international priorities for future methodological research relating to health administrative data. The consortium's members welcome contacts from investigators involved in research using health administrative data, especially in cross-jurisdictional collaborative studies or in studies that illustrate the application of ICD-10.
Scrapie infectivity is quickly cleared in tissues of orally-infected farmed fish
Authors: Ingrosso Loredana , Novoa Beatriz , Valle Andrea Z Dalla , Cardone Franco , Aranguren Raquel , Sbriccoli Marco , Bevivino Simona , Iriti Marcello , Liu Quanguo , Vetrugno Vito , Lu Mei , Faoro Franco , Ciappellano Salvatore , Figueras Antonio , Pocchiari Maurizio 
Published: June 2006

Abstract

Background
Scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) belongs to the group of animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). BSE epidemic in the UK and elsewhere in Europe has been linked to the use of bovine meat and bone meals (MBM) in the feeding of cattle. There is concern that pigs, poultry and fish bred for human consumption and fed with infected MBM would eventually develop BSE or carry residual infectivity without disease. Although there has been no evidence of infection in these species, experimental data on the susceptibility to the BSE agent of farm animals other than sheep and cow are limited only to pigs and domestic chicken. In the framework of a EU-granted project we have challenged two species of fish largely used in human food consumption, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and turbot (Scophthalmus maximus), with a mouse-adapted TSE strain (scrapie 139A), to assess the risk related to oral consumption of TSE contaminated food. In trout, we also checked the "in vitro" ability of the pathological isoform of the mouse prion protein (PrPSc) to cross the intestinal epithelium when added to the mucosal side of everted intestine.

Results
Fish challenged with a large amount of scrapie mouse brain homogenate by either oral or parenteral routes, showed the ability to clear the majority of infectivity load. None of the fish tissues taken at different time points after oral or parenteral inoculation was able to provoke scrapie disease after intracerebral inoculation in recipient mice. However, a few recipient mice were positive for PrPSc and spongiform lesions in the brain. We also showed a specific binding of PrPSc to the mucosal side of fish intestine in the absence of an active uptake of the prion protein through the intestinal wall.

Conclusion
These results indicate that scrapie 139A, and possibly BSE, is quickly removed from fish tissues despite evidence of a prion like protein in fish and of a specific binding of PrPSc to the mucosal side of fish intestine.
Electroanalytical Determination of the Fungicides Folfet, Phosmet, and Dialifos in Grains and Soils
Authors: Sreedhar Neelam Yugandhar , Kumar Reddy Polu Rajendra , Subba Reddy Gopi Reddy Venkata , Jayarama Reddy Srinivasula Reddy 
Published: June 2006

Abstract
The electrochemical behavior of the fungicides folfet, phosmet, and dialifos was studied using differential pulse polarography in unversal buffers of pH 2.0 to 6.0. The cathodic peak observed for folfet, phosmet, and dialifos is attributed to the reduction of the carbonyl group, and was shown to be pH-dependent. Differential pulse polarography was used to estimate folfet, phosmet, and dialifos in agricultural formulations, grains and soil samples. Both standard addition and calibration methods were used for the analytical measurements. The lower detection limits were found to be 1.9 × 10−9, 1.72 × 10−9, and 2.12 × 10−1 M, respectively.
Synthetic Studies of Archaeal Macrocyclic Tetraether Lipids: Practical Synthesis of 72-Membered Tetraether Model Compounds
Authors: Eguchi Tadashi , Kano Hiroki , Arakawa Kenji , Kakinuma Katsumi 
Published: June 2006

Abstract
Archaeal 72-membered macrocyclic tetraether model compounds (5 and 6) were synthesized by intramolecular dicarbonyl coupling with the aid of low-valent titanium, which is known as McMurry coupling. This synthetic methodology is the first practical way to obtain the two regioisomeric structures in quantity and appears to be applicable to the natural 72-membered tetraether lipids (3 and 4). Also described is the synthesis of the corresponding acyclic tetraether model counterparts (7 and 8) in reference to the cyclic lipids.
Preparation of 3,3-Bis(alkylthio)-1,1-dipiperidino-2-propenylium Iodides by S-Alkylation of Alkyl 3,3-Dipiperidinodithioacrylates
Authors: Akimoto Keiichi , Sugihara Yoshiaki , Nakayama Juzo 
Published: June 2006

Abstract
Methylation of propyl 3,3-dipiperidinodithioacrylate with iodomethane afforded a 93 : 7 mixture of (E)- and (Z)-3-methylthio-3-propylthio-1,1-dipiperidino-2-propenylium iodides nearly quantitatively, while propylation of methyl 3,3-dipiperidinodithioacrylate with 1-iodopropane produced a 6 : 94 mixture of the above isomers. Study of these iodides led to the conclusions that (a) free rotation about the C2–C3 bond is frozen for these carbenium ions, thus allowing the clearly distinguishable E- and Z-isomers to exist and (b) the alkylation takes place in such a manner that the newly formed S-alkyl group and the carbenium carbon atom become cis to each other. Such stereoselectivity was general for methylation of a series of alkyl 3,3-dipiperidinodithioacrylates and was explained by examining the preferred conformation of the starting dithioacrylates with NMR and X-ray diffraction analyses.
Synthesis via 2-Acylmethyl-2-oxazoline. I. A Novel Synthesis of 3-Acyl-2-pyridones by Michael Addition of 2-Acylmethyl-2-oxazoline to α,β-Acetylenic Ketones
Authors: Tohda Yasuo , Yanagidani Takeshi , Hiramatsu Shin-ichi , Nishiwaki Nagatoshi , Tani Keita , Imagawa Kazuko , Ariga Masahiro 
Published: June 2006

Abstract
The reaction of the sodium salt of 2-acylmethyl-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolines with α,β-acetylenic ketones in ethanol gave Michael adducts, which were easily transformed to 4,6-disubstituted 3-acyl-1-(2-hydroxy-1,1-dimethylethyl)-2-pyridones by silica gel. N-Dealkylation of the pyridones was performed using hydrochloric acid in good yields. Deacylation of the pyridones was performed using potassium hydroxide. A mild treatment of the pyridones with bases or silica gel gave 7-oxa-1-azabicyclo[4.3.0]non-3-en-2-one derivatives via intramolecular Michael addition. A similar reaction of 2-phenacyl-2-oxazoline with diphenylpropynone gave the corresponding 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-pyridone derivative, which was inert against these 1-dealkylation, 3-deacylation, and intramolecular addition reactions.
Specific Inclusion of 1,2-Dimethoxybenzene Derivatives by Crystalline (R)-Arylglycyl-(R)-phenylglycines and Its Structure
Authors: Akazome Motohiro , Yanagita Yukiko , Sonobe Ryo-ichi , Ogura Katsuyuki 
Published: June 2006

Abstract
The crystallization of (R)-arylglycyl-(R)-phenylglycine (1, aryl = phenyl; 2, aryl = 1-naphthyl) in the presence of 1,2-dimethoxybenzene or its derivatives affords an inclusion compound. A single-crystal X-ray analysis has shown that, in a 1,2-dimethyoxybenzene inclusion compound, dipeptide molecules arrange in a sheet and the 1,2-dimethoxybenzene lies at the end in a void between the sheets by being anchored to an ammonio hydrogen on the sheet via three-center hydrogen bonding. The distance between the sheets was found to be variable according to the length of the guest 1,2-dimethoxybenzene derivatives, as if they were pillars that support the sheets.
Artificial Receptors in Serologic Tests for the Early Diagnosis of Dengue Virus Infection
Authors: Tai Dar-Fu , Lin Chung-Yin , Wu Tzong-Zeng , Huang Jyh-Hsiung , Shu Pei-Yun 
Published: June 2006

Abstract
Background: Because of the range and nonspecificity of clinical presentations of dengue virus infections, we felt there was a need to create diagnostic tests. We used artificial receptors for the virus to develop serologic assays to detect dengue virus infection.
Methods: We coated a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) with molecularly imprinted polymers specific for nonstructural protein 1 of flavivirus. These artificial receptors were specifically created on a QCM chip by polymerization of monomers and were cross-linked in the presence of the epitope site of nonstructural protein 1. We tested serum samples from patients with confirmed cases of dengue reported to the Center for Disease Control in Taipei. Samples were diluted 100-fold; no other sample pretreatment was used. The QCM response was compared with results of monoclonal ELISA.
Results: QCM signals were &gt;15 Hz in 18 of 21 (86%) of dengue samples and in 0 of 16 control samples. The correlation (r2) of the QCM response and the ELISA result was 0.73. Within-run and run-to-run imprecisions (CV) were 4%–28% and 10%–32%, respectively.
Conclusions: The described assay offers a serologic technique for diagnosis of early viremia. The results illustrate the potential of well-organized polymers on the highly sensitive sensor system for diagnostic and biotechnological applications.
Levels of explicitness in political speeches
Authors: Govindasamy Subramaniam , Khan Mahmud Hasan 
Published: June 2006

Abstract
Political speeches are a special kind of discourse that ‘produce and reproduce beliefs, opinions, and ideologies’
(Wodak 2004: 381). One way of studying such discourse would be to look into the use of the grammatical category of performatives. As analysts seek to interpret a text, they must not forget the reality that political discourses are more about beliefs, opinions and ideologies constructed from a partisan perspective than an individual choice. The variety of hegemonic power practised by the political leaders determines to a large extent their exploitation of performatives: in an explicit or implicit manner. In this study, the researchers examine the use of performatives produced by two different political leaders in two political settings. The analysis of the use of performatives by the current Prime Minister of Malaysia is the mainstay of the study. The performatives found in the speeches of the current Prime Minister of Bangladesh are also analyzed for comparative purposes. The differences in style as well as the level of exploitation of performatives by the two leaders are examined exhaustively using the discourse-historical approach
(Wodak 2001; Wodak et al. 1999) as the theoretical framework.
Linguistic resources as evaluators in English and Chinese research articles
Authors: Kong Kenneth C. C 
Published: June 2006

Abstract
Much attention has been paid in the literature to the writing and discourse structure of research articles, but the focus is predominantly on evaluating English research articles from an Anglo-American perspective. The unstated assumption of such studies is that writers whose first language is not English tend to write differently. Despite a number of cross-cultural comparisons in the literature, only surface discursive features have been examined, such as explicit devices that signal clausal relations, or the genre investigated has been stabilized with strong normative traditions. This study investigates how third party ideas are evaluated in research articles written in English and Chinese. The data come from three domains – the humanities, the social sciences, and the hard sciences. The results indicate that there are no large differences between English and Chinese in the weightings of evaluation categories, even though they are realized by different grammatical resources in the two languages. Chinese research articles tend to use more explicit linguistic resources with less frequent use of mitigators, possibly because of the socio-pragmatic and typological differences between English and Chinese. The study also proposes a taxonomy of evaluative resources in English and Chinese research articles, which can be used in future research.
Vitamins, Survey
Authors: Block John H. 
Published: June 2006

Abstract
The 13 vitamins are a group of organic substances. Traditionally, they were considered essential, normal constituents of the human diet, required in small amounts, and a participant in normal metabolic processes. Vitamin deficiencies range from well‐defined diseases to a variety of vague symptoms. Some vitamins provide the prototypical structure from which medicinal chemists have developed drugs used to treat diseases not associated with a deficiency of that vitamin. Upper dosage levels have been established for those vitamins that can be potentially toxic if taken chronically in excess. Vitamins are traditionally classified into two groups: fat soluble and water soluble. They also can be classified by function: ligand for receptors, cofactors, and antioxidant.
Synthesis, characterization and biological activity of diorganotin dithioate derivatives
Authors: Lu Ji‐Ting , Chen Shan‐Shan , Du Miao , Tang Liang‐Fu 
Published: June 2006

AbstractReaction of dithioacid (ArCS2CH2CO2H, Ar = phenyl, 2‐furyl or 2‐thienyl) with nBu2SnO gives monomeric (ArCS2CH2CO2)2Sn(Bun)2 in a 2:1 molar ratio, and dimeric {[(ArCS2CH2CO2)Sn(Bun)2]2O}2 in a 1:1 molar ratio, respectively, which have been characterized by IR, NMR (1H, 13C and 119Sn) spectra and elemental analyses. X‐ray crystal structure analyses indicate that the compound [(C4H3S)CS2CH2CO2]2Sn(Bun)2 is monomeric with the tin atom occupying a skew‐trapezoidal bipyramidal geometry. In addition, this compound forms a three‐dimensional structure through the weak intermolecular S…S and Sn…O interactions. Compound {[((C4H3S)CS2CH2CO2)Sn(Bun)2]2O}2 is a centrosymmetric dimer with a cyclic Sn2O2 unit, in which the coordination modes of the two crystallographically unique carboxylic ligands are different. One acts as monodentate ligand by the carboxylate oxygen atom, the other bridges two tin atoms via only one carboxylate oxygen atom. Furthermore, each tin atom in this compound locates a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. Biological activities of these organotin compounds show that they have hardly acaricidal activity, but display certain activities on fungi. In mononuclear tin compounds, the inhibition percentage of [(C4H3S)CS2CH2CO2]2Sn(Bun)2 in vitro for Alternaria solani and Physolospora piricola is 57.1% and 43.9%, respectively, while in dimers {[((C4H3O)CS2CH2CO2)Sn(Bun)2]2O}2 shows high inhibition percentage for Gibbereila zeae (52.6%) and Physolospora piricola (50.0%), respectively. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatographic, gel electrophoretic and size exclusion chromatographic studies of subunit structure of arachin and its molecular species
Authors: Bhushan Ravi , Agarwal Rachna 
Published: June 2006

AbstractArachin and its molecular species (arachin I and arachin II) were separated and isolated. The number and kind of subunits of arachin, arachin I and arachin II were determined. Studies were carried out under different experimental conditions using slab gel electrophoresis, size‐exclusion chromatography and reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography. Gel electrophoresis was done under varying concentrations of resolving gel. Tube gel as well as slab gel electrophoresis were used and continuous as well as discontinuous buffer systems were used for both types of electrophoresis. In addition, the subunits were separated by reversed‐phase HPLC using a gradient program. Arachin and arachin II were found to have 12 subunits each while arachin I showed six subunits. The subunits of arachin I were allowed to reconstitute by removing SDS. Eight combinations were tried for studying the reconstitution pattern. Molecular weight and weight ratio in each case were also determined. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Suppression of thiol exchange reaction in the determination of reduced‐form thiols by high‐performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection after derivatization with fluorogenic benzofurazan reagent, 7‐fluoro‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole‐4‐sulfonate and 4‐aminosulfonyl‐7‐fluoro‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole
Authors: Santa Tomofumi , Aoyama Chiaki , Fukushima Takeshi , Imai Kazuhiro , Funatsu Takashi 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe derivatization of the reduced‐form thiols with SBD‐F (7‐fluoro‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole‐4‐sulfonate) and ABD‐F (4‐aminosulfonyl‐7‐fluoro‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole) was studied. The yields of the derivatives of the reduced‐form thiols (cysteine, homocysteine, reduced‐form glutathione) with SBD‐F at 60°C for 45 min in the borate buffer (pH 9.3) were significantly decreased in the presence of the oxidized‐form thiols (cystine, homocystine, oxidized‐form glutathione) because of the thiol exchange reaction between the reduced‐form and the oxidized‐form thiols. The use of ABD‐F at low temperature enabled the suppression of these thiol exchange reactions, and the recommended conditions were below 5°C for 90 min in borate buffer (pH 9.3). These results suggest that ABD‐F is a preferred derivatization reagent for the accurate determination of the reduced‐form thiols in samples containing the oxidized‐form thiols. In addition, it was also suggested that the derivatization of the reduced‐form thiols should also be performed at low temperature when derivatization reagents such as o‐phthalaldehyde (OPA) and monobromobimane (BrB) are used. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Imatinib mesylate in the treatment of systemic mastocytosis
Authors: Droogendijk Helga J. , Kluin‐Nelemans Hanneke J. C. , van Doormaal Jaap J. , Oranje Arnold P. , van de Loosdrecht Arjan A. , van Daele Paul L. A. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractBACKGROUND.Mastocytosis is characterized by the abnormal proliferation of mast cells in 1 or more organs. In most patients, a mutation is present in the gene for C‐KIT, resulting in deregulation of the c‐kit receptor. Imatinib mesylate is a potent inhibitor of c‐kit receptor tyrosine kinase activity. Therefore, the authors evaluated the efficacy and safety of imatinib mesylate as treatment for patients with systemic mastocytosis.METHODS.Patients with systemic mastocytosis received imatinib mesylate orally at a dose of 400 mg once daily for 3 to 6 months. Low doses of prednisone were added during the first 2 weeks. Endpoints were reductions in serum tryptase, urinary N‐methylhistamine excretion, skin lesions, the number of mast cells in bone marrow sections, hepatomegaly and/or splenomegaly, and symptoms.RESULTS.Of 14 patients who were included in the study, 11 patients had the D816V mutation. One patient expressed the FIP1L1‐PDGFR‐α rearrangement gene. In 2 patients, no mutation was found. In 10 patients, serum tryptase levels decreased >20%. In all patients, urinary N‐methylhistamine excretion was reduced. In 8 of 13 evaluable patients, the number of mast cells in the bone marrow decreased. Skin symptoms diminished in 5 of 9 patients. Hepatosplenomegaly improved in 3 of 6 patients. Symptoms decreased in 8 of 13 patients. In all patients who had the D816V mutation, reductions in ≥2 endpoints were achieved. In the patient who expressed the FIP1L1‐PDGFR‐α rearrangement gene, a complete response was attained. In general, imatinib mesylate was tolerated well.CONCLUSIONS.Imatinib mesylate was effective in patients with systemic mastocytosis, including those who had the D816V mutation. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.