bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Computer‐simulated bi‐directional alveolar distraction osteogenesis
Authors: Kanno Takahiro , Mitsugi Masaharu , Sukegawa Shintaro , Hosoe Michi , Furuki Yoshihiko 
Published: October 2008

AbstractObjectives: Computer‐based surgical planning allows surgeons to evaluate bone morphology in three dimensions and to perform accurate virtual surgery preoperatively. This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of using preoperative surgical simulation to enhance the clinical outcome in patients undergoing bi‐directional alveolar distraction osteogenesis.Material and methods: Nine patients (mean age, 49 years; range, 20–61 years) with maxillary segmental alveolar defects following post‐traumatic atrophy or disuse atrophy after periodontal tooth loss were enrolled in the study. All patients were scheduled for implant placement. Three‐dimensional (3‐D) morphological evaluation and virtual bi‐directional distraction were performed with SimPlant CMF/OMS surgical simulation software (Materialise). In addition, use of an extraosseous bi‐directional distraction device (V2‐Alveolar Distraction System; Medartis AG) was evaluated during the 3‐D alveolar regeneration simulation and resulting augmentation.Results: Alveolar height regeneration and labial‐buccal augmentation were planned preoperatively using surgical simulation software. New bone formation with sufficient vertical augmentation of 5.8 mm was observed. As we encountered strong palatal inclination, the angulation required for labial‐buccal augmentation during active distraction was the maximum angulation of 40°, even greater than that required in the preoperative simulation of 23.9°. Furthermore, the labial‐buccal augmented angulation was gradually decreased to 11.2° at the time of implant placement. In all cases, implantation was successful at the well‐augmented sites, with sufficient primary stability after a 3‐month consolidation period.Conclusions: Preoperative 3‐D simulation is a potentially valuable tool for treatment of the morphologically complicated oral‐maxillofacial region. More realistic surgical simulations are anticipated with ongoing effort to collect and integrate clinical data into next‐generation software.
AML transformation in 56 patients with Ph− MPD in two well defined populations
Authors: Abdulkarim Khadija , Girodon François , Johansson Peter , Maynadié Marc , Kutti Jack , Carli Paule‐Marie , Bovet Emeline , Andréasson Björn 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe Philadelphia chromosome‐negative (Ph−) chronic myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) have an inherent tendency for transformation into acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). The long‐term rate of leukaemic transformation in unselected MPD patients was studied in well‐defined MPD populations in Gothenburg, Sweden and the Côte d′Or area, Burgundy, France, respectively. Over a median observation time of 15 yr, 56 subjects (7%) out of a total of 795 patients with Ph− MPD transformed to AML. The yearly incidence of AML transformation was 0.38% in polycythaemia vera (PV), 0.37% in essential thrombocythaemia (ET) and 1.09% in idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF). The incidence of AML development was significantly higher in IMF as compared with both PV and ET (P = 0.002 and P = 0.02, respectively). Six of the patients who developed AML had never been treated with cytoreductive agents and two had only been exposed to interferon. In IMF, the average time from diagnosis to AML transformation was 42 ± 33 months, which was significantly shorter than for both PV and ET (88 ± 56 and 76 ± 57 months; P = 0.0075 and P = 0.027, respectively). The time from diagnosis to AML transformation appears to be a continuous event as regards all three MPD entities. It was shown that 17 out of the 18 patients with PV who developed AML were females; this was true despite the fact that the male/female ratio for the whole PV group was 146/171 (0.85). As regards ET and IMF patients who transformed to AML, the gender ratio showed slight male predominance (1.33 and 1.13, respectively). The average survival time for the 56 MPD patients who developed AML was 4.6 ± 5.5 (range 0–28) months and did not differ with respect to the three subtypes of pre‐AML MPD.
The G/G genotype of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF‐β1) single nucleotide (+915G/C) polymorphism coincident with other host and environmental factors is associated with irreversible bronchoconstriction in asthmatics
Authors: Liebhart Jerzy , Polak Malgorzata , Dabrowski Andrzej , Dobek Rafal , Liebhart Ewa , Dor‐Wojnarowska Anna , Barg Wojciech , Kulczak Aleksandra , Medrala Wojciech , Gladysz Urszula , Lange Andrzej 
Published: October 2008

SummaryIrreversible airflow obstruction may develop in some cases of asthma even in absence of known risk factors such as smoking and environmental insults and despite implementing apparently appropriate therapy. This implies that genetic factors may significantly contribute to determining the severity in the course of the disease. The published reports on genetic predisposition to irreversible bronchoconstriction in asthma, however, are relatively scarce, and disregard its potential association with transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1 gene polymorphism despite established role that TGF‐β1 plays in airway remodelling. We tested TGF‐β1 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at position +869 of codon 10 (leucine or proline) and position +915 of codon 25 (arginine or proline) for association with irreversible bronchoconstriction in a case–control study involving 110 patients with asthma and 109 controls. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that genotype G/G at codon 25 was significantly associated with irreversible bronchoconstriction in asthmatics (odds ratio = 4.44; 95% confidence interval: 1.00–19.61; P = 0.05), but only after adjustment for gender, disease duration and smoking index. The influence of SNPs at codon 10 on irreversible airway obstruction was not significant. Our results suggest that presence of SNP (+915G/G) at codon 25 in TGF‐β1 gene may predispose to the development of irreversible bronchoconstriction in asthmatic patients, but only when coincident with the male gender, habitual smoking and relevant duration of the disease.
Unusual amplification pattern by SSP HLA‐B typing led to discovery of a novel HLA‐C allele
Authors: Miao K. R. , Pan Q. Q. , Wu H. X. , Zhou X. Y. , Pan M. , Xue M. , Fan S. , Wang X. Y. , Zhao X. , Tang R. C. , Wang C. Y. 
Published: October 2008

SummaryWe report here the unique sequence of a novel human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐C allele resulted in amplification of a product with a primer pair used in sequence‐specific primer (SSP) HLA‐B typing, which led subsequently to identification of a new allele of Cw*0339 by sequence‐based typing method. This new allele is closely related to Cw*031101 with only two nucleotide changes from T to G at position 97, and T to C at position 105 in the exon 2 region of HLA‐C locus. The first nucleotide substitution causes an amino acid alteration from tyrosine to aspartic acid at amino acid residue 9 (Y to D), while the second one keeps alanine at residue 11 unchanged. Most interestingly, the nucleotide change from T to G at position 97 makes it identical to the 3′ end sequence of one SSP of the commercial HLA‐B SSP typing kit we were using. In this specific case, it resulted in amplification of a product of HLA‐C gene instead of B gene.
Enhanced GRK2 Expression and Desensitization of βAR Vasodilatation in Hypertensive Patients
Authors: Izzo Raffaele , Cipolletta Ersilia , Ciccarelli Michele , Campanile Alfonso , Santulli Gaetano , Palumbo Gianluigi , Vasta Antonio , Formisano Salvatore , Trimarco Bruno , Iaccarino Guido 
Published: October 2008

AbstractIncreased levels of G protein coupled receptor kinase GRK2 appear to participate in hypertension presumably through the desensitization of β adrenergic receptors (βARs) that mediate vasodilatation. There are contrasting data on the occurrence of βAR desensitization in the vasculature, we therefore investigated βAR vasodilatation and desensitization in normotensives and in hypertensive humans. In blood lymphocytes, we assessed βAR signaling and GRK2 expression and found βAR signaling alterations and, consistent with desensitization, ncreased GRK2 levels in hypertensives. We studiedin vivovasodilatation to the βAR agonist isoproterenol (ISO) injected in the brachia artery in control conditions and during the concomitant infusion of heparin, a knownin vitrononspecific GRK inhibitor. ISO induced a dose‐dependent vasorelaxation that was attenuated in hypertensives indicating a loss of βAR signaling. Intra‐arterial infusion of heparin nhibited lymphocyte GRK2 activity and prevented desensitization of βAR vasodilatation in normotensives. In hypertensives, heparin restored vasodilatation to ISO, to levels observed in normotensives. Our results suggest that βAR desensitization does indeed occur at the vascular levelsin vivo, and that heparin by acting as a GRK inhibitor prevents this in normotensives and restores impaired βAR vasodilation in hypertensives. We conclude that desensitization participates to impaired βAR vasodilation in hypertension.
Induction of Antitumor Immunity by Semi‐Allogeneic and Fully Allogeneic Electrofusion Products of Tumor Cells and Dendritic Cells
Authors: Siders William M. , Garron Carrie , Shields Jacqueline , Kaplan Johanne M. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractImmunization with the electrofusion product of tumor cells and dendritic cells (DCs) is a promising approach to cancer immunotherapy. Production of electrofusion vaccines currently requires the acquisition of tumor material and must be tailored to each individual. Alternative vaccine configurations were explored in this study. Results indicated that fusion vaccines with fully syngeneic, semi‐allogeneic or fully allogeneic components, were all effective in inducing specific, long‐lasting antitumor immunity. This previously undescribed activity of a fully allogeneic fusion product introduces the possibility of using defined allogeneic tumor and DC lines to simplify vaccine manufacturing.
Urinary Biomarkers for Sensitive and Specific Detection of Acute Kidney Injury in Humans
Authors: Vaidya Vishal S. , Waikar Sushrut S. , Ferguson Michael A. , Collings Fitz B. , Sunderland Kelsey , Gioules Costas , Bradwin Gary , Matsouaka Roland , Betensky Rebecca A. , Curhan Gary C. , Bonventre Joseph V. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractAcute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The lack of sensitive and specific injury biomarkers has greatly impeded the development of therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes of AKI.The unique objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of nine urinary biomarkers of AKI—kidney injury molecule‐1 (KIM‐1), neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL), interleukin‐18 (IL‐18), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), cystatin C (Cys), N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase (NAG), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), chemokine interferon‐inducible protein 10 (IP‐10; CXCL10), and total protein—in a cross‐sectional comparison of 204 patients with or without AKI.Median urinary concentrations of each biomarker were significantly higher in patients with AKI than in those without AKI (p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC‐ROC) for the combination of biomarkers using a logic regression model [risk score of 2.93*(NGAL > 5.72 and HGF > 0.17) + 2.93*(PROTEIN > 0.22) −2*(KIM < 0.58)] was greater (0.94) than individual biomarker AUC‐ROCs. Age‐adjusted levels of urinary KIM‐1, NAG, HGF, VEGF, and total protein were significantly higher in patients who died or required renal replacement therapy (RRT) when compared to those who survived and did not require RRT.Our results demonstrate the comparative value of multiple biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of AKI.
Improving the accuracy of breach modelling: why are we not progressing faster?
Authors: Morris Mark , Hanson Greg , Hassan Mohamed 
Published: October 2008

AbstractFlood risk assessment and management often requires the prediction of potential breaching of a flood defence embankment or dam in order to either assess potential impacts or provide information to assist emergency planning, evacuation, repair strategies and improve alternative future design strategies. There are many different aspects of the overall breaching process, which are more, or less, relevant to the wide range of potential end users of such information. Consequently, the prediction of breach growth is an area where research has been undertaken for many decades in an attempt to provide more reliable models and predictions. However, despite many initiatives providing observations and recommendations as to processes observed and how research might progress, more detailed literature searches will often uncover conclusions and observations noted a decade or two or three earlier that are similar to those being made today. In particular, observations relating to material type, state (such as water content and compaction) and properties are relevant here. This prompts the obvious question as to why our ability to predict breach initiation and growth has not progressed further over this period. Why are so many studies identifying similar issues and, in effect, ‘reinventing the wheel’? With a programme of research into breach initiation and growth under the EC FLOODsite Project and continued pressure to improve tools and techniques following events such as those seen at New Orleans in August 2005, this paper considers this question of apparent slow progress and offers some suggestions as to why this may have occurred and what direction might prove more effective in the future.
Polymerase chain reaction multiplexing of microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphism markers for quantitative trait loci mapping of wild house mice
Authors: KAWAŁKO AGATA , DUFKOVÁ PETRA , WÓJCIK JAN M. , PIÁLEK JAROSLAV 
Published: October 2008

AbstractWe tested 96 microsatellites and 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms for their allelic distribution in two subspecies of the house mouse, Mus musculus musculus and M. m. domesticus. Sixty‐two microsatellites discriminated strain‐specific differences among nine wild‐derived ‘musculus’ and ‘domesticus’ and three ‘classical’ laboratory strains. For efficient genotyping, we optimized multiplex conditions using five microsatellites per polymerase chain reaction. All 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms were also optimized for simultaneous analysis in one reaction using SNaPshot multiplex. The uniform distribution of markers on autosomes and on the X chromosome makes these panels potentially useful tools for quantitative trait loci mapping of wild house mice.
Variations inIxodes ricinusDensity andBorreliaInfections Associated with Cattle Introduced into a Woodland in The Netherlands
Authors: Gassner Fedor , Verbaarschot Patrick , Smallegange Renate C. , Spitzen Jeroen , Van Wieren Sipke E. , Takken Willem 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTThe effect of introduced large herbivores on the abundance ofIxodes ricinusticks and theirBorreliainfections was studied in a natural woodland in The Netherlands. Oak and pine plots, either ungrazed or grazed by cattle, were selected. Ticks were collected weekly by blanket dragging.Borreliainfections were determined by PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Rodent densities were estimated using mark-release-recapture methods. On occasion, the cattle were inspected for tick infestations. Meteorological data were recorded for each habitat. Significantly more ticks were collected in the ungrazed woodland than in the grazed woodland. The ungrazed oak habitat had higher tick densities than the pine habitat, while in the grazed habitats, tick densities were similar.Borreliainfection rates ranged from zero in larvae to 26% in nymphs to 33% in adult ticks, andB. afzelii,B. burgdorferisensu stricto,B. garinii, andB. valaisianawere the species involved. Coinfections were found in five ticks. There was no effect of the presence of cattle onBorreliainfections in the ticks. In the ungrazed area,Borreliainfections in nymphs were significantly higher in the oak habitat than in the pine habitat. More mice were captured in the ungrazed area, and these had a significantly higher tick burden than mice from the grazed area. Tick burden on cattle was low. The results suggest that grazing has a negative effect on small rodents as well as on ticks but not onBorreliainfections. Implications of these results for management of woodland reserves and risk of Lyme disease are discussed.
Comparative Analysis of Extracellular and Intracellular Proteomes ofListeria monocytogenesStrains Reveals a Correlation between Protein Expression and Serovar
Authors: Dumas Emilie , Meunier Bruno , Berdagué Jean-Louis , Chambon Christophe , Desvaux Mickaël , Hébraud Michel 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTListeria monocytogenes, the etiologic agent of listeriosis, remains a serious public health concern, with its frequent occurrence in food environments coupled with a high mortality rate. Among the 13 serovars, human listeriosis is mostly associated with the serovar 4b, 1/2b, and 1/2a strains. To investigate the diversity ofL. monocytogenes, the intracellular and extracellular proteins of 12 strains were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. These strains had different origins, belonged to different serovars (4b, 1/2a, and 1/2b), and presented with different levels of virulence in chicken embryos. The clustering of the strains in two groups based on proteomic patterns is in agreement with theL. monocytogenesphylogenetic lineages. Statistical analysis did not allow for identification of proteins specific to the isolate origin or the virulence level of the strains, but 26 and 21 protein spots were shown to be significantly overexpressed and underexpressed, respectively, in the six strains of serovar 1/2a (lineage II) compared to strains of serovar 1/2b or 4b. Moreover, a penicillin-binding protein was specific for serovar 1/2b and two protein spots identified as a serine protease were specific to serovar 4b. These protein spots, identified through peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry, were essentially found in the extracellular proteome and may have uses as potential markers for serotyping and risk analysis.
HtrA Is Essential for Efficient Secretion of Recombinant Proteins by
Lactococcus lactis
Authors: Sriraman Kalpana , Jayaraman Guhan 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACT

HtrA is a unique protease on the extracellular surface of
Lactococcus lactis
. It is known to take part in the proteolysis of many secreted recombinant proteins, and the mutation of
htrA
can lead to the complete stabilization of recombinant proteins. In this work, we have shown that
htrA
mutation also leads to significant reduction of the efficiency of recombinant-protein secretion. We also show that the level of HtrA can be lowered by the suppression of the acid tolerance response (ATR) in
L. lactis
. Instead of using an
L. lactis htrA
mutant, the reduction of the HtrA level in wild-type recombinant cultures of
L. lactis
by ATR suppression may serve as a better strategy for the production of secreted recombinant proteins.
Mechanism and Consequences of Anaerobic Respiration of Cobalt byShewanella oneidensisStrain MR-1
Authors: Hau Heidi H. , Gilbert Alan , Coursolle Dan , Gralnick Jeffrey A. 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTBacteria from the genusShewanellaare the most diverse respiratory organisms studied to date and can utilize a variety of metals and metal(loid)s as terminal electron acceptors. These bacteria can potentially be used in bioremediation applications since the redox state of metals often influences both solubility and toxicity. Understanding molecular mechanisms by which metal transformations occur and the consequences of by-products that may be toxic to the organism and thus inhibitory to the overall process is significant to future applications for bioremediation. Here, we examine the ability ofShewanella oneidensisto catalyze the reduction of chelated cobalt. We describe an unexpected ramification of [Co(III)-EDTA]−reduction byS. oneidensis: the formation of a toxic by-product. We found that [Co(II)-EDTA]2−, the product of [Co(III)-EDTA]−respiration, inhibited the growth ofS. oneidensisstrain MR-1 and that this toxicity was partially abolished by the addition of MgSO4. We demonstrate that [Co(III)-EDTA]−reduction byS. oneidensisrequires the Mtr extracellular respiratory pathway and associated pathways required to develop functional Mtr enzymes (thec-type cytochrome maturation pathway) and ensure proper localization (type II secretion). The Mtr pathway is known to be required for a variety of substrates, including some chelated and insoluble metals and organic compounds. Understanding the full substrate range for the Mtr pathway is crucial for developingS. oneidensisstrains as a tool for bioremediation.
Characterization of a Second
Rhodococcus erythropolis
SQ1 3-Ketosteroid 9α-Hydroxylase Activity Comprising a Terminal Oxygenase Homologue, KshA2, Active with Oxygenase-Reductase Component KshB
Authors: van der Geize R. , Hessels G. I. , Nienhuis-Kuiper M. , Dijkhuizen L. 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACT

Previously we have characterized 3-ketosteroid 9α-hydroxylase (KSH), a key enzyme in microbial steroid degradation in
Rhodococcus erythropolis
strain SQ1, as a two-component iron-sulfur monooxygenase, comprised of the terminal oxygenase component KshA1 and the oxygenase-reductase component KshB. Deletion of the
kshA1
gene resulted in the loss of the ability of mutant strain RG2 to grow on the steroid substrate 4-androstene-3,17-dione (AD). Here we report characteristics of a close KshA1 homologue, KshA2 of strain SQ1, sharing 60% identity at the amino acid level. Expression of the
kshA2
gene in mutant strain RG2 restored growth on AD and ADD, indicating that
kshA2
also encodes KSH activity. The functional complementation was shown to be dependent on the presence of
kshB
. Transcriptional analysis showed that expression of
kshA2
is induced in parent strain
R. erythropolis
SQ1 in the presence of AD. However, promoter activity studies, using β-lactamase of
Escherichia coli
as a convenient transcription reporter protein for
Rhodococcus
, revealed that the
kshA2
promoter in fact is highly induced in the presence of 9α-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione (9OHAD) or a metabolite thereof. Inactivation of
kshA2
in parent strain SQ1 by unmarked gene deletion did not affect growth on 9OHAD, cholesterol, or cholic acid. We speculate that KshA2 plays a role in preventing accumulation of toxic intracellular concentrations of ADD during steroid catabolism. A third
kshA
homologue was additionally identified in a
kshA1 kshA2
double gene deletion mutant strain of
R. erythropolis
SQ1. The developed degenerate PCR primers for
kshA
may be useful for isolation of
kshA
homologues from other (actino) bacteria.