bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical Significance of Brain Natriuretic Peptide in Patients with Postmyocardial Infarction
Authors: Bettencourt Paulo , Ferreira António , Pereira Margarida , Pardal‐Oliveira Nuno , Queir ós ConceiçãO , Ara újo Vitor , Cerqueira‐Gomes MÁRio , Maciel Maria JÚLia 
Published: February 2009

AbstractBackground: Risk stratification after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) includes the evaluation of left ventricular (LV) function. Natriuretic peptides, and particularly brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), emerged as a potential marker of ventricular function and prognosis after AMI.Hypothesis: Brain natriuretic peptide levels are related to ventricular function, either systolic or isolated diastolic, and can give prognostic information in patients surviving AMI.Methods: In all, 101 patients were enrolled. An echocardiographic (M‐mode, two‐dimensional, and pulsed Doppler) evaluation was performed and blood samples for BNP measurement were obtained. Clinical events were recorded during 12 months of follow‐up.Results: A negative correlation between BNP and LV ejection fraction was observed (r= ‐0.38; p<0.001). The BNP levels were higher among patients with LV systolic dysfunction than in patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction (339.1 ± 249.9 vs. 168.0 ± 110.5 pg/ml, p = 0.001). The latter had higher levels of BNP than those with normal LV function (68.3 ± 72.6 pg/ml, p < 0.001). The BNP accuracy to detect LV systolic dysfunction was good (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.83) and increased when isolated diastolic dysfunction was also considered (AUC = 0.87). Brain natriuretic peptide had a very good accuracy in the prediction of death (AUC = 0.95) and the development of heart failure (AUC = 0.90).Conclusion: These results extend previous evidence relating BNP to systolic function after AMI. Furthermore, a relationship between BNP levels and diastolic function was found. Brain natriuretic peptide had a very good performance in detecting the occurrence of an adverse event. We conclude that BNP can detect high‐risk patients and help select patients for more aggressive approaches.
A history of iron deficiency anemia during infancy alters brain monoamine activity later in juvenile monkeys
Authors: Coe Christopher L. , Lubach Gabriele R. , Bianco Laura , Beard John L. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractBoth during and after a period of iron deficiency (ID), iron‐dependent neural processes are affected, which raises the potential concern that the anemia commonly experienced by many growing infants could have a protracted effect on the developing brain. To further investigate the effects of ID on the immature brain, 49 infant rhesus monkeys were evaluated across the first year of life. The mothers, and subsequently the infants after weaning, were maintained on a standardized diet containing 180 mg/kg of iron and were not provided other iron‐rich foods as treats or supplements. As the infants grew, they were all screened with hematological tests, which documented that 16 (33.3%) became markedly ID between 4 and 8 months of age. During this anemic period and subsequently at 1 year of age, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens were collected to compare monoamine activity in the ID and iron‐sufficient infants. Monoamine neurotransmitters and metabolite levels were normal at 4 and 8 months of age, but by 1 year the formerly anemic monkeys had significantly lower dopamine and significantly higher norepinephrine levels. These findings indicate that ID can affect the developmental trajectory of these two important neurotransmitter systems, which are associated with emotionality and behavioral performance, and further that the impact in the young monkey was most evident during the period of recovery. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 51: 301–309, 2009
Enantiospecific Assembly of a Homochiral, Hexanuclear Palladium Complex
Authors: Colquhoun Howard M. , Powell C. Timothy , Zhu Zhixue , Cardin Christine J. , Gan Yu , Tootell Paula , Tsang Josephine S. W. , Boag Neil M. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe linking of orthopalladated ferrocenylene units by parabanato(2–) ligands results in enantiospecific assembly of a hexanuclear complex in which (i) the steric bulk of the ferrocenylene moiety, (ii) the folded configuration dictated by the imidato(2–) bridging ligand, and (iii) the strong preference for a trans arrangement of the carbonyl oxygen and ferrocenyl carbon atoms, combine to ensure that only ferrocenylene‐palladium units with the same chirality can be located at adjacent positions in the assembled complex. The resulting tris‐parabanato(2–)‐bridged, hexapalladium complex is thus homochiral (R,R,R,R,R,R or S,S,S,S,S,S), as demonstrated by 1H NMR spectroscopy and by X‐ray analysis of a racemic crystal which shows the complex to possess a tapering, twisted, trigonal‐prismatic skeleton of palladium atoms with threefold crystallographic symmetry.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Structure of the Core Region from the Lipopolysaccharide of Plesiomonas shigelloides Strain 302‐73 (Serotype O1)
Authors: Pieretti Giuseppina , Corsaro M. Michela , Lanzetta Rosa , Parrilli Michelangelo , Vilches Silvia , Merino Susana , Tomás Juan M. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractPlesiomonas shigelloides is a Gram‐negative pathogenic bacterium belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family. To date, only few lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structures from P. shigelloides strains are known. In particular, three core oligosaccharides have been found. Recently, we elucidated the structure of the O‐antigen of P. shigelloides 302‐73 (serotype O1) and in this paper we present the characterization of the core structure from the LPS of the same strain. The LPS was hydrolyzed under both alkaline and mildly acidic conditions. In both cases, a mixture of oligosaccharides was obtained, which was purified by gel filtration and HPAEC. The oligosaccharides were characterized by chemical analysis, 2D NMR spectroscopy and MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry. A new core structure was found for P. shigelloides. In particular, from the analysis of the acid hydrolysed product it was possible to reveal the presence of a of D‐glycero‐D‐talo‐2‐octulopyranosonic acid (Ko) residue, which substitutes in part the terminal 3‐deoxy‐D‐manno‐oct‐2‐ulosonic acid (Kdo) unit. The Ko residue is not frequently found in core structures.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Damage identification of a 3D full scale steel–concrete composite structure with partial‐strength joints at different pseudo‐dynamic load levels
Authors: Molinari M. , Savadkoohi A. T. , Bursi O. S. , Friswell M. I. , Zonta D. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractPartial‐strength composite steel–concrete moment‐resisting (MR) frame structures represent an open research field in seismic design from both a theoretical and an experimental standpoint. Among experimental techniques, vibration testing is a well‐known and powerful technique for damage detection, localization and quantification, where actual modal parameters of a structure at different states can be determined from test data by using system identification methods. However, the identification of semi‐rigid connections in framed structures is limited, and hence this paper focuses on a series of vibration experiments that were carried out on a realistic MR frame structure, following the application of pseudo‐dynamic and quasi‐static cyclic loadings at the European laboratory for structural assessment of the Joint Research Centre at Ispra, Italy, with the scope of understanding the structural behaviour and identifying changes in the dynamic response. From the forced vibration response, natural frequencies, damping ratios, modal displacements and rotations were extracted using the circle fitting technique. These modal parameters were used for local and global damage identification by updating a 3D finite element model of the intact structure. The identified results were then correlated with observations performed on the structure to understand further the underlying damage mechanisms. Finally, the latin hypercube sampling technique, a variant of the Monte Carlo method, was employed in order to study the sensitivity of the updated parameters of the 3D model to noise on the modal inputs. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhancing objective evaluation of speech quality algorithm: current efforts, limitations and future directions
Authors: Lee Wonsuck , Lee Minkyu , McGowan Jim 
Published: February 2009

AbstractWe discuss a performance improvement over the current state‐of‐the‐art objective speech quality assessment algorithm by means of a parameter study. The state‐of‐the‐art algorithm computes a certain measure of disturbances surface, and applies a cognitive model to map the computed value to the scale used mean opinion score (MOS). We note that many parameters, including the used metric of Lp space, do not appear to be robust enough in terms of the performance of the algorithm. First, we search for optimum Lp‐norms over the frequency‐‐time domain disturbance surface. The optimum Lp‐norms yield the most desirable correspondence between symmetric/asymmetric disturbance terms and subjective scores. New features are added to the cognitive processing algorithm. Improvements are substantial, but still only incrementally improve the performance. Limitations and bottlenecks of the current standardised approaches, as well as emerging new ideas, are reviewed. Finally, we call for more innovative, rather than renovative, research efforts in objective speech quality measurement for fundamental enhancement of the algorithm. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hepatitis B virus X protein enhances the transcriptional activity of the androgen receptor through c-Src and glycogen synthase kinase-3β kinase pathways #
Authors: Yang Wan-Jen , Chang Ching-Ju , Yeh Shiou-Hwei , Lin Wei-Hsiang , Wang Sheng-Han , Tsai Ting-Fen , Chen Ding-Shinn , Chen Pei-Jer 
Published: February 2009

Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs predominantly in men. By enhancing the transcriptional activity of the androgen receptor (AR) gene in a ligand-dependent manner, the HBV X protein (HBx) might contribute to this disparity between sexes. To dissect the mechanisms underlying HBx-enhanced AR transactivation, we investigated the effect of HBx on two critical steps in the regulation of ligand-stimulated AR activities. One step is the dimerization of AR (through the interaction of its N-termini and C-termini), and the other step is the activation of the AR N-terminal transactivation domain (NTD). HBx increased the NTD activation of the AR through c-Src kinase. HBx also enhanced AR dimerization by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) activity, which acts as a negative regulator of the interaction between AR and the N-termini and C-termini. The HBx-enhanced AR transactivation was abolished by blocking c-Src and activating GSK-3β kinases simultaneously, suggesting that these two kinases act as major switches in the activation process. The regulatory function of both kinases has been further verified in primary hepatocytes isolated from the livers of HBx transgenic male mice. Conclusion: Our study thus identified two key kinases through which HBx enhances the AR transcriptional activity. These kinases might be potential candidates for future prevention or therapy for HBV-related HCC in men. (Hepatology 2009.)
The cyclophilin inhibitor Debio 025 combined with PEG IFNα2a significantly reduces viral load in treatment-naïve hepatitis C patients #
Authors: Flisiak Robert , Feinman Saya V. , Jablkowski Maciej , Horban Andrzej , Kryczka Wieslaw , Pawlowska Małgorzata , Heathcote Jenny E. , Mazzella Giuseppe , Vandelli Carmen , Nicolas-Métral Valérie , Grosgurin Pierre , Liz Jorge S. , Scalfaro Pietro , Porchet Hervé , Crabbé Raf 
Published: February 2009

Abstract
The anti–hepatitis C virus (HCV) effect and safety of three different oral doses of the cyclophilin inhibitor Debio 025 in combination with pegylated interferon-α2a (PEG IFN-α2a) were investigated in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled escalating dose-ranging phase II study in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C. Doses of 200, 600, and 1,000 mg/day Debio 025 in combination with PEG IFN-α2a 180 μg/week for 4 weeks were compared with monotherapy with either 1,000 mg/day Debio 025 or 180 μg/week PEG IFN-α2a. In patients with genotypes 1 and 4, the 600- and 1,000-mg combination treatments induced a continuous decay in viral load that reached −4.61 ± 1.88 and −4.75 ± 2.19 log10 IU/mL at week 4, respectively. In patients with genotypes 2 and 3, HCV RNA levels at week 4 were reduced by −5.91 ± 1.11 and −5.89 ± 0.43 log10 IU/mL, respectively, with the same treatment regimens. Adverse events were comparable between treatment groups apart from a higher incidence of neutropenia associated with PEG IFN-α2a and an increased incidence of isolated hyperbilirubinemia at the highest dose of Debio 025 (1,000 mg/day). Conclusion: These results confirm that Debio 025 has a potent activity and an additive effect on HCV RNA reduction in genotype 1 and 4 patients at 600 and 1,000 mg/day when combined with PEG IFN-α2a. (Hepatology 2009.)
Rho-kinase 2 is frequently overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and involved in tumor invasion #
Authors: Wong Carmen Chak-Lui , Wong Chun-Ming , Tung Edmund Kwok-Kwan , Man Kwan , Ng Irene Oi-Lin 
Published: February 2009

Abstract
Deregulation of Rho family small guanosine triphosphatases has been implicated in human carcinogenesis. Rho-kinases are downstream effectors of Rho guanosine triphosphatases in the regulation of cytoskeletal reorganization and cell motility. However, their functions in human cancers remain elusive. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of Rho-kinases in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor progression and invasion. We first examined the expression of the two Rho-kinases (ROCK1 and ROCK2) in human HCC, and found that ROCK2 was frequently overexpressed in primary HCCs (22/41 [53.66%]). Clinico-pathological analysis revealed that overexpression of ROCK2 was significantly associated with the presence of tumor microsatellite formation (P = 0.005), suggesting that deregulation of ROCK2 may contribute to the intrahepatic metastasis of HCC. Consistently, we demonstrated that stable overexpression of ROCK2 significantly enhanced cell motility and invasiveness in HCC cells. Conversely, stable knockdown of ROCK2 by short hairpin RNA approach remarkably reduced HCC cell migration and invasion. Moreover, orthotopic liver xenograft models provided further support that stable knockdown of ROCK2 suppressed HCC invasion in vivo. Stable knockdown of ROCK2 in HCC cells significantly inhibited Golgi reorientation, myosin phosphatase phosphorylation, and formations of stress fibers, filopodia, and lamellipodia; these molecular and cellular events are crucial for cell motility and cancer invasion. Conclusion: Our results indicate that ROCK2 was overexpressed in human HCCs, and this overexpression was associated with a more aggressive biological behavior. Our findings also demonstrate that ROCK2 played a significant role in regulating cytoskeletal events and contributed to the invasion of HCC. (Hepatology 2009.)
Occurrence of phthalate esters in the Seine River estuary (France)
Authors: Dargnat C. , Blanchard M. , Chevreuil M. , Teil M. J. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe rigin and fate of six phthalate esters (dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di‐n‐butyl phthalate (DnBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), di (2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di‐n‐octyl phthalate (DnOP)), were investigated during 2005 and 2006 in the densely populated Seine river estuary. Four compounds, DMP, DEP, DnBP and DEHP were detected at all the stations with DEHP (160–314 ng L−1), followed by DEP (71–181 ng L−1) and next DnBP (67–319 ng L−1), except at la Bouille, where DnBP was the second most important compound. BBP and DnOP concentrations remained low and were not found at all the stations. Considering all six phthalates, Caudebec‐en‐Caux (beginning of the salinity gradient) was the least polluted station (464 ng L−1), whereas Honfleur (771 ng L−1) and La Bouille (716 ng L−1) displayed the highest contamination levels, probably related to important industrial plants. From Caudebec‐en‐Caux to Honfleur (maximum turbidity), variation of DEHP concentration was related to that of suspended matter. In addition, the salinity rise in that area might have facilitated DEHP sorption upon particles. A significant correlation between flow magnitude and DEHP concentration was found (P < 0·01, n = 12), supporting the influence of the hydrological cycle upon contamination. Runoff contribution (56·9 kg d−1) to river contamination was confirmed by the annual evolution of phthalate concentrations in the Seine river at Poses. Concentrations of DEHP in the tributaries were in the same range as those of the Seine River (100–350 ng L−1), except for two in densely populated and industrialized areas: Robec (800 ng L−1) and Cailly (970 ng L−1). The treatment plant discharge fluxes were in the same range as those of tributaries (30·4–250 g d−1). During high flow periods, the influence of tributaries and of treatment plants seemed to play a minor part in the contamination level of the Seine river estuary. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simulating hydrologic and hydraulic processes throughout the Amazon River Basin
Authors: Beighley R. E. , Eggert K. G. , Dunne T. , He Y. , Gummadi V. , Verdin K. L. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractPresented here is a model framework based on a land surface topography that can be represented with various degrees of resolution and capable of providing representative channel/floodplain hydraulic characteristics on a daily to hourly scale. The framework integrates two models: (1) a water balance model (WBM) for the vertical fluxes and stores of water in and through the canopy and soil layers based on the conservation of mass and energy, and (2) a routing model for the horizontal routing of surface and subsurface runoff and channel and floodplain waters based on kinematic and diffusion wave methodologies. The WBM is driven by satellite‐derived precipitation (TRMM_3B42) and air temperature (MOD08_M3). The model's use of an irregular computational grid is intended to facilitate parallel processing for applications to continental and global scales. Results are presented for the Amazon Basin over the period Jan 2001 through Dec 2005. The model is shown to capture annual runoff totals, annual peaks, seasonal patterns, and daily fluctuations over a range of spatial scales (>1, 000 to < 4·7M km2). For the period of study, results suggest basin‐wide total water storage changes in the Amazon vary by approximately + /− 5 to 10 cm, and the fractional components accounting for these changes are: root zone soil moisture (20%), subsurface water being routed laterally to channels (40%) and channel/floodplain discharge (40%). Annual variability in monthly water storage changes by + /− 2·5 cm is likely due to 0·5 to 1 month variability in the arrival of significant rainfall periods throughout the basin. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integration of remote sensing and GIS for modelling flash floods in Wadi Hudain catchment, Egypt
Authors: El Bastawesy Mohammed , White Kevin , Nasr Ayman 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThis paper presents a new approach to modelling flash floods in dryland catchments by integrating remote sensing and digital elevation model (DEM) data in a geographical information system (GIS). The spectral reflectance of channels affected by recent flash floods exhibit a marked increase, due to the deposition of fine sediments in these channels as the flood recedes. This allows the parts of a catchment that have been affected by a recent flood event to be discriminated from unaffected parts, using a time series of Landsat images. Using images of the Wadi Hudain catchment in southern Egypt, the hillslope areas contributing flow were inferred for different flood events. The SRTM3 DEM was used to derive flow direction, flow length, active channel cross‐sectional areas and slope. The Manning Equation was used to estimate the channel flow velocities, and hence the time‐area zones of the catchment. A channel reach that was active during a 1985 runoff event, that does not receive any tributary flow, was used to estimate a transmission loss rate of 7·5 mm h−1, given the maximum peak discharge estimate. Runoff patterns resulting from different flood events are quite variable; however the southern part of the catchment appears to have experienced more floods during the period of study (1984–2000), perhaps because the bedrock hillslopes in this area are more effective at runoff production than other parts of the catchment which are underlain by unconsolidated Quaternary sands and gravels. Due to high transmission loss, runoff generated within the upper reaches is rarely delivered to the alluvial fan and Shalateen city situated at the catchment outlet. The synthetic GIS‐based time area zones, on their own, cannot be relied on to model the hydrographs reliably; physical parameters, such as rainfall intensity, distribution, and transmission loss, must also be considered. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surface engineering: A low wearing solution for metal‐on‐metal hip surface replacements
Authors: Leslie Ian J. , Williams Sophie , Brown Chris , Anderson James , Isaac Graham , Hatto Peter , Ingham Eileen , Fisher John 
Published: February 2009

AbstractIncreased patient blood and serum levels of Co and Cr and dissemination of metal wear particles throughout organs and tissues are the primary concerns with metal‐on‐metal surface replacements. Surface engineering, providing a ceramic bearing surface on a metal substrate, could provide a solution. This study investigated thick (>10 μm) arc evaporation plasma vapor deposition chromium nitride (CrN) coated surface replacements in terms of wear, ion levels, and wear particles in a 10 million cycle hip simulator study, compared to a contemporary metal‐on‐metal surface replacement. The ion levels were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. The wear particles were imaged by field emission gun scanning electron microscopy. The CrN‐coated bearings had 80% lower wear than the MoM controls. The Cr and Co ion levels in the lubricant of the CrN bearings were 73 and 98% lower than in the MoM controls. The wear particles produced were in the nanometer size range and round to oval in morphology. The CrN coating could provide a reduction in the wear and ion release of MoM surface replacements, thereby reducing the perceived risks to the patient associated with these prostheses. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2009