bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Successful use of a humanized anti–interleukin‐6 receptor antibody, tocilizumab, to treat amyloid A amyloidosis complicating juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Authors: Okuda Yasuaki , Takasugi Kiyoshi 
Published: August 2006

AbstractWe report an excellent clinical response to treatment with a humanized anti–interleukin‐6 receptor antibody, tocilizumab, in a patient with progressive amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis complicating very active juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Treatment with tocilizumab immediately normalized the serum AA (SAA) level, and subsequently all of the clinical symptoms of AA amyloidosis disappeared. Serial gastrointestinal biopsy specimens showed marked lasting regression of AA protein deposits. The patient's functional ability score improved dramatically, she maintains her mobility, and she has regained her previous quality of life. Tocilizumab appears to have an excellent ability to suppress SAA levels and could therefore be an important therapeutic strategy in AA amyloidosis secondary to rheumatic diseases.
“Gedankenaustausch über Probleme und Methoden der Forschung”. Transatlantische Gastprofessoren aus Emigrantenkreisen in Westdeutschland nach 1945
Authors: Krauss Marita 
Published: August 2006

AbstractThe history of the sciences and humanities follows cycles in some of which there is greater emphasis on the continuity of developments, in others on the breaks in continuity. In recent years the main focus of research for the 20th century has been on the continuities extending beyond the boundaries of 1933 and 1945. The main aim of this study, however, is to examine the impulses for the internationalization of German universities provided by a transnational group of academic migrants. These migrants, whose origins were in the German academic community, represented an alternative continuity beyond the boundaries of this period: they were visiting academics who were the conveyors and interpreters of ideas from Germany into the USA and Britain and vice versa. The study of this group therefore combines remigration history and the history of universities as institutions, focussing on actors, networks and innovations in teaching, with the history of individual subjects and disciplines.
Wissenstransfer durch Zentrenbildung. Physikalische Methoden in der Chemie und den Biowissenschaften
Authors: Reinhardt Carsten 
Published: August 2006

AbstractFrom the 1950s to 1970s, physical techniques replaced many classical methods in the chemical and biological sciences. In this development, a novel type of method‐oriented scientists emerged, relying on cooperation with instrument manufacturers and forging close links with science‐funding agencies. Their main engagement was the development of methods and the improvement of instruments, responding to the needs of the chemical and biomedical communities. In the United States, an important institutional locus of such method‐oriented scientists were instrument centers, providing service to regional and national groups of scientific users. This article analyzes the knowledge transfer involved in investigating the Biotechnology Resources Program of the National Institutes of Health, and presenting the example of one of these centers, the Stanford Magnetic Resonance Laboratory.
Globaler Pflanzentransfer und seine Transferinstanzen als Kultur‐, Wissens‐ und Wissenschaftstransfer der frühen Neuzeit
Authors: Klemun Marianne 
Published: August 2006

AbstractIn three steps, the polyvalent phenomenon of global plant transfer will be analysed. Starting from the model of cultural transfer, the latter one will be discussed in combination with network research. Finally, the connection of various instances of transfer such as botanical gardens, ships and islands will be established. The fact that botanists take part in the process of transfer increasingly and from the middle of the 18th century onwards control the plant transfers in all phases emphasises the entwinement of science and colonialism.
Optimal Spending Functions for Asymmetric Group Sequential Designs
Authors: Anderson Keaven M. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractWe present optimized group sequential designs where testing of a single parameter θ is of interest. We require specification of a loss function and of a prior distribution for θ. For the examples presented, we pre‐specify Type I and II error rates and minimize the expected sample size over the prior distribution for θ. Minimizing the square of sample size rather than the sample size is found to produce designs with slightly less aggressive interim stopping rules and smaller maximum sample sizes with essentially identical expected sample size. We compare optimal designs using Hwang‐Shih‐DeCani and Kim‐DeMets spending functions to fully optimized designs not restricted by a spending function family. In the examples selected, we also examine when there might be substantial benefit gained by adding an interim analysis. Finally, we provide specific optimal asymmetric spending function designs that should be generally useful and simply applied when a design with minimal expected sample size is desired. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Robustness to Failure of Assumptions of Tests for a Common Slope Amongst Several Allometric Lines – A Simulation Study
Authors: Warton David I. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractIn allometry, researchers are commonly interested in estimating the slope of the major axis or standardized major axis (methods of bivariate line fitting related to principal components analysis). This study considers the robustness of two tests for a common slope amongst several axes. It is of particular interest to measure the robustness of these tests to slight violations of assumptions that may not be readily detected in sample datasets. Type I error is estimated in simulations of data generated with varying levels of nonnormality, heteroscedasticity and nonlinearity. The assumption failures introduced in simulations were difficult to detect in a moderately sized dataset, with an expert panel only able to correct detect assumption violations 34–45% of the time.While the common slope tests were robust to nonnormal and heteroscedastic errors from the line, Type I error was inflated if the two variables were related in a slightly nonlinear fashion. Similar results were also observed for the linear regression case. The common slope tests were more liberal when the simulated data had greater nonlinearity, and this effect was more evident when the underlying distribution had longer tails than the normal. This result raises concerns for common slopes testing, as slight nonlinearities such as those in simulations are often undetectable in moderately sized datasets. Consequently, practitioners should take care in checking for nonlinearity and interpreting the results of a test for common slope. This work has implications for the robustness of inference in linear models in general. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Interaction of synthetic peptides corresponding to the scaffolding domain of Caveolin‐3 with model membranes
Authors: Sowmya Bekshe L. , Jagannadham M. V. , Nagaraj Ramakrishnan 
Published: August 2006

AbstractCaveolin‐1 and ‐3 are among the few proteins in which the functional domains are contiguous and modular. The interaction of synthetic peptides spanning the scaffolding domain of caveolin‐3 with model membranes has been investigated. The peptides include the scaffolding domain, the aromatic and positively charged residues at the C‐terminal end of this domain as well as deletion of three amino acids TFT, observed in certain patients with limb girdle muscular dystrophy. All of the peptides appear to be peripherally bound to the bilayer surface. However, no preferential binding to sphingomyelin and cholesterol‐containing lipid vesicles was observed. Deletion of TFT appears to affect the association with lipid vesicles compared with the native sequence. Association with lipids decreases considerably when TFT as well as the aromatic‐rich segment YWFYR, which occurs at the extreme C‐terminus of the scaffolding domain, are deleted. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 84: 615–624, 2006This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Mutational analysis of protein solubility enhancement using short peptide tags
Authors: Kato Atsushi , Maki Kosuke , Ebina Teppei , Kuwajima Kunihiro , Soda Kunitsugu , Kuroda Yutaka 
Published: August 2006

AbstractProtein aggregation is a common phenomenon. The preparation of highly concentrated protein samples, typically required for biophysical measurements, often involves a time consuming and tedious testing of solvent conditions for improving protein solubility. Here, in a systematic analysis, we have determined the increase in solubility upon the addition of SEP‐tags (solubility enhancement peptide tags) containing, one, three, and five lysines or arginines (or six arginines) to either the N or C terminus of our low solubility model protein, bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor variant, BPTI‐22 (a BPTI variant containing 22 alanines). As anticipated, the BPTI‐22 solubility increased in direct relation to the number of charged residues contained in the SEP‐tag, and without altering either the activity or the structure of the protein. The largest solubility increases were of 4.2‐, 4.8‐, and 6.2‐folds produced by the addition, at the C terminus, of five lysine (BPTI‐22‐C5K), five and six arginine residues (BPTI‐22‐C5R and BPTI‐22‐C6R), respectively. The increased solubility of the tagged BPTI‐22 yielded higher quality NMR spectra (hetero single quantum correlation HSQC spectra; with respect of the signal‐to‐noise and line shapes) in a much shorter time than for the untagged BPTI‐22. Furthermore, tagged samples remained soluble for over ten days, as observed by their HSQC spectra. We believe that lysine‐ and arginine‐based SEP‐tags may provide an effective and versatile method for enhancing protein solubility. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 85: 12–18, 2007.This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Selective modification of surface‐exposed thiol groups in Trigonopsis variabilisD‐amino acid oxidase using poly(ethylene glycol) maleimide and its effect on activity and stability of the enzyme
Authors: Slavica Anita , Dib Iskandar , Nidetzky Bernd 
Published: August 2006

AbstractCovalent modification of purified Trigonopsis variabilis D‐amino acid oxidase using maleimide‐activated poly(ethylene glycol) 5000 yielded a stable bioconjugate in which three surface‐exposed cysteine side chains were selectively derivatized. Compared with the native enzyme, the PEGylated variant displayed substantially (≈3.3‐fold) slowed dissociation rate of FAD cofactor at 50°C, and this caused a twofold thermostabilization of the enzyme activity. The stability under reaction conditions at 30°C was also markedly enhanced in the PEG‐oxidase conjugate. PEGylation did not affect steady‐state kinetic parameters for oxidative deamination of D‐methionine when 2,6‐dichloroindophenol replaced dioxygen as the cosubstrate while it caused a ninefold decrease in substrate catalytic efficiency for the dioxygen‐dependent reaction. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007;96: 9–17. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of Suspended Liposomes on Hydrodynamic and Oxygen Transfer Properties in a Mini‐Scale External Loop Airlift Bubble Column
Authors: Yoshimoto M. , Momodomi C. , Fukuhara H. , Fukunaga K. , Nakao K. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractThe circulating liquid velocity, gas holdup, bubble size distribution, and liquid phase oxygen transfer coefficient were measured in a mini‐scale external loop airlift bubble column (MELBC) with the liquid volume suspending enzyme‐free liposomes of varying diameters. These values were compared to those for liposome‐free MELBC, normal bubble column (NBC), and a larger scale airlift column. The liposomes suspended in the MELBC are incorporated into the liquid film around the bubbles, leading to the development of a foam layer, where the incorporated liposomes exert negligible effect on the oxygen transfer in the film.
Absorption and Stripping of CO2 with a Molten Salt Slurry in a Bubble Column at High Temperature
Authors: Terasaka K. , Suyama Y. , Nakagawa K. , Kato M. , Essaki K. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractA novel slurry bubble column in which a lithium silicate as a CO2 absorbent is suspended in a molten salt at high temperature was proposed. To confirm the feasibility of the proposed system, the effects of the CO2 feed rate into the slurry bubble column, the quantity of absorbent, and the suspension concentration on the performance of the CO2 recovery were investigated. The proposed system could rapidly absorb and strip CO2 by thermal swinging. Moreover, no reduction of the CO2 recovery performance by the repeated use of the absorbent was observed.
Axial Distribution of Oxygen Concentration in Different Airlift Bioreactor Scales: Mathematical Modeling and Simulation
Authors: Znad H. , Tokumura M. , Kawase Y. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractSteady and unsteady state oxygen concentration distributions in the liquid and gas phases along the axial direction of different airlift bioreactor scales have been simulated for various gas flow rates and oxygen consumption rates by applying the axial dispersion model to the riser and the downcomer, and a complete mixing model for the top (separator) and the bottom sections of the bioreactor. The results show that the dissolved oxygen concentration is very low at the lower part of the downcomer when the rate of oxygen consumption by microorganisms is very high. Furthermore, the shorter (small) bioreactor shows relatively more uniform axial dissolved oxygen concentrations than the longer (large) bioreactor, due to the effect of the hydrostatic pressure along the bioreactor. One of the most important geometric factors for mass transfer is the reactor height, which dominates the mean pressure and thus influences the saturation concentration and mass transfer driving force. The presented model can be applied for modeling and scale‐up of practical airlift bioreactors.
Chemisorptive Removal of Carbon Dioxide from Process Streams Using a Reactive Bubble Column with Simultaneous Production of Usable Materials
Authors: Petrov P. , Ewert G. , Röhm H.‐J. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractIn the context of attempts to improve the protection of the environment, a novel process where the carbon dioxide reacts rapidly with almost 100 % conversion under mild conditions, is proposed. The chemisorptive process takes place in a slurry bubble column which operates with countercurrent flow, utilizing special solutions of primary long chain amines in a nonaqueous media. The product obtained is insoluble and separated by filtration. Because of its molecular structure, this product possesses tenside properties and can be used as an industrial additive. Typically the liquid phase consists of a mixture of hexadecylamine (C16H33NH2) or dodecylamine (C12H25NH2) in various concentrations with methanol or other alcohols as the solvent. Numerous parameters have been studied including different column heights, gas inlet compositions, gas flow rates and solvent type. Efficiencies of up to 99 % are achievable for CO2 absorption with methanol as the solvent. The second solvent examined, isopropanol, shows lower CO2 conversion rates. This can be attributed to its physical properties, mainly higher viscosity and hence, smaller mass transfer coefficient. In order to simulate real gas conditions, the influence of other sour gases, e.g., SO2 was also investigated experimentally. Because of coabsorption of the two gases, the CO2 efficiency was lower in this instance. In both solvents, the absorption efficiency with respect to SO2 is more than 99 % due to its high solubility and reactivity. A complex mathematical model has been developed and applied to describe the mass and enthalpy transport in the reactive bubble column.
Turbulent Enhancement of Mass Transfer in Bubble Plumes
Authors: Schaub F. , Pluschkell W. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractAn experimental method was developed for measuring the mass transfer in water/air/carbon dioxide systems with pH‐probes. Measurements of the mass transfer were made with respect to the parameters of desorption in bubble plumes. The investigations show a linear increase of the mass transfer with the gas flow rate. Furthermore, the mass transfer rate depends on the nozzle diameter, but not on that of the vessel. The mass transfer rates of the momentum dominated near field, of the buoyancy dominated far field, and of the free surface were separated experimentally. The probability density functions of the bubble size were determined with a photographic method as a function of the gas inlet conditions. Comparing the experimental results for the buoyancy dominated far field of the bubble plume with a basic microkinetic approach demonstrates that the turbulent flow does not increase the mass transfer by more than 10–20 %. Thus, a turbulence factor of 2–3 in order to establish consistency between the theoretical considerations and the experimental results, as described elsewhere in the literature, is not required.
Development and validation of nomograms for predicting residual tumor size and the probability of successful conservative surgery with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer
Authors: Rouzier Roman , Pusztai Lajos , Garbay Jean‐Remi , Delaloge Suzette , Hunt Kelly K. , Hortobagyi Gabriel N. , Berry Donald , Kuerer Henry M. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractBACKGROUNDNeoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) increases the likelihood that breast conservation therapy for breast cancer patients will be successful. There is no available nomogram to predict breast conservation after NACT. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate nomograms for predicting residual tumor size and probability of a patient becoming eligible for breast conservation surgery after NACT.METHODSA total of 1147 patients treated at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX) and the Institut Gustave Roussy (Villejuif, France) who received anthracycline with or without paclitaxel NACT were included in the analysis. Clinicopathologic data from 1 series were used to construct logistic regression models for breast conservation and residual tumor size < 3 cm after NACT and were validated on an independent series.RESULTSThe discrimination and the calibration of the nomogram for predicting the probability of residual tumor size < 3 cm after anthracycline‐based NACT were good when applied to the validation set (concordance index = 0.79; U‐index = 10−3). The discrimination of the nomogram for predicting eligibility for breast conservation therapy was also good (concordance index = 0.67). However, the calibration had to be adjusted to take into account global rates of breast conservation surgery. A second nomogram adapted to preoperative chemotherapy regimens containing paclitaxel was established. The concordance index of the nomogram for predicting breast conservation was 0.71 (P< 10−6) for the independent dataset and the calibration was also good. The confrontation of both nomograms showed that predictions were highly correlated (r = 0.97), suggesting that eligibility for breast conservation therapy was independent of the preoperative chemotherapy regimen used.CONCLUSIONSNomograms were developed for breast cancer patients who received NACT to predict residual tumor size and whether the patient would thus become eligible for breast conservation therapy. These tools may be useful when counseling patients about treatment options, and a web‐based interface is now available to help guide patients and physicians in these decisions. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Viable malignant germ cell tumor in the postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection specimen
Authors: Spiess Philippe E. , Brown Gordon A. , Pisters Louis L. , Liu Ping , Tu Shi‐Ming , Evans James G. , Kamat Ashish M. , Black Peter , Tannir Nizar M. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe presence of viable tumor in the surgical specimen after postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (PC‐RPLND) is associated with an increased risk of disease progression. The objective of this study was to determine whether the presence of viable tumor in the surgical specimen could be predicted.METHODSBetween 1980 and 2003, 236 patients underwent PC‐RPLND for clinical Stage IIA or III nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT). The authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records of those patients for pertinent clinical and treatment‐related outcomes. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate whether clinical parameters were capable of predicting the presence of viable tumor in the surgical specimen.RESULTSInternational Germ Cell Consensus Classification (IGCCC) risk categories could be assigned to 218 patients, with 101 patients in the good‐risk category, 32 patients in the intermediate‐risk category, and 85 patients in the poor‐risk category. The incidence of viable tumor in the good‐risk, intermediate‐risk, and poor‐risk categories was similar (17.8%, 15.6%, and 15.3%, respectively); however, the risk categories predicted disease‐specific and recurrence‐free survival (P= .022 andP< .0001, respectively). On multivariate analysis, an elevated serum α‐fetoprotein (AFP) level prior to PC‐RPLND (P= .05) and the size of the retroperitoneal mass on pathology review (P= .02) were predictive of viable tumor in the surgical specimen.CONCLUSIONSAlthough IGCCC risk categories were correlated with disease‐related outcomes, the risk groups had similar incidences of viable tumor. Elevated serum AFP levels prior to surgery and the size of the retroperitoneal mass in the resected specimen may help to predict viable tumor in the PC‐RPLND specimen. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.