bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A (PAPP‐A) expression and insulin‐like growth factor binding protein‐4 protease activity in normal and malignant ovarian surface epithelial cells
Authors: Kalli Kimberly R. , Chen Bing‐Kun , Bale Laurie K. , Gernand Erica , Overgaard Michael T. , Oxvig Claus , Cliby William A. , Conover Cheryl A. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractPregnancy‐Associated Plasma Protein‐A (PAPP‐A) proteolyses insulin‐like growth factor binding protein‐4 (IGFBP‐4), thereby regulating local IGF availability. Reduced PAPP‐A mRNA expression has been reported in ovarian cancer specimens compared to normal ovarian surface epithelial cells (OSE). To characterize PAPP‐A expression and proteolytic activity in OSE, we developed a lifespan‐extended human cell model using a temperature‐sensitive mutant of the SV40 large T antigen (SV40LT). These OSE(tsT) cells proliferate at 34°C (i.e., when SV40LT‐positive), but not at 39°C, a temperature at which the SV40LT is unstable (SV40LT‐negative). Proteolysis of radiolabeled IGFBP‐4 in conditioned media from OSE(tsT) lines was IGF‐dependent and blocked by anti‐PAPP‐A antisera. Temperature shifts that eliminated stable SV40LT induced a 7‐fold increase in PAPP‐A mRNA and a 4‐fold increase in protein. The converse experiment (shifting to SV40LT‐positive conditions) resulted in decreased levels of PAPP‐A mRNA but little change in PAPP‐A protein. Nevertheless, there was a marked reduction in IGF‐BP‐4 proteolytic activity in medium of SV40LT‐positive OSE‐(tsT) cells. This decreased PAPP‐A activity coincided with a nearly 20‐fold increase in mRNA encoding a physiological inhibitor of PAPP‐A, the precursor form of eosinophil Major Basic Protein (proMBP), and 4‐ to 5‐fold increases in proMBP protein. Primary cultures of unmodified OSE expressed high levels of PAPP‐A and undetectable proMBP, and therefore produced abundant IGFBP‐4 protease activity. Short‐term ovarian tumor cell cultures expressed variable levels of PAPP‐A and high levels of proMBP, and consequently secreted little or no IGFBP‐4 protease activity. The concurrent regulation of PAPP‐A and its inhibitor, proMBP, suggests that IGFBP‐4 proteolysis and local regulation of IGF availability may be altered in malignant ovarian epithelial cells. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Vaccination with hybrids of tumor and dendritic cells induces tumor‐specific T‐cell and clinical responses in melanoma stage III and IV patients
Authors: Trefzer Uwe , Herberth Gunda , Wohlan Karolina , Milling Annett , Thiemann Max , Sherev Tumenjargal , Sparbier Katrin , Sterry Wolfram , Walden Peter 
Published: April 2004

AbstractHybrid cell vaccination was developed as therapeutic approach that aims at stimulating tumor‐specific cytotoxic T‐cell responses in cancer patients using hybrids of autologous tumor and allogeneic dendritic cells. We tested this concept and the efficacy of the vaccines in inducing clinical and immunologic responses in a clinical trial with melanoma stage III and IV patients. Of the 17 patients evaluated, 1 experienced a complete response, 1 a partial response and 6 stable disease with remarkably long survival times. In 11 of 14 patients analyzed, high‐frequency T‐cell responses to various tumor‐associated T‐cell epitope were induced and detectable in the peripheral blood. These immune responses were detected in clinical response patients as well as nonresponders. Failures of clinical responses in all the cases investigated correlated with loss of antigen expression and presentation. Hybrid cell vaccination thus proves effective in inducing tumor‐specific T‐cell responses in cancer patients. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Indian hedgehog signaling pathway: Expression and regulation in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Kayed Hany , Kleeff Jörg , Keleg Shereen , Guo Junchau , Ketterer Knut , Berberat Pascal O. , Giese Nathalia , Esposito Irene , Giese Thomas , Büchler Markus W. , Friess Helmut 
Published: April 2004

AbstractPancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy that exhibits a number of genetic and epigenetic alterations. Indian hedgehog (Ihh) and its 2 signaling receptors, patched (Ptc) and smoothened (Smo), are involved in pancreatic development and regulation of β‐cell function as well as in certain human tumors. In the current study, we analyzed the expression, distribution and function of Ihh and its receptors in pancreatic cancer. Quantitative RT‐PCR and immunohistochemistry were utilized to analyze the expression, localization and transcriptional regulation of Ihh, Ptc and Smo. The effects of inhibition and stimulation of the hedgehog signaling pathway on pancreatic cancer cell growth were examined by the MTT cell growth assay. By quantitative RT‐PCR, Ihh, Ptc and Smo mRNA levels were increased 35‐, 1.2‐ and 1.6‐fold, respectively, in pancreatic cancer tissues in comparison to normal pancreatic tissues. By immunohistochemistry, Ihh, Ptc and Smo were expressed in the islet cells of normal and cancerous tissues and in pancreatic cancer cells. The growth of pancreatic cancer cells was dose‐dependently inhibited by the hedgehog antagonist cyclopamine through G0/G1 arrest. In contrast, Ihh agonists exhibited no significant effect on pancreatic cancer cell growth. TGF‐β1 repressed Ihh transcription in a TGF‐β1‐responsive pancreatic cancer cell line, but had no effect on the other tested cell lines. In conclusion, Ihh and its receptors Ptc and Smo are expressed in pancreatic cancer, and blockage of hedgehog signaling results in inhibition of pancreatic cancer cell growth, suggesting that aberrant activation of the Ihh signaling pathway contributes to tumor development in this malignancy. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Business‐to‐business electronic marketplaces: Joining a public or creating a private
Authors: Milliou Chrysovalantou , Petrakis Emmanuel 
Published: April 2004

AbstractWe analyse a firm's incentives to create a private B2B e‐marketplace or to join a public e‐marketplace. In the former the firm incurs higher set‐up costs but lower quality investment costs due to closer supplier–buyer collaboration than in the public. In the latter, the firm's quality improvement may spillover to competitors. We show that a firm's incentives to create a private e‐marketplace are stronger, the closer is supplier–buyer collaboration, the higher are spillovers, and the larger is the buyer's profit share within the e‐marketplace. Our welfare analysis indicates that a firm's incentives do not always coincide with those of a social planner. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal (4up, 5, 1) optical orthogonal codes
Authors: Chang Yanxun , Ji L. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractBy a (ν, k, 1)‐OOC we mean an optical orthogonal code. In this paper, it is proved that an optimal (4p, 5, 1)‐OOC exists for prime p ≡ 1 (mod 10), and that an optimal (4up, 5, 1)‐OOC exists for u = 2, 3 and prime p ≡ 11 (mod 20). These results are obtained by applying Weil's theorem. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On the existence of a PBD(30,{4,5,7,8*})
Authors: Grüttmüller Martin , Streso Katy 
Published: April 2004

AbstractIn the present paper, we will prove by an exhaustive search method that a pairwise balanced design on 30 points with blocks of size 4,5,7 and exactly one block of size 8 does not exist. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Combin Designs 12: 271–278, 2004.
Evaluation of a modified IAT‐gel with polyethylenglycol (PEG) addition method for red blood cell antibody identification
Authors: Gustafsson L. , Wikman A. , Lundahl J. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractWe aimed to evaluate whether a PEG‐IAT method, modified for gel technique, could replace the two‐stage enzyme method for routine identification of red blood cell (RBC) antibodies.A total of 161 selected patient samples were analyzed with the two‐stage enzyme tube technique and the PEG‐IAT in gel techniques. In 65 samples, identical antibody results were obtained by the two methods. An additional 28 antibodies were identified by either the PEG‐IAT gel method or the enzyme method. Twenty antibodies were identified by the PEG‐IAT gel method only (12 Rh antibodies, four anti‐Kell, two anti‐Fya, two anti‐Jka), and eight antibodies by the enzyme method only (four Rh antibodies, one anti‐K, one anti‐Jka, two anti‐Lea). The results in the remaining 68 samples were judged as nonspecific reactions, which were more common when the enzyme method was used.We concluded that the PEG‐IAT in gel method identifies more RBC antibodies with less nonspecific reactions than the two‐stage enzyme technique. However, no single method detected all clinical significant RBC antibodies. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 18:165–169, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Surface‐enhanced laser desorption/ionization‐time of flight‐mass spectrometry (SELDI‐TOF‐MS): A new proteomic urinary test for patients with urolithiasis
Authors: Cadieux Peter A. , Beiko Darren T. , Watterson James D. , Burton Jeremy P. , Howard Jeffrey C. , Knudsen Bodo E. , Gan Bing Siang , McCormick John K. , Chambers Ann F. , Denstedt John D. , Reid Gregor 
Published: April 2004

AbstractSELDI‐TOF‐MS is a highly sensitive protein‐analysis tool capable of detecting minute protein profile differences between biological samples. As proteins have been associated with urinary tract calculi, protein‐based urinalysis may offer insights into their diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate SELDI‐TOF‐MS as a potential method for identifying urinary biomarkers of urolithiasis.Midstream sterile urine samples were obtained from 25 male patients with a confirmed diagnosis of urolithiasis (test group) and 25 male subjects with no known history of the disease (controls). Urinary levels of oxalate, total protein, albumin, and osteopontin were determined. Protein profiles were generated using SELDI‐TOF‐MS.SELDI‐TOF‐MS profiling revealed a relationship between protein peak intensities at 67 and 24 kDa that differed between the two groups. The ratio of p67:p24 was found to be less than 1.0 in all of the control samples (mean 0.26), while 18 out of 25 (72%) of the test group samples displayed a ratio greater than 1.0 (total group mean 4.75, P<0.001). Albumin, total protein, and oxalate levels were higher in the test group than the controls.Although SELDI‐TOF‐MS is not yet in widespread use in hospital and diagnostic laboratories, this system represents a promising new method for rapidly identifying patients with urolithiasis. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 18:170–175, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Single cell PCR from archival stained bone marrow slides: A method for molecular diagnosis and characterization
Authors: Zanssen Stefanie 
Published: April 2004

AbstractMolecular analysis of isolated single cells is a powerful tool for clarifying issues of cell origin and clonality. Previous reports have described PCR amplifications from total DNA and RNA extracted from archival bone marrow and peripheral blood smears and have also shown the feasibility of amplifications from single cells, microdissected from stained histological sections. In this study, a method is described for performing PCR from morphologically defined single cells isolated from archival May‐Gruenwald‐Giemsa‐stained bone‐marrow and blood smears. Using three DNA extraction procedures, the organic lysis showed reproducible high efficiencies of amplifications. With this method, we were able to amplify long range amplicons up to 14.5 kb from mitochondrial DNA as well as PCR products of conventional length. The usability of such products for molecular diagnosis is demonstrated by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)characterization of a mitochondrial disorder. In conclusion, this method has the power to perform molecular diagnosis and characterization of diseases on the single cell level, and should provide valuable information to aid disease treatment and prognosis of hematological disorders. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 18:176–181, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Environment‐dependent down‐modulation of CD45 cell surface expression on polymorphonuclear cells
Authors: Böhm Ingrid 
Published: April 2004

AbstractCD45, a transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase, regulates important cell functions. Its involvement in clearing tissues from dead or dying cells by polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) is unclear. Therefore, in this study the influence of exogenous factors (e.g., temperature and phagocytosis) on the CD45 expression on PMNs (in patients with lupus erythematosus (LE) vs. controls) was analysed by flow cytometry. The data showed a significant down‐regulation of CD45 at 4°C in controls, but not on LE‐PMNs. In the presence of targets, CD45 was significantly decreased (P<0.00002). Substrate‐dependent down‐regulation was greater in the presence of nuclei than in the presence of dead cells(68.98%±2.28% vs. 47.89%±2.75%; P<0.002), and on LE‐PMNs than on control‐PMNs (45.93%±4.92% vs. 53.65%±2.2%). Target pretreatment with anti‐dsDNA antibody‐containing serum resulted in a lower CD45 expression compared to treatment with normal serum. This effect was more pronounced on PMNs of LE patients than on those of controls. Phagocytosis was inversely correlated with CD45 expression (P<0.0007). These data suggest that phagocytic clearance of cellular debris by PMNs may modulate the function of the effector cells, and that anti‐dsDNA antibodies apparently enhance the phagocytic clearance. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 18:187–194, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Alkaline sulfite/anthraquinone pulping of pine wood chips biotreated with Ceriporiopsis subvermispora
Authors: Mendonça Régis , Ferraz André , Kordsachia Othar , Patt Rudolf 
Published: April 2004

AbstractPine wood chips were treated for 30 days with Cemporiopsis subvermispora in 20 dm3 bioreactors. A typical selective biodelignification was observed. The biotreated wood chips and undecayed controls were subjected to modified alkaline sulfite/anthraquinone (ASA) cooking at 170 °C or 175 °C applying varying cooking times ranging from 30 to 270 min. In all cases, the residual lignin content of the pulps prepared from biologically pretreated wood chips was lower than that of the control pulp. With increasing cooking time, however, the differences in kappa number became smaller. Wood chips cooked for a short time required mechanical refining for fiber liberation. A disk‐refining step resulted in pulps with low reject content (0.4%) and high screened yield (56–60%). In this case, the use of biotreated wood chips provided pulps with significantly lower kappa numbers than for the control pulp (71 and 83, respectively). The pulp from biologically pretreated wood fibrillated rapidly, reaching 20° SR in only 38 min beating time in a Jokro mill, while the control pulp required 56 min to reach the same beating degree. Although easier to beat, the biopretreated pulps showed tensile and burst indices similar to those of the control samples. However, their tear indices were always lower. Easier delignification after wood biotreatment was not observed for the reactions performed at long cooking times. Oxygen delignification of biotreated and conventional ASA pulps with low kappa numbers reduced kappa number and improved brightness considerably with the biotreated pulps being favored by a better preservation of viscosity. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
Ammonia exchange on clinoptilolite from mineral deposits located in Mexico
Authors: Leyva‐Ramos Roberto , Aguilar‐Armenta Gelacio , Gonzalez‐Gutierrez Linda V , Guerrero‐Coronado Rosa M , Mendoza‐Barron Jovita 
Published: April 2004

AbstractThis work investigated the ion exchange of ammonia on clinoptilolite obtained from mineral deposits located in San Luis Potosi and Sonora, Mexico. Experimental ion exchange isotherm data were obtained in a batch adsorber. The effects of temperature and solution pH on the ion exchange capacity were studied and it was found that the exchange capacity was slightly increased by augmenting the temperature and by decreasing the pH from 6 to 3. The ion exchange capacity was independent of the diameter of the zeolite particles. The reversibility of ion exchange was analyzed by desorbing the ammonia exchanged on the zeolite. The ion exchange was reversible when 1% NaCl solution was used as the desorbing solution, but more ammonia was desorbed using 1% KCl solution in the desorption step. It was concluded that a considerable amount of ammonia was exchanged on the clinoptilolite and that the exchange capacity was slightly dependent on the temperature and pH. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
CAP reform, competitiveness and sustainability
Authors: Rickard Séan 
Published: April 2004

AbstractFranz Fischler has recently published his proposals for (further) reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In summary they amount to an attempt to achieve an agricultural industry that is not only more competitive and profitable but also ecologically and environmentally sustainable. For Franz Fischler, sustainability is defined as more than the effective conservation and regeneration of natural resources; it also involves sustaining the presumed contribution of farming to rural development. This latter objective is the focus of the newly introduced second pillar of the CAP and can be interpreted as an attempt to arrest the steady decline in the number of smaller‐sized farm businesses. Franz Fischler has pointed to the widespread support for these three objectives across EU populations and, subject to WTO constraints on trade distorting policies, the right of every society to choose its own agricultural policy. However, the analysis of the reform's objectives contained in this paper is that they form an irreconcilable trinity and ultimately policy makers will have to choose between a competitive industry and the protection of smaller farm businesses. This paper argues that in reality there is no choice. Globalisation will both drive and demand a more productive and competitive food chain in order to meet the demands of rising affluence and a burgeoning world population. It also argues that the industrialisation of farming is not automatically in conflict with the conservation and regeneration of natural resources. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry
Pressure‐Induced cis‐to‐trans Isomerization of Poly[(p‐methylthiophenyl)acetylene] Prepared with a [Rh(norbornadiene)Cl]2 Catalyst – A Raman, UV‐Vis, and ESR Study
Authors: Huang Kai , Mawatari Yasuteru , Tabata Masayoshi , Sone Takeyuki , Miyasaka Atsushi , Sadahiro Yoshikazu 
Published: April 2004

AbstractSummary: A stereospecific polymerization of a novel aromatic acetylene containing an alkyl sulfide group, i.e., (p‐methylthiophenyl)acetylene (pMeSPA) was successfully performed to selectively give the corresponding polymer bearing a cis‐transoid structure as a main geometrical form and a very high molecular weight, $\overline M _{\rm n}$ = 1.7–5.8 × 106 in high yields. This was accomplished when a Rh complex catalyst, [Rh(norbornadiene)Cl]2, was used in the presence of triethylamine (TEA) solvent as a cocatalyst and its mixed solvents with TEA, together with a detailed characterization of the resulting polymers before and after compression at room temperature. Based on the data obtained before and after compression, it was concluded that compression of the PpMeSPA polymers induced a cis‐to‐trans isomerization at room temperature under vacuum even in the solid state (the Figure shows the radical generated by compression).
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Anionic Copolymerization of 5‐(N,N‐Dialkylamino)isoprenes
Authors: Mannebach Gerd , Müller Axel H. E. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractSummary: The anionic copolymerization of various 5‐(N,N‐dialkylamino)isoprenes initiated by sec‐butyllithium in hexane is investigated. The bulkiness of the alkyl side chains has a strong influence on the copolymerization behavior, monomer reactivity decreasing in the order of alkyl groups methyl > ethyl ≈ propyl > isopropyl. Polymer structures vary from nearly block over tapered and gradient to random, depending on the relative reactivities of comonomers. Since the basicity of the tertiary amino groups depends on the nature of the alkyl groups, it is possible to vary the basicity along the polymer backbone by a suitable choice of the comonomers. Copolymerization kinetics do not seem to follow first‐ or second‐order with respect to monomer conversion and they cannot be described using the terminal model.General structure of obtained polymers.magnified imageGeneral structure of obtained polymers.
Internet tools for supporting of lay stakeholders in the framework of the democratic paradigm of environmental decision making
Authors: Lotov Alexander V. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractThe paper describes the concept of Internet tools that may help implementing a democratic paradigm of environmental decision making, which is based on the desire to involve lay stakeholders into the process of decision making. It is clear that lay stakeholders usually have minimal knowledge on the ways how to solve environmental problems. The gap among knowledge and actions of lay stakeholders may be extremely dangerous. In this paper we propose visualization‐based Internet tools that can help lay stakeholders to study the environmental problems and base their actions on a better understanding of the issues. The tools are based on multi‐criteria exploration of the whole variety of possible environmental decision alternatives that helps to understand the feasibility frontiers and individual selecting several preferred feasible decision alternatives. We argue that such Internet tools can be mastered by computer‐literate lay stakeholders and used by them in the process of preparation to political actions related to the final choice. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nitric oxide modulates local reflexes of the tailfan of the crayfish
Authors: Araki Makoto , Schuppe Hansjürgen , Fujimoto Sawako , Nagayama Toshiki , Newland Philip L. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractElectrical stimulation of sensory neurons that innervate receptors on the tailfan of crayfish evokes a reflex response of motor neurons that produce movements of the blades of the tailfan, the uropods. We analyzed the modulatory effects of nitric oxide (NO) on the spike frequency of the reflex response. Bath application of L‐arginine and SNAP, which elevate endogenous and exogenous NO levels, increased the frequency of the evoked response, whereas the application of L‐NAME and PTIO, which reduce NO levels, decreased the frequency of the response. To determine through what pathway and target NO exerted these effects we bath applied ODQ, an inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), which decreased the frequency of response, and 8‐br‐cGMP, which increased the spike frequency of response. To provide further evidence that NO acts via sGC, we elevated NO levels with L‐arginine while simultaneously inhibiting sGC with ODQ. This application reduced the response to control levels, indicating that NO in the terminal ganglion of crayfish acts via sGC to modulate cGMP levels, which in turn regulate the responses of the uropod motor neurons. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 30: 176–186, 2004