bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Is poor glycaemic control in diabetic patients a risk factor of myopia?
Authors: Jacobsen Nina , Jensen Hanne , Lund‐Andersen Henrik , Goldschmidt Ernst 
Published: July 2008

Abstract.Purpose: As a consequence of an increasing prevalence of short‐sightedness (myopia) in countries that have adopted western dietary patterns, it has been hypothesized that hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia induce myopia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation between glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin dosage and myopia in diabetic patients.Methods: All type 1 diabetic patients aged 16–26 years [mean age 22.0, standard deviation (SD) 2.9] attending the eye clinic at Steno Diabetes Center, Copenhagen, in 1995–1997 were included in the study (n = 393). The following data were collected from the medical records from baseline to 2005: age at diabetes onset, age at baseline, sex, weight, HbA1c, insulin dosage, refractive error, visual acuity and ocular diabetes complications.Results: The prevalence of myopia [spherical equivalent (SE) ≤ −0.5 D] was 53.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) ± 5.29] at baseline. We followed 252 patients for 7.1 years (SD 2.2). In a logistic regression analysis, age at baseline [odds ratio (OR) 0.90 (95% CI 0.82; 0.99),P = 0.031], duration of diabetes at baseline [OR 0.95 (95% CI 0.91; 0.99),P = 0.047] and HbA1c[OR 1.26 (95% CI 1.03; 1.47),P = 0.022] were associated with myopia. The relative risk of a myopic shift was 1.7 (95% CI 1.28; 2.26) in patients aged 16–21 years and 1.6 (95% CI 1.19; 2.14) in patients with HbA1cabove 8.8%. Insulin dosage was not related to myopia.Conclusion: The prevalence of myopia in diabetic patients is considerably higher than in the background Danish population. Poor metabolic control of glucose is a suggested risk factor of myopia. The study suggests that myopia may be regarded as a complication of hyperglycaemia in diabetes.
A prospective study on intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin®) for neovascular age‐related macular degeneration of different durations
Authors: Algvere Peep V. , Steén Björn , Seregard Stefan , Kvanta Anders 
Published: July 2008

Abstract.Purpose:  Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) accounts for 85–90% of severe visual impairment in age‐related macular degeneration (AMD). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a major factor mediating angiogenesis, and VEGF inhibitors have become a new treatment modality. In this prospective study, we used bevacizumab (Avastin®), a recombinant monoclonal antibody to VEGF, to treat neovascular AMD.Methods:  The case material comprised 36 subjects (26 females, 10 males) aged 65–88 years with subfoveal neovascular AMD with all subtypes of CNV. There were two categories of patients: category I, long‐standing CNV (12 months or more), preoperative visual acuity (VA) 0.16 (mean); category II, CNV (duration <12 months), preoperative VA 0.25 (mean). Evaluation protocol included the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) VA, clinical ophthalmological examination, fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Intravitreal injections of bevacizumab (Avastin®) (IVB), 1.25 mg (0.05 ml), were given under an operating microscope and aseptic conditions in a theatre for surgery with intervals of 4 or 6 weeks during the first 3 months and subsequently according to clinical assessment. The follow‐up was 6 months in all cases.Results:  At 6 months, mean VA had improved by 4.6 ETDRS letters in the entire case material (P = 0.001), by 3.9 letters in category I (duration 12 months or more) and by 6.0 letters in category II (duration <12 months). A total of 148 IVB (mean 4.1 injections/eye) were delivered during 6 months, the first 3 months comprising 3.1 IVB (mean) and the last 3 months 1.0 IVB (mean). No eyes suffered visual decline of 15 ETDRS letters. Fluorescein angiograms displayed stabilization or regression of CNV activity; OCT showed resorption of intraretinal oedema and subretinal fluid. No severe complications occurred but recurrence was common, and repeated IVBs were necessary in most cases during the 6‐month period.Conclusion:  When addressing the issue of frequency of IBV, we observed that 6‐week intervals were sufficient because VA and CNV lesions generally stabilized at 4 weeks. The gain in VA was promising in eyes with <12 months CNV duration. Even in eyes with a longer CNV duration, a slight visual improvement was observed when retinal oedema resorbed, although subretinal fibrosis and general cellular damage certainly limited recovery.
Integrating -algebras
Authors: Henriques André 
Published: July 2008

AbstractGiven a Lie n-algebra, we provide an explicit construction of its integrating Lie n-group. This extends work done by Getzler in the case of nilpotent $L_\infty $-algebras. When applied to an ordinary Lie algebra, our construction yields the simplicial classifying space of the corresponding simply connected Lie group. In the case of the string Lie 2-algebra of Baez and Crans, we obtain the simplicial nerve of their model of the string group.
Invariants of welded virtual knots via crossed module invariants of knotted surfaces
Authors: Kauffman Louis H. , Faria Martins João 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe define an invariant of welded virtual knots from each finite crossed module by considering crossed module invariants of ribbon knotted surfaces which are naturally associated with them. We elucidate that the invariants obtained are non-trivial by calculating explicit examples. We define welded virtual graphs and consider invariants of them defined in a similar way.
p-adic confluence of q-difference equations
Authors: Pulita Andrea 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe develop the theory of p-adic confluence of q-difference equations. The main result is the fact that, in the p-adic framework, a function is a (Taylor) solution of a differential equation if and only if it is a solution of a q-difference equation. This fact implies an equivalence, called confluence, between the category of differential equations and those of q-difference equations. We develop this theory by introducing a category of sheaves on the disk D−(1,1), for which the stalk at 1 is a differential equation, the stalk at q isa q-difference equation if q is not a root of unity, and the stalk at a root of unity ξ is a mixed object, formed by a differential equation and an action of σξ.
Moduli of toric vector bundles
Authors: Payne Sam 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe give a presentation of the moduli stack of toric vector bundles with fixed equivariant total Chern class as a quotient of a fine moduli scheme of framed bundles by a linear group action. This fine moduli scheme is described explicitly as a locally closed subscheme of a product of partial flag varieties cut out by combinatorially specified rank conditions. We use this description to show that the moduli of rank three toric vector bundles satisfy Murphy’s law, in the sense of Vakil. The preliminary sections of the paper give a self-contained introduction to Klyachko’s classification of toric vector bundles.
AnO-Phosphotransferase Catalyzes Phosphorylation of Hygromycin A in the Antibiotic-Producing OrganismStreptomyces hygroscopicus
Authors: Dhote Vidya , Gupta Shuchi , Reynolds Kevin A. 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTThe antibiotic hygromycin A (HA) binds to the 50S ribosomal subunit and inhibits protein synthesis in gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The HA biosynthetic gene cluster inStreptomyces hygroscopicusNRRL 2388 contains 29 open reading frames, which have been assigned putative roles in biosynthesis, pathway regulation, and self-resistance. Thehyg21gene encodes anO-phosphotransferase with a proposed role in self-resistance. We observed that insertional inactivation ofhyg21inS. hygroscopicusleads to a greater than 90% decrease in HA production. The wild type and thehyg21mutant were comparably resistant to HA. UsingEscherichia colias a heterologous host, we expressed and purified Hyg21. Kinetic analyses revealed that the recombinant protein catalyzes phosphorylation of HA (Km= 30 ± 4 μM) at the C-2‴ position of the fucofuranose ring in the presence of ATP (Km= 200 ± 20 μM) or GTP (Km= 350 ± 60 μM) with akcatof 2.2 ± 0.1 min−1. The phosphorylated HA is inactive against HA-sensitive ΔtolC E. coliandStreptomyces lividans. Hyg21 also phosphorylates methoxyhygromycin A and desmethylenehygromycin A withkcatandKmvalues similar to those observed with HA. Phosphorylation of the naturally occurring isomers of 5‴-dihydrohygromycin A and 5‴-dihydromethoxyhygromycin A was about 12 times slower than for the corresponding non-natural isomers. These studies demonstrate that Hyg21 is anO-phosphotransferase with broad substrate specificity, tolerating changes in the aminocyclitol moiety more than in the fucofuranose moiety, and that phosphorylation by Hyg21 is one of several possible mechanisms of self-resistance inS. hygroscopicusNRRL 2388.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Infection and Environmental Tobacco Smoke Inhibit Lung Glutathione Adaptive Responses and Increase Oxidative Stress
Authors: Kariya Chirag , Chu Hong Wei , Huang Jie , Leitner Heather , Martin Richard J. , Day Brian J. 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACT

Chronic cigarette smoking evokes a lung glutathione (GSH) adaptive response that results in elevated GSH levels in the lung epithelial lining fluid (ELF). Currently, little is known about how the lung regulates or maintains steady-state levels of ELF GSH. Pathogens such as
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
can exacerbate airway inflammation and oxidative stress. The present study examined whether
M. pneumoniae
infections synergize with environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) to disrupt lung GSH adaptive responses. Mice were exposed separately and in combination to ETS and
M. pneumoniae
for 16 weeks. ETS exposure resulted in a doubling of ELF GSH levels, which was blocked in the
M. pneumoniae
-exposed mice. In addition, the ETS-plus-
M. pneumoniae
-exposed mice had elevated levels of oxidized glutathione (GSSG), resulting in a dramatic change in the ELF redox state that corresponded with an increase in lung tissue DNA oxidation. Similar findings were observed in human lung epithelial cells in vitro. Cells exposed separately or in combination to cigarette smoke extract and
M. pneumoniae
for 48 h had elevated apical levels of GSH compared to control cells, and these increases were blocked by
M. pneumoniae
and were also associated with increased cellular DNA oxidation. Further studies showed that
M. pneumoniae
exposure blocked ETS-induced increases in GSH reductase, an enzyme that recycles GSSG back to GSH, both in vitro and in vivo. These studies suggest that
M. pneumoniae
infection synergizes with ETS and suppresses the lung's ability to respond appropriately to environmental challenges leading to enhanced oxidative stress.
PneumococcalHaemophilus influenzaeProtein D Conjugate Vaccine Induces Antibodies That Inhibit Glycerophosphodiester Phosphodiesterase Activity of Protein D
Authors: Toropainen Maija , Raitolehto Anna , Henckaerts Isabelle , Wauters Dominique , Poolman Jan , Lestrate Pascal , Käyhty Helena 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTHaemophilus influenzaeouter membrane protein D (PD) is a glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (GlpQ) activity-possessing virulence factor and a promising vaccine antigen, providing 35.3% efficacy against acute otitis media caused by nontypeableH. influenzae(NTHI) when it was used as a carrier protein in a novel pneumococcal PD conjugate (Pnc-PD) vaccine. To study if PD-induced protection against NTHI could be due to antibodies that inhibit or neutralize its enzymatic activity, a GlpQ enzyme inhibition assay was developed, and serum samples collected from Finnish infants before and after Pnc-PD vaccination were analyzed for enzyme inhibition and anti-PD immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody concentration. Before vaccination at age 2 months, the majority (84%) of infants (n= 69) had no detectable anti-PD IgG antibodies, and all were enzyme inhibition assay negative (inhibition index, <20). At age 13 to 16 months, all infants receiving three or four doses of Pnc-PD had detectable anti-PD IgG antibodies and 36% (8/22 infants) of the infants receiving three doses and 26% (6/23 infants) of the infants receiving four doses of Pnc-PD were inhibition assay positive (inhibition index, ≥20). No significant rise in anti-PD IgG antibodies or enzyme inhibition among control vaccinees (n= 24) receiving three doses of hepatitis B vaccine was detected. A modest correlation (rs, ∼0.66) between anti-PD IgG concentration and enzyme inhibition was detected; however, their kinetics were clearly different. These data suggest that measurement of antibody responses that inhibit PD's enzymatic activity could be a useful tool for assessing Pnc-PD vaccine-induced protective immunity against NTHI.
Host Biomarkers and Biological Pathways That Are Associated with the Expression of Experimental Cerebral Malaria in Mice
Authors: Oakley Miranda S. , McCutchan Thomas F. , Anantharaman Vivek , Ward Jerrold M. , Faucette Laurence , Erexson Cindy , Mahajan Babita , Zheng Hong , Majam Victoria , Aravind L. , Kumar Sanjai 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTCerebral malaria (CM) is a primary cause of malaria-associated deaths among young African children. Yet no diagnostic tools are available that could be used to predict which of the children infected withPlasmodium falciparummalaria will progress to CM. We used thePlasmodium bergheiANKA murine model of experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) and high-density oligonucleotide microarray analyses to identify host molecules that are strongly associated with the clinical symptoms of ECM. Comparative expression analyses were performed with C57BL/6 mice, which have an ECM-susceptible phenotype, and with mice that have ECM-resistant phenotypes: CD8 knockout and perforin knockout mice on the C57BL/6 background and BALB/c mice. These analyses allowed the identification of more than 200 host molecules (a majority of which had not been identified previously) with altered expression patterns in the brain that are strongly associated with the manifestation of ECM. Among these host molecules, brain samples from mice with ECM expressed significantly higher levels of p21, metallothionein, and hemoglobin α1 proteins by Western blot analysis than mice unaffected by ECM, suggesting the possible utility of these molecules as prognostic biomarkers of CM in humans. We suggest that the higher expression of hemoglobin α1 in the brain may be associated with ECM and could be a source of excess heme, a molecule that is considered to trigger the pathogenesis of CM. Our studies greatly enhance the repertoire of host molecules for use as diagnostics and novel therapeutics in CM.
Dynamic deformation characteristics of undisturbed riverbed gravels
Authors: Yasuda N , Ohta N , Nakamura A 
Published: July 2008

The strength and deformation characteristics of undisturbed specimens measured by large-scale triaxial tests were compared with those of reconstituted specimens to evaluate the stiffness of natural ground. The undisturbed specimens were sampled from the riverbed gravel foundation of an embankment dam using the freezing sampling method with liquid nitrogen. The validity of the results from the undisturbed specimens was evaluated by comparing the stiffness of the natural ground using P- and S-wave logging (PS logging). The dynamic deformation characteristics (stiffness) of undisturbed specimens are larger than those of reconstitued specimens. Key words: shear modulus, damping ratio, gravel, laboratory test.
Calculated and observed behaviour of a reinforced embankment over soft compressible soil
Authors: Rowe R Kerry , Gnanendran C T , Landva A O , Valsangkar A J 
Published: July 2008

The finite element analysis of an instrumented geotextile-reinforced test embankment is described and the results are compared with the field measurements. The embankment was constructed to failure on a soft compressible organic clayey silt deposit at Sackville, New Brunswick. The analysis adopts a fully coupled large-strain elasto-plastic Biot consolidation model with modified Cam-clay material behaviour. It is shown that the analysis captured many features of the embankment behaviour. However, it is concluded that the elasto-plastic modified Cam-clay formulation is not adequate for accurately and simultaneously predicting the multiple characteristics (e.g., vertical and horizontal deformations, pore pressures, and geotextile strains) of the embankment behaviour, primarily because of the rate sensitive nature, and the consequent progressive failure of the foundation soil. Key words: embankment, geotextile, reinforcement, analysis, field behaviour, deformations.
The role of convergence measurements in characterizing a rock mass
Authors: Martin C Derek , Chandler Neil A , Read Rodney S 
Published: July 2008

Convergence measurements were taken during the construction of a circular shaft in massive granite. The convergence results were used to back-calculate the in situ horizontal stress orientation and magnitudes. The results from the convergence method were supported by other measurement techniques and numerical modelling. Key words: convergence, in situ stress, back-analysis.
Chemopreventive Doses of Methylselenocysteine Alter Circadian Rhythm in Rat Mammary Tissue
Authors: Zhang Xun , Zarbl Helmut 
Published: July 2008

Abstract
It is known that organic forms of selenium inhibit chemically induced rat mammary carcinogenesis, although the molecular basis remains to be elucidated. To identify signaling pathways involved in carcinogenesis that are also modulated by methylselenocysteine, we compared the global gene expression profiles in mammary tissues from pubescent female rats maintained on a selenium-supplemented (3 ppm) diet with those on a standardized diet after N-nitroso-N-methylurea. Whereas the selenium-enriched diet altered the steady-state levels of genes involved in various cellular functions, the most dramatic effect was the coordinated changes in the expression of multiple genes that regulate circadian rhythm. Normal mammary tissue of rats fed a standardized diet showed little circadian oscillation relative to liver tissue. By contrast, mammary tissue of rats maintained on the selenium-enriched diet showed a progressive, time-dependent increase in the expression of circadian gene Per2 and circadian-regulated transcription factor DBP. Our results further showed that the expression of Per2 and DBP mRNAs was significantly decreased in mammary tumors arising in rats on the selenium-enriched diet, but not in tumors of rats on the control diet, suggesting that selenium-induced elevation in the expression of circadian genes was incompatible with mammary carcinogenesis. Given the previously reported role of Per2 as a tumor suppressor, these observations suggest that Per2 is an important target of methylselenocysteine during chemoprevention in N-nitroso-N-methylurea–induced rat mammary carcinogenesis, and for the first time provide a link between chemoprevention and circadian rhythm.
Oral Epithelium as a Surrogate Tissue for Assessing Smoking-Induced Molecular Alterations in the Lungs
Authors: Bhutani Manisha , Pathak Ashutosh Kumar , Fan You-Hong , Liu Diane D. , Lee J. Jack , Tang Hongli , Kurie Jonathan M. , Morice Rodolfo C. , Kim Edward S. , Hong Waun Ki , Mao Li 
Published: July 2008

Abstract
The lungs and oral cavity of smokers are exposed to tobacco carcinogens. We hypothesized that tobacco-induced molecular alterations in the oral epithelium are similar to those in the lungs, and thus the oral epithelium may be used as a surrogate tissue for assessing alterations in the lungs. We used methylation-specific PCR to analyze promoter methylation of the p16 and FHIT genes at baseline and 3 months after intervention in 1,774 oral and bronchial brush specimens from 127 smokers enrolled in a randomized placebo-controlled chemoprevention trial. The association between methylation patterns in oral tissues and bronchial methylation indices (methylated sites / total sites per subject) was analyzed in a blinded fashion. At baseline, promoter methylation in bronchial tissue was present in 23% of samples for p16, 17% for FHIT, and 35% for p16 and FHIT; these percentages were comparable to methylation in oral tissue: 19% (p16), 15% (FHIT), and 31% (p16 and FHIT). Data from both oral and bronchial tissues were available for 125 individuals, in whom the two sites correlated strongly with respect to alterations (P &lt; 0.0001 for both p16 and FHIT). At baseline, the mean bronchial methylation index was far higher in patients with oral tissue methylation (in either of the two genes; 39 patients) than in patients without oral tissue methylation (86 patients): 0.53 ± 0.29 versus 0.27 + 0.26 methylation index (P &lt; 0.0001). Similar correlations occurred at 3 months after intervention. Our results support the potential of oral epithelium as a surrogate tissue for assessing tobacco-induced molecular damage in the lungs and thus have important implications for designing future lung cancer prevention trials and for research into the risk and early detection of lung cancer.
Trends in Twentieth-Century U.S. Snowfall Using a Quality-Controlled Dataset
Authors: Kunkel Kenneth E. , Palecki Michael , Ensor Leslie , Hubbard Kenneth G. , Robinson David , Redmond Kelly , Easterling David 
Published: July 2008

AbstractA quality assessment of daily manual snowfall data has been undertaken for all U.S. long-term stations and their suitability for climate research. The assessment utilized expert judgment on the quality of each station. Through this process, the authors have identified a set of stations believed to be suitable for analysis of trends. Since the 1920s, snowfall has been declining in the West and the mid-Atlantic coast. In some places during recent years the decline has been more precipitous, strongly trending downward along the southern margins of the seasonal snow region, the southern Missouri River basin, and parts of the Northeast. Snowfall has been increasing since the 1920s in the lee of the Rocky Mountains, the Great Lakes–northern Ohio Valley, and parts of the north-central United States. These areas that are in opposition to the overall pattern of declining snowfall seem to be associated with specific dynamical processes, such as upslope snow and lake-effect snow that may be responding to changes in atmospheric circulation.
Citrullination of CXCL10 and CXCL11 by peptidylarginine deiminase: a naturally occurring posttranslational modification of chemokines and new dimension of immunoregulation
Authors: Loos Tamara , Mortier Anneleen , Gouwy Mieke , Ronsse Isabelle , Put Willy , Lenaerts Jean-Pierre , Van Damme Jo , Proost Paul 
Published: July 2008

AbstractInteractions between chemokines and enzymes are vital in immunoregulation. Structural protein citrullination by peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) has been associated with autoimmunity. In this report, we identified a novel naturally occurring posttranslational modification of chemokines, that is, the deimination of arginine at position 5 into citrulline of CXC chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) by rabbit PAD and human PAD2. Citrullination reduced (≥ 10-fold) the chemoattracting and signaling capacity of CXCL10 for CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) transfectants; however, it did not affect CXCR3 binding. On T lymphocytes, though, citrullinated CXCL10 remained active but was again weaker than authentic CXCL10. PAD was also able to convert CXCL11, causing an impairment of CXCR3 signaling and T-cell activation, though less pronounced than for CXCL10. Similarly, receptor binding properties of CXCL11 were not altered by citrullination. However, deimination decreased heparin binding properties of both CXCL10 and CXCL11. Overall, chemokines are the first immune modulators reported of being functionally modified by citrullination. These data provide new structure-function dimensions for chemokines in leukocyte mobilization, disclosing an anti-inflammatory role for PAD. Additionally because citrullination has severe consequences for chemokine biology, this invites to reassess the involvement and impact of PAD and citrullinated peptides in inflammation, autoimmunity, and hematologic disorders.