bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The influence of oestrogen‐deficiency and ACE inhibition on the progression of myocardial hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Martin van Eickels , Rolf Schreckenberg , Doevendans Pieter A. , Meyer Rainer , Grohé Christian , Schlüter Klaus‐Dieter 
Published: May 2005

AbstractBackground:ACE inhibitors are widely used to antagonize the biological activity of angiotensin II in hypertensive heart disease. Oestrogen reduces angiotensin type 1 receptor expression, and thereby modifies angiotensin signalling.Aim:To investigate the interaction of oestrogen status and ACE inhibition on the development of left ventricular hypertrophy and expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1 in female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).Methods and results:Intact female SHR, ovariectomised SHR, and ovariectomised SHR with 17β‐oestradiol (E2) replacement therapy were either treated with placebo or the ACE inhibitor moexiprilat. Blood pressure, left ventricular hypertrophy, and expression of TGF‐β1 and TGF‐β1‐regulated genes were investigated. ACE inhibition reduced blood pressure in all groups. When normalised to blood pressure, a significant reduction in hypertrophy was found in ovariectomised animals receiving E2. Expression of TGF‐β1 was increased in all three groups treated with the ACE inhibitor, with top levels in ovariectomised animals. Moreover, expression of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), an adrenoceptor dependent gene, downstream of TGF‐β1, was up‐regulated upon ACE inhibition, except in animals which were ovariectomised and oestrogen supplemented. Parathyroid hormone‐related peptide, a growth factor negatively regulated by TGF‐β1, was down‐regulated in all animals receiving the ACE inhibitor.Conclusion:ACE inhibition modulated TGF‐β1 and TGF‐β1 dependent genes. Oestrogen deficiency alone did not influence the progression of cardiac hypertrophy in this model of female SHR.
Ultra‐short metformin pretreatment for clomiphene citrate‐resistant polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Hwu Y.M. , Lin S.Y. , Huang W.Y. , Lin M.H. , Lee R.K.K. 
Published: May 2005

AbstractObjective: To evaluate the effect of ultra‐short (12 days) metformin pretreatment in clomiphene‐citrate (CC) resistant polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Method: Eighty women with CC‐resistant PCOS were randomly allocated to metformin pretreatment or usual treatment. Forty women received 1500 mg metformin daily for 12 days, followed by clomiphene 150 mg daily for 5 days along with metformin. Forty women (control group) received the same dose of clomiphene but no metformin pretreatment. Results: In the metformin group, 17 (42.5%) women ovulated, and 6 (15%) conceived. In the control group, 5 (12.5%) women ovulated but none conceived. Compared with the control group, the metformin group had significantly higher ovulation (P = 0.03) and pregnancy rates (P = 0.026). Conclusion: Twelve days of metformin pretreatment improves ovulation and pregnancy rates in women with CC‐resistant PCOS.
Immunolocalization of collagen types in the subsynovial connective tissue within the carpal tunnel in humans
Authors: Oh Jinrok , Zhao Chunfeng , Amadio Peter C. , An Kai‐Nan , Zobitz Mark E. , Wold Lester E. 
Published: May 2005

AbstractThe tenosynovium within the carpal tunnel consists of a single layer of synovial cells, which lines the bursae within the carpal tunnel, and the subsynovial connective tissue (SSCT), which contains the tendon vasculature and other structural elements. In this study, we used immunogold labeling to localize collagen types within the SSCT in three cadaver specimens and three patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Positive labeling for collagen types I, III and VI was found with immunoelectron microscopy. Collagen types I and III were codistributed within the SSCT. Type VI was primarily located in microfibrillar structures between collagen bundles, between elastin and collagen bundles and between collagen bundles and cells. There was no difference in the distribution of collagen types when comparing cadaver specimens and carpal tunnel patients. © 2005 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Global analysis of yeast RNA processing identifies new targets of RNase III and uncovers a link between tRNA 5′ end processing and tRNA splicing
Authors: Hiley Shawna L. , Babak Tomas , Hughes Timothy R. 
Published: May 2005

Abstract
We used a microarray containing probes that tile all known yeast noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) to investigate RNA biogenesis on a global scale. The microarray verified a general loss of Box C/D snoRNAs in the TetO 7 - BCD1 mutant, which had previously been shown for only a handful of snoRNAs. We also monitored the accumulation of improperly processed flank sequences of pre-RNAs in strains depleted for known RNA nucleases, including RNase III, Dbr1p, Xrn1p, Rat1p and components of the exosome and RNase P complexes. Among the hundreds of aberrant RNA processing events detected, two novel substrates of Rnt1p (the RUF1 and RUF3 snoRNAs) were identified. We also identified a relationship between tRNA 5′ end processing and tRNA splicing, processes that were previously thought to be independent. This analysis demonstrates the applicability of microarray technology to the study of global analysis of ncRNA synthesis and provides an extensive directory of processing events mediated by yeast ncRNA processing enzymes.
GeMS: an advanced software package for designing synthetic genes
Authors: Jayaraj Sebastian , Reid Ralph , Santi Daniel V. 
Published: May 2005

Abstract
A user-friendly, advanced software package for gene design is described. The software comprises an integrated suite of programs—also provided as stand-alone tools—that automatically performs the following tasks in gene design: restriction site prediction, codon optimization for any expression host, restriction site inclusion and exclusion, separation of long sequences into synthesizable fragments, Tm and stem–loop determinations, optimal oligonucleotide component design and design verification/error-checking. The output is a complete design report and a list of optimized oligonucleotides to be prepared for subsequent gene synthesis. The user interface accommodates both inexperienced and experienced users. For inexperienced users, explanatory notes are provided such that detailed instructions are not necessary; for experienced users, a streamlined interface is provided without such notes. The software has been extensively tested in the design and successful synthesis of over 400 kb of genes, many of which exceeded 5 kb in length.
Triplet nucleotide removal at random positions in a target gene: the tolerance of TEM-1 β-lactamase to an amino acid deletion
Authors: Jones D. Dafydd 
Published: May 2005

Abstract
The deletion of amino acids is one of the evolutionary mechanisms by which nature adapts the function of proteins. A simple method has been developed that mimics this event in vitro by introducing a deletion of exactly three nucleotides at random positions in a target gene. The method involved the engineering of the mini-Mu transposon to introduce a recognition sequence for the restriction enzyme MlyI. The new transposon, MuDel, was capable of efficient insertion into a target DNA sequence. To determine the efficacy of the method, the bla gene that encodes the TEM-1 β-lactamase was used as the target and a small library containing 22 different sequence variants was created. Of these 22 variants, 8 were identified that conferred resistance to ampicillin on Escherichia coli . Each of the TEM-1 variants possessed a distinct ampicillin minimum inhibitory concentration, ranging from 500 to &gt;10 000 μg/ml. Sequence analysis revealed that active TEM-1 variants contained deletions not just in loops but also helices, and included regions known to be involved in catalysis, antibiotic resistance and inhibitor binding. This new technology is transferable to most genes, permitting an extensive analysis of deletion mutations on protein function.
Magnetically assisted DNA assays: high selectivity using conjugated polymers for amplified fluorescent transduction
Authors: Xu Hui , Wu Haiping , Huang Fei , Song Shiping , Li Wenxin , Cao Yong , Fan Chunhai 
Published: May 2005

Abstract
We report a strategy for conjugated polymer (CP)-based optical DNA detection with improved selectivity. The high sensitivity of CP-based biosensors arises from light harvesting by the CP and the related amplified fluorescent signal transduction. We demonstrate that the use of magnetic microparticles significantly improves the selectivity of this class of DNA sensors. Compared with previously reported DNA sensors with CP amplification, this novel sensing strategy displays excellent discrimination against non-cognate DNA in the presence of a protein mixture or even human serum. We also demonstrate that the magnetically assisted DNA sensor can conveniently identify even a single-nucleotide mismatch in the target sequence.
Natural and synthetic tetracycline-inducible promoters for use in the antibiotic-producing bacteria
Streptomyces
Authors: Rodríguez-García Antonio , Combes Patricia , Pérez-Redondo Rosario , Smith Matthew C. A. , Smith Margaret C. M. 
Published: May 2005

Abstract
Bacteria in the genus Streptomyces are major producers of antibiotics and other pharmacologically active compounds. Genetic and physiological manipulations of these bacteria are important for new drug discovery and production development. An essential part of any ‘genetic toolkit’ is the availability of regulatable promoters. We have adapted the tetracycline (Tc) repressor/operator (TetR/ tetO ) regulatable system from transposon Tn 10 for use in Streptomyces . The synthetic Tc controllable promoter (tcp), tcp830 , was active in a wide range of Streptomyces species, and varying levels of induction were observed after the addition of 1–100 ng/ml of anhydrotetracycline (aTc). Streptomyces coelicolor contained an innate Tc-controllable promoter regulated by a TetR homologue (SCO0253). Both natural and synthetic promoters were active and inducible throughout growth. Using the luxAB genes expressing luciferase as a reporter system, we showed that induction factors of up to 270 could be obtained for tcp830 . The effect of inducers on the growth of S.coelicolor was determined; addition of aTc at concentrations where induction is optimal, i.e. 0.1–1 μg/ml, ranged from no effect on growth rate to a small increase in the lag period compared with cultures with no inducer.
Reduced Bile Flow Associated With Parenteral Nutrition Is Independent of Oxidant Load and Parenteral Multivitamins
Authors: Lavoie Jean‐Claude , Chessex Philippe , Gauthier Cindy , Levy Emile , Alvarez Fernando , St‐Louis Patrick , Rouleau Thérèse 
Published: May 2005

ABSTRACTBackground:Reduction in bile flow is a characteristic of cholestasis related to parenteral nutrition. Light exposure of parenteral multivitamin preparations is the major source of peroxides contaminating parenteral nutrition solutions. They may contribute to local oxidative stress. Oxidants are reported to affect transport mechanisms across the hepatocyte membrane into bile. The authors hypothesize that an oxidant‐antioxidant imbalance is involved in parenteral nutrition related cholestasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of multivitamin preparations and peroxides on bile flow in newborn guinea pigs receiving parenteral nutrition.Methods:Three‐day‐old guinea pigs were fed enterally or parenterally with solutions containing 8% dextrose/0.45% NaCl ± multivitamin preparation ± amino acids ± lipids. The influence of the oxidant‐antioxidant balance on bile flow was evaluated using 500 μM hydrogen peroxide and 1% and 3% multivitamin preparations ± Na metabisulfite. Four days later, animals were anesthetized and bile flow was recorded over 2 hours. Glutathione determinations were performed on bile and liver samples. The percentage of oxidized glutathione, reflecting the redox status, was used as a marker of oxidative stress. Data were compared by analysis of variance with P < 0.05.Results:Bile flow decreased first on initiating dextrose + NaCl infusion (a 25% decrease) and subsequently by adding amino acids (a further 30% decrease). Although antioxidant vitamins and peroxides modified the hepatic redox status, they did not influence bile flow.Conclusion:Although the composition of parenteral nutrition affects bile flow and the hepatic redox status, the oxidant‐antioxidant imbalance in infused solutions is not the causal event in the installation of cholestasis.
Impact of transgenic cotton plants on a non‐target pest, Aphis gossypii Glover
Authors: Liu Xiang Dong , Zhai Bao Ping , Zhang Xiao Xi , Zong Jian Min 
Published: May 2005

Abstract.  1. Transgenic crops have shown great promise for the control of target pest insects, but in some cases they can also influence non‐target species. This study investigated the impact of Bt and Bt+CpTI transgenic cottons on the non‐target cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, by comparing life‐table parameters, feeding behaviour, and the fluctuating asymmetry of morphological traits of aphids reared on transgenic cotton and those on untransformed control plants.2. Aphids on the Bt+CpTI cotton showed a shorter reproductive duration and maximum lifespan, lower survival rates and potential maximum fecundity, and an earlier occurrence of peak daily mortality in the first or second generation. However, the aphid population soon developed fitness and overcame the negative effect in the second or third generation. The aphids on the Bt cotton had significantly longer reproductive durations in the first generation, higher survival rates in the third generation, and apparently larger potential maximum fecundity in all three generations.3. The percentages of accumulated duration of feeding waveforms E1 and E2 were significantly lower in aphids on the Bt+CpTI cotton than in those on the Bt or control cotton, whereas the frequencies of moving and finding feeding sites, and probe behaviour were significantly higher.4. Fluctuating asymmetry in three morphological characters of aphids reared on transgenic and control cotton was detected. The fluctuating asymmetry value of the third segment of antenna in aphids on Bt+CpTI cotton was significantly higher than that of aphids on Bt or control cotton. Based on the fluctuating asymmetry value, the stress of cotton on the aphids could be ranked as Bt+CpTI cotton > Bt cotton > control cotton.
Herbivory alters resource allocation and compensation in the invasive tree Melaleuca quinquenervia
Authors: Pratt P. D. , Rayamajhi M. B. , Van T. K. , Center T. D. , Tipping P. W. 
Published: May 2005

Abstract.  1. Plants may compensate for the effects of herbivory, especially under favourable growing conditions, limited competition, and minimal top‐down regulation. These conditions characterise many disturbed wetlands dominated by introduced plants, implying that exotic, invasive weeds in these systems should exhibit strong compensatory responses.2. The Australian native Melaleuca quinquenervia is highly invasive in the Florida Everglades, U.S.A., where it experiences limited competition or herbivory from native species, making it a likely candidate for compensation. The introduced biological control agent Oxyops vitiosa feeds exclusively on the seasonal flushes of developing foliage at branch apices, which represents ≈15% of the total foliar biomass.3. The hypothesis that M. quinquenervia compensates for folivory by O. vitiosa was tested in a series of field‐based experiments. Trees experiencing folivory over four consecutive years maintained similar levels of foliar biomass after attack yet possessed twice the number of leaf‐bearing terminal stems as undamaged trees. The biomass of these stems was similar among attacked and unattacked trees, indicating that herbivore‐damaged trees produce greater quantities of smaller terminal branches. However, undamaged trees were 36 times more likely to reproduce than herbivore‐damaged trees.4. In a separate herbivore exclusion study, a single bout of herbivory on previously undamaged M. quinquenervia trees caused an 80% reduction in reproductive structures the following season. Herbivore‐damaged trees also possessed 54% fewer fruits than undamaged trees. An increase in the herbivory frequency (two bouts per year) or magnitude (100% simulated herbivory) did not result in a further reduction in fitness.5. It has been concluded that M. quinquenervia partially compensates for herbivory by producing new stems and replacing foliage, but this compensation results in a substantial reduction in reproduction.
Variation in trichome density and resistance against a specialist insect herbivore in natural populations of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Handley Richard , Ekbom Barbara , Ågren Jon 
Published: May 2005

Abstract.  1. The annual herb Arabidopsis thaliana is a prime model organism of plant molecular genetics, and is currently used to explore the molecular basis of resistance to herbivores. However, both the magnitude and the causes of variation in resistance among natural populations of A. thaliana are poorly known. The hypotheses (a) that resistance to a specialist herbivore, the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is positively related to the density of leaf trichomes, and (b) that oviposition preference by female moths is positively correlated to larval performance on different populations and maternal lines of the host plant were examined.2. Variation in leaf trichome density and resistance to P. xylostella within and among six natural populations of A. thaliana in Sweden was quantified. Resistance was quantified by examining the number of eggs laid on plants exposed to ovipositing female moths and by monitoring larval development on plants of different origin.3. Trichome density varied significantly among populations; for 4‐week‐old plants (exposed to ovipositing moths), it also varied significantly among maternal families within populations. The rate of oviposition varied significantly both among populations and among families within populations. This variation could partly be explained by a negative relationship between trichome density and egg number, and a positive relationship between plant size and egg number. Time to pupation, pupal mass, and time to adult eclosion did not vary among populations or maternal lines of the host plant, and offspring performance was not related to P. xylostella oviposition preference. The results indicate that A. thaliana populations may respond to selection for increased resistance to P. xylostella, and suggest that trichome production contributes to resistance against this specialist herbivore.
Odonates as biological indicators of grazing effects on Canadian prairie wetlands
Authors: Lee Foote A. , Rice Hornung Christine L. 
Published: May 2005

Abstract.  1. Aquatic macro‐invertebrates have frequently been used as biological indicators in lotic environments but much less commonly so in lentic habitats. Dragonflies and damselflies (Order Odonata) satisfy most selection criteria for lentic bioindicators of grazing impacts.2. Intensive cattle grazing affects most of the Canadian prairie pothole region but the effects of grazing on wetlands are poorly understood.3. Here the vegetation structure and invertebrate community composition of 27 prairie potholes in Alberta, Canada were studied and compared. Wetlands were evenly divided into three treatments of different grazing regimes.4. Removal of emergent vegetation by cattle grazing decreased odonate abundance and reproductive effort. Shorter Scirpus acutus stems resulted in significantly fewer damselflies (Suborder Zygoptera) and lower reproductive efforts.5. Overall odonate diversity was affected by the height of key plant species, highlighting the importance of the vegetation structure of both emergent vegetation for breeding and adjacent upland vegetation for nocturnal roosts. Wetland vegetation structure was more important than vegetation composition to the life history of odonates.6. Wetland water quality parameters of nitrogen, phosphorus, total dissolved solids (TDS), and chlorophyll‐a concentration did not change due to the presence of grazing cattle at wetlands so water quality influences were rejected as mechanisms of change.7. Larval odonate diversity and abundance was positively correlated with overall aquatic macro‐invertebrate diversity and abundance, hence it was concluded that the larval odonate community can be an accurate bioindicator of intactness and diversity of overall aquatic macro‐invertebrate communities in Canadian prairie wetlands.
Competition and dispersal in the pea aphid: clonal variation and correlations across traits
Authors: Hazell S. P. , Gwynn D. M. , Ceccarelli S. , Fellowes M. D. E. 
Published: May 2005

Abstract.  1. The presence of an across‐species trade‐off between dispersal ability and competitive ability has been proposed as a mechanism that facilitates coexistence. It is not clear if a similar trade‐off exists within species. Such a trade‐off would constrain the evolution of either trait and, given appropriate selection pressures, promote local adaptation in these traits.2. This study found substantial levels of heritable variation in competitive ability of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris (Homoptera: Aphididae), measured in terms of relative survival when reared with a single clone of the vetch aphid, Megoura viciae Buckton (Homoptera: Aphididae).3. Pea aphids can move to new patches by either flying (longer distance dispersal) or walking (local dispersal) from plant to plant. There was considerable clonal variation in dispersal ability, measured in terms of the proportion of winged offspring produced, and ability to survive away from their host plant.4. Winged individuals showed longer off‐plant survival times than wingless forms of the same pea aphid clone.5. There was no evidence of a relationship between clonal competitive ability and either measure of dispersal ability, although the power of the test is limited by the number of pea aphid clones used in the trial.6. However, there was a positive correlation between clonal fecundity and the proportion of winged offspring produced. Although speculative, it is suggested that clones that are more likely to either overwhelm their host plant or attract higher numbers of natural enemies as a result of having higher fecundity are more likely to produce winged morphs.
“It's about time”: College women's perceptions of gynecologic health
Authors: Canales Mary K. , Carr Jeanine , Wohlberg Jeri 
Published: May 2005

PurposeTo examine college women's perceptions of gynecologic health, with a particular emphasis on healthcare decision making. Women's perceptions of health promotion efforts that would influence gynecologic health were also examined.Data sourcesVerbatim transcripts of individual and focus group interviews from 34 college women, 18–25 years of age, were thematically analyzed. Questions related to women's decisions to seek gynecologic health care and their healthcare experiences with providers.ConclusionsThree themes were identified: (dis)connecting with their changing bodies, experiencing the healthcare encounter, and making healthcare decisions. Results suggest that college can be “the time” when college women begin to think about and act on decisions about gynecologic health.Implications for practiceBy acknowledging college women's multidimensional definitions of health and knowledge of healthy behaviors, advanced practice nurses can assist women in developing strategies for enacting these definitions and integrating desired healthy behaviors into their busy college lives.