bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Zinc blocks gene expression of mitochondrial aconitase in human prostatic carcinoma cells
Authors: Tsui Ke‐Hung , Chang Phei‐Lang , Juang Horng‐Heng 
Published: August 2005

AbstractMitochondrial aconitase (mACON) contains a [4Fe‐4S] cluster as the key enzyme for citrate oxidation in the human prostatic epithelial cell. Although there is accumulating evidence indicating that accumulation of high levels of zinc in prostate epithelial cells causes reduced efficiency of citrate oxidation, zinc regulation on the mACON is still not well understood. From in vitro studies, zinc chloride treatment has been developed using humic acid as the carrier (Zn‐HA) in human prostatic carcinoma cells, PC‐3. Zn‐HA treatment (0.1–10 μM) restricts mACON enzymatic activity, which attenuates citrate utility and decreases intracellular ATP levels in PC‐3 cells, whereas the effect is blocked by adding the zinc chelator, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). Immunoblot, ribonuclease‐protection and transient gene‐expression assays indicate that Zn‐HA treatments inhibit mACON gene expression. Mutation of the putative metal response element (MRE) from CTCGCCTTCA to TGATCCTTCA abolishes Zn‐HA inhibition of mACON promoter activity. Our results have demonstrated that zinc possesses a specific regulatory mechanism on the mACON gene, and a biologic function of the putative metal regulatory system in mACON gene transcription has been identified. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Identification of flat dysplastic aberrant crypt foci in the colon of azoxymethane‐treated A/J mice
Authors: Paulsen Jan Erik , Knutsen Helle , Ølstørn Hege Benedikte , Løberg Else Marit , Alexander Jan 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThe role of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) as preneoplastic lesions in colon carcinogenesis is not clear. In Min/+ mice and their wild‐type littermates treated with azoxymethane (AOM), we previously identified a subgroup of flat ACF that seem more immediate precursors of tumors than the classical elevated ACF. In the present study, we identified a similar subgroup of flat ACF in AOM‐treated A/J mice and compared them with nascent tumors and classical elevated ACF. At week 1 and 2 after birth, A/J mice were injected subcutaneously with AOM (10 mg/kg bw/injection). At weeks 7–14, we examined the luminal surface of unsectioned colon preparations stained with methylene blue in the inverse light microscope. The lesions were also examined by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Surface examination revealed flat ACF, classical elevated ACF and nascent tumors. Since flat ACF were not observed as elevated structures, their bright blue appearance and compressed pit pattern of crypt openings seen with transillumination were used as criteria for their identification. Flat ACF and nascent tumors displayed a uniform picture of severe dysplasia, compressed pit pattern, overexpression of cytoplasmic/nuclear β‐catenin and nuclear overexpression of cyclin D1. Apparently, flat ACF and tumors represented the same type of dysplastic lesions at different stages of crypt multiplication. In contrast, classical elevated ACF did not seem to be as clearly related to tumorigenesis. They infrequently (1/20) possessed severe dysplasia, overexpression of cytoplasmic/nuclear β‐catenin, or nuclear overexpression of cyclin D1, and they did not have compressed crypt openings. Furthermore, flat ACF grew significantly faster than classical elevated ACF. In conclusion, our data indicate a development from flat ACF to adenoma characterized by aberrant activation of the Wnt signaling pathway and fast crypt multiplication. Classical elevated ACF do not seem to be as closely related to tumorigenesis. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Degradation of maternal mRNA in mouse embryos: Selective degradation of specific mRNAs after fertilization
Authors: Alizadeh Zohreh , Kageyama Shun‐Ichiro , Aoki Fugaku 
Published: August 2005

AbstractDuring oogenesis, mRNA is actively transcribed and accumulated in growing oocytes, but this transcription stops before the oocytes grow to their full size. The accumulated maternal mRNA is used for protein synthesis in the oocytes during meiotic maturation and even in the embryos to sustain development after fertilization. Therefore, the degradation of accumulated maternal mRNA starts during meiotic maturation, but its rate is slow. Nevertheless, some mRNA species should rapidly degrade after fertilization if they encode proteins that play a role in specific events during meiosis and are detrimental for development after fertilization. In this study, to identify the selective degradation of maternal transcripts after fertilization, we sought mRNAs that are degraded in the early hours after fertilization by constructing an oocyte cDNA library after subtracting the cDNA of embryos at the mid one‐cell stage. H1oo, c‐mos, tPA (tissue type plasminogen activator gene), and Gdf9 were identified as genes whose transcripts undergo rapid degradation after fertilization. RT‐PCR analysis showed that none of these transcripts was expressed during pre‐implantation development once they were eliminated, suggesting that the mRNA species that are required for oogenesis, but not for early pre‐implantation development, are degraded rapidly after fertilization. Microinjection of chimeric mRNAs in which the coding and 3′‐untranslated regions (3′UTR) were exchanged between c‐mos and hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase mRNAs revealed that the 3′UTR plays a role in the rapid degradation that occurs after fertilization. Cytoplasmic polyadenylation elements (CPEs) was found near a poly(A) signal in the 3′UTR of all the mRNA species identified as rapidly degrading mRNA. The mechanism for the selective degradation is discussed, in relation to its biological significance. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fixed‐parameter tractability and data reduction for multicut in trees
Authors: Guo Jiong , Niedermeier Rolf 
Published: August 2005

AbstractWe study an NP‐complete (and MaxSNP‐hard) communication problem on tree networks, the so‐called MULTICUT IN TREES: given an undirected tree and some pairs of nodes of the tree, find out whether there is a set of at mostktree edges whose removal separates all given pairs of nodes. MULTICUT has been intensively studied for trees as well as for general graphs mainly from the viewpoint of polynomial time approximation algorithms. By way of contrast, we provide a simple fixed‐parameter algorithm for MULTICUT IN TREES showing fixed‐parameter tractability with respect to parameterk. Moreover, based on some polynomial time data reduction rules, which appear to be of particular interest from an applied point of view, we show a problem kernel for MULTICUT IN TREES by an intricate mathematical analysis. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 46(3), 124–135 2005
Rheological and drug‐release behaviour of a scleroglucan gel matrix at different drug loadings
Authors: François Nora J , Rojas Ana María , Daraio Marta E 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the drug‐loading effects on release and mechanical properties of a scleroglucan gel, with the intention of considering them in delivery systems formulations. The rheological and kinetic properties of a 2 % w/w scleroglucan gel matrix loaded with 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.2 and 0.4 % w/w of theophylline (Th, used as a model drug) were investigated. Rheological measurements were performed in a controlled‐stress rotational‐shear rheometer under isothermal conditions. For theophylline release from the gel a flat Franz cell was used and the kinetic parameters were derived applying a semi‐empirical power law. The influence of scleroglucan molar weight on kinetic and rheological behaviour was also studied. Results suggest two possible effects of drug loading on the gel network: in the 0.04–0.06 % w/w Th range a plasticizing effect and in the 0.2–0.4 % w/w Th range a rigidization effect. In the first range mentioned, the changes in the gel structural properties tested by means of rheological measurements are coincident with changes in drug‐release kinetics. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry
Dielectric response of water confined in MCM‐41 molecular sieve material
Authors: Kinka Martynas , Banys Juras , Macutkevic Jan , Pöppl Andreas , Böhlmann Winfried , Umamaheswari Venkatesan , Hartmann Martin , Völkel Georg 
Published: August 2005

AbstractProperties of water adsorbed in mesoporous MCM‐41 material with pore diameter of 3.7 nm have been investigated in wide frequency (20 Hz–1 MHz) and temperature (200 K– 400 K) ranges using the dielectric spectroscopy method. The obtained results showed that the dielectric response of such a two‐phase system in a temperature interval close to 0 °C is caused by the superposition of two processes: reorientation of confined water molecules and AC conductivity of the whole sample. We must mark that the freezing–melting dynamics of confined water is strongly affected by the interaction with the pore surface, which leads to the formation of a highly disordered network of hydrogen bonds. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Detection and recognition of correction utterances on misrecognition of spoken dialog system
Authors: Kitaoka Norihide , Kakutani Naoko , Nakagawa Seiichi 
Published: August 2005

AbstractWhen we communicate with computers through a speech interface, misrecognition is inevitable. Detection of repetition by users is helpful for the system to detect the error and recover. In this paper, we assume that the utterance includes repetitions for correction and propose a method to detect correction utterances in spontaneously spoken dialog. We combined a word spotting method based on dynamic time warping (DTW) and anN‐best hypothesis overlap measure for the purpose. We obtained a recall rate of 92.7% and a precision of 89.1%. We next used the detection of correction utterances to improve recognition accuracy. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 36(11): 24–33, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.20341
Relevance of Electronic Health Information to Doctors in the Developing World: Results of the Ptolemy Project’s Internet‐based Health Information Study (IBHIS)
Authors: Burton Kirsteen R. , Howard Andrew , Beveridge Massey 
Published: August 2005

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the current usage, relevance, and preferences for electronic health information (EHI) in the participant surgeons’ clinical, research, and teaching activities. The Internet‐Based Health Information Survey (IBHIS) was conducted from August to December 2003. Thirty‐seven doctors (primarily practicing in East Africa) participated, all of whom had been using the Ptolemy resources for at least 6 months. Survey questions concerned time spent reading medical literature, preferred information sources, preferred type of publication, relevance, preference for western versus local medical literature, and academic productivity. Among the 75 eligible participants, 37 (48%) responded. From these responses it was found that African surgeons with access to EHI read more than articles than they did before they had such access, and they find that the information obtained is highly relevant to their clinical, teaching, and research activities. They prefer electronic journals to textbooks and are more inclined to change their practice based on information found in western journals than local journals. Ptolemy resources helped the respondents who reported academic work write a total of 33 papers for presentation or publication. Overall, access to EHI enables doctors in Africa to read more, is relevant, and contributes directly to academic productivity; thus Western medical literature is useful in the developing world, and EHI delivery should continue to expand.
Origins of depression in later life
Authors: BLAZER DAN G. , HYBELS CELIA F. 
Published: August 2005

Background. Despite the burden of depression in late life, its origins present a paradox to investigators and clinicians alike.Method. We review biological (genetics and heredity factors, neurotransmitter dysfunction, endocrine changes, vascular disorders, and medical co-morbidities), psychological (personality attributes, neuroticism, cognitive distortions, and the lack of emotional control and self-efficacy) and social (stressful life events, bereavement, chronic stress or strain, socio-economic disadvantage and impaired social support) origins of late-life depression based upon an extensive though not exhaustive review of the extant literature. In addition, modifying psychological and social factors are discussed.Results. Older adults appear to be at greater risk for major depression biologically, such as depression resulting from vascular changes, yet the frequency of depression is lower compared to younger adults. Older adults may be protected psychologically due to factors such as socio-emotional selectivity and wisdom, compared to younger adults, and perhaps relatively protected from social risks.Conclusions. A biopsychosocial approach to evaluating the origins of late-life depression is heuristically valuable, a continual reminder of the many factors that contribute to the onset and persistence of clinically significant symptoms in late life.
A comparison of health service use in two jurisdictions with and without compulsory community treatment
Authors: KISELY STEPHEN , SMITH MARK , PRESTON NEIL J. , XIAO JIANGUO 
Published: August 2005

Background. This study examines whether community treatment orders (CTOs) reduce psychiatric admission rates or bed-days for patients from Western Australia compared to control patients from a jurisdiction without this legislation (Nova Scotia).Method. A population-based record linkage analysis of an inception cohort using a two-stage design of matching and multivariate analyses to control for sociodemographics, clinical features and psychiatric history. All discharges from in-patient psychiatric services in Western Australia and Nova Scotia were included covering a population of 2·6 million people. Patients on CTOs in the first year of implementation in Western Australia were compared with controls from Nova Scotia matched on date of discharge from in-patient care, demographics, diagnosis and past in-patient psychiatric history. We analysed time to admission using Cox regression analyses and number of bed-days using logistic regression.Results. We matched 196 CTO cases with an equal number of controls. On survival analyses, CTO cases had a significantly greater readmission rate. Co-morbid personality disorder and previous psychiatric history were also associated with readmission. However, on logistic regression, patients on CTOs spent less time in hospital in the following year, with reduced in-patient stays of over 100 days.Conclusions. Although compulsory community treatment does not reduce hospital admission rates, increased surveillance of patients on CTOs may lead to earlier intervention such as admission, so reducing length of hospital stay. However, we do not know if it is the intensity of treatment, or its compulsory nature, that effects outcome.
A controlled trial of cognitively oriented psychotherapy for early psychosis (COPE) with four-year follow-up readmission data
Authors: JACKSON HENRY , McGORRY PATRICK , EDWARDS JANE , HULBERT CAROL , HENRY LISA , HARRIGAN SUSY , DUDGEON PAUL , FRANCEY SHONA , MAUDE DANA , COCKS JOHN , KILLACKEY EOIN , POWER PADDY 
Published: August 2005

Objectives. Cognitively oriented psychotherapy for early psychosis (COPE) is aimed at facilitating the adjustment of the person, and preventing or alleviating secondary morbidity in the wake of the first psychotic episode. The present study reports on the outcomes of a controlled trial comparing two conditions: COPE versus No-COPE.Method. Ninety-one people participated in the trial which was analysed by intention-to-treat, including 12 people who were assigned to COPE but refused to participate. Assessments were conducted at pre-treatment, mid-treatment and post-treatment. Hospital readmission data were obtained through a Psychiatric Case Register. The study was conducted in a front-line public mental health service, the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC). Clients in both COPE and No-COPE were provided with full access to the complete range of EPPIC services.Results. There were no significant differences between the two conditions on the nine primary outcome variables. Hospital readmissions were assessed for each client at yearly intervals up to 4 years following the completion of treatment and again there were no significant between-group differences.Conclusions. The study indicated that there was no significant advantage to COPE over and above routine care at EPPIC.
Transforming growth factor-β receptors localize to caveolae and regulate endothelial nitric oxide synthase in normal human endothelial cells
Authors: Schwartz Eric A. , Reaven Eve , Topper James N. , Tsao Philip S. 
Published: August 2005

Caveolae (sphingolipid- and cholesterol-rich, 100 nm flask-shaped invaginations of the cell membrane) serve as a nexus of cell signalling. In the present study caveolin-rich lipid raft domains were extracted from HUVEC (human umbilical-vein endothelial cells) using both density gradient and immunoprecipitation techniques, and demonstrated localization of the TGF-β (transforming growth factor-β) receptors TβRI and TβRII to the Cav-1 (caveolin-1)-enriched raft fractions of these normal, human endothelial cells. Immunoprecipitation demonstrated an association between TβRI and TβRII, as well as an association of the TβRs receptors with Cav-1 and eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase), suggesting a mutual co-localization to caveolae; after treatment of HUVEC with 5 ng/ml TGF-β1 for 15 min, however, co-precipitation of eNOS with TβRI, TβRII and Cav-1 was diminished. The loss of immunoprecipitable eNOS from Cav-1-enriched fractions was accompanied by a decrease both in phosphorylation of eNOS and in enzymatic activity (conversion of arginine into citrulline). No change in the localization of eNOS to morphologically distinct caveolae could be detected by electron microscopy after treatment of HUVEC with TGF-β1 for 20 min. The results of these investigations provide evidence that TβRI interacts with eNOS in the caveolae of normal, human endothelial cells and has a regulatory function on basal eNOS enzymatic activity.
Matriptase-3 is a novel phylogenetically preserved membrane-anchored serine protease with broad serpin reactivity
Authors: Szabo Roman , Netzel-Arnett Sarah , Hobson John P. , Antalis Toni M. , Bugge Thomas H. 
Published: August 2005

We report in the present study the bioinformatic identification, molecular cloning and biological characterization of matriptase-3, a novel membrane-anchored serine protease that is phylogenetically preserved in fish, birds, rodents, canines and primates. The gene encoding matriptase-3 is located on syntenic regions of human chromosome 3q13.2, mouse chromosome 16B5, rat chromosome 11q21 and chicken chromosome 1. Bioinformatic analysis combined with cDNA cloning predicts a functional TTSP (type II transmembrane serine protease) with 31% amino acid identity with both matriptase/MT-SP1 and matriptase-2. This novel protease is composed of a short N-terminal cytoplasmic region followed by a transmembrane domain, a stem region with one SEA, two CUB and three LDLRa (low-density lipoprotein receptor domain class A) domains and a C-terminal catalytic serine protease domain. Transcript analysis revealed restricted, species-conserved expression of matriptase-3, with the highest mRNA levels in brain, skin, reproductive and oropharyngeal tissues. The full-length matriptase-3 cDNA directed the expression of a 90 kDa N-glycosylated protein that localized to the cell surface, as assessed by cell-surface biotin labelling. The purified activated matriptase-3 serine protease domain expressed in insect cells hydrolysed synthetic peptide substrates, with a strong preference for Arg at position P1, and showed proteolytic activity towards several macromolecular substrates, including gelatin, casein and albumin. Interestingly, activated matriptase-3 formed stable inhibitor complexes with an array of serpins, including plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, protein C inhibitor, α1-proteinase inhibitor, α2-antiplasmin and antithrombin III. Our study identifies matriptase-3 as a novel biologically active TTSP of the matriptase subfamily having a unique expression pattern and post-translational regulation.
The relation between the moisture‐release curve and the structure of soil
Authors: CRAWFORD J.W. , MATSUI N. , YOUNG I.M. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryThe limit to the precision with which moisture‐release data may be related to soil structure is examined. Thin sections in two orthogonal planes were prepared from cores for which moisture release data and saturated conductivity measurements were also collected. Structural parameters are inferred indirectly through estimation of the mass fractal dimension from the moisture‐release curve, and directly through measurement of the scaling properties of the pore space and solid matrix from the thin sections using image analysis. Theoretical results are presented which show that, in the absence of additional information, the interpretation of the moisture‐release curve is ambiguous for several reasons. A power‐law exponent is a consequence of either a fractal pore volume; a fractal solid volume; a fractal pore wall; or a non‐fractal, self‐similar pore wall, and one cannot infer from the measurement which is the case. Experimental results are presented which confirm that direct measurement of the fractal dimension of the solid matrix is a good predictor of the Brooks–Corey exponent for the soils studied here. Therefore, although a specific structural parameter characterizes the moisture‐release curve, the latter cannot be used as a detailed measure of soil structure.
Humic acid–proton equilibria: A comparison of two models and assessment of titration error
Authors: MARSHALL S.J. , YOUNG S.D. , GREGSON K. 
Published: August 2005

SummaryCharge development curves, obtained by potentiometric titration of ten soil–derived humic acids, are described using two modelling approaches: a simple electrostatic model with limited functional group heterogeneity (model A), and an implementation of an alternative from the literature, model V, incorporating up to 12 functional group types. Both models provide excellent descriptions of charge dependence on pH and ionic strength. However, for model A, 11 fitted parameters were required to describe the data across the full range of ionic strength (0.01–3.0), compared with seven for model V. Although model A required more parameters, it was conceptually simpler than model V, requiring only two functional group types, which may have advantages in describing the formation of metal complexes.Error in the determination of humic charge from titration data was shown to increase markedly for data obtained at pH<3. The apparently anomalous trends in humic charge at low pH reported in the literature are explained in terms of this error.Investigation of the kinetics of protonation and deprotonation reactions of humic acids suggested that titration hysteresis was the result of dis–equilibrium, especially at high pH. The use of a 7‐day batch titration technique, instead of continuous titration apparently eliminated hysteresis from the data.