bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) by flavonoids isolated from Ailanthus excelsa (Roxb) (Simaroubaceae)
Authors: Loizzo Monica Rosa , Said Ataa , Tundis Rosa , Rashed Khaled , Statti Giancarlo Antonio , Hufner Antje , Menichini Francesco 
Published: October 2006

AbstractIn our screening program for antihypertensive properties of plants, the leaves of Ailanthus excelsa (Roxb), a plant used in Egyptian traditional medicine, were analysed. Chromatographic separation of A. excelsa MeOH extract yielded six flavonoids for the first time from this species, namely apigenin, luteolin, kaempferol‐3‐O‐α‐arabinopyranoside, kaempferol‐3‐O‐β‐galactopyranoside, quercetin‐3‐O‐α‐arabinopyranoside and luteolin‐7‐O‐β‐glucopyranoside. The in vitro hypotensive activities of the MeOH extract and the isolated compounds were elucidated. All the flavonoids tested exhibited ACE inhibitory activity, in particular the most active compound was kaempferol‐3‐O‐β‐galactopyranoside with an IC50 value of 260 µm. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adaptogenic and central nervous system effects of single doses of 3% rosavin and 1% salidroside Rhodiola rosea L. extract in mice
Authors: Perfumi Marina , Mattioli Laura 
Published: October 2006

AbstractRhodiola rosea L., or ‘golden root’, is a popular plant in traditional medicine in Eastern Europe and Asia, with a reputation for improving depression, enhancing work performance, eliminating fatigue and treating symptoms of asthenia subsequent to intense physical and psychological stress. Due to these therapeutic properties, R. rosea is considered to be one of the most active adaptogenic drugs. To confirm and extend results obtained in the few preclinical and clinical studies available in English language journals, the purpose of the present study was to re‐investigate the effects produced by a single oral administration of an R. rosea hydroalcohol extract (containing 3% rosavin and 1% salidroside) on the central nervous system in mice. The extract was tested on antidepressant, adaptogenic, anxiolytic, nociceptive and locomotor activities at doses of 10, 15 and 20 mg/kg, using predictive behavioural tests and animal models. The results show that this R. rosea extract significantly, but not dose‐dependently, induced antidepressant‐like, adaptogenic, anxiolytic‐like and stimulating effects in mice. This study thus provides evidence of the efficacy of R. rosea extracts after a single administration, and confirms many preclinical and clinical studies indicating the adaptogenic and stimulating effects of such R. rosea extracts. Moreover, antidepressant‐like and anxiolytic‐like activities of R. rosea were shown in mice for the first time. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Getting to grips with packaging: using ethnography and computer simulation to understand hand–pack interaction
Authors: Yoxall A. , Luxmoore J. , Austin M. , Canty L. , Margrave K. J. , Richardson C. J. , Wearn J. , Howard I. C. , Lewis R. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe general population of many developed countries is aging. Despite many medical advances, aging brings with it a host of issues, not least of all the loss of strength and dexterity. Hence, everyday functions that were easily performed at a younger age can become difficult or even impossible. One major area of concern is the ability of elderly consumers to access food or medicines from packaged goods such as jars, bottles and child‐resistant closures. Many consumers avoid food in jars or have problems with medical compliance. Recently, the authors developed a new approach to packaging design termed the ‘three‐stranded approach’. Here, they outline numerical, experimental and analytical techniques for matching pack function to human ability. Within this work it became apparent that developing a more detailed understanding of how packaging is manipulated and gripped would be of use to packaging designers and engineers and hence enable the manufacture of easier‐to‐open packaging. This paper outlines some preliminary studies on the development of a computational model of a human hand as a tool for packaging design, and a supporting study on the various grips used by consumers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimating the costs for a group of geriatric patients using the Coxian phase‐type distribution
Authors: Marshall Adele H. , Shaw Barry , McClean Sally I. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe length of stay in hospital of geriatric patients may be modelled using the Coxian phase‐type distribution. This paper examines previous methods which have been used to model health‐care costs and presents a new methodology to estimate the costs for a cohort of patients for their duration of stay in hospital, assuming there are no further admissions. The model, applied to 1392 patients admitted into the geriatric ward of a local hospital in Northern Ireland, between 2002 and 2003, should be beneficial to hospital managers, as future decisions and policy changes could be tested on the model to investigate their influence on costs before the decisions were carried out on a real ward. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Curvature‐adjusted optimal design of sampling times for the inference of pharmacokinetic compartment models
Authors: Daimon Takashi , Goto Masashi 
Published: October 2006

AbstractIn pharmacokinetics, compartment models are often used to describe the time course of blood concentration after the administration of a drug. In this article, we propose an optimal design criterion for precise estimation of parameters included in the compartment model and illustrate the non‐sequential design of sampling times of blood drug concentration data in individual pharmacokinetics. The proposed optimal design criterion minimizes the determinant of the mean‐squared error matrix of the parameter estimator that is quadratically approximated by the curvature array. Therefore, the proposed criterion considers the intrinsic and parameter‐effects nonlinearity underlying the compartment model, and so is applicable in a pharmacokinetic experiment where the sample size of the blood drug concentration data is quite small. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Medical Application of Carbon‐Nanotube‐Filled Nanocomposites: The Microcatheter
Authors: Koyama Shozo , Haniu Hisao , Osaka Kazuaki , Koyama Haruhide , Kuroiwa Naomi , Endo Morinobu , Kim Yoong Ahm , Hayashi Takuya 
Published: October 2006

AbstractCarbon nanotubes hold great promise for use in biomedical fields. Among numerous potential applications, including DNA and protein sensors, bioseparators, biocatalysts, and tissue scaffolds, this article emphasizes the use of carbon‐nanotube‐filled polymer composites as medical devices, namely, microcatheters. The currently hot topic of the biocompatibility (e.g., toxic properties) of carbon nanotubes is discussed. In addition, critical issues that must be clarified for the full utilization of current carbon‐nanotube science and technology in biomedical fields are discussed.
Stretching and Breaking of a Molecular Junction
Authors: Romaner Lorenz , Heimel Georg , Gruber Mathis , Brédas Jean‐Luc , Zojer Egbert 
Published: October 2006

AbstractDensity functional theory (DFT) calculations based on band structure are used to investigate the electromechanical properties of a molecular junction consisting of a dithiolbenzene molecule sandwiched between two gold slabs. This represents a prototypical system for the field of molecular electronics; such a system has previously been studied in break‐junction measurements and electron‐transport calculations. The stretching and breaking behavior of the junction is analyzed for different geometric conformations, and it is found that the breakage occurs through dissociation of one of the sulfur–gold bonds with a maximum force of 1.25 nN. The molecular electronic states shift during stretching, and, at the point of highest stress in the junction, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the molecule is located exactly at the Fermi level.
A Calculus and logic of resources and processes
Authors: Pym David , Tofts Chris 
Published: October 2006

Abstract
Recent advances in logics for reasoning about resources provide a new approach to compositional reasoning in interacting systems. We present a calculus of resources and processes, based on a development of Milner’s synchronous calculus of communication systems, SCCS, that uses an explicit model of resource. Our calculus models the co-evolution of resources and processes with synchronization constrained by the availability of resources. We provide a logical characterization, analogous to Hennessy–Milner logic’s characterization of bisimulation in CCS, of bisimulation between resource processes which is compositional in the concurrent and local structure of systems.
Comparing soil CO2emission in pine plantation and oak shrub: dynamics and correlations
Authors: Wu Yaqiong , Liu Guohua , Fu Bojie , Liu Zhanfeng , Hu Huifeng 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe magnitude of soil CO2emission varying significantly among different vegetation types for plants could alter the microclimatic environment of soil. In aPinus tabulaeformisplantation and an adjacentQuercus alienavar.acuteserratashrub, which are located in a dry‐hot valley region of Minjiang River in the Southwest of China, the daily soil CO2emission dynamics was measured in August 2004 and in May, July, and October 2005. The results showed that the soil CO2emission in the oak shrub was significantly higher than the pine plantation in each measurement period. Additionally, soil organic matter, microbial biomass carbon, and the leaf litter decomposition rate in the two vegetations differed significantly from each other. The variation of soil organic matter and microbial biomass carbon partially contributed to the evident difference in soil CO2emission. Moreover, the correlations between soil CO2emission, soil temperature, and soil water content were evaluated in this study. The soil temperature positively controlled soil CO2emission in the pine plantation and the oak shrub, while the soil water content negatively influenced soil CO2emission in the two vegetation types. However, the soil temperature and soil water content played varied roles in the different vegetation types. By the means of stepwise regression, the soil temperature more significantly influenced the dynamics of soil CO2emission for the plantation than the soil water content; oppositely, the soil water content was the more significant controlling factor for the shrub. Based on the exponent model between the soil CO2emission and soil temperature, theQ10values were estimated, which was 1.7 in the pine plantation and 3.0 in the oak shrub. The former was lower than the global average level of 2.0, whereas the latter was higher than the global average level.
Numerical and experimental characterization of singularities of a six-wire parallel architecture
Authors: Ottaviano Erika , Ceccarelli Marco 
Published: October 2006

SUMMARYA characterization of singularities for a six-wire parallel architecture is presented as a result of numerical and experimental analyses. Numerical analysis has been developed through geometrical and analytical considerations. The study is based on a classification that has been derived on the basis of the geometry of tetrahedra, and singular configurations have been classified as a function of the tetrahedron volume. Experimental characterization has been carried out by considering the wire parallel architecture Cassino tracking system (CATRASYS). Experimental results are reported to characterize the performance of the CATRASYS chain in different operating conditions as an illustrative practical example.
Oxo-4-methylpentanoic acid directs the metabolism of GABA into the Krebs cycle in rat pancreatic islets
Authors: Hernández-Fisac Inés , Fernández-Pascual Sergio , Ortsäter Henrik , Pizarro-Delgado Javier , Martín Del Río Rafael , Bergsten Peter , Tamarit-Rodriguez Jorge 
Published: October 2006

OMP (oxo-4-methylpentanoic acid) stimulates by itself a biphasic secretion of insulin whereas L-leucine requires the presence of L-glutamine. L-Glutamine is predominantly converted into GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) in rat islets and L-leucine seems to promote its metabolism in the ‘GABA shunt’ [Fernández-Pascual, Mukala-Nsengu-Tshibangu, Martín del Río and Tamarit-Rodríguez (2004) Biochem. J. 379, 721–729]. In the present study, we have investigated how 10 mM OMP affects L-glutamine metabolism to uncover possible differences with L-leucine that might help to elucidate whether they share a common mechanism of stimulation of insulin secretion. In contrast with L-leucine, OMP alone stimulated a biphasic insulin secretion in rat perifused islets and decreased the islet content of GABA without modifying its extracellular release irrespective of the concentration of L-glutamine in the medium. GABA was transaminated to L-leucine whose intracellular concentration did not change because it was efficiently transported out of the islet cells. The L-[U-14C]-Glutamine (at 0.5 and 10.0 mM) conversion to 14CO2 was enhanced by 10 mM OMP within 30% and 70% respectively. Gabaculine (250 μM), a GABA transaminase inhibitor, suppressed OMP-induced oxygen consumption but not L-leucine- or glucose-stimulated respiration. It also suppressed the OMP-induced decrease in islet GABA content and the OMP-induced increase in insulin release. These results support the view that OMP promotes islet metabolism in the ‘GABA shunt’ generating 2-oxo-glutarate, in the branched-chain α-amino acid transaminase reaction, which would in turn trigger GABA deamination by GABA transaminase. OMP, but not L-leucine, suppressed islet semialdehyde succinic acid reductase activity and this might shift the metabolic flux of the ‘GABA shunt’ from γ-hydroxybutyrate to succinic acid production.
CHMP7, a novel ESCRT-III-related protein, associates with CHMP4b and functions in the endosomal sorting pathway
Authors: Horii Mio , Shibata Hideki , Kobayashi Ryota , Katoh Keiichi , Yorikawa Chiharu , Yasuda Jiro , Maki Masatoshi 
Published: October 2006

All CHMPs (charged multivesicular body proteins) reported to date have common features: they all contain approx. 200 amino acid residues, have coiled-coil regions and have a biased distribution of charged residues (basic N-terminal and acidic C-terminal halves). Yeast orthologues of CHMPs, including an ESCRT-III component Snf7, are required for the sorting of cargo proteins to intraluminal vesicles of multivesicular bodies. We have characterized a novel human ESCRT-III-related protein, designated CHMP7, which consists of 453 amino acid residues. CHMP7 contains an SNF7 domain and a distantly SNF7-related domain in its C-terminal half and N-terminal half respectively. Among the ten CHMP proteins classified previously in six subfamilies (CHMP1–CHMP6), the C-terminal SNF7 domain of CHMP7 is most similar to the SNF7 domain of CHMP6, which associates with CHMP4 proteins and EAP20, a component of ESCRT-II. Pull-down assays using lysates of HEK-293T (human embryonic kidney) cells that overexpressed Strep-tagged CHMP7 and GFP (green fluorescent protein)-fused CHMP4b (also named Shax1) revealed a positive interaction between the C-terminal half of CHMP7 and CHMP4b. However, interaction was not observed between CHMP7 and EAP20. Confocal fluorescence microscopic analyses revealed that FLAG–CHMP7 is distributed in HeLa cells diffusely throughout the cytoplasm, but with some accumulation, especially in the perinuclear area. The distribution of FLAG–CHMP7 was altered to a cytoplasmic punctate pattern by overexpression of either CHMP4b–GFP or GFP–Vps4BE235Q, a dominant-negative mutant of the AAA (ATPase associated with various cellular activities) Vps4B, and partially co-localized with them. Ubiquitinated proteins and endocytosed EGF accumulated in GFP–CHMP7-expressing cells. A dominant-negative effect of overexpressed GFP–CHMP7 was also observed in the release of virus-like particles from HEK-293T cells that transiently expressed the MLV (murine leukaemia virus) Gag protein. These results suggest that CHMP7, a novel CHMP4-associated ESCRT-III-related protein, functions in the endosomal sorting pathway.
Accumulation of lipophilic dications by mitochondria and cells
Authors: Ross Meredith F. , Da Ros Tatiana , Blaikie Frances H. , Prime Tracy A. , Porteous Carolyn M. , Severina Inna I. , Skulachev Vladimir P. , Kjaergaard Henrik G. , Smith Robin A. J. , Murphy Michael P. 
Published: October 2006

Lipophilic monocations can pass through phospholipid bilayers and accumulate in negatively-charged compartments such as the mitochondrial matrix, driven by the membrane potential. This property is used to visualize mitochondria, to deliver therapeutic molecules to mitochondria and to measure the membrane potential. In theory, lipophilic dications have a number of advantages over monocations for these tasks, as the double charge should lead to a far greater and more selective uptake by mitochondria, increasing their therapeutic potential. However, the double charge might also limit the movement of lipophilic dications through phospholipid bilayers and little is known about their interaction with mitochondria. To see whether lipophilic dications could be taken up by mitochondria and cells, we made a series of bistriphenylphosphonium cations comprising two triphenylphosphonium moieties linked by a 2-, 4-, 5-, 6- or 10-carbon methylene bridge. The 5-, 6- and 10-carbon dications were taken up by energized mitochondria, whereas the 2- and 4-carbon dications were not. The accumulation of the dication was greater than that of the monocation methyltriphenylphosphonium. However, the uptake of dications was only described by the Nernst equation at low levels of accumulation, and beyond a threshold membrane potential of 90–100 mV there was negligible increase in dication uptake. Interestingly, the 5- and 6-carbon dications were not accumulated by cells, due to lack of permeation through the plasma membrane. These findings indicate that conjugating compounds to dications offers only a minor increase over monocations in delivery to mitochondria. Instead, this suggests that it may be possible to form dications within mitochondria that then remain within the cell.
Sexual dysfunction in patients with psoriasis
Authors: TÜREL ERMERTCAN Aylin , TEMELTAŞ Gökhan , DEVECI Artuner , DINÇ Gönül , GÜLER H. Bilge , ÖZTÜRKCAN Serap 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTPsoriasis can have a significant impact upon sexual function. The aim of this study was to investigate sexual function in females and males with psoriasis and to evaluate whether coexistent depression has an additional negative effect on sexual function in these patients. A total of 66 female subjects (39 with psoriasis and 27 healthy volunteers as a control group) and 70 male subjects (39 with psoriasis and 31 healthy volunteers as a control group) were enrolled in the study. A Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) was used to determine the severity of psoriasis for the patient groups. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was used to assess female sexual function and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) was used to evaluate male sexual function. Quality of life was assessed with the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). The diagnosis of depression was made according to the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV (SCID‐I) interview and Hamilton Depression Rate Scale (HDRS) was used for grading depression. FSFI total score was found to be significantly decreased in female psoriatic patients without depression and psoriatic patients plus depression compared with healthy controls (24.09 ± 5.33 vs. 24.25 ± 4.52 vs. 28.12 ± 3.48, respectively, p = 0.004). However, FSFI score was not significantly different between patients with psoriasis without depression and those with psoriasis plus depression (p > 0.05). IIEF total score was also found to be significantly decreased in male psoriasis without depression and psoriasis plus depression patients compared with healthy controls (54.21 ± 13.07 vs. 52.0 ± 14.73 vs. 61.69 ± 9.49, respectively, p = 0.023). The difference in IIEF scores between patients with psoriasis without depression and in those with psoriasis plus depression were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The results of the study demonstrated that patients with psoriasis, especially females have distinct sexual dysfunction compared with healthy controls, and coexistent depression has no additional negative effect on sexual dysfunction in our patients. Patients with psoriasis should be evaluated in terms of sexual function in order to provide a better quality of life.
Nitazoxanide in the treatment of viral gastroenteritis: a randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled clinical trial
Authors: ROSSIGNOL J.‐F. , EL‐GOHARY Y. M. 
Published: October 2006

SummaryBackgroundEnteric viruses including noroviruses and rotavirus are leading causes of diarrhoeal disease and gastroenteritis worldwide, and there is no effective treatment.AimTo evaluate nitazoxanide, a thiazolide anti‐infective agent, in treating viral gastroenteritis in adults and adolescents.Methods50 out‐patients at least 12 years of age (mean 33.5 years) presenting with diarrhoea and stool‐positive by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for norovirus, rotavirus or adenovirus were enrolled in a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial. Patients were randomly assigned either nitazoxanide 500 mg or placebo twice daily for 3 days. The primary end point was time from first dose to resolution of symptoms. Analysis was modified intent‐to‐treat for 45 patients, excluding five patients with other identified enteropathogens at baseline.ResultsThe median time from first dose to resolution of symptoms was 1.5 days (IQR: 0.5–2.5) for nitazoxanide‐treated patients and 2.5 days (IQR: 1.5–4.5) for the placebo group. Significant reductions in time to resolution of symptoms were observed for all patients analysed (P < 0.0001) and for subsets of patients with rotavirus (P = 0.0052) and norovirus (P = 0.0295). The number of patients with adenovirus (n = 5) was too small to draw any conclusion. No significant adverse events were reported.ConclusionsNitazoxanide may play an important role in managing viral gastroenteritis in adults.
An open‐label study of rabeprazole in patients with Zollinger–Ellison syndrome or idiopathic gastric acid hypersecretion
Authors: MOROCUTTI A. , MERROUCHE M. , BJAALAND T. , HUMPHRIES T. , MIGNON M. 
Published: October 2006

SummaryBackgroundOmeprazole and lansoprazole are both of proven efficacy in the treatment of Zollinger–Ellison syndrome and idiopathic gastric acid hypersecretion. Rabeprazole, which has a similar mechanism of action, has not previously been studied in these diseases.AimTo determine the dose of rabeprazole that decreased basal acid output to safe levels in patients with Zollinger–Ellison syndrome or idiopathic gastric acid hypersecretion.MethodsPatients with Zollinger–Ellison syndrome or idiopathic gastric acid hypersecretion were given rabeprazole 60 mg once daily for uncomplicated disease or 40 mg twice daily for complicated disease. Doses were titrated according to response and continued for 2 years. Efficacy was assessed primarily by measuring basal acid output.ResultsAll patients had basal acid output before the next dose controlled to <10 mmol/h either at the starting dose or after minor dose titration. Control of acid output was maintained for 2 years. Consistent with this, most patients reported few gastrointestinal symptoms. Gastric biopsy showed no enterochromaffin‐like cell dysplasia or neoplasia.ConclusionsRabeprazole was an effective and well‐tolerated treatment for Zollinger–Ellison syndrome or idiopathic gastric acid hypersecretion, which reliably reduced gastric acid output to safe levels. Although a dose of 60 mg once daily was appropriate for most patients in this study, doses may need adjustment according to individual response.