bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Plasticized polylactide/clay nanocomposites. I. The role of filler content and its surface organo‐modification on the physico‐chemical properties
Authors: Pluta Miroslaw , Paul Marie‐Amélie , Alexandre Michaël , Dubois Philippe 
Published: November 2005

AbstractPolylactide (PLA)‐layered silicate nanocomposites plasticized with 20 wt % of poly(ethylene glycol) 1000 were prepared by melt blending. Three kinds of organo‐modified montmorillonites—Cloisite® 20A, Cloisite® 25A, and Cloisite® 30B—were used as fillers at a concentration level varying from 1–10 wt %. Neat PLA and plasticized PLA with the same thermomechanical history were considered for comparison. Nanocomposites based on amorphous PLA were obtained via melt‐quenching. The influence of both plasticization and nanoparticle filling on the physicochemical properties of the nanocomposites were investigated. Characterization of the systems was achieved by size exclusion chromatography (SEC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), thermally modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMTA). SEC revealed a decrease of the molecular weight of the PLA matrix with the filler content. Thermal behavior on heating showed one cold crystallization process in the reference neat PLA sample, while two cold crystallization processes in plasticized PLA and plasticized nanocomposites. The thermal windows of these processes tend to increase with the filler content. The crystalline form of PLA developed upon heating was affected neither by the plasticization nor by the type and content of Cloisite used. It was found that the series of organo‐modified montmorillonites with decreasing affinity to PLA is Cloisite® 30B, Cloisite® 20A, and Cloisite® 25A, respectively. The dynamic mechanical properties were sensitive to the sample composition. Generally, the storage modulus increased with the filler content. Glassy PEG, well dispersed within unfilled PLA matrix, exhibited also a reinforcing effect, since the storage modulus of this sample was higher than for unplasticized reference at temperature region below the glass transition of PEG. Moreover, loss modulus of all plasticized samples revealed an additional maximum ascribed to the glass transition of PEG–rich dispersed phase, indicating partial miscibility of organic components of the systems investigated. The magnitude of this mechanical loss was correlated with the filler content, and to some extent, also with the nanofiller ability to be intercalated by polymer components. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 299–311, 2006
Molecular dynamics simulations of LysRS: An asymmetric state
Authors: Hughes Samantha J. , Tanner Julian A. , Miller Andrew D. , Gould Ian R. 
Published: November 2005

AbstractWe report molecular dynamics simulations of the Escherichia coli Lysyl‐tRNA synthetase LysU isoform carried out as a benchmark for mutant simulations in in silico protein engineering efforts. Unlike previous studies of aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases, LysU is modelled in its full dimeric form with explicit solvent. While developing a suitable simulation protocol, we observed an asymmetry that persists despite improvements to the model. This prediction has directly led to experiments that establish a functional asymmetry in nucleotide binding by LysU. The development of a simulation protocol and validation of the model are presented here. The observed asymmetry is described and the role of protein flexibility in developing the asymmetry is discussed. Proteins 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ab initio quantum chemical studies of reaction mechanism for CN with CH2CO
Authors: Zhang Weichao , Du Benni 
Published: November 2005

AbstractSix product channels have been found in the association reaction of CN + CH2CO, and a variety of possible complexes and saddle points along the minimum energy reaction paths have been characterized at the UMP2(full)/6‐31G(d) level. The dominant reaction channels are the production of CH2CN + CO and CH2NC + CO. The isomerization and dissociation reactions of the major products of CH2CN and CH2NC have been investigated using the G2MP2 level. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006
Transcatheter Arterial Embolization in the Treatment of Extensive Maxillofacial Hemangioma in Children
Authors: Jianhong Li , Xianliang Hu , Xuewu Jiang 
Published: November 2005

AbstractInfantile hemangioma frequently occurs in the maxillofacial region as an extensive mass involving many vital structures. As such, many children are found to have an unresectable hemangioma at the initial diagnosis. In the present study transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) alone or in combination with surgery and local injection of bleomycin A has been attempted to improve the treatment of these lesions. The results of evaluating the effectiveness and therapeutic role of TAE in these extensive maxillofacial hemangiomas in children are presented. We retrospectively analyzed the records of 17 children with maxillofacial hemangioma treated between 1997 and 2004. Altogether, 17 patients (11 boys, 6 girls) were diagnosed as having an extensive maxillofacial hemangioma based on its clinical manifestation, color Doppler ultrasonography, and sometimes computed tomography. They underwent selective TAE alone or TAE followed by surgical excision. For the children with Kasabach‐Merritt syndrome, systemic corticosteroid therapy was administered first. All the children had an excellent response after TAE treatment without obvious complications, and the size of the hemangioma body markedly decreased. Local injection of bleomycin A was then undertaken in four children and surgical removal in five. All the children achieved successful disappearance of the hemangioma, with no recurrence during the follow‐up period of 5 to 86 months. TAE is thus a reliable and effective therapeutic choice for extensive maxillofacial hemangioma in children, alone or as a preoperative adjunctive measure. It improves the feasibility of complete resection and effects the disappearance of these potentially dangerous bulky tumors with little bleeding and few complications.
Low Maruyama Index Surgery for Gastric Cancer: Blinded Reanalysis of the Dutch D1‐D2 Trial
Authors: Peeters K.C.M.J. , Hundahl S.A. , Kranenbarg E. Klein , Hartgrink H. , van de Velde C.J.H. 
Published: November 2005

AbstractA quantitative estimate of residual nodal disease after gastric cancer surgery, the Maruyama index of unresected disease (MI), proved to be a strong independent predictor of survival in a large U.S. adjuvant chemoradiation study in which surgical undertreatment was frequent. Data from the Dutch D1‐D2 Lymphadenectomy Trial permit an opportunity to assess the prognostic value of this variable in a cohort with lower‐stage disease treated with minimum D‐1 lymphadenectomy and no adjuvant chemoradiation. Blinded to survival, and excluding those cases with missing information, the MI was calculated for 648 of the original 711 patients treated with curative intent. Survival was assessed by log‐rank and multivariate Cox regression analysis. All patients have been followed for a minimum of 11 years. Overall Dutch trial findings were not affected by the absence of 63 cases with incomplete data. As expected, the median MI was 26, much lower than in the previous U.S. study. In contrast to the D level, MI < 5 proved to be a strong predictor of survival by both univariate and multivariate analysis. The MI was an independent predictor of both overall survival [P = 0.016; hazard ratio (HR) = 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07–1.95] and relapse risk (P = 0.010; HR = 1.72; 95% CI 1.14–2.60). A strong dose‐response reaction with respect to the MI and survival was also observed. We conclude that in this trial low‐MI surgery is associated with enhanced survival, whereas outside of certain subgroups routine D2 lymphadenectomy is not. This observation suggests that surgeons might have more of an impact on patient survival by achieving a low‐MI operation than a particular D level. A compelling dose‐response effect reveals that the MI is a quantitative yardstick for assessing the adequacy of lymphadenectomy in gastric cancer.
VE/VCO2 slope is associated with abnormal resting haemodynamics and is a predictor of long‐term survival in chronic heart failure
Authors: Nanas Serafim N. , Nanas John N. , Sakellariou Dimitrios Ch. , Dimopoulos Stavros K. , Drakos Stavros G. , Kapsimalakou Smaragdo G. , Mpatziou Christina A. , Papazachou Ourania G. , Dalianis Anargyros S. , Anastasiou‐Nana Maria I. , Roussos Charis 
Published: November 2005

AbstractBackground:Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) present with exercise‐induced hyperpnea, but its pathophysiological mechanism has not been thoroughly investigated. We aimed to determine the relationship between exercise‐induced hyperpnea, resting haemodynamic measurements and the validity of ventilatory response (VE/VCO2 slope) as a mortality predictor in CHF patients.Methods:Ninety‐eight CHF patients (90M/8F) underwent a symptom‐limited treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). Right heart catheterization and radionuclide ventriculography were performed within 72 h of CPET.Results:Twenty‐seven patients died from cardiac causes during 20±6 months follow‐up. Non‐survivors had a lower peak oxygen consumption (VO2p), (16.5±4.9 vs. 20.2±6.1, ml/kg/min, p=0.003), a steeper VE/VCO2 slope (34.8±8.3 vs. 28.9±4.8, p<0.001) and a higher pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) (19.5±8.6 vs. 11.7±6.5 mm Hg, p=0.008) than survivors. By multivariate survival analysis, the VE/VCO2 slope as a continuous variable was an independent prognostic factor (χ2: 8.5, relative risk: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.03–1.18, p=0.004). Overall mortality was 52% in patients with VE/VCO2 slope ≥34 and 18% in those with VE/VCO2 slope <34 (log rank: 18.5, p<0.001). In a subgroup of patients (VO2p: 10–18 ml/kg/min), VE/VCO2 slope was a significant predictor of mortality (relative risk: 6.2, 95% CI: 1.7–22.2, p=0.002). Patients with high VE/VCO2 slope had higher resting PCWP (19.9±9.1 vs. 11.3±5.7 mmHg, p<0.001) and VE/VCO2 slope correlated significantly with PCWP (r: 0.57, p<0.001).Conclusions:The VE/VCO2 slope, as an index of ventilatory response to exercise, improves the risk stratification of CHF patients. Interstitial pulmonary oedema may be a pathophysiological mechanism of inefficient ventilation during exercise in these patients.
Ontogeny of muscle mechanical advantage in capuchin monkeys (Cebus albifrons and Cebus apella)
Authors: Young J. W. 
Published: November 2005

AbstractTerrestrial locomotion requires that animals maintain postural stability against the flexing force of gravity. To counteract volume/area relationships that limit muscle force and may compromise stability, larger animals increase the effective mechanical advantage of their extensor musculature by walking on more extended limbs and showing allometric increases in extensor muscle lever arm lengths. Assuming these size‐related principles are uniform, similar adaptations should characterize ontogenetic increases in size. Previous research on non‐primate mammals has shown, however, that extensor muscle mechanical advantage is greater early in ontogeny and decreases with negative allometry during growth. This study extended this work by investigating patterns of relative elbow lever arm growth in two capuchin monkeys, Cebus albifrons and Cebus apella. Unlike previously studied mammals, growing capuchin monkeys face unique anatomical constraints, including relatively long limb bones and positively allometric limb growth. These constraints could augment the flexing torque of gravity at the limb joints and require compensatory increases in extensor muscle mechanical advantage as size increases through growth. Forearm length and the length of elbow extensor and flexor muscle lever arms were measured in longitudinal radiographic series of growing capuchin monkeys. In contrast to other mammals, all lengths scaled to body mass with positive allometry. Anatomical mechanical advantage (lever arm length/forelimb length) scaled with negative allometry, however, matching the non‐primate mammalian trend. Greater muscle mechanical advantage during early locomotion may help young mammals overcome relatively weak extensor muscles and other growth‐related limits on locomotor performance. Additional data on ontogenetic changes in gait dynamics and musculoskeletal growth are required to validate this hypothesis.
Sex and darts in slugs and snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Stylommatophora)
Authors: Davison Angus , Wade Christopher M. , Mordan Peter B. , Chiba Satoshi 
Published: November 2005

AbstractIn the final stages of an elaborate courtship, many slugs and snails shoot calcareous ‘love’ darts into each other. While darts improve the reproductive success of the shooter, by promoting sperm survival in the recipient, it is unclear why some species have darts and others do not. In fact, dart use has barely been studied, except in the garden snailCantareus aspersus(Helix aspersa). An evolutionary approach was therefore taken to attempt to understand the origin and use of darts, by investigating mating behaviour in a wide range of species. The prediction was that, because darts could have arisen out of an escalating cycle of sperm digestion and investment in sperm, then darts should be found in taxa that enforce simultaneous reciprocity during mating. Likewise, they should not be found in taxa that mate unilaterally, because the co‐evolutionary cycle is absent or reduced. Mating behaviour in 60 genera (28 families) of land snails and slugs was recorded, and compared against dart use across the whole of a stylommatophoran phylogeny. ‘Face‐to‐face’ simultaneous reciprocal‐mating behaviour is restricted to three monophyletic groups of snails and slugs, and dart‐bearing species are a subset within the same clades, which suggests a link, though not necessarily a causal one. As yet, we are unable to quantify the extent to which darts or mating behaviour, as well as several other correlated characters, are determined by common ancestry or regimes of natural or sexual selection, because the current phylogeny lacks resolution. However, the results emphasize that to understand the use of darts, then data are required from a wide range of species. The realization that several characters are correlated may stimulate further research, and could eventually lead to some testable models for dart and mating behaviour evolution.
Auracle: a voice-controlled, networked sound instrument
Authors: FREEMAN JASON , VARNIK KRISTJAN , RAMAKRISHNAN C. , NEUHAUS MAX , BURK PHIL , BIRCHFIELD DAVID 
Published: November 2005

Auracle is a voice-controlled, networked sound instrument that enables users to control a software synthesizer with their voice and to interact with each other in real time over the Internet. This paper discusses the historical background of the project, beginning with Neuhaus' ‘virtual aural spaces’ in the 1960s and relating them to Barbosa's conception of ‘shared sonic environments’. The architecture of the system is described in detail, including the multi-level analysis of vocal input, the communication of that analysis data across the network, and the mapping of that data onto a software synthesizer.Not only is Auracle itself a collaborative, networked instrument, but it was developed through a collaborative, networked process. The project's development mechanisms are examined, including the use of existing tools for distributed development, the creation of custom development applications, the adoption of extreme programming practices, and the use of Auracle itself as a means for communication and collaboration among developers.
Public Sound Objects: a shared environment for networked music practice on the Web
Authors: BARBOSA ALVARO 
Published: November 2005

The Public Sound Objects (PSOs) project consists of the development of a networked musical system, which is an experimental framework to implement and test new concepts for online music communication. The PSOs project approaches the idea of collaborative musical performances over the Internet by aiming to go beyond the concept of using computer networks as a channel to connect performing spaces. This is achieved by exploring the internet's shared nature in order to provide a public musical space where anonymous users can meet and be found performing in collective sonic art pieces.The system itself is an interface-decoupled musical instrument, in which a remote user interface and a sound processing engine reside with different hosts in an extreme scenario where a user can access the synthesizer from any place in the world using the World Wide Web. Specific software features were implemented in order to reduce the disruptive effects of network latency, such as dynamic adaptation of the musical tempo to communication latency measured in real time and consistent sound panning with the object's behaviour at the graphical user interface.
SNP Haplotypes in the Angiotensin I‐Converting Enzyme (ACE) Gene: Analysis of Nigerian Family Data Using Gamete Competition Models
Authors: McKenzie C. A. , Sinsheimer J. S. , Adeyemo A. A. , Cox R. D. , Southam L. , Hugill A. , Bouzekri N. , Lathrop M. , Forrester T. E. , Cooper R. S. , Ward R. 
Published: November 2005

SummaryGamete competition models were used to explore the relationships between 13 ACE gene polymorphisms and plasma ACE concentration in a set of Nigerian families. Several markers in the 5′ and 3′ regions of the gene were significantly associated with ACE concentration (P < 10‐4). Multi‐locus genotypes comprising different combinations of markers from the 5′ UTR and the 3′ region of the gene were also analysed; in addition to G2350A, in the 3′ region, two markers from the 5′ UTR (A‐5466C and A‐240T) were found to be associated with ACE concentration. These results are consistent with reports that have suggested the presence of at least two ACE‐linked QTLs, and demonstrate the utility of gamete competition models in the exploratory investigation of the relationship between a quantitative trait and multiple variants in a small genomic region.
Haplotype Effects on Human Survival: Logistic Regression Models Applied to Unphased Genotype Data
Authors: Tan Q. , Christiansen L. , Bathum L. , Zhao J. H. , Vach W. , Vaupel J. W. , Christensen K. , Kruse T. A. 
Published: November 2005

SummaryHaplotype based linkage disequilibrium (LD) mapping exhibits higher power than the single locus approach because it makes use of the LD information contained in the flanking markers. New statistical methods have been proposed to help to infer haplotype effects on human diseases using multi‐locus genotype data collected from unrelated individuals. In this paper, we introduce a statistical procedure for measuring haplotype effects on human survival using the popular logistic regression model with haplotype based parameterizations. By modeling haplotype frequency as a function of age, our model infers haplotype effects by estimating and testing the slope parameters under different genetic mechanisms (multiplicative, dominant, or recessive). In addition, by estimating the sex‐specific slope parameters, our model allows the detection of sex‐specific haplotype effects or haplotype‐sex interactions. As an example, we apply our model to an empirical dataset on a stress related gene, interleukin‐6, to look for haplotypes that affect individual survival and for haplotype‐sex interactions. We show that our logistic regression based haplotype model can be a helpful tool for researchers interested in the genetics of human aging and longevity.
Analysis of Y‐chromosome Variability and its Comparison with mtDNA Variability Reveals Different Demographic Histories Between Islands in the Azores Archipelago (Portugal)
Authors: Montiel R. , Bettencourt C. , Silva C. , Santos C. , Prata M. J. , Lima M. 
Published: November 2005

SummaryWe determined the Y‐chromosomal composition of the population of the Azores Islands (Portugal), by analyzing 20 binary polymorphisms located in the non‐recombining portion of the Y‐chromosome (NRY), in 185 unrelated individuals from the three groups of islands forming the Archipelago (Eastern, Central and Western). Similar to that described for other Portuguese samples, the most frequent haplogroups were R1(xR1b3f) (55.1%), E(xE3a) (13%) and J (8.6%). Principal components analysis revealed a Western European profile for the Azorean population. No significant differences between Azores and mainland Portugal were observed. However, the haplogroup distribution across the three groups of islands was not similar (P<0.003). The Western group presented differences in the frequencies of haplogroups R1, E(xE3a) and I1b2 (27.3%, 22.7% and 13.6%, respectively) when compared to the other two groups. An assessment of the NRY variability, and its comparison with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variability, was further evidence of the differential composition of males during the settlement of the three groups of islands, contrary to what has been previously deduced for the female settlers using mtDNA data.
Linkage Analysis of Plasma ApoE in Three Ethnic Groups: Multiple Genes with Context‐Dependent Effects
Authors: Klos K. L. E. , Kardia S. L. R. , Hixson J. E. , Turner S. T. , Hanis C. , Boerwinkle E. , Sing C. F. 
Published: November 2005

SummaryWe performed variance component‐based linkage analysis in four samples (two of non‐Hispanic European‐Americans from Rochester, MN; African‐Americans from Jackson, MS; and Mexican‐Americans from Starr County, TX) to identify chromosomal regions containing genes influencing plasma apolipoprotein E (apoE) levels. The APOE gene region on chromosome (chr) 19 was identified with a LOD ≥ 2.00 in both samples from Rochester and the sample from Jackson. Adjustment of apoE levels for differences among means of genotypes defined by the APOE ε2/3/4 alleles reduced evidence of linkage, indicating that the APOE gene was responsible for the majority of the linkage signal. In stratified linkage analyses, there was a LOD of 1.70 in the Starr County sibships with average total cholesterol (TC) above the median level for all sibships in that population. Adjustment for APOE genotype did not remove this LOD score, suggesting a second gene in this region may influence apoE variation. Evidence of linkage (LOD= 3.32) on chr 17 was observed in the Starr County sibships with average TC below the median. Inter‐individual variation in plasma apoE level may be influenced by variations in the structural gene, and at least one other gene whose effects differ among populations and are dependent on the influence of unmeasured genetic and environmental factors indexed by correlated measures of lipid metabolism.
dHPLC Screening of the NSD1 gene Identifies Nine Novel Mutations – Summary of the first 100 Sotos Syndrome Mutations
Authors: Melchior Linea , Schwartz Marianne , Duno Morten 
Published: November 2005

SummarySotos syndrome belongs to the family of overgrowth syndromes and is characterized by large head circumference, craniofacial anomalies, advanced bone age and mental retardation. The syndrome is due to haploinsufficiency of the NSD1 gene, consisting of 23 exons with an open reading frame of 8088bp, which makes mutation screening by direct sequencing quite a laborious and expensive task. We have developed a dHPLC screening protocol for mutation detection in NSD1 and identified 9 novel mutations among 33 patients, thus achieving a mutation detection efficiency comparable to direct sequencing. A real‐time quantitative PCR approach identified two patients with NSD1 deletions. Our mutation screen is compared to other studies and all published mutations and polymorphisms are summarized.