bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Population‐based research on occupational and environmental factors for leukemia and non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma: The Northern Germany Leukemia and Lymphoma Study (NLL)
Authors: Hoffmann W. , Terschueren C. , Heimpel H. , Feller A. , Butte W. , Hostrup O. , Richardson D. , Greiser E. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractBackgroundThe Northern Germany Leukemia and Lymphoma Study (NLL) is a population‐based study designed to provide a quantitative basis for investigations into occupational and environmental risk factors for leukemia and lymphoma.MethodsAll incident cases of leukemia and lymphoma diagnosed between 1/1/1986 and 12/31/1998 in six counties in Northern Germany were actively ascertained. Controls were selected from population registries. Use of pesticides, sources of food supply, time spent at home and work, medical and family history were assessed via face‐to‐face interview. This self‐reported information was used in conjunction with direct environmental measurements of pesticides in household dust and electromagnetic fields (EMFs). In addition, geographical information system (GIS) data were used to derive estimates of environmental exposure to pesticides, EMFs associated with transmission lines, and ionizing radiation from routine nuclear power reactor operations. Occupational exposure assessment was based on lifetime work history. For each job, information on branch of industry, company, job description, and duration of employment were ascertained.ResultsFourteen hundred thirty cases and 3041 controls were recruited. Lifetime residential and workplace histories totaled 49,628 addresses. Occupational exposure to pesticides was reported by 15% of the male participants (women: 16%). Four percent of the men (women: 8%) were occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation for ≥1 year over their lifetime. Sixty four percent of the participants had lived in the vicinity (20 km) of a nuclear power plant in operation.ConclusionsThe NLL illustrates the successful application of innovative methods to simultaneously assess occupational and environmental risk factors for leukemia and lymphoma including radiological hazards, pesticides, and EMFs. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:246–257, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A new autosomal recessive syndrome of ocular colobomas, ichthyosis, brain malformations and endocrine abnormalities in an inbred Emirati family
Authors: Al‐Gazali L. , Hertecant J. , Algawi K. , El Teraifi H. , Dattani M. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractWe report on an inbred Emirati family of Baluchi origin with ocular colobomas, ichthyosis, and endocrine abnormalities associated with midline brain malformations and mental retardation. All affected children had ocular colobomas, developmental delay and midline brain malformations. Hypoplastic pituitary gland was present in all three investigated children. Ichthyosiform dermatitis appeared in infancy in all surviving children. Other variable features include congenital heart defects, hypertrichosis and dark skin involving the dorsum of hands and feet associated with mild degree of palmo‐plantar keratoderma. Some of the features in this family overlap the CHIME (Coloboma of the eye, Heart defect, Ichthyosiform dermatosis, Mental retardation, and Ear defect) syndrome. However, several features described in CHIME syndrome were not present in these children. These include deafness, seizures, oligodontia, and hair abnormalities. Some of the features in these children also overlap with septo‐optic dysplasia (SOD) but optic nerve hypoplasia, mandatory for the diagnosis of SOD, was present in one child only. We suggest that these children have a new autosomal recessive syndrome of ocular colobomas and ichthyosis. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genetic analyses of Roundabout (ROBO) axon guidance receptors in autism
Authors: Anitha A. , Nakamura Kazuhiko , Yamada Kazuo , Suda Shiro , Thanseem Ismail , Tsujii Masatsugu , Iwayama Yoshimi , Hattori Eiji , Toyota Tomoko , Miyachi Taishi , Iwata Yasuhide , Suzuki Katsuaki , Matsuzaki Hideo , Kawai Masayoshi , Sekine Yoshimoto , Tsuchiya Kenji , Sugihara Gen‐ichi , Ouchi Yasuomi , Sugiyama Toshiro , Koizumi Keita , Higashida Haruhiro , Takei Nori , Yoshikawa Takeo , Mori Norio 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAutism is a pervasive developmental disorder diagnosed in early childhood. Abnormalities of serotonergic neurotransmission have been reported in autism. Serotonin transporter (SERT) modulates serotonin levels, and is a major therapeutic target in autism. Factors that regulate SERT expression might be implicated in the pathophysiology of autism. One candidate SERT regulatory protein is the roundabout axon guidance molecule, ROBO. SerT expression in Drosophila is regulated by robo; it plays a vital role in mammalian neurodevelopment also. Here, we examined the associations of ROBO3 and ROBO4 with autism, in a trio association study using DNA from 252 families recruited to AGRE. Four SNPs of ROBO3 (rs3923890, P = 0.023; rs7925879, P = 0.017; rs4606490, P = 0.033; and rs3802905, P = 0.049) and a single SNP of ROBO4 (rs6590109, P = 0.009) showed associations with autism; the A/A genotype of rs3923890 showed lower ADI‐R_A scores, which reflect social interaction. Significant haplotype associations were also observed for ROBO3 and ROBO4. We further compared the mRNA expressions of ROBO1, ROBO2, ROBO3, and ROBO4 in the lymphocytes of 19 drug‐naïve autistic patients and 20 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. Expressions of ROBO1 (P = 0.018) and ROBO2 (P = 0.023) were significantly reduced in the autistic group; the possibility of using the altered expressions of ROBO as peripheral markers for autism, may be explored. In conclusion, we suggest a possible role of ROBO in the pathogenesis of autism. Abnormalities of ROBO may lead to autism either by interfering with serotonergic system, or by disrupting neurodevelopment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report relating ROBO with autism. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
DISC1 mRNA expression is not influenced by common Cis‐acting regulatory polymorphisms or imprinting
Authors: Hayesmoore J.B.G. , Bray N.J. , Owen M.J. , O'Donovan M.C. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThe hypothesis that genetic variation in Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) influences risk of schizophrenia and other major psychiatric disorders is supported by a growing body of genetic association data and plausible functional biology. Risk of psychiatric disorder is not attributable to non‐synonymous changes that alter the protein coding sequence of DISC1, although certain such variants possibly contribute to risk haplotypes. Thus, it is widely hypothesized that the risk variants at DISC1 influence its expression. As a complicating factor, it has also been recently proposed that DISC1 is subject to imprinting, a hypothesis that would profoundly influence the interpretation of current genetic studies. We have tested these two main hypotheses using allelic expression analysis. Of 148 human brain mRNA samples, 65 were informative for analysis. However, only a single sample showed evidence for unequal expression of paternal and maternal transcripts. Analysis of the proximal promoter region in that subject revealed the presence of a previously unknown duplication of the 22 nucleotides −168 to −147 relative to the transcription start site. However, the altered expression in that subject did not appear to be explained by this insertion. Our data robustly demonstrate that DISC1 is not imprinted in the adult human brain, and strongly suggest that reports of genetic association between DISC1 and psychiatric disorder are not explicable by sequence changes that alter mRNA abundance. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) gene variants: Possible association of the Val158Met variant with opiate addiction in hispanic women
Authors: Oosterhuis Bronson E. , LaForge K. Steven , Proudnikov Dmitri , Ho Ann , Nielsen David A. , Gianotti Robert , Barral Sandra , Gordon Derek , Leal Suzanne M. , Ott Jurg , Kreek Mary Jeanne 
Published: February 2008

AbstractCatechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) catalyzes the breakdown of catechol neurotransmitters, including dopamine, which plays a prominent role in drug reward. A common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), G472A, codes for a Val158Met substitution and results in a fourfold down regulation of enzyme activity. We sequenced exon IV ofCOMTgene in search for novel polymorphisms and then genotyped four out of five identified by direct sequencing, using TaqMan assay on 266 opioid‐dependent and 173 control subjects. Genotype frequencies of the G472A SNP varied significantly (P = 0.029) among the three main ethnic/cultural groups (Caucasians, Hispanics, and African Americans). Using a genotype test, we found a trend to point‐wise association (P = 0.053) of the G472A SNP in Hispanic subjects with opiate addiction. Further analysis of G472A genotypes in Hispanic subjects with data stratified by gender identified a point‐wise significant (P = 0.049) association of G/A and A/A genotypes with opiate addiction in women, but not men. These point‐wise significant results are not significant experiment‐wise (atP < 0.05) after correction for multiple testing. No significant association was found with haplotypes of the three most common SNPs. Linkage disequilibrium patterns were similar for the three ethnic/cultural groups. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Elektrostatische Aufladung durch Separierung von Ionen an Grenzflächen: Kontaktelektrisierung von ionischen Elektreten
Authors: McCarty Logan S. , Whitesides George M. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractGegenstand dieses Aufsatz sind ionische Elektrete: ihre Herstellung, ihr Bildungsmechanismus, Methoden zu ihrer Charakterisierung und ihre Anwendungen. Ein Elektret ist ein Material, das an seiner Oberfläche ein permanentes makroskopisches elektrisches Feld aufweist; dieses Feld kann aus einer Nettoausrichtung von polaren Gruppen im Material oder aus einer makroskopischen elektrostatischen Nettoladung auf dem Material resultieren. Ein ionisches Elektret ist ein Material, das aufgrund einer unterschiedlichen Zahl von kationischen und anionischen Ladungen eine elektrostatische Nettoladung aufbaut. Jedes Material, das Ionen auf seiner Oberfläche trägt oder verfügbare Ionen in der Volumenphase enthält, ist ein potenzielles ionisches Elektret. Wird ein derartiges Material mit einem anderen Material in Kontakt gebracht, können zwischen ihnen Ionen übertragen werden. Falls Anionen und Kationen unterschiedliche Transferneigungen haben, kann dies dazu führen, dass zwischen den beiden Materialien eine Nettoladung übertragen wird. Ionische Elektrete, deren Bildung auf diesem Ionentransfermechanismus basiert, sind das Thema dieses Aufsatzes, der sowohl experimentelle Nachweise als auch theoretische Modelle diskutiert; außerdem wird eine noch unbewiesene Hypothese vorgeschlagen, wonach dieser Ionentransfermechanismus auch die allgegenwärtige Kontaktelektrisierung (“statische Elektrizität”) von Materialien, z. B. organischen Polymeren, erklären könnte, die nicht explizit Ionen auf ihrer Oberfläche haben.
Electrostatic Charging Due to Separation of Ions at Interfaces: Contact Electrification of Ionic Electrets
Authors: McCarty Logan S. , Whitesides George M. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThis Review discusses ionic electrets: their preparation, their mechanisms of formation, tools for their characterization, and their applications. An electret is a material that has a permanent, macroscopic electric field at its surface; this field can arise from a net orientation of polar groups in the material, or from a net, macroscopic electrostatic charge on the material. An ionic electret is a material that has a net electrostatic charge due to a difference in the number of cationic and anionic charges in the material. Any material that has ions at its surface, or accessible in its interior, has the potential to become an ionic electret. When such a material is brought into contact with some other material, ions can transfer between them. If the anions and cations have different propensities to transfer, the unequal transfer of these ions can result in a net transfer of charge between the two materials. This Review focuses on the experimental evidence and theoretical models for the formation of ionic electrets through this ion‐transfer mechanism, and proposes—as a still‐unproved hypothesis—that this ion‐transfer mechanism may also explain the ubiquitous contact electrification (“static electricity”) of materials, such as organic polymers, that do not explicitly have ions at their surface.
Improved antimicrobial activity of polypropylene and cotton nonwoven fabrics by surface treatment and modification with chitosan
Authors: Abdou Entsar S. , Elkholy Said S. , Elsabee Maher Z. , Mohamed Eweis 
Published: February 2008

AbstractNonwoven polypropylene and cotton fabrics were subjected to plasma pretreatment followed by flash evaporation and radiation crosslinking acrylate polymer coating, which is based on a vacuum deposition, solvent free, process that produces high quality, uniform fabrics with various thicknesses (0.05–5.0 μm). These treated fabrics were then dipped into chitosan, carboxymethyl chitosan, and carboxymethyl chitin solution. These polysaccharides form strong complexes with the modified surface. The antimicrobial activity of these treated samples was then evaluated for their antifungal and antibacterial properties. The antifungal activity for Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, Verticillium albo‐atrum, and Alternaria solani (A. alternata) were examined by the disc plate method. The antibacterial activities of the modified fabrics against Clavibacter michiganensis and Pseudomonas solanacearum were also examined by the viable cell counting method. The inhibition zone of the chitosan covered samples has increased by a factor of 2–3.1 over the original pretreated samples. The chitosan‐modified fabrics showed a good antibacterial activity in killing almost 105 cells/mL within 18–23 h. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Uses of electron‐beam irradiation to prepare pH‐ and temperature‐sensitive hydrogels from reactive poly(vinyl alcohol) grafts
Authors: Atta Ayman M. , Elsayed Ashraf M. , Shafy Husein I. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThermosensitive poly(vinyl alcohol)‐graft‐(maleic anhydride), PVA‐MA, and poly(vinyl alcohol)‐graft‐(N‐isopropylacrylamide maleic anhydride) (PVA‐MA‐NIPAAm) copolymers containing carboxyl groups were prepared using electron beam irradiation at dose 80 kGy. The swelling ratios of the cross‐linked gels were measured at various temperatures. The LCST values were measured using DSC technique. The temperature dependence of the swelling ratios of the cross‐linked copolymers and terpolymers were measured at different temperatures. The swelling ratios of copolymers increased with increasing temperature up to 25–38°C, then decreased. The swelling behavior of both copolymers and terpolymers was referred to formation of hydrogen bonds between amide group of NIPAAm moieties and carboxyl group in MA moieties and to hydrophobic interaction due to methyl groups of NIPAAm. The swelling behaviors of these gels were analyzed in buffer solution at various pH. Swelling ratios of all gels were relatively high and they showed reasonable sensitive to pH. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Thermally and mechanically enhanced epoxy resin‐silica hybrid materials containing primary amine‐modified silica nanoparticles
Authors: Chang Kung‐Chin , Lin Chang‐Yu , Lin Hui‐Fen , Chiou Sheng‐Che , Huang Wan‐Chun , Yeh Jui‐Ming , Yang Jen‐Chang 
Published: February 2008

AbstractIn this article, a series of hybrid materials consisted of epoxy resin matrix and well‐dispersed amino‐modified silica (denoted by AMS) nanoparticles were successfully prepared. First of all, the AMS nanoparticles were synthesized by performing the conventional acid‐catalyzed sol–gel reactions of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), which acts as acceded sol–gel precursor in the presence of 3‐aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTES), a silane coupling agent molecules. The as‐prepared AMS nanoparticles were then characterized by FTIR, 13C‐NMR, and 29Si‐NMR spectroscopy. Subsequently, a series of hybrid materials were prepared by performing in situ thermal ring‐opening polymerization reactions of epoxy resin in the presence of as‐prepared AMS nanoparticles and raw silica (RS) particles (i.e., pristine silica). AMS nanoparticles were found to show better dispersion capability in the polymer matrices than that of RS particles based on the morphological observation of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study. The better dispersion capability of AMS nanoparticles in hybrid materials was found to lead enhanced thermal, mechanical properties, reduced moisture absorption, and gas permeability based on the measurements of thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and gas permeability analysis (GPA), respectively. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Effects of fumed silica on the crystallization behavior and thermal properties of poly(hydroxybutyrate‐co‐hydroxyvalerate)
Authors: Ma P. M. , Wang R. Y. , Wang S. F. , Zhang Y. , Zhang Y. X. , Hristova D. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThe effects of fumed silica on the crystallization behavior and thermal properties of poly(hydroxybutyrate‐co‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were investigated. The PHBV/silica composites were prepared by a melt‐blending method. The nonisothermal crystallization, melting process, and isothermal crystallization kinetics of PHBV and PHBV/silica composites were characterized with differential scanning calorimetry. The spherulite development and morphology were observed by polarized optical microscopy. In addition, the thermal degradation properties were determined via thermogravimetric analysis. The results indicated that the melting and crystallization kinetics of PHBV were greatly affected by fumed silica, and this was due to the effective nucleation function of silica, which enhanced the crystallization process. The thermal onset degradation temperature of PHBV increased with the addition of fumed silica. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Thermal properties of polytetrafluoroethylene/Sr2Ce2Ti5O16 polymer/ceramic composites
Authors: Subodh G. , Manjusha M. V. , Philip J. , Sebastian M. T. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractPolytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites filled with Sr2Ce2Ti5O16 ceramic were prepared by a powder processing technique. The structures and microstructures of the composites were investigated by X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the ceramic filler had no effect on the melting point of the PTFE. The effect of the Sr2Ce2Ti5O16 ceramic content [0–0.6 volume fraction (vf)] on the thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), specific heat capacity, and thermal diffusivity were investigated. As the vf of the Sr2Ce2Ti5O16 ceramic increased, the thermal conductivity of the specimen increased, and the CTE decreased. The thermal conductivity and thermal expansion of the PTFE/Sr2Ce2Ti5O16 composites were improved to 1.7 W m−1 °C−1 and 34 ppm/°C, respectively for 0.6 vf of the ceramics. The experimental thermal conductivity and CTE were compared with different theoretical models. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Electrical‐transport properties of iodine‐doped conducting polyaniline
Authors: Sarkar A. , Ghosh P. , Meikap A. K. , Chattopadhyay S. K. , Chatterjee S. K. , Chowdhury P. , Roy K. , Saha B. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractWe investigated the electrical‐transport properties of hydroiodic acid doped polyaniline in the temperature range 77–300 K, applying magnetic field strength to a maximum of 1 T in the frequency range 20 Hz–1 MHz. The direct‐current conductivity was explained by variable range hopping theory, and the direct‐current magnetoconductivity, which was positive, was interpreted by orbital magnetoconductivity theory. The alternating‐current (ac) conductivity was found to follow the universal dielectric response σ′(f) ∝ fs, where σ′(f) is the frequency‐dependent real part of the complex ac conductivity, f is the frequency, and s is the frequency exponent. The trend in the variation of s, the temperature dependence of the frequency exponent, corroborated the fact that the correlated barrier hopping was the dominating charge‐transport mechanism. The ac conductivity also showed a positive variation with magnetic field, which could be interpreted by this theory. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Effect of comonomer type and concentration on the equilibrium swelling and volume phase transition temperature of N‐isopropylacrylamide‐based hydrogels
Authors: Cortés J. A. , Mendizábal E. , Katime I. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThe effect of incorporating a hydrophilic monomer into poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (polyNIPA) hydrogels on the equilibrium swelling and the volume phase transition temperature is reported here. A nonionizable monomer (acrylamide) and three ionizable monomers (itaconic acid, 2‐ethoxyethyl monoitaconate, and 2,2‐(2‐ethoxyethyl) monoitaconate) were studied. Hydrogels with larger swelling capacity than that of the polyNIPA hydrogel were obtained. With the exception of the hydrogel containing 2,2‐(2‐ethoxyethyl) monoitaconate, which did not exhibit the de‐swelling phenomena, the rest showed a volume phase transition. The hydrogels containing 85 wt % acrylamide and 15 wt % comonomer presented the higher shrinking ratio. For some compositions, the Tc of the polyNIPA hydrogel was within the desired temperature range (38–41°C) for controlled‐drug delivery in the human body. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
The application of microencapsulated phase‐change materials to nylon fabric using direct dual coating method
Authors: Koo Kang , Park Youngmi , Choe Jongdeok , Kim Eunae 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThe fabrication of functional textiles able to provide thermal regulation and comfort for the body has attracted increasing interest in recent years. This research investigated fabric coatings containing energy absorbing, temperature stabilizing, phase‐change material microcapsules (PCMMcs), and their methods of application. Specifically, a coated fabric was directly prepared by a dual‐type coating method, in which the PCMMcs were dispersed in a polyurethane coating solution with no binder. The thermal performances of the dual‐coated samples were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry, and their physical characteristics were examined by scanning electron microscopy, thermal vision camera, porosity, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and water entry pressure (WEP) analyses. Furthermore, the microclimate characteristics of the thermally enhanced fabrics were investigated under experimental conditions using a human‐clothing‐environment (HCE) simulator system. The study results confirmed the superior performance of the dual‐coated fabrics in terms of thermal regulation and body comfort, compared with those coated by the dry or wet coating method, because of the improved WEP, WVTR, and thermal performance. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008