bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification, purification and characterization of a novel human blood protein with binding affinity for prostate secretory protein of 94 amino acids
Authors: REEVES Jonathan R. , XUAN Jim W. , ARFANIS Katerina , MORIN Catherine , GARDE Seema V. , RUIZ Marcia T. , WISNIEWSKI Jan , PANCHAL Chandra , TANNER Jerome E. 
Published: December 2004

PSP94 (prostate secretory protein of 94 amino acids), an abundant protein within semen, has reported local functions within the reproductive tract and reported systemic functions. Mechanisms of action remain poorly understood, but binding to undefined molecules within the prostate, pituitary, testis and blood may initiate some of these actions. PSP94 serum measurements, especially of bound and free forms, have potential clinical utility in prostate cancer management. Identification of the binding molecules will help in the understanding of PSP94's action, and enable further development of PSP94 serum assays. PSPBP (PSP94-binding protein) was purified from human serum by ammonium sulphate fractionation, ion-exchange and affinity chromatography. The glycosylated protein ran as two bands on SDS/PAGE (70 and 95 kDa). N-terminal sequencing yielded a 30-amino-acid sequence, identical with the translated N-terminal region of a previously published cDNA (GenBank® accession number AX136261). Reverse transcriptase PCR and plaque hybridization demonstrated PSPBP mRNA in peripheral blood leucocytes and in a prostate cDNA library. Northern blotting showed 2 kb mRNA species in prostate, testis, ovary and intestine. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated PSPBP in tissues, including pituitary and Leydig cells, supporting a role for PSP94 in hormonal control at the pituitary gonadal axis. ELISA demonstrated that PSPBP levels were significantly lower (P=0.0014) in the serum of a prostate cancer population (n=65) compared with a control population (n=70). PSPBP identification will help the understanding of PSP94's functions and facilitate ELISA development to address the clinical value of PSP94 serum assays.
Identification, molecular cloning and functional characterization of a novel NADH kinase from Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress)
Authors: TURNER William L. , WALLER Jeffrey C. , SNEDDEN Wayne A. 
Published: December 2004

NADH kinase (NADHK; ATP:NADH 2′-phosphotransferase; EC 2.7.1.86), an enzyme that preferentially utilizes NADH as the diphosphonicotinamide nucleotide donor, has been identified for the first time in plants. Low activity (0.4 nmol of NADPH produced/min per mg of protein) was observed in clarified protein extracts from Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) cell suspension cultures. However, unlike an NADHK from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) (POS5), the enzyme from Arabidopsis did not associate with the mitochondria. NADHK was cloned (gi:30699338) from Arabidopsis and studied as a recombinant protein following affinity purification from Escherichia coli. The enzyme had a pH optimum for activity of 7.9 and a subunit molecular mass of 35 kDa. Analytical gel filtration demonstrated that the recombinant enzyme exists as a dimer. Hyperbolic saturation kinetics were observed for the binding of NADH, ATP, free Mg2+ and NAD+, with respective Km values of 0.042, 0.062, 1.16, and 2.39 mM. While NADHK could phosphorylate NADH or NAD+, the specificity constant (Vmax/Km) for NADH was 100-fold greater than for NAD+. The enzyme could utilize UTP, GTP and CTP as alternative nucleotides, although ATP was the preferred substrate. PPi or poly-Pi could not substitute as phospho donors. PPi acted as a mixed inhibitor with respect to both NADH and ATP. NADHK was inactivated by thiol-modifying reagents, with inactivation being decreased in the presence of NADH or ATP, but not NAD+. This study suggests that, in Arabidopsis, NADP+/NADPH biosynthetic capacity could, under some circumstances, become uncoupled from the redox status of the diphosphonicotinamide nucleotide pool.
Lipopolysaccharide Is a Cofactor for Malondialdehyde‐Acetaldehyde Adduct–Mediated Cytokine/Chemokine Release by Rat Sinusoidal Liver Endothelial and Kupffer Cells
Authors: Duryee Michael J. , Klassen Lynell W. , Freeman Thomas L. , Willis Monte S. , Tuma Dean J. , Thiele Geoffrey M. 
Published: December 2004

Background: The nonparenchymal cells of the liver have been suggested to play a significant role in the inflammatory processes observed in the development and/or progression of alcoholic liver disease. Our laboratories have shown that malondialdehyde‐acetaldehyde (MAA)‐modified proteins can induce immune responses, cytokine/chemokine secretion, and antigen processing and presentation by liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs). Another molecule that has been shown to induce similar types of responses in Kupffer cells (KCs) is lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Because these materials induce similar responses, it was the purpose of this study to investigate the relationship between LPS and MAA‐modified proteins in the development of proinflammatory responses by SECs and KCs.Methods: For these studies, SECs and KCs were isolated from chow‐fed, pair‐fed, and ethanol‐fed rats. Cells were stimulated with media alone, bovine serum albumin (Alb), or MAA‐modified Alb (MAA‐Alb) in the presence or absence of LPS 1 ng/ml, and the supernatants were assayed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for tumor necrosis factor α, macrophage chemotactic protein 1, and macrophage inhibitory protein.Results: All three cytokines/chemokines were 3 to 5 times higher when SECs or KCs were stimulated by MAA‐Alb in the presence of LPS, in contrast to cells stimulated with Alb or media in the presence of LPS. Chronic ethanol consumption (6 weeks) had variable effects on the secretion of these cytokines/chemokines but in general did not alter the increased secretion in response to MAA‐Alb in the presence of LPS.Conclusions: These studies strongly suggest that the sensitization of SECs and KCs by LPS plays a significant role in the development and/or progression of alcoholic liver disease, and the subsequent activation by MAA‐modified proteins may be a mechanism by which proinflammatory processes are initiated.
Comorbidity of Select Anxiety and Affective Disorders With Alcohol Dependence in Southwest California Indians
Authors: Gilder David A. , Wall Tamara L. , Ehlers Cindy L. 
Published: December 2004

Background: Native Americans, overall, have the highest prevalence of alcohol dependence of any US ethnic group. In several large national surveys, alcohol dependence has been significantly associated with higher rates of anxiety and affective disorders (comorbidity). However, the frequencies of these disorders and their comorbidity with alcohol dependence in Native American populations are relatively unknown.Methods: Demographic information and DSM‐III‐R diagnoses were obtained by using the Semi‐Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism developed for the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism from 483 Southwest California Indian adults residing on contiguous reservations. The Semi‐Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism allowed differentiation of each anxiety and affective disorder into one of three types: independent of substance use, concurrent with alcohol use, and concurrent with drug use.Results: Sixty‐six percent of the men and 53% of the women sampled had a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol dependence. Fourteen percent of the sample had a lifetime independent anxiety disorder, and 14% of the sample had a lifetime independent affective disorder. Alcohol‐ and/or drug‐concurrent major depression occurred in 8%, and other alcohol‐ and/or drug‐concurrent anxiety and affective disorders each occurred in less than 1.1% of the sample. No significant comorbidity was found between alcohol dependence and independent agoraphobia, social phobia, or major depressive disorder.Conclusions: In this Southwest California Indian sample, rates of anxiety and affective disorders were substantially similar to those reported in the National Comorbidity Survey; however, comorbidity of independent disorders with alcohol dependence was not as pervasive as in the National Comorbidity Survey. Rates of concurrent anxiety and affective disorders were low. These data support the hypothesis that despite high rates of alcohol dependence, Southwest California Indians do not have higher rates of anxiety and affective disorders or comorbidity of these disorders with alcohol dependence than those reported in large surveys of non–American Indian populations.
Increased Ethanol Drinking After Repeated Chronic Ethanol Exposure and Withdrawal Experience in C57BL/6 Mice
Authors: Becker Howard C. , Lopez Marcelo F. 
Published: December 2004

Background: The development of dependence may have significant motivational consequences regarding continued use and abuse of ethanol. We have developed a mouse model of ethanol dependence and repeated withdrawals that demonstrates sensitization of seizures and other symptoms of withdrawal. It is unclear whether such experience influences ethanol drinking behavior. The present series of experiments were designed to examine whether repeated cycles of chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal has an impact on subsequent motivation to voluntarily self‐administer ethanol.Methods: With the use of a modified sucrose‐fading procedure, adult male C57BL/6J mice were trained to drink 15% (v/v) ethanol in a limited access procedure (2 hr/day). The animals were not food or water deprived at any time during the experiments. Once stable baseline intake was established, mice were exposed to four cycles of 16 hr of ethanol vapor (or air) in inhalation chambers separated by 8‐hr periods of withdrawal. At 32 hr after the last cycle of ethanol exposure, all mice were tested for ethanol intake under limited access conditions for 5 consecutive days. The animals then received a second series of chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal followed by another 5‐day test period for ethanol drinking.Results: Stable daily baseline intake was established in mice that drank 15% ethanol combined with 5% sucrose (experiment 1), 15% ethanol alone (experiment 2), 5% sucrose alone (experiment 3), or 15% ethanol when presented as a choice with water (experiment 4). After repeated cycles of chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal experience, consumption of ethanol solutions increased over baseline levels and in comparison with control (air‐exposed) groups. However, sucrose consumption did not change in mice that were trained to drink 5% sucrose. The increase in ethanol consumption after chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal experience resulted in a significant increase in resultant blood ethanol levels.Conclusions: Once the positive reinforcing properties of ethanol were established, chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal experience resulted in a significant increase in voluntary ethanol drinking that yielded a >2‐fold increase in resultant blood ethanol levels. This increase in ethanol intake occurred whether ethanol was presented in combination with sucrose, alone (unadulterated), or as a choice with tap water. Furthermore, this effect seems to be selective for ethanol in that animals that were trained to drink a sucrose solution did not exhibit a change in their intake after similar chronic ethanol exposure. As such, this model may be useful in studying the mechanisms and conditions in which chronic ethanol treatment influences motivation to resume drinking after a period of abstinence (relapse).
Sleep apnea and hormone replacement therapy: a pilot study and a literature review
Authors: Wesström Jan , Ulfberg Jan , Nilsson Staffan 
Published: December 2004

Background.  Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a common condition and a risk factor of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of a gestagen (trimegeston) and estradiol hormone combination on perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with SAS.Methods.  Four postmenopausal and one perimenopausal women were studied by polysomnography before and after treatment with hormone replacement therapy (HRT).Results.  The subjects had a mean reduction of the severity of their sleep apnea by 75% measured by apnea/hypopnea index.Conclusions.  HRT might be an alternative in the treatment of SAS.
Threshold values of maternal blood glucose in early diabetic pregnancy – prediction of fetal malformations
Authors: Wender‐Ożegowska E. , Wróblewska K. , Zawiejska A. , Pietryga M. , Szczapa J. , Biczysko R. 
Published: December 2004

Background.  The prevention of congenital malformations in the newborns of diabetic mothers still constitutes one of the main problems in this group of patients.Aim.  The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of fetal malformations in diabetic pregnancies, as well as detection of the cut‐off points for the first‐trimester glycemia levels, relating to diabetes‐induced fetal malformations.Methods.  The data for analysis were collected retrospectively from the case histories of diabetic pregnant women and their newborns, treated in our departments. For the evaluation of maternal diabetes control, the whole‐day glycemia profiles as well as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) levels were registered. To establish the glucose cut‐off values for malformations, we have used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for fasting, 1‐hr, and 2‐hr postprandial glucose levels. To determine how metabolic control influences the risk of giving birth to a malformed infant, we followed 198 newborns of diabetic mothers and 4700 infants born of healthy mothers (control group).Results.  We detected malformations in the infants of 8.6% (n = 17) of diabetic mothers and 3.8% of the control (odds ratio: 2.35, 95% CI = 1.40–3.96). We compared this group of diabetic patients to another diabetic pregnancy group, analyzed over a period of 1988–93 (n = 209), in which 13 newborns (6.2%) manifested congenital malformations (odds ratio: 1.41, 95% CI = 0.67–2.99) (the difference was statistically insignificant). HbA1C level during organogenesis was not significantly higher in women whose infants were malformed. We proved, however, that the risk of malformations was higher, when HbA1C value exceeded 9.3%. The malformation rate in diabetes classes D–H (according to White) was higher than in classes B and C, but the difference was not significant. A wide spectrum of anomalies has been observed in the newborns of diabetic mothers.Conclusions.  Our results confirm the view that diabetic pregnancy, despite the improved metabolic control, is still a strong risk factor for alterations in fetal development, particularly in patients with a tendency to brittle glycemia during first trimester of pregnancy. It seems that keeping fasting glucose levels in first trimester below 5.8 mmol/l and postprandial glucose levels below 9.1 mmol/l can contribute to decreasing number of fetal malformations in pregestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM) pregnancy. The ROC curves appear to be useful and adequate tool for the analysis of factors influencing fetal development in diabetic pregnancy.
Maternity wards or emergency obstetric rooms? Incidence of near‐miss events in African hospitals
Authors: Filippi Veronique , Ronsmans Carine , Gohou Valerie , Goufodji Sourou , Lardi Mohamed , Sahel Amina , Saizonou Jacques , De Brouwere Vincent 
Published: December 2004

Background.  This study examines near‐miss obstetric events in African hospitals as to the frequency, nature, and ratio of near miss to death and considers whether these could become useful indicators for monitoring the performance of obstetric services in Africa.Methods.  Prospective or retrospective reviews of medical records were conducted in nine referral hospitals in three countries (Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Morocco). We calculated the incidence of near‐miss obstetric events, near‐miss cases, and maternal deaths related to hemorrhage, hypertensive diseases of pregnancy, dystocia, infections, and anemia and analyzed these according to hospital and timing relative to admission.Results.  The incidence of near‐miss cases was varied, and in some hospitals extremely large: from 1% to almost a quarter of all deliveries were near misses. Near‐miss cases were 15 times more common than deaths (ranging from a ratio of 9 : 1–108 : 1). Most of the women with near‐miss events (NMEs) (83%) were already in a critical condition on arrival at the hospital (range 54–90%), and two in three were referred from another facility. The most frequent types of NMEs were hemorrhage and hypertensive diseases of pregnancy, but anemia was the leading cause in three first referral level hospitals in Benin and Côte d'Ivoire. Near‐miss events due to infections were rare.Conclusions.  Near‐miss events are extremely common in some African hospitals, with a high proportion arriving in critical conditions. Near‐miss events must be estimated separately for those already in a critical condition on arrival and those developing after admission; the first as a good indicator of the effectiveness of emergency referrals and the second as a potential tool for monitoring the performance of obstetric services.
Intra‐Firm Wage Dispersion and Firm Performance: Evidence from Linked Employer‐Employee Data
Authors: Lallemand Thierry , Plasman Robert , Rycx François 
Published: December 2004

SUMMARYThis paper examines the relationship between intra‐firm wage dispersion and firm performance in large Belgian firms using a unique matched employer‐employee data set. On the basis of the Winter‐Ebmer and Zweimüller's (1999) methodology, we find a positive and significant relationship between intra‐firm wage dispersion and profits per capita, even when controlling for individual and firm characteristics and addressing potential simultaneity problems. Results also suggest that the intensity of this relationship is stronger for blue‐collar workers and within firms with a high degree of monitoring. These findings are more in line with the ‘tournament’ models than with the ‘fairness, morale and cohesiveness’ models.
Convergence in Government Spending: Theory and Cross‐Country Evidence
Authors: Skidmore Mark , Toya Hideki , Merriman David 
Published: December 2004

SUMMARYUnder reasonable assumptions about production technologies, international competition for factors of production will lead to convergence of per capita output. Is there an analogous process that leads to convergence of public sector activity? We provide a simple model that predicts convergence in government spending under certain assumptions. We show that Barro's (1990) model of endogenous growth with government spending provides one justification for the necessary assumptions and therefore supports the convergence hypothesis. We also discuss the possibility that increasing globalization has led to convergence in government spending. Our cross‐country empirical investigation provides compelling evidence of convergence in per capita government consumption spending, per capita government capital spending, and per capita government education spending. These findings provide a new framework for explaining the underlying dynamic forces that determine growth of government.
Bayesian estimation of cyclosporin exposure for routine therapeutic drug monitoring in kidney transplant patients
Authors: Bourgoin Hélène , Paintaud Gilles , Büchler Matthias , Lebranchu Yvon , Autret‐Leca Elisabeth , Mentré France , Guellec Chantal Le 
Published: December 2004

AimsAUC‐based monitoring of cyclosporin A (CsA) is useful to optimize dose adaptation in difficult cases. We developed a population pharmacokinetic model to describe dose‐exposure relationships for CsA in renal transplant patients and applied it to the Bayesian estimation of AUCs using three blood concentrations.MethodsA total of 84 renal graft recipients treated with CsA microemulsion were included in this study. Population pharmacokinetic analysis was conducted using NONMEM. A two‐compartment model with zero‐order absorption and a lag time best described the data. Bayesian estimation was based on CsA blood concentrations measured before dosing and 1 h and 2 h post dose. Predictive performance was evaluated using a cross‐validation approach. Estimated AUCs were compared with AUCs calculated by the trapezoidal method. The Bayesian approach was also applied to an independent group of eight patients exhibiting unusual pharmacokinetic profiles.ResultsMean population pharmacokinetic parameters were apparent clearance 30 l h−1, apparent volume of distribution 79.8 l, duration of absorption 52 min, absorption lag time 7 min. No significant relationships were found between any of the pharmacokinetic parameters and individual characteristics. A good correlation was obtained between Bayesian‐estimated and experimental AUCs, with a mean prediction error of 2.8% (95% CI [−0.6, 6.2]) and an accuracy of 13.1% (95% CI [7.5, 17.2]). A good correlation was also obtained in the eight patients with unusual pharmacokinetic profiles (r2 = 0.96, P < 0.01).ConclusionsOur Bayesian approach enabled a good estimation of CsA exposure in a population of patients with variable pharmacokinetic profiles, showing its usefulness for routine AUC‐based therapeutic drug monitoring.
Purification, characterization and immunolocalization of porcine surfactant protein D
Authors: Soerensen C. M. , Nielsen O. L. , Willis A. , Heegaard P. M. H. , Holmskov U. 
Published: December 2004

SummarySurfactant protein D (SP‐D) is a collectin believed to play an important role in innate immunity. SP‐D is characterized by having a collagen‐like domain and a carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD), which has a specific Ca2+‐dependent specificity for saccharides and thus the ability to bind complex glycoconjugates on micro‐organisms. This paper describes the tissue immunolocalization of porcine SP‐D (pSP‐D) in normal slaughter pigs using a monoclonal antibody raised against purified pSP‐D. Porcine SP‐D was purified from porcine bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) by maltose‐agarose and immunoglobulin M affinity chromatography. The purified protein appeared on sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as a band of ∼53 000 MW in the reduced state and ∼138 000 MW in the unreduced state. Porcine SP‐D was sensitive to collagenase digestion and N‐deglycosylation, which reduced the molecular mass to ∼24 000 MW and ∼48 000 MW respectively, in the reduced state. N‐deglycosylation of the collagen‐resistant fragment, reduced the molecular mass to ∼21 000 MW showing the presence of an N‐glycosylation site located in the CRD. Porcine SP‐D bound to solid‐phase mannan in a dose and Ca2+‐dependent manner with a saccharide specificity similar to rat and human SP‐D. The purified protein was used for the production of a monoclonal anti‐pSP‐D antibody. The antibody reacted specifically with pSP‐D in the reduced and unreduced state when analysed by Western blotting. Immunohistochemical evaluation of normal porcine tissues showed pSP‐D immunoreactivity predominantly in Clara cells and serous cells of the bronchial submucosal glands, and to a lesser extent in alveolar type II cells, epithelial cells of the intestinal glands (crypts of Lieberkühn) in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum and serous cells of the dorsolateral lacrimal gland.