bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Negative‐mode MALDI mass spectrometry for the analysis of pigments using tetrathiafulvalene as a matrix
Authors: Asakawa Daiki , Chen Lee Chuin , Hiraoka Kenzo 
Published: July 2008

AbstractNegative‐mode matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization‐mass spectrometry (MALDI‐MS) analysis of industrial pigments was performed using tetrathiafulvalene (TTF), an electron donating compound, as a matrix. Comparing with other matrices such as tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), dithranol, 2‐hydroxy‐6‐nitroaniline (HNA), and harmine hydrochloride, the most abundant analyte ions were produced by the TTF as radical or deprotonated anions. In addition, fragment ions in the negative mode of operation are also found to be much less abundant than those in the positive mode of operation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Successful thalamic deep brain stimulation for orthostatic tremor
Authors: Guridi Jorge , Rodriguez‐Oroz Maria C. , Arbizu Javier , Alegre Manuel , Prieto Elena , Landecho Ignacio , Manrique Miguel , Artieda Julio , Obeso Jose A. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe report a patient with severe orthostatic tremor (OT) unresponsive to pharmacological treatments that was successfully controlled with thalamic (Vim, ventralis intermedius nucleus) deep brain stimulation (DBS) over a 4‐year period. Cortical activity associated with the OT revealed by EEG back‐averaging and fluoro‐deoxi‐glucose PET were also suppressed in parallel with tremor arrest. This case suggests that Vim‐DBS may be a useful therapeutic approach for patients highly disabled by OT. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society
Urinary isoprostanes in Friedreich ataxia: Lack of correlation with disease features
Authors: Myers Lauren M. , Lynch David R. , Farmer Jennifer M. , Friedman Lisa S. , Lawson John A. , Wilson Robert B. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractTo assess the utility of urinary isoprostanes as markers of oxidative injury in Friedreich ataxia (FA), we compared levels of urinary F2‐isoprostanes in patients with FA and healthy control subjects. Levels of urinary F2‐isoprostanes in FA patients were not different from controls and were not significantly associated with age, GAA repeat length, disability level, or the use of antioxidants. Thus, urinary F2‐isoprostanes are not a useful biomarker in FA. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society.
Lewis–Sumner syndrome associated with infliximab therapy in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Hooper Davyd R. , Tarnopolsky Mark A. , Baker Steven K. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe report 2 cases of Lewis–Sumner syndrome (LSS) diagnosed in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis undergoing treatment with the antitumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) monoclonal antibody infliximab. While experiencing clinical improvement in their arthritic symptoms, both patients experienced sensory deficits and weakness in multiple nerve distributions. They had electrodiagnostic evidence of motor conduction block and subsequent improvement with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). We describe the details of the cases and review the literature on immune‐mediated neuropathies associated with anti‐TNF‐α therapy. Muscle Nerve, 2008
Effects of combined lower body endurance and upper body resistance training on the satellite cell pool in elderly subjects
Authors: Verney Julien , Kadi Fawzi , Charifi Nadia , Féasson Léonard , Saafi Mohamed Ali , Castells Josiane , Piehl‐Aulin Karin , Denis Christian 
Published: July 2008

AbstractTo distinguish the respective potential of endurance and resistance training to increase the satellite cell pool, we investigated the effects of 14 weeks of concurrent lower body endurance and upper body resistance training (3 sessions/week) on vastus lateralis (VLat) and deltoid (Del) muscles of 10 active elderly men. NCAM+ satellite cells and myonuclear number were assessed in VLat and Del. After 14 weeks of training the NCAM+ satellite cell pool increased similarly (+38%) in both muscles, mainly in type II muscle fibers (P < 0.05). There was no significant change in myonuclear number or myonuclear domain in either muscle. Combining resistance training in the upper limbs with endurance training in the lower limbs is an efficient strategy to enhance the satellite cell pool in upper and lower body muscles in elderly subjects. Our results provide a practical reference for the determination of optimal exercise protocols to improve muscle function and regeneration in the elderly. Muscle Nerve, 2008
Validation of a sham for percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS)
Authors: Peters Kenneth , Carrico Donna , Burks Frank 
Published: July 2008

AbstractAimPercutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) supposedly demonstrates 50–60% improvement in OAB symptoms with no sham‐controlled trials reported. This study determined the efficacy of a sham for PTNS.MethodsThirty healthy volunteers (15 women; 15 men) in this blinded pilot study were randomized into two equal groups: one group had PTNS on the right and sham on the left; the other group had PTNS on the left and sham on the right. A drape obscured their lower extremities. The sham utilized a placebo needle placed at the PTNS site along with a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) pad on the ipsilateral foot. The unit was activated until stimulation was felt. PTNS was performed on the opposite leg, with the grounding pad mimicking the sham pad placement. PTNS stimulation was given until the subject felt stimulation in the foot. Subjects had 1 simultaneous 15 min testing of the PTNS vs. sham. Subjects then completed a questionnaire stating which leg they thought had the sham and PTNS (or “unknown”). The primary endpoint of the study was the ability to accurately identify the sham.ResultsIn total, 10/30 (33%) of the shams were identified correctly. We would expect 50% to be identified by guessing, but only 33% were correctly identified. Females identified the sham correctly more often than males (40% vs. 27%). This procedure was validated as a feasible sham for PTNS.ConclusionsThis is the first validation of a sham for PTNS that may be used in future placebo‐controlled research. Neurourol. Urodynam. 28:58–61, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Arabic validation of the Urogenital Distress Inventory and Adapted Incontinence Impact Questionnaires—short forms
Authors: El‐Azab Ahmed S. , Mascha Edward J. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractAimsThe purpose of this study was to adapt the IIQ‐7 to suit the Egyptian culture and then to assess validity and reliability of the adapted and translated IIQ‐7 and UDI‐6.MethodsIIQ‐7 was modified to suit Egyptian culture. Linguistic validation of the two questionnaires was done. Initial test–retest reliability and internal consistency of adapted translated questionnaires were done in a pilot study. The final validity, test–retest reliability and internal consistency study included 204 women with urinary incontinence (UI). Participants completed the two questionnaires at enrollment and after 2 weeks. All participants underwent urodynamics. Baseline urodynamic diagnosis was compared with diagnoses made by questionnaires to assess validity.ResultsTest–retest reliability was excellent for both the IIQ‐7 and UDI‐6. For the UDI‐6, the mean difference (SD) between first and second visits was −1.63 (7.0), and the 95% CI for the mean difference was −2.6 and −0.68. The 95% limits of agreement were −15.3 and 12.0. Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (LCCC) (95% CI) for the UDI was 0.89 (0.85 and 0.91). For the IIQ‐7, the mean difference (SD) was 0.37 (7.1), and the 95% CI for the mean difference was −0.60 and 1.3. The 95% limits of agreement were −13.5 and 14.2. LCCC (95% CI) for the IIQ was 0.90 (0.87 and 0.92). Internal consistency as assessed using Cronbach's α was 0.32 and 0.31 for the UDI‐6 and IIQ‐7, respectively. Validity assessments indicated that both IIQ and UDI scales can distinguish objective disease states. Conclusions: UDI‐6 and the modified IIQ‐7 are easy to administer, test–retest reliable, and valid questionnaires, with relatively low internal consistency. Neurourol. Urodynam. 28:33–39, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Towards ‘reinventing government’: the changing perspectives of democratic governance for development
Authors: Kura Sulaiman Balarabe 
Published: July 2008

AbstractGood governance has now become a passion as all governments and regimes appropriate and/or misappropriate the term for development or populist reasons. However, democratic good governance is the catalyst for development. The idea of reinventing government is necessary in order to confront the dynamics and challenges of development in the era of globalisation. This is the main thrust of this review article. The article reviews three major books, the focus of which provides analytical insight towards reinventing government for achieving the MDGs and other development agenda. The books argue that to redesign and reinvent governments for development, attributes of democratic good governance must be articulated, localised and contextualised based on individual country's historical–political experiences and socio‐economic capabilities. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Legitimacy and context: implications for public sector reform in developing countries
Authors: Andrews Christina W. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThis article examines the interplay between legitimacy and context as key determinants of public sector reform outcomes. Despite the importance of variables such as legitimacy of public institutions, levels of civic morality and socio‐economic realities, reform strategies often fail to take such contextual factors into account. The article examines, first, relevant literature – both conceptual and empirical, including data from the World Values Survey project. It is argued that developing countries have distinctive characteristics which require particular reform strategies. The data analysed shows that in Latin American countries, there is no clear correlation between confidence in public institutions and civic morality. Other empirical studies show that unemployment has a negative impact on the level of civic morality, while inequality engenders corruption. This suggests that poorer and socio‐economically stratified countries face greater reform challenges owing to the lack of legitimacy of public institutions. The article concludes that reforms should focus on areas of governance that impact on poverty. This will in turn help produce more stable outcomes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Policy networks, politics and decentralisation policies in Ghana
Authors: Koranteng Roger Oppong , Larbi George A. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractPolicy‐making is a political process involving a network of actors with varied interests. This article uses policy network as an analytical framework to understand the politics of decentralisation policy‐making in Ghana from the perspective of interactions among interest groups. The article is based on a research study, which utilised semi‐structured interviews and documentary sources in its data collection. It argues that the lack of progress in decentralisation in Ghana can be explained by the politics surrounding government–interest group relations. The article also provides evidence to indicate how varied interests represented within the decentralisation policy networks affected politics and in turn influenced decentralisation policy‐making and outcomes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Local governance and water resource management: experiences from Northern Namibia
Authors: Hossain Farhad , Helao Tuhafeni 
Published: July 2008

AbstractLike many semi‐arid countries in Africa, Namibia has been experiencing water shortage for a long period of time. Prior to its independence in 1990, most of Namibia's water points—namely, the boreholes—served white‐Namibians (about 7% of the national population of predominantly German descent) and their commercial farming areas. But their water needs have been satisfied at the expense of those indigenous Namibians and their communal areas (where some 80% of the national population originates). Independence, however, brought with it a new hope for the indigenous population: since 1990, the government has been working diligently to reform the country's local governance, and make local government agencies more effective, efficient and responsive to common people and their needs. This article sheds light on how, within the background of the government's decentralisation efforts, the management and distribution of water resources have changed in an independent Namibia, reporting findings from research conducted in a newly emerged village council in the north of the country. Drawing on historical and contemporary practices, we describe and analyse the role of decentralised local government in water resource management in northern Namibia, where today, more than 50% of the national population (i.e. the indigenous Oshiwambo‐speaking people) resides. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Unique morphological spectrum of lymphomas in Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) patients with high frequency of consecutive lymphoma formation
Authors: Gładkowska‐Dura M , Dzierżanowska‐Fangrat K , Dura WT , van Krieken JHJM , Chrzanowska KH , van Dongen JJM , Langerak AW 
Published: July 2008

AbstractNijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by microcephaly, immunodeficiency, radiation hypersensitivity, chromosomal instability and increased incidence of malignancies. In Poland 105 NBS cases showing mutations in the NBS gene (nibrin, NBN), have been diagnosed, ∼53% of which have developed cancer, mainly (>90%) lymphoid malignancies. This study is based upon the largest reported group of NBS‐associated lymphomas. The predominant lymphoma types found in these 14 NBS children were diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T‐LBL/ALL), all showing monoclonal Ig/TCR rearrangements. The spectrum of NBS lymphomas is completely different from sporadic paediatric lymphomas and lymphomas in other immunodeficient patients. Morphological and molecular analysis of consecutive lymphoproliferations in six NBS patients revealed two cases of true secondary lymphoma. Furthermore, 9/13 NBS patients with lymphomas analysed by split‐signal FISH showed breaks in the Ig or TCR loci, several of which likely represent chromosome aberrations. The combined data would fit a model in which an NBN gene defect results in a higher frequency of DNA misrejoining during double‐strand break (DSB) repair, thereby contributing to an increased likelihood of lymphoma formation in NBS patients. Copyright © 2008 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantum dots light up pathology
Authors: Tholouli E , Sweeney E , Barrow E , Clay V , Hoyland JA , Byers RJ 
Published: July 2008

AbstractQuantum dots (QDs) are novel nanocrystal fluorophores with extremely high fluorescence efficiency and minimal photobleaching. They also possess a constant excitation wavelength together with sharp and symmetrical tunable emission spectra. These unique optical properties make them near‐perfect fluorescent markers and there has recently been rapid development of their use for bioimaging. QDs can be conjugated to a wide range of biological targets, including proteins, antibodies, and nucleic acid probes, rendering them of particular interest to pathology researchers. They have been used in multiplex immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, which when combined with multispectral imaging, has enabled quantitative measurement of gene expression in situ. QDs have also been used for live in vivo animal imaging and are now being applied to an ever‐increasing range of biological problems. These are detailed in this review, which also acts to outline the important advances that have been made in their range of applications. The relative novelty of QDs can present problems in their practical use and guidelines for their application are given. Copyright © 2008 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards identifying Brassica proteins involved in mediating resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans: A proteomics‐based approach
Authors: Sharma Nidhi , Hotte Naomi , Rahman Muhammad H. , Mohammadi Mohsen , Deyholos Michael K. , Kav Nat N. V. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractTo better understand the pathogen‐stress response of Brassica species against the ubiquitous hemi‐biotroph fungus Leptosphaeria maculans, we conducted a comparative proteomic analysis between blackleg‐susceptible Brassica napus and blackleg‐resistant Brassica carinata following pathogen inoculation. We examined temporal changes (6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h) in protein profiles of both species subjected to pathogen‐challenge using two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis. A total of 64 proteins were found to be significantly affected by the pathogen in the two species, out of which 51 protein spots were identified using tandem mass spectrometry. The proteins identified included antioxidant enzymes, photosynthetic and metabolic enzymes, and those involved in protein processing and signaling. Specifically, we observed that in the tolerant B. carinata, enzymes involved in the detoxification of free radicals increased in response to the pathogen whereas no such increase was observed in the susceptible B. napus. The expression of genes encoding four selected proteins was validated using quantitative real‐time PCR and an additional one by Western blotting. Our findings are discussed with respect to tolerance or susceptibility of these species to the pathogen.
The Ser/Thr/Tyr phosphoproteome of Lactococcus lactis IL1403 reveals multiply phosphorylated proteins
Authors: Soufi Boumediene , Gnad Florian , Jensen Peter Ruhdal , Petranovic Dina , Mann Matthias , Mijakovic Ivan , Macek Boris 
Published: July 2008

AbstractRecent phosphoproteomics studies of several bacterial species have firmly established protein phosphorylation on Ser/Thr/Tyr residues as a PTM in bacteria. In particular, our recent reports on the Ser/Thr/Tyr phosphoproteomes of bacterial model organisms Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli detected over 100 phosphorylation events in each of the bacterial species. Here we extend our analyses to Lactococcus lactis, a lactic acid bacterium widely employed by the food industry, in which protein phosphorylation at Ser/Thr/Tyr residues was barely studied at all. Despite the lack of almost any prior evidence of Ser/Thr/Tyr protein phosphorylation in L. lactis, we identified a phosphoproteome of a size comparable to that of E. coli and B. subtilis, with 73 phosphorylation sites distributed over 63 different proteins. The presence of several multiply phosphorylated proteins, as well as over‐representation of phosphothreonines seems to be the distinguishing features of the L. lactis phosphoproteome. Evolutionary comparison and the conservation of phosphorylation sites in different bacterial organisms indicate that a majority of the detected phosphorylation sites are species–specific, and therefore have probably co‐evolved with the adaptation of the bacterial species to their present‐day ecological niches.
Thawing permafrost and thicker active layers in sub‐arctic Sweden
Authors: Åkerman H. Jonas , Johansson Margareta 
Published: July 2008

AbstractObservations of active‐layer thickness from nine sites with up to 29 years of gridded measurements located in the Torneträsk region, northernmost Sweden, were examined in relation to climatic trends. Mean annual air temperatures in this area have warmed and recently rose above 0°C. Active layers at all sites have become thicker, at rates ranging from 0.7 to 1.3 cm per year. This trend has accelerated in the past decade, especially in the westernmost site where rates have reached 2 cm per year and permafrost has disappeared at 81 per cent of the sampling points. Increased active‐layer thicknesses are correlated with increases in mean summer air temperature, thawing degree‐days and, in five of the nine sites, with increases in snow depth. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Detonation Performance of TATP/AN‐Based Explosives
Authors: Matyáš Robert , Zeman Svatopluk , Trzciński Waldemar , Cudziło Stanisław 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe detonation velocity and performance were determined for four mixtures of triacetone triperoxide (3,3,6,6,9,9‐hexamethyl‐1,2,4,5,7,8‐hexoxonane, TATP), ammonium nitrate (AN) and water (W) by cylinder expansion tests. The composition of these mixtures varied in the following ranges: 21–31% TATP, 37–54% AN and 19–32% W. The obtained results were compared with those of powdery 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene (TNT), AN‐fuel oil explosive (ANFO) and emulsion explosive. It was found that the tested TATP/AN/W mixtures represent typical non‐ideal explosives with relatively low critical diameter and with high sensitivity to initiation despite the high content of water due to the presence of the primary explosive (TATP). The detonation velocity is comparable to that of powdery TNT (at similar density). However, the acceleration ability is significantly lower than that of powdery TNT.
Polarization properties of ferroelectric thin films on transverse ising model
Authors: Sun Punan , Lü Tianquan , Chen Hui , Cao Wenwu 
Published: July 2008

AbstractBy taking into account surface transition layers (STL), an improved transverse ising model (TIM) with a depolarization field effect also considered is used to describe the polarization properties of ferroelectric thin films in the framework of the mean‐field approximation. Functions representing the intralayer and interlayer couplings are introduced to characterize STL, which makes the model more realistic compared to previous treatment of surface layers using uniform surface exchange interactions and a transverse field. By comparison with the results obtained from the traditional treatments for the thin films using only the single surface layer (SSL), some new results are derived by adding the STL in the model. The results also show that the effect of the transverse field is notable when tunneling is essential. The influence of the depolarization field is to flatten the spontaneous polarization profile and make the polarization distribution of films more homogeneous, which is consistent with the results obtained from the Ginzburg–Landau–Devonshire (GLD) theory. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Cr‐related energy levels and mechanism of Cr2+ ion photorecharge in ZnS:Cr
Authors: Vlasenko N. A. , Oleksenko P. F. , Denisova Z. L. , Mukhlyo M. O. , Veligura L. I. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractIt is shown that published data and interpretation concerning the energy and origin of Cr‐related defects in ZnS:Cr as well as the mechanism of the Cr2+ → Cr+ photorecharge are ambiguous and contradictory. New data concerning these questions obtained by means of photodepolarization (PDP) spectroscopy methods for the first time are given. Several peaks of the impurity photocurrent are revealed in the PDP spectrum of ZnS:Cr thin‐film structures, which was measured from 0.7 eV to 3.9 eV. Two peaks are due to the photoionization of Cr2+ and Cr+ ions (2.8–3 eV and 1.3–1.5 eV, respectively). Three peaks are attributed to Cr‐related lattice defects, namely, a $ [{\rm Cr}^{2+}_{\rm Zn}]^0 $ isovalent trap (∼3.5 eV) and a $ [{\rm Cr}^{+}_{\rm Zn}]^- $ acceptor isolated (∼2.7 eV) and associated with a donor (1.8–2.2 eV). A new interpretation of the mechanism of the photorecharge of Cr2+ ions is also proposed. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)