bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Crucial role of neutrophils in the development of mechanical inflammatory hypernociception
Authors: Cunha Thiago M , Verri Waldiceu A , Schivo Ieda R , Napimoga Marcelo H , Parada Carlos A , Poole Stephen , Teixeira Mauro M , Ferreira Sergio H , Cunha Fernando Q 
Published: January 2008

AbstractNeutrophil migration is responsible for tissue damage observed in inflammatory diseases. Neutrophils are also implicated in inflammatory nociception, but mechanisms of their participation have not been elucidated. In the present study, we addressed these mechanisms in the carrageenan-induced mechanical hypernociception, which was determined using a modification of the Randall-Sellito test in rats. Neutrophil accumulation into the plantar tissue was determined by the contents of myeloperoxidase activity, whereas cytokines and PGE2 levels were measured by ELISA and radioimmunoassay, respectively. The pretreatment of rats with fucoidin (a leukocyte adhesion inhibitor) inhibited carrageenan-induced hypernociception in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Inhibition of hypernociception by fucoidin was associated with prevention of neutrophil recruitment, as it did not inhibit the hypernociception induced by the direct-acting hypernociceptive mediators, PGE2 and dopamine, which cause hypernociception, independent of neutrophils. Fucoidin had no effect on carrageenan-induced TNF-α, IL-1β, and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant 1 (CINC-1)/CXCL1 production, suggesting that neutrophils were not the source of hypernociceptive cytokines. Conversely, hypernociception and neutrophil migration induced by TNF-α, IL-1β, and CINC-1/CXCL1 was inhibited by fucoidin, suggesting that neutrophils are involved in the production of direct-acting hypernociceptive mediators. Indeed, neutrophils stimulated in vitro with IL-1β produced PGE2, and IL-1β-induced PGE2 production in the rat paw was inhibited by the pretreatment with fucoidin. In conclusion, during the inflammatory process, the migrating neutrophils participate in the cascade of events leading to mechanical hypernociception, at least by mediating the release of direct-acting hypernociceptive mediators, such as PGE2. Therefore, the blockade of neutrophil migration could be a target to development of new analgesic drugs.
How Do Stories Convince Us? Notes Towards A Rhetoric of Narrative
Authors: Rodden John 
Published: January 2008

This essay posits the conceptual rudiments of "rhetoric of narrative." Approaching contemporary narrative theory according to the classical trivium, the essay explores what and how stories mean and argue. It focuses on the relevance and value of the rhetorical tradition for illuminating distinctive features of a "rhetoric of narrative," showing how a "rhetoric" of narrative builds upon a "grammar" and a "logic" of narrative. Ultimately the essay posits that narratives can be positioned at some point along a continuum represented by poles roughly characterized as "aesthetic" and "ideological," with propagandistic argument lying at the latter extreme. The chief literary example for applying the conceptual distinctions emerging from our investigations is George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Effects of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Administration on Vascular Changes in Wound Healing of Rat Palates
Authors: Hata Yuichiro , Kawanabe Hitoshi , Hisanaga Yutaka , Taniguchi Kunihisa , Ishikawa Hiroyuki 
Published: January 2008

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the vascular changes induced by mucoperiosteal denudation of rat palate and to elucidate the effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) administration on the palatal vascular network in wound healing. Methods: A total of 117 male Wistar rats were used for the study on their 20th postnatal day. The animals were divided into three groups: a scar formation group, a basic fibroblast growth factor group, and a control group. The scar formation and basic fibroblast growth factor groups had lateral mucoperiosteum excised from the palate. In the basic fibroblast growth factor group, a solution of basic fibroblast growth factor was injected into the operated area 1 week after excision. At 6, 8, and 10 weeks postoperatively, palatal vascular changes were investigated by immunohistochemical staining and corrosion cast techniques. Results: Throughout the experimental period, there were significantly fewer vessels in the scar formation group than in the control and basic fibroblast growth factor groups. In the basic fibroblast growth factor group, the elongation of new vessels and capillary proliferation proceeded, and after 10 weeks a highly organized vascular network was established. The scar formation group showed few Volkmann's canals that were shrunken or closed, whereas the basic fibroblast growth factor group evidenced Volkmann's canals with arterioles or venules, as seen in the control. Conclusions: The results suggested that injection of basic fibroblast growth factor into palatal wounds improves the vascular supply to the operated mucosa and underlying bone during and after palatal wound healing, which may contribute to tissue remodeling of the palate during growth.
Derivation of Neurons with Functional Properties from Adult Limbal Epithelium: Implications in Autologous Cell Therapy for Photoreceptor Degeneration
Authors: Zhao Xing , Das Ani V. , Bhattacharya Sumitra , Thoreson Wallace B. , Sierra Jorge Rodriguez , Mallya Kavita B. , Ahmad Iqbal 
Published: January 2008

Abstract
The limbal epithelium (LE), a circular and narrow epithelium that separates cornea from conjunctiva, harbors stem cells/progenitors in its basal layer that regenerate cornea. We have previously demonstrated that cells in the basal LE, when removed from their niche and cultured in reduced bond morphogenetic protein signaling, acquire properties of neural progenitors. Here, we demonstrate that LE-derived neural progenitors generate neurons with functional properties and can be directly differentiated along rod photoreceptor lineage in vitro and in vivo. These observations posit the LE as a potential source of neural progenitors for autologous cell therapy to treat photoreceptor degeneration in age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Adipogenic Human Adenovirus Ad-36 Induces Commitment, Differentiation, and Lipid Accumulation in Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells
Authors: Pasarica Magdalena , Mashtalir Nazar , McAllister Emily J. , Kilroy Gail E. , Koska Juraj , Permana Paska , de Courten Barbora , Yu Minghuan , Ravussin Eric , Gimble Jeffery M. , Dhurandhar Nikhil V. 
Published: January 2008

Abstract
Human adenovirus Ad-36 is causatively and correlatively linked with animal and human obesity, respectively. Ad-36 enhances differentiation of rodent preadipocytes, but its effect on adipogenesis in humans is unknown. To indirectly assess the role of Ad-36-induced adipogenesis in human obesity, the effect of the virus on commitment, differentiation, and lipid accumulation was investigated in vitro in primary human adipose-derived stem/stromal cells (hASC). Ad-36 infected hASC in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Even in the presence of osteogenic media, Ad-36-infected hASC showed significantly greater lipid accumulation, suggestive of their commitment to the adipocyte lineage. Even in the absence of adipogenic inducers, Ad-36 significantly increased hASC differentiation, as indicated by a time-dependent expression of genes within the adipogenic cascade—CCAAT/Enhancer binding protein-β, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, and fatty acid-binding protein—and consequentially increased lipid accumulation in a time- and viral dose-dependent manner. Induction of hASC to the adipocyte state by Ad-36 was further supported by increased expression of lipoprotein lipase and the accumulation of its extracellular fraction. hASC from subjects harboring Ad-36 DNA in their adipose tissue due to natural infection had significantly greater ability to differentiate compared with Ad-36 DNA-negative counterparts, which offers a proof of concept. Thus, Ad-36 has the potential to induce adipogenesis in hASC, which may contribute to adiposity induced by the virus.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Genes Involved in Post-Transcriptional Regulation Are Overrepresented in Stem/Progenitor Spermatogonia of Cryptorchid Mouse Testes
Authors: Orwig Kyle E. , Ryu Buom-Yong , Master Stephen R. , Phillips Bart T. , Mack Matthias , Avarbock Mary R. , Chodosh Lewis , Brinster Ralph L. 
Published: January 2008

Abstract
Gene expression and consequent biological activity of adult tissue stem cells are regulated by signals emanating from the local microenvironment (niche). To gain insights into the molecular regulation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), gene expression was characterized from SSCs isolated from their cognate niches of cryptorchid (stem cell-enriched), wild-type, and busulfan-treated (stem cell-depleted) mouse testes. Quantitative assessment of stem cell activity in each testis model was determined using an in vivo functional assay and correlated with gene expression using Affymetrix MGU74Av2 microarrays and the ChipStat algorithm optimized to detect gene expression from rare cells in complex tissues. We identified 389 stem/progenitor spermatogonia candidate genes, which exhibited significant overlap with genes expressed by embryonic, hematopoietic, and neural stem cells; enriched spermatogonia; and cultured SSCs identified in previous studies. Candidate cell surface markers identified by the microarray may facilitate the isolation and enrichment of stem and/or progenitor spermatogonia. Flow cytometric analyses confirmed the expression of chemokine receptor 2 (Ccr2) and Cd14 on a subpopulation cryptorchid testis cells (α6-integrin+, side scatterlo) enriched for SSCs. These cell surface molecules may mark progenitor spermatogonia but not SSCs because Ccr2+ and Cd14+ fractions failed to produce spermatogenesis upon transplantation to recipient testes. Functional annotation of candidate genes and subsequent immunohistochemistry revealed that proteins involved in post-transcriptional regulation are overrepresented in cryptorchid testes that are enriched for SSCs. Comparative analyses indicated that this is a recurrent biological theme among stem cells.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Comparative Analysis of the Frequency and Distribution of Stem and Progenitor Cells in the Adult Mouse Brain
Authors: Golmohammadi Mohammad G. , Blackmore Daniel G. , Large Beatrice , Azari Hassan , Esfandiary Ebrahim , Paxinos George , Franklin Keith B. J. , Reynolds Brent A. , Rietze Rodney L. 
Published: January 2008

Abstract
The neurosphere assay can detect and expand neural stem cells (NSCs) and progenitor cells, but it cannot discriminate between these two populations. Given two assays have purported to overcome this shortfall, we performed a comparative analysis of the distribution and frequency of NSCs and progenitor cells detected in 400 μm coronal segments along the ventricular neuraxis of the adult mouse brain using the neurosphere assay, the neural colony forming cell assay (N-CFCA), and label-retaining cell (LRC) approach. We observed a large variation in the number of progenitor/stem cells detected in serial sections along the neuraxis, with the number of neurosphere-forming cells detected in individual 400 μm sections varying from a minimum of eight to a maximum of 891 depending upon the rostral-caudal coordinate assayed. Moreover, the greatest variability occurred in the rostral portion of the lateral ventricles, thereby explaining the large variation in neurosphere frequency previously reported. Whereas the overall number of neurospheres (3730 ± 276) or colonies (4275 ± 124) we detected along the neuraxis did not differ significantly, LRC numbers were significantly reduced (1186 ± 188, 7 month chase) in comparison to both total colonies and neurospheres. Moreover, approximately two orders of magnitude fewer NSC-derived colonies (50 ± 10) were detected using the N-CFCA as compared to LRCs. Given only 5% of the LRCs are cycling (BrdU+/Ki-67+) or competent to divide (BrdU+/Mcm-2+), and proliferate upon transfer to culture, it is unclear whether this technique selectively detects endogenous NSCs. Overall, caution should be taken with the interpretation and employment of all these techniques.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Genetic association study of BDNF in depression: Finding from two cohort studies and a meta‐analysis
Authors: Chen Lina , Lawlor Debbie A. , Lewis Sarah J. , Yuan Wei , Abdollahi Mohammad R. , Timpson Nicholas J. , Day Ian N.M. , Ebrahim Shah , Smith George Davey , Shugart Yin Y. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractDepression is common and a major cause of morbidity and mortality and is also known to have serious effects on quality of life. Both clinical and pharmacologic studies have implicated the role of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as a susceptibility locus for the development of mental illness, including depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Population‐based genetic studies have examined the association between BDNF and a variety of depression outcomes, but the results have not clearly established the role of BDNF in the development of this complex disorder. The aim of this study was to test for associations between two genetic variants in BDNF, Val66Met (rs6265) and −270 C > T, and depression measured in two independent samples. In this analysis we included 3,548 participants from British Women's Heart and Health Study (BWHHS) and 6,836 mothers from Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) who had complete data on genotype and depression outcomes. We did not detect any strong evidence of associations between any of the two polymorphisms and indicators of depression in either BWHHS or ALSPAC samples. Further, we carried out a systematic review and meta‐analysis of all association studies of these two BDNF polymorphisms and depression. The meta‐analysis of Val66Met in depression obtained an overall summary OR of 1.06 (95% CI: 0.89–1.26, P = 0.537) comparing MM with VV genotypes and an OR of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.89–1.05, P = 0.403) comparing MV with VV genotypes. Our findings suggest that BDNF genotype does not exert a major influence on the development of depression. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of the processing conditions on the microstructure and properties of rotational molded polyamide 11
Authors: Oliveira M. J. , Cramez M. C. , Garcia C. B. , Kearns M. P. , Maziers E. 
Published: January 2008

AbstractRotomolded containers for solvents and hydrocarbons require the use of high‐permeability resins such as polyamide (PA). The published studies with this material are very scarce. In this work, a commercial grade of PA11 was rotational‐molded using different processing temperatures and characterized with a range of techniques. The study aims at investigating the influence of the processing conditions on the microstructure and properties of molded parts. The results showed that the spherulitic morphology and the mechanical properties are affected by the processing temperature, the optimum processing range being between 220°C and 240°C. Overheating causes a decrease of the impact strength and a severe increase in the formation of pinholes at the outer surface due to polymer degradation and formation of volatile products. The thermo‐oxidation reactions occurring at the inner surface of the samples result in the formation of products that absorb in the UV and visible light regions and cause the microhardness and the melt viscosity of the material to increase. The extent and severity of the degradation at the inner surface may be easily assessed by fluorescence microscopy. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Information‐conveying approaches and cognitive styles of mental modeling in a hypermedia‐based learning environment
Authors: Lee Jiunde , Boling Elizabeth 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThe increasing spread of Internet technology has highlighted the need for a better understanding of the fundamental issues concerning human users in a virtual space. Despite the great degree of navigational freedom, however, not all hypermedia users have the capability to locate information or assimilate internal knowledge. Research findings suggest that this type of problem could be solved if users were able to hold a cognitive overview of the hypermedia structure. How a learner can acquire the correct structural knowledge of online information has become an important factor in learning performance in a hypermedia environment. Variables that might influence learners' abilities in structuring a cognitive overview, such as users' cognitive styles and the different ways of representing information, should be carefully taken into account. The results of this study show that the interactions between information representation approaches and learners' cognitive styles have significant effects on learners' performance in terms of structural knowledge and feelings of disorientation. Learners' performance could decline if a representational approach that contradicts their cognitive style is used. Finally, the results of the present study may apply only when the learner's knowledge level is in the introductory stage. It is not clear how and what type of cognitive styles, as well as information representation approaches, will affect the performance of advanced and expert learners.
A New Ceramide from Suillus luteus and Its Cytotoxic Activity against Human Melanoma Cells
Authors: León Francisco , Brouard Ignacio , Torres Fernando , Quintana José , Rivera Augusto , Estévez Francisco , Bermejo Jaime 
Published: January 2008

AbstractA new phytosphingosine‐type ceramide, suillumide (1), was isolated from the EtOH extract of the basidiomycete Suillus luteus (L.) S. F. Gray, along with ten known compounds: ergosta‐4,6,8(14),22‐tetraen‐3‐one, ergosterol, ergosterol peroxide, suillin, (E)‐3,4,5‐trimethoxycinnamic alcohol, 5α,6α‐epoxyergosta‐8,22‐diene‐3β,7β‐diol, (R)‐1‐palmitoylglycerol, ergosta‐7,9(11),22‐triene‐3β,5α,6β‐triol, cerevisterol, and 4‐hydroxybenzoic acid. The structure of 1 was determined on the basis of spectroscopic and mass‐spectrometric analyses, as well as by chemical methods. Compound 1 and its synthetic diacetyl derivative 2 were tested for their cytotoxic activities against the human melanoma cell line SK‐MEL‐1. Both drugs showed IC50 values of ca. 10 μM after 72 h of exposure.
pH‐Sensitive Vesicles Containing a Lipidic β‐Amino Acid with Two Hydrophobic Chains
Authors: Capone Stefania , Walde Peter , Seebach Dieter , Ishikawa Takashi , Caputo Romualdo 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThe lipidic β‐amino acid 2‐(aminomethyl)‐2‐pentadecylheptadecanoic acid (1) was synthesized via the alkylation of the C(α)‐atom of fully protected β‐alanine. Mixed large unilamellar vesicles with a diameter between 100 and 200 nm containing POPC (1‐palmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine) and 1 at a molar ratio of 9 : 1 were prepared and found to have a surface charge which is dependent on pH. At slightly acidic pH, the vesicles were positively charged, and at alkaline pH negatively charged. Dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, and cryo‐transmission electron‐microscopy measurements indicated that the mixed vesicles fused at pH 4–5 with negatively charged mixed vesicles composed of POPC and POPG (9.8 : 1, molar ratio), POPG being 1‐palmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐[phospho‐rac‐(1‐glycerol)].
Characterization of Adducts Formed in Reactions of Acrolein with Thymidine and Calf Thymus DNA
Authors: Pawłowicz Agnieszka J. , Kronberg Leif 
Published: January 2008

AbstractAcrolein, an important industrial chemical and environmental contaminant, has been shown to interact with nucleic acids in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we examined the reactivity of acrolein towards thymidine and calf‐thymus double‐ and single‐stranded DNA in aqueous buffered solutions. LC‐MS Analyses of the reaction mixture of acrolein with thymidine showed the formation of five structurally different adducts. The structures of the products were determined on the basis of mass spectrometry, UV absorbance, and 1H‐ and 13C‐NMR spectroscopy. The adducts were identified as 3‐(3‐oxopropyl)thymidine (dT1), 3‐[(tetrahydro‐2,4‐dihydroxypyran‐3‐yl)methyl]thymidine (dT2), 2‐(hydroxymethyl)‐5‐(thymidin‐3‐yl)pent‐2‐enal (dT3), 3‐hydroxy‐2‐methylidene‐5‐(thymidin‐3‐yl)pentanal (dT4), and 2‐[(thymidin‐3‐yl)methyl]penta‐2,4‐dienal (dT5). The adducts dT2–dT5 were formed in reaction of dT1 with acrolein. In the reaction of acrolein with calf‐thymus DNA, dT1 was the only adduct detected in the DNA hydrolysate.
Temperature Dependence of Electronic Coupling through Oligo‐p‐phenyleneethynylene Bridges
Authors: Eng Mattias P. , Mårtensson Jerker , Albinsson Bo 
Published: January 2008

AbstractA series of donor‐bridge‐acceptor (D‐B‐A) systems with varying donor–acceptor distances has been studied with respect to the temperature dependence of the triplet excitation energy transfer (TEET) rates. The donor and acceptor, zinc(II) and free‐base porphyrin, respectively, were separated by oligo‐p‐phenyleneethynylene (OPE) bridges, where the number of phenyleneethynylene groups was varied between two and five, giving rise to edge‐to‐edge separations ranging between 12.7 and 33.4 Å. The study was performed in 2‐MTHF between room temperature and 80 K. It was found that the distance dependence was exponential, in line with the McConnell model, and the attenuation factor, β, was temperature dependent. The experimentally determined temperature dependence of β was evaluated by using a previously derived model for the conformational dependence of the electronic coupling based on results from extensive quantum chemical, DFT and time‐dependent DFT (TD‐DFT), calculations. Two regimes in the temperature interval could be identified: one high‐temperature, low‐viscosity regime, and one low‐temperature, high‐viscosity regime. In the first regime, the temperature dependence of β was, according to the model, well described by a Boltzmann conformational distribution. In the latter, the molecular motions that govern the electronic coupling are slowed down to the same order of magnitude as the TEET rates. This, in effect, leads to a distortion of the conformational distribution. In the high‐temperature regime the model could reproduce the temperature dependence of β, and the extracted rotational barrier between two neighboring phenyl units of the bridge structure, Ei=1.1 kJ mol−1, was in line with previous experimental and theoretical studies. After inclusion of parameters that take the viscosity of the medium into account, successful modeling of the experimentally observed temperature dependence of the distance dependence was achieved over the whole temperature interval.