bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Regulatory volume increase (RVI) by in situ and isolated bovine articular chondrocytes
Authors: Kerrigan Mark J.P. , Hook Corinne S.V. , Qusous Ala' , Hall Andrew C. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractMetabolism of the matrix by chondrocytes is sensitive to alterations in cell volume that occur, for example, during static loading and osteoarthritis. The ability of chondrocytes to respond to changes in volume could be important, and this study was aimed at testing the hypothesis that chondrocytes can regulate their volume following cell shrinking by regulatory volume increase (RVI). We used single cell fluorescence imaging of in situ bovine articular chondrocytes, cells freshly isolated into 280 or 380 mOsm, or 2‐D cultured chondrocytes loaded with calcein or fura‐2, to investigate RVI and changes to [Ca2+]i during shrinkage. Following a 42% hyperosmotic challenge, chondrocytes rapidly shrunk, however, only ∼6% of the in situ or freshly isolated chondrocytes demonstrated RVI. This contrasted with 2D‐cultured chondrocytes where ∼54% of the cells exhibited RVI. The rate of RVI was the same for all preparations. During the ‘post‐RVD/RVI protocol’, ∼60% of the in situ and freshly isolated chondrocytes demonstrated RVD, but only ∼5% showed RVI. There was no relationship between [Ca2+]i and RVI either during hyperosmotic challenge, or during RVD suggesting that changes to [Ca2+]i were not required for RVI. Depolymerisation of the actin cytoskeleton by latrunculin, increased RVI by freshly isolated chondrocytes, in a bumetanide‐sensitive manner. The results showed that in situ and freshly isolated articular chondrocytes have only limited RVI capacity. However, RVI was stimulated by treating freshly isolated chondrocytes with latrunculin B and following 2D culture of chondrocytes, suggesting that cytoskeletal integrity plays a role in regulating RVI activity which appears to be mediated principally by the Na+K+2Cl− cotransporter. J. Cell. Physiol. 209: 481–492, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Selective amino acid restriction targets mitochondria to induce apoptosis of androgen‐independent prostate cancer cells
Authors: Fu Ya‐Min , Zhang Hui , Ding Mingjie , Li Yi‐Qi , Fu Xing , Yu Zu‐Xi , Meadows Gary G. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractRelative specific amino acid dependency is one of the metabolic abnormalities of cancer cells, and restriction of specific amino acids induces apoptosis of prostate cancer cells. This study shows that restriction of tyrosine and phenylalanine (Tyr/Phe), glutamine (Gln), or methionine (Met), modulates Raf and Akt survival pathways and affects the function of mitochondria in DU145 and PC3, in vitro. These three restrictions inhibit energy production (ATP synthesis) and induce generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Restriction of Tyr/Phe or Met in DU145 and Met in PC3 reduces mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and induces caspase‐dependent and ‐independent apoptosis. In DU145, Tyr/Phe or Met restriction reduces activity of Akt, mitochondrial distribution of phosphorylated Raf and apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), and increases mitochondrial distribution of Bak. Mitochondrial Bcl‐XL is increased in Tyr/Phe‐restricted but decreased in Met‐restricted cells. Under Tyr/Phe or Met restriction, reduced mitochondrial Raf does not inactivate the pro‐apoptotic function of Bak. Tyr/Phe restriction also inhibits Bcl‐2 and Met restriction inhibits Bcl‐XL in mitochondria. These comprehensive actions damage the integrity of the mitochondria and induce apoptosis of DU145. In PC3, apoptosis induced by Met restriction was not associated with alterations in intracellular distribution of Raf, Bcl‐2 family proteins, or AIF. All of the amino acid restrictions inhibited Akt activity in this cell line. We conclude that specific amino acid restriction differentially interferes with homeostasis/balance between the Raf and Akt survival pathways and with the interaction of Raf and Bcl‐2 family proteins in mitochondria to induce apoptosis of DU145 and PC3 cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 209: 522–534, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Leucine stimulates procollagen α1(I) translation on hepatic stellate cells through ERK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR activation
Authors: de Obanos María P.Pérez , Zabalza María J. López , Prieto Jesús , Herraiz María T. , Iraburu María J. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractThe essential amino acid leucine has been described to specifically activate signaling pathways leading to the activation of the translational machinery and the increase of total protein synthesis. Regulation of type I collagen production by hepatic stellate cells (HSC) is a multistep process involving transcriptional and post‐transcriptional mechanisms. In the present work we studied the effect of leucine on translation regulation of collagen α1(I) production in HSC and the signaling pathways involved. Treatment of HSC with 5 mM leucine did not alter half‐life or steady state levels of procollagen α1(I) mRNA, but caused an increase in procollagen α1(I) protein that correlated with changes of components involved in translational regulation, like enhanced 4E‐BP1, Mnk‐1, and eIF4E phosphorylation. Leucine also induced mTOR, ERK, and Akt phosphorylation in HSC, without affecting p38 and JNK activation. Pre‐treatment of HSC with PD098059, wortmannin, or rapamycin prevented the profibrogenic action of leucine due to the inhibition of different molecular mechanisms. These results suggest leucine is a profibrogenic agent for HSC, activating signaling pathways that lead to an enhancement of collagen α1(I) production through translational regulation. J. Cell. Physiol. 209: 580–586, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gene expression profiles of vitrified in vivo derived 8‐cell stage mouse embryos detected by high density oligonucleotide microarrays
Authors: Mamo Solomon , Bodo Szilard , Kobolak Julianna , Polgar Zsuzsanna , Tolgyesi Gergely , Dinnyes Andras 
Published: August 2006

AbstractVery little is known about the effect of vitrification on gene functions after warming. The goals of our study were to compare the gene expression patterns, and identify those most affected. For this, 8‐cell stage embryos were collected from ICR mice and vitrified with solid surface vitrification technique, while maintaining equal numbers of embryos as control. Total RNAs were extracted and two rounds of amplification were employed. Finally three micrograms of contrasting RNA samples were hybridized on the Agilent Mouse 22 K oligonucleotide slides and the results were analyzed with subsequent verification by independent real‐time PCR analyses. The two rounds of amplification with 5 ng tRNA input have yielded 15–16 µg of cRNA. The analyses of repeated hybridizations showed 20,183 genes/ESTs as common signatures, and unsupervised analysis identified 628 differentially expressed (P < 0.01) genes. However, with at least 1.5‐fold change considerations, 183 genes were differentially expressed (P < 0.01) out of which 107 were upregulated. The independent analysis with real‐time PCR and unamplified samples fully confirmed the results of microarray, indicating the linearity of amplification. Furthermore, this novel gene expression study for vitrified embryos identified many new candidate genes with overrepresentation in some important biological processes. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the expression pattern reflected a broad spectrum of consequences of vitrification on embryos, with most effects on metabolism, regulatory role and stress response genes and allowed the identification of new candidate marker genes for cryosurvival. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 73: 1380–1392, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spatially localized intermolecular zero‐quantum coherence spectroscopy for in vivo applications
Authors: Balla David Z. , Melkus Gerd , Faber Cornelius 
Published: August 2006

AbstractMagnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) techniques that use the distant dipolar field (DDF) to locally refocus inhomogeneous line‐broadening promise improved spectral resolution in spatially varying fields. We investigated three possible implementations of localized DDF spectroscopy. Theoretical analysis and phantom experiments at 17.6 T showed that only localization immediately prior to acquisition provides sufficient spatial selectivity and sensitivity for in vivo applications. Spectra from an (8 mm)3 voxel of the rat brain were acquired in 25 min, and three major metabolites were resolved. In a tumor mouse model, DDF spectra with well‐resolved lines can be obtained from significantly larger voxels compared to conventional localized spectroscopy. From an inhomogeneous voxel, improved spectral resolution can be obtained with DDF techniques when a sufficient number of increments are sampled along the second spectral dimension. With fewer increments, measurement time is significantly shortened, and DDF techniques can provide higher signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) efficiency. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tetrodotoxin for prolonged local anesthesia with minimal myotoxicity
Authors: Padera Robert F. , Tse Julie Y. , Bellas Evangelia , Kohane Daniel S. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractConventional local anesthetics such as bupivacaine cause considerable myotoxicity and neurotoxicity, whereas tetrodotoxin (TTX) does not. Tetrodotoxin combined with bupivacaine or vasoconstrictors produces long‐duration nerve blockade. To assess whether these prolonged blocks can be produced without increased myotoxicity, Sprague‐Dawley rats were injected with bupivacaine, TTX, and both, or TTX plus epinephrine. Median durations of thermal nociceptive blockade were, respectively, 188, 401, 882, and 972 min. On dissection 4 days later, all tissues appeared macroscopically pristine. Muscle injury was at most mild to moderate in all animals, and the muscle injury scores for the combination formulations were not higher than for bupivacaine alone. Similarly, in differentiated cells from a myoblast cell line (C2C12), TTX caused either no or minimal worsening of cell viability from bupivacaine at 2 or 7 days. Epinephrine did not worsen TTX's relatively minimal cytotoxicity. Tetrodotoxin may thus be useful in producing prolonged nerve block with minimal myotoxicity and perhaps neurotoxicity. Muscle Nerve, 2006
Abnormal urethral motor function is common in female stress, mixed, and urge incontinence
Authors: Mattiasson Anders , Teleman Pia 
Published: August 2006

AbstractAimTo investigate the urethral motor function in incontinent women.Materials and MethodsThe intraurethral pressure was measured continuously in the high‐pressure zone of the urethra at rest and during repeated short squeezes around the microtip transducer catheter in a group of 205 women with clinically manifest urinary incontinence (severe), and compared with the findings of investigations in 87 middle‐aged women (53–63 years) with treatment naïve incontinence (mild‐to‐moderate) and healthy controls.ResultsWomen with established incontinence significantly (P < 0.001) more often (66%) had a pressure fall during or immediately following squeeze than women with treatment naïve incontinence (35%) or asymptomatic women (25%). The acceleration of urinary flow and the maximal flow rate were significantly (P < 0.01) increased in patients with incontinence: acceleration was 13 ± 2.2 (17.8), 20 ± 2.8 (18.9), and 32 ± 4.9 (24.9) degrees (mean ± SEM; SD) for incontinence, naïve incontinence and no incontinence, respectively; maximum urinary flow rate was 23, 22, and 16 ml/sec. No statistical differences in any of these measures were seen when stress and urge incontinence were compared.ConclusionWomen with stress, urge, and mixed urinary incontinence seem to have a primary neuromuscular disorder in the urethra, which presents itself as an overactive opening mechanism with a urethral pressure fall instead of a pressure increase on provocation during the filling phase of the bladder, and during bladder emptying a more efficient opening of the bladder outlet than in normal women. We suggest that one and the same pathophysiological mechanism participates in female stress, urge, and mixed incontinence. Neurourol. Urodynam. 25:703–708, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Revisiting reliability of quantified perineal ultrasound: Bland and Altman analysis of a new protocol for the rectangular coordinate method
Authors: Armstrong S.M. , Miller J.M. , Benson K. , Jain S. , Panagopoulos K. , DeLancey J.O.L. , Sampselle C.M. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractAimsThis study tested the reliability of a new protocol for the rectangular coordinate method of quantifying perineal ultrasound.MethodsRepresentative scans of healthy primiparous females were quantified by positioning a pubic bone template, drawn onto an acetate sheet containing x–y axes, over scans, by aligning the x‐axis with the pubic bone central axis. Values for x (Dx) and y (Dy) located the urethrovesical junction (UVJ) at Rest, and at maximal Valsalva and Kegel. Range of motion (V–K) was calculated. Bland and Altman analysis, correlations, and t‐tests determined intra‐ and inter‐rater reliability, and variance due to designation of the pubic bone central axis (template control).ResultsCorrelations averaged 0.72, 0.70, and 0.92 for intra‐rater, inter‐rater, and template control experiments. Dx Rest, Dx Kegel, and V–K were reliable in all experiments. First and second measures for inter‐rater Dy Rest and Dy Kegel, and template control Dy Valsalva were significantly different. Bland and Altman analysis showed Dy Rest, Dy Kegel, and Dx and Dy Valsalva for both reliability experiments to have limits of agreement (LOA's) large enough to explain ≥50% of the actual value ranges. Template control LOA's explained ≤30% of the actual value ranges.ConclusionsThe reliability of this protocol varied according to the conditions analyzed; accurate reliability assessment of all conditions required Bland and Altman analysis; and the designation of the pubic bone central axis remained a source of variance between investigators. Our results suggest Bland and Altman analysis be used with each study that quantifies perineal ultrasound. Neurourol. Urodynam. 25:731–738, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Discrete search allocation game with false contacts
Authors: Hohzaki Ryusuke 
Published: August 2006

AbstractThis paper deals with a two‐person zero‐sum game called asearch allocation game, where a searcher and a target participate, taking account of false contacts. The searcher distributes his search effort in a search space in order to detect the target. On the other hand, the target moves to avoid the searcher. As a payoff of the game, we take the cumulative amount of search effort weighted by the target distribution, which can be derived as an approximation of the detection probability of the target. The searcher's strategy is a plan of distributing search effort and the target's is a movement represented by a path or transition probability across the search space. In the search, there are false contacts caused by environmental noises, signal processing noises, or real objects resembling true targets. If they happen, the searcher must take some time for their investigation, which interrupts the search for a while. There have been few researches dealing with search games with false contacts. In this paper, we formulate the game into a mathematical programming problem to obtain its equilibrium point. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2007
Templating synthesis of non‐spherical polymer particles and their effect on the fracture toughness of an epoxy‐amine network
Authors: Du Zhongjie , Liu Rui , Zhang Chen , Qiao Jinliang , Li Hangquan 
Published: August 2006

AbstractFlexible non‐spherical polymer particles were successfully produced via concentrated emulsion polymerization. LUDOX TM‐50 (colloidal silica, 50 wt% suspension in water) was introduced into the continuous phase to strengthen the template and inhibit monomer diffusion between the continuous and dispersed phases. The extent of non‐spherical shape was identified by the roundness value. Transmission electron micrographs showed that the higher the volume fraction of the dispersed phase became, the more non‐spherical were the poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) particles. As an application, the effect of the non‐spherical particles on the fracture toughness of a modified epoxy‐amine network was studied. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the introduction of the non‐spherical PBA particles improved efficiently the impact strength of the cured epoxy resin. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Repellency of Cinnamomum cassia bark compounds and cream containing cassia oil to Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) under laboratory and indoor conditions
Authors: Chang Kyu‐Sik , Tak Jun‐Hyung , Kim Soon‐Il , Lee Won‐Ja , Ahn Young‐Joon 
Published: August 2006

AbstractPatch and skin bioassays were used in laboratory and indoor tests to evaluate the repellency of (E)‐cinnamaldehyde, identified in Cinnamomum cassia Blume bark and essential oil, and a cream containing 5% (w/w) cassia oil against Aedes aegypti (L.) females. Results were compared with those of a known C. cassia compound cinnamyl alcohol, N,N‐diethyl‐m‐toluamide (DEET) and two commercial repellents: MeiMei® cream containing citronella and geranium oils and Repellan S® aerosol containing 19% DEET. In patch bioassay tests with A. aegypti females, (E)‐cinnamaldehyde at 0.153 mg cm−2 and DEET at 0.051 mg cm−2 provided 93 and 89% protection at 40 min after exposure. In skin bioassay tests, (E)‐cinnamaldehyde at 0.051 mg cm−2 and DEET at 0.025 mg cm−2 provided 87 and 95% protection at 30 min after application. (E)‐Cinnamaldehyde was significantly more effective than cinnamyl alcohol in both bioassays. In indoor tests with four human volunteers, 5% cassia oil cream provided 94, 83 and 61% protection against A. aegypti females exposed for 30, 50 and 70 min after application respectively. Cassia oil cream was a slightly less effective repellent than MeiMei cream. Repellan S aerosol provided 91% repellency at 120 min after application. Products containing cassia oil merit further study as potential repellents for the protection of humans and domestic animals from blood‐feeding vectors and the diseases they transmit. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
The maximal axial components in the equivalent parametrizations of crystal‐field Hamiltonians
Authors: Mulak Jacek , Mulak Maciej 
Published: August 2006

AbstractWithin the limits of every class of equivalent parametrizations of the crystal‐field Hamiltonian there exists always such a parametrization(s) for which the magnitude of the axial parameter B k 0 of a 2k ‐pole component, where k = 2, 4, 6, reaches a well–defined maximal value, max |B k 0| ≤ $ \left [ {\sum \limits _{m}} \, | B_{km}|^2 \right ] ^{1/2} $. This extreme constitutes a convenient discriminant of all these parametrizations, provided the B k 0 sign is recognized. Such discriminants, the same for all the equivalent parametrizations, distinguish the space directions which can be used as the z‐axis of the common reference frame. A method of calculation of max |B k 0| as well as the angles between the distinguished z‐axes of the appropriately rotated reference frame for the individual crystal‐field multipoles is given. It allows to identify and explicitly verify the equivalence of the ℋ︁CF parametrizations, and in consequence, to perform their standardization. The proposed method concerns particularly triclinic crystal‐field potentials for which no other distinguished orientation of the reference frame seems to exist. A number of available crystal‐field parametrizations of the low‐symmetry crystal‐field potentials (C 2, C s ), obtained from fitting spectroscopic data, have been analyzed from the postulated discriminant point of view. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Mechanical and optical properties of AIIBIVC2V and AIBIIIC2VI semiconductors
Authors: Verma A. S. , Bhardwaj S. R. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractA simple method based on a plasma oscillations theory of solids is proposed for the calculation of mechanical and optical properties such as microhardness (H), bulk modulus (B), dielectric constant (ϵ), polarizability (α), electronic susceptibility (χ) of AIIBIVC2V and AIBIIIC2VI semiconductors. Our calculated values are in excellent agreement with the values reported by earlier researchers. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Moments of phonon density of states spectra and characteristic phonon temperatures of wide band gap materials
Authors: Pässler Roland 
Published: August 2006

AbstractWe have re‐digitized a variety of phonon density of states (PDOS) spectra, that have been published by different researchers for the wide band gap materials diamond, SiC, BN, AlN, GaN, ZnO, ZnS, and ZnSe, including calculations of the respective first‐ and second‐order moments. Notwithstanding the obvious differences in concrete shapes of spectra presented for one and the same material by different authors, the respective magnitudes of estimated moments have been found in most cases to be nearly the same (to within uncertainties of some few%). Anticipated differences between phonon temperatures, Θ eff, that are effective in controlling the observable temperature dependences of fundamental energy gaps and the respective average phonon temperatures, Θ P, are seen to be throughout smaller than ±10%. The estimated high‐temperature limits of Debye temperatures, Θ D(∞), are found to be significantly higher (by factors of order 1.4) than Θ P. As a remarkable heuristic finding revealed by our numerical and analytical studies we can further state that, for SiC, AlN, GaN, ZnO, ZnS, and ZnSe, the individual Θ D(∞) values are nearly equal (within ±5%) to the respective average optical (LO/TO) phonon temperatures pertaining to the upper sections of the corresponding PDOS spectra. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Development of Industrial Reaction Processes Using Fluorous Lewis Acid Catalysts
Authors: Yoshida Akihiro , Hao Xiuhua , Yamazaki Osamu , Nishikido Joji 
Published: August 2006

AbstractWe have developed a series of novel fluorous Lewis acid catalysts, namely the ytterbium(III), scandium(III), tin(IV) or hafnium(IV) bis(perfluoroalkanesulfonyl)amides or tris(perfluoroalkanesulfonyl)methides for waste‐free and environmentally‐benign industrial processes. Our catalysts are not only highly active but also recyclable due to their fluorous properties for acylations of alcohols and aromatics, Baeyer‐Villiger reactions, direct esterifications and transesterifications in a fluorous biphasic system (FBS) and on fluorous silica gel supports.