bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Epithelial and connective tissue cell CTGF/CCN2 expression in gingival fibrosis
Authors: Kantarci A , Black SA , Xydas CE , Murawel P , Uchida Y , Yucekal‐Tuncer B , Atilla G , Emingil G , Uzel MI , Lee A , Firatli E , Sheff M , Hasturk H , Van Dyke TE , Trackman PC 
Published: July 2006

AbstractGingival overgrowth is a side effect of certain medications and occurs in non‐drug‐induced forms either as inherited (human gingival fibromatosis) or idiopathic gingival overgrowth. The most fibrotic drug‐induced lesions develop in response to therapy with phenytoin; the least fibrotic lesions are caused by cyclosporin A; and intermediate fibrosis occurs in nifedipine‐induced gingival overgrowth. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) expression is positively related to the degree of fibrosis in these tissues. The present study has investigated the hypothesis that CTGF/CCN2 is expressed in human gingival fibromatosis tissues and contributes to this form of non‐drug‐induced gingival overgrowth. Histopathology/immunohistochemistry studies showed that human gingival fibromatosis lesions are highly fibrotic, similar to phenytoin‐induced lesions. Connective tissue CTGF/CCN2 levels were equivalent to the expression in phenytoin‐induced gingival overgrowth. The additional novel observation was made that CTGF/CCN2 is highly expressed in the epithelium of fibrotic gingival tissues. This finding was confirmed by in situ hybridization. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses of RNA extracted from drug‐induced gingival overgrowth tissues for CTGF/CCN2 were fully consistent with these findings. Finally, normal primary gingival epithelial cell cultures were analysed for basal and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1) or lysophosphatidic acid‐stimulated CTGF/CCN2 expression at protein and RNA levels. These data indicate that fibrotic human gingival tissues express CTGF/CCN2 in both the epithelium and connective tissues; that cultured gingival epithelial cells express CTGF/CCN2; and that lysophosphatidic acid further stimulates CTGF/CCN2 expression. These findings suggest that interactions between epithelial and connective tissues could contribute to gingival fibrosis. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dyskerin expression influences the level of ribosomal RNA pseudo‐uridylation and telomerase RNA component in human breast cancer
Authors: Montanaro L , Brigotti M , Clohessy J , Barbieri S , Ceccarelli C , Santini D , Taffurelli M , Calienni M , Teruya‐Feldstein J , Trerè D , Pandolfi PP , Derenzini M 
Published: July 2006

AbstractDyskerin is a nucleolar protein, altered in dyskeratosis congenita, which carries out two separate functions, both fundamental for proliferating cells. One function is the pseudo‐uridylation of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) molecules, necessary for their processing, and the other is the stabilization of the telomerase RNA component, necessary for telomerase activity. A significant feature of dyskeratosis congenita is an increased susceptibility to cancer; so far, however, no data have been reported on dyskerin changes in human tumours. Therefore, in this study, the distribution of dyskerin in a large series of human tumours from the lung, breast, and colon, as well as from B‐cell lymphomas, was analysed by immunohistochemistry. Dyskerin proved never to be lost or delocalized outside the nucleolus. A quantitative analysis of dyskerin mRNA expression was then performed in 70 breast carcinomas together with the evaluation of telomerase RNA component levels and rRNA pseudo‐uridylation. Dyskerin mRNA levels were highly variable and directly associated with both telomerase RNA component levels and rRNA pseudo‐uridylation. Dyskerin gene silencing in the MCF‐7 human breast carcinoma cell line reduced telomerase activity and rRNA pseudo‐uridylation. Significantly, patients with low dyskerin expression were characterized by a better clinical outcome than those with a high dyskerin level. These data indicate that dyskerin is not lost in human cancers and that the levels of its expression and function are associated with tumour progression. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prevalence and predictors of receipt of prenatal information about genetic screening
Authors: Whitehead Nedra S. , Rasmussen Sonja A. , Cox Shanna , Posner Samuel F. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the proportion of women who received information on genetic screening among those who had prenatal care and to determine whether the proportion varied by maternal characteristics.MethodsWe used self‐reported data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a population‐based survey of recent mothers, for birth years 2000–2002. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of receiving information and to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios.ResultsAmong women who began prenatal care in the first trimester, 86% received information on genetic screening. The strongest predictors of receiving this information were completing the questionnaire in English and having military health insurance.ConclusionMost women receive information on prenatal genetic screening, but insurance status and language preference may impact women's access to this information. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dependence of methanol permeability on the nature of water and the morphology of graft copolymer proton exchange membranes
Authors: Siu Ana , Pivovar Bryan , Horsfall Jackie , Lovell Keith V. , Holdcroft Steven 
Published: July 2006

AbstractNovel polymers with controlled microstructures were prepared and studied to further advance the understanding of structure–property relationships of proton conducting membranes. PAN‐g‐macPSSA membranes, which contained poly(styrenesulfonic acid) (PSSA) grafts of defined graft length, are compared with PVDF‐g‐PSSA membranes, prepared by radiation‐grafting, and Nafion® 117. The intrinsic properties of PAN‐g‐macPSSA membranes are insensitive to the macromonomer graft length but are highly dependent on the ion exchange capacities (IEC). Increasing the IEC increases the content of free water absorbed by the membrane. Self‐diffusion coefficients of water in water‐swollen PAN‐g‐macPSSA were found to be similar to that of N117, despite PAN‐g‐macPSSA's higher water content. Of the polymers studied, PAN‐g‐macPSSA exhibited the lowest methanol permeability, which is explained on the basis of it containing a more tortuous ionic network. Methanol permeability decreased with decreasing volume of free water. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2240–2252, 2006
Random, systematic, and common cause failure: How do you manage them?
Authors: Gentile Michela , Summers Angela E. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractA safety instrumented system (SIS) may fail to operate as desired when one or more of its devices fail due to random, systematic, and common cause events. IEC 61511 (ANSI/ISA 84.00.01–2004) stresses the importance of minimizing the propagation of device failure into system failure through design, operating, inspection, and maintenance practices. To fully understand the lifecycle requirements, it is first necessary to understand the types of failures and their potential effects on the SIS. Although several technical standards and other specialized literature address the topic, it is still a “fuzzy” matter, subject to misunderstanding and discussion. IEC 61511 Clause 11.9 requires that the SIL be verified using quantitative analysis, such as reliability block diagrams, fault tree analysis, and Markov modeling. This analysis includes only those dangerous failures that are random in nature. Common cause failures may or may not be included in the verification calculation depending on whether they exhibit random or systematic behavior. Any personnel assigned responsibility for verifying the SIL should understand each failure type and the strategies that can be used against it. Consequently, this article provides an overview of random, systematic, and common cause failures and clarifies the differences in their management within IEC 61511. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2006
A novel SERS‐active substrate system: Template‐grown nanodot‐film structures
Authors: Kartopu G. , Es‐Souni M. , Sapelkin A. V. , Dunstan D. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractWe have prepared Cu nanodot (ND) films as substrates for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) study of trace amount molecules. The ND films were processed via electrodeposition using porous alumina templates. The test sample rhodamine 6G (R6G) yielded the well‐known R6G Raman spectrum with much lower background intensity when measured on these samples (for a concentration of 10−4 M). Furthermore, after deposition of a thin film of Au or Ag on Cu‐NDs the SERS signal increased up to 3 orders of magnitude. The spectra probed from different locations of a sample are almost identical and the template parameters are controllable. The present method, therefore, offers significant potential in use of such ND‐films for future SERS studies.magnified imageA novel, template‐synthesized SERS‐active substrate. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A study of the behavior of helium atoms at Ni grain boundaries
Authors: Xia Jixing , Hu Wangyu , Yang Jianyu , Ao Bingyun , Wang Xiaolin 
Published: July 2006

AbstractUsing molecular dynamics simulations with an analytical embedded‐atom method (MAEAM) model, the diffusion behavior of helium atoms at two Σ = 5 symmetric grain boundaries of Ni was investigated in the present paper. The simulations demonstrate that the interstitial helium atoms are stable at the grain boundaries. Helium atoms in Ni lattices could diffuse easily to the grain boundary and precipitate into a cluster, which confirmed the fact that helium atoms could nucleate and grow up into bubbles at the grain boundaries. The diffusion activation energy of interstitial helium atom at grain boundaries was also determined. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
On the thermal vacancy effects on thermodynamic properties and stability of Van der Waals crystals
Authors: Zubov V. I. , Zubov I. V. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractReverting to an investigation of thermal vacancies in simple Van der Waals crystals [phys. stat. sol. (b) 101, 95 (1980)] we take into account the possibility of forming their bonded complexes, in particular divacancies. We use the correlative method of the unsymmetrized self‐consistent field (CUSF) that enables one to include the strong anharmonicity of the lattice vibrations. We have calculated the parameters of the vacancy formation, the vacancy and divacancy concentration in solid Ar and contribution of the defects to its equilibrium thermodynamic properties, depending on the temperature and pressure, such contributions to components of the elastic tensor are studied for the first time. We also investigate the influence of defects on the thermodynamic stability of crystal lattice. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electron spin dephasing in n‐doped CdTe/(Cd, Mg)Te quantum wells
Authors: Bratschitsch R. , Chen Z. , Cundiff S. T. , Yakovlev D. R. , Karczewski G. , Wojtowicz T. , Kossut J. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractWe measure the spin dephasing time, T *2, of electrons in CdTe/(Cd, Mg)Te single quantum wells with various levels of n‐doping using the time‐resolved Kerr rotation technique. The formation of negatively charged trions causes strong spin polarization of the two‐dimensional electron gas (2DEG). We find the maximum spin dephasing time in the quantum well with a 2DEG density of 8 × 1010 cm−2. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Two‐photon photoluminescence and exciton binding energies in single‐walled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Pomraenke R. , Maultzsch J. , Reich S. , Chang E. , Prezzi D. , Ruini A. , Molinari E. , Strano M. S. , Thomsen C. , Lienau C. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractWe compare experimental one‐ and two‐photon luminescence excitation spectra of single‐walled carbon nanotubes at room temperature to ab initio calculations. The experimental spectra reveal a Rydberg‐like series of excitonic states. The energy splitting between these states is a clear fingerprint of excitonic correlations in carbon nanotubes. From those spectra, we derive exciton binding energies of 0.3–0.4 eV for nanotubes with diameters between 6.8 Å and 9.0 Å. These energies are in quantitative agreement with our theoretical calculations, which predict the symmetries of the relevant excitonic wave functions and indicate that a low‐lying optically dark excitonic state may be responsible for the low luminescence quantum yields in nanotubes. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Two‐phase scale‐based reduction method for fulfilling monitoring service on mobile devices
Authors: Liao Hsien‐Chou , Chen Wen‐Feng 
Published: July 2006

AbstractOne of the general location‐based services (LBSs) is the monitoring of real‐time locations of moving objects. When the number of moving objects is large and the task of monitoring is carried out on mobile devices, the monitoring service suffers from constraints of screen size, computing speed, and network bandwidth. In the present paper, a two‐phase scale‐based reduction method (SRM) consisting of a zoom phase and a mosaic phase, is proposed to overcome these constraints. The zoom phase reduces the original monitoring area which, in turn, undergoes further reduction in the mosaic phase. The performance was measured with the use of two ratios: the reduction ratio (RRatio) and the transmission ratio (TRatio). From the experimental results, the lowest RRatio was 52%, i.e. almost half of the original data size was reduced. The lowest average TRatio was also 52% for the worst case, i.e. the entire original monitoring area was displayed on the mobile device. Moreover, the display time was shortened from 14.3 to 0.7 s. These results show that the use of the two‐phase SRM is practical and efficient when applied to the monitoring service on mobile devices. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Toxicity reduction of metal pyrithiones by near ultraviolet irradiation
Authors: Okamura Hideo , Kobayashi Naomasa , Miyanaga Masamitsu , Nogami Yusaku 
Published: July 2006

AbstractZinc pyrithione (ZnPT) or copper pyrithione (CuPT) have been effectively used as ship‐antifouling agents, as an alternative to organotin compounds. Because of their instability in light and a lack of suitable analytical procedures, there is little data on their residue levels in environmental matrices. It is possible to investigate the fate of such compounds by toxicity alteration with certain treatments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degradation of pyrithiones through toxicity reduction by near ultraviolet (UV‐A) irradiation. Metal pyrithiones dissolved in acetonitrile were irradiated with a UV‐A lamp for 0, 0.5, 1, and 2 h, and were subjected to UV spectral measurement and toxicity evaluation using both sea urchin and freshwater rotifer bioassays. For the bioassays, photolyzed samples were dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide after evaporation of the acetonitrile. The changes in UV spectra of photolyzed ZnPT or CuPT showed a time‐dependent degradation, and the UV spectra at 2 h irradiation suggested substantial decomposition. Toxicities of ZnPT and CuPT were 12 and 5 μg/L as 24 h LC50 to the survival of rotifers and 10−6 ng/L and 2.3 ng/L as 27 h EC50 to normal pluteus formation, respectively. By evaporation of the acetonitrile, the EC50 of ZnPT was 2.2 ng/L, which was the same as that of CuPT. The EC50s of ZnPT or CuPT for both species increased with longer irradiation times. Photolyzed ZnPT or CuPT demonstrated substantial degradation in the UV spectra, but possessed marked toxicity, which is probably due to toxic degradation products. One reason why photolyzed CuPT was toxic to rotifers was explained by the high toxicity of copper ions formed by UV‐A irradiation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 21: 305–309, 2006.
Non destructive in vivo measurement of ethoxyresorufin biotransformation by zebrafish prolarva: Development and application
Authors: Noury P. , Geffard O. , Tutundjian R. , Garric J. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractBiotransformation enzymatic activities, such as the cytochrome P450 one, have been used as biomarkers for pollution assessment for a long time. Nevertheless, such biochemical tools are destructive processes, because they are performed on fish liver or total larvae homogenates. Moreover, the adaptation of this bioassay to some fish larvae, like Danio rerio ones, is ineffective because it needs a lot of organisms. We thus developed an original, nondestructive method to detect the induction of a biotransformation activity in the prolarva of the fish, Danio rerio, exposed to chemicals. This methodology is based on the assessment of EROD activity, by measurement in the culture medium of the fluorescence increase due to the excretion of resorufin by fish during an ethoxyresorufin exposure. After exposure of fish embryos to known inducers (BaP and β‐naphtoflavone), the prolarvae were exposed to the substrate (ethoxyresorufin), and the kinetic of the fluorescence increase was measured. A dose–effect relationship was observed, with a three to five fold increase of EROD basal activity. This methodology also allowed us to compare between EROD activity induction by different environmental samples. The proposed methodology thus allows to perform a simple, sensitive, and reproducible microbiotest for the detection of sublethal concentrations of AhR chemical inducers in environmental samples. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 21: 324–331, 2006.
Application of leaching tests for toxicity evaluation of coal fly ash
Authors: Tsiridis V. , Samaras P. , Kungolos A. , Sakellaropoulos G. P. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThe toxic properties of coal fly ash samples obtained from various coal combustion power plants were evaluated in this work using physicochemical analyses and bioassays. Physicochemical analyses showed that heavy metals present in solid samples included Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. The results of the chemical analysis of eluates deduced by the application of standard leaching tests according to EN 12457‐2 and Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) methods indicated that the compounds contained in fly ashes could potentially be transferred to the liquid phase depending upon the leaching method used. Heavy metal concentrations were higher in TCLP eluates, indicating that the initial pH value of the leaching medium significantly affected the transfer of these elements to the liquid phase. Tests conducted with the photobacterium Vibrio fischeri (Microtox test), the crustacean Daphnia magna, and the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus were used to assess toxicity of eluates obtained by both leaching tests. Daphnia magna was the most sensitive test organism. The EN 12457‐2 method proved to be more reliable for toxicity evaluation of eluates. In contrast, the TCLP method showed some interference owing to acetic acid toxicity, and precipitation occurred after pH adjustment of eluates from acid to neutral range. The toxicity of both fly ashes and the corresponding solid leaching residues of EN 12457‐2 and TCLP leaching tests was also measured using the Microtox Basic Solid phase Test. The results generated with this bioassay indicated that toxicity was greatly influenced by the pH status of the solid samples. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 21: 409–416, 2006.
Comparison of the Phytotoxkit microbiotest and chemical variables for toxicity evaluation of sediments
Authors: Czerniawska‐Kusza Izabela , Ciesielczuk Tomasz , Kusza Grzegorz , Cichoń Aleksandra 
Published: July 2006

AbstractThe main objective of the research was to evaluate the suitability of the Phytotoxkit microbiotest as a tool for hazard assessment of sediments. The concentrations of oil derivatives, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined in sediment samples collected from the urban canal in Opole (Poland), in order to obtain a general insight of the level of sediment contamination. Phytotoxicity of sediments was estimated on the basis of seed germination and root elongation measurements, combined into an overall germination index (GI). The results revealed spatial and vertical differentiation in sediment contamination. A good correlation was obtained between organic matter content and the concentrations of particular sediment pollutants. Values of correlation coefficients at P < 0.05 ranged from 0.3246 for oil derivatives to 0.8929 for PAHs. Phytotoxicity tests, carried out on the monocotyl Sorghum saccharatum and the dicotyls Sinapis alba and Lepidium sativum, showed different responses of the three plant species to sediment samples ranging from growth inhibition to growth stimulation. The GI values revealed the following increasing order of plant sensitivity to contaminated sediments: L. sativum < S. alba < S. saccharatum. The study demonstrated that the Phytotoxkit microbiotest was effective in identifying toxic samples. However, sediment organic matter content and grain‐size distribution had a significant impact on both sediment contamination and higher plantresponses to contaminated samples. The implication of these findings are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 21: 367–372, 2006.
GFP assay as a sensitive eukaryotic screening model to detect toxic and genotoxic activity of azaarenes
Authors: Bartoš T. , Letzsch S. , Škarek M. , Flegrová Z. , Čupr P. , Holoubek I. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractAzaarenes are nitrogen‐containing polyaromatic heterocyclic compounds (NPAHs). The majority of the azaarenes found in the environment originate from anthropogenic sources. Concentrations of NPAHs found in the environment are reported to be one to two orders of magnitude lower than polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations, yet their biological effects can be of similar magnitude. Very few studies on the genotoxicity of azaarenes are available in the literature. In the present study, a preliminary profile of both the toxic and genotoxic potential of 5 PAHs and their 20 aza‐analogues were investigated. To assess the toxic and genotoxic activity, a green fluorescent protein (GFP) assay based on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was selected. To compare the sensitivity of this eukaryotic short‐term assay with bacterial screening tests, the Toxi‐Chromotest for toxicity and SOS‐Chromotest for genotoxicity assessment were also performed. This comparison indicates that in most cases, the yeast GFP assay is apparently of comparable specificity to the bacterial toxicity or genotoxicity tests with respect to the correlation of positive/negative responses, but much more sensitive with respect to the effective concentration values. In the cases of phenazine, phenanthridine, 1,10‐phenanthroline, or 4,7‐phenanthroline, one to two orders of magnitude lower IC20 and minimum genotoxic concentration values in the yeast GFP assay were observed. In this study, the authors present evidence that genotoxicity assessment using the yeast GFP assay can provide a simple system to monitor the activity of these environmental pollutants that could possess mutagenic potential at low concentrations. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 21: 343–348, 2006.