bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of thiazopyr metabolism in plant seedlings by inhibitors of monooxygenases
Authors: Feng Paul C. C. , Rao S. Raja , Schafer David E. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractMetabolism of the herbicide thiazopyr [methyl 2‐(difluoromethyl)‐5‐(4, 5‐dihydroO‐lhiazo!vt)‐4‐(2‐methylpropy!)‐6‐(trinuorornethyl)‐3‐pyridinecarboxy‐late] was examined in young seedlings of redroot pigweed, grain sorghum, sunflower, corn and soybean. As previously observed with rat liver microsomes plants predominantly metabolized thiazopyr via oxidation reactions.Sulfur and carbon atoms in the thiazoline ring were the primary sites of plant oxygenases. De‐esterification was also identified as an important pathway of transformations in plants. Although similar pathways of thiazopyr metabolism were observed among plants, our data indicated species differences in rates of thiazopyr degradation. Among species examined, pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) showed the fastest metabolism. Thiazopyr metabolism in pigweed was significantly inhibited by several cytochrome P450 monooxygenase inhibitors, among which tetcyclacis (TET) and piperonyl butoxide (PBO) were the most inhibitory. Thiazopyr metabolism in pigweed was not inhibited by organophosphates, known inhibitors of esterases. The results suggest that thiazopyr metabolism in plants is predominantly mediated via plant mono‐oxygenases.
Effect of UV irradiation on the degradation of methyl bromide in air. Role of moisture and oxygen concentration
Authors: Gennari Mara , Cignetti Alessandro , Gentile Irene Abbattista , Vindrola Daniela 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThis paper reports the effect of irradiation at wavelengths from 250 to 785 nm on methyl bromide disappearance from air with two different moisture contents (15 mg litre−1 and < 5 mg lire−1) and from a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen and water. In all cases, first‐order disappearance kinetics were observed. The half‐life varied from 22 min with irradiation at 250–420 nm to 326 h with irradiation at 366–750 nm. Increase in the half‐life was observed with reduction of the air moisture content. Negligible differences in the half‐life were found between air and the nitrogen mixture.
Studies on the insecticidal activities of some new N‐benzoyl‐N′‐arylureas
Authors: Carmellino Maria L. , Pagani Giuseppe , Pregnolato Massimo , Terreni Marco , Caprioli Vincenzo , Zani Franca 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThis paper reports the synthesis and the insecticidal activities of some N‐benzoyl‐N'‐arylureas 4‐arylsubstituted with alkylated or halogenated aroyl moieties. The compounds, tested against some representative insect species, displayed very high activity against Aedes aegypti, especially the halosubstituted derivatives. None of the newly synthesized compounds showed genotoxic activity in the Bacillus subtilis rec‐assay and in the Salmonella‐microsome test.
The mode of action of glufosinate in algae: The role of uptake and nitrogen assimilation pathways
Authors: Altenburger Rolf , Callies Rainer , Grimme L. Horst , Leibfritz Dieter , Mayer Adalbert 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe purpose of this work was to investigate the in‐vivo mode of action of glufosinate in comparison with that of the known glutamine synthetase inhibitor, methionine sulfoxmine, in photoautotrophic microorganisms. Using the eukaryotic green alga Chlorella fusca (Shih. & Krauss) and the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans (Kratz & Myers), currently developed [15N]NMR pulselabelling techniques have been employed to study the inhibition of ammonia assimilation. The results show that, while methionine sulfoximine immediately blocks glutamine synthesis, glufosinate action requires an induction process in both organisms investigated, possibly indicating the de‐novo synthesis of an amino acid membrane carrier. In addition, the observed ability of C. fusca to incorporate nitrogen into glutamate under glutamine synthetase‐inhibiting conditions is explicable by an anabolic function of a glutamate dehydrogenase in this organism. This might explain the large differences in observed species sensitivity to glufosinate exposure.
The Stereochemistry of Sweetness
Authors: Birch G. G. , Lee C. K. , Lindley M. G. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractConformational analogies between sugars, deoxy sugars, substituted sugars, glycosides and cyclitols are examined in relation to current hydrogen bond theories of sweetness. Although the sensory properties of saporous molecules are probably multifunctional in origin, hydrophilic and lipophilic substituents vary in their effects. The former depend on configuration, whereas the latter may either enhance sweetness by strengthening binding to the taste bud protein, or cause re‐alignment of the molecule, eliciting a bitter response.
Study of the Effect of pH During Dialdehyde Starch (DAS) Adsorption on Cellulose
Authors: Bencheva S. , Nedelcheva M. , Valchev V. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe adsorption of dialdehyde starch (DAS) by its water solutions of different concentrations on sulphate and sulphite bleached cellulose is studied in the presence of aluminium sulphate depending on pH of the media. It was found that for both cellulose types the character of the change of the DAS adsorbed quantity depending on pH is similar and it is defined by the concentration of the solution. It was found that at the low DAS concentrations the interaction of the cellulose with aluminium sulphate appears as defining, and at the higher ones the interaction between DAS and aluminium sulphate. In the presence of aluminium sulphate the quantity of the adsorbed DAS increases slowly (sulphate bleached pulp) or has almost the same values, as in the case of adsorption when the aluminium sulphate is lacking (sulphite bleached pulp).
Crystallinity of Acid Treated Corn Starch
Authors: Komiya T. , Yamada T. , Nara S. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe hydrolysis of corn starch by 1N H2SO4‐30% ethanol aqueous solution at 45°C increased linearly with increasing of hydrolysis time for 20 d. The relative crystallinity of native corn starch showed 0.350 by X‐ray diffraction and it increased gradually with increasing of hydrolysis time up to 8 d. The increasing ratio of 1/hydrolysis residue to hydrolysis time increased more largely than that of relative crystallinity after 14 d. On the other hand, the relative crystallinity of native corn starch by deuteration showed 0.341 very near to the value by X‐ray diffraction. Moreover, this increasing ratio of the crystallinity accompanied by acid hydrolysis showed an inclination similar to that given by X‐ray diffraction. These facts suggest that the exchanging of OH for OD groups may be caused very a little in crystalline region of corn starch granules.
Application of Starch Hydrolyzate to the Production of Glucose Oxidase by Aspergillus niger G‐IV‐10
Authors: Rogalski J. , Dawidowicz A. L. , Jamroz J. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe study of starch hydrolysis conditions by immobilized α‐amylase and glucoamylase were carried out. The starch hydrolyzate was applied as a glucose source in the cultivation of Aspergillus niger. Fungus cells were immobilized on the sintered glass support. Such a biocatalizer was used for production of glucose oxidase under the stationary and repeated batch conditions. The results obtained in the cultivation with the immobilized cells were compared with those in the cultivation of the native cells.
Production of Single Cell Protein from Cassava Starch in Air‐lift Fermenter byCephalosporium eichhorniae
Authors: Varavinit S. , Srithongkum P. , De‐Eknamkul C. , Assavanig A. , Charoensiri K. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBatch and continuous cultivations were used to investigate the single cell protein (SCP) production byCephalosporium eichhorniae152 in an air‐lift reactor. The fungus was grown in an 8L air‐lift fermenter. The culture medium consisted of cassava as a sole‐carbon source, (NH4)2SO4as a nitrogen source and KH2PO4as a buffering agent. The pH of the medium was adjusted to 3.8 and was controlled during fermentation by using an automatic pH‐controller via 0.5 N NaOH. In batch fermentation, 1% of cassava gave the highest yield of 0.4. The optimum condition for continuous fermentation was 1% cassava in feed medium at a dilution rate of 0.4 h‐1(396 ml/h where 0.35 was the final yield. The productivity of continuous culture was found to be higher than that of the batch culture (0.135 g/l.h versus 0.04 g/lh).
Liver Tissue Dissection: Ultrasonic or RFA Energy?
Authors: Felekouras Evangelos , Prassas Evangelos , Kontos Michael , Papaconstantinou Ioannis , Pikoulis Emmanouil , Giannopoulos Athanasios , Tsigris Christos , Tzivras Michael , Bakogiannis Chris , Safioleas Michael , Papalambros Efstathios , Bastounis Elias 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBackgroundHepatic resection is the only potential curative treatment for a wide variety of conditions. However, liver surgery is technically demanding and closely associated with a number of serious complications. New devices and techniques are currently being applied in practice, which will improve the surgical outcome.MethodsThis retrospective study compares two methods of liver parenchymal division: ultrasound energy, a modern but already widely used technique, and radio‐frequency ablation (RFA), a completely novel method. The parameters investigated include the amount of blood transfused, the necessity of the Pringle maneuver, the length of time required for parenchymal division, and postoperative morbidity and mortality. The patients were divided into two groups. In one group (Group A), 15 patients underwent 17 ultrasound‐assisted liver resections, in which ten metastatic tumors, six hepatomas, and one cholangiocarcinoma were resected. In Group B, 21 patients underwent 22 RFA‐assisted hepatectomies in which 11 metastatic tumors, ten hepatomas, and two cholangiocarcinomas were removed.ResultsThirteen patients (87%) in Group A and 11 (52%) in Group B received a transfusion, with an average of 3.5 and 1.6 units of red blood cells, respectively. The Pringle maneuver was necessary in two cases in Group A but was unnecessary in Group B. The mean length of time required for parenchymal dissection was 124 min in Group A and 93.18 min in Group B. One (6.7%) and four (19%) complications were observed in Group A and B, respectively (statistically not significant). Mortality remained zero in both groups.ConclusionsRFA energy provides a novel reliable and safe alternative that can be used exclusively or as a supplement to the older techniques. Both resection time and amount of blood transfusion were reduced in the RFA group.
What are the illness perceptions of people with dysphonia: a pilot study
Authors: Buck F , Drinnan M , Wilson J , Barnard I S 
Published: November 2006

Background: Patients do not respond to treatment in a predictable manner. Individual preconceptions determine help seeking, compliance and treatment outcome, yet clinicians rarely explore these issues. The illness perception approach sees the patient as an active participant in the healthcare process.Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the illness perceptions of people with dysphonia. The subsidiary aims were to correlate the Illness Perception Questionnaire with any psychological distress identified and a self-report measure of dysphonia, and to consider any potential implications for patient management.Design: Prospective, cross-sectional observation.Setting: Primary and secondary care, two general and four community hospitals.Participants: Fifty adult patients with dysphonia due to benign disease completed three self-administered questionnaires, which investigated their illness perceptions, psychological distress and perceptions of the impact of the presenting ‘illness’.Measures: The dysphonia was categorised as being due to functional (n=40) or organic (n=10) causes. All the voices were rated by an expert listener according to the GRBAS (grade, roughness, breathiness, aesthenia, strain) scale. Participants completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire, the Vocal Performance Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale.Results: Patients showed a wide variation in perception of causation. They had no strong perceptions about the causes, consequences or duration of the presenting dysphonia. Functional dysphonics reported greater consequences, lower perceived control and increased anxiety when compared to patients with organic dysphonia. In terms of cure/control, all patients expected treatment to be helpful but this expectancy reduced as time increased. Anxiety was more associated with functional dysphonia, however, only 17 per cent of the subjects in this group showed clinically significant levels of signs of psychological distress.Conclusions: Lay illness representations often diverge from the clinician's understanding of the presenting problem and strongly influence treatment behaviour. Early exploration of illness perceptions may enhance health behaviour and maximise the impact of intervention.
Correlates of length of stay, cost of care, and mortality among patients hospitalized for necrotizing fasciitis
Authors: MULLA Z. D. , GIBBS S. G. , ARONOFF D. M. 
Published: November 2006

SUMMARYSeveral previous studies of necrotizing fasciitis (NF) have been single-institution investigations suffering from small samples sizes. This study of 216 NF patients hospitalized in Florida, USA, during 2001 was designed to identify risk factors for length of stay (LOS), total patient charges (TC), and mortality, using a statewide database. Robust gamma mixed regression was used to determine the predictors of LOS and TC while simultaneously accounting for outliers and the clustering of patients in 87 hospitals. Relative risks (RR) for hospital mortality were calculated using binomial regression. The NF hospitalization rate in Florida was 1·3/100 000. The median TC was US$54 533 and cumulative charges for all 216 patients were nearly US$20 million. Patients aged ⩾44 years at the time of admission were five times as likely to expire in the hospital than patients who were aged ⩽43 years (adjusted RR 5·08,P=0·03). Unexpectedly, diabetes was associated with a 61% reduction in the risk of hospital mortality (adjusted RR 0·39,P=0·04). Age ⩾44 years was the most powerful predictor of prolonged LOS, elevated TC, and an increased risk of hospital mortality in patients suffering from NF.
MIRACULOUS RECOVERY? HANDEL’S ILLNESSES, THE NARRATIVE TRADITION OF HEROIC STRENGTH AND THE ORATORIO TURN
Authors: HUNTER DAVID 
Published: November 2006

The image of the heroic Handel, typified by claims of immense physical and mental toughness, and rapid – even miraculous – recovery, may satisfy the credulous, but it needs considerable modification once we realize that Handel continued to suffer following the first acute paralytic attack in 1737. It is no coincidence that the onset of acute symptoms occurred during Handel’s last lengthy season of opera production and that oratorios came to dominate his composing and his shortened performance seasons thereafter. Whatever the immediate causes for Handel’s decisions to write and publicly to perform the first few English-language works, the intensification of that practice after 1737 was due in large measure to the challenges posed by lead poisoning and its ensuing saturnine gout, and an increasing debility exacerbated by obesity. In other words, the illnesses should be considered as an integral element in the switch by Handel to writing his late works, the major oratorios.
Protein phosphatases types 2Cα and 2Cβ in apoptosis
Authors: Klumpp S. , Thissen M.-C. , Krieglstein J. 
Published: November 2006

This mini-review highlights the involvement of PP2C (protein phosphatase type 2C) family members α and β in apoptosis. The activity of these isoenzymes can be stimulated by unsaturated fatty acids with special structural features, e.g. oleic acid. Those fatty acids capable of activating PP2Cα and PP2Cβ in vitro induce apoptosis in various cell types as shown here for neurons and endothelial cells. Using RNA interference to reduce the amount of PP2Cα and PP2Cβ results in cells significantly less susceptible to the apoptotic effect of oleic acid. Increased endothelial cell death is considered to be an initial step of atherogenesis. Thus activation of PP2C by physiological unbound (‘free’) unsaturated fatty acids (liberated from lipoproteins) could represent a crucial mechanism in the development of atherosclerosis.
Regulation of Endothelial Cell Barrier Function by Store‐Operated Calcium Entry
Authors: CIOFFI DONNA L. , STEVENS TROY 
Published: November 2006

ABSTRACTTransient receptor potential (TRP) channels fulfill important and diverse signaling functions, and are generally conserved among species. The canonical subfamily of TRP proteins, TRPC channels, possesses 7 isoforms that combine in various ways to form heteromultimers. In endothelium, TRPC1 and TRPC4 form subunits of a channel that selectively conducts calcium. This channel is activated by calcium depletion in the endoplasmic reticulum, and thus TRPC1/TRPC4 forms the molecular basis of a store operated calcium entry pathway. TRPC4 interacts with protein 4.1, which tethers the channel to the membrane skeleton and represents a gating mechanism required for calcium permeation. In response to inflammatory agonists such as thrombin and bradykinin, the generation of inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate transiently depletes endoplasmic reticulum calcium and activates the TRPC1/TRPC4 channel. Calcium permeation through this channel triggers cytoskeletal reorganization that is necessary to disrupt the endothelial cell barrier and increase permeability. Thus, inhibition of the TRPC1/TRPC4 channel provides a putative anti‐inflammatory strategy.
Fluorescent Reagents for Live Cell Imaging and Their Introduction into Cells
Authors: Davis Ilan , Parton Richard M. 
Published: November 2006

INTRODUCTIONMost biological specimens, including Drosophila tissues, are relatively transparent, so details of internal and intracellular morphology are difficult to image in untreated living specimens using simple bright-field techniques. Although there are methods for improving contrast in bright-field imaging, fluorescence microscopy offers greater advantages and possibilities for increasing contrast and determining the specific localization of molecules in cells. Fluorescence microscopy has proven to be particularly well suited to the study of live material, now that an ever-increasing and bewildering array of different “vital” probes are available for tracking cellular components and activities, including some that have been applied to Drosophila. Here we outline the three methods most commonly used to introduce an appropriate label into Drosophila tissue without unduly perturbing the process.
Imaging Protein Interactions by FRET Microscopy: FRET Measurements by Sensitized Emission
Authors: Verveer Peter J. , Rocks Oliver , Harpur Ailsa G. , Bastiaens Philippe I.H. 
Published: November 2006

INTRODUCTIONThis protocol describes a method for measuring fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) by the detection of acceptor-sensitized emission. This approach is useful in situations where donor intensities are low and/or there is contamination with high background (auto) fluorescence in the donor channel. However, absorption spectra characteristically exhibit long tails in the higher-energy, shorter-wavelength (blue) region, which may result in the direct excitation of the acceptor molecule in addition to that of the donor, thus resulting in mixing of direct and sensitized emission. Conversely, fluorescence emission tends to tail into the red part of the spectrum, causing donor fluorescence bleed-through into the acceptor detection channel. Corrections for these effects involve the acquisition of fluorescence images of samples containing the donor, the acceptor, and both of these for three different filter settings. The result is an estimation of the sensitized emission, i.e., the emission induced by FRET from the donor to the acceptor alone. Excitation of a donor fluorophore in a FRET pair leads to quenching of the donor fluorescence and increased emission from the acceptor (sensitized emission). This can be normalized using the acceptor emission, measured after specific excitation of the acceptor, to define apparent energy transfer efficiency in each pixel of the image. It is also proportional to the fraction of acceptor molecules that is bound to a donor-tagged molecule. Alternatively, an apparent energy transfer efficiency can also be defined that is proportional to the bound fraction of donor-tagged molecules.
Imaging of Organelle Membrane Systems and Membrane Traffic in Living Cells: Figure 1.
Authors: Lippincott-Schwartz Jennifer , Snapp Erik Lee 
Published: November 2006

INTRODUCTIONEukaryotic cells are composed of an intricate system of internal membranes that are organized into different compartments, including the endoplasmic reticulum, the nucleus, the Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, endosomes, mitochondria, and peroxisomes, with specialized roles within the cell. Only recently have the localization and dynamics of these organelles been studied in the context of the living cell because of the availability of green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion proteins and recent advances in fluorescent microscope imaging systems.In this protocol, a confocal laser-scanning microscope (CLSM) and GFP fusion proteins are used in time-lapse imaging to visualize the behavior of organelles and to track membrane-bound transport intermediates that bud off from organelles. Practical issues related to the construction and expression of GFP fusion proteins are also discussed. These are essential for optimizing the brightness and expression levels of GFP fusion proteins so that intracellular membrane-bound structures containing these fusion proteins can be readily visualized.
Due to low infection rates no routine anti‐infective prophylaxis is required in younger patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia during fludarabine‐based first line therapy
Authors: Eichhorst Barbara F. , Busch Raymonde , Schweighofer Carmen , Wendtner Clemens M. , Emmerich Berthold , Hallek Michael ,   the German CLL Study Group (GCLLSG)
Published: November 2006

SummaryThe impact of the combination therapy fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide (FC) in comparison with fludarabine alone regarding the incidence and severity of infections among previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) was evaluated within a multicentre phase III study. A total of 375 patients, up to 65 years old, were randomised between fludarabine or FC for first line therapy. No routine anti‐infective prophylaxis was provided. A total of 196 infectious episodes, including 33 severe infections, were documented. In the fludarabine arm, 32·9% of the patients developed an infectious complication compared with 39·9% in the FC arm (P = 0·2). No difference was observed in the rate of severe infections (Common Toxicity Crtieria grades III and IV) between both treatment arms. Dose reductions were performed more frequently in FC‐treated patients. Granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF) was administered due to leucopenia in 5% of all patients. A multivariate regression model identified only elevated thymidine kinase, but not the treatment arm, as a statistically independent risk factor for infections. In summary, FC was not associated with a higher rate of infections compared with fludarabine alone. No routine antibiotic or virostatic prophylaxis, or pre‐emptive treatment with G‐CSF, is necessary in first line therapy with fludarabine‐based regimens in younger patients with CLL, if adequate dose reduction is performed. The combination therapy FC is not associated with a higher rate of infections compared with fludarabine alone. No routine antibiotic or virostatic prophylaxis as well as pre‐emptive treatment with G‐CSF is necessary in first line therapy with fludarabine‐based regimen in younger patients with CLL, if adequate dose reductions due to cytopenia or previous infections are performed.