bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Grafting of Poly(methyl methacrylate) Brushes from Magnetite Nanoparticles Using a Phosphonic Acid Based Initiator by Ambient Temperature Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATATRP)
Authors: Babu Kothandapani , Dhamodharan Raghavachari 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
Poly(methyl methacrylate) in the brush form is grown from the surface of magnetite nanoparticles by ambient temperature atom transfer radical polymerization (ATATRP) using a phosphonic acid based initiator. The surface initiator was prepared by the reaction of ethylene glycol with 2-bromoisobutyrl bromide, followed by the reaction with phosphorus oxychloride and hydrolysis. This initiator is anchored to magnetite nanoparticles via physisorption. The ATATRP of methyl methacrylate was carried out in the presence of CuBr/PMDETA complex, without a sacrificial initiator, and the grafting density is found to be as high as 0.90 molecules/nm2. The organic–inorganic hybrid material thus prepared shows exceptional stability in organic solvents unlike unfunctionalized magnetite nanoparticles which tend to flocculate. The polymer brushes of various number average molecular weights were prepared and the molecular weight was determined using size exclusion chromatography, after degrafting the polymer from the magnetite core. Thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectra and diffused reflection FT-IR were used to confirm the grafting reaction.
Congenital dislocation of the patella
Authors: Wada Akifusa , Fujii Toshio , Takamura Kazuyuki , Yanagida Haruhisa , Surijamorn Panya 
Published: March 2008

Purpose Congenital dislocation of the patella is permanent and manually irreducible, and it manifests immediately after birth with flexion contracture of the knee, genu valgus, external tibial torsion and foot deformity. We retrospectively reviewed the results of operative treatment of seven knees in six patients with congenital dislocation of the patella. Methods The age of the six patients at diagnosis ranged from 8 days to 3.6 years, with an average of 1.3 years, and their age at the time of operation ranged from 0.6 to 3.9 years, with an average of 2.1 years. Serial casting and/or a brace was attempted before surgery in five of seven knees, leading to improvement in the flexion contracture of the knee. All knees were treated operatively in combination with lateral release, medial plication, V-Y lengthening of the quadriceps, medial transfer of the lateral patellar tendon and posterior release of the knee. Results Although these deformities were noticed at birth in all seven knees, diagnosis was delayed in three knees due to the low suspicion of the disease and invisible patellae on radiographs. Ultrasonography confirmed the diagnosis of dislocation. The patella was centered in the groove of the femoral condyle after surgery in all knees, but subluxation of the knee with flexion was observed in one knee in which the operation was performed at 3.9 years. Genu valgus and external tibial torsion improved after surgery in all knees. The operated knee was mobile in all cases, with less than 10° flexion contracture of the knee. Flexion contracture did not increase in any of the knees. Conclusion Congenital dislocation of the patella should be suspected in every patient with knee flexion contracture, genu valgus, external tibial torsion, foot deformity and delayed walking. Successful results were obtained when the operation was performed in younger children. Other procedures, such as the semitendinosus tenodesis or tendon transfer, might have to be combined to achieve better stability with flexion in older children.
Dissipative structures in fault zones and their diagnostic criteria (from physical modeling data)
Authors: Bornyakov S.A. , Truskov V.A. , Cheremnykh A.V. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
A fault zone is considered an open nonequilibrium dynamic system in which its constituent subsystems evolve by self-organization in a nonlinear synergetic process of successive changes of structural levels (stages). A new term fault dissipative structure is suggested for an ordered 3D space-time structure produced in a fault zone by self-organization of fracturess of different scales. The approach is used in physical modeling to simulate the evolution of a strike-slip fault zone in an elastic-viscoplastic lithosphere and to recognize space and time criteria diagnostic of fault dissipative structures through fractal and entropy analyses.
An endoscopic grading system for vocal process granuloma
Authors: Farwell D G , Belafsky P C , Rees C J 
Published: March 2008

AbstractBackground:A reliable grading system allows the clinician to classify disease severity, monitor progress and evaluate treatment efficacy. There is no currently accepted grading system for vocal process granuloma of the larynx.Aim:To evaluate the reliability of a new grading system for vocal process granuloma.Methods:All vocal process granuloma images from a digital laryngeal image library were abstracted. Granulomas were graded on a one to four system, as follows: grade one, sessile, non-ulcerative granuloma limited to vocal process; grade two, pedunculated or ulcerated granuloma limited to vocal process; grade three, granuloma extending past vocal process but not crossing midline of airway in fully abducted position; and grade four, granuloma extending past vocal process and past the midline of the airway in the fully abducted position. The granulomas were additionally graded A if unilateral and B if bilateral. Two laryngologists and two otolaryngology residents rated the granulomas on two separate occasions. Intra- and inter-observer reliability was evaluated with the kappa (κ) test statistic.Results:Thirty-five vocal process granulomas were identified. The percentage intra-observer agreement for the two laryngologists was 97 and 100 per cent (κ = 0.94 and 1.00, respectively). The percentage inter-observer agreement between the two laryngologists was 91 per cent (κ = 0.83). The percentage intra-observer agreement for the two residents was 89 and 91 per cent (κ = 0.83 and 0.77, respectively). The percentage inter-observer agreement between the two residents was 83 per cent (κ = 0.67).Conclusions:The proposed grading system for vocal process granuloma displayed excellent intra- and inter-observer reliability among residents and experienced laryngologists.
Changing practices in the consent process for nose and throat procedures: a three-year study
Authors: McDonald S E , Chadha N K , Mills R S 
Published: March 2008

AbstractObjectives:To assess elective surgery consent practices amongst senior house officers from a selection of UK ENT departments, and to compare results with those obtained in a similar survey in 2002.Methods:A telephone survey of senior house officers in 40 UK ENT departments was carried out to assess departmental consent policies and knowledge of complications of common ENT operations.Results:Over 80 per cent of the senior house officers surveyed remained responsible for obtaining consent for routine surgery. Since 2002, there had been a significant increase in the proportion of departments which: used the Department of Health model consent form; provided patient information leaflets; and had an established informed consent protocol. Senior house officers' knowledge of specific complications remained poor.Conclusion:There has been a small change in the practice of obtaining informed consent, in accordance with General Medical Council guidelines. Many senior house officers continue to perform this duty, however, and the majority are poorly trained.
Customised gold weight eyelid implantation in paralytic lagophthalmos
Authors: Jayashankar N , Morwani K P , Shaan M J , Bhatia S R , Patil K T 
Published: March 2008

AbstractGold eyelid implantation is widely considered the procedure of choice to reanimate the upper eyelid in paralytic lagophthalmos. Commercially supplied implants are not readily available in all places and are sometimes cumbersome to import.Objective:We aimed to devise a method whereby every surgeon performing gold eyelid implantation could have easy and quick access to the implant. Furthermore, we aimed to develop a means of creating an implant of the exact weight required for complete eyelid closure.Study design and setting:A prospective study was performed from 1997 to 2005 in a tertiary research hospital, involving 50 subjects requiring gold upper eyelid implantation and using the technique in question.Results:Only patients with a minimum follow up of one year were included in the study group. Symptoms improved in 96 per cent of subjects, who were able to dispense with eyedrops and eye ointments. Visual acuity improved in 92 per cent of patients. There were two extrusions amongst the early cases.Conclusion and significance:Customised gold eyelid implantation offers an alternative in regions where commercial implants are not easily obtained.
Relative effect of litter quality, forest type and their interaction on leaf decomposition in south-east Brazilian forests
Authors: de Toledo Castanho Camila , de Oliveira Alexandre Adalardo 
Published: March 2008

Abstract:Decomposition was studied in a reciprocal litter transplant experiment to examine the effects of forest type, litter quality and their interaction on leaf decomposition in four tropical forests in south-east Brazil. Litterbags were used to measure decomposition of leaves of one tree species from each forest type:Calophyllum brasiliensefrom restinga forest;Guapira oppositafrom Atlantic forest;Esenbeckia leiocarpafrom semi-deciduous forest; andCopaifera langsdorffiifrom cerradão. Decomposition rates in rain forests (Atlantic and restinga) were twice as fast as those in seasonal forests (semi-deciduous and cerradão), suggesting that intensity and distribution of precipitation are important predictors of decomposition rates at regional scales. Decomposition rates varied by species, in the following order:E. leiocarpa>C. langsdorffii>G. opposita>C. brasiliense. However, there was no correlation between decomposition rates and chemical litter quality parameters: C:N, C:P, lignin concentration and lignin:N. The interaction between forest type and litter quality was positive mainly becauseC. langsdorffiidecomposed faster than expected in its native forest. This is a potential indication of a decomposer's adaptation to specific substrates in a tropical forest. These findings suggest that besides climate, interactions between decomposers and plants might play an essential role in decomposition processes and it must be better understood.
The role of GSK‐3 in synaptic plasticity
Authors: Peineau S , Bradley C , Taghibiglou C , Doherty A , Bortolotto Z A , Wang Y T , Collingridge G L 
Published: March 2008

Glycogen synthase kinase‐3 (GSK‐3), an important component of the glycogen metabolism pathway, is highly expressed in the CNS. It has been implicated in major neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. Despite its central role in these conditions it was not known until recently whether GSK‐3 has neuronal‐specific functions under normal conditions. However recent work has shown that GSK‐3 is involved in the regulation of, and cross‐talk between, two major forms of synaptic plasticity, N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR)‐dependent long‐term potentiation (LTP) and NMDAR‐dependent long‐term depression (LTD). The present article summarizes this recent work and discusses its potential relevance to the treatment of neurological disorders.British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, S428–S437; doi:10.1038/bjp.2008.2
Influence of the metabolic profile on the in vivo antioxidant activity of quercetin under a low dosage oral regimen in rats
Authors: Santos M R , Rodríguez‐Gómez M J , Justino G C , Charro N , Florencio M H , Mira L 
Published: March 2008

Background and purposeFlavonoids are known to possess a broad set of pharmacological effects, some of which have been attributed to their antioxidant properties and, more recently, to cell signalling modulation. Nevertheless, flavonoids are extensively metabolized and their metabolites are the potential bioactive forms in vivo. Therefore, a first and crucial step to understand the mechanisms underlying potential health benefits of flavonoids is knowledge of their metabolites and their biological activities.Experimental approachTo approximate a human dietary pattern of intake of flavonoids, regular rat chow was supplemented with 0.02% quercetin and fed to Sprague–Dawley rats over 3 weeks. Plasma samples were analysed by HPLC and electrospray tandem mass spectrometry, and plasma antioxidant capacity was measured by the 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline sulphonate) assay.Key resultsMajor metabolites were 3′‐methylquercetin (isorhamnetin) glucuronide sulphate conjugates, the most plausible conjugation positions being at the 3‐, 5‐ and 7‐hydroxyl positions. Isorhamnetin conjugates are methylated at the 3′‐OH position, which decreases the high antioxidant activity of quercetin and its metabolites and their contribution to plasma antioxidant potential.Conclusions and implicationsThis metabolic pattern differs from that observed after a single high‐dose administration, where the major metabolites were quercetin conjugates at 5‐ and 7‐hydroxyl positions and a significantly increased plasma antioxidant activity was observed. These data show altogether that the different metabolic patterns obtained under a prolonged low‐dosage regimen or after a single high dose, crucially affected the antioxidant potential of plasma in treated animals. Our data also allow for the establishment of structure–antioxidant activity relationships for quercetin metabolites.British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 1750–1761; doi:10.1038/bjp.2008.46; published online 3 March 2008
Asthma from a pharmacogenomic point of view
Authors: Szalai C , Ungvári I , Pelyhe L , Tölgyesi G , Falus A 
Published: March 2008

Pharmacogenomics, a fascinating, emerging area of biomedical research is strongly influenced by growing availability of genomic databases, high‐throughput genomic technologies, bioinformatic tools and artificial computational modelling approaches. One main area of pharmacogenomics is the discovery of new drugs and drug targets with molecular genetic, genomic or even bioinformatic methods; the other is the study of how genomic differences influence the variability in patients' responses to drugs. From a genetic point of view, asthma is multifactorial, which means that the susceptibility to the disease is determined by interactions between multiple genes, and involves important non‐genetic factors such as the environment for their expression. In this review, we summarize collective evidence from linkage and association studies that have consistently reported suggestive linkage or association of asthma or its associated phenotypes to polymorphic markers and single nucleotide polymorphisms in selected chromosomes. Genes that have been found implicated in the disease are potential new drug targets and several pharmacological investigations are underway to utilize these new discoveries. Next, we will focus on the inter‐individual variability in anti‐asthmatic drug responses and review the recent results in this topic.British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 1602–1614; doi:10.1038/bjp.2008.55; published online 3 March 2008
Clinical pharmacological issues in the development of acute stroke therapies
Authors: Ford G A 
Published: March 2008

The demonstration of the ischaemic penumbra in animal models and the effectiveness of reperfusion therapy in humans led to considerable optimism for neuroprotection in acute stroke. Initial experience with failure of phase II and III trials led to the STAIR recommendations for pre‐clinical and clinical studies. Review of pre‐clinical studies suggests that selection of agents for clinical development may not have been optimal. The neuroprotective agent NXY‐059 fulfilled pre‐clinical and many clinical STAIR criteria but a second large phase III study failed to demonstrate any benefit. Many of the STAIR criteria have not been fulfilled in the development of recent neuroprotective agents. Other issues not addressed include the use of animal models more reflective of older stroke patients with physiological derangement, demonstration of drug distribution to the proposed site of action in humans, selection of patients with salvageable tissue, achieving very early treatment, refinement of measurement of neurological impairment and disability, and physiological optimization in proof of concept human studies. Increasing the number and quality of clinical centres undertaking acute stroke research, use of surrogate imaging markers and adaptive dose designs in phase II trials could improve the likelihood of identifying an effective neuroprotective. Neuroprotection in acute stroke remains a significant challenge but has not been clearly shown to be ineffective. Given the profound burden of stroke and limited applicability of reperfusion to currently at best 10% patients, further proof of concept studies of neuroprotection remain indicated with careful review of pre‐clinical data and more rigorous phase II trial design.British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, S112–S119; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707654
Cell-Penetrating Peptide-Mediated Delivery of Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) Oligomers
Authors: Lundberg Pontus , Kilk Kalle , Langel Ülo 
Published: March 2008

INTRODUCTIONTechniques for knockdown of specific genes and nonviral DNA delivery are important for studying protein functions, and are a means for future therapeutics. The problems with many techniques are low bioavailability and toxicity, especially in vivo. Some cationic peptides are able to translocate across the plasma membrane, and more importantly, to carry a cargo many times their own size, which may improve the bioavailability of hydrophilic macromolecules. These cationic peptides, often referred to as cell-penetrating peptides, have been used to transport a wide variety of cargos, including gene-regulating oligonucleotides and analogs, both in vitro and in vivo. One oligonucleotide analog that shows great potential in protein knockdown is peptide nucleic acid (PNA). PNA is a DNA-mimicking molecule that binds more strongly to DNA and RNA than DNA itself does and is more stable than its DNA counterpart. Furthermore, it is also easily synthesized and modified using standard peptide synthesis protocols. This protocol presents a synthesis strategy for covalently linking a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) to PNA using a disulfide bridge. This can improve existing protocols for protein knockdown as well as DNA delivery, due to its relatively high efficacy and low toxicity.
Vital Stain for Plant Cytoplasm
Authors: Schwab Birgit , Hülskamp Martin 
Published: March 2008

INTRODUCTIONThis protocol describes a vital stain for plant cytoplasm. Fluorescein diacetate is used to identify viable cells, which will emit a greenish fluorescence. Dead cells will fluoresce red in the presence of propidium iodide, which does not enter live cells.
Phenotypic Analysis of Arabidopsis Mutants: Quantitative Analysis of Root Growth
Authors: Doerner Peter 
Published: March 2008

INTRODUCTIONThe growth of plant roots is very easy to measure and is particularly straightforward in Arabidopsis thaliana, because the increase in organ size is essentially restricted to one dimension. The precise measurement of root apical growth can be used to accurately determine growth activity (the rate of growth at a given time) during development in mutants, transgenic backgrounds, or in response to experimental treatments. Root growth is measured in a number of ways, the simplest of which is to grow the seedlings in a Petri dish and record the position of the advancing root tip at appropriate time points. The increase in root length is measured with a ruler and the data are entered into Microsoft Excel for analysis. When dealing with large numbers of seedlings, however, this procedure can be tedious, as well as inaccurate. An alternative approach, described in this protocol, uses “snapshots” of the growing plants, which are taken using gel-documentation equipment (i.e., a video camera with a frame-grabber unit, now commonly used to capture images from ethidium-bromide-stained electrophoresis gels). The images are analyzed using publicly available software (NIH-Image), which allows the user simply to cut and paste data into Microsoft Excel.
DNA Immunoprecipitation (DIP) for the Determination of DNA-Binding Specificity
Authors: Gossett Andrea J. , Lieb Jason D. 
Published: March 2008

INTRODUCTIONKnowledge of the DNA-binding specificity of a transcription factor aids in understanding the function of that factor in the regulation of gene transcription. One popular method of identifying the genomic DNA sites bound by a given protein in vivo is the Chromatin ImmunoPrecipitation with microarray analysis (ChIP-chip) technique. However, this method reveals a binding pattern influenced by in vivo phenomena that may mask the actual DNA-binding specificity of the factor, such as chromatin effects and competitive or cooperative protein-protein interactions. ChIP-chip also requires adequate expression of the protein in the cell type chosen to create the extract used for immunoprecipitation. DNA Immunoprecipitation (DIP) is an alternative technique that allows one to take advantage of the favorable properties of both in vivo and traditional in vitro techniques (e.g., electromobility shift assay [EMSA] and binding site selection [SELEX]). DIP utilizes naked genomic DNA as a binding substrate for one or more purified recombinant proteins. Because genomic DNA is used as a template in DIP reactions, the results are directly comparable to ChIP-chip or ChIP-seq data. DIP can be carried out in the presence of cofactors such as heterodimer partners, competitors, or small molecule binding inhibitors. After DNA is isolated by DIP, it is most efficiently detected using a highly parallel genomic technique such as a DNA microarray (DIP-chip) or high-throughput sequencing (DIP-seq). In this protocol, we describe a DIP of a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) protein with yeast genomic DNA.
Purification of His-Tagged Proteins Using Fractogel-Cobalt
Authors: Tom Roseanne , Bisson Louis , Durocher Yves 
Published: March 2008

INTRODUCTIONFast and efficient production of recombinant proteins (r-proteins) remains a major challenge for the academic and biopharmaceutical communities. Such proteins often need to be as pure as possible before any characterization study can begin. Although many types of protein tag are available, histidine is the most popular. Although small-scale immobilized metal-affinity column (IMAC) purification of such proteins (e.g., <500 mL of culture medium) can easily be achieved using gravity chromatography columns, larger volumes can be processed with the aid of automated chromatography systems. This protocol describes an IMAC purification technique for secreted proteins using a cobalt-loaded resin. Preliminary small-scale trials using this technique can be used to determine the production scale that will be needed to provide enough pure material for a given study.