bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cytotoxic Terpenoids from Turraea pubescens
Authors: Wang Xiao‐Ning , Fan Cheng‐Qi , Yin Sheng , Lin Li‐Ping , Ding Jian , Yue Jian‐Min 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThree new triterpenoids, turrapubesols A–C (1–3), and one new sesquiterpenoid, 1α,4α‐dihydroxyeudesman‐11‐ene (4), along with 12 known terpenoids were isolated from Turraea pubescens. The structures of the terpenoids were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses and by a chemical transformation. The previous assignment of the NMR data for guaidiol (5) was corrected. Some of the triterpenoids exhibited cytotoxicity against the P‐388 cell line.
Two New Polyoxygenated Triterpenoids from Actinidia valvata
Authors: Xin Hai‐Liang , Yue Xiao‐Qiang , Xu Yan‐Feng , Wu Ying‐Chun , Zhang Ya‐Ni , Wang Yong‐Zi , Ling Chang‐Quan 
Published: March 2008

AbstractTwo new polyoxygenated triterpenoids, (2β,3α,6α)‐2,3,6,20,23,30‐hexahydroxyurs‐12‐en‐28‐oic acid (1) and (2β,3α)‐2,3,20,23,24,30‐hexahydroxyurs‐12‐en‐28‐oic acid O‐β‐D‐glucopyranosyl ester (2) were isolated from the roots of Actinidia valvata Dunn. Their structures were elucidated by means of extensive spectroscopic studies. Both compounds showed moderate cytotoxic activity in vitro against the BEL‐7402 and SMMC‐7721 tumor cell lines.
Placebo response to caffeine improves reaction time performance in sleepy people
Authors: Anderson Clare , Horne James A. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractCaffeine is the most widely used stimulant to counteract sleepiness. However, little is known about any placebo effect of caffeine in sleepy people and the effect of suggestibility. Over a 95 min test period, and in a counterbalanced design, 16 young healthy adults underwent 3 × 30 min sessions at the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT), during an early afternoon ‘dip’ enhanced by a prior night's sleep restriction (5 h). On both occasions they were given a cup of a decaffeinated coffee; once when the participant was verbally primed to suggest the coffee was caffeinated (Placebo) and on the other under neutral priming (Control). There were significantly fewer lapses and shorter reaction times following Placebo, for the initial two 30 min sessions, indicating that suggestion about consuming caffeine was effective in improving performance in moderately sleepy people. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pregabalin in the discontinuation of long‐term benzodiazepines' use
Authors: Oulis Panagiotis , Konstantakopoulos George , Kouzoupis Anastasios V. , Masdrakis Vasilios G. , Karakatsanis Nikolaos A. , Karapoulios Evangelos , Kontoangelos Konstantinos A. , Papadimitriou George N. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractObjectiveTolerance, dependence, and adverse effects on cognitive functions are well‐known consequences of long‐term use of benzodiazepines (BDZ), especially at high doses, raising thorny therapeutic problems in their discontinuation. One promising pharmacological agent in BDZ discontinuation might be the newer anti‐epileptic pregabalin, already successfully tested in the treatment of anxiety disorders.MethodsWe report on a sample of 15 patients with long‐term, mostly high‐dose dependence from BDZ, treated with pregabalin in an open‐label study at doses 225–900 mg.ResultsAll patients discontinued successfully BDZ in 3–14 weeks, moreover with a significant reduction of their previous anxiety levels under BDZ. In addition, patients showed also a significant amelioration in their cognitive functioning. Pregabalin's side‐effects were mild and transient, lasting only during the first 2 weeks of treatment.ConclusionAlthough preliminary, our findings suggest that pregabalin may be one new promising agent in the treatment of BDZ dependence. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of a river delta: a case study of Cimanuk river mouth, Indonesia
Authors: Yuanita Nita , Tingsanchali Tawatchai 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThis paper describes delta development processes with particular reference to Cimanuk Delta in Indonesia. Cimanuk river delta, the most rapidly growing river delta in Indonesia, is located on the northern coast of Java Island. The delta is subject to ocean waves of less than 1 m height due to its position in the semi‐enclosed Java Sea in the Indonesian archipelago. The study has been carried out using a hydrodynamic model that accounts for sediment movement through the rivers and estuaries. As an advanced approach to management of river deltas, a numerical model, namely MIKE‐21, is used as a tool in the management of Cimanuk river delta. From calibration and verification of hydrodynamic model, it was found that the best value of bed roughness was 0·1 m. For the sediment‐transport model, the calibration parameters were adjusted to obtain the most satisfactory results of suspended sediment concentration and volume of deposition. By comparing the computed and observed data in the calibration, the best values of critical bed shear stress for deposition, critical bed shear stress for erosion and erosion coefficient were 0·05 N m−2, 0·15 N m−2, and 0·00001 kg m−2 s−1, respectively.The calibrated model was then used to analyse sensitivity of model parameters and to simulate delta development during the periods 1945–1963 and 1981–1997. It was found that the sensitive model parameters were bed shear stresses for deposition and erosion, while the important model inputs were river suspended sediment concentration, sediment characteristics and hydrodynamic. The model result showed reasonable agreement with the observed data. As evidenced by field data, the mathematical model proves that the Cimanuk river delta is a river‐dominated delta because of its protrusion pattern and very high sediment loads from the Cimanuk river. It was concluded that 86% of sediment load from the Cimanuk river was deposited in the Cimanuk delta. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An analysis of the factors contributing to the settling potential of fine fluvial sediment
Authors: Williams N. D. , Walling D. E. , Leeks G. J. L. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe settling potential of fine sediment is known to be influenced by particle size, shape, density and porosity, and is commonly predicted using Stokes's law, despite its known limitations for modelling the behaviour of natural particles. In order to develop an improved understanding of the potential for fine sediment to settle out of suspension or undergo transport by hydraulic processes, it is important to examine the role of particle structure in detail. In this study, stepwise regression was used to identify which structural properties of particles exert an important control on fine sediment behaviour in river systems. The presence of composite particles and their associated particle size, porosity and fractal dimension were shown to be the most important controls on settling potential. Composite particles that form in the aquatic environment (flocs) were shown to have significantly different form and behaviour from composite particles of terrestrial origin (aggregates). Importantly, it was demonstrated that particle structure and behaviour exhibited consistencies between contrasting river catchments in different locations. An understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the formation of composite particles is viewed as providing a valuable input to efforts to model the mobilisation, transport and fate of fine sediment. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
SPARC‐induced increase in glioma matrix and decrease in vascularity are associated with reduced VEGF expression and secretion
Authors: Yunker Christopher K. , Golembieski William , Lemke Nancy , Schultz Chad R. , Cazacu Simona , Brodie Chaya , Rempel Sandra A. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractGlioblastomas are heterogeneous tumors displaying regions of necrosis, proliferation, angiogenesis, apoptosis and invasion. SPARC, a matricellular protein that negatively regulates angiogenesis and cell proliferation, but enhances cell deadhesion from matrix, is upregulated in gliomas (Grades II–IV). We previously demonstrated that SPARC promotes invasion while concomitantly decreasing tumor growth, in part by decreasing proliferation of the tumor cells. In other cancer types, SPARC has been shown to influence tumor growth by altering matrix production, and by decreasing angiogenesis via interfering with the VEGF‐VEGFR1 signaling pathway. We therefore examined whether the SPARC‐induced decrease in glioma tumor growth was also, in part, due to alterations in matrix and/or decreased vascularity, and assessed SPARC‐VEGF interactions. The data demonstrate that SPARC upregulates glioma matrix, collagen I is a constituent of the matrix and SPARC promotes collagen fibrillogenesis. Furthermore, SPARC suppressed glioma vascularity, and this was accompanied by decreased VEGF expression and secretion, which was, in part, due to reduced VEGF165 transcript abundance. These data indicate that SPARC modulates glioma growth by altering the tumor microenvironment and by suppressing tumor vascularity through suppression of VEGF expression and secretion. These experiments implicate a novel mechanism, whereby SPARC regulates VEGF function by limiting the available growth factor. Because SPARC is considered to be a therapeutic target for gliomas, a further understanding of its complex signaling mechanisms is important, as targeting SPARC to decrease invasion could undesirably lead to the growth of more vascular and proliferative tumors. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Phenotypic non‐equivalence of murine (monocyte‐) macrophage cells in biomaterial and inflammatory models
Authors: Chamberlain Lisa M. , Godek Marisha L. , Gonzalez‐Juarrero Mercedes , Grainger David W. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractCells of the mononuclear phagocytic system including monocytes and macrophages (e.g., pooled human monocytes, bone marrow‐derived macrophages, etc.) are often employed for in vitro assessment of novel biomaterials and to assay anti‐inflammatory drug activity. In this context, numerous macrophage cells are treated interchangeably in the literature despite a lack of demonstrated equivalence among immortalized cell lines and further, between cell lines and primary‐derived macrophages of different species. Three murine (monocyte‐) macrophage cell lines (IC‐21, J774A.1, and RAW 264.7), commonly utilizedin biomaterial and pharmaceutical screening research, have been compared with primary‐derived murine bone marrow macrophages. Significant differences were discovered in the expression of cell surface proteins requisite for cell adhesion and activation among cell lines and primary‐derived cells as well as between the different cell lines. Results demonstrate activation but with reduced cytokine expression to chemical stimulus (lipopolysaccharide) by cell lines compared with that of primary‐derived macrophages. Limited correlation between cultured primary and immortalized cells in cytokine production, phenotype and intrinsic activation states has relevance to fidelity for in vitro testing. These differences warrant justification for selection of various cell lines for specific assay purposes, and merit caution if comparisons to primary cell types (i.e., for biocompatibility) are required. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2009
Maternal age and depressive symptoms in a low‐income sample
Authors: Eshbaugh Elaine M. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractIn this study, depressive symptoms of 2,011 European‐American, African‐American, and Latina low‐income mothers at approximately 14 months after birth of the child were examined. Maternal age was used as a predictor of depressive symptoms. Overall, 31.9% of mothers were classified as depressed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Younger mothers tended to have more depressive symptoms among European‐American mothers only. Latina mothers had fewer depressive symptoms than African‐American and European‐American mothers. Number of children 5 years and under in the home was positively related to depressive symptoms. In addition, mothers with higher levels of self‐mastery reported fewer symptoms of depression. Implications for preventing maternal depressive symptoms are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Efficient syntheses of 13C‐labelled erythromycin biosynthetic intermediates. 2: (2S,3S,4S,5R,6R,7R)‐3,6,7‐trihydroxy‐2,4,6‐trimethyl[1‐13C]nonan‐5‐olide and S‐2‐acetylaminoethyl (2R,3S,4S,5R,6S,7R)‐3,5,6,7‐tetrahydroxy‐2,4,6‐trimethyl[1‐13C]nonanethioate
Authors: Iida Katsumi , Kajiwara Masahiro , Fukui Mineo , Nakata Tadashi , Oishi Takeshi 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe 13C‐labelled putative erythromycin biosynthetic intermediates, ((2S,3S,4S,5R,6R,7R)‐3,6,7‐trihydroxy‐2,4,6‐trimethyl[1‐13C]nonan‐5‐olide and S‐2‐acetylaminoethyl (2R,3S,4S,5R,6S,7R)‐3,5,6,7‐tetrahydroxy‐2,4,6‐trimethyl[1‐13C]nonanethioate), which would be useful for the investigation of the chain elongation mechanism in erythromycin biosynthesis, were efficiently synthesized via aldol condensation of aldehyde derived from (2S,3R,4R,5R)‐tert‐butyldimethylsilyloxy‐5‐3,4‐O‐isopropylidene‐2,4‐dimethylheptanol, which was obtained in our previous work on erythromycin A synthesis, and sodium [1‐13C]propionate (after conversion to ester). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of the positive Indian Ocean dipole on Zimbabwe droughts
Authors: Manatsa D. , Chingombe W. , Matarira C. H. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractA comparative study of the impact of the anomalous positive Indian Ocean SST gradient, referred to as the Indian Ocean Dipole/Zonal Mode (IODZM), and El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on Zimbabwe seasonal rainfall variability for the period 1940–1999, is documented. Composite techniques together with simple and partial correlation analyses are employed to segregate the unique association related to IODZM/ENSO with respect to the Zimbabwe seasonal rainfall.The analysis reveals that the IODZM impact on the country's summer rainfall is overwhelming as compared to that of ENSO when the two are in competition. The IODZM influence remains high (significant above 99% confidence level), even after the influence of ENSO has been removed, while that of ENSO collapses to insignificance (even at 90% confidence level) when the IODZM contribution is eliminated. The relationship between ENSO and Zimbabwe seasonal rainfall seems to be sustained through El Niño occurring in the presence of positive IODZM events. However, when the co‐occurring positive IODZM and El Niño events are removed from the analysis, it is apparently clear that ENSO has little to do with the country's rainfall variability. On the other hand, positive IODZM is mostly associated with the rainfall deficits, whether or not it co‐occurs with El Niño. However, the co‐occurrence of the two events does not necessarily suggest that El Niño influences droughts through the positive IODZM events. The El Niño event components during co‐occurrence seem to be unrelated (at least linearly) to the droughts, while the positive IODZM events display a relatively strong relationship that is significant above the 95% confidence level. It thus becomes important to extend the study of this nature to cover the whole of southern Africa, so that the extent of the impact of the phenomena can be realized over the whole region. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
Dust supply from river floodplains: the case of the lower Huang He (Yellow River) recorded in a loess–palaeosol sequence from the Mangshan Plateau
Authors: Prins Maarten A. , Zheng Hongbo , Beets Kay , Troelstra Simon , Bacon Patrick , Kamerling Ilse , Wester Wouter , Konert Martin , Huang Xiangtong , Ke Wang , Vandenberghe Jef 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe Mangshan Plateau is located on the south bank of the Huang He (Yellow River) just west of the city of Zhengzhou, well outside the Loess Plateau in central China. Mixing models of the grain‐size data indicate that the loess deposits are mixtures of three loess components. Comparison of the mixing model with existing models established for a series of loess–palaeosol sequences from the Loess Plateau indicates that the Mangshan loess has been supplied from a proximal dust source, the Huang He floodplain, during major dust outbreaks. The high accumulation rates, the composition of the loess components, and especially the high proportions of a sandy loess component support this. Owing to the exceptionally high accumulation rates, the Mangshan grain size, magnetic susceptibility and carbonate records provide a high‐resolution archive of environmental and climate change. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Plasma Surface Modification of Chitosan Membranes: Characterization and Preliminary Cell Response Studies
Authors: Silva Simone S. , Luna Sandra M. , Gomes Manuela E. , Benesch Johan , Pashkuleva Iva , Mano João F. , Reis Rui L. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractSurface modification of biomaterials is a way to tailor cell responses whilst retaining the bulk properties. In this work, chitosan membranes were prepared by solvent casting and treated with nitrogen or argon plasma at 20 W for 10–40 min. AFM indicated an increase in the surface roughness as a result of the ongoing etching process. XPS and contact angle measurements showed different surface elemental compositions and higher surface free energy. The MTS test and direct contact assays with an L929 fibroblast cell line indicated that the plasma treatment improved the cell adhesion and proliferation. Overall, the results demonstrated that such plasma treatments could significantly improve the biocompatibility of chitosan membranes and thus improve their potential in wound dressings and tissue engineering applications.magnified image
Kinetics of Ultrasonic Polymer Degradation: Comparison of Theoretical Models with On‐Line Data
Authors: Akyüz Ali , Catalgil‐Giz Huceste , Giz Ahmet T. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractPVP solutions were sonicated with high‐intensity ultrasound, and the weight‐average molecular weight was monitored by an ACOMP system. The use of continuous on‐line data to critically evaluate various models showed that the molecular weight decreased towards a limiting value. Theoretical and phenomenological models of evolution of the molecular weight during sonication are compared with the on‐line data. The Ovenall/Harrington/Madras and Giz and Tang models werer found to describe the results adequately. These models share the property of an initial rapid drop in molecular weight followed by a slowing down of the rate of molecular weight decrease.magnified image
Trembling Shear Behavior of a Modified‐Chitosan Dispersed Suspension under an Electric Field and its Model Study
Authors: Ko Young Gun , Choi Ung Su , Chun Yong Jin 
Published: March 2008

AbstractAn electro‐rheological (ER) fluid showing trembling shear behavior was fabricated with chitosan particles that had benzene, amine and azo‐pendent side groups. This modified‐chitosan dispersed suspension showed four regions in a plot of shear stress against shear rate at high electric field. We analyzed this specific behavior with our suggested model. The model was developed with the spring‐damper model. Our suggested model equation treated the wide range of shear rate and specific behaviors of shear stress in ER fluids. In this study, we successfully obtained various ER fluids showing different behaviors just by changing the side functional groups of the particles in the ER fluids. All of the curves of the shear stress plotted against shear rate were fitted well by our spring‐damper model.magnified image
Valuing information from mesoscale forecasts
Authors: Kok Kees , Schreur Ben Wichers , Vogelezang Daan 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe development of meso‐γ scale numerical weather prediction (NWP) models requires a substantial investment in research, development and computational resources. Traditional objective verification of deterministic model output fails to demonstrate the added value of high‐resolution forecasts made by such models. It is generally accepted from subjective verification that these models nevertheless have a predictive potential for small‐scale weather phenomena and extreme weather events. This has prompted an extensive body of research into new verification techniques and scores aimed at developing mesoscale performance measures that objectively demonstrate the return on investment in meso‐γ NWP.In this article it is argued that the evaluation of the information in mesoscale forecasts should be essentially connected to the method that is used to extract this information from the direct model output (DMO). This could be an evaluation by a forecaster, but, given the probabilistic nature of small‐scale weather, is more likely a form of statistical post‐processing. Using model output statistics (MOS) and traditional verification scores, the potential of this approach is demonstrated both on an educational abstraction and a real world example. The MOS approach for this article incorporates concepts from fuzzy verification. This MOS approach objectively weighs different forecast quality measures and as such it is an essential extension of fuzzy methods. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
Bicarbonate‐Induced phosphorylation of p270 protein in mouse sperm by cAMP‐Dependent protein kinase
Authors: Kaneto Masako , Krisfalusi Michelle , Eddy Edward M. , O'Brien Deborah A. , Miki Kiyoshi 
Published: March 2008

AbstractSignaling by cAMP‐dependent protein kinase (PKA) plays an important role in the regulation of mammalian sperm motility. However, it has not been determined how PKA signaling leads to changes in motility, and specific proteins responsible for these changes have not yet been identified as PKA substrates. Anti‐phospho‐(Ser/Thr) PKA substrate antibodies detected a sperm protein with a relative molecular weight of 270,000 (p270), which was phosphorylated within 1 min after incubation in a medium supporting capacitation. Phosphorylation of p270 was induced by bicarbonate or a cAMP analog, but was blocked by the PKA inhibitor H‐89, indicating that p270 is likely a PKA substrate in sperm. In addition, phosphorylation of p270 was inhibited by stearated peptide st‐Ht31, suggesting that p270 is phosphorylated by PKA associated with an A‐kinase anchoring protein (AKAP). AKAP4 is the major fibrous sheath protein of mammalian sperm and tethers regulatory subunits of PKA to localize phosphorylation events. Phosphorylation of p270 occurred in sperm lacking AKAP4, suggesting that AKAP4 is not involved directly in the phosphorylation event. Phosphorylated p270 was enriched in fractionated sperm tails and appeared to be present in multiple compartments including a detergent‐resistant membrane fraction. PKA phosphorylation of p270 within 1 min of incubation under capacitation conditions suggests that this protein may have an important role in the initial signaling events that lead to the activation and subsequent hyperactivation of sperm motility. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 75: 1045–1053, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.