bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thrombocytopenia as a surrogate for cirrhosis and a marker for the identification of patients at high‐risk for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Lu Sheng‐Nan , Wang Jing‐Houng , Liu Shiann‐Long , Hung Chao‐Hung , Chen Chien‐Hung , Tung Hung‐Da , Chen Tsung‐Ming , Huang Wu‐Shiung , Lee Chuan‐Mo , Chen Chia‐Cheng , Changchien Chi‐Sin 
Published: October 2006

AbstractBACKGROUND.The objective of this study was to examine the usefulness of platelet counts in the diagnosis of cirrhosis and for identifying high‐risk individuals in a community‐based hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening program.METHODS.Pilot Study 1 determined the correlation between platelet counts and pathologic hepatic fibrosis scores among individuals with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (n = 122 patients) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (n = 244 patients). Pilot Study 2 investigated proportions of individuals with thrombocytopenia (<150 × 103/mm3) among patients with HCC (n = 4042 patients). Pilot Study 3 demonstrated the correlation between platelet counts and ultrasonographic (US) parenchyma scores among anti‐HCV‐positive individuals (n = 75 patients). The core study was a 2‐stage, community‐based screening for HCC among residents age 40 years or older in townships with a high prevalence of anti‐HCV (n = 4616 individuals) and in townships with a low prevalence of anti‐HCV (n = 1694 individuals). Patients with thrombocytopenia were identified for US and α‐fetoprotein screening.RESULTS.Among the individuals who were positive for anti‐HCV, platelet counts decreased according to increased pathologic fibrosis scores or US scores for liver parenchyma disease: The best cutoff platelet count was 150 × 103/mm3 for a diagnosis of cirrhosis. The sensitivity and specificity were 68.2% and 76.4%, respectively, for pathologic cirrhosis and 76.2% and 87.8%, respectively, for US cirrhosis. Forty‐eight percent of patients with HCC were thrombocytopenic. The proportion of thrombocytopenia was significantly greater in patients with HCV‐related HCC (63%) than in patients with HBV‐related HCC (42%). In the townships with high and low anti‐HCV prevalence, the prevalence of thrombocytopenia was 17.9% and 6.1%, respectively, (P < .001), respectively. Twenty‐five patients were diagnosed with HCC, and all of those patients resided in the high‐prevalence township.CONCLUSIONS.Thrombocytopenia was a valid surrogate of cirrhosis and a valid marker for the identification of individuals at high‐risk for HCC, especially in areas that had a high prevalence of HCV. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Elevation of soluble form of receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) in diabetic subjects with coronary artery disease
Authors: Nakamura Kazuo , Yamagishi Sho‐ichi , Adachi Hisashi , Kurita‐Nakamura Yayoi , Matsui Takanori , Yoshida Takafumi , Sato Akira , Imaizumi Tsutomu 
Published: October 2006

AbstractBackgroundAdvanced glycation end products (AGEs)‐receptor (RAGE) axis is implicated in diabetic vascular complication. Since a soluble form of RAGE (sRAGE) could be generated from the cleavage of cell surface RAGE in endothelial cells (ECs), serum sRAGE levels may be elevated in diabetes consequent to EC damage. In this study, we examined whether sRAGE levels were elevated in type 2 diabetic patients compared with non‐diabetic healthy subjects.MethodsSerum sRAGE levels were examined in 75 Japanese type 2 diabetic patients (29 men and 46 women; mean age 66 ± 11 years) and 75 age‐ and sex‐matched non‐diabetic healthy control subjects. We explored the association between sRAGE levels and coronary artery disease (CAD) in diabetic patients.ResultsSerum sRAGE levels were significantly higher in diabetic patients than in non‐diabetic subjects (965.3 ± 544.2 vs 415 ± 150.4 pg/mL, p < 0.001). In the univariate analysis, diastolic blood pressure (inversely), LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c, and creatinine were significantly associated with sRAGE. After performing multivariate analyses, the presence of diabetes (p < 0.0001) was a sole independent determinant of sRAGE. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in sRAGE levels between diabetic patients with CAD and those without CAD (1680.6 ± 891.1 vs 855.2 ± 372.1 pg/mL, p < 0.001). Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that sRAGE and creatinine levels were independent determinants of CAD.ConclusionsThe present study demonstrated that serum sRAGE levels were significantly higher in type 2 diabetic patients than in non‐diabetic subjects and positively associated with the presence of CAD. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Embryo dune development on a large, actively accreting macrotidal beach: Calais, North Sea coast of France
Authors: Anthony Edward J. , Vanhée Stéphane , Ruz Marie‐Hélène 
Published: October 2006

AbstractSediment budget data from an 18‐month topographic survey were analysed with data from brief experiments on wind parameters, beach moisture contents, bedforms and sand mobilization in order to monitor conditions and patterns of embryo dune development over a flat 150–1000 m wide accreting upper beach. The surface conditions over the upper beach locally affect aeolian transport, but net dune development over time depends on sustained strong winds and their orientation. Incoming marine sand supplied by storms and onshore winds is reorganized by the dominant offshore to longshore winds into elongated embryo dunes over this upper beach, imprinting a regional morphology of long‐term longshore dune ridge development. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Contribution of NR2A and NR2B NMDA subunits to bidirectional synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus in vivo
Authors: Fox Christopher J. , Russell Kyle I. , Wang Yu Tian , Christie Brian R. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractIt has recently been proposed that activation of the NR2A subunit results in Long‐term potentiation (LTP) induction, whereas activation of the NR2B subunit results in long‐term depression (LTD) induction. The present study undertakes to replicate these findings in vivo to determine if a role for specific subunits in synaptic plasticity can be shown in the intact brain. Field recordings were made from the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus using Schaffer collateral stimulation in anesthetized male Sprague‐Dawley rats. Antagonists of the N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors NR2A and NR2B subunits were administered by either intraperitoneal (i.p.) or intrahippocampal (i.h.) injections to assess their involvement in LTP (100 Hz stimuli) and LTD (200 Paired‐burst stimuli). i.h. injection of Ro25–6981 (100 μM) significantly attenuated hippocampal LTP expression and completely blocked LTD expression. When administered i.p., Ro25–6981 (6 mg/kg) again blocked LTD, but did not significantly diminish the expression of LTP. When NVP‐AAM077 was administered i.h. (80 μM) both LTP and LTD were completely abolished. The administration of this compound i.p. (1.2 mg/kg) also significantly attenuated LTP, but did not affect LTD. These data suggest that both NR2A and NR2B subunits can play roles in LTP and LTD in the hippocampus in vivo. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Epigenetic modulation of endogenous tumor suppressor expression in lung cancer xenografts suppresses tumorigenicity
Authors: Cantor Joshua P. , Iliopoulos Dimitrios , Rao Atul S. , Druck Teresa , Semba Shuho , Han Shuang‐Yin , McCorkell Kelly A. , Lakshman Thiru V. , Collins Joshua E. , Wachsberger Phyllis , Friedberg Joseph S. , Huebner Kay 
Published: October 2006

AbstractEpigenetic changes involved in cancer development, unlike genetic changes, are reversible. DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase inhibitors show antiproliferative effects in vitro, through tumor suppressor reactivation and induction of apoptosis. Such inhibitors have shown activity in the treatment of hematologic disorders but there is little data concerning their effectiveness in treatment of solid tumors. FHIT, WWOX and other tumor suppressor genes are frequently epigenetically inactivated in lung cancers. Lung cancer cell clones carrying conditional FHIT or WWOX transgenes showed significant suppression of xenograft tumor growth after induction of expression of the FHIT or WWOX transgene, suggesting that treatments to restore endogenous Fhit and Wwox expression in lung cancers would result in decreased tumorigenicity. H1299 lung cancer cells, lacking Fhit, Wwox, p16INK4a and Rassf1a expression due to epigenetic modifications, were used to assess efficacy of epigenetically targeted protocols in suppressing growth of lung tumors, by injection of 5‐aza‐2‐deoxycytidine (AZA) and trichostatin A (TSA) in nude mice with established H1299 tumors. High doses of intraperitoneal AZA/TSA suppressed growth of small tumors but did not affect large tumors (200 mm3); lower AZA doses, administered intraperitoneally or intratumorally, suppressed growth of small tumors without apparent toxicity. Responding tumors showed restoration of Fhit, Wwox, p16INKa, Rassf1a expression, low mitotic activity, high apoptotic fraction and activation of caspase 3. These preclinical studies show the therapeutic potential of restoration of tumor suppressor expression through epigenetic modulation and the promise of re‐expressed tumor suppressors as markers and effectors of the responses. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spatial clustering of endemic Burkitt's lymphoma in high‐risk regions of Kenya
Authors: Rainey Jeanette J. , Omenah Dorine , Sumba Peter O. , Moormann Ann M. , Rochford Rosemary , Wilson Mark L. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractEndemic Burkitt's lymphoma (eBL), the most common childhood cancer in sub‐Saharan Africa, occurs at a high incidence in western Kenya, a region that also experiences holoendemic malaria. Holoendemic malaria has been identified as a co‐factor in the etiology of this cancer. We hypothesized that eBL may cluster spatially within this region. Medical records for all eBL cases diagnosed from 1999 through 2004 at Nyanza Provincial General Hospital were reviewed for case residential information to examine this hypothesis. Two cluster detection methods, Anselin's Local Moran test for spatial autocorrelation and a spatial scan test statistic, were applied to this residential data to determine whether statistically significant high‐ and low‐risk areas were present in the Province. During the 6‐year study period, 272 children were diagnosed with eBL, with an average annual incidence of 2.15 cases per 100,000 children. Using Empirical Bayes smoothed rates, the Local Moran test identified 1 large multi‐centered area of low eBL risk (p‐values < 0.01) and 2 significant multi‐centered clusters of high eBL risk (p‐values < 0.001). The spatial scan detected 3 small independent low‐risk areas (p‐values < 0.02) and 2 high‐risk clusters (p‐values = 0.001), both similar in location to those identified from the Local Moran analysis. Significant spatial clustering of elevated eBL risk in high‐malaria transmission regions and of reduced incidence where malaria is infrequent suggests that malaria plays a role in the complex eBL etiology, but that additional factors are also likely involved. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Recreational physical activity and risk of prostate cancer: A prospective population‐based study in Norway (the HUNT study)
Authors: Nilsen Tom I.L. , Romundstad Pål R. , Vatten Lars J. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractPhysical activity has been studied in relation to prostate cancer risk, but the findings have been inconclusive. We prospectively examined the association between self‐reported recreational physical activity and overall risk of prostate cancer, risk of advanced disease and risk of prostate cancer death in a cohort of 29,110 Norwegian men. Incident prostate cancers were obtained from the Norwegian Cancer Registry, and prostate cancer deaths were obtained from the national Cause of Death Registry. During 17 years of follow‐up, 957 incident cases were identified, 266 of them were advanced (i.e. metastases at diagnosis) and 354 of the incident cases died from prostate cancer. In multivariable analysis, frequency and duration of exercise were inversely associated with the risk of advanced prostate cancer (p for trend = 0.04 and 0.02). We computed a summary score that combined frequency, duration and intensity of exercise, and this score showed inverse associations with advanced prostate cancer risk and mortality (p for trend = 0.02 and 0.07). Compared to men who reported no activity, the relative risks (95% confidence intervals) among men in the highest category of physical exercise was 0.64 (0.43–0.95) for advanced prostate cancer and 0.67 (0.48–0.94) for prostate cancer death. We found no association between physical activity and overall risk of prostate cancer. We conclude that recreational physical exercise is associated with reduced risk of advanced prostate cancer and prostate cancer death. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Selective Chk1 inhibitors differentially sensitize p53‐deficient cancer cells to cancer therapeutics
Authors: Chen Zehan , Xiao Zhan , Gu Wen‐zhen , Xue John , Bui Mai H. , Kovar Peter , Li Gaoquan , Wang Gary , Tao Zhi‐Fu , Tong Yunsong , Lin Nan‐Horng , Sham Hing L. , Wang Jean Y. J. , Sowin Thomas J. , Rosenberg Saul H. , Zhang Haiying 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe majority of cancer therapeutics induces DNA damage to kill cells. Normal proliferating cells undergo cell cycle arrest in response to DNA damage, thus allowing DNA repair to protect the genome. DNA damage induced cell cycle arrest depends on an evolutionarily conserved signal transduction network in which the Chk1 kinase plays a critical role. In mammalian cells, the p53 and RB pathways further augment the cell cycle arrest response to prevent catastrophic cell death. Given the fact that most tumor cells suffer defects in the p53 and RB pathways, it is likely that tumor cells would depend more on the Chk1 kinase to maintain cell cycle arrest than would normal cells. Therefore Chk1 inhibition could be used to specifically sensitize tumor cells to DNA‐damaging agents. We have previously shown that siRNA‐mediated Chk1 knockdown abrogates DNA damage‐induced checkpoints and potentiates the cytotoxicity of several DNA‐damaging agents in p53‐deficient cell lines. In this study, we have developed 2 potent and selective Chk1 inhibitors, A‐690002 and A‐641397, and shown that these compounds abrogate cell cycle checkpoints and potentiate the cytotoxicity of topoisomerase inhibitors and γ‐radiation in p53‐deficient but not in p53‐proficient cells of different tissue origins. These results indicate that it is feasible to achieve a therapeutic window with 1 or more Chk1 inhibitors in potentiation of cancer therapy based on the status of the p53 pathway in a wide spectrum of tumor types. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Calculus attainment and grades received in intermediate economic theory
Authors: Li Mingliang , Tobias Justin L. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractWe revisit the work of Butler et al. (1998) who examine the effect of mathematical preparation on grades received in intermediate economic theory courses. Using a Bayesian approach under reasonably ‘diffuse’ priors, we are able to replicate their two‐step point estimates almost exactly. We also introduce a new model specification that accounts for the censoring and discrete nature of the outcome variable (grade received). The results from this specification echo the conclusions of the original paper—the level of calculus attained plays an important role in explaining grades received in intermediate micro theory. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Amine‐containing core‐shell nanoparticles as potential drug carriers for intracellular delivery
Authors: Feng Min , Li Pei 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe present study aimed at exploring the use of amine‐containing core‐shell nanoparticles as potential drug carriers for intracellular delivery. Stable nanoparticles (100–200 nm in diameter) that consisted of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) cores with hydrophilic poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) shells were synthesized and used to study their complexation with model drug, ibuprofen (IB), and release it under various electrolyte concentrations. The complexed IB/PEI–PMMA nanoparticles were characterized with FTIR, photon correlation spectroscopy, ζ‐potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results suggested that the PEI–PMMA nanoparticles could effectively complex with the IB via electrostatic interaction. The thick PEI shells (∼30 nm) significantly enhanced the drug loading capacity up to 23% (w/w) of the complexed nanopartricle.In vitrorelease of the drug from the complexed nanoparticles was sensitive to the ionic strength of the media. Study of cellular entry of fluorescently labeled IB/nanoparticle complexes using a confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated that the entry of the complexed nanoparticles strongly depended on the complexing ratio between IB and PEI–PMMA nanoparticles. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 2007
Dissolution kinetics of a Si‐rich nanocomposite and its effect on osteoblast gene expression
Authors: Gupta Gautam , Kirakodu Sreenatha , El‐Ghannam Ahmed 
Published: October 2006

AbstractSilica–calcium phosphate nanocomposite (SCPC) has recently been proposed as a novel resorbable, bioactive, and mechanically compatible template for bone reconstruction. The effect of the physicochemical properties on the surface reactivity and dissolution kinetics of SCPC immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) was investigated and compared to that of bioactive glass (BG). Moreover, the stimulatory effect on osteoblast gene expression of SCPC was determined using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), and compared to that of hydroxyapatite (HA‐200). Mercury porosimetry revealed that surface areas of SCPC particles containing 10 (SCPC10), 30 (SCPC30), and 50 (SCPC50) wt % Si‐content were 14‐, 18‐, and 32‐times higher than that of BG. Inductively coupled plasma analysis showed that after 192 h of immersion, Si‐rich SCPC50 exhibited controlled bulk‐dissolution and released 43.1 ppm Si, which was sixfold higher than that released from BG (7.7 ppm). Moreover, SCPC50 showed a rapid Ca‐uptake from SBF and developed a surface apatite layer after only 2 h, whereas a similar layer was detected on BG after 8 days of immersion under the same experimental conditions. qRT‐PCR revealed that osteopontin and osteocalcin mRNA expression by osteoblast‐like cells attached to Si‐rich SCPC50 was significantly higher than that on HA‐200 or polystyrene after 2 days in culture. This suggested a role of dissolved Si in stimulating the differentiation and mineralization of osteoblast precursor cells. The favorable physiochemical and bioactivity properties of Si‐rich SCPC nanocomposite indicate that SCPC can have wide applications as a synthetic bone graft for cell delivery applications in tissue engineering. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2007
Water exchange dynamics of manganese(II), cobalt(II), and nickel(II) ions in aqueous solution
Authors: Loffler Hannes H. , Mohammed Ahmed M. , Inada Yasuhiro , Funahashi Shigenobu 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe first row transition metal ions Mn2+, Co2+, and Ni2+ have been studied by classical umbrella sampling molecular dynamics simulations. The water exchange mechanisms, estimates of reaction rates, as well as structural changes during the activation process are discussed. Mn2+ was found to react via an IA mechanism, whereas Co2+ and Ni2+ both proceed via ID. Reaction rate constants are generally higher than those obtained by experiment but the simply constructed metal(II) ion–water potential reproduces the relative order quite well. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2006
The use of a generalized born model for the analysis of protein conformational transitions: A comparative study with explicit solvent simulations for chemotaxis Y protein (CheY)
Authors: Formaneck Mark S. , Cui Qiang 
Published: October 2006

AbstractTo investigate whether implicit solvent models are appropriate for mechanistic studies of conformational transition in proteins, a recently developed generalized Born model (GBSW) was applied to a small signaling protein, chemotaxis protein Y (CheY), with different combinations of the phosphorylation state and conformation of the system; the results were compared to explicit solvent simulations using a stochastic boundary condition. The subtle but distinct conformational transitions involved in CheY activation makes the system ideally suited for comparing implicit and explicit solvent models because these conformational transitions are potentially accessible in both types of simulations. The structural and dynamical properties analyzed include not only those localized to the active site region but also throughout the protein, such as sidechain methyl group order parameters, backbone hydrogen bonding lifetime and occupancy as well as principal components of the trajectories. Overall, many properties were well reproduced by the GBSW simulations when compared with the explicit solvent calculations, although a number of observations consistently point to the suggestion that the current parameterization of the GBSW model tends to overestimate hydrogen‐bonding interactions involving both charged groups and (charge‐neutral) backbone atoms. This deficiency led to overstabilization of certain secondary structural motifs and more importantly, qualitatively different behaviors for the active site groups (Thr 87, Ala 88, the β4–α4 loop) in response to phosphorylation, when compared with explicit solvent simulations. The current study highlights the value of carrying out both explicit and implicit solvent simulations for complementary mechanistic insights in the analysis of conformational transition in biomolecules. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2006
Antennal structure of male and female Aphidius rhopalosiphi DeStefani‐Peres (Hymenoptera:Braconidae): Description and morphological alterations after cold storage or heat exposure
Authors: Bourdais Delphine , Vernon Philippe , Krespi Liliane , Le Lannic Jo , Van Baaren Joan 
Published: October 2006

AbstractSeveral species of the genus Aphidius are used in biological control programs against aphid pests throughout the world and their behavior and physiology are well studied. But despite knowing the importance of sensory organs in their behavior, their antennal structure has never been described. We describe here the types and distribution of antennal sensilla in Aphidius rhopalosiphi, a larval parasitoid of several aphid species and observe how this antennal structure is modified after cold storage or heat exposure. Six types of sensilla were found on both male and female antennae. Male and female antennae differed in the total number of antennomeres (16 in males, 14 in females) and in the number and distribution of three of the six types of sensilla. After cold storage or heat exposure, we observed the appearance of a small number of abnormal sensilla. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.