bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of diabetes duration and cardiovascular risk factors on mortality in type 2 diabetes: the Hoorn Study
Authors: Spijkerman A. M. W. , Dekker J. M. , Nijpels G. , Jager A. , Kostense P. J. , Van Hinsbergh V. W. M. , Bouter L. M. , Heine R. J. , Stehouwer C. D. A. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractBackground Several studies have reported differences in the mortality risk between diabetic subjects detected by screening and known diabetic patients. We studied mortality in relation to diabetes duration, and the contribution of other cardiovascular risk factors to the elevated risk.Materials and methods Participants were type 2 diabetic subjects (n = 174) of a population‐based cohort study. Of these, 95 were diagnosed by screening. Known diabetic subjects were grouped into two categories of diabetes duration, with a median duration of 2·4 and 11·2 years, respectively. We assessed the contribution of classical cardiovascular risk factors (dyslipidaemia, hypertension, and prior myocardial infarction), and of new cardiovascular risk factors (microalbuminuria, von Willebrand factor, sVCAM‐1 and C‐reactive protein) to the mortality risk during nearly 10 years of follow up. Cox's proportional hazards model was used to study the association of diabetes duration and mortality.Results The age‐ and sex‐adjusted relative risks of mortality were 2·06 (95% C.I. 1·04–4·10) and 3·19 (1·64–6·20) for the patients with short‐ and long‐term diabetes compared with the screening‐detected diabetic subjects, respectively. Adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors resulted in a reduction of mortality risk in both groups: 1·13 (0·51–2·50) and 2·39 (1·18–4·83), respectively. Mortality risk significantly increased with increasing diabetes duration, even after multiple adjustment (P‐value for trend ranged from < 0·001–0·018).Conclusions Mortality risk increased with increasing diabetes duration. In subjects with short diabetes duration the mortality risk could largely be attributed to other risk factors. In subjects with a longer diabetes duration, however, the elevated mortality risk was independent of these cardiovascular risk factors.
Confirmation of the detection of HLA‐A*0104N in a family: a PCR–SSP reaction for the allelic detection of HLA‐A*0104N
Authors: Moses J. H. , Downes J. , McClenahan W. , Clow N. , Kennedy C. , Greville W. D. , Dunckley H. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe allele A*0104N has been detected in a family with a patient requiring a bone marrow transplant. The allele was found as a consequence of a discrepant result when family members were typed using serology and polymerase chain reaction using sequence‐specific primers (PCR–SSP). Serological typing gave an apparent HLA‐A ‘blank’ while PCR–SSP revealed the presence of an A*01 allele in three family members who were serologically negative for A1. Sequencing‐based typing (SBT) was then used to establish that the allele was A*0104N. A PCR–SSP reaction was subsequently designed and used for the allelic detection of A*0104N. The study highlights the potential risks involved if molecular technology is used for typing, unless all non‐expressed alleles are specifically detected.
Towards understanding the origin and dispersal of Austronesians in the Solomon Sea: HLA class II polymorphism in eight distinct populations of Asia‐Oceania
Authors: Zimdahl H. , Schiefenhövel W. , Kayser M. , Roewer L. , Nagy M. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractHLA class II nucleotide sequence polymorphisms were examined in eight ethnic groups of Asia‐Oceania using DNA typing methods. Allele frequencies and characteristic DR/DQ haplotypes were determined and compared with those of other populations of Asia‐Oceania. Genetic distances were measured to show the genetic relationship within the studied populations as well as between the studied populations and previously published populations. Phylogenetic trees were constructed based on HLA allele frequencies using the neighbour‐joining method. The populations, mainly Trobriand Islanders, Roro, Tolai, Western Samoans and Taiwanese Aborigines, are characterized by a reduced diversity at the HLA loci examined, especially for DPB1. The high frequency of the ‘Asian’‐specific DPB1*0501 allele in Trobrianders and Roro, but also in Western Samoans and Taiwanese Aborigines, was the most striking result. The prevalence of DPB1*0501 and the short genetic distance from Trobriander and Roro to Taiwanese Aborigines provide evidence that the origin of the Austronesian odyssey is south‐east Asia, and Taiwan could be an important part of it. The relatedness of Trobrianders to the Polynesian population from Western Samoa indicates a probable recent common ancestor. The observed lack of diversity may reflect bottleneck(s) and/or limited diversity of the founding population. Analysis of HLA class I antigens, together with mt‐DNA and Y‐chromosomal studies, will give us further information about the settlement of the Trobriand and other islands during the colonization of the Pacific.
Analysis of the phenotypic distribution of HLA class I and class II in atopic and non‐atopic asthma patients
Authors: Torío A. , Sánchez‐Guerrero I. , Muro M. , Herrero N. , Pagán J. , Minguela A. , Marín L. , Moya‐Quiles M. R. , Sanchís M. J. , Álvarez‐López M. R. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractIn several studies the HLA system has been implicated in the development of asthma, but the importance of the associations between HLA genes and asthma remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the HLA class I and II phenotypic frequencies in a population of asthmatics, and to analyse the relationship between these phenotypes and any type of asthma. We typed HLA class I and II antigens in a series of 189 asthmatic individuals (102 atopic and 87 non‐atopic), and in a control population of 150 unrelated healthy Caucasoid donors. When the HLA phenotypic frequencies were compared, no statistical differences were found. Therefore, no definitive HLA association could be established with atopic or non‐atopic asthma in the studied population. Abbreviations AA, atopic asthma; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; NAA, non‐atopic asthma; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; SSOP, sequence‐specific oligonucleotide probes; SPT, skin prick test.
Influence of TNFα and LTα single nucleotide polymorphisms on susceptibility to and prognosis in cutaneous malignant melanoma in the British population
Authors: Howell W. M. , Turner S. J. , Collins A. , Bateman A. C. , Theaker J. M. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryCutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is a potentially fatal malignancy in which exposure to UV light is the most important risk factor. Several lines of evidence suggest that increased expression of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) α, upregulated by UV exposure, may contribute to tumour escape from the immune response. In this study, we addressed whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNFα promoter and lymphotoxin (LT) α gene are associated with susceptibility to or known prognostic indicators (e.g. initial tumour growth phase, Breslow thickness, mitotic count in vertical growth phase tumours, and tumour regression) in CMM. One hundred and forty‐six British Caucasian CMM patients and 220 controls were typed for TNFα−376, −308 and −238 and LTα+252 SNPs by ARMS‐PCR. Only the TNFα−238 GG (P = 0.05) and GA (P = 0.03) genotypes showed slight, but significant, associations with CMM, while LTα+252 AA was associated with a higher mitotic count in vertical growth phase tumours (P = 0.02). Both TNFα−238 and LTα+252 SNPs showed linkage disequilibrium with HLA‐DQB1*0303 and *0301 alleles, variably implicated in CMM susceptibility/prognosis. In addition, TNFα−238, −308, LTα+252 haplotypes were assigned and compared. The GGA haplotype showed a modest association with CMM (P = 0.04) and with stage of disease (P = 0.03) and initial growth phase in CMM (P = 0.02), but these associations were only significant when P‐values were uncorrected. Unlike basal cell carcinoma, these preliminary findings suggest that genetic variation associated with differential TNFα and LTα production is unlikely to play a major, independent role in susceptibility to, and perhaps prognosis in, CMM.
A PCR‐RFLP typing method for adhesion molecule gene polymorphisms and allele frequencies in a normal UK population
Authors: Gbadegesin R. A. , Watson C. J. , Cotton S. A. , Brenchley P. E. C. , Webb N. J. A. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryWe report simple and reproducible PCR‐RFLP typing methods for the polymorphisms in the ICAM‐1, E‐selectin and PECAM‐1 genes. The genotype and allele frequencies detected in a normal UK population did not deviate significantly from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium; neither did they differ from frequencies previously reported using SSP or SSCP methods.
cDNA cloning of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor of the marsupial Macropus eugenii (tammar wallaby)
Authors: Taylor C. L. , Harrison G. A. , Watson C. M. , Deane E. M. 
Published: March 2003

SummarycDNA encoding a marsupial polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) was isolated from Macropus eugenii (tammar wallaby) mammary lymph node primarily by reverse transcriptase coupled polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. This resulted in a 5′ truncated clone and, in order to obtain the full‐length sequence, genomic walking PCR was utilized. The complete sequence consists of 2696 bp of cDNA and encodes a predicted polypeptide of 732 amino acids. The wallaby sequence is highly conserved in relation to the only other reported marsupial pIgR sequence, that of Trichosurus vulpecula (brushtail possum), having a nucleotide identity of 86.7% and a deduced amino acid identity of 79.9%. The wallaby nucleotide sequence also has a moderate degree of similarity with the pIgR sequences of eutherian mammals, being most similar to that of the rat, with an identity of 63.1%. At the amino acid level, in comparison to eutherian sequences, the wallaby pIgR is most similar to that of humans with an identity of 52.6%. pIgR phylogenetic trees were constructed for tammar wallaby, brushtail possum and several eutherian mammal cDNA and deduced amino acid sequences. In both DNA and protein analyses, the eutherian sequences formed a sister clade to the exclusion of the marsupial sequences, in agreement with the current view of mammalian evolution.
Sequence similarity matching: proposal of a structure‐based rating system for bone marrow transplantation
Authors: Elsner H.‐A. , Blasczyk R. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryRecent advances in DNA‐based typing have led to the detection of a continuously growing number of HLA alleles. For this reason, HLA matching in transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells from unrelated donors has become increasingly complicated. When there is no genotypically identical sibling and there are several alternative potential donors that all have a mismatch at a relevant HLA locus, until now no rating system has existed indicating different levels of allogenicity. In order to find a theoretical approach to this problem we propose a rating system (‘dissimilarity index’) based on structural data of HLA class I molecules, and on published data about frequencies of naturally occurring amino acid exchanges. For demonstration we employ our rating system for the comparison of the HLA‐A*23 and A*24 groups, both of which allelic products are subdivisions of the serological HLA‐A9 family. Remarkable differences between the subtypes were revealed, which were superior to a simple sequence comparison. More surprisingly, it was uncovered that some alleles of the A*24 group showed fewer differences to A*2301 than to alleles within their own subtype group. Sequence similarity matching may serve as a starting point for the clinical evaluation of acceptable mismatches within the HLA‐A9 family and serve as a model for other HLA class I groups.
The interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist gene: a single‐copy variant of the intron 2 variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism
Authors: Vamvakopoulos J. E. , Taylor C. J. , Morris‐Stiff G. J. , Green C. , Metcalfe S. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryA variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism exists within intron 2 of the human interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist gene, consisting of perfect repeats of an 86‐bp sequence. Five allelic variants have been identified wherein the number of repeats varies from two to six. This is the first report of a rare, single‐copy allele designated IL1RN*0.
Capillary electrophoretic behaviour of humic substances from Sphagnum peats of various geographical origin: relation with the degree of decomposition
Authors: BRAGATO G. , MORI A. , DE NOBILI M. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryHumic substances (HS) extracted from 14 Sphagnum peats of various geographical origin were submitted tocapillary electrophoresis (CE) in free solution and in entangled polymer solutions (25 gl‐1 and 50 gl−1) of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Electrophoretic runs were made in uncoated capillaries (75 μm internal diameter) using a tris‐hydroxymethylaminomethane (TRIS)‐phosphate buffer (pH 8.3) eventually containing PEG and applying a voltage of 10 kV. The HS extract of a Lithuanian peat was fractionated by ultrafiltration into five fractions with a nominal mean relative molecular mass (M) of 3000, 7500, 20 000, 75 000 and 200 000 Da. Without PEG, migration times were not correlated with the logarithm of M, but linear relations were obtained with 25gl−1 and 50gl−1 PEG solutions. Both solutions separated the different fractions by size; the best regression and the largest interval of linearity, M from 3000 to 200 000 Da, was obtained with the 25gl−1 PEG solution. At 10kV and without PEG, migration times ranged from 6.5 to 8.1 min and did not differentiate the peats, whereas at 25gl−1 PEG, migration times ranged from 3.3 to 6.5 min and, when plotted as a function of either the r value or the von Post index (H), which are used to evaluate the degree of decomposition of horticultural peats, they separated samples on the basis of their geographical origin and probable type of mire complex. At 25gl−1 PEG, migration times also showed a well‐defined linear decreasing trend with the increase of mean annual temperatures. These relations suggest the hypothesis that humification in mires goes along with an increase in the average size of humic molecules.
Chlordane transport in a sandy soil: effects of suspended soil material and pig slurry
Authors: HESKETH N. , BROOKES P. C. , ADDISCOTT T. M. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryIn experiments in lysimeters of sandy soil chlordane was transported in water flows only when sorbed on suspended soil material. A chlordane ‘concentration’ was calculated by dividing this sorbed chlordane by the volume of the water sample in which the suspended matter was carried. In all but one lysimeter the first peak in this ‘concentration’ appeared in the drainage well ahead of the first peak in the concentration of bromide applied at the same time as the chlordane. Chlordane also persisted in the drainage for less time than bromide. The transport of chlordane was most closely associated with that of the largest category of suspended soil material (> 1.2 μm), possibly because that category contained the most organic matter. It was not associated with the transport of colloidal matter for either of the two possible size limits applied to the latter (< 0.22 μm or < 0.45 μm). In the lysimeters to which pig slurry was applied the evidence that it enhanced the transport of chlordane was limited and equivocal; the chlordane was probably sorbed strongly by the soil's organic matter before the slurry was applied. The application of chlordane was 100 times greater than in normal agricultural practice and it was followed by a substantial volume of water. Nevertheless, only 0.00002% of it was transported from the lysimeters, and its ‘concentration’, calculated as above, never exceeded the EU limit of 0.1 μg1−1 for any one pesticide.
Phosphorus retention and release of anions and organic carbon by two Andisols
Authors: Beck M. A. , Robarge W. P. , Buol S. W. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryAndisols can absorb large amounts of phosphorus rapidly, and then release it slowly, yet the mechanisms by which they retain P and release it for plant growth are poorly understood. Ligand exchange of organic compounds from Al–humic complexes by P and/or Si release – due to breakdown of allophanic microstructure to provide sorption sites – might account for the retention of P, but its extent is not known. We applied a soil column flow‐through technique to quantify the release of anions and organic carbon (C) associated with P sorption by two andic soils, and we related the anion release to possible mechanisms for the retention of P. Phosphate (H2PO4–, HPO42–) sorption and concurrent anion desorption were obtained by passing a 1‐g P 1–1 (32 mmol KH2PO4 in 1 mm CaCl2) solution through the soil columns (25 cm3). Total dissolved P, Fe, Al, S, Ca, Mg, K, Mn, organic C and pH were determined in the eluent. Changes in eluent pH and the patterns of the retention of P and corresponding concentrations of Al, Si and organic C in the eluent were similar for the two Andisols. The general pattern and changes in pH of the eluent coincided with changes in the patterns of release of organic C and Si and the rate of P retention. Release of silica accounted for < 6% of the P sorbed and had only a minor role in P retention in these two Andisols. Release of organic C, however, accounted on a molar basis for 40% and 83%, respectively, of the P sorbed. Direct measurements of the pH of the eluent and release of anions and organic C concurrent to P retention contribute to rapid assessment of the controlling mechanisms of P retention. The results indirectly confirm the hypothesis of ligand exchange of solution P with organic complexes held on allophanic surfaces. The organic C release, however, is not specifically related to either the fast or the slow P retention phase. The shift in the controlling P retention reaction associated with a change from the fast to the slow P retention phase is clearly indicated by an abrupt change of the pH of the eluent. This shift, in previous studies identified graphically by a change in slope of the P sorption isotherm, can be identified directly by measuring the pH of the matrix.
Fixation of radiocaesium traces in a weathering sequence mica → vermiculite → hydroxy interlayered vermiculite
Authors: Maes E. , Vielvoye L. , Stone W. , Delvaux B. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryRadiocaesium fixation in soils is reported to occur on frayed edge sites of micaceous minerals. The weathering of mica in acid soils may therefore influence the Cs+ fixation process and thereby the mobility of the radiopollutant. We produced a laboratory weathering model biotite → trioctahedral vermiculite → oxidized vermiculite → hydroxy interlayered vermiculite (HIV) and quantified the Cs+ fixation of each mineral both in a fixed K+–Ca2+ background and in acid conditions. The transformation process was achieved through K depletion by Na‐tetraphenylboron, oxidation with Br2 and Al‐intercalation using NaOH and AlCl3. In a constant K+–Ca2+ background, vermiculite fixed 92–95% of the initial 137Cs+ contamination while biotite and HIV fixed only 18–33%. In acid conditions, the interlayer occupancy by either potassium (biotite) or hydroxy‐Al groups (HIV) strongly limited Cs+ fixation to 1–4% of the initial 137Cs+ contamination. Cs+ fixation occurred on vermiculitic sites associated with micaceous wedge zones. Though both oxidized and trioctahedral vermiculites fixed similar Cs+ amounts in a constant K+–Ca2+ background (92–95%), the oxidized vermiculite retained much more radiocaesium in acid conditions (78–84% against 54–59%), because of its dioctahedral character.
Modelling particle mobilization and leaching in macroporous soil
Authors: Jarvis N. J. , Villholth K. G. , Ulén B. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryThe migration of colloidal particles in the unsaturated zone may enhance leaching of sorbing contaminants to surface waters and groundwaters. This paper describes a simple model of particle leaching and translocation based on the dual‐porosity model MACRO. The model includes descriptions of processes such as ‘source‐limited’ particle detachment due to the kinetic energy of rain, replenishment of the depleted store of particles up to a maximum value determined by the amount of dispersible clay in the soil, and convective transport of particles in macropores subject to a filter sink term varying as a function of pore water velocity. Estimates of model parameter values are obtained by comparing simulations with measurements of particle concentrations in the discharge from tile drains made in a silty clay soil in southwest Sweden. Calibrated in this way, the model is shown to reproduce satisfactorily the observations. A sensitivity analysis suggests that the critical parameters in the model are those related to particle filtering during vertical transport in soil macropores.
Transformation and binding of 13C and 14C‐labelled atrazine in relation to straw decomposition in soil
Authors: Benoit P. , Preston C. M. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryAs a source of organic matter, crop residues affect the behaviour of pesticides in agricultural soils. The fate of [U‐ring‐13C] and [U‐ring‐14C] atrazine (6‐chloro‐N‐ethyl‐N‐isopropyl‐1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4‐diamine) was investigated during laboratory incubation under controlled conditions in a loamy soil amended with wheat straw at two different states of decomposition: no preliminary decomposition or 6 months’ preliminary decomposition. After 3 months, non‐extractable, so‐called ‘bound’, 13C‐atrazine residues were recovered in three particle‐size fractions (> 200, 50–200 and < 50 μm), and investigated with solid‐state 13C‐NMR spectroscopy. Parallel incubations with [U‐ring‐14C] atrazine were carried out to quantify the bound residues as well as the extractable and mineralized fractions. The effect of straw residues on atrazine behaviour depended on whether they had been previously decomposed or not. When straw was decomposed for 6 months prior to incubation, atrazine mineralization was enhanced to 50% of the initial 14C in contrast to 15% of the initial 14C in soil alone and soil amended with fresh straw. In parallel, atrazine bound residues were formed in greater amount representing up to 20% of the initial 14C. CP/MAS 13C‐NMR on soil size fractions of soil–straw mixtures after incubation with 13C‐atrazine showed that bound residues contained mostly triazinic C, corresponding to atrazine or primary metabolites. Non‐humified organic materials recovered in size fractions > 200 and 50–200 μm contained significant amounts of bound residues, especially when straw was added to the soil. CP/MAS 13C‐NMR analysis of humic acids obtained from < 50‐μm fractions was difficult due to overlapping of the native carboxyl 13C signal with the 13C‐atrazine signal.