bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of IL-18 reduces myeloperoxidase activity and prevents edema in intestine following alcohol and burn injury
Authors: Rana Shadab N , Li Xiaoling , Chaudry Irshad H , Bland Kirby I , Choudhry Mashkoor A 
Published: February 2005

AbstractPrevious studies have shown that alcohol (EtOH) ingestion before burn injury impaired intestinal barrier and immune function. This study determined whether EtOH and burn injury up-regulate interleukin (IL)-18 and whether IL-18 up-regulation following EtOH and burn injury is a cause for neutrophilrecruitment and increased intestinal edema. Rats (250 g) were gavaged with EtOH to achieve a blood EtOH level in the range of 100 mg/dL prior to burn or sham injury (25% total body surface area). A group of rats was treated with Ac-YVAD-CHO (5 mg/kg), an inhibitor of caspase-1 (an enzyme that converts pro-IL-18, an inactive form of IL-18, to mature IL-18), at the time of injury. One day after injury, rats were killed. IL-18 production was determined in circulation and in the supernatants harvested from spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, and Peyer's patch cell cultures as well as in intestinal tissue homogenates. Neutrophil accumulation in intestine was determined by measuring myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. We found a significant increase in IL-18 levels in the lymphoid cell supernatants and intestinal tissue homogenates obtained from EtOH and burn-injured rats compared with the rats receiving burn or sham injury. This was accompanied by an increase in intestinal MPO and edema. No demonstrable change in intestinal morphology was observed in any group. Treatment of rats with caspase-1 inhibitor significantly attenuated the increase in IL-18 levels and intestinal MPO activity in EtOH and burn-injured rats. Inhibition of IL-18 also prevented an increase in intestinal tissue water content. As MPO is considered an index of neutrophil infiltration, results presented in this manuscript collectively suggest that IL-18 up-regulation is likely to contribute to the increased neutrophil infiltration and edema in intestinal tissue observed following EtOH and burn injury.
Pro- and anti-inflammatory substances modulate expression of the leukotriene B4 receptor, BLT1, in human monocytes
Authors: Pettersson Annika , Sabirsh Alan , Bristulf Jesper , Kidd-Ljunggren Karin , Ljungberg Bengt , Owman Christer , Karlsson Ulf 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThe high-affinity leukotriene B4 (LTB4) receptor, BLT1, is a chemotactic receptor involved in inflammatory responses. In this study, we have explored the regulation of BLT1 expression in human monocytes by pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and dexamethasone. We found that proinflammatory mediators, such as interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α, and LPS, down-regulated expression, whereas the anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10, and dexamethasone up-regulated BLT1 mRNA expression. The effect of IFN-γ on BLT1 mRNA expression was rapidly detectable (&lt;4 h) and concentration-dependent (1–50 ng/ml) and seems to be exerted through a block in transcriptional activity. Alterations in mRNA expression were accompanied by changes in BLT1 surface expression, and receptor down-modulation following IFN-γ stimulation resulted in a diminished chemotactic response to LTB4. The regulation of BLT1 mRNA and receptor protein expression was similar to the regulation of the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 chemokine receptor, CC chemokine recptor 2 (CCR2). Flow cytometric analysis of fresh peripheral blood cells revealed that classical (CD14++CD16–) monocytes express high levels of BLT1 and CCR2 and that both receptors are down-regulated on CD14+CD16+ monocytes. Apart from providing insight into the regulation of BLT1 in human monocytes, our results reveal a parallel expression and regulation of BLT1 and CCR2, which may help to understand monocyte trafficking during pathophysiological conditions.
Quantitative 1H NMR analysis of alkaline polysulfide solutions
Authors: Argyropoulos Dimitris S. , Hou Yihua , Ganesaratnam Ramana , Harpp David N. , Koda Keiichi 
Published: February 2005

Abstract
A novel analytical protocol for the absolute determination of the various polysulfide species present in alkaline aqueous media was developed. The method is comprised of alkylating polysulfide ions with dimethyl sulfate, followed by quantitative proton NMR spectroscopy using 1,3,5-tributyl benzene as the internal standard. In order to arrive at a quantitative acquisition protocol, a number of variables were examined in detail for their effect on the alkylation reaction, including the presence of oxygen, the amount of dimethyl sulfate and sodium hydroxide, and the various modes of adding the alkylating reagent to the reaction mixture. Most of these variables were found to play a role in determining the quantitative reliability of the procedure. Consequently, a method is described that can be used for the efficient and reliable quantitative detection of polysulfide ions. The protocol developed could be particularly useful in promoting our understanding of the intricate and delicate chemistry of polysulfide equilibria in aqueous alkaline media.
The carbonate radical as one-electron oxidant of carbohydrates in alkaline media
Authors: Carlsson Magnus , Stenman David , Merényi Gábor , Reitberger Torbjörn 
Published: February 2005

Abstract
The mechanism by which the carbonate radical anion reacts with D-glucose in alkaline aqueous solutions has been studied by means of γ-radiolysis. From the product analysis it is concluded that the reaction sequence is initiated by a one-electron transfer between the carbonate radical anion and deprotonated D-glucose. In the presence of molecular oxygen, the major, if not only products of this reaction sequence are formic acid, arabinose and gluconic acid and reaction schemes are proposed to account for the observed formation of these products.
Properties of chemically and mechanically isolated fibres of spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.). Part 1: Structural and chemical characterisation
Authors: Burgert Ingo , Gierlinger Notburga , Zimmermann Tanja 
Published: February 2005

Abstract
Single fibres of spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) were isolated both chemically and mechanically from a solid wood sample. Mechanical isolation was carried out using very fine tweezers to peel out fibres, thereby taking advantage of the low shear strength between them. Chemical isolation was achieved using hydrogen peroxide and glacial acetic acid. Fibres were examined with Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) microscopy, and field-emission environmental scanning electron microscopy (FE-ESEM) in low-Vacuum mode to compare the isolation techniques with respect to their influence on cell wall structure and polymer assembly. The chemical treatment led to degradation of lignin and hemicelluloses, significantly influencing the cell wall assembly and structure. The cell wall polymers of mechanically isolated fibres remained in their natural constitution. As expected, the peeling process caused separation of cell wall layers. Our examinations indicate that delamination predominately took place at the interface between the secondary cell wall and the compound middle lamella. However, fracture between the S1 and S2 layers was examined as well. With respect to fibre quality, it was of particular importance that transverse crack propagation in the secondary cell walls (S2) was not observed.
Electrochemical redox reactions of uranium(VI) complexes with multidentate ligands in dimethyl sulfoxide
Authors: Kim Seong-Yun , Asakura Toshihide , Morita Yasuji , Uchiyama Gunzo , Ikeda Yasuhisa 
Published: February 2005

Abstract
Electrochemical reactions of UO2(β-diketonato)2-dmso, UO2(trop)2dmso, UO2(sap)(dmso)2, and UO2(salen)dmso (dmso = dimethyl sulfoxide, β-diketonate = benzoylacetonate (ba), benzoyltrifluoroacetonate (btfa), and thenoyltrifluoroacetonate (ttfa), trop = tropolonate, sap = 2-salicylidenaminophenolate, and salen = N , N´-disalicylidenethylenediaminate) complexes in dmso solutions containing tetrabutylammonium perchlorate as a supporting electrolyte have been studied with cyclic voltammetry. These uranyl(VI) complexes were found to be reduced quasi -reversibly to U(V) species. The formal redox potentials (E°, vs . ferrocen/ferrocenium) for U(VI)/U(V) couples were determined to be -1.416 V for UO2(ba)2dmso, -1.073 V for UO2(btfa)2dmso, -1.082 V for UO2(ttfa)2dmso, -1.379 V for UO2(trop)2dmso, -1.500 V for UO2(sap)(dmso)2, and -1.602 V for UO2(salen)dmso. Furthermore, the resulting U(V) complexes, [UO2(btfa)2dmso]-, [UO2(ttfa)2dmso]-, and [UO2(salen)dmso]-, were found to be able to exist stably in dmso solutions.
An Expectation-Maximization–Likelihood-Ratio Test for Handling Missing Data
Authors: Niu Tianhua , Ding Adam A , Kreutz Reinhold , Lindpaintner Klaus 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThe mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL) is an important research question in animal and human studies. Missing data are common in such study settings, and ignoring such missing data may result in biased estimates of the genotypic effect and thus may eventually lead to errant results and incorrect inferences. In this article, we developed an expectation-maximization (EM)–likelihood-ratio test (LRT) in QTL mapping. Simulation studies based on two different types of phylogenetic models revealed that the EM-LRT, a statistical technique that uses EM-based parameter estimates in the presence of missing data, offers a greater statistical power compared with the ordinary analysis-of-variance (ANOVA)-based test, which discards incomplete data. We applied both the EM-LRT and the ANOVA-based test in a real data set collected from F2 intercross studies of inbred mouse strains. It was found that the EM-LRT makes an optimal use of the observed data and its advantages over the ANOVA F-test are more pronounced when more missing data are present. The EM-LRT method may have important implications in QTL mapping in experimental crosses.
Successful Implementation of Genetic Education for Native Americans Workshops at National Conferences
Authors: Dignan Mark B , Burhansstipanov Linda , Bemis Lynne 
Published: February 2005

Abstract
Genetic Education for Native Americans (GENA) was a National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)/Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI)-funded educational intervention designed to provide a unique genetics education program for Native American college and university students. A curriculum was developed and implemented in workshops in geographically diverse settings throughout the United States, primarily in conjunction with regional and national scientific conferences that include substantial numbers of Native American attendees. The original curriculum includes 24 objectives and has been offered in two formats, as a 16-hr “comprehensive” program and in briefer workshops (referred to as “customized” hereafter) that are designed to include objectives for selected audiences. Both formats teach sufficient genetics to allow discussion and understanding of the ELSI and cultural issues related to genetics science. This article describes the evaluation findings from our implementation of both formats of the GENA curriculum.
Adsorption from aqueous solution based on the synergism between hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions
Authors: Li Jia Zheng , Yao Kang De 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThe adsorption of aniline, N‐methyl aniline, and N,N‐dimethyl aniline on carboxyl resin(D152) in different media, water, ethanol, and hexane have been studied. In water the adsorption affinity of three sorbates on D152 increased with an increasing number of methyl groups on N atoms, which indicated that the adsorption of the three sorbates on D152 was driven by a hydrophobic interaction. But the adsorption enthalpy of the three sorbates exceeded the van der Waals force and was in the range of hydrogen bonding interactions, which indicated that the hydrogen bonding also played an important role. In hexane the adsorption affinity decreased with the increasing number of methyl groups on the N atom, presenting the reverse order to that in water. This fact revealed that the hydrogen bonding played a predominant role for the adsorption in hexane. In ethanol, there was no adsorption of three sorbates on D152 resin, because both the van der Waals force and the hydrogen bonding interaction between the resin and sorbate were depressed. The hydrogen bonding between resin and sorbates in water was also depressed, but the hydrogen bonding adsorption remained. This result suggested that there might be a synergetic effect between the van der Waals and hydrogen bonding interactions in the adsorption of sorbate on D152 resin in water. The synergetic effect was explained thermodynamically. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 841–845, 2005
Synergistic effect of phosphorus, nitrogen, and silicon on flame‐retardant properties and char yield in polypropylene
Authors: Li Qiang , Jiang Pingkai , Su Zhanpai , Wei Ping , Wang Genglin , Tang Xiaozhen 
Published: February 2005

AbstractIn this study, several flame retardants (FRs), containing phosphorus, nitrogen, and silicon, were synthesized. These synthesized FRs were blended with polypropylene (PP) to obtain mixture samples. The flame‐retardant properties of these mixture samples were estimated by the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value and thermal stabilities were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis. The LOI values of these samples were improved from 17.0 to 26.0 and the char yield increased from 0 to 27 wt %. A comparison of these samples, with respect to their LOI values and carbon yield, showed that the FRs, which simultaneously contained phosphorus, nitrogen, and silicon elements, can provide materials with the best flame‐retardant properties, suggesting that there is a synergistic effect among the three elements on the flame‐retardant properties and char yield when they are used in PP. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 854–860, 2005
Molecular architectures of four‐arm star‐shaped styrene‐butadiene copolymer
Authors: Zhang Lina , Ma Zhaocheng , Xiong Xiaopeng , Xu Xiaojuan , Ma Rui , Li Yang 
Published: February 2005

AbstractTo understand the molecular architectures of styrene‐butadiene four‐arm star (SBS) copolymers, a size exclusion chromatography combined with laser light scattering (SEC‐LLS) has been used to determine their weight‐average molecular weight (Mw) and radius of gyration (〈S2〉1/2), and a new method for the establishment of the Mark‐Houwink equation from one sample has been developed. Based on the Flory viscosity theory, we successfully have reduced the 〈S2〉1/2 values of numberless fractions estimated from many experimental points in the SEC chromatogram to intrinsic viscosities ([η]). For the first time, the dependences of 〈S2〉1/2 and [η] on Mw for the four‐arm star SBS in tetrahydrofuran at 25°C were found, respectively, to be 〈S2〉1/2 = 2.62 × 10−2 M (nm) and [η] = 3.68 × 10−2 M (mL/g) in the Mw range from 1.4 × 105 to 3.0 × 105. From data of [η] and 〈S2〉1/2 for linear and star SBS, we have obtained the information about the branching, namely, the ratios (g and g′) of 〈S2〉 and [η] for star SBS to that of the linear SBS of the same molecular weight, which agree with theoretical predictions. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 961–965, 2005
Recombinant DNA techniques in diagnostic and preventive medicine
Authors: Hodgkinson Stephen , Scambler Peter 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThe introduction of recombinant DNA technology into the field of genetics has led to a rapid advancement of our knowledge of genes and genome structure. Such technology, applied to the human genome, has provided valuable information concerning the nature and possible treatment of inherited disorders. The possibility that this knowledge will pave the way for the correction of at least some of these disorders has captured the imagination of the informed public. In this review we look at the accomplishments of molecular pathologists to date and how new techniques are being applied to the study of inherited disease.
4‐Hydroxybutyric aciduria
Authors: Gibson Kenneth M. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractRecent work has led to the discovery of six patients with 4‐hydroxybutyric acid‐uria, a severe hereditary human pathology characterized by the accumulation of a compound of known neuropharmacologic activity in body fluids. The enzymatic deficiency has been localized to succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, one of two enzymes involved in the metabolism of the neurotransmitter GABA. The disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait, and carrier detection has been accomplished by quantification of intermediate enzyme activities. The clinical, enzymatic and pharmacologic characteristics of this disease are reviewed here.
Retinoid‐regulated gene expression in normal and leukemic myeloid cells
Authors: Davies Peter J. A. , Moore William T. , Murtaugh Michael P. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractPhysiological concentrations of retinoic acid can induce acute alterations in the expression of the enzyme tissue transglutaminase in cultured macrophages. The induction of this enzyme offers a probe to study the mechanism of retinoid action in both normal and leukemic cells.
Problems and paradigms: Molecular problems of positional information
Authors: Wolpert Lewis 
Published: February 2005

AbstractEnough is known about pattern formation in development to encourage investigations at the molecular level. A pressing need is to understand the molecular basis of positional value, which is similar to determination. It is suggested here that there is a molecular entity which varies in such a way that it corresponds with cell position. Other problems in pattern formation include thresholds, identification of morphogens, and the origin of handedness.
Challenges: Clinical applications of oncogene research
Authors: Krontiris Theodore G. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThe following is adapted from the testimony, on 6 June 1984, of Dr T. G. Krontiris before the U.S. House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, on the subject of oncogene research. In a previous report (BioEssays, 1, 3), the testimony of Dr C . J. Sherr, describing the molecular biology of oncogene action was given. Here, Krontiris describes the challenges in applying the new5ndings in diagnosis and therapy.
The location of maternal mRNA in eggs and embryos
Authors: Jeffery William R. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractRecent studies have shown that some maternal mRNAs are localized in specific cytoplasmic regions of eggs and embryos and are rearranged in concert with the cytoplasmic movements that fix the embryonic axes. The localization and ooplasmic segregation of mRNA molecules may be mediated by their association with specific egg cytoskeletal domains.
Effect of oncogenes on stem cells
Authors: Boettiger David 
Published: February 2005

AbstractStem cells may have a special importance in the neoplastic behavior of certain lineages as well as in the normal development of these tissues. The role of oncogenes, and their normal cellular analogues, in stem cell behavior is therefore of special interest. This review describes recent results on the effects of virally‐mediated src‐gene transfer into hemopoietic stem cells in the physiological and developmental properties of these cells.
Cystinosis: A defect of lysosomal cystine efflux
Authors: Schneider Jerry A. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThe metabolic defect which results in the accumulation of cystine within tissues of children with the recessively inherited disease cystinosis has baffled investigators for almost half a century. Investigations by numerous laboratories have finally culminated in the delineation of the basic defect in this unusual disorder.
The astral relaxation theory of cytokinesis revisited
Authors: White J. G. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractCytokinesis in animal cells is accomplished by the active constriction of the equatorial regions of a cell by an actomyosin‐containing contractile ring. The mitotic apparatus specifies the position and orientation of the furrow such that the mitotic spindle is always bisected. Global cortical contractions occur in the cortex of a cell prior to cytokinesis that are independent of the presence of the mitotic apparatus. It was proposed some years ago that the asters of the mitotic apparatus could act to relax the preformed cortical tension in their vicinity. This would produce a differential in tension between the equatorial regions and the adjacent regions of the cortex so that the equatorial regions would contract, forming a cleavage furrow. It can be shown that, as it stands, this theory cannot explain cleavage. However, if cortical contractile elements are assumed to be laterally mobile in the plane of the cortex, then the astral relaxation theory can account for many of the aspects of cleavage, including the formation of the contractile ring. Similar schemes may account for the behaviour of the lamellapodia of motile cells.
Molecular and mechanical aspects of helicoid development in plant cell walls
Authors: Neville A. C. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThe view is presented that extracellular architecture in plant cell walls results from an interplay between molecular self‐assembly and mechanical reorientation due to growth forces. A key initial self‐assembly step may involve hemicelluloses. It is suggested that hemicelluloses may self‐assemble into a helicoid via a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase; the detailed molecular structure of hemicelluloses (stiff backbone, bulky side chains, and the presence of asymmetric carbon atoms) is shown to be consistent with cholesteric requirements for such self‐assembly. Since hemicelluloses are hydrogen‐bonded to the periphery of cellulose microfibrils, the cellulose could then itself become helicoidally arranged. Such ‘universal plywood’ structure is found in the walls of a wide variety of plants, and in several types of cell (including wood). The permanent effects of growth stresses on patterns seen in sections of helicoids are displayed by computer graphics plots, and the expected changes in stiffness are calculated.
Rates of molecular evolution: The hominoid slowdown
Authors: Goodman Morris 
Published: February 2005

AbstractIt is proposed that early in phylogeny a large proportion of amino acid substitutions were selectively neutral, but that bursts of adaptive substitutions during major radiations of life so increased selective constraints that most mutations in modern proteins are detrimental. Recent findings on DNA nucleotide sequences indicate that decreasing mutation rates further slowed the rate of molecular evolution in the lineage to humans.
Eicosanoids and aspirin in immune cell function
Authors: Bailey J. Martyn 
Published: February 2005

AbstractClonal expansion of T‐lymphocyte populations results from interactions of antigenic structures presented in combination with accessory cells (macrophages) and antibody recognition sites on the surface of T cells. The resulting activation of a membrane phospholipase C plays a crucial role in lymphocyte responses by releasing diglyceride and PIP3. The released diglyceride activates a cellular protein kinase C while PIP3 stimulates Ca2+ influx. Arachidonic acid released by the action of diglyceride lipase serves as substrate for the synthesis of bioactive eicosanoids (prostaglandins and leukotrienes) which in turn modulate cellular adenyl and guanyl cyclases. The eicosanoids serve as both intra‐ and extra‐cellular signals for lymphocytes, regulating the production and expression of lymphokines and mediating the complex interactions between the monocyte‐macrophage components and helper and suppressor T cells.Aspirin and other anti‐inflammatory drugs stimulate mitogenesis by inhibiting production of the negative modulator prostaglandin E2 in accessory cells and by enhancing the production of the lymphokine 1L‐2 by producer T‐cells.