bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Histologic evaluation of temporomandibular arthritis induced by mild mechanical loading in rabbits
Authors: Fujimura Kazuma , Kobayashi Susumu , Suzuki Toshikazu , Segami Natsuki 
Published: February 2005

Background:  We still lack knowledge of causative factors in arthritis related to temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The goal of the present study was to investigate whether applying a mechanical loading on the glenoid fossa can induce arthritis.Methods:  Coil springs were placed in 24 rabbits so as to exert a force of 100 g between the orbital edge and the antegonial notch. At 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks after the surgery, six samples of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) were removed for histologic examination.Results:  The results showed that mild synovitis began 1–2 weeks after the start of loading, and the degree of synovitis was significant at 4 weeks, and that morphologic changes occurred in the articular eminence and condyle, while type II collagen in the cartilage of the articular eminence degraded prior to that in the condyle.Conclusions:  Our results revealed that mild, continuous mechanical loading to the glenoid fossa induces synovitis of the articular capsule, and induces organic changes of the articular cartilage without destroying these tissues.
Skin capillary network recognition and analysis by means of neural algorithms
Authors: Sainthillier Jean‐Marie , Gharbi Tijani , Muret Patrice , Humbert Philippe 
Published: February 2005

Background: The intra‐dermal capillary network can be easily assessed by a computerized videomicroscope system. Nevertheless, finding capillary loops automatically in an image is a difficult yet important first step in order to achieve microcirculation analysis.Methods: A detection system was tested by combining videocapillaroscopy and principal component analysis (PCA). Our goal was to build a generic detector of capillary associated with a retinally connected neural network filter. The filter examines small windows of an image, and decides with this detector whether each window contains a capillary or not.Results: Comparisons with manual detections showed that the system has a detection rate of 82% on test set A containing 100 good‐quality images of the scalp. A detection rate of 65% was obtained on test set B containing 50 images with noisy background and large artifacts. The performance was increased by a color detector with a detection rate of 71% on the last test. These results correspond to a false detection rate lower than or equal to 10%.Conclusion: This neural filter system is capable of real‐time processing; it recognizes capillaries anywhere in an image, and operates successfully under wide range of lighting and noisy conditions.
Automatic lesion boundary detection in dermoscopy images using gradient vector flow snakes
Authors: Erkol Bulent , Moss Randy H. , Joe Stanley R. , Stoecker William V. , Hvatum Erik 
Published: February 2005

Background: Malignant melanoma has a good prognosis if treated early. Dermoscopy images of pigmented lesions are most commonly taken at × 10 magnification under lighting at a low angle of incidence while the skin is immersed in oil under a glass plate. Accurate skin lesion segmentation from the background skin is important because some of the features anticipated to be used for diagnosis deal with shape of the lesion and others deal with the color of the lesion compared with the color of the surrounding skin.Methods: In this research, gradient vector flow (GVF) snakes are investigated to find the border of skin lesions in dermoscopy images. An automatic initialization method is introduced to make the skin lesion border determination process fully automated.Results: Skin lesion segmentation results are presented for 70 benign and 30 melanoma skin lesion images for the GVF‐based method and a color histogram analysis technique. The average errors obtained by the GVF‐based method are lower for both the benign and melanoma image sets than for the color histogram analysis technique based on comparison with manually segmented lesions determined by a dermatologist.Conclusions: The experimental results for the GVF‐based method demonstrate promise as an automated technique for skin lesion segmentation in dermoscopy images.
Depth profile of diffuse reflectance near‐infrared spectroscopy for measurement of water content in skin
Authors: Arimoto Hidenobu , Egawa Mariko , Yamada Yukio 
Published: February 2005

Background/purpose: The penetration depth of light in diffuse reflectance near‐infrared spectroscopy for measuring water content in skin is assessed both from theoretical and experimental points of view.Methods: The Monte Carlo simulation was implemented to investigate the dependencies of the light penetration depth on a source–detector distance. To compare with the simulation results, an in vivo experiment for water contents of skin was performed introducing two different optical fiber probes.Results: It is found that the minimum separation between a source and detector fibers influences largely the measurement depth. The larger separation leads to a deeper measurement depth at a particular wavelength. The measurement depth is also influenced fairly by the absorption coefficient of the tissue. The larger absorption coefficient results in a shallower measurement depth.Conclusion: The correlations between the water contents measured by the optical and capacitance techniques were discussed. The dependencies of the light penetration depth on the source‐detector geometry and wavelength are presented.
The hypomagnesic rat model: dermatitis‐prone hairless rats with mild magnesium depletion fed a diet low in lipids did not develop pruritic dermatitis
Authors: Thomsen J. S. , Nielsen P. L. , Serup J. 
Published: February 2005

Background/purpose: In the hypomagnesic dermatosis of rats, low‐dietary magnesium leads to lowered serum Mg2+, universal dermatitis and scratching. The model is postulated to work better if the diet also has a low content of lipids. Pruritus is seen in patients suffering from anorexia nervosa and resolves on weight restoration. Lipid depletion of the diet and/or lowered body weight may therefore be important in developing pruritus. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether a diet low in lipids can induce pruritus in dermatitis prone rats because of mild magnesium depletion thereby focusing on the role of lipids in the hypomagnesic dermatosis rat model.Methods: Fourteen male hairless rats, 3 weeks of age, were fed a diet deficient in lipids and with a lower content of magnesium for a 4‐week period and compared with 11 controls fed a normal diet. The skin was inspected daily and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), serum Mg2+ and scratching activity were measured. At the end, skin biopsies were taken from the flank and ears.Results: Serum Mg2+ was significantly lowered in the diet group (P<0.001) but the rats developed no dermatitis or increased TEWL compared with 11 rats in a control group. Biopsies were normal with no sign of inflammation. Rats in the diet group had inferior weight gain, were less active and spent more time asleep than control rats (P<0.01). Furthermore, scratching activity monitored in the last week of the study as the number of scratch‐sequences per awake minute was reduced in the diet group (P<0.001).Conclusion: The lipid‐deficient diet was not able to induce pruritic dermatitis despite the fact that the rats were dermatitis prone because of mild magnesium depletion. It is not confirmed that dietary lipid depletion plays any significant role in the hypomagnesic dermatitis rat model. The dermatitis and the model appear to be strictly dependent on efficient magnesium depletion manufactured with very low magnesium levels.
PIG-A mutations in normal hematopoiesis
Authors: Hu Rong , Mukhina Galina L. , Piantadosi Steven , Barber Jamie P. , Jones Richard J. , Brodsky Robert A. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractParoxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is caused by phosphatidylinositol glycan–class A (PIG-A) mutations in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). PIG-A mutations have been found in granulocytes from most healthy individuals, suggesting that these spontaneous PIG-A mutations are important in the pathogenesis of PNH. It remains unclear if these PIG-A mutations have relevance to those found in PNH. We isolated CD34+ progenitors from 4 patients with PNH and 27 controls. The frequency of PIG-A mutant progenitors was determined by assaying for colony-forming cells (CFCs) in methylcellulose containing toxic doses of aerolysin (1 × 10-9 M). Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)–anchored proteins serve as receptors for aerolysin; thus, PNH cells are resistant to aerolysin. The frequency of aerolysin resistant CFC was 14.7 ± 4.0 × 10-6 in the bone marrow of healthy donors and was 57.0 ± 6.7 × 10-6 from mobilized peripheral blood. DNA was extracted from individual day-14 aerolysin-resistant CFCs and the PIG-A gene was sequenced to determine clonality. Aerolysin-resistant CFCs from patients with PNH exhibited clonal PIG-A mutations. In contrast, PIG-A mutations in the CFCs from controls were polyclonal, and did not involve T cells. Our data confirm the finding that PIG-A mutations are relatively common in normal hematopoiesis; however, the finding suggests that these mutations occur in differentiated progenitors rather than HSCs.
Regulation of CXCR3 and CXCR4 expression during terminal differentiation of memory B cells into plasma cells
Authors: Muehlinghaus Gwendolin , Cigliano Luisa , Huehn Stephan , Peddinghaus Anette , Leyendeckers Heike , Hauser Anja E. , Hiepe Falk , Radbruch Andreas , Arce Sergio , Manz Rudolf A. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractC-X-C motif chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) and CXCR4 expressed on immunoglobulin G (IgG)–plasma-cell precursors formed in memory immune responses are crucial modulators of the homing of these cells. Here, we studied the regulation of the expression of these chemokine receptors during the differentiation of human memory B cells into plasma cells. We show that CXCR3 is absent on CD27- naive B cells but is expressed on a fraction of memory B cells, preferentially on those coexpressing IgG1. On differentiation into plasma-cell precursors, CXCR3+ memory B cells maintain the expression of this chemokine receptor. CXCR3- memory B cells up-regulate CXCR3 and migrate toward concentration gradients of its ligands only when costimulated with interferon γ (IFN-γ), but not interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-α, IFN-β, or tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). In contrast, the differentiation of CXCR4- B cells into plasma cells is generally accompanied by the induction of CXCR4 expression. These results show that lack of CXCR4 expression on plasma-cell precursors is not a limiting factor for plasma-cell homing and that the expression of CXCR3 on memory B cells and plasma-cell precursors is induced by IFN-γ, provided in human T helper type 1 (Th1)–biased immune responses. Once induced in memory B cells, CXCR3 expression remains part of the individual cellular memory.
Small-molecule XIAP inhibitors derepress downstream effector caspases and induce apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia cells
Authors: Carter Bing Z. , Gronda Marcela , Wang Zhiliang , Welsh Kate , Pinilla Clemencia , Andreeff Michael , Schober Wendy D. , Nefzi Adel , Pond Gregory R. , Mawji Imtiaz A. , Houghten Richard A. , Ostresh John , Brandwein Joseph , Minden Mark D. , Schuh Andre C. , Wells Richard A. , Messner Hans , Chun Kathy , Reed John C. , Schimmer Aaron D. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractWe tested the effects of small-molecule XIAP antagonists based on a polyphenylurea pharmacophore on cultured acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cell lines and primary patient samples. X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) antagonist N-[(5R)-6-[(anilinocarbonyl)amino]-5-((anilinocarbonyl){[(2R)-1-(4-cyclohexylbutyl)pyrrolidin-2-yl]methyl}amino)hexyl]-N-methyl-N′-phenylurea (1396-12), but not a structurally related control compound, induced apoptosis of primary leukemia samples with a lethal dose (LD50) of less than 10 μM in 16 of 27 (60%) samples. In contrast, XIAP antagonist 1396-12 was not lethal to the normal hematopoietic cells in short-term cytotoxicity assays. Response of primary AML specimens to XIAP inhibitor correlated with XIAP protein levels, with higher levels of XIAP associated with sensitivity. The XIAP antagonist 1396-12 induced activation of downstream caspases 3 and 7 prior to the activation of upstream caspase 8 and caspase 9. Apoptosis induction was also independent of B-cell lymphoma protein-2 (Bcl-2) or caspase 8, indicative of a downstream effect on apoptotic pathways. Thus, polyphenylurea-based XIAP antagonsists directly induce apoptosis of leukemia cells and AML patient samples at low micromolar concentrations through a mechanism of action distinct from conventional chemotherapeutic agents.
Positive and negative regulation of c-Myb by cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinases, and p27 Kip1
Authors: Lei Wanli , Liu Fan , Ness Scott A. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThe c-Myb transcription factor controls differentiation and proliferation in hematopoietic and other cell types and has latent transforming activity, but little is known about its regulation during the cell cycle. Here, c-Myb was identified as part of a protein complex from human T cells containing the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) CDK6. Assays using model reporter constructs as well as endogenous target genes showed that the activity of c-Myb was inhibited by cyclin D1 plus CDK4 or CDK6 but stimulated by expression of the CDK inhibitors p16 Ink4a, p21 Cip1, or p27 Kip1. Mapping experiments identified a highly conserved region in c-Myb which, when transferred to the related A-Myb transcription factor, also rendered it responsive to CDKs and p27. The results suggest that c-Myb activity is directly regulated by cyclin D1 and CDKs and imply that c-Myb activity is regulated during the cell cycle in hematopoietic cells.
The targeting of primary effusion lymphoma cells for apoptosis by inducing lytic replication of human herpesvirus 8 while blocking virus production
Authors: Klass Carmen M. , Krug Laurie T. , Pozharskaya Veronika P. , Offermann Margaret K. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractPrimary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a B-cell lymphoma in which human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) is found within all tumor cells and represents a target for selectively destroying tumor cells. HHV-8 is latent in most PEL cells and, hence, resistant to antiviral agents that inhibit lytic replication. We demonstrate that PEL cell lines containing HHV-8 without and with coinfection with Epstein-Barr virus responded to the antiseizure medication valproate with entry into the lytic cascade and production of infectious virus. Minimal cell death occurred when noninfected BL-41 cells were incubated with valproate, whereas apoptosis occurred in response to valproate in PELs that supported lytic replication of HHV-8. The anti-viral agents ganciclovir and phosphonoformic acid (PFA) blocked valproate-induced production of infectious virus without blocking entry into the lytic cascade, and apoptosis occurred at levels that were as high as when virus production was not blocked. Ganciclovir and PFA also prevented most valproate-induced expression of the late lytic viral transcript open reading frame 26 (ORF-26), but they did not block the induction of either viral interleukin-6 (vIL-6) or viral G protein-coupled receptor (vGPCR). These studies provide evidence that incubation of PELs with valproate in the presence of ganciclovir or PFA can selectively target tumor cells for apoptosis without increasing viral load.
Failure of SCID-X1 gene therapy in older patients
Authors: Thrasher Adrian J. , Hacein-Bey-Abina Salima , Gaspar H. Bobby , Blanche Stephane , Davies E. Graham , Parsley Kathryn , Gilmour Kimberly , King Douglas , Howe Steven , Sinclair Joanna , Hue Christophe , Carlier Frédérique , von Kalle Christof , de Saint Basile Geneviève , le Deist Françoise , Fischer Alain , Cavazzana-Calvo Marina 
Published: February 2005

AbstractGene therapy has been shown to be a highly effective treatment for infants with typical X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID-X1, γc-deficiency). For patients in whom previous allogeneic transplantation has failed, and others with attenuated disease who may present later in life, the optimal treatment strategy in the absence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)–matched donors is unclear. Here we report the failure of gene therapy in 2 such patients, despite effective gene transfer to bone marrow CD34+ cells, suggesting that there are intrinsic host-dependent restrictions to efficacy. In particular, there is likely to be a limitation to initiation of normal thymopoiesis, and we therefore suggest that intervention for these patients should be considered as early as possible.
GeneNotes – A novel information management software for biologists
Authors: Hong Pengyu , Wong Wing H 
Published: February 2005

Abstract
Background
Collecting and managing information is a challenging task in a genome-wide profiling research project. Most databases and online computational tools require a direct human involvement. Information and computational results are presented in various multimedia formats (e.g., text, image, PDF, word files, etc.), many of which cannot be automatically processed by computers in biologically meaningful ways. In addition, the quality of computational results is far from perfect and requires nontrivial manual examination. The timely selection, integration and interpretation of heterogeneous biological information still heavily rely on the sensibility of biologists. Biologists often feel overwhelmed by the huge amount of and the great diversity of distributed heterogeneous biological information.

Description
We developed an information management application called GeneNotes. GeneNotes is the first application that allows users to collect and manage multimedia biological information about genes/ESTs. GeneNotes provides an integrated environment for users to surf the Internet, collect notes for genes/ESTs, and retrieve notes. GeneNotes is supported by a server that integrates gene annotations from many major databases (e.g., HGNC, MGI, etc.). GeneNotes uses the integrated gene annotations to (a) identify genes given various types of gene IDs (e.g., RefSeq ID, GenBank ID, etc.), and (b) provide quick views of genes. GeneNotes is free for academic usage. The program and the tutorials are available at: http://bayes.fas.harvard.edu/genenotes/.

Conclusions
GeneNotes provides a novel human-computer interface to assist researchers to collect and manage biological information. It also provides a platform for studying how users behave when they manipulate biological information. The results of such study can lead to innovation of more intelligent human-computer interfaces that greatly shorten the cycle of biology research.
A novel pancoronavirus RT-PCR assay: frequent detection of human coronavirus NL63 in children hospitalized with respiratory tract infections in Belgium
Authors: Moës Elien , Vijgen Leen , Keyaerts Els , Zlateva Kalina , Li Sandra , Maes Piet , Pyrc Krzysztof , Berkhout Ben , van der Hoek Lia , Van Ranst Marc 
Published: February 2005

Abstract
Background
Four human coronaviruses are currently known to infect the respiratory tract: human coronaviruses OC43 (HCoV-OC43) and 229E (HCoV-229E), SARS associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the recently identified human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63). In this study we explored the incidence of HCoV-NL63 infection in children diagnosed with respiratory tract infections in Belgium.

Methods
Samples from children hospitalized with respiratory diseases during the winter seasons of 2003 and 2004 were evaluated for the presence of HCoV-NL63 using a optimized pancoronavirus RT-PCR assay.

Results
Seven HCoV-NL63 positive samples were identified, six were collected during January/February 2003 and one at the end of February 2004.

Conclusions
Our results support the notation that HCoV-NL63 can cause serious respiratory symptoms in children. Sequence analysis of the S gene showed that our isolates could be classified into two subtypes corresponding to the two prototype HCoV-NL63 sequences isolated in The Netherlands in 1988 and 2003, indicating that these two subtypes may currently be cocirculating.
Postpartum maternal morbidity requiring hospital admission in Lusaka, Zambia – a descriptive study
Authors: Vallely Lisa , Ahmed Yusuf , Murray Susan F 
Published: February 2005

Abstract
Background
Information on the extent of postpartum maternal morbidity in developing countries is extremely limited. In many settings, data from hospital-based studies is hard to interpret because of the small proportion of women that have access to medical care. However, in those areas with good uptake of health care, the measurement of the type and incidence of complications severe enough to require hospitalisation may provide useful baseline information on the acute and severe morbidity that women experience in the early weeks following childbirth. An analysis of health services data from Lusaka, Zambia, is presented.

Methods
Six-month retrospective review of hospital registers and 4-week cross-sectional study with prospective identification of postpartum admissions.

Results
Both parts of the study identified puerperal sepsis and malaria as, respectively, the leading direct and indirect causes of postpartum morbidity requiring hospital admission. Puerperal sepsis accounted for 34.8% of 365 postpartum admissions in the 6-month period. Malaria and pneumonia together accounted for one-fifth of all postpartum admissions (14.5% & 6% respectively). At least 1.7% of the postpartum population in Lusaka will require hospital-level care for a maternal morbidity.

Conclusions
In developing country urban settings with high public health care usage, meticulous review of hospital registers can provide baseline information on the burden of moderate-to-severe postpartum morbidity.
Circulating γδ T cells in young/adult and old patients with cutaneous primary melanoma
Authors: Re Francesca , Donnini Alessia , Bartozzi Beatrice , Bernardini Giovanni , Provinciali Mauro 
Published: February 2005

AbstractBackgroundIn a previous study we demonstrated the existence of numerical and functional alterations of γδ T cells in healthy elderly. Recently, we analysed the involvement of γδ T lymphocytes in malignant melanoma, describing a lower frequency of circulating γδ T cells, an altered pattern of cytokine production, and an impaired in vitro expansion of these cells in primary cutaneous melanoma patients.MethodsIn this study we investigated the existence of numerical and functional alterations of circulating γδ T cells in young/adult and old melanoma patients, comparing the data obtained with age-matched healthy subjects.ResultsWe demonstrated that the number of circulating γδ+T cells was significantly and similarly reduced in young/adult and old melanoma patients and in old healthy subjects in comparison with young healthy donors. The decrease was due to a reduction of Vδ2 T cells whereas the number of Vδ1 T cells was not affected. A higher percentage of γδ+T cells producing TNF-α was found in old healthy donors, whereas a reduced number of TNF-α-producing γδ+T cells was present in melanoma patients independently by age. No significant difference was observed in IFN-γ production. After a 10-day in vitro culture, both the percentage and the expansion index of γδ T cells, and in particular of Vδ2 subset, were significantly and similarly reduced both in young/adult and old melanoma patients, and in healthy aged people, in comparison with young/adult healthy subjects.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that the numerical and functional impairment of γδ T cells found in melanoma patients is not correlated with age and that it has characteristics very similar to the alterations of γδ T cells found in old healthy subjects. We suggest that a similar impairment of γδ T cell population may be related to the increased susceptibility to tumors present in the elderly as well as in the pathogenesis of malignant melanoma.