bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A comparison of the pharmacokinetics of antithrombin derived from human plasma and from transgenic goats and the prevention of sepsis in an animal model
Authors: Dickneite Gerhard 
Published: June 2008

AbstractAntithrombin (AT) is the principal inhibitor of thrombin and other serine proteases of the coagulation cascade. AT has previously been prepared from human plasma (hpAT), and a transgenic variant from goat milk (tgAT) is now available. Two open‐label, parallel pharmacokinetic studies in rats (n=18) and rabbits (n=18) compared plasma concentrations of hpAT and tgAT following intravenous administration; the efficacy of the two preparations in prolonging survival from bacterial‐induced sepsis was compared in two open‐label, randomised, placebo‐controlled studies in rats (n=266). Maximum plasma concentrations were approximately dose‐proportional and were similar for both hpAT and tgAT. The elimination of tgAT was faster than hpAT, and the t1/2 of hpAT was longer than that of tgAT in both rats (0.85–1.92 h versus 0.17–0.73 h) and rabbits (19–38 h versus 1.5–2.2 h). Correspondingly, tgAT showed a lower area under the curve, mean residence time, pharmacokinetic response to dosing and a higher clearance rate. In a meta‐analysis of the efficacy studies, the overall hazard ratio for death was 1.36 (tgAT:hpAT; p=0.06; 95% CI 0.99–1.86). HpAT and tgAT have differing pharmacokinetic properties in pre‐clinical studies. Further research is necessary to establish whether this translates into efficacy differences in vivo and in the clinical therapy of sepsis. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation of aminated core‐shell fluorescent nanoparticles and their application to the synchronous fluorescence determination of γ‐globulin
Authors: Gao Feng , Luo Fabao , Yin Jun , Wang Lun 
Published: June 2008

AbstractAmino‐modified silica nanoparticles (FSNPs) doped with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) were synthesized by using an aqueous core of reverse‐micelle microemulsion as the nanoreactor in an easy one‐pot method. Due to the FITC conjugating with (3‐aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTS), the nanoparticles prevent the FITC from leaching from the silica matrix when immersed in aqueous solution. SEM, FTIR, fluorescence lifetime, a photobleaching experiment and synchronous fluorescence spectra were used to characterize the FSNPs. The synchronous fluorescence signal of FSNPs was enhanced when trace amounts of γ‐globulin (γ‐G) were added. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the enhanced fluorescence intensity (ΔF) was linear with the concentration of γ‐G (c) in the range 0.3–4.8 µg/mL, with a detection limit of 0.04 µg/mL. The proposed method is simple, sensitive for the determination of trace amounts of γ‐G and used to determine the content of γ‐G in synthetic samples with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ground‐ and excited‐state proton transfer and antioxidant activity of 3‐hydroxyflavone in egg yolk phosphatidylcholine liposomes: absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic studies
Authors: Chaudhuri Sudip , Basu Kaushik , Sengupta Bidisa , Banerjee Anwesha , Sengupta Pradeep K. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractExcited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and dual luminescence behaviour of 3‐hydroxyflavone (3‐HF) have been utilized to monitor its binding to liposomal membranes prepared from egg yolk phosphatydilcholine (EYPC). Additionally, absorption spectrophotometric assay has been performed to evaluate the antioxidant activity of 3‐HF against lipid peroxidation in this membrane system. When 3‐HF molecules are partitioned into EYPC liposomes, a weak long‐wavelength absorption band with λ ∼410 nm appears in addition to the principal absorption at ∼λ = 345 nm. Selective excitation of the 410 nm band produces the characteristic emission (λ∼460 nm) of the ground‐state anionic species, whereas excitation at the higher energy absorption band leads to dual emission with predominatly ESIPT tautomer fluorescence (λ = 528 nm). Both ESIPT tautomer and the anionic species exhibit fairly high fluorescence anisotropy (r) values (r = 0.122 and 0.180, respectively). Biexponential fluorescence decay kinetics are observed for the ESIPT tautomer as well as the ground‐state anionic forms, indicating heterogeneity in the microenvironments of the corresponding emitting species. Furthermore, we demonstrate that lipid peroxidation of EYPC liposomes is significantly inhibited upon 3‐HF binding, suggesting that 3‐HF can be potentially useful as an inhibitor of peroxidative damage of cell membranes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of mitochondrial DNA on human lifespan: A view from studies on centenarians
Authors: Salvioli Stefano , Capri Miriam , Santoro Aurelia , Raule Nicola , Sevini Federica , Lukas Stella , Lanzarini Catia , Monti Daniela , Passarino Giuseppe , Rose Giuseppina , De Benedictis Giovanna , Franceschi Claudio 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe role of inherited and somatic mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in aging and longevity is complex and highly controversial, owing to its peculiar genetics, including the phenomenon of heteroplasmy. Most of the data on mtDNA and longevity have been obtained on humans and particularly on centenarians, i. e., people who escaped or delayed the major age‐related pathologies and reached the extreme limit of human lifespan. In this review we summarize the most recent advances in this field that suggest a consistent role in human longevity of both germ‐line inherited and somatically acquired mutations. The particular case of the association with longevity of the somatic C150T mutation is extensively discussed, challenging the tenet that mtDNA mutations are basically detrimental. We also stress several limitations of our present knowledge, regarding the difficulty in extrapolating to humans the results obtained in animal models, owing to a variety of biological differences, including the very limited genetic variability of mtDNA in the strains used in laboratory experiments. The use of high‐throughput technologies and the extensive analysis, possibly at the single cell level, of different tissues and cell types derived from the same individual will help in disentangling the complexity of mtDNA in aging and longevity.
Female sexual dysfunction after ileal pouch–anal anastomosis
Authors: Ogilvie Jr J W , Goetz L , Baxter N N , Park J , Minami S , Madoff R D 
Published: June 2008

Abstract

Background
The aim was to measure female sexual function after total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch–anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis using a validated scoring system and to determine the impact of pouch function on sexual function.

Methods
A cross-sectional survey was performed using a modified version of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-m). Measures of pouch function, including the Faecal Incontinence Severity Index, were also evaluated.

Results
Of 166 women eligible for inclusion, 90 responded to the questionnaires and 83 of these reported sexual activity. The mean age of the 83 women was 38·4 years and the mean time since pouch formation was 6·2 years. Thirty-nine women (47·0 per cent) had an FSFI-m score of 26 or less, indicating sexual dysfunction. The association between sexual dysfunction and stool leakage interfering with the ability to enjoy sexual activity tended toward significance (P = 0·071), but other measures of pouch function were not associated with sexual dysfunction. Some 55–80 per cent of respondents perceived no change or improved performance in the six domains of sexual function.

Conclusion
Almost half of the respondents reported having sexual dysfunction. Although poor pouch function was not identified as an important predictor of sexual dysfunction in this series, larger studies may be required to identify associated prognostic factors clearly.
Espin actin‐cytoskeletal proteins are in rat type I spiral ganglion neurons and include splice‐isoforms with a functional nuclear localization signal
Authors: Sekerková Gabriella , Zheng Lili , Mugnaini Enrico , Bartles James R. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe espins are Ca2+‐resistant actin‐bundling proteins that are enriched in hair cell stereocilia and sensory cell microvilli. Here, we report a novel localization of espins to a large proportion of rat type I spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) and their projections to the cochlear nucleus (CN). Moreover, we show that a fraction of these espins is in the nucleus of SGNs owing to the presence of splice‐isoforms that contain a functional nuclear localization signal (NLS). Espin antibody labeled ∼83% of type I SGNs, and the labeling intensity increased dramatically during early postnatal development. Type II SGNs and vestibular ganglion neurons were unlabeled. In the CN, espin‐positive auditory nerve fibers showed a projection pattern typical of type I SGNs, with intense labeling in the nerve root region and posteroventral CN (PVCN). The anteroventral CN (AVCN) showed moderate labeling, whereas the dorsal CN showed weak labeling that was restricted to the deep layer. Espin‐positive synaptic terminals were enriched around nerve root neurons and octopus cells in the PVCN and were also found on globular bushy cells and multipolar neurons in the PVCN and AVCN. SGNs expressed multiple espin transcripts and proteins, including splice‐isoforms that contain a nonapeptide, which is rich in positively charged amino acids and creates a bipartite NLS. The nonapeptide was necessary to target espin isoforms to the nucleus and was sufficient to target an unrelated protein to the nucleus when joined with the upstream di‐arginine‐containing octapeptide. The presence of cytoplasmic and nuclear espins in SGNs suggests additional roles for espins in auditory neuroscience. J. Comp. Neurol. 509:661–676, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The specificity of priming effects over the first year of life
Authors: DeFrancisco Carolyn Rovee‐Collier Becky Sweeney 
Published: June 2008

AbstractDespite its significance for the enduring effect of early experience, the specificity of priming on infants' forgotten memories is unknown. This study determined the impact of cue and context changes on the initial priming and retrieval of the reactivated memory over the first postnatal year. Infants were operantly trained with a distinctive cue in a particular context. After forgetting, they were primed and tested for renewed retention with combinations of old and new cues and contexts. Priming was hyperspecific to the original cue and original context at all but 12 months, when the memory was reactivated in a novel context. At 9–12 months, the reactivated memory generalized to a novel cue or context. At younger ages, the reactivated memory generalized only after a very brief prime. These findings indicate that priming in early infancy is initially conservative, buffering against recovering memories in contexts that might no longer be appropriate. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 50: 486–501, 2008.
Calculation of distribution system voltage and power flow state using measured values
Authors: Tanomura Kenichi , Ogita Yoshihiro , Kaneshige Yumiko , Ishii Junji , Arai Junichi 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThis paper describes a techique of calculating voltage and power flow state of a distribution system using the information measured with two or more switches with sensors installed in a distribution system. In the proposed technique, a set of the power distribution section where two or more switches with a sensor are connected is defined as the large section, and the active power and reactive power consumption in the large section are calculated based on measurement information, voltage (RMS), current (RMS), and power factor. Using the simple distribution system model consisting of the large sections, the power consumption of the large section is calculated by the power flow calculation to separate power consumption and power distribution loss. It is distributed to the small sections that constitute the large section, and detailed power flow calculation is performed. Verification of the proposed technique and basic estimation of the calculation error were performed using the simple power distribution system model. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 164(4): 33–42, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20416
Autonomous decentralized voltage profile control of super‐distributed energy system using multi‐agent technology
Authors: Tsuji Takao , Hara Ryoichi , Oyama Tsutomu , Yasuda Keiichiro 
Published: June 2008

AbstractA super‐distributed energy system is a future energy system in which a large part of its demand is fed by a huge number of distributed generators. At one time some nodes in the super‐distributed energy system behave as load, whereas at other times they behave as generator—the characteristic of each node depends on the customers' decision. In such situation, it is very difficult to regulate the voltage profile over the system due to the complexity of power flows. This paper proposes a novel control method of distributed generators that can achieve autonomous decentralized voltage profile regulation by using multi‐agent technology. The proposed multi‐agent system employs two types of agent: a control agent and a mobile agent. Control agents generate or consume reactive power to regulate the voltage profile of neighboring nodes and mobile agents transmit the information necessary for VQ‐control among the control agents. The proposed control method is tested through numerical simulations. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 164(4): 43–52, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20484
Theoretical investigation on skin effect factor of conductor in power cables
Authors: Suzuki Hiroshi , Kanaoka Mamoru 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThis paper describes a newly derived theoretical equation on the skin effect factor of power cables, and its application to large‐size OF and XLPE cables with segmental conductors, including insulated wires.The skin effect factors calculated with the new equation were fit very well to measurements in a wide range of conductor sizes. In the new equation, the important factor which characterizes the skin effect of segmental conductors is the “equivalent conductivity ratio” v defined by the ratio of longitudinal conductivity in axial direction of conductor to conductivity of conductor wires.Since the obtained ratio v in XLPE cable was three times greater than that in OF cable, the larger longitudinal eddy current passing from a wire to another increased the eddy current loss in conductor, which increased the conductor loss of XLPE cable. The new equation enables us to investigate quantitatively the dominant loss component affecting the skin effect factor.Then, the skin effect factors and coefficients for OF and XLPE cables were investigated with the new equation. It was revealed that the best number of separation, in which the skin effect reached a minimum, existed in OF and XLPE cables with segmental conductors. In addition, it was confirmed that the skin effect coefficients ks1 calculated with the new equation were very consistent with those used in JCS. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 165(1): 18–34, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20576
Proposal of next‐generation three‐dimensional X‐ray lithography and its application to fabrication of a high‐luminescence optical waveguide for a liquid crystal backlight unit
Authors: Utsumi Yuichi , Kishimoto Takefumi , Hattori Tadashi , Minamitani Megumi 
Published: June 2008

AbstractWe have developed a new 3D X‐ray lithography system for LIGA processing using synchrotron radiation at the New SUBARU facility of the University of Hyogo. The X‐ray lithography system can utilize two different energy regions; one is a high‐energy region from 3 keV to 10 keV, and the other is a low‐energy region from 0.1 to 2 keV. Each energy region can be selected in accordance with the size and shape of the desired microstructures. It is demonstrated that a large‐area high‐luminance 7‐inch optical waveguide for the liquid crystal backlight unit was successfully fabricated with this X‐ray lithography method. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 165(1): 52–59, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience. wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20680
Basic characteristics of electric double layer capacitor mixing ketjen black as conductive filler
Authors: Tashima Daisuke , Kurosawatsu Kenji , Taniguchi Mitsufumi , Uota Masafumi , Otsubo Masahisa 
Published: June 2008

AbstractIn this study, ketjen black was used for polarized electrodes instead of conventionally employed acetylene black in order to improve the capacitance of an activated carbon‐based electric double layer capacitor (EDLC). Usually, ketjen black exhibits higher electronic conductivity compared to acetylene black, so that ketjen black could be considered as a conducting fiber. Moreover, N2 absorption‐desorption isotherm as well as TEM observation revealed that ketjen black used in this study has different types of pore structures compared to acetylene black. The capacitances of prepared EDLC were evaluated from discharge characteristics. It was found that the ketjen black containing EDLC showed fairly high capacitance compared to the one with acetylene black. In particular, an EDLC with 8 wt% ketjen black showed the highest capacitance among prepared samples. The specific capacitance of the best one was evaluated as 59.2 F/g. It was also found that the EDLC with 8 wt% ketjen black exhibited fairly stable capacitance at elevated temperatures based on the temperature dependence for capacitance in an EDLC with 10 wt% acetylene black and one with 8 wt% ketjen black. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 165(1): 1– 8, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience. wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20772
Parametric study of biodiesel production from used soybean oil
Authors: Allawzi Mamdouh , Kandah Munther Issa 
Published: June 2008

AbstractBiodiesel, an alternative diesel fuel derived from vegetable oil, animal fat, or waste vegetable oil (WVO), is obtained by reacting the oil or fat with an alcohol (transesterification) in the presence of a basic catalyst to produce the corresponding mono‐alkyl esters. In this work, the effect of the catalyst KOH‐to‐WVO ratio, ethanol concentration, and time of reaction on the biodiesel yield were investigated. The transesterification reaction was performed at a constant temperature (35 °C) in order to minimize the cost of heating and ethanol evaporation. A 23 complete factorial design on biodiesel yield (Y) was performed using low and high levels of operating variables: KOH concentration (9–14 g/L), ethanol concentration (30–40 vol‐%) and time (30–40 min). The complete factorial model that can be used to fit the data was determined. The model shows that interactions exist among the parameters and that the parameters, or factors, do not operate independently on the response (biodiesel yield). The highest yield was obtained in the first 30 min of reaction time. The results indicate that the highest yield was 78.5 vol‐% using a KOH‐to‐WVO ratio of 12 g/L and 30 vol‐% ethanol. The ASTM tests indicate that the biodiesel properties are within the biodiesel standard limits.
Comparison of association methods for dense marker data
Authors: Bacanu Silviu‐Alin , Nelson Matthew R. , Ehm Margaret G. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractWhile data sets based on dense genome scans are becoming increasingly common, there are many theoretical questions that remain unanswered. How can a large number of markers in high linkage disequilibrium (LD) and rare disease variants be simulated efficiently? How should markers in high LD be analyzed: individually or jointly? Are there fast and simple methods to adjust for correlation of tests? What is the power penalty for conservative Bonferroni adjustments? Assuming that association scans are adequately powered, we attempt to answer these questions. Performance of single‐point and multipoint tests, and their hybrids, is investigated using two simulation designs. The first simulation design uses theoretically derived LD patterns. The second design uses LD patterns based on real data. For the theoretical simulations we used polychoric correlation as a measure of LD to facilitate simulation of markers in LD and rare disease variants. Based on the simulation results of the two studies, we conclude that statistical tests assuming only additive genotype effects (i.e. Armitage and especially multipoint T2) should be used cautiously due to their suboptimal power in certain settings. A false discovery rate (FDR)‐adjusted combination of tests for additive, dominant and recessive effects had close to optimal power. However, the common genotypic χ2 test performed adequately and could be used in lieu of the FDR combination. While some hybrid methods yield (sometimes spectacularly) higher power they are computationally intensive. We also propose an “exact” method to adjust for multiple testing, which yields nominally higher power than the Bonferroni correction. Genet. Epidemiol. 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Morphine causes rapid increases in glial activation and neuronal injury in the striatum of inducible HIV‐1 tat transgenic mice
Authors: Bruce‐Keller Annadora J. , Turchan‐Cholewo Jadwiga , Smart Eric J. , Geurin Theresa , Chauhan Ashok , Reid Rollie , Xu Ruqiang , Nath Avindra , Knapp Pamela E. , Hauser Kurt F. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractHIV encephalitis (HIVE) is accompanied by brain inflammation, leukocyte infiltration, and glial activation, and HIV patients who abuse opiates are more likely to develop HIVE. To better understand how opiates could alter HIV‐related brain inflammation, the expression of astrocyte (GFAP immunoreactivity) and macrophage/microglial (F4/80 or Mac1 immunoreactivity) markers in the striatum, and the percentage of 3‐nitrotyrosine (3‐NT) positive macrophages/microglia, was determined following a 2‐day exposure to morphine (5 mg/kg/day via time‐release, subcutaneous implant) and doxycycline in GFAP‐driven, doxycycline‐inducible HIV‐1 Tat transgenic mice. Data show that both morphine and Tat induction via doxycycline increased astrocyte activation, with significant additive increases achieved with combined morphine and doxycycline exposure. By contrast, combined Tat induction and morphine exposure, but neither manipulation alone, significantly increased the proportion of macrophages/microglia present in the striatum of transgenic mice, although morphine exposure was necessary to elevate 3‐NT co‐detection in Mac1‐positive macrophages/microglia. Finally, Tat induction increased the percentage of neurons expressing active caspase‐3, and this was even more significantly elevated by co‐administration of morphine. In spite of elevations in caspase‐3, neuronal TUNEL reactivity was unchanged in all groups, even after 10 days of Tat induction. Importantly, co‐administration of naltrexone completely antagonized the effects of morphine. These findings indicate that morphine rapidly and significantly increases the activation of astrocytes and macrophages/microglia in the brains of inducible Tat transgenic mice, supporting the theory that early inflammatory changes in glia could underlie the development of HIVE in opiate‐abusing AIDS patients. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.