bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Insiders and outsiders: Levels of collaboration in research partnerships across resource divides
Authors: TOMLINSON MARK , SWARTZ LESLIE , LANDMAN MIREILLE 
Published: November 2006

AbstractWith increasing recognition of the health and psychosocial challenges in developing countries, more research in these countries is essential. Research collaborations between wealthier and less wealthy countries are, however, complex. A partnership model has been proposed which emphasizes the importance of mutually respectful and beneficial relationships in international research. Using an example of a mother‐infant intervention project in South Africa we describe the elements of an equitable partnership model of research. An issue which has been overlooked, however, is the reality of power differentials within the poorer countries themselves. We show that there are many intersecting levels of relationships within intercountry research, and suggest that power dynamics within countries deserves equal attention as international issues. Based on our experiences, we present some tentative guidelines for international research which builds long‐term capacity and recognizes the importance of multiple levels of analysis and interaction.
Culturally sensitive assessment of attachment in children aged 18–40 months in a South African township
Authors: MINDE KLAUS , MINDE REGINA , VOGEL WENDY 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe objective of our work is to study the possible relevance nonwestern cultural traditions have on the concordance of attachment patterns assessed in mothers and their young children. The attachment of 46 toddlers and their mothers, living in a black township in Johannesburg, South Africa, was assessed using scores derived from mother‐child observations in the home (Attachment Q‐Sort) and an interview (Working Model of the Child Interview). Mothers also had a semistructured psychiatric interview. Agreement between home observations and interview ratings was 29% for secure and 71% for insecure attachment when U.S.‐developed scoring criteria for the interview were used. Agreement increased to 81% for secure and 67% for insecure attachment when the same protocols were rescored, using a culturally modified scoring system, developed by local cultural experts. This study suggests that verbal representations of attachment patterns are more influenced by cultural traditions than are actual parent‐child interactions.
Infants and young children living in youth‐headed households in Rwanda: Implications of emerging data
Authors: BORIS NEIL W. , THURMAN TONYA R. , SNIDER LESLIE , SPENCER ERIN , BROWN LISANNE 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe HIV/AIDS epidemic has already produced millions of orphans in Africa and the peak of the orphan epidemic has not yet been reached. One emerging social trend associated with premature parental death is the formation of households headed by youth aged 13–24. In Rwanda, specific sociocultural factors have supported the formation of youth‐headed households (YHH) in the wake of both the 1994 genocide and the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic. There is no published data on the health and socioemotional functioning of children under 5 living in YHH. Survey data from 692 YHH in one region of Rwanda yielded a subsample of 89 homes which contained one or more children under 5 (n=104). These data reveal that a majority of young children living in YHH's is in fair or poor health. Heads of household themselves report high levels of depressive symptoms and social isolation; reports of emotional distress among the youngest children in the homes are associated with reports of higher symptomatology among heads of household. Findings are interpreted in light of the sociocultural context of Rwanda and the implications of the data for intervention are considered.
Ecological approach to management of open drains
Authors: Lamsodis Romanas , Morkūnas Vytautas , Poškus Vaclovas , Povilaitis Arvydas 
Published: November 2006

AbstractMost natural streams were made into drains when they were converted into recipients of subsurface tile systems. During the process the variety of biotic and abiotic conditions within and around the streams was totally destroyed, and the new watercourses (open drain recipients) were deprived of the greater part of the ecological importance that the former streams had possessed in the landscape. The data collected over the last decade in Lithuania about drain bed deformations, sediment accumulation, vegetation cover successions, intentional afforestation of slopes, beaver expansion and succeeding water quality changes, revealed some self‐perpetuating natural alterations which raise the ecological significance of open drains as refuges and corridors in the landscape for vegetation (the succession of herbage and appearance of woody vegetation on slopes), and the barriers protecting surface runoff from diffuse agricultural pollution (beaver impoundments). On the other hand, these alterations are useful in terms of maintenance of the functioning of those drains as recipients because they result in steadier (roughly parabola‐shaped) cross‐section profiles, less threat of bed silting up and no need for the mowing of slopes (because of the growth of woody vegetation). This paper presents and discusses the study results highlighting the above‐mentioned bidirectional effect of self‐renaturalization, and considers the preconditions and possible methods of introduction for the ecologically acceptable management of open drains. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficiency of old tile drain systems in soils with high clay content: differences in the trench backfill zone versus the zone midway between trenches
Authors: Messing I. , Wesström I. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThis study was carried out in order to check the efficiency in water transport capacity in the trench backfill zone (IT) in 2–45‐year‐old tile drains, and the differences between IT and the zone midway between trenches (BT) in field‐saturated steady‐state infiltration rate (Ifs) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks). At seven sites with high clay content, Ifs was recorded in situ in large rings (1 m diameter) and at the same time small cores (7.2 cm in diameter) were sampled to measure Ks in the laboratory. There were large differences in drainage efficiency between the ‘disturbed’ trench backfill zone and the ‘undisturbed’ zone midway between trench lines. Ifs and Ks values were in almost all cases larger in IT than in BT. Differences between the plough sole and subsoil, for both Ifs and Ks, were more evident in BT than in IT. The positive effect above the drainpipes, indicating that macropore connectivity was superior in IT, was evident for as long as 45 years after the installation of drainpipes. In BT, Ifs and Ks ranged within approximately equal values. In IT, however, Ifs ranged at larger values than Ks. In modelling these kinds of soils, it may be considered whether water transport during heavy rain events should be characterized by a quick onset of water flow in drainpipes caused by the more permeable soil in the backfill trench, and a subsequent slower and more continuous transport of water from the zone between trenches, and in what way the drain water quality is influenced by this. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integrin α5 controls osteoblastic proliferation and differentiation responses to titanium substrates presenting different roughness characteristics in a roughness independent manner
Authors: Keselowsky B.G. , Wang L. , Schwartz Z. , Garcia A.J. , Boyan B.D. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractIntegrin α5β1 regulates osteoblast proliferation and differentiation on smooth synthetic surfaces presenting different chemistries, but it is not known whether this integrin controls osteoblast behavior on surfaces that have micron‐scale rough topographies. We cultured MG63 human osteoblast‐like cells on titanium substrates with three different roughness characteristics: chemically polished (PT), grit blasted and acid etched with a complex topography consisting of 20–100 μm craters and 0.5–2 μm micropits (SLA), and plasma‐sprayed Ti with irregular projections (TPS). Cells spread well on PT but displayed a smaller footprint on SLA or TPS. Nuclei were larger on PT as well. α5β1 binding and FAK phosphorylation were greater on the rougher surfaces (TPS > SLA > PT). Antibodies against the α5β1 binding site on fibronectin had no effect on cell number at 3 days, but [3H]‐thymidine incorporation was increased, suggesting that binding to fibronectin was necessary for cell cycle regulation. Antibodies to the α5 subunit reduced cell number at 3 days on PT and TPS and reduced DNA synthesis on all substrates in a surface microstructure‐independent manner. At 7 days, cell numbers were reduced on PT, and DNA synthesis was reduced by 50% on all surfaces. At 7 days, anti‐α5 antibodies caused a partial reduction in alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity on all surfaces, but this effect was independent of surface microstructure. These results indicate that surface micron‐scale topography modulates α5β1 integrin binding and FAK activation. Signaling via α5‐dependent mechanisms is required for DNA synthesis and regulation of alkaline phosphatase, but this effect is independent of surface microstructure. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2007
Electrochemical characterization of albumin protein on Ti‐6AL‐4V alloy immersed in a simulated plasma solution
Authors: Padilla Norma , Bronson Arturo 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe effect of oxygen and albumin on the electrochemical behavior of a Ti‐6Al‐4V alloy immersed in a simulated inorganic plasma (SIP) solution was studied with a rotating‐cylindrical electrode configuration to focus on the surface/electrolyte reactions. Potentiokinetic scans and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy have been used to characterize the interface by determining the passive current density and capacitance. For the polarization scans, an albumin addition of 37.7 mg/cm3 to the SIP solution (oxygenated and unoxygenated) decreased the passive current density, indicating a lowering of the corrosive rate. The surface capacitance for the Ti‐6Al‐4V alloy immersed in a SIP solution averaged 13 μF/cm2, which transformed after albumin addition (37.7 mg/cm3) from a potential independent behavior to the capacitance ranging from 23 to 6 μF/cm2 with increasing potentials from −800 to 1500 mVSCE, respectively, indicative of albumin adsorption. Within the same potential range and albumin addition to oxygenated solutions, the capacitances expanded slightly with a similar decreasing trend from 31 to 6 μF/cm2, although the capacitance depicts an interaction between the hydrated passive film and the adsorbed albumin from −550 to 500 mVSCE in which the capacitance plateaued at 15 μF/cm2. The hydrated porous oxide film results from the porous rutile layer reacting with H2O2 formed as an intermediary component of oxygen reduction at the Ti‐6Al‐4V surface. The passive film‐albumin interaction would affect the processing of titanium alloys in their surface preparation for biocompatibility, as well as determining the reactivity of titanium alloys to proteins. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2007
Silica–ceramic suppresses the expression of proinflammatory cytokines induced by lipopolysaccharide in macrophages
Authors: Hwang Meeyul , Park Kwan‐Kyu , Chang Young‐Chae , Choo Young‐Ae , Jeon Jae‐Pil , Shin Im‐Hee , Lee Tae‐Sung 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBioactive materials have previously been used to coat implants. In a new development for bioactive materials, a silica–ceramic mixture was found to alleviate pain (Lee, Poster presented at the Ninth World Congress of Gynecological Endocrinology, Hongkong, 2001. Poster session (p47)). Here, we hypothesized that silica–ceramic can reduce the expression and activity of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) or cytokines associated with inflammation. The production of COX2 and proinflammatory cytokines was investigated by reverse transcriptase (RT)‐PCR and ELISA assay in macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Silica–ceramic had no effect of COX2 expression and prostaglandin production in macrophages. However, silica–ceramic suppressed the synthesis of cytokines involved in inflammation, in particular, the expression of IL‐1β and IL‐6 was reduced at the transcriptional and translational levels. The involvement of NF‐κB in the suppression of cytokines by silica–ceramic was examined by luciferase reporter assay. The NF‐κB activity stimulated by LPS was inhibited by 20–60% with silica–ceramic compared with treatment with LPS alone. We suggest that inhibition of NF‐κB activity by silica–ceramic might cause the attenuation of proinflammatory cytokine expression in macrophages. In conclusion, silica–ceramic could be an alternative approach to regulate the inflammation process. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2007
Suppression effect of seminal vesicle autoantigen on platelet‐activating factor‐induced mouse sperm capacitation
Authors: Huang Yen Hua , Chen Yee Hsiung , Lin Chun Mao , Ciou Yi Yun , Kuo Shin Peih , Chen Chien Tsu , Shih Chwen Ming , Chang E.E. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractMammalian sperm gain the ability to fertilize an egg successfully by the capacitation process. An unregulated capacitation process causes sperm to undergo a spontaneous acrosome reaction (AR) and resulting in loss of their fertilization activity. Thus, functional sperm activation is tightly regulated by a capacitation and suppression (decapacitation) mechanism. Factors, such as platelet‐activating factor (PAF) present in both sperm and the female genital tract, are able to stimulate sperm capacitation. Seminal plasma is thought to have the ability to suppress sperm capacitation; however, the regulatory mechanisms of seminal plasma protein on sperm capacitation are not well understood. Recently, we demonstrated that seminal vesicle autoantigen (SVA), a major seminal vesicle secretory protein, is able to suppress mouse sperm capacitation. To further study the suppression spectra of SVA on sperm capacitation, we investigated the effect of SVA on PAF‐induced mouse sperm capacitation‐related signals. Here, we demonstrate that SVA decreases the [Ca2+]i to suppress the PAF's effects on [Ca2+]i, the cAMP level, protein tyrosine phosphorylation, and capacitation. The inhibition of PAF‐induced protein tyrosine phosphorylation and capacitation by SVA can be reversed by cAMP agonists. Characterization of the interactions of SVA with PAF by TLC overlay and tryptophan fluorescence spectrum analyses indicates that SVA is capable of binding PAF with an apparent dissociation constant Kd > 50 µM. Together with these results, we demonstrate that SVA deceases [Ca2+]i and cross‐talks with PAF‐induced intracellular signals to regulate mouse sperm capacitation. J. Cell. Biochem. 100: 941–951, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Curcumin prevents lipopolysaccharide‐induced atrogin‐1/MAFbx upregulation and muscle mass loss
Authors: Jin Bingwen , Li Yi‐Ping 
Published: November 2006

AbstractBecause elevated ubiquitin ligase atrogin‐1/MAFbx and MuRF1 mediate skeletal muscle wasting associated with various catabolic conditions, the signaling pathways involved in the upregulation of these genes under pathological conditions are considered therapeutic targets. AKT and NF‐κB have been previously shown to regulate the expression of atrogin‐1/MAFbx or MuRF1, respectively. In addition, we recently found that p38 MAPK mediates TNF‐α upregulation of atrogin‐1/MAFbx expression, suggesting that multiple signaling pathways mediate muscle wasting in inflammatory diseases. To date, however, these advances have not resulted in a practical clinical intervention for disease‐induced muscle wasting. In the present study, we tested the effect of curcumin—a non‐toxic anti‐inflammatory reagent that inhibits p38 and NF‐κB—on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced muscle wasting in mice. Daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of curcumin (10–60 µg/kg) for 4 days inhibited, in a dose‐dependent manner, the LPS‐stimulated (1 mg/kg, i.p.) increase of atrogin‐1/MAFbx expression in gastrocnemius and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles, resulting in the attenuation of muscle protein loss. It should also be noted that curcumin administration did not alter the basal expression of atrogin‐1/MAFbx, nor did it affect LPS‐stimulated MuRF1 and polyubiquitin expression. LPS activated p38 and NF‐κB, while inhibiting AKT; whereas, curcumin administration inhibited LPS‐stimulated p38 activation, without altering the effect of LPS on NF‐κB and AKT. These results indicate that curcumin is effective in blocking LPS‐induced loss of muscle mass through the inhibition of p38‐mediated upregulation of atrogin‐1/MAFbx. J. Cell. Biochem. 100: 960–969, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gene structure and seasonal expression of carp fish prolactin short receptor isoforms
Authors: San Martín Rody , Hurtado Williams , Quezada Claudia , Reyes Ariel E. , Vera M. Ines , Krauskopf Manuel 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe complex adaptive mechanisms that eurythermal fish have evolved in response to the seasonal changes of the environment include the transduction of the physical parameter variations into neuroendocrine signals. Studies in carp (Cyprinus carpio) have indicated that prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) expression is associated with acclimatization, suggesting that the pituitary gland is a relevant physiological node in this adaptive process. Also, the distinctive pattern of expression that carp prolactin receptor (PRLr) protein depicts upon seasonal acclimatization supports the hypothesis that PRL and its receptor clearly are involved in the new homeostatic stage that the eurythermal fish needs to survive during the cyclical changes of its habitat. Here, we characterize the first prolactin receptor gene in a teleost and show that its expression is not associated with alternative promoters, unlike in humans and rodents. Using the regulatory region to direct the transcription of green fluorescent protein (GFP) in zebrafish embryos, we mapped the appearance of this hormone receptor during fish development. This is the first report identifying a fish prolactin receptor gene expressing transcript isoforms encoding for short forms of the protein (45 kDa). These have been found in osmoregulatory tissues of the carp and are regulated in connection with the seasonal acclimatization of the fish. J. Cell. Biochem. 100: 970–980, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Exposure to azide markedly decreases the abundance of mRNAs encoding cholesterol synthetic enzymes and inhibits cholesterol synthesis
Authors: Kasturi Sriram , Bederman Ilya R. , Christopher Bridgette , Previs Stephen F. , Ismail‐Beigi Faramarz 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThis study was performed to identify genes that are regulated in the adaptive response to prolonged inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation. Gene microarray analysis in control Clone 9 cells and Clone 9 cells exposed to 5 mM azide for 24 h was carried out as a condition of “Chemical hypoxia.” Among several hundred mRNAs whose abundances were either increased or decreased, we noted that the abundance of mRNAs encoding enzymes that catalyze the sequential steps of cholesterol synthesis was decreased; this finding was verified by real‐time PCR. Exposure to azide for 24 h markedly inhibited the biosynthesis of cholesterol by ∼90% and decreased the cellular content of cholesterol by 30%, similar results were observed in HepG2 cells. The abundance of sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)‐2 mRNA decreased to 0.37 and 0.25 that of controls after 2 and 24 h exposure, respectively. After 24 h of exposure to azide the precursor and nuclear forms of SREBP‐2 protein decreased by ∼80% and ∼50%, respectively. Stimulation of AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) by AICAR in Clone 9 cells increased the abundance of mRNAs encoding cholesterol biosynthetic enzymes and that of SREBP‐1c, and had no effect on SREBP‐2 mRNA abundance. We conclude that the decrease in the abundance of multiple mRNAs encoding cholesterol biosynthetic enzymes may be mediated by decreased expression of SREBP‐2 mRNA and protein and does not involve stimulation of AMPK. The decrease in SREBP‐2 mRNA and protein abundance in the face of decreased cell cholesterol content raises the possibility of a novel regulatory pathway. J. Cell. Biochem. 100: 1034–1044, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Role of ROS and MAPK in TPA‐induced ICAM‐1 expression in the myeloid ML‐1 cell line
Authors: Traore Kassim , Sharma Rajni B. , Burek C. Lynne , Trush Michael A. 
Published: November 2006

AbstractIntercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM‐1) has been implicated in playing a key role in the mechanism of inflammatory process initiated in response to environmental agents, and during normal hematopoietic cell differentiation. Though induction of ICAM‐1 by 12‐O‐tetradecanoyl‐phorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA) in myeloid cells has been reported, the molecular mechanism by which TPA upregulates ICAM‐1 expression remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the signaling mechanism associated with TPA‐induced ICAM‐1 expression in ML‐1 cells. Herein, our microarray, flow cytometry, and Western blot analysis indicated that ICAM‐1 was constitutively expressed at a low level in ML‐1 cells, but its expression was further upregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels in response to TPA. ICAM‐1 expression in response to TPA was inhibited by pretreatment with GF109203X [a specific inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC)], or with PD98059 and U0126 (specific inhibitors of MEK), suggesting the importance of PKC, and Erk1/2 signaling cascades in this response. Interestingly, ICAM‐1 expression in response to TPA‐induced PKC activation was linked to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as pretreatment with NAC (an ROS scavenger) blocked both ErK1/2 activation and ICAM‐1 expression induced by TPA. In addition, TPA‐induced ICAM‐1 expression was blocked by inhibition of nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) activation following pretreatment with BAY11‐7085 (a specific inhibitor of NF‐κB activation). TPA‐induced NF‐κB activation was shown by increased degradation of IkB (NF‐κB specific inhibitory protein). Together, these observations demonstrated that TPA, a potent activator of PKC, induces ICAM‐1 expression via a ROS‐ and ERK1/2‐dependent signaling mechanism in ML‐1 cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 100: 1010–1021, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ovariectomy‐induced bone loss occurs independently of B cells
Authors: Li Yan , Li Aimin , Yang Xiaoying , Weitzmann M. Neale 
Published: November 2006

AbstractEstrogen withdrawal is associated with a significant expansion in B cell precursor and mature B cell populations. However, despite significant circumstantial evidence the role of B lineage cells in ovariectomy‐induced bone loss in vivo is unclear. In vitro studies have demonstrated that mature B cells have the potential to both positively and negatively impact osteoclastogenesis by virtue of their capacity to secrete pro‐osteoclastogenic cytokines including receptor activator of NFκB ligand (RANKL), as well as anti‐osteoclastogenic cytokines such as osteoprotegerin (OPG) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ). Although several studies have suggested that expansion of the B lineage following ovariectomy may play a key role in the etiology of ovariectomy‐induced bone loss, in vivo studies to directly test this notion have yet to be conducted. In this study, we performed ovariectomy on µMT(−/−) mice which are specifically deficient in mature B cells. Analysis of bone mineral density (BMD) by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) and micro‐computed tomography (CT) demonstrate that mature B cell‐deficient mice undergo an identical loss of bone mass relative to wild‐type (WT) control mice. Our data demonstrate that mature B cells are not central mediators of ovariectomy‐induced bone loss in vivo. J. Cell. Biochem. 100: 1370–1375, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.