bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Postnatal induction of transforming growth factor β signaling in fibroblasts of mice recapitulates clinical, histologic, and biochemical features of scleroderma
Authors: Sonnylal Sonali , Denton Christopher P. , Zheng Bing , Keene Douglas R. , He Ruming , Adams Henry P. , VanPelt Carolyn S. , Geng Yong J. , Deng Jenny M. , Behringer Richard R. , de Crombrugghe Benoit 
Published: December 2006

AbstractObjectiveIncreased signaling by transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) has been implicated in systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma), a complex disorder of connective tissues characterized by excessive accumulation of collagen and other extracellular matrix components in systemic organs. To directly assess the effect of sustained TGFβ signaling in SSc, we established a novel mouse model in which the TGFβ signaling pathway is activated in fibroblasts postnatally.MethodsThe mice we used (termed TBR1CA; Cre‐ER mice) harbor both the DNA for an inducible constitutively active TGFβ receptor I (TGFβRI) mutation, which has been targeted to theROSAlocus, and a Cre‐ER transgene that is driven by a fibroblast‐specific promoter. Administration of 4‐hydroxytamoxifen 2 weeks after birth activates the expression of constitutively active TGFβRI.ResultsThese mice recapitulated clinical, histologic, and biochemical features of human SSc, showing pronounced and generalized fibrosis of the dermis, thinner epidermis, loss of hair follicles, and fibrotic thickening of small blood vessel walls in the lung and kidney. Primary skin fibroblasts from these mice showed elevated expression of downstream TGFβ targets, reproducing the hallmark biochemical phenotype of explanted SSc dermal fibroblasts. The mouse fibroblasts also showed elevated basal expression of the TGFβ‐regulated promoters plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 and 3TP, increased Smad2/3 phosphorylation, and enhanced myofibroblast differentiation.ConclusionConstitutive activation of TGFβ signaling in fibroblastic cells of mice after birth caused a marked fibrotic phenotype characteristic of SSc. These mice should be excellent models with which to test therapies aimed at correcting excessive TGFβ signaling in human scleroderma.
Outcomes after switching from one anti–tumor necrosis factor α agent to a second anti–tumor necrosis factor α agent in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Results from a large UK national cohort study
Authors: Hyrich Kimme L. , Lunt Mark , Watson Kath D. , Symmons Deborah P. M. , Silman Alan J. ,   British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register
Published: December 2006

AbstractObjectivePatients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who experience treatment failure with one anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti‐TNF) agent, due to either inefficacy or toxicity, are frequently switched to a second anti‐TNF agent, although the benefits of switching are unknown. The present study was undertaken to compare drug continuation rates between the first course and second course of anti‐TNF therapy.MethodsThe study involved a prospective cohort of RA patients from a UK national register of new anti‐TNF treatment starts (n = 6,739; 876 starting adalimumab, 2,826 starting etanercept, and starting 3,037 infliximab). Over a mean 15 months of followup, 841 patients stopped taking the first drug due to inefficacy and 1,023 stopped the first drug due to toxicity, of whom 503 and 353, respectively, were switched to a second anti‐TNF agent. Kaplan‐Meier survival curves were plotted to determine continuation rates for each course, and Cox regression was used to compare each course for the risk of stopping and the reason for stopping (inefficacy or toxicity).ResultsOverall, 73% of patients who switched to a second anti‐TNF agent remained on the new therapy by the end of followup. First drug discontinuation due to inefficacy was associated with an increased rate of second drug discontinuation due to inefficacy (hazard ratio [HR] 2.7, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 2.1–3.4) but not toxicity (HR 1.1, 95% CI 0.9–1.5). Similarly, first drug discontinuation due to toxicity was associated with an increased rate of second drug discontinuation due to toxicity (HR 2.3, 95% CI 1.9–2.9) but not inefficacy (HR 1.2, 95% CI 0.8–1.6).ConclusionRA patients who are switched to a second anti‐TNF drug have high rates of continuation, although among those who must discontinue treatment, the reasons for stopping a second drug are related to the reasons for stopping the first drug. This large data set from the UK provides the first estimates of the magnitude of these effects in patients with long‐standing severe RA.
Crucial role of macrophages in matrix metalloproteinase–mediated cartilage destruction during experimental osteoarthritis : Involvement of matrix metalloproteinase 3
Authors: Blom Arjen B. , van Lent Peter L. , Libregts Sten , Holthuysen Astrid E. , van der Kraan Peter M. , van Rooijen Nico , van den Berg Wim B. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractObjectiveTo explore the involvement of synovial macrophages in early cartilage damage in osteoarthritis (OA), and to identify the role of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP‐3) in the pathology of early and late OA.MethodsThe role of synovial macrophages in MMP‐mediated damage in OA was studied by depleting synovial macrophages prior to elicitation of a collagenase‐induced instability model of OA. The expression of MMP in synovium and cartilage was monitored using TaqMan analysis. In spontaneous and induced OA, cartilage pathology was scored in MMP‐3–knockout mice and control mice, by histologic assessment and VDIPEN staining.ResultsOn day 14 following induction of OA, MMP‐mediated neoepitopes were detected in cartilage from mice with mild experimental OA (mean ± SD positively stained surface area 20 ± 3.2%). Remarkably, by depleting synovial macrophages prior to induction of OA, the generation of MMP‐induced neoepitopes was largely prevented (mean ± SD positively stained surface area 5 ± 1%; P< 0.001), indicating an important role for synovial macrophages in the occurrence of MMP‐mediated cartilage damage. We observed a strong decrease in MMP‐3 and MMP‐9 expression in synovial but not cartilage tissue in macrophage‐depleted joints. Among 2‐year‐old mice, spontaneous OA–like changes in the lining layer were significantly decreased in MMP‐3–knockout mice compared with control mice. Even more striking was the 67% reduction in the occurrence of severe cartilage damage in MMP‐3–knockout mice. In addition, MMP‐mediated VDIPEN expression was significantly decreased, indicating reduced MMP‐mediated cartilage breakdown.ConclusionThe results of this study prove that MMP‐3 is involved in the generation of severe cartilage damage in murine OA. Synovial macrophages are crucial in early MMP activity and appear to mediate MMP production in synovium rather than cartilage.
Corpus‐based cross‐language information retrieval in retrieval of highly relevant documents
Authors: Talvensaari Tuomas , Juhola Martti , Laurikkala Jorma , Järvelin Kalervo 
Published: December 2006

AbstractInformation retrieval systems' ability to retrieve highly relevant documents has become more and more important in the age of extremely large collections, such as the World Wide Web (WWW). The authors' aim was to find out how corpus‐based cross‐language information retrieval (CLIR) manages in retrieving highly relevant documents. They created a Finnish–Swedish comparable corpus from two loosely related document collections and used it as a source of knowledge for query translation. Finnish test queries were translated into Swedish and run against a Swedish test collection. Graded relevance assessments were used in evaluating the results and three relevance criterion levels—liberal, regular, and stringent—were applied. The runs were also evaluated with generalized recall and precision, which weight the retrieved documents according to their relevance level. The performance of the Comparable Corpus Translation system (COCOT) was compared to that of a dictionary‐based query translation program; the two translation methods were also combined. The results indicate that corpus‐based CLIR performs particularly well with highly relevant documents. In average precision, COCOT even matched the monolingual baseline on the highest relevance level. The performance of the different query translation methods was further analyzed by finding out reasons for poor rankings of highly relevant documents.
An analysis of the delayed response to Hurricane Katrina through the lens of knowledge management
Authors: Chua Alton Y.K. , Kaynak Selcan , Foo Schubert S.B. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractIn contrast to many recent large‐scale catastrophic events, such as the Turkish earthquake in 1999, the 9/11 attack in New York in 2001, the Bali Bombing in 2002, and the Asian Tsunami in 2004, the initial rescue effort towards Hurricane Katrina in the U.S. in 2005 had been sluggish. Even as Congress has promised to convene a formal inquiry into the response to Katrina, this article offers another perspective by analyzing the delayed response through the lens of knowledge management (KM). A KM framework situated in the context of disaster management is developed to study three distinct but overlapping KM processes, namely, knowledge creation, knowledge transfer, and knowledge reuse. Drawing from a total of more than 400 documents—including local, national, and foreign news articles, newswires, congressional reports, and television interview transcripts, as well as Internet resources such as wikipedia and blogs— 14 major delay causes in Katrina are presented. The extent to which the delay causes were a result of the lapses in KM processes within and across the government agencies are discussed.
Random dynamics and finance: constructing implied binomial trees from a predetermined stationary density
Authors: Bahsoun Wael , Góra Paweł , Mayoral Silvia , Morales Manuel 
Published: December 2006

AbstractWe introduce a general binomial model for asset prices based on the concept of random maps. The asymptotic stationary distribution for such model is studied using techniques from dynamical systems. In particular, we present a technique to construct a general binomial model with a predetermined stationary distribution. This technique is independent of the chosen distribution making our model potentially useful in financial applications. We briefly explore the suitability of our construction as an implied binomial tree. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fehlermöglichkeiten beim Herstellungsprozess von Tunnelinnenschalen
Authors: Mähner Dietmar 
Published: December 2006

AbstractDer vorliegende Beitrag befasst sich mit möglichen Fehlern, die während des Herstellungsprozesses von Tunnelinnenschalen entstehen können. Dabei werden die einzelnen Herstellungsphasen, Arbeitsabläufe sowie unterschiedliche Rahmenbedingungen in Bezug auf mögliche Schäden und Mängel an der Tunnelinnenschale einer Analyse und Bewertung unterzogen. Dies beginnt mit den vorbereitenden Maßnahmen zur Verlegung der Abdichtung und dem Einbau der Abdichtung, geht über den Bewehrungseinbau, die Ausbildung des Schalwagens bis zum Betonieren der Schale sowie deren Nachbehandlung und die Beseitigung entstandener Fehlstellen. Es erfolgt anschließend eine Zuordnung in unterschiedliche Verantwortungsbereiche bzw. Ursachen. Anhand dieser Untersuchungen lassen sich Empfehlungen zur Reduzierung und Vermeidung von Fehlerquellen sowie zur Qualitätssteigerung von Tunnelinnenschalen ableiten.
Alpenquerende Tunnel: Materialbewirtschaftung und Betontechnologie beim Lötschberg‐Basistunnel
Authors: Teuscher Peter , Thalmann Cédric , Fetzer Armin , Carron Christophe 
Published: December 2006

AbstractBeim Bau des 34, 6 km langen Lötschberg‐Basistunnels werden 16 Mio. to Material ausgebrochen, davon 10 Mio. to im Südabschnitt und 6 Mio. to im Nordabschnitt. Für die Materialbewirtschaftung wurde ein umfassendes globales Konzept erarbeitet. In dessen Mittelpunkt steht die Aufbereitung von Ausbruchmaterial zu Betonzuschlagstoffen, die für die Herstellung des im Projekt verbauten Betons benötigt werden. Von besonderem Interesse ist der Umstand, dass aus teilweise Alkaliaggregat‐reaktiven Betonzuschlagstoffen ein AAR‐beständiger Beton herzustellen ist.
Alpenquerende Tunnel: Prüfsystem für Betonmischungen beim Gotthard‐Basistunnel
Authors: Zbinden Peter 
Published: December 2006

AbstractMit AlpTransit Gotthard entsteht eine zukunftsorientierte Flachbahn durch die Schweizer Alpen. Der Basistunnel am Gotthard – mit 57 km der längste Eisenbahntunnel der Welt – ist das Herzstück der neuen Gotthardbahn. Die Pionierleistung des 21. Jahrhunderts wird zu einer markanten Verbesserung der Reise‐ und Transportmöglichkeiten im Herzen Europas führen. Die Hauptmerkmale des Projektes und die Aufbereitung des Ausbruchmaterials werden kurz vorgestellt. Das durchgeführte Prüfsystem für Betonmischungen, die werkvertraglichen Regelungen und die Umsetzung auf der Baustelle werden erläutert.Beim Bau des Gotthard‐Basistunnels fallen rund 24 Mio. Tonnen Ausbruchmaterial an. Diese riesige Menge birgt ein großes Nutzungspotenzial zur Wiederverwertung als Baurohstoff in sich. Bereits 1993 wurde ein innovatives Prüfsystem für Betonmischungen lanciert, um den Nachweis zu erbringen, dass sich aus dem TBM‐Material tatsächlich hochwertiger Beton herstellen lässt. Mit den laufenden Prüfungen auf den Baustellen wird sichergestellt, dass der hergestellte Beton den hohen Anforderungen im Tunnelbau gerecht wird.
Alpenquerende Tunnel: Projektübersicht und Materialbewirtschaftung beim Brenner Basistunnel
Authors: Bergmeister Konrad 
Published: December 2006

AbstractDer Brenner Basistunnel mit einer Gesamtlänge von 55 km (mit der Umfahrung von Innsbruck wird er über 67 km lang) bildet das Kernelement der Eisenbahnachse München – Verona, und diese ist Teil der als TEN‐Achse Nr. 1 bezeichneten Eisenbahnhochgeschwindigkeitstrecke für den kombinierten Nord‐Süd‐Verkehr Berlin – München – Verona – Palermo. Zur baubetrieblichen Risikominimierung bei diesem Tunnelbauwerk wurden umfangreiche geotechnische Sondierbohrungen bereits vorgenommen. Demnächst wird mit dem Bau des Erkundungsstollens begonnen. Der Querschnitt des Haupttunnels hat einen Radius von 4,05 m, der Abstand zwischen den beiden Röhren beträgt 40 bis 70 m. Durch den Erkundungsstollen können das Baugrundrisiko reduziert und die Kostensicherheit verbessert werden. Derzeit wird das Einreichprojekt erstellt, um die bau‐, bahn‐ und umwelttechnischen Genehmigungen sowohl in Österreich als auch in Italien einzuholen.
Brand‐ und Abplatzverhalten von selbstverdichtendem Beton (SVB) für den Tunnelbau. Der Citytunnel Malmö als Beispiel
Authors: Dehn Frank , Nause Peter , Hauswaldt Sebastian , Abel Frank , Willmes Michael 
Published: December 2006

AbstractSelbstverdichtender Beton (SVB) wurde schon mehrfach erfolgreich im Tunnelbau eingesetzt. Eine mit diesem Anwendungsfeld zusammenhängende Fragestellung stellt grundsätzlich das Brand‐ und Abplatzverhalten von SVB bei den im Tunnelbau spezifisch angesetzten Brandszenarien dar. Nachfolgender Bericht fasst Untersuchungen an unterschiedlichen selbstverdichtenden Tunnelbetonen im Rahmen eines Forschungsvorhabens sowie großmaßstäbliche belastete Bauteilversuche für die Errichtung des Citytunnels Malmö (CTM) zusammen.
The FXIIIVal34Leu, common and risk factors of venous thrombosis in early middle‐age Costa Rican patients
Authors: Salazar‐Sánchez Lizbeth , Leon Maria Paz , Cartin Mayra , Schuster Gudrun , Wulff Karin , Schröder Winnie , Jiménez‐Arce Gerardo , Chacon Ronald , Herrmann Falko H. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractIn this study, eight common polymorphisms associated with venous thrombosis (VT) and thrombophilia factors were analyzed in a Costa Rican case‐control study. With the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods the polymorphisms were detected in 120 patients and 133 controls (mean age <40 years old). It was concluded that a high level of fibrinogen, antiphospholipid antibodies, family history, and the genotype 34LeuLeu of FXIII OR 0.42 (0.20–0.89) showed a significant effect on the risk of VT.Associations between the risk of VT and genetic polymorphisms have been established. Some of these polymorphisms are highly prevalent in Caucasians, but there is a significant geographic variation in their prevalence among different populations. The results of this study support the protective effect of FXIII Val34Leu polymorphism in VT. These findings are consistent with previous reports that included other populations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rapid Enzymatic Isomerization of 12‐Oxophytodienoic Acid in the Gut of Lepidopteran Larvae
Authors: Schulze Birgit , Dąbrowska Paulina , Boland Wilhelm 
Published: December 2006

AbstractIn response to feeding larvae of the Mediterranean climbing cutworm (Spodoptera littoralis), leaves of the lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) produce fatty acid‐derived signaling compounds (oxylipins). The major products are the phytohormones jasmonic acid and its biosynthetic precursor 12‐oxophytodienoic acid (OPDA), along with 13‐hydroxy‐12‐oxooctadeca‐9,15‐dienoic acid, 9‐hydroxy‐12‐oxooctadeca‐10,15‐dienoic acid (α‐ and γ‐ketol), as well as unsaturated aldehydes. Oxylipin production is highest at the feeding zone of the insect and decreases with distance from the damaged area. Accordingly, the feeding insect experiences high local concentrations of oxylipins, which are taken up into the alimentary canal and are finally excreted with the feces. In contrast to most other oxylipins, OPDA was not detectable in the insect's gut; instead the structurally related tetrahydrodicranenone B (iso‐OPDA) was identified. Feeding experiments with deuteriumlabeled OPDA proved that the isomerization is catalyzed by an enzyme from the insect's gut tissue. The phenomenon appears to be widespread among Lepidopteran larvae.
High‐Throughput Substrate Specificity Studies of Sialidases by Using Chemoenzymatically Synthesized Sialoside Libraries
Authors: Chokhawala Harshal A. , Yu Hai , Chen Xi 
Published: December 2006

AbstractSialidases, or neuraminidases, are enzymes that cleave terminal sialic acid (Sia) residues from complex sialic acid‐containing structures. They have been found in many animals and microorganisms and are important in various physiological and pathological processes. In order to understand the biological significance of diverse sialidases, it is important to study in detail the structural determinants of their natural substrates. Here, we report the synthesis of sialoside libraries containing para‐nitrophenol‐tagged sialosides with different naturally occurring sialic acid forms, different sialyl linkages, and different penultimate monosaccharides using a highly efficient one‐pot three‐enzyme chemoenzymatic approach. By using these compounds in a 96‐well plate‐based colorimetric high‐throughput screening platform, the diversity of substrate preference is shown for seven bacterial sialidases. The sialoside libraries and the screening method are convenient tools for unravelling the substrate specificity and the biological function of sialidases.
Effectiveness and safety of the sirolimus‐eluting stents coated with bioabsorbable polymer coating in human coronary arteries
Authors: Ge Junbo , Qian Juying , Wang Xiangfei , Wang Qibing , Yan Wei , Yan Yan , Fan Bing , Ge Lei , Liu Xuebo 
Published: December 2006

AbstractBackground: Although the sirolimus‐eluting stent (CYPHER®, Cordis, USA) has shown a dramatic reduction of restenosis, there are still some concerns about its efficacy and safety. Its durable polymer coating may enhance neointimal proliferation and residual sirolimus, which cannot be released from polymer, may result in incomplete reendothelization. As a drug reservoir, bioabsorbable polymer (polylactic acid, PLA) is more rational. Objective: We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of sirolimus‐eluting stent coated with PLA (EXCEL®, JW Medical Systems, China) in the treatment of human coronary arterial diseases. Methods: The study included 31 patients with de novo coronary lesions, with vessels 2.5–3.5 mm in diameter. The primary end points included the percentage of in‐stent restenosis of the luminal diameter and in‐stent late luminal loss at 6 months, as determined by quantitative angiography. The secondary end point was the major adverse cardiac events (MACE) 30 days and 6 months after the index procedure. Results: Forty‐eight EXCEL stents were successfully delivered in the 34 lesions, and multiple stents were implanted in 35.3% of lesions. All patients were discharged without clinical complications and completed clinical follow‐up at 1 and 6 months. No MACE had occurred. Twenty patients (30 stents) completed 6 months of angiographic follow‐up. No in‐stent or in‐lesion restenosis (diameter stenosis ≥≥50%) was observed. In‐stent late loss was (0.07 ± 0.17) mm. Conclusions: The implantation of EXCEL stent is feasible and safe and elicits minimal neointimal proliferation. This new stent has potential advantages regarding the long‐long‐term result over the commercially stent as the new stent has no sustained stimulation to the local tissue. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Percutaneous septal ablation with absorbable gelatin sponge in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
Authors: Llamas‐Esperón Guillermo A. , Sandoval‐Navarrete Santiago 
Published: December 2006

AbstractThe treatment of the hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) by percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation (PTSMA) with ethanol injection has greatly improved in the last years. This report describes the case of a patient with symptomatic drug‐refractory HOCM who underwent an unsuccessful attempt to thrombose the septal artery by PTSMA with alcohol. It has therefore been decided to use small absorbant gelatin sponge (AGS) particles, obtaining immediate thrombotic occlusion of the artery and excellent hemodynamic results with immediate and permanent disappearance of the gradient. The patient progressed satisfactorily and displayed lower than average creatine kinase levels in comparison to the rest of our PTMSA patients. After 2 years of follow‐up he still remains asymptomatic and without any gradient. These results suggest that PTSMA with AGS could be a valuable alternative treatment of HOCM. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.