bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synthetic 6FDA‐ODA copolyimide membranes for gas separation and pervaporation: Correlation of separation properties with diamine monomers
Authors: Xiao Shude , Feng Xianshe , Huang Robert Y.M. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractCopolyimides were synthesized from 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) and 4‐aminophenyl ether (ODA) with 4‐aminophenyl sulfone (DDS), 4,4′‐methylenedianiline (MDA), 4,4′‐bis(3‐aminophenoxy)diphenyl sulfone (BADS), 4,4′‐bis(3‐aminophenoxy) benzophenone (BABP), and 2,6‐bis(3‐aminophenoxyl) benzonitrile (DABN) as the third monomer. Surface free energies and interfacial free energies were calculated for comparison of the membrane hydrophilicity. Gas permeation was carried out with N2, O2, H2, He, and CO2, and the moiety contributions to membrane selectivity were calculated. DDS and BADS moieties contribute negatively to the selectivities toward O2/N2, H2/N2, and He/N2, and the DABN moiety is favorable for improving CO2/N2 selectivity. Water permeation and dehydration of isopropanol were performed, and the linear moiety contribution method was applied to study the effects of the monomer structures on the temperature and feed concentration dependencies of the permeation flux. The steric effects of DDS and BADS moieties, as well as the interactions of BABP and DABN moieties with water, account for the differences in pervaporation properties of the membranes. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Reliability and validity of the habitual activity estimation scale (HAES) in patients with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Wells Greg D. , Wilkes Donna L. , Schneiderman‐Walker Jane , Elmi Maryam , Tullis Elizabeth , Lands Larry C. , Ratjen Felix , Coates Allan L. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractPurposeTo understand potential benefits of exercise in the cystic fibrosis (CF) population, there needs to be accurate methods to quantify it. The Habitual Activity Estimation Scale (HAES) questionnaire has been shown to be a feasible tool to measure physical activity however the reliability and validity have yet to be determined in the CF population.MethodsFourteen (seven male, seven female) patients aged 16.2 ± 4.2 years with CF participated in this study. Participants were clinically stable at the time of the study and participating in their habitual physical activity. To assess reliability, patients completed the HAES and a validated 3‐day activity diary, and wore an ActiGraph™ Accelerometer for two consecutive weeks. Validity was assessed by comparing the activity results of each of the three instruments over a single week time period.ResultsICC estimates of reliability for the HAES, diary, and accelerometer were 0.72 (P < 0.0001), 0.76 (P < 0.0001), 0.63 (P < 0.0001), respectively. Validity analysis indicated that there were significant relationships between the participants' activity results as estimated by the HAES, diary and accelerometer. Further, significant relationships were detected between activity measures when broken into morning, afternoon, or evening periods, and between measures from weekday or weekend days. There were also significant relationships among the three instruments when recording different activity levels (somewhat inactive, somewhat active, and very active).ConclusionThe findings of this study suggest that the HAES questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used to assess activities of varying intensity in patients with CF. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2008; 43:345–353. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Influence of sighs in the raised volume rapid thoracic compression technique (RVRTC) in infants
Authors: Wandalsen Gustavo F. , La Scala Cintia K. , Lanza Fernanda , Molero José Carlos , Solé Dirceu 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThe raised volume rapid thoracic compression (RVRTC) technique has shown to be very promising in the evaluation of infant's lung function. In this technique lungs are inflated several times to a preset pressure prior to the thoracic compression. Many infants made a spontaneous inspiration (sigh) at the end of these inflations. Our hypothesis was that such sighs could change the major variables derived by this technique and the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of these sighs during lung inflation in the RVRTC technique in infants. Pairs of maneuvers with and without sighs during lung inflation were obtained in 33 of 48 consecutive tests. Curves with sighs showed significantly higher values of FVC (median: 456 × 437 ml; P < 0.001) and FEV0.5 compared to those without, whereas FEF75 and FEF85 were significantly lower (median: 417 × 439 ml/sec, P = 0.008 and 251 × 273 ml/sec, P = 0.01; respectively). The mean percent change between maneuvers for FVC, FEV0.5, FEF75, and FEF85 was respectively: 6.4%, 3.8%, −3.1%, and −3.5%. These differences represent a mean change of 0.38 z score for FVC and of 0.12 z score for FEF75 and FEF85. In conclusion, the presence of sighs during lung inflation significantly changes RVRTC values in infants. We suggest that the presence or the absence of sighs should be registered for each maneuver and that it should be considered for within and between subject comparisons. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2008; 43:360–365. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Psychological factors in childhood asthma
Authors: Macri' F. , Rossi F.P. , Lambiase C. , di Castelbianco F. Bianchi , Frassanito A. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractObjectivesThe aim of this study is to evaluate psychological aspects of childhood asthma and the connections between the illness and behavioral disturbances in asthmatic children.Study designWe selected a group of 47 asthmatic children and a control group of 47 healthy children. The only criterion for inclusion was that the children be between 4 and 10 years of age; criteria for exclusion were neurological pathologies, cognitive retardation, and serious or chronic systemic disease. The collaboration of a psychologist and a comparative examination of questionnaires used in medical literature helped us prepare a calibrated questionnaire for our study.ResultsIn our study, the asthmatic children show significantly more behavioral and psychological disturbances than the children in the control group.ConclusionsWithin the group of asthmatic children the boys and the children whose illness has lasted less than 4 years, are at greater risk of such disturbances; stressful situations connected to the birth or previous pregnancies can be seen more often in the group of asthmatic children than in the control group; before the onset of the illness the asthmatic children had significant sleep disturbances. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2008; 43:366–370. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tuberculosis in children
Authors: Marais Ben J. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractTuberculosis (TB) control poses one of the major global health challenges in the new millennium. Children in TB‐endemic areas suffer severe TB related morbidity and mortality, despite the availability of cheap and effective TB treatment. However, providing an accurate TB diagnosis together with access to supervised, child friendly treatment remains difficult in resource‐limited settings. This review provides a broad overview of recent advances related to child TB, focusing on intra‐thoracic disease manifestations. It summarizes current understanding of TB epidemiology, disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, but also introduces novel concepts for further discussion and future evaluation. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2008; 43:322–329. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The role of the hyporheic zone in the nitrogen dynamics of a semi‐arid gravel bed stream located downstream of a heavily polluted reservoir (Tafna wadi, Algeria)
Authors: Taleb Amina , Belaidi Nouria , SÁnchez‐PÉrez José‐Miguel , Vervier Philippe , Sauvage Sabine , Gagneur James 
Published: February 2008

AbstractNitrogen retention was measured along the Tafna wadi downstream of a heavily polluted reservoir in North‐West Algeria to understand the role of the hyporheic zone (HZ) in nitrogen dynamics. Nutrient concentrations were measured monthly for 2 years within the bed sediments of a 300 m reach located 20 km downstream from the dam. Due to strong hydrological fluctuations hyporheic water was analysed during natural low and high water (HW) periods, and during water reservoir releases. Nutrient concentrations in surface water (SW) increased during water releases and in the HZ during the low water (LW) periods. Surface/hyporheic water interactions were characterized by determining the vertical hydraulic gradient (VHG) and the chemical signature of the ground water (GW). The latter was obtained from regional GW monitoring. Hyporheic chemistry was strongly influenced by patterns of surface flow. Hyporheic and SWs had similar chloride concentrations during high flow when they were significantly lower than those of the regional GW. GW was generally richer in nitrates and nitrites, but was lower in ammonium concentrations than interstitial and river waters. Nitrates decreased significantly from upstream to downstream within the HZ throughout the hydrological period even though temporal fluctuations were high. Ammonium concentrations in interstitial water (IW) were significantly higher than in SW and generally increased from upstream to downstream. This study demonstrates the importance of the HZ in altering the dissolved inorganic nitrogen composition and concentrations of heavily polluted arid streams. The study is of interest because it documents a large ‘natural experiment’ that being the effect of periodic water release from a reservoir with serious water quality problems on the water quality dynamics (particularly nitrogen) of subsurface and SWs downstream. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Marital resemblance for obsessive–compulsive, anxious and depressive symptoms in a population-based sample
Authors: van Grootheest D. S. , van den Berg S. M. , Cath D. C. , Willemsen G. , Boomsma D. I. 
Published: February 2008

BackgroundResemblance between spouses can be due to phenotypic assortment, social homogamy and/or marital interaction. A significant degree of assortment can have consequences for the genetic architecture of a population. We examined the existence and cause(s) of assortment for obsessive–compulsive (OC), anxious and depressive symptoms in a population-based twin-family sample.MethodOC, anxious and depressive symptoms were measured in around 1400 twin–spouse pairs and >850 parent pairs. Correlations of twins and their spouse, twin and co-twin's spouse, spouses of both twins and parents of twins were obtained to consider phenotypic assortmentversussocial homogamy as possible causes of marital resemblance. The association of length of relationship with marital resemblance was also investigated. Finally, we examined whether within-trait or cross-trait processes play a primarily role in marital resemblance.ResultsSmall but significant within-trait correlations of between 0.1 and 0.2 were seen for spouse similarity in OC, anxious and depressive symptoms. Cross-correlations were significant but lower. There was no correlation between length of relationship and marital resemblance. From the pattern of correlations for twin–spouse, co-twin–spouse and spouses of both twins, phenotypic assortment could not be distinguished from social homogamy. Both within- and cross-assortment processes play a role in marital resemblance.ConclusionsSmall within- and across-trait correlations exist for OC, anxious and depressive symptoms. No evidence for marital interaction was found. Spouse correlations are small, which makes it difficult to distinguish between social homogamy and phenotypic assortment. It is unlikely that correlations of this size will have a large impact on genetic studies.
Biology and distribution of South Georgia icefish (Pseudochaenichthys georgianus) around South Georgia and Shag Rocks
Authors: Clarke Sarah , Reid William D.K. , Collins Martin A. , Belchier Mark 
Published: February 2008

AbstractPseudochaenichthys georgianus is a member of the unique Channichthyidae family of fishes, which lack haemoglobin. The distribution, length-frequency and summer diet are described from 14 bottom trawl surveys undertaken in the summers between 1986 and 2006. Pseudochaenichthys georgianus (50–590 mm TL) were caught throughout the South Georgia shelf from depths of 76–370 m, but very few specimens (< 1%) were caught on the Shag Rocks shelf. Multiple cohorts were present during each survey and length-frequency analysis of these cohorts suggests that growth is fast during the first 3–4 years. Stomach contents analysis (2005 & 2006) indicated that P. georgianus is a pelagic or semi pelagic predator, with the summer diet dominated by Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba). Fish (channichthyids and notothenids) were also taken, but were a relatively minor part of the diet.
The reproductive biology of two epibenthic species of Antarctic nototheniid fish of the genus Trematomus
Authors: La Mesa Mario , Caputo Vincenzo , Eastman Joseph T. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractTrematomus eulepidotus and T. loennbergii are two of the most common epibenthic fish in the waters of the High Antarctic continental shelf. Since the reproductive biology of these species has not been studied in the Ross Sea, we provide a macroscopic and histological analysis of the reproductive effort and gonadal development in both sexes. Most samples were collected during benthic trawl surveys in the south-western Ross Sea in the 1996 and 1997 summer seasons. The aim of the study was to define the reproductive characteristics of these two sympatric species and to examine the hypothesis that different reproductive strategies mitigate interspecific competition. We found that, in common with most Antarctic notothenioids, both species possess a suite of similar reproductive strategies including delayed sexual maturity, prolonged gametogenesis, group-synchronous oocyte maturation, a single spawning event per year and iteroparity. Both species show a comparable reproductive effort in terms of potential fecundity with between 2000 and 20 000 eggs per female per season. Nevertheless, the two species exhibited a considerable difference in the timing of the breeding season, spawning in summer (T. eulepidotus) and in autumn (T. loennbergii). This gives rise to a mismatch in the time of appearance of larvae in the environment and probably leads to reduced competition.
Vauxhall on the boulevard: pleasure gardens in London and Paris, 1764–1784
Authors: CONLIN JONATHAN 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT:Open to both aristocracy and middling rank, pleasure gardens fashioned a spectacle of order out of a heterogeneous crowd. They have been seen as uniquely British spaces, demonstrating how Britain juggled commerce, politeness and liberty. Yet these resorts had imitators abroad, especially in Paris. Far from being a case of Paris emulating London, they created a playful fantasy that shuttled visitors between the two cities – helping them imagine the ideal metropolis, polite yet policed.
The Nottingham Arboretum (1852): natural history, leisure and public culture in a Victorian regional centre
Authors: ELLIOTT PAUL , DANIELS STEPHEN , WATKINS CHARLES 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT:This article examines the development of the Nottingham Arboretum (1852), the centrepiece of one of the most ambitious schemes of urban enclosure and improvement in mid-Victorian Britain. It contends that the provision for parks and green spaces in the town was inspired by local naturalists and sanitary reformers as well as cultural emulation and civic rivalry with other urban centres such as Derby and Manchester. Analysis of the design and management of the Arboretum and green spaces and local controversies about funding and access reveal major local disagreements concerning uses of such spaces reflecting continued divisions in Victorian urban society beneath the public rhetorical and celebratory façade.
‘Temporary relief for specially recommended or selected deserving persons’: the mission of the House of Charity, Soho, 1846–1914
Authors: STARKEY PAT 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT:Twentieth-century voluntary social work organizations became accustomed to altering the emphases of their work in response to changing legislation or shifts in funding priorities. The House of Charity for Distressed Persons in Soho, founded in 1846, provides a nineteenth-century example of a similar phenomenon. The history of its first 70 years suggests that the intention to serve ‘selected deserving persons’ was outweighed by the need to ensure the spiritual well-being of its benefactors through opportunities for Christian service. Its primary purpose was thereby subverted, and the energies of its workers were diverted from raising funds to support ‘selected deserving persons’ to casting round for ways to fill the space in the House and to continue to give the benefactors a role.
Characterization of Recombinant Glyoxylate Reductase from Thermophile Thermus thermophilus HB27
Authors: Ogino Hiroyasu , Nakayama Hitoshi , China Hideyasu , Kawata Takuya , Doukyu Noriyuki , Yasuda Masahiro 
Published: February 2008

AbstractA glyoxylate reductase gene from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus HB27 (TthGR) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli cells. The recombinant enzyme was highly purified to homogeneity and characterized. The purified TthGR showed thermostability up to 70 °C. In contrast, the maximum reaction condition was relatively mild (45 °C and pH 6.7). Although the kcat values against co‐enzyme NADH and NADPH were similar, the Km value against co‐enzyme NADH was ∼18 times higher than that against NADPH. TthGR prefers NADPH rather than NADH as an electron donor. These results indicate that a phosphate group of a co‐enzyme affects the binding affinity rather than the reaction efficiency, and TthGR demands appropriate amount of phosphate for a high activity. Furthermore, it was found that the half‐lives of TthGR in the presence of 25% dimethyl sulfoxide and diethylene glycol were significantly longer than that in the absence of an organic solvent.
Production and Characterization of ZFP36L1 Antiserum against Recombinant Protein from Escherichia coli
Authors: Cao Heping , Lin Rui , Ghosh Sanjukta , Anderson Richard A. , F. Urban Joseph 
Published: February 2008

AbstractTristetraprolin/zinc finger protein 36 (TTP/ZFP36) family proteins are anti‐inflammatory. They bind and destabilize some AU‐rich element‐containing mRNAs such as tumor necrosis factor mRNA. In this study, recombinant ZFP36L1/TIS11B (a TTP homologue) was overexpressed in E. coli, purified, and used for polyclonal antibody production in rabbits. The antiserum recognized nanograms of the antigen on immunoblots. This antiserum and another antiserum developed against recombinant mouse TTP were used to detect ZFP36L1 and TTP in mouse 3T3‐L1 adipocytes and RAW264.7 macrophages. Immunoblotting showed that ZFP36L1 was stably expressed with a size corresponding to the lower mass size of ZFP36L1 expressed in transfected human embryonic kidney 293 cells, but TTP was induced by cinnamon extract and not by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in adipocytes. In contrast, ZFP36L1 was undetectable, but TTP was strongly induced in LPS‐stimulated RAW cells. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction confirmed the higher levels of ZFP36L1 mRNA in adipocytes and TTP mRNA in RAW cells. Low levels of ZFP36L1 expression were also confirmed by Northern blotting in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These results demonstrate that ZFP36L1 antiserum is useful in the detection of this protein and that TTP and ZFP36L1 are differentially expressed and regulated at the mRNA and protein levels in mouse adipocytes and macrophages.
Protein-tyrosine kinase CAKβ/PYK2 is activated by binding Ca2+/calmodulin to FERM F2 α2 helix and thus forming its dimer
Authors: Kohno Takayuki , Matsuda Eiko , Sasaki Hiroko , Sasaki Terukatsu 
Published: February 2008

CAKβ (cell adhesion kinase β)/PYK2 (proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2) is the second protein-tyrosine kinase of the FAK (focal adhesion kinase) subfamily. It is different from FAK in that it is activated following an increase in cytoplasmic free Ca2+. In the present study we have investigated how Ca2+ activates CAKβ/PYK2. Calmodulin-agarose bound CAKβ/PYK2, but not FAK, in the presence of CaCl2. An α-helix (F2-α2) present in the FERM (band four-point-one, ezrin, radixin, moesin homology) F2 subdomain of CAKβ/PYK2 was the binding site of Ca2+/calmodulin; a mutant of this region, L176A/Q177A (LQ/AA) CAKβ/PYK2, bound to Ca2+/calmodulin much less than the wild-type. CAKβ/PYK2 is known to be prominently tyrosine phosphorylated when overexpressed from cDNA. The enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation was inhibited by W7, an inhibitor of calmodulin, and by a cell-permeable Ca2+ chelator and was almost defective in the LQ/AA-mutant CAKβ/PYK2. CAKβ/PYK2 formed a homodimer on binding of Ca2+/calmodulin, which might then induce a conformational change of the kinase, resulting in transphosphorylation within the dimer. The dimer was formed at a free-Ca2+ concentration of 8–12 μM and was stable at 500 nM Ca2+, but dissociated to a monomer in a Ca2+-free buffer. The dimer formation of CAKβ/PYK2 FERM domain was partially defective in the LQ/AA-mutant FERM domain and was blocked by W7 and by a synthetic peptide with amino acids 168–188 of CAKβ/PYK2, but not by a peptide with its LQ/AA-mutant sequence. It is known that the F2-α2 helix is found immediately adjacent to a hydrophobic pocket in the FERM F2 lobe, which locks, in the autoinhibited FAK, the C-lobe of the kinase domain. Our results indicate that Ca2+/calmodulin binding to the FERM F2-α2 helix of CAKβ/PYK2 releases its kinase domain from autoinhibition by forming a dimer.
Role of histidine residues in EcoP15I DNA methyltransferase activity as probed by chemical modification and site-directed mutagenesis
Authors: Jois Prashanth S. , Madhu Nagaraj , Rao Desirazu N. 
Published: February 2008

Towards understanding the catalytic mechanism of M.EcoP15I [EcoP15I MTase (DNA methyltransferase); an adenine methyltransferase], we investigated the role of histidine residues in catalysis. M.EcoP15I, when incubated with DEPC (diethyl pyrocarbonate), a histidine-specific reagent, shows a time- and concentration-dependent inactivation of methylation of DNA containing its recognition sequence of 5′-CAGCAG-3′. The loss of enzyme activity was accompanied by an increase in absorbance at 240 nm. A difference spectrum of modified versus native enzyme shows the formation of N-carbethoxyhistidine that is diminished by hydroxylamine. This, along with other experiments, strongly suggests that the inactivation of the enzyme by DEPC was specific for histidine residues. Substrate protection experiments show that pre-incubating the methylase with DNA was able to protect the enzyme from DEPC inactivation. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments in which the 15 histidine residues in the enzyme were replaced individually with alanine corroborated the chemical modification studies and established the importance of His-335 in the methylase activity. No gross structural differences were detected between the native and H335A mutant MTases, as evident from CD spectra, native PAGE pattern or on gel filtration chromatography. Replacement of histidine with alanine residue at position 335 results in a mutant enzyme that is catalytically inactive and binds to DNA more tightly than the wild-type enzyme. Thus we have shown in the present study, through a combination of chemical modification and site-directed mutagenesis experiments, that His-335 plays an essential role in DNA methylation catalysed by M.EcoP15I.