bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Freeze casting of porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds. II. Sintering, microstructure, and mechanical behavior
Authors: Fu Qiang , Rahaman Mohamed N. , Dogan Fatih , Bal B. Sonny 
Published: March 2008

AbstractIn Part I, the influence of processing parameters on the general microstructure of freeze‐cast hydroxyapatite (HA) constructs was explored. This work is an extension of Part I to investigate the effect of sintering conditions on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of freeze‐cast HA. For constructs prepared from aqueous suspensions (5–20 vol % HA), sintering for 3 h at temperatures from 1250°C to 1375°C produced a decrease in porosity of <5% but an increase in strength of nearly 50%. Constructs with a porosity of 52% had compressive strengths of 12 ± 1 MPa and 5 ± 1 MPa in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the freezing direction, respectively. The mechanical response showed high strain tolerance (5–10% at the maximum stress), high strain to failure (>20%), and high strain rate sensitivity. Manipulation of the freeze‐cast microstructure, achieved by additions of glycerol and 1,4‐dioxane to the aqueous suspensions, produced changes in the magnitude of the mechanical response, but little change in the general nature of the response. The favorable mechanical behavior of the porous constructs, coupled with the ability to modify their microstructure, indicates the potential of the present freeze‐casting route for the production of porous scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2008
Dual ERK and phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase pathways control airway smooth muscle proliferation: Differences in asthma
Authors: Burgess Janette K. , Lee Jin Hee , Ge Qi , Ramsay Emma E. , Poniris Maree H. , Parmentier Johannes , Roth Michael , Johnson Peter R.A. , Hunt Nicholas H. , Black Judith L. , Ammit Alaina J. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractHyperplasia of airway smooth muscle (ASM) within the bronchial wall of asthmatic patients has been well documented and is likely due to increased muscle proliferation. We have shown that ASM cells obtained from asthmatic patients proliferate faster than those obtained from non‐asthmatic patients. In ASM from non‐asthmatics, mitogens act via dual signaling pathways (both ERK‐ and PI 3‐kinase‐dependent) to control growth. In this study we are the first to examine whether dual pathways control the enhanced proliferation of ASM from asthmatics. When cells were incubated with 0.1% or 1% FBS, ERK activation was significantly greater in cells from asthmatic subjects (P < 0.05). In contrast, when cells were stimulated with 10% FBS, ERK activity was significantly greater in the non‐asthmatic cells. However, cell proliferation in asthmatic cells was still significantly higher in cells stimulated by both 1% and 10% FBS. Pharmacological inhibition revealed that although dual proliferative pathways control ASM growth in cells from non‐asthmatics stimulated with 10% FBS to an equal extent ([3H]‐thymidine incorporation reduced to 57.2 ± 6.9% by the PI 3‐kinase inhibitor LY294002 and 57.8 ± 1.1% by the ERK‐pathway inhibitor U0126); in asthmatics, the presence of a strong proliferative stimulus (10% FBS) reduces ERK activation resulting in a shift to the PI 3‐kinase pathway. The underlying mechanism appears to be upregulation of an endogenous MAPK inhibitor—MKP‐1—that constrains ERK signaling in asthmatic cells under strong mitogenic stimulation. This study suggests that the PI 3‐kinase pathway may be an attractive target for reversing hyperplasia in asthma. J. Cell. Physiol. 216: 673–679, 2008, © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Osmoprotectants enhance methane production from the anaerobic digestion of food wastes containing a high content of salt
Authors: Oh Giyang , Zhang Lei , Jahng Deokjin 
Published: March 2008

AbstractBACKGROUND: Treatment and disposal of Korean food waste encounter technical difficulties due to a high‐salt problem. In order to increase methane production from food waste by using osmoprotectants, which are known to overcome osmotic stresses in many plants and other organisms, osmoprotectants including glycine betaine, choline, carnitine and trehalose were added to salt‐containing food wastes for anaerobic digestion.RESULTS: For NaCl‐amended food wastes containing 10 and 35 g L−1 NaCl, glycine betaine and choline increased methane production by about twofold compared to food waste without any osmoprotectants. For non‐washed food waste containing 11.6 g L−1 NaCl, glycine betaine increased methane production by about sixfold. Among these osmoprotectants, glycine betaine was the most effective for increasing methane productivity in anaerobic digestion of food waste with salinity. Analysis of glycine betaine in cell extracts using high‐performance liquid chromatography showed that glycine betaine accumulated in the cells of anaerobic sludge.CONCLUSION: Osmoprotectants significantly enhanced methanization of high‐salt food wastes by alleviating the salt‐induced physiological stresses in microorganisms. The application of osmoprotectants provided an effective substitute for other conventional methods to reduce inhibitory effects of high salt, such as dilution and co‐digestion. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Adeno‐associated virus‐mediated expression of kallistatin suppresses local and remote hepatocellular carcinomas
Authors: Tse Lai Yin , Sun Xueying , Jiang Hongchi , Dong Xuesong , Fung Peter W.C. , Farzaneh Farzin , Xu Ruian 
Published: March 2008

AbstractBackgroundThe current treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are poor, particularly for metastatic HCC. Intraportal transfusion of adeno‐associated virus (AAV) leads to long‐term and persistent transgenic expression in livers. Kallistatin, a novel angiogenesis inhibitor, exhibits anti‐tumor activity. The aim of the study was to investigate whether intraportal injection of AAV‐kallistatin could suppress local and metastatic HCC in mice.MethodsAn AAV vector encoding kallistatin was constructed, and its transduction efficiency by intraportal transfusion in livers was examined by RT‐PCR, immunohistochemical and Western blotting analysis. The anti‐tumor activity was tested in three HCC models including hepatic and subcutaneous human Hep3B HCC tumors in BALB/c athymic (nu/nu) mice, and subcutaneous mouse BNL HCC tumors in BALB/c mice. Tumor cell proliferation in situ was examined by anti‐Ki‐67 staining, and apoptosis by TUNEL.ResultsGene transfection by rAAV‐kallistatin inhibited proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and HCC cells in vitro. Intraportal injection of rAAV‐kallistatin resulted in persistent and specific expression of kallistatin in livers detected by RT‐PCR and immunohistochemical analysis, and kallistatin protein in circulation detected by Western blotting analysis. Intraportal injection of rAAV‐kallistatin significantly suppressed angiogenesis and growth of hepatic Hep3B tumors. The kallistatin released by hepatocytes into the circulation suppressed remote Hep3B and BNL tumors established subcutaneously. The rAAV‐kallistatin gene therapy significantly inhibited tumor cell proliferation and induced apoptosis.ConclusionsIntraportal injection of rAAV‐kallistatin suppressed hepatic and subcutaneous HCC tumors, relying on its anti‐angiogenic and anti‐proliferative activities. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neoadjuvant gene delivery of feline granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor using magnetofection for the treatment of feline fibrosarcomas: a phase I trial
Authors: Hüttinger Cornelia , Hirschberger Johannes , Jahnke Anika , Köstlin Roberto , Brill Thomas , Plank Christian , Küchenhoff Helmut , Krieger Stefan , Schillinger Ulrike 
Published: March 2008

AbstractDespite aggressive pre‐ or postoperative treatment, feline fibrosarcomas have high recurrence rates. Immunostimulatory gene therapy is a promising approach in veterinary oncology. This phase I dose‐escalation study was performed to determine toxicity and feasibility of gene therapy with feline granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (feGM‐CSF) in cats with fibrosarcomas. Twenty cats were treated with plasmid coding for feGM‐CSF attached to magnetic nanoparticles in doses of 50, 250, 750 and 1250 µg. Two preoperative intratumoral injections followed by magnetofection were given. Four control cats received only surgical treatment. Adverse events were recorded and correlated according to the veterinary co‐operative oncology group toxicity scale. An enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was performed to detect plasma feGM‐CSF concentrations. No significant treatment related toxicity was observed. Preliminary recurrence results were encouraging as, on day 360, ten of 20 treated cats were recurrence‐free. In conclusion, 1250 µg of feGM‐CSF plasmid DNA applied by magnetofection is safe and feasible for phase II testing. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An improved synthesis of [24‐14C]cholic acid, and its application to the synthesis of [14C]SCH 209702 (Syn3). Synthesis of [2H8]SCH 209702
Authors: Ren Sumei , McNamara Paul , Koharski David 
Published: March 2008

AbstractAn efficient synthesis of [24‐14C]cholic acid from potassium [14C]cyanide has been developed. The key intermediate, 23‐chloro‐3α, 7α, 12α‐triformyloxynorcholane, was synthesized by degradation of triformyl protected cholic acid. Different degradation conditions were explored. The synthesis of [14C]SCH 209702 from 23‐chloro‐3α, 7α, 12α‐triformyloxynorcholane and potassium [14C]cyanide is described. The synthesis of [2H8]SCH 209702 from [2H4]cholic acid is also presented. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Molecular biology changes associated with LRRK2 mutations in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Lu Yi Wei , Tan Eng‐King 
Published: March 2008

AbstractParkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by progressive dopaminergic neuronal loss in the substantia nigra. The recent discovery of leucine‐rich‐repeat kinase 2 gene (LRRK2) mutations in PD is significant because these mutations are the most common cause of autosomal dominant PD. Furthermore, a common recurrent mutation (G2019S) is associated with a significant proportion of nonfamilial PD, and a polymorphic variant (G2385R) has been found to increase the risk in the Asian race. The large LRRK2 protein of 280 kD contains three protein–protein interaction domains and two enzymatic domains, the Ras‐related GTPase and the kinase. Mutations in these domains have been described in PD patients. Preliminary evidence suggests that some types of LRRK2 mutations increase the kinase activity, and this is associated with significantly higher apoptotic cell death in dopaminergic cell lines and primary neurons; abolishing the kinase function ameliorates this cellular toxicity. It also appears that its GTPase domain can be activated independently, whereas the kinase activity strictly requires the GTPase activation. Mutations in the LRRK2 have displayed notable pleomorphic pathologies that might indicate an upstream role of LRRK2 in cellular signaling pathways. The identification of physiological substrates (likely to be involved in signaling and apotoptic pathways) of LRRK2 remains an important step in our understanding of the role of LRRK2 in the disease process. Further in vitro and in vivo studies will unravel the role of LRRK2 in cell signaling and its impact on proliferation, differentiation, and survival of neurons. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Inhibitors of p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase enhance proliferation of mouse neural stem cells
Authors: Sato Kenichiro , Hamanoue Makoto , Takamatsu Ken 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) is induced in response to environmental stress. Although p38 MAPK has been implicated in diverse cellular processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival of differentiated cells in the central nervous system (CNS), the expression profile and roles of p38 MAPK in the developing brain remain largely unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that p38 MAPK is expressed predominantly in nestin‐positive cells in the cerebral cortex in embryonic day 10 (E10) brain and that expression of the protein decreases gradually during development. To investigate the roles of p38 MAPK in the embryonic brain, two selective p38 MAPK inhibitors, SB202190 and SB203580, were added to the primary neuronal cultures from E10–E14 brains. After 7 days of exposure to these inhibitors, but not SB202474, a negative analog of SB203580, numerous large neurospheres were present. MAPK inhibitors also selectively increased the growth rate of neural stem cells (NSCs) purified from secondary neurospheres and the number of bromodeoxyuridine‐positive NSCs. Thus, p38 MAPK inhibitors are potent stimulators of NSC proliferation, and p38 MAPK may be an intrinsic negative regulator of NSC proliferation during early brain development. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Climate, agricultural production and hydrological balance in the North China Plain
Authors: Wang Enli , Yu Qiang , Wu Dingrong , Xia Jun 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe North China Plain (NCP) is the largest agricultural production area in China. The extensive use of groundwater for irrigation agriculture under variable climatic conditions has resulted in the rapid decline of the groundwater table especially in areas north of the Yellow River, leading to hydrological imbalance and unsustainable agricultural production. This article analyses the sustainable level of vegetation/crop water use under the NCP climate by mimicking the evapotranspiration of a natural forest ecosystem. Such a system would have a mean annual evapotranspiration ranging from 470 mm/year in the northern to 910 mm/year in the southern part of the plain, leading to a mean annual water excess (rainfall minus evapotranspiration) ranging from 21 to 124 mm/year. The natural forest ecosystem would use less water than the current wheat/maize double cropping system. To mimic the water use of the natural system, dryland farming has to be practiced, and wheat and maize crops would have a water deficit of 90–435 and 0–257 mm/year, respectively. Under average conditions, this would mean that all the areas north of the 36°N line have to abandon winter wheat production. Stopping irrigation will lead to significantly lower wheat yields (average yield 0.8 t/ha in the north to 5.2 t/ha in the south) and increased variability in wheat and maize yield both interannually and spatially. Better management practices, such as opportunity cropping (what and when to crop depending on climate and soil conditions rather than a set annual cycle), better use of climate forecast information to direct decision making, are required in order to achieve maximum return in good years while minimising cost in bad years. Analysis on rainfall and potential evapotranspiration (PET) from 1961 to 2000 shows that there has been an increasing trend in crop water deficit in the northern part, but a decreasing trend in the southern part of the plain. It remains to be further studied whether this reflects long‐term climate change or only a part of the climate variability. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
Susceptibility to global consumer culture: A three‐dimensional scale
Authors: Zhou Lianxi , Teng Lefa , Poon Patrick S. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractPrior research shows the existence of the construct “global consumer culture” and its related strategic implications for brand positioning strategies. However, the potential contribution of global consumer culture and associated positioning strategy to brand value would depend on consumers' susceptibility to global consumer culture (SGCC), a general trait of consumers that varies across individuals and is reflected in the consumer's desire or tendency for the acquisition and use of global brands. This study develops and validates a three‐dimensional scale that can be used to measure the conceptual domain of SGCC across cultures. Questionnaire surveys were conducted in China and Canada, and a three‐step structural equation modeling analysis was used to test the proposed scale for the two sample groups. Results indicate that SGCC is composed of three dimensions: conformity to consumption trend, quality perception, and social prestige. This scale could be used for empirical studies of aspects of global consumption behaviors. It may also help marketing managers develop a more focused positioning and communication strategy for global brands. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Vertical equity consequences of very high cigarette tax increases: If the poor are the ones smoking, how could cigarette tax increases be progressive?
Authors: Colman Gregory J. , Remler Dahlia K. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractCigarette smoking is concentrated among low‐income groups. Consequently, cigarette taxes are considered regressive. However, if poorer individuals are much more price sensitive than richer individuals, then tax increases would reduce smoking much more among the poor and their cigarette tax expenditures as a share of income would rise by much less than for the rich. Warner (2000) said this phenomenon would make cigarette tax increases progressive. We test this empirically. Among low‐, middle‐, and high‐income groups, we estimate total price elasticities of _0.37, _0.35, and _0.20, respectively. We find that cigarette tax increases are not close to progressive, using both tax expenditure‐based and traditional welfare measures. This finding is robust to cross‐border purchasing, generic cigarettes, and substantial external effects. However, we find that taxes can be progressive under some behavioral economic models (Gruber & Koszegi, 2004) but that these may only apply to a small share of smokers. © 2008 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
Systematic interpretation of cyclic nucleotide binding studies using KinetXBase
Authors: Schweinsberg Sonja , Moll Daniela , Burghardt Nicole C. G. , Hahnefeld Claudia , Schwede Frank , Zimmermann Bastian , Drewianka Stephan , Werner Lars , Kleinjung Frank , Genieser Hans‐Gottfried , Schuchhardt Johannes , Herberg Friedrich W. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractFunctional proteomics aims to describe cellular protein networks in depth based on the quantification of molecular interactions. In order to study the interaction of adenosine‐3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cAMP), a general second messenger involved in several intracellular signalling networks, with one of its respective target proteins, the regulatory (R) subunit of cAMP dependent protein kinase (PKA), a number of different methods was employed. These include fluorescence polarisation (FP), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), amplified luminescence proximity homogeneous assay (ALPHA‐screen), radioligand binding or activity‐based assays. Kinetic, thermodynamic and equilibrium binding data of a variety of cAMP derivatives to several cAMP binding domains were integrated in a single database system, we called KinetXBase, allowing for very distinct data formats. KinetXBase is a practical data handling system for molecular interaction data of any kind, providing a synopsis of data derived from different technologies. This supports ongoing efforts in the bioinformatics community to devise formal concepts for a unified representation of interaction data, in order to enable their exchange and easy comparison. KinetXBase was applied here to analyse complex cAMP binding data and highly site‐specific cAMP analogues could be identified. The software package is free for download by academic users.
Detailed proteome analysis of growing cells of the planctomycete Rhodopirellula baltica SH1T
Authors: Hieu Cao Xuan , Voigt Birgit , Albrecht Dirk , Becher Dörte , Lombardot Thierry , Glöckner Frank Oliver , Amann Rudolf , Hecker Michael , Schweder Thomas 
Published: March 2008

AbstractRhodopirellula baltica SH1T, which was isolated from the water column of the Kieler Bight, a bay in the southwestern Baltic Sea, is a marine aerobic, heterotrophic representative of the ubiquitous bacterial phylum Planctomycetes. We analyzed the R. baltica proteome by applying different preanalytical protein as well as peptide separation techniques (1‐D and 2‐DE, HPLC separation) prior to MS. That way, we could identify a total of 1115 nonredundant proteins from the intracellular proteome and from different cell wall protein fractions. With the contribution of 709 novel proteins resulting from this study, the current comprehensive R. baltica proteomic dataset consists of 1267 unique proteins (accounting for 17.3% of the total putative protein‐coding ORFs), including 261 proteins with a predicted signal peptide. The identified proteins were functionally categorized using Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs), and their potential cellular locations were predicted by bioinformatic tools. A unique protein family that contains several YTV domains and is rich in cysteine and proline was found to be a component of the R. baltica proteinaceous cell wall. Based on this comprehensive proteome analysis a global schema of the major metabolic pathways of growing R. baltica cells was deduced.
Proteomic analysis of hearts from frataxin knockout mice: Marked rearrangement of energy metabolism, a response to cellular stress and altered expression of proteins involved in cell structure, motility and metabolism
Authors: Sutak Robert , Xu Xiangcong , Whitnall Megan , Kashem Mohammed Abul , Vyoral Daniel , Richardson Des R. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractA frequent cause of death in Friedreich's ataxia patients is cardiomyopathy, but the molecular alterations underlying this condition are unknown. We performed 2‐DE to characterize the changes in protein expression of hearts using the muscle creatine kinase frataxin conditional knockout (KO) mouse. Pronounced changes in protein expression profile were observed in 9 week‐old KO mice with severe cardiomyopathy. In contrast, only several proteins showed altered expression in asymptomatic 4 week‐old KO mice. In hearts from frataxin KO mice, components of the iron‐dependent complex‐I and ‐II of the mitochondrial electron transport chain and enzymes involved in ATP homeostasis (creatine kinase, adenylate kinase) displayed decreased expression. Interestingly, the KO hearts exhibited increased expression of enzymes involved in the citric acid cycle, catabolism of branched‐chain amino acids, ketone body utilization and pyruvate decarboxylation. This constitutes evidence of metabolic compensation due to decreased expression of electron transport proteins. There was also pronounced up‐regulation of proteins involved in stress protection, such as a variety of chaperones, as well as altered expression of proteins involved in cellular structure, motility and general metabolism. This is the first report of the molecular changes at the protein level which could be involved in the cardiomyopathy of the frataxin KO mouse.