bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Middle Holocene fishing strategies in East Africa: zooarchaeological analysis of Pundo, a Kansyore shell midden in northern Nyanza (Kenya)
Authors: Prendergast M. E. , Lane P. J. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractA zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis is presented for the faunal remains from the Pundo shell midden in northern Nyanza province (Kenya), which contains Kansyore ceramics and dates to ca. 8000–7600 cal. BP. The faunal assemblage is overwhelmingly dominated by fish and molluscs, of which only the fish data are presented in detail. Taxonomic identifications suggest a diachronic change in relative species abundance, with cichlids becoming increasingly dominant, eventually comprising nearly 80% of the fish assemblage. The Pundo faunal data are compared with those from a number of other Kansyore sites. Pundo confirms that early Kansyore sites are purely forager sites, with domestic caprines only appearing at late Kansyore sites (post‐dating ca. 4400 cal. BP). Comparing ethological data for fish taxa found at Pundo and other lakeshore shell middens with those for fish taxa found at larger riverside sites, a seasonal round is suggested, in which short‐term fishing camps such as Pundo may have been occupied in the dry season, while riverside sites were probably occupied during the rainy season. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of the spin line temperature profile and melt index of poly(propylene) on melt‐electrospinning
Authors: Kong C.S. , Jo K.J. , Jo N.K. , Kim H.S. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractEffects of the spin line temperature and melt index of polymer on fiber formation by the melt‐electrospinning process have been studied. Employing four levels of primary heating temperatures and two levels of secondary heating temperatures provided the necessary temperature profiles. Cooling time was altered through variation in tip‐to‐collector distance. Effects of the polymer melt index were also investigated using two types of poly(propylene) with different melt index values. Changes in diameter and structure of the electrospun fibers were then observed using scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. It is worth to note that providing enough cooling time in the spin line is effective in producing finer fibers. However, introducing the higher heating temperature in the spin line adversely affected fibrous shape formation. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Process Intensification in Vacuum Arc Deposition Setups
Authors: Baranov Oleg , Romanov Maxim 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe possibility to intensify the deposition process by application of a magnetic field generated by two additional magnetic coils placed under a substrate exposed to vacuum arc plasma has been investigated. When both additional coils generate a magnetic field matched with the field generated by guiding and focusing the coils of a vacuum arc source, the substrate ion current can be increased by up to 4.4% of the arc current, i.e., 1.26 times compared to a system without the additional magnetic field. A monotonous decrease of arc current depending on the currents in both additional coils is observed. When additional coils are powered oppositely and the magnetic field generated by one additional coil is directed according to the magnetic field of coils of the arc source, the substrate ion current can be decreased to 2.7% of the arc current.magnified image
Bcl‐2 mediated modulation of vascularization in prostate cancer xenografts
Authors: Sakai Yoshihisa , Goodison Steve , Kusmartsev Sergei , Fletcher Bradley , Eruslanov Evgeniy , Cao Wengang , Porvasnik Stacy , Namiki Kazunori , Anai Satoshi , Rosser Charles J. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractPURPOSEWe previously demonstrated that Bcl‐2 overexpression enhances the radiation resistance of PC‐3 human prostate cancer cells and xenografts by inhibiting apoptosis, increasing proliferation, and promoting angiogenesis. To further elucidate the relationship between Bcl‐2 expression and the angiogenic potential of PC‐3‐Bcl‐2 cells, tumorigenicity, angiogenesis, and lymphangiogenesis were evaluated and compared in a Bcl‐2 overexpressing clone in vitro and in vivo.EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNHuman prostate cancer cells over expressing Bcl‐2 were studied in vitro and in vivo to determine the angiogenic and lymphangiogenic properties of these cells.RESULTSIncreased Bcl‐2 expression enhanced the tumorigenicity of prostate cancer xenografts. It also enhanced the expression and secretion of key angiogenic and lymphangiogenic factors that stimulated the synthesis of CD31‐positive blood vessels and LYVE‐1 positive lymphatics. Specifically, the increased angiogenic and lymphangiogenic potential correlated with increased serum levels of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), interleukin 8 (CXCL8), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP 9). In vitro analysis demonstrated that Bcl‐2 expressing tumor cells secreted bFGF and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) into culture supernatants. Microarray analysis of Bcl‐2 expressing PC‐3 cells demonstrated increased transcription of genes involved in metabolism, such as interleukins, growth factors, tumor necrosis factors (TNF) family members, and peptidases.CONCLUSIONSTogether, these results demonstrate that Bcl‐2 can regulate tumoral angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis and suggest that therapy targeted at Bcl‐2 expression, angiogenesis, and lymphangiogenesis may synergistically modulate tumor growth and confirm that Bcl‐2 is a pivotal target for cancer therapy. Prostate 69:459–470, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prostate‐specific membrane antigen and its truncated form PSM′
Authors: Mlčochová Petra , Bařinka Cyril , Tykvart Jan , Šácha Pavel , Konvalinka Jan 
Published: December 2008

AbstractBACKGROUNDProstate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a type II transmembrane protein overexpressed in prostate cancer as well as in the neovasculature of several non‐prostatic solid tumors. In addition to full‐length PSMA, several splice variants exist in prostatic tissue. Notably, the N‐terminally truncated PSMA variant, termed PSM′, is prevalent in healthy prostate, and the ratio of PSMA/PSM′ mRNA has been shown to correlate with cancer progression. The widely accepted hypothesis is that the PSM′ protein is a translation product arising from the alternatively spliced PSM′ mRNA.METHODSDifferential ultracentrifugation, cell surface biotinylation, Western blotting, and enzyme activity measurement were used to study the origin and localization of the PSMA/PSM′ variants in prostatic (LNCaP; lymph‐node carcinoma of the prostate) and non‐prostatic (HEK293) cell lines. These experiments were further complemented by analysis of the N‐glycosylation patterns of the PSMA/PSM′ proteins and by site‐directed mutagenesis.RESULTSWe identified PSM′ protein expression in both the LNCaP cell line and a non‐cancerous HEK293 human cell line transfected with a plasmid encoding full‐length PSMA. Differential centrifugation revealed that PSM′ is localized predominantly to the cytosol of both these cell lines and is proteolytically active. Furthermore, the PSM′ protein is N‐glycosylated by a mixture of high‐mannose and complex type oligosaccharides and therefore trafficked beyond the cis‐Golgi compartment.CONCLUSIONSOur data suggest that the PSM′ protein is likely not generated by alternative splicing of the PSMA gene but by different mechanism, probably via an endoproteolytic cleavage of the full‐length PSMA. Prostate 69:471–479, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Preclinical toxicological assessment of a phytotherapeutic product – CPV (based on dry extracts of Crataegus oxyacantha L., Passiflora incarnata L., and Valeriana officinalis L.)
Authors: Tabach Ricardo , Rodrigues Eliana , Carlini E. A. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractAssociations of plants have been widely used, for centuries, in Ayurveda and in Chinese medicine and have been increasingly acknowledged in Western medicine. The objective of this study is to assess the level of toxicity of an association of three plants: Crataegus oxyacantha, Passiflora incarnata, and Valeriana officinalis (CPV extract). This association was administered to rats, mice, and dogs, both acute and chronically for 180 days. The tests used in the acute experiments were: observational pharmacological screening, LD50, motor coordination and motor activity. Chronic tests carried out were: weight gain/loss and behavioral parameters in rats and in mice; estrus cycle, effects on fertility, and teratogenic studies in rats and of mutagenic features in mice, in addition to the Ames test. The following parameters were assessed in dogs: weight gain/loss, general physical conditions, water/food consumption and anatomopathological examination of the organs subsequent to the 180 days of treatment. All of the results were negative, showing that CPV administered in high doses and over a long period of time presents no toxicity, suggestive of the fact that this is an association devoid of risk for human beings. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity of pine pollen extractin vitro
Authors: Lee Kyung‐Hee , Kim Ae‐Jung , Choi Eun‐Mi 
Published: December 2008

AbstractTo determine the medicinal properties of pine pollen, the antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities of the ethanol extract of pine pollen extract (PPE) were investigated. PPE displayed a strong free radical scavenger activity on 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl radical and hydrogen peroxide. It was observed also that the antioxidant activity, measured by the ferric thiocyanate method, increased with the addition of PPE to the linoleic acid emulsion system. PPE was also found to inhibit significantly the amount of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls formed from liver homogenate. Like the antioxidant activity, the reducing power of PPE was excellent. Thereafter, the study investigated the effects of PPE in modulating the production of pro‐inflammatory mediators in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐activated RAW 264.7 macrophages, and the effect of PPE on interleukin (IL)‐1β‐induced matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) production and mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) activation in the human synovial sarcoma cell line, SW982. PPE was found to inhibit the production of nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor‐α, IL‐1 and IL‐6 in LPS‐activated macrophages. Treatment with PPE at 10 µg/mL significantly (p< 0.05) inhibited IL‐1β‐induced MMPs (MMP‐1 and ‐3) production in SW982 cells. IL‐1β‐induced JNK activation was inhibited by PPE (10 µg/mL), whereas p38 and ERK1/2 were not affected. These findings suggest that pine pollen is a potential antioxidant and beneficial for inflammatory conditions through down‐regulation of JNK and MMPs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stimulation of osteoblastic differentiation and inhibition of interleukin‐6 and nitric oxide in MC3T3‐E1 cells by pomegranate ethanol extract
Authors: Kim Young Ho , Choi Eun Mi 
Published: December 2008

AbstractIn this experiment, we studied the effects of pomegranate fruit extract (PE) on the function of osteoblastic MC3T3‐E1 cells and the production of local factors in osteoblasts. PE (16∼250 µg/ml) significantly increased the growth of MC3T3‐E1 cells (P < 0.05). Moreover, PE (50 µg/ml) caused a significant elevation of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and collagen content in the cells. We then examined the effect of PE on the TNF‐α‐induced production of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and nitric oxide (NO) in osteoblasts. Treatment with PE (10∼50 µg/ml) decreased the TNF‐α (10−10 M)‐induced production of IL‐6 and NO in osteoblasts. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Triterpene acids isolated from Lagerstroemia speciosa leaves as α‐glucosidase inhibitors
Authors: Hou Wenli , Li Yanfang , Zhang Qiang , Wei Xin , Peng Aihua , Chen Lijuan , Wei Yuquan 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe potential antidiabetic activity of ethyl acetate extract of the leaves of Lagerstroemia speciosa (LSL) was investigated by α‐amylase and α‐glucosidase inhibition assay. Six pentacyclic triterpenes (oleanolic acid, arjunolic acid, asiatic acid, maslinic acid, corosolic acid and 23‐hydroxyursolic acid) were isolated from LSL. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis and their α‐glycosidase and α‐amylase inhibitory activities were investigated. They exhibited no or weak inhibitory activity against α‐amylase and middle α‐glucosidase inhibitory activities. Corosolic acid, which shows best bioactivity against α‐glucosidase (IC50 = 3.53 µg/mL), contributes most to the α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity of EtOAc extract. The kinetics of inhibition of corosolic acid was also discussed. Results from this study might provide the scientific evidence for LSL for the treatment of diabetes in traditional medicine. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Apoptosis inducement of bigelovin from Inula helianthus‐aquatica on human Leukemia U937 cells
Authors: Zeng Guang‐Zhi , Tan Ning‐Hua , Ji Chang‐Jiu , Fan Jun‐Ting , Huang Huo‐Qiang , Han Hong‐Jin , Zhou Guang‐Biao 
Published: December 2008

AbstractInula helianthus‐aquatica C. Y. Wu is a traditional medicinal plant used to treat some cancers in folk herbal medicine of Yunnan, China. Bigelovin, a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from this herb, potently inhibits the growth of a panel of eight cancer cell lines, especially in human monoblastic leukemia U937 cells with an IC50 value of 0.47 µM. Characteristic morphological features of apoptosis were observed in U937 cells treated with bigelovin. Annexin V and nuclear DNA content distribution assays showed that the percentage of Annexin V positive cells increased to 8.86% (24 h) with 1 µM bigelovin treatment, and cells treated with bigelovin at this concentration apparently arrested at G0/G1 phase compared with the control. These data suggested that cytotoxic effect of bigelovin on U937 cells involves induction of apoptosis, and the cell cycle is arrested at G0/G1 phase. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antiproliferative effect of flavonoids and sesquiterpenoids from Achillea millefolium s.l. on cultured human tumour cell lines
Authors: Csupor‐Löffler Boglárka , Hajdú Zsuzsanna , Zupkó István , Réthy Borbála , Falkay George , Forgo Peter , Hohmann Judit 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe antiproliferative activities of n‐hexane, chloroform, aqueous‐methanol and aqueous extracts of the aerial parts of the Achillea millefolium aggregate on three human tumour cell lines were investigated by means of MTT assays. The chloroform‐soluble extract exerted high tumour cell proliferation inhibitory activities on HeLa and MCF‐7 cells, and a moderate effect on A431 cells; accordingly, it was subjected to detailed bioactivity‐guided fractionation. As a result of the multistep chromatographic purifications (VLC, CPC, PLC, gel filtration), five flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, centaureidin, casticin and artemetin) and five sesquiterpenoids (paulitin, isopaulitin, psilostachyin C, desacetylmatricarin and sintenin) were isolated and identified by spectroscopic methods. The antiproliferative assay demonstrated that centaureidin is the most effective constituent of the aerial parts of yarrow: high cell growth inhibitory activities were observed especially on HeLa (IC50 0.0819 µm) and MCF‐7 (IC50 0.1250 µm) cells. Casticin and paulitin were also highly effective against all three tumour cell lines (IC50 1.286–4.76 µm), while apigenin, luteolin and isopaulitin proved to be moderately active (IC50 6.95–32.88 µm). Artemetin, psilostachyin C, desacetylmatricarin and sintenin did not display antiproliferative effects against these cell lines. This is the first report on the occurrence of seco‐pseudoguaianolides (paulitin, isopaulitin and psilostachyin C) in the Achillea genus. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of garlic consumption on Th1/Th2 cytokines in phytohemagglutinin (PHA) activated rat spleen lymphocytes
Authors: Zamani Alireza , Vahidinia Aliasghar , Ghannad Masoud Sabouri 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe balance and regulation of T helper 1 (Th1) and Th2‐type cytokines are important in the effective immune response to different diseases. To clarify the effect of garlic (Allium sativum L.) consumption on the Th1/Th2 balance, the secretion of gamma interferon (IFN‐γ) and interleukin‐4 (IL‐4), as two prototypes of Th1/Th2 cytokines, were compared in serum and supernatant of in vitro phytohemagglutinin activated rat spleen lymphocytes. Thirty male rats were divided equally into two groups. The treatment group received garlic solution in water (600 mg/kg/4 mL) and controls received distilled water by gavage. After 1 month, serum and supernatant of PHA activated spleen lymphocytes were analysed for IFN‐γ and IL‐4 by the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay test and thymus and spleen weights were measured. The garlic treatment group showed significantly decreased production of IFN‐γ from 101.73 ± 4.62 to 74.64 ± 4.64 pg/mL and significantly increased IL‐4 production from 26.75 ± 3.35 to 83.92 ± 6.56 pg/mL (p < 0.001) in the supernatant of PHA induced spleen lymphocytes. The serum level of these cytokines was undetectable. The mean weight of thymuses in the garlic fed animals was significantly reduced from 0.456 ± 0.016 to 0.368 ± 0.023g compared with the control group (p < 0.005). There were no significant differences between the spleen weights in the two groups. In conclusion, oral garlic treatment may favor a Th2 or humoral immune response. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Echinacea as an antiinflammatory agent: the influence of physiologically relevant parameters
Authors: Sharma M. , Schoop R. , Hudson J. B. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractNumerous Echinacea preparations are available on the market for the prevention and treatment of cold and 'flu symptoms and inflammatory conditions associated with infections. Most of these preparations are consumed orally in the form of aqueous or ethanol extracts and tinctures. Since the recommended consumption normally involves a brief local exposure to the diluted preparation at an unspecified time in relation to the actual infection, then it is important that experimental models for the evaluation of Echinacea reflect these limitations. A line of human bronchial epithelial cells, in which rhinoviruses stimulate the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, was used to evaluate several relevant parameters. The chemically characterized Echinacea preparation (Echinaforce®) was capable of inhibiting completely the rhinovirus induced secretion of IL‐6 (interleukin‐6) and IL‐8 (chemokine CXCL‐8) in these cells, regardless of whether the Echinacea was added before or after virus infection, and in response to a range of virus doses. This inhibitory effect was also manifest under conditions resembling normal consumption with respect to the duration of exposure to Echinacea and the Echinacea dilution. It is concluded that under real life conditions of Echinacea consumption, the virus‐induced stimulation of pro‐inflammatory cytokines can be effectively reversed or alleviated. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Retrospective evaluation of biopsychosocial determinants and treatment response in patients receiving devil's claw extract (doloteffinR)
Authors: Thanner J. , Kohlmann Th. , Künzel O. , Chrubasik S. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractIn a retrospective evaluation of patients taking part for 2 months in a postmarketing surveillance study on the effectiveness and safety of Harpagophytum procumbens, associations were found to known explanators of pain, disability and depression. Therefore, treatment non‐responders might best be referred to a multimodal pain relief program that deals with fear avoidance beliefs, enhances experiences that decrease perceptions linking disability and pain and forces the patients to rethink the way they deal with the problem. However, during treatment with the aqueous Harpagophytum extract, this decision might reasonably be postponed to the end of month 4, since it has been shown that the maximum pain relief occurs after 3–4 months. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relative Rényi entropy for atoms
Authors: Nagy Á. , Romera E. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractPosition and momentum space relative Rényi entropies of order α are presented for ground‐state neutral atoms with atomic numbers Z = 1–103. Simple hydrogen‐like model densities are used as the reference. A relationship with the atomic radius and quantum capacitance is also discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009
Chemical calculations and chemicals that might calculate
Authors: Barnett Michael P. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractI summarize some applications of symbolic calculation to the evaluation of molecular integrals over Slater orbitals, and discuss some spin‐offs of this work that have wider potential. These include the exploration of the mechanized use of analogy. I explain the methods that I use to do this, in relation to mathematical proofs and to modeling step by step processes such as organic syntheses and NMR pulse sequences. Another spin‐off relates to biological information processing. Some challenges and opportunities in the information infrastructure of interdisciplinary research are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009
Physicochemical, Pasting, Thermal and Morphological Characteristics of Indian Water Chestnut (Trapa natans) Starch
Authors: Singh Gagan Deep , Bawa Amrinder S. , Singh Sukhcharn , Saxena Dharmesh C. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractStarch extracted from Indian water chestnut was investigated for its physicochemical characteristics. The results were compared with those obtained from two commercial starches (corn and potato). The pasting properties were tested in the Rapid Visco Analyser and thermal properties with a differential scanning calorimeter. Water chestnut starch possessed higher breakdown viscosity (BV) and setback viscosity (SV) than corn and potato starches. However, the pasting temperature of water chestnut starch was not significantly different from that of corn starch. Lower ΔHgel values were obtained for water chestnut starch than for the other two starches whereas the onset, peak and conclusion temperatures of gelatinization (To, Tp and Tc) for water chestnut starch were quite comparable with corn starch. Scanning electron micrographs showed similarity in starch granule shape between water chestnut and potato starch with corn starch showing surface wrinkles on starch granule surfaces.