bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Depletion of capsaicin sensitive afferents prevents lamina‐dependent increases in spinal N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor subunit 1 expression and phosphorylation associated with thermal hyperalgesia in neuropathic rats
Authors: Roh Dae‐Hyun , Kim Hyun‐Woo , Yoon Seo‐Yeon , Seo Hyoung‐Sig , Kwon Young‐Bae , Han Ho‐Jae , Beitz Alvin J. , Lee Jang‐Hern 
Published: January 2008

AbstractPhosphorylation of the N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor NR1 subunit (pNR1) in the spinal cord is associated with increased neuronal responsiveness, which underlies the process of central sensitization. Because of the importance of NR1 in central sensitization, the first goal of this study was to examine both time‐ and lamina‐dependent changes in spinal NR1 and pNR1 expression in a chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain. Increased excitability of capsaicin sensitive primary afferents (CSPAs), which express TRPV1 receptors, also contributes to central sensitization. Thus, we next examined whether the depletion of CSPAs with resiniferatoxin (RTX) modified the change of spinal NR1 and pNR1 expression induced by CCI. Experimental rats were euthanized at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days post‐CCI surgery and spinal cords processed for NR1 or pNR1 immunostaining. The number of NR1 or pNR1‐immunoreactive neurons was significantly increased in all lamina (I–VI) of the ipsilateral L4/L5 dorsal horn from 1 or 7 days post‐CCI, respectively. Pretreatment with RTX (0.3mg/kg, s.c. in the scruff of the neck or intraplantar) 2 days prior to CCI completely prevented induction of thermal hyperalgesia, but not mechanical allodynia in neuropathic rats. Interestingly, RTX treatment significantly attenuated the CCI‐induced upregulation of NR1 and pNR1 in spinal laminae I–II and V–VI, but not laminae III–IV as compared with that of vehicle‐treated CCI rats. These findings demonstrate that the increased expression of NR1 and pNR1 in spinal laminae I–II and V–VI is dependent on activation of CSPAs, which ultimately contribute to the development of thermal hyperalgesia in neuropathic rats.
Circulating antioxidant defences are decreased in healthy people after a high-fat meal
Authors: Cardona Fernando , Túnez Isaac , Tasset Inmaculada , Garrido-Sánchez Lourdes , Collantes Eduardo , Tinahones Francisco José 
Published: January 2008

The aim of this study was to examine the responses of uric acid, antioxidant defences and pro-oxidant variables after a high-fat meal. Twenty-five healthy persons without criteria for the metabolic syndrome, underwent a high-fat meal with Supracal®(60 g fat). Measurements were made at baseline and 3 h after the meal of TAG, uric acid, HDL-cholesterol, total proteins and oxidative stress. Following the high-fat meal, we detected a significant increase in pro-oxidative variables and a decrease in antioxidative variables. The uric acid concentrations were significantly lower after the high-fat meal and the reduction correlated significantly with the oxidative stress variables. The inverse relation between reduced uric acid and increased carbonylated proteins remained in multiple regression analysis. We conclude that uric acid is a powerful antioxidant and its reduction following a high-fat meal may be related with its acute antioxidative action.
Why don’t the French do Think Tanks?: France faces up to the Anglo-Saxon superpowers, 1918–1921
Authors: WILLIAMS ANDREW 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThis article asks the question: ‘Why have the French not developed ‘‘think tanks’’?’ by looking at the period when such institutions were being set up in The UK and the United States, during the preparation for the Paris Peace Conference and its aftermath. It is suggested that the reasons were a mixture of French bureaucratic and intellectual disposition but also in a growing revulsion in Paris at what was seen as duplicity and conspiracy by its Allies to ignore the legitimate concerns and needs of the French people. The central source material used is the papers of the ‘Commission Bourgeois’ whose deliberations are often rather air brushed out of academic literature on the period and work done within the French Foreign Ministry.
Hegemony and the structure-agency problem in International Relations: a scientific realist contribution
Authors: JOSEPH JONATHAN 
Published: January 2008

AbstractThis article argues for a concept of hegemony that goes beyond current usages in IR to examine its more structural aspect. First, it looks at this more structural aspect in relation to some of Gramsci’s own arguments. Then it adds hegemony to the structure-agency debate. It develops the concept of hegemony in two ways – first as a mediating moment between structure and agency, second as a factor in securing the unity of structural combinations. These arguments are in turn dependent upon a scientific realist ontology that sees structure as more than just intersubjective relations. Finally, the article tries to show how this reworked concept of hegemony allows for a social theory of international relations, while respecting the specificity of the international.
Foregrounding ontology: dualism, monism, and IR theory
Authors: JACKSON PATRICK THADDEUS 
Published: January 2008

AbstractWhile the recent proliferation in philosophical discussions in International Relations indicates a welcome increase in the discipline’s conceptual sophistication, a central issue has gone relatively unremarked: the question of how to understand the relationship between scholarly observers and their observed objects. This classical philosophical problem has a number of implications for the conduct of inquiry in the discipline, and raises particular challenges for the status of knowledge-claims advanced by constructivists. I clarify these issues and challenges by distinguishing between ‘dualist’ and ‘monist’ ontological standpoints, in the hope of provoking a more focused philosophical discussion.
Long-term histological and immunohistochemical findings in human venous aorto-coronary bypass grafts
Authors: Ribichini Flavio , Pugno Francesco , Ferrero Valeria , Wijns William , Vacca Giovanni , Vassanelli Corrado , Virmani Renu 
Published: January 2008

The aim of the present study was to analyse the long-term histology and immunohistochemistry of the plaque composition and cellular infiltration of SVGs (saphenous vein grafts) containing metallic stents. Percutaneous interventions in SVGs have a worse long-term clinical outcome compared with stenting of coronary arteries. Whether the pathological features of old degenerated SVGs condition the efficacy of drug-eluting stents is also unknown. Histology and immunohistochemistry of seven SVGs in the coronary circulation containing 12 metallic stents implanted 5 to 61 months before retrieval were analysed in patients undergoing a second aorto-coronary bypass surgery at a mean time of 11±6 years. The pathology of the old SVGs showed an important thrombotic and necrotic composition of the plaque, with plaque protrusion through the stent wires and a fragile media layer that could easily be damaged by stent placement with subsequent neointimal proliferation; indeed, stents with medial fracture had significantly greater mean neointimal thickness than those without (1.37±0.68 compared with 0.81±0.47 mm2; P&lt;0.02). Neointimal inflammatory cell density correlated with increased neointimal thickness in patent vessels (r2=0.43, P&lt;0.001). Immunostaining showed the total absence of ERs (oestrogen receptors), a poor cellular proliferative state as indicated by the presence of the Ki-67 marker, and persistent inflammation close to the stent wires as revealed by KP-1 and ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) immunostaining in most inflammatory cells in contact with the metal. These pathological findings may contribute to the more severe progression of disease and worse clinical outcome observed after conventional stented angioplasty of SVGs and might also interfere with the efficacy of drug-eluting stents in this specific atherosclerotic milieu.
Discovery of candidate KEN-box motifs using Cell Cycle keyword enrichment combined with native disorder prediction and motif conservation
Authors: Michael Sushama , Travé Gilles , Ramu Chenna , Chica Claudia , Gibson Toby J. 
Published: January 2008

Abstract
Motivation: KEN-box-mediated target selection is one of the mechanisms used in the proteasomal destruction of mitotic cell cycle proteins via the APC/C complex. While annotating the Eukaryotic Linear Motif resource (ELM, http://elm.eu.org/), we found that KEN motifs were significantly enriched in human protein entries with cell cycle keywords in the UniProt/Swiss-Prot database—implying that KEN-boxes might be more common than reported.
Results: Matches to short linear motifs in protein database searches are not, per se, significant. KEN-box enrichment with cell cycle Gene Ontology terms suggests that collectively these motifs are functional but does not prove that any given instance is so. Candidates were surveyed for native disorder prediction using GlobPlot and IUPred and for motif conservation in homologues. Among &gt;25 strong new candidates, the most notable are human HIPK2, CHFR, CDC27, Dab2, Upf2, kinesin Eg5, DNA Topoisomerase 1 and yeast Cdc5 and Swi5. A similar number of weaker candidates were present. These proteins have yet to be tested for APC/C targeted destruction, providing potential new avenues of research.
Contact: toby.gibson@embl.de
Supplementary information: Tables of KEN-box candidates and keyword/conservation significance assessments are available as supplementary data at Bioinformatics online.
A hybrid model for robust detection of transcription factor binding sites
Authors: Gunewardena Sumedha , Zhang Zhaolei 
Published: January 2008

Abstract
Motivation: The short and degenerate nature of transcription factor (TF) binding sites contributes towards a low signal to noise ratio making it very difficult to separate them from their background. In order to tackle this problem one needs to look at ways of capturing the underlying biophysical properties that best discriminates TF binding sites from their background DNA. One such discriminatory property lies in the observed compositional differences in the nucleotide levels of TF binding sites and background DNA which are a result of processes such as purifying selection and selective preferences of TF binding sites for particular nucleotides or a combination of nucleotides over others.
Results: In this article, we present a hybrid model, referred to as a MonoDi-nucleotide model for robustly detecting TF binding sites. It incorporates both mono- and dinucleotide statistics to optimally partition the base positions of an aligned set of TF binding sites (motif) into a non-redundant sequence of mono and/or dinucleotide segments that maximizes the odds ratio of the binding sites relative to their background DNA. We tested the MonoDi-nucleotide model on the benchmark dataset compiled by Tompa et al. (2005) for assessing computational tools that predict TF binding sites. The performance of the MonoDi-nucleotide model on this data set compares well to, and in many cases exceeds, the performance of existing tools. This is in part attributed to the significant role played by dinucleotides in discriminating TF binding sites from background DNA.
Availability: A Matlab implementation of the MonoDi-nucleotide model can be found at http://www.utoronto.ca/zhanglab/MonoDi/.
Contact: sumedha@cantab.net, Zhaolei.Zhang@utoronto.ca
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Interpool: interpreting smart-pooling results
Authors: Thierry-Mieg Nicolas , Bailly Gilles 
Published: January 2008

Abstract
Motivation: In high-throughput projects aiming to identify rare positives using a binary assay, smart-pooling constitutes an appealing strategy liable of significantly reducing the number of tests while correcting for experimental noise. In order to perform simulations for choosing an appropriate set of pools, and later to interpret the experimental results, the pool outcomes must be ‘decoded’. The intuitive aim is clearly to identify the positives that gave rise to an observation, whether real or simulated. However, this goal is not well-formalized and has been the focus of very few studies.
Results: We first provide a clear combinatorial formalization of the ‘decoding problem’. We then present interpool, an exact algorithm to solve this problem. An efficient implementation is freely available. Its usefulness is illustrated in the context of yeast-two-hybrid interactome mapping with the Shifted Transversal Design.
Availability: The implementation, licensed under the GNU GPL, can be downloaded from http://www-timc.imag.fr/Nicolas.Thierry-Mieg/
Contact: nicolas.thierry-mieg@imag.fr
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The Plant Defense Elicitor Cryptogein Stimulates Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis Correlated with Reactive Oxygen Species Production in Bright Yellow-2 Tobacco Cells
Authors: Leborgne-Castel Nathalie , Lherminier Jeannine , Der Christophe , Fromentin Jérôme , Houot Valérie , Simon-Plas Françoise 
Published: January 2008

Abstract
The plant defense elicitor cryptogein triggers well-known biochemical events of early signal transduction at the plasma membrane of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cells, but microscopic observations of cell responses related to these early events were lacking. We determined that internalization of the lipophilic dye FM4-64, which is a marker of endocytosis, is stimulated a few minutes after addition of cryptogein to tobacco Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) cells. This stimulation is specific to the signal transduction pathway elicited by cryptogein because a lipid transfer protein, which binds to the same receptor as cryptogein but without triggering signaling, does not increase endocytosis. To define the nature of the stimulated endocytosis, we quantified clathrin-coated pits (CCPs) forming on the plasma membrane of BY-2 cells. A transitory stimulation of this morphological event by cryptogein occurs within the first 15 min. In the presence of cryptogein, increases in both FM4-64 internalization and clathrin-mediated endocytosis are specifically blocked upon treatment with 5 μ m tyrphostin A23, a receptor-mediated endocytosis inhibitor. The kinetics of the transient increase in CCPs at the plasma membrane coincides with that of transitory reactive oxygen species (ROS) production occurring within the first 15 min after elicitation. Moreover, in BY-2 cells expressing NtrbohD antisense cDNA, which are unable to produce ROS when treated with cryptogein, the CCP stimulation is inhibited. These results indicate that the very early endocytic process induced by cryptogein in tobacco is due, at least partly, to clathrin-mediated endocytosis and is dependent on ROS production by the NADPH oxidase NtrbohD.
Horseradish Peroxidase‐Catalyzed Generation of Acetophenone and Benzophenone in the Triplet State*
Authors: Nantes Lseli L. , Becharat Etelvino J. H. , Cilento Giuseppe 
Published: January 2008

ABSTRACTHorseradish peroxidase catalyzes the aerobic oxidation of 2‐phenylpropanal and diphenylacetaldehyde at physiological pH to yield acetophenone and benzophenone partly in the triplet state, respectively. These excited products plus formic acid are expected from the thermolysis of dioxetane intermediates. The presence of acetophenone was demonstrated spectrophotometr‐ically and the chemiluminescence spectrum (δmax ‐ 430 nm) was consistent with its triplet state. Energy transfer to 9,10‐dibromoanthracene‐2‐sulfonate ion, a triplet carbonyl counter, but not to anthracene‐2‐sulfonate ion, a singlet carbonyl acceptor, occurred, confirming the triplet nature of the main emitter. In the case of the diphenylacetaldehydelperoxidase system, benzophenone could also be detected spectrophotometrically but the corresponding chemiluminescence spectrum showed only red emission (δmax ‐ 630 nm), which was tentatively attributed to singlet oxygen formed by triplet‐triplet energy transfer to ground state oxygen. Horseradish peroxidase can be replaced by other he‐meproteins such as myoglobin, hemoglobin and micro‐peroxidase as catalyst of the chemiluminescent reaction. The distinct emission spectra achieved with different hemeproteins suggest a role of the microenvi‐ronment in totally or partly protecting the excited species from oxygen collisions, resulting in emission maxima around 430 nm, 630 nm or both.
Anthocyanin Content and UVB Sensitivity in Brassica rap
Authors: Klaper Rebecca , Frankel Steven , Berenbaum May R. 
Published: January 2008

ABSTRACTThree genotypes of rapid‐cycling Brassica rapa that differ in anthocyanin content were grown in the presence and absence of elevated levels of shortwave ultraviolet (UVB, 280–325 nm) radiation. After 41 days, UVB exposure reduced leaf length and plant height of all genotypes. Plants with low levels of anthocyanin experienced a reduction in flower number twice as great as in genotypes with normal or elevated levels of anthocyanins; however, the absence of differences in flower production by genotypes with normal and elevated levels of anthocyanins suggests that factors other than anthocyanin pigmentation contribute to UVB responses in this species.
The Selective Uptake of Benzoporphyrin Derivative Mono‐Acid Ring A Results in Differential Cell Kill of Multiple Myeloma Cells in vitro
Authors: Glück Stefan , Chadderton Antony , Ho Anthony D. 
Published: January 2008

ABSTRACTHigh‐dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous bone marrow/blood stem cell transplantation are an effective combination for treating a number of malignant disorders. The contamination of the autograft by malignant cells may be a reason for recurrences in spite of this treatment, for instance, in multiple myeloma. Therefore, we evaluated the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) using the photosensitizer benzoporphyrin derivative mono‐acid ring A (BPD‐MA) on multiple myeloma cells in comparison to the components of the normal bone marrow (NBM) and peripheral blood apheresis product. Flow cytometry was used to measure differential BPDMA uptake of NBM components: namely lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes and enriched hematopoietic stem cell (CD34+) populations and also the multiple myeloma cell lines OCI‐MY7 and OCI‐MY4. When each population was measured individually, the order of uptake was [OCI‐MY7/MY4] > [CD34+] > [granulocytes] = [monocytes] ≫ [lymphocytes]. Further, clonogenic assay was used to demonstrate surviving fractions for OCI‐MY7, OCI‐MY4 and NBM in vitro. The LD90 for OCI‐MY7 and OCI‐MY4 was between 10 and 20 ng/mL BPD‐MA whereas this concentration did not show any significant cell kill for the colony‐forming units‐granulocyte/macrophage (CFU‐GM) and burst‐forming units—erythrocyte (BFU‐E). When the NBM was “contaminated” with multiple myeloma cells in vitro, the LD90 for OCI‐MY7 in this cell mixture was shifted to between 40 and 80 ng/mL BPD‐MA. However, at 40 ng/ mL BPD‐MA at least 50% of normal CFU‐GM and BFU‐E colonies survived. For CFU‐GM and BFU‐E derived from the enriched CD34+ cell population, BPDMA up to a concentration of 80 ng/mL did not significantly reduce the surviving fractions. We have observed a 3–4 log therapeutic window with differential cell kill when comparing multiple myeloma cell lines to the components of the NBM and apheresis product in vitro. We conclude, that BPD‐MA is a molecule potentially useful as an ex vivo purging agent.
Photodynamic Action of Methylene Blue on the Paramecium Membrane
Authors: Saitow Fumihito , Nakaoka Yasuo 
Published: January 2008

ABSTRACTAn electrophysiological study of photodynamic action on the Paramecium membrane was carried out. In the presence of methylene blue (MB), light‐spot stimulation of an anterior and a posterior part induced a depolarization and a hyperpolarization of the membrane, respectively. Under voltage‐clamping, the anterior stimulation induced an inward current, while the posterior stimulation induced an outward current. The amplitudes of these currents were dependent on the membrane potential. When K+ channels were blocked with Cs+ and tetraethylammonium (TEA+), the posterior outward current was inhibited, while the anterior inward current was not inhibited. Intracellular application of the Ca2+ chelator, 1,2‐bis (2‐aminophenoxy) ethane‐N,N,N',N'‐tetraacetic acid (BAPTA) also inhibited the posterior outward current, but the anterior inward current was unaffected. These results suggest that photodynamic action on the Paramecium membrane primarily opens the Ca2+ channels and the following influx of Ca2+ activates the Ca2+‐dependent K+ channels localized mainly on the posterior part of the membrane.
Considerable Differences in Vaccine Immunogenicities and Efficacies Related to the Diluent Used for Aluminum Hydroxide Adjuvant
Authors: Lin Lin , Ibrahim Ashraf S. , Avanesian Valentina , Edwards John E. , Fu Yue , Baquir Beverlie , Taub Rebecca , Spellberg Brad 
Published: January 2008

ABSTRACT
We are developing an anticandidal vaccine using the recombinant N terminus of Als3p (rAls3p-N). We report that although more rAls3p-N was bound by aluminum hydroxide diluted in saline than by aluminum hydroxide diluted in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), its immunogenicity and efficacy were superior in PBS. Thus, protein binding, by itself, may not predict the efficacy of some vaccines with aluminum adjuvants.
Endophthalmitis Caused by
Acinetobacter baumannii
: Report of Two Cases
Authors: Chen Kuan-Jen , Hou Chiun-Ho , Sun Ming-Hui , Lai Chi-Chun , Sun Chi-Chin , Hsiao Ching-Hsi 
Published: January 2008

ABSTRACT

Acinetobacter baumannii
is most often responsible for hospital-acquired infections and is occasionally associated with community-acquired infections. We report two cases of
A. baumannii
endophthalmitis, one with endogenous endophthalmitis and the other with postkeratoplasty endophthalmitis. Although endophthalmitis is rare, ophthalmologists should be alert to the possibility of patients having endophthalmitis caused by
A. baumannii
.
Prospective Study of Human Metapneumovirus Detection in Clinical Samples by Use of Light Diagnostics Direct Immunofluorescence Reagent and Real-Time PCR
Authors: Landry Marie L. , Cohen Sandra , Ferguson David 
Published: January 2008

ABSTRACT

A Light Diagnostics human metapneumovirus (HMPV) monoclonal antibody reagent was evaluated using cytospin-enhanced direct immunofluorescence (DFA), and the results were compared to those for TaqMan reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). Of the 202 samples tested, 48 were positive by RT-PCR, and 41 (85.4%) of these were positive by DFA (
P
= 0.0771). The commercial availability of an HMPV DFA reagent will be of significant benefit to clinical laboratories.