bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Confounding effects of platelets on flow cytometric analysis and cell‐sorting experiments using blood‐derived cells
Authors: McFarland David C. , Zhang Cindy , Thomas Heath C. , Tl Ratliff 
Published: January 2006

AbstractBackground:Flow cytometric analysis and cell‐sorting of peripheral blood leukocytes is commonplace; however, platelet contamination is typically ignored during immunophenotypic analysis and sorting of blood‐derived cells.Methods:Red blood cells, platelets, T & B lymphocytes, monocytes, and granulocytes were sorted from rat blood preparations. Presort enrichment was performed by differential centrifugation for all cell types. Additionally, leukocyte samples were prepared by ammonium chloride lysis of red blood cells.Results:Unless proper precautions were taken, significant numbers of platelets were sorted along with (nonplatelet) cells of interest. The amount of platelet contamination varied greatly from experiment to experiment with the highest level of leukocyte‐platelet association observed in the neutrophil/granulocyte population in samples prepared using ammonium chloride‐based red blood cell‐lysing solution.Conclusions:Addition of an immunophenotypic marker for platelet identification is a simple, yet prudent, measure to help evaluate the impact of platelets on immunophenotypic staining when performing flow cytometric analysis or sorting of blood‐derived cells and should become a routine practice. Platelet presence in postsort fractions can be due to free platelets as well as target cell‐associated platelets and both sources of contamination must be addressed. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A LiMn2O4 Based Electrochemical Scheme for Selective Measurement of Dopamine
Authors: Leu Hoang Jyh , Lin Meng Shan 
Published: January 2006

AbstractA new cathodic scheme was developed for the determination of dopamine by flow injection analysis (FIA). A mild oxidizing agent, lithium manganese (III, IV) oxide (LiMn2O4), as an upstream modifier can oxidize the dopamine to produce the dopaminequinone, and then the oxidized product is subsequently detected by the downstream detector at −0.1 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). In this work, the significant feature of LiMn2O4 based sensing scheme possesses no interference from other tested biological amines including acetylcholine, epinephrine, glutamate, and histamine. Otherwise, there is no detectable interference from ascorbic acid, but 2% and 1% negligible interferences were found from uric acid and acetaminophen, respectively.
Influence of Aprotic Solvent on Selectivity of an Amperometric Sensor with Nafion Membrane
Authors: Chachulski B. , Gębicki J. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractThis paper presents the results of investigation on selectivity of the sulfur dioxide amperometric sensor with Nafion membrane in the presence of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide as the interferents. There have been compared selectivity coefficients, for the sensors containing the following internal electrolytes: solution of sulfuric acid (concentration 5 mol dm−3) in pure water (A) and solution of sulfuric acid (concentration 5 mol dm−3) in mixed solvent dimethylsulfoxide‐water with an DMSO: H2O mole ratio of 1 : 2 (B). Values of the selectivity coefficients have been calculated based on the calibration curves. Analysis of both calibration curves and selectivity coefficients plays a significant role in optimization of a working point of a particular sensor. The investigated sensor operates in a three‐electrode system, where the working and counter electrodes are vacuum sublimation deposited on the membrane surface.
Carbon Nanotubes/Poly(1,2‐diaminobenzene) Nanoporous Composite Film Electrode Prepared by Multipulse Potentiostatic Electropolymerisation and Its Application to Determination of Trace Heavy Metal Ions
Authors: Gao Xiaohua , Wei Wanzhi , Yang Liu , Guo Manli 
Published: January 2006

AbstractA novel method for the fabrication of carbon nanotubes/poly(1,2‐diaminobenzene) nanoporous composite based electrode was proposed. By multipulse potentiostatic electropolymerization, the multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and poly(1,2‐diaminobenzene) were deposited simultaneously on the electrode surface. Compared with the composite prepared by the traditional potentiodynamic method, the composite synthesized by multipulse potentiostatic method has a unique nanoporous structure, exhibits excellent conductivity and better environmental stability. The surface of the resulting electrode was characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The nanoporous composite film modified glassy carbon electrode was also used successfully for the simultaneously voltammetric determination of trace level of Cd2+ and Cu2+ at first‐time. Under the optimal conditions, the determination limits of 0.25 and 0.33 ppb for Cd2+ and Cu2+ were obtained, respectively. The calibration graphs were linear in the concentration range of 5–100 ppb. The electrode system provides an excellent platform for ultra sensitive electrochemical sensors for chemical and biological sensing.
Genomewide array‐based comparative genomic hybridization analysis of acute promyelocytic leukemia
Authors: Karnan Sivasundaram , Tsuzuki Shinobu , Kiyoi Hitoshi , Tagawa Hiroyuki , Ueda Ryozo , Seto Masao , Naoe Tomoki 
Published: January 2006

AbstractAcute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is typically associated with the t(15;17) that generates the PML–RARA fusion protein. Animal models have shown that although the fusion protein is necessary, it is insufficient for the development of APL, implying that additional mechanisms are responsible for full‐blown leukemia. The mutation of specific genes has been implicated in leukemogenesis; however, alterations in gene copy number have not been well investigated. Here, we applied the genomewide array‐comparative genomic hybridization technique to 30 APL clinical samples and 2 APL cell lines. It was found that (1) approximately half the clinical samples (14 of 30 APL cases) had no detectable chromosomal imbalances; and (2) the remaining 16 cases, including the cell lines, exhibited recurrent chromosomal imbalances, such as loss of 1p36, 2p11, 16p, and 17p, and gain of 8p, 8q, and 13q. These results suggest that chromosomal imbalances are largely absent in APL, although some nonrandom chromosomal imbalances could be linked to the development of APL in a limited number of cases. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Synapsin I Cre transgene expression in male mice produces germline recombination in progeny
Authors: Rempe D. , Vangeison G. , Hamilton J. , Li Y. , Jepson M. , Federoff H.J. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractThe cre/LoxP system can produce conditional loss of gene function in specific cell types such as neurons. A transgenic mouse line, utilized by multiple studies, used the Synapsin I promoter to drive expression of cre (SynCre) to achieve neuronal‐specific cre expression. Herein we describe that cre expression can also be observed in SynCre mice within the testes after being bred into a floxed transgenic mouse line. Cre transcript was expressed in testes resulting in recombination of the floxed substrate in testes. In the majority of cases, progeny of male SynCre mice inherited a germline recombined floxed allele, while this was never observed in progeny from female mice carrying the SynCre allele. This observation should alert investigators to a potential confound using these mice and enables male germ cell “deletor” strategies. genesis 44:44–49, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Murine glia express the immunosuppressive cytokine, interleukin‐10, following exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi or Neisseria meningitidis
Authors: Rasley Amy , Tranguch Susanne L. , Rati Dana M. , Marriott Ian 
Published: January 2006

AbstractThere is growing appreciation that resident glial cells can initiate and/or regulate inflammation following trauma or infection in the central nervous system (CNS). We have previously demonstrated the ability of microglia and astrocytes, resident glial cells of the CNS, to respond to bacterial pathogens by rapid production of inflammatory mediators. However, inflammation within the brain parenchyma is notably absent during some chronic bacterial infections in humans and nonhuman primates. In the present study, we demonstrate the ability of the immunosuppressive cytokine, interleukin‐10 (IL‐10), to inhibit inflammatory immune responses of primary microglia and astrocytes to B. burgdorferi and N. meningitidis, two disparate gram negative bacterial species that can cross the blood‐brain barrier in humans. Importantly, we demonstrate that these organisms induce the delayed production of significant quantities of IL‐10 by both microglia and astrocytes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that such production occurs independent of the actions of bacterial lipopolysaccharide and is secondary to the autocrine or paracrine actions of other glia‐derived soluble mediators. The late onset of IL‐10 production by resident glia following activation, the previously documented expression of specific receptors for this cytokine on microglia and astrocytes, and the ability of IL‐10 to inhibit bacterially induced immune responses by these cells, suggest a mechanism by which resident glial cells can limit potentially damaging inflammation within the CNS in response to invading pathogens, and could explain the suppression of inflammation seen within the brain parenchyma during chronic bacterial infections. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Recombinant polymer‐protein fusion: a promising approach towards efficient and targeted gene delivery
Authors: Hatefi A. , Megeed Z. , Ghandehari H. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractBackgroundSynthetic vectors such as polymers have the potential to reduce the safety problems associated with viral vectors; however, their low transfection efficiency limits their clinical utility. To study the critical steps involved in an efficient transgene expression, there is a need for creative approaches that allow a systematic correlation between gene carrier structure and properties necessary for successful gene transfer. Using recombinant techniques a prototype vector comprised of tandem repeating units fused to a targeting moiety was biosynthesized to mediate gene transfer in mammalian cell lines. The carrier was designed to have the structure of (KHKHKHKHKK)6‐FGF2 where lysine (K) residues would allow complexation with plasmid DNA, basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) to target cells over‐expressing FGF2 receptors (FGFR), and histidine (H) residues to facilitate escape from the endosomal compartments.MethodsThe gene carrier was biosynthesized in E. coli, purified using a Ni‐NTA column, characterized, complexed with pDNA, and the complexes were used to transfect NIH 3T3, T‐47D and COS‐1 mammalian cell types known to express FGFR.ResultsResults demonstrate the successful cloning and expression of the gene carrier with over 95% purity. The molecular weight of the gene carrier was determined by MALDI‐TOF to be 27 402. Amino acid content analysis and Western blot confirmed the expression of the gene carrier in E. coli. The vector was able to condense pDNA, induce cell proliferation in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, and mediate transgene expression in NIH 3T3, T‐47D and COS‐1 mammalian cell types.ConclusionGenetic engineering techniques show promise for systematic investigation of structure‐activity relationships of non‐viral gene delivery vectors. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Autonomisation of the Thai state: some observations
Authors: Bowornwathana Bidhya 
Published: January 2006

AbstractThis article argues that the recent global trend of creating autonomous or quasi‐autonomous public arganisations must be understood within the particular context of the country under investigation. In the case of the Thai state, autonomisation should be seen as a transformation process from a unitary administrative system to multiple administrative systems. It is an escape from a very centralised form of government to a more decentralised one where government power is more dispersed among various public organisations. The nature of politics and administration determines the direction of the hybridisation processes of autonomisation in Thailand. The reform direction chosen by the prime minister and the relationship between politicians and bureaucrats are two key factors that dictate the direction of autonomisation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The politics of bureau reform in sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Caulfield Janice L. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractThis article focuses on sub‐Saharan Africa and its recent history of state sector decentralisation reforms. Over the last ten to fifteen years, new forms of state organisation have emerged reflecting a policy preference for bureau downsizing and devolution. These include semi‐autonomous executive agencies, public–private partnerships in infrastructure development, partial privatisations of utilities and performance contracting arrangements between purchasers and providers. Reform policies are, however, heavily conditioned by bilateral and multilateral donors. The limited success of bureau reforms in the region has been explained by others as either a problem of institutional capacity or the absence of grassroots democracy. This article takes a different stance, arguing that reforms are highly political and resisted not only by politicians but also by an aware and sceptical public. A selection of case studies illustrates these reform trends and problems of implementation. The article also draws attention to intra‐regional differences between a francophone West Africa and English speaking East Africa. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Agencification in Estonia
Authors: Tavits Margit , Annus Taavi 
Published: January 2006

AbstractThis article provides a short overview of agencies in Estonia. It first defines ‘agency’ and ‘agencification’ and then proceeds to describe different types of agencies, as well as the process of agencification in Estonia. The core of the article comprises an illustrative case study of one particular agency in the Estonian public sector. The focus is primarily on process. Although there is a lot of talk about agencification as a global phenomenon, there is little factual information about agencies and agencification, especially outside OECD countries. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modernising town hall: capacity building with a political twist
Authors: Grindle Merilee S. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractCapacity building is a frequent tonic prescribed for local governments in poor performance health. Such initiatives purport to get to the heart of governance with technical approaches that are free of partisanship and political controversy. Data from municipal governments newly affected by decentralisation and democratisation indicate that, contrary to expectations, the destiny of capacity building initiatives is dependent upon politics. In the first instance, capacity building initiatives are dependent on the orientation of elected and appointed leaders who choose to invest in or ignore them. Second, capacity building initiatives are significantly affected by electoral cycles that create moments when significant new capacity initiatives can be introduced and abandoned. Third, capacity building initiatives are dependent on the formal and informal institutions that determine how much scope public officials have for introducing change. Thus, while part of the popularity of capacity building programs and projects is their apparent distance from politics, those who wish to see the performance of government improved need to be sensitive to how it is affected—in positive and negative ways—by political preferences, calendars, and institutions. Data on 57 capacity building initiatives carried out in 30 medium sized municipalities in Mexico suggest the ways in which such factors shape the destinies of capacity building initiatives. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The combustion behavior of polyacrylate ester/graphite oxide composites
Authors: Wang Jianqi , Han Zhidong 
Published: January 2006

AbstractThere is an increasing interest in polymer layered silicate nanocomposites, due to the enhanced properties of these systems. An additional layered system is the graphite oxide system and this has been studied as polyacrylate ester nanocomposites. These have been characterized using X‐ray diffraction and a variety of fire tests. There is a significant change in the oxygen index for nanocomposites which is absent for microcomposites, unlike the situation for the clay‐based systems. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the surface was covered with a graphite oxide‐like material at high temperatures for the nanocomposites, suggesting that this nano‐dimensional material operates as a barrier, exactly as proposed for polymer‐clay systems. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Proteomic analysis of high‐density lipoprotein
Authors: Rezaee Farhad , Casetta Bruno , Levels J. Han M. , Speijer Dave , Meijers Joost C. M. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractPlasma lipoproteins, such as high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), can serve as carriers for a wide range of proteins that are involved in processes such as lipid metabolism, thrombosis, inflammation and atherosclerosis. The identification of HDL‐associated proteins is essential with regards to understanding these processes at the molecular level. In this study, a combination of proteomic approaches including 1‐DE and 2‐DE MALDI‐TOF, isotope‐coded affinity tag and Western blot analysis were employed to identify proteins associated with human HDL. To minimize potential losses of HDL‐associated proteins during isolation, a one‐step ultracentrifugation technique was applied and the quality of purified HDL was confirmed by nephelometry, high‐performance gel chromatography, and Western blot analysis. MS analysis revealed the presence of 56 HDL‐associated proteins including all known apolipoproteins and lipid transport proteins. Furthermore, proteins involved in hemostasis and thrombosis, the immune and complement system were found. In addition, growth factors, receptors, hormone‐associated proteins and many other proteins were found to be associated with HDL. Our approach thus resulted in the identification of a large number of proteins associated with HDL. The combination of proteomic technologies proved to be a powerful and comprehensive tool for the identification of proteins on HDL.
Curing studies of epoxy resins with phosphorus‐containing amines
Authors: Mercado L. A. , Ribera G. , Galià M. , Cádiz V. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractThe curing system of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with two phosphorus‐containing amine compounds—bis(3‐aminophenyl)methyl phosphine oxide and bis(4‐aminophenyl)‐bis(9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐oxide‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐yl)methane—was studied with differential scanning calorimetry under isothermal and nonisothermal conditions and compared with the DGEBA/diamino diphenyl methane system. The isoconversional method was used to evaluate the dependence of the effective activation energy on the extent of conversion. Modulated differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis were used to study the phenomena of vitrification and gelation. The thermal and flame‐retardant properties were evaluated, and the limiting oxygen index values of the phosphorylated resins, above 30, confirmed that phosphorus‐containing epoxy resins are effective flame retardants. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1676–1685, 2006
Control of diameter, morphology, and structure of PVDF nanofiber fabricated by electrospray deposition
Authors: Nasir Muhamad , Matsumoto Hidetoshi , Danno Tetsuya , Minagawa Mie , Irisawa Toshihira , Shioya Masatoshi , Tanioka Akihiko 
Published: January 2006

AbstractPoly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofibers were prepared by electrospray deposition (ESD). To control the diameter, morphology, and structure of PVDF nanofibers, some parameters were investigated, such as polymer concentration, nozzle‐to‐ground collector distance, feeding rate of the polymer solution, and applied voltage. The fabricated fiber was 80–700 nm in diameter. The increase in the polymer concentration caused an increase in the polymer viscosity and fiber diameter. At low polymer concentration (5 wt %), polymer nanoparticles were formed. An increase in applied voltage will increase the fiber diameter. Variation in the nozzle‐to‐ground collector distance did not result in significant changes in the fiber diameter. Increase in the feeding rate of the polymer solution decreased the fiber diameter. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) measurements showed that the melting point and total crystallinity were decreased. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurement revealed that ESD process induced the formation of the oriented β‐phase PVDF structures. It was also demonstrated that the addition of hydrofluorocarbon solvent to polymer solution remarkably enhanced the formation of β‐phase crystalline structure of PVDF nanofiber. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 779–786, 2006
A query on crystallization temperature‐dependent cooling function under nonisothermal condition
Authors: Shangguan Yonggang , Song Yihu , Zheng Qiang 
Published: January 2006

AbstractThe cooling function (κ) in Ozawa model was investigated through theoretic analysis and experimental method. Different from the fact accepted by researchers over past decades that κ(T) depends only on the crystallization temperature (T) and consequently the parameters for nonisothermal crystallization kinetics could be obtained by plotting ln[− ln(1 − X(T))] versus ln λ at a given T, we found that κ at a given T was also dependent on onset temperature (T0) of crystallization process. Because T0 varies with cooling rate (λ) in nonisothermal crystallization, we conclude that κ is a binary function of T and λ, which was validated by our kinetic data from differential scanning calorimetry measurement in a wide λ range from 1 to 80 °C/min. It is suggested that the conventional method for calculating kinetic parameters based on Ozawa model, by plotting ln[− ln(1 − X(T))] versus ln λ, might not be exact for nonisothermal crystallization. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44:795–800, 2006
Influence of the exchange‐correlation functional in all‐electron calculations of the vibrational frequencies of corundum (α‐Al2O3)
Authors: Montanari B. , Civalleri B. , Zicovich‐Wilson C. M. , Dovesi R. 
Published: January 2006

AbstractThe equilibrium structural parameters, high‐ and low‐frequency dielectric tensors, Born effective charges, and Γ‐point vibrational frequencies of bulk Al2O3 corundum are calculated by using the periodic, ab initio program CRYSTAL, which adopts an all‐electron Gaussian‐type basis set. The effect of basis set and the performance of three different functionals, i.e., LDA, PW91, and B3LYP, are discussed. The mean absolute deviation from the measured frequencies is as small as 7 cm−1 for both the LDA and B3LYP functionals, indicating that these functionals perform extremely well in this case. The mean absolute deviation increases to 18 cm−1 when the PW91 functional is used. All three functionals reproduce the equilibrium geometry of corundum to a high level of accuracy, with LDA and B3LYP outperforming PW91 slightly. The comparison of the current all‐electron calculations with previous plane‐wave, pseudo‐potential calculations shows an overall similar performance. The results of isotopic substitution for both Al and O are also presented. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006