bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-18 Is a Strong Predictor of Cardiovascular Events in Elderly Men With the Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Trøseid Marius , Seljeflot Ingebjørg , Hjerkinn Elsa M. , Arnesen Harald 
Published: December 2008

OBJECTIVE—The aim of this study was to investigate the role of inflammatory markers as potential predictors of cardiovascular events in subjects with and without the metabolic syndrome.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—This was a post hoc analysis from the Diet and Omega-3 Intervention Trial (DOIT), comprising 563 elderly men with (n = 221) and without (n = 342) metabolic syndrome. Circulating inflammatory markers were measured.
RESULTS—During 3 years, 68 cardiovascular events were recorded. In the total population, C-reactive protein (CRP) (P &lt; 0.001), interleukin-18 (IL-18) (P = 0.008), and IL-6 (P = 0.003) were elevated in subjects with events. In subjects with metabolic syndrome, IL-18 was the strongest predictor (adjusted odds ratio 2.9 [95% CI 1.1–7.8]). In subjects without metabolic syndrome, only CRP seemed to be an independent predictor (3.3 [1.5–7.3]). There was a significant interaction between fasting glucose and IL-18 (P = 0.008) and IL-6 (P = 0.024) but not CRP. Elevated fasting glucose (&gt;6.2 mmol/l) markedly increased the predictive power of inflammatory markers (IL-18: 5.5 [1.4–21.1], IL-6: 3.5 [1.0–11.8], and CRP: 3.5 [1.0–11.9]). For IL-18, there was a stepwise increase in event rate by quartiles of fasting glucose.
CONCLUSIONS—IL-18 was an independent predictor of cardiovascular events in subjects with metabolic syndrome and even more so in the presence of elevated fasting glucose. Our findings suggest a mutually potentiating effect of hyperglycemia and inflammation in cardiovascular risk prediction.
Anabolic androgenic steroids effects on the immune system: a review
Authors: Marshall-Gradisnik Sonya , Green Rachel , Brenu Ekua , Weatherby Robert 
Published: December 2008

AbstractAndrogenic anabolic steroids (AAS) are synthetic derivatives of the male hormone testosterone. AAS are used by athletes and recreational users of all ages to enhance their athletic performance and/or physical appearance. While several adverse effects of AAS abuse have been described, their effect on the immune system has not been clearly elucidated. The literature generally indicates that supraphysiologic doses of AAS with an intact steroid nucleus are immunosuppressive, that is they reduce immune cell number and function. While those with alterations to the steroid nucleus are immunostimulatory as they induce the proliferation of T cells and other immune cells. Specifically, several common AAS have been shown to adversely influence lymphocyte differentiation and proliferation, antibody production, Natural Killer Cytotoxic activity and the production of certain cytokines, thereby altering the immune reaction. These effects may be profound and long lasting depending on the dosing regime, types or combinations of AAS used and the extent and duration of AAS abuse. Nevertheless, the effects of long term use of supraphysiologic doses of AAS on the immune system remain uncertain.
Toll-like receptors and their role in carcinogenesis and anti-tumor treatment
Authors: Wolska Anna , Lech-Marańda Ewa , Robak Tadeusz 
Published: December 2008

AbstractToll-like receptors (TLRs) have been described as major components of the innate immune system, recognizing the conserved molecular structures found in the large groups of pathogens called pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). TLR expression is ubiquitous, from epithelial to immunocompetent cells. TLR ligation triggers several adapter proteins and downstream kinases, leading to the induction of key pro-inflammatory mediators but also anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor cytokines. The result of this activation goes beyond innate immunity to shape the adaptive responses against pathogens and tumor cells, and maintains host homeostasis via cell debris utilization. TLRs have already become potent targets in infectious disease treatment and vaccine therapy and in neoplastic disease treatment, due to their ability to enhance antigen presentation. However, some studies show the dual effect of TLR stimulation on malignant cells: they can be proapoptotic or promote survival under different conditions. It is therefore crucial to design further studies assessing the biology of these receptors in normal and transformed cells. The established role of TLRs in human disease therapy is based on TLR7 and TLR4 agonists, respectively for the novel treatment of some types of skin cancer and for the anti-hepatitis B virus vaccine. Some clinical trials involving TLR agonists as potent enhancers of the anti-tumor response in solid tumors have begun.
Calcium sulphate scaling in membrane distillation process
Authors: Gryta Marek 
Published: December 2008

AbstractFormation of precipitates containing CaSO4 during membrane distillation, applied to the concentration of aqueous salt solutions, is discussed in this paper. It was found that the concentration of SO42− ions in such solutions should not exceed 600 mg L−1 when they are subjected to concentration. However, concentration of sulphates at the level of 800 mg L−1 in the feed is permissible provided that the excess of CaSO4 is removed in a crystallizer. Crystallisation of salts, mainly CaSO4 · 2H2O, on the surface and inside the membrane was observed at higher feed concentrations, causing damage of the module. Precipitation of calcium sulphate was also observed during the production of demineralised water when high values of the water recovery coefficient (above 90 %) were used. In this case, the formed precipitate also contained CaCO3, the co-precipitation of which significantly changed the properties of the scaling layer. The precipitate containing both CaSO4 and CaCO3 was formed mainly on the membrane surface and it could easily be removed by rinsing the module with a HCl solution.
A Synthetic Lectin for O‐Linked β‐N‐Acetylglucosamine
Authors: Ferrand Yann , Klein Emmanuel , Barwell Nicholas P. , Crump Matthew P. , Jiménez‐Barbero Jesus , Vicent Cristina , Boons Geert‐Jan , Ingale Sampat , Davis Anthony P. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractChanging employment: Receptor 1 binds β‐N‐acetylglucosaminyl (β‐GlcNAc) up to 100 times more strongly than it does glucose. This synthetic lectin shows affinities similar to wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), a natural lectin used to bind GlcNAc. Remarkably, 1 is more selective than WGA. It favors especially the glycoside unit in glycopeptide 2, a model of the serine‐O‐GlcNAc posttranslational protein modification.magnified image
η3‐Diphosphavinylcarbene: A P2 Analogue of the Dötz Intermediate
Authors: Aktas Halil , Slootweg J. Chris , Ehlers Andreas W. , Lutz Martin , Spek Anthony L. , Lammertsma Koop 
Published: December 2008

AbstractDo the twist: The reaction of in situ generated phosphinidenes with phosphaalkynes is a facile route to the new metal‐coordinated η3‐diphosphavinylcarbene 1, which shows facile ligand‐exchange reactions and undergoes an unprecedented rearrangement that involves phosphinidene complex 2 and η3‐phosphaalkenylphosphinidene complex 3, the 1,3 isomer of 1.magnified image
Molecular analysis of juvenile hormone analog action in controlling the metamorphosis of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum
Authors: Parthasarathy R. , Palli Subba R. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe juvenile hormone analogs (JHA) are known to disrupt insect development but the molecular mechanisms of their action have been studied only in a few model insects belonging to orders Diptera and Lepidoptera. Here, we investigated the mechanisms of JHA action in red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, belonging to the order Coleoptera. Application of JHA during penultimate and final instar larval stages blocked larval‐pupal metamorphosis and induced supernumerary larval molts. When compared to the control insects undergoing larval‐pupal molt, down‐regulation of expression of transcription factor, Broad, and up‐regulation of other genes involved in 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E) action (FTZ‐F1, E74) were observed in JHA‐treated larvae undergoing supernumerary larval molts. The presence of JHA during the final instar larval stage blocked the midgut remodeling wherein programmed cell death (PCD) of larval cells and proliferation and differentiation of imaginal cells to pupal gut epithelium were impaired. The comparative analysis of 20E‐induced gene expression in the midguts of JHA‐treated and control insects revealed that JHA suppressed the expression of EcRA, EcRB, Broad, E74, E75A, and E75B, resulting in a block in PCD as well as proliferation and differentiation of imaginal cells. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sex and racial differences in bladder cancer presentation and mortality in the US
Authors: Scosyrev Emil , Noyes Katia , Feng Changyong , Messing Edward 
Published: December 2008

AbstractBACKGROUD:Sex, race, and age at diagnosis have a significant impact on mortality from bladder cancer (BC). Women, African Americans of both sexes, and the elderly, all experience higher mortality rates. Tumor grade, stage, and histologic type at presentation also affect outcome. To determine whether age and tumor characteristics alone explain the excess hazard of death from BC observed in some demographic groups, the authors queried the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) limited‐use database for the presentations of and outcomes from BC between 1990 and 2005.METHODS:Tumors were characterized by grade, stage, and histologic type. Hazards rates for BC‐specific mortality were compared by race and sex using a piecewise Cox regression model, adjusting for factors (age, stage, grade, and histologic type) that differed significantly between the groups that were compared.RESULTS:Excess hazard of death from BC was present during the first 2 to 3 years of follow‐up among women and during the first 4 years of follow‐up among African Americans. Adjustment for age and tumor characteristics eliminated approximately 30% of this excess hazard in sex comparison among whites. In sex comparison among blacks and in racial comparisons within each sex, approximately 50% to 70% of excess hazard could be eliminated by adjustment.CONCLUSIONS:Significant differences in tumor characteristics and age at presentation did not fully account for the excess hazard of death from BC among women and African Americans. Other factors, such as choice and efficacy of therapies, differences within a given tumor characteristic group, and/or host factors, also may play important roles. Cancer 2009. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Development of highly accurate global polygonal drainage basin data
Authors: Masutomi Yuji , Inui Yusuke , Takahashi Kiyoshi , Matsuoka Yuzuru 
Published: December 2008

AbstractHighly accurate global polygonal drainage basin data (PDBD) was developed in this research. The PDBD was derived from digital elevation models (DEMs) at high‐resolution (about 100 m–1 km) by automatic and non‐automatic methods to suppress DEM errors which derive wrong PDBD. The automatic methods are ‘stream burning’ and ‘ridge fencing’, while the non‐automatic method is one which manually corrects DEM errors (‘manual correction’). For the derivation of the PDBD, we collected and used geographic basin and river data published from governments, institutes, publishers, and water‐related programs. The PDBD derived from the DEMs at high‐resolution can represent the boundaries of the basins in detail, and precise geographic and topographic information can be thus derived. These features are helpful for regional and global analysis, assessment, and management with hydrological models in water‐related studies. To assess the accuracy of the derived PDBD, we conducted two types of comparisons. Firstly, we geographically compared the derived PDBD with the collected basin data. The derived PDBD showed good geographic agreement with the collected basin data, and the geographic agreement of the derived PDBD was better than that of HYDRO1k. Secondly, we compared upstream areas and discharges based on the derived PDBD with the observed upstream areas and discharges. The upstream areas and discharges based on the derived PDBD showed good agreement with the observed upstream areas and discharges, and the agreement of the derived PDBD was better than that of HYDRO1k. These comparisons reveal that the derived PDBD are highly accurate and reliable. The derived PDBD are thus thought to offer the best information on the surface drainage of the earth. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ensemble flood forecasting with stochastic radar image extrapolation and a distributed hydrologic model
Authors: Kim Sunmin , Tachikawa Yasuto , Sayama Takahiro , Takara Kaoru 
Published: December 2008

AbstractA new attempt on ensemble flood forecasting is introduced by use of a radar image extrapolation along with a stochastic error field simulation, and a distributed hydrologic model. In contrast to the conventional ensemble simulation that uses initial condition control to obtain a statistical outcome, stochastic prediction error fields were externally generated to offer probable variations of deterministic predictions. Firstly, a radar extrapolation model provided deterministic rainfall prediction, and its prediction error structure was analysed by comparing the observed rainfall fields. Secondly, on the basis of the analysed error structure, spatially correlated error fields were simulated using a covariance matrix decomposition method on a real‐time basis. The simulated error fields enabled not only the production of probable rainfall field variations for ensemble simulation but also an improvement in prediction accuracy by offsetting the deterministic prediction error. Finally, the simulated error fields along with the deterministic fields were tested with a distributed hydrologic model to measure the validity of the ensemble runoff prediction. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biocompatibility of poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(acrylic acid) interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel particles in RAW 264.7 macrophage and MG‐63 osteoblast cell lines
Authors: Yim Eugene S. , Zhao Betty , Myung David , Kourtis Lampros C. , Frank Curtis W. , Carter Dennis , Smith Robert L. , Goodman Stuart B. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractHydrogel polymers comprise a novel category of synthetic materials being investigated for use in cartilage replacement. One candidate compound, a poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(acrylic acid) (PEG/PAA) interpenetrating polymer network (IPN), was developed for use in corneal prostheses and was recently engineered for potential orthopedic use. The current study examined the effects of particles of this compound on two cell lines (MG‐63 osteoblast‐like cells and RAW 264.7 macrophages) over a 48‐h time course. To mimic the effects of wear debris, particles of the compound were generated and introduced to the cells. In the MG‐63 cell line, the particles had no significant effect on cell viability measured by PicoGreen assay and trypan blue exclusion. In contrast, a significant decrease in cell viability was detected in the Raw 264.7 macrophage cells at the final timepoint with the highest concentration of hydrogel (3.0% v:v). A concentration‐ and time‐dependent increase in TNF‐alpha release characteristic of other known biocompatible materials was also detected in RAW 264.7 cells, but nitric oxide and interleukin (IL)‐1beta showed no response. In addition, the MG‐63 cell line demonstrated no IL‐6 response. Particles of the PEG/PAA IPN thus seem to stimulate biological responses similar to those in other biocompatible materials. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2009
Acoustic emission monitoring and 3D visualization of polymerization‐induced damage of acrylic polymer materials
Authors: Mavrogordato Mark , Taylor Mark , Taylor Andrew , Browne Martin 
Published: December 2008

AbstractTo improve the longevity of total hip replacements, techniques such as vacuum mixing have been developed to reduce the amount of porosity within the cement. However, data from the Swedish hip registry has demonstrated an increased risk of revision for vacuum‐mixed cemented devices in the first 5 years postoperatively. Theoretical and experimental evidence suggests that stresses induced by cement shrinkage during polymerization alone are sufficient to induce cracking. However, very little evidence of preload cracking is available due to the limitations of current inspection methods. The present work combines two forms of nondestructive evaluation technique to assess the state of an acrylic‐based polymer mantle both in real time during polymerization using the acoustic emission (AE) technique and immediately post polymerization using micro‐computed tomography (CT). AE data enabled the location, type, and chronology of events to be obtained. The use of micro‐CT in combination with a radiopaque dye‐penetrant was shown to be an effective method for highlighting preload polymerization cracking and verified the findings of the AE data. The AE data indicated that the first signs of damage occurred ∼3–6 min after the peak temperature obtained during exotherm, confirming that thermal contraction rather than pure volumetric shrinkage is the dominant factor in preload damage initiation. The methodology developed in this study enables detailed information on the condition of a cement mantle to be obtained without the need for serial sectioning. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2009
A new method proposed for the determination of absolute configurations of α‐amino acids
Authors: Gómez Edison Díaz , Duddeck Helmut 
Published: December 2008

AbstractEnantiopure α‐amino acids were converted to 4‐substituted 2‐aryl‐ and 2‐alkyl‐5(4H)‐oxazolones under partial racemization. These nonracemic mixtures were dissolved in CDCl3, an equimolar amount of the chiral dirhodium complex $Rh^{\rm (II)}_{2}$[(R)− (+)− MTPA]4 (MTPA‐H = Mosher's acid) was added, and the 1H NMR spectra of the resulting samples were recorded (dirhodium method). The relative intensities of 1H signals dispersed by the formation of diastereomeric adducts allow to determine the absolute configuration (AC) of the starting α‐amino acids. Binding atoms in the adducts were identified by comparing the 1H and 13C chemical shifts of the oxazolones in the absence and presence of $Rh^{\rm (II)}_{2}$[(R)− (+)− MTPA]4. Thereby, information about the scope and limits of this method can be extracted. A protocol how to use this method is presented. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regulation of Transgene Expression in Tumor Cells by Exploiting Endogenous Intracellular Signals
Authors: Asai Daisuke , Kang Jeong-Hun , Toita Riki , Tsuchiya Akira , Niidome Takuro , Nakashima Hideki , Katayama Yoshiki 
Published: December 2008

Abstract
Recently, we have proposed a novel strategy for a cell-specific gene therapy system based on responses to intracellular signals. In this system, an intracellular signal that is specifically and abnormally activated in the diseased cells is used for the activation of transgene expression. In this study, we used protein kinase C (PKC)α as a trigger to activate transgene expression. We prepared a PKCα-responsive polymer conjugate [PPC(S)] and a negative control conjugate [PPC(A)], in which the phosphorylation site serine (Ser) was replaced with alanine (Ala). The phosphorylation for polymer/DNA complexes was determined with a radiolabel assay using [γ-32P]ATP. PPC(S)/DNA complexes were phosphorylated by the addition of PKCα, but no phosphorylation of the PPC(A)/DNA complex was observed. Moreover, after microinjection of polymer/GFP-encoding DNA complexes into HepG2 cells at cation/anion (C/A) ratios of 0.5 to 2.0, significant expression of GFP was observed in all cases using PPC(S)/DNA complexes, but no GFP expression was observed in the negative control PPC(A)/DNA complex-microinjected cells at C/A ratios of 1.0 and 2.0. On the other hand, GFP expression from PPC(S)/DNA complexes was completely suppressed in cells pretreated with PKCα inhibitor (Ro31-7549). These results suggest that our gene regulation system can be used for tumor cell-specific expression of a transgene in response to PKCα activity.
Time‐course of attentional bias for pain‐related cues in chronic daily headache sufferers
Authors: Liossi Christina , Schoth Daniel E. , Bradley Brendan P. , Mogg Karin 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTThis study investigated attentional biases for linguistic pain‐related stimuli in individuals suffering from chronic headaches and healthy controls. Attentional bias was assessed using a visual probe (also reported as dot probe in previous investigations) task which presented pain‐related (sensory and affective) and neutral words at two exposure duration conditions, 500 and 1250ms. The results indicated that individuals suffering from chronic headaches showed a significantly greater attentional bias at 1250ms compared to the controls, which indicates a bias in maintained attention to pain cues in this group. No significant differences between groups were found in attentional bias scores at the shorter stimulus duration of 500ms, which instead correlated significantly with trait anxiety. Results are discussed in relation to research into pain‐related and anxiety‐related biases in initial orienting and maintained attention.
A pilot study of the safety and efficacy of amisulpride and risperidone in elderly psychotic patients
Authors: Riedel M. , Eich F.X. , Möller H.J. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractObjectiveThe primary objective of this randomised, active–controlled, parallel group, double-blind study was to evaluate the tolerability of treatment with either amisulpride or risperidone in elderly patients with schizophrenia aged over 65 years; evaluation of efficacy was a secondary objective.MethodsThe study included patients of either sex aged 65 years or older fulfilling DSM IV-diagnostic criteria for psychotic disorders and who presented psychotic symptoms severe enough to require antipsychotic medication. Subjects were randomly allocated to a flexible dose of either amisulpride (100–400 mg/day) or risperidone (1–4 mg/day) for six weeks following a three- to six-day placebo wash-out period. Safety assessment involved adverse event reporting, physical examination, blood pressure, heart rate and ECG monitoring, and laboratory tests. Extrapyramidal symptoms were evaluated with the Simpson–Angus Scale, Barnes Akathisia Scale and the AIMS. Efficacy parameters were changes in score on the PANSS, BPRS, CDS and MMSE scores.ResultsThirty-eight patients were randomised, 25 to amisulpride and 13 to risperidone. A total of 26 adverse events were experienced by 10 patients in the amisulpride group and five patients in the risperidone group. One patient in each group discontinued the study due to the emergence of a movement disorder. Changes in scores on the three measures of extrapyramidal symptoms were similar in the two groups. The PANSS total score decreased by 27.8% in the amisulpride group and by 29% in the risperidone group between inclusion and study end.ConclusionAmisulpride and risperidone are generally well tolerated in elderly patients with schizophrenia. Both drugs appeared to be efficacious in this study population, with no differences in efficacy being observed. However, the sample size was too low to reveal potential inter-group differences. Both these atypical antipsychotics thus appear to be suitable for the treatment of schizophrenia in the elderly.