bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Childhood Persistent Allergic Rhinitis
Authors: Ng Daniel K. , Chow Pok-yu , Ming Shun-pei , Hong Siu-hung , Lau Sunny , Tse Debbie , Kwong Wilson K. , Wong Mui-fong , Wong Wilfred H. , Fu Yu-ming , Kwok Ka-li , Li Handong , Ho Jackson C. 
Published: November 2004

Objective. To compare active acupuncture with sham acupuncture for the treatment of persistent allergic rhinitis among children.Methods. Subjects with persistent allergic rhinitis were recruited from the pediatric outpatient clinic. They were randomized to receive either active acupuncture or sham acupuncture. Main outcome measures included daily rhinitis scores, symptom-free days, visual analog scale scores for immediate effects of acupuncture, daily relief medication scores, blood eosinophil counts, serum IgE levels, nasal eosinophil counts, patients' and parents' preferences for treatment modalities, and adverse effects.Results. Eighty-five patients were recruited from the pediatric outpatient clinic at Kwong Wah Hospital, in Hong Kong. Thirteen patients withdrew before randomization; 35 patients (mean age: 11.7 ± 3.2 years) were randomized to receive active acupuncture for 8 weeks, and 37 patients (mean age: 11 ± 3.8 years) were randomized to receive sham acupuncture for 8 weeks. Acupuncture was performed twice per week for both groups. Both the assessing pediatricians and the patients were blinded. There were significantly lower daily rhinitis scores and more symptom-free days for the group receiving active acupuncture, during both the treatment and follow-up periods. The visual analog scale scores for immediate improvement after acupuncture were also significantly better for the active acupuncture group. There was no significant difference in the following outcome measures between the active and sham acupuncture groups: daily relief medication scores, blood eosinophil counts, serum IgE levels, and nasal eosinophil counts, except for the IgE levels before and 2 months after acupuncture in the sham acupuncture group. No severe adverse effects were encountered. Numbness, headache, and dizziness were found in both the active and sham acupuncture groups, with no difference in incidence, and the effects were self-limiting.Conclusions. This study showed that active acupuncture was more effective than sham acupuncture in decreasing the symptom scores for persistent allergic rhinitis and increasing the symptom-free days. No serious adverse effect was identified. A large-scale study is required to confirm the safety of acupuncture for children.
Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis for Pediatricians
Authors: Cunniff Christopher ,   and Committee on Genetics
Published: November 2004

This Technical Report was retired January 2011.
The pediatrician who cares for a child with a birth defect or genetic disorder may be in the best position to alert the family to the possibility of a recurrence of the same or similar problems in future offspring. The family may wish to know about and may benefit from methods that convert probability statements about recurrence risks into more precise knowledge about a specific abnormality in the fetus. The pediatrician also may be called on to discuss abnormal prenatal test results as a way of understanding the risks and complications that the newborn infant may face. Along with the increase in knowledge brought about by the sequencing of the human genome, there has been an increase in the technical capabilities for diagnosing many chromosome abnormalities, genetic disorders, and isolated birth defects in the prenatal period. The purpose of this report is to update the pediatrician about indications for prenatal diagnosis, current techniques used for prenatal diagnosis, and the status of maternal screenings for detection of fetal abnormalities.
Exploitation of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance
Authors: Hutter E. , Fendler J. H. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractRecent advances in the exploitation of localized surface plasmons (charge density oscillations confined to metallic nanoparticles and nanostructures) in nanoscale optics and photonics, as well as in the construction of sensors and biosensors, are reviewed here. In particular, subsequent to brief surveys of the most‐commonly used methods of preparation and arraying of materials with localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), and of the optical manifestations of LSPR, attention will be focused on the exploitation of metallic nanostructures as waveguides; as optical transmission, information storage, and nanophotonic devices; as switches; as resonant light scatterers (employed in the different near‐field scanning optical microscopies); and finally as sensors and biosensors.
Localization of MRX82: A new nonsyndromic X‐linked mental retardation locus to Xq24‐q25 in a Basque family
Authors: Martínez Francisco , Martínez‐Garay Isabel , Oltra Silvestre , Moltó María Dolores , Orellana Carmen , Monfort Sandra , Prieto Félix , Tejada Isabel 
Published: November 2004

AbstractClinical and molecular studies are reported on a Basque family (MRX82) with nonsyndromic X‐linked mental retardation (XLMR) in five affected males. A total of 38 microsatellite markers were typed. The XLMR locus has been linked to DXS8067, DXS1001, DXS425, DXS7877, and DXS1183 with a maximum LOD score of 2.4. The haplotype studies and multipoint linkage analysis suggest a localization of the MRX82 locus to an interval of 7.6 Mb defined by markers DXS6805 and DXS7346, in Xq24 and Xq25, respectively. No gene contained in this interval has been so far associated with nonsyndromic mental retardation, except for GRIA3, disrupted by a balanced translocation in a female patient with bipolar affective disorder and mental retardation. However, the search for mutations of this gene did not showed a pathogenic mutation in the present family. Given that there are other eight MRX families overlapping this interval, none of them with known mutation, we conclude that at least one new gene responsible for nonsyndromic mental retardation is located in this region. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
De novo interstitial direct duplication of Xq21.1q25 associated with skewed X‐inactivation pattern
Authors: Tachdjian G. , Aboura A. , Benkhalifa M. , Creveaux I. , Foix‐Hélias L. , Gadisseux J.F. , Boespflug‐Tanguy O. , Mohammed M. , Labrune P. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractGenotype‐phenotype correlation in women with an abnormal phenotype associated with a duplication of the long arm of the X chromosome remains unclear. We report on prenatal diagnosis and follow‐up of a girl with an Xq duplication and dysmorphic features. The abnormal phenotype included growth retardation, hypotonia, and nystagmus. In order to improve the resolution of the cytogenetic analysis, we used both conventional and array‐based comparative genomic hybridization to perform a global molecular cytogenetic analysis of the genome. These molecular cytogenetic analyses showed a direct duplication Xq21.1 → q25 without other chromosomal abnormalities. This duplication was originating from the paternal X chromosome. Moreover, a skewed X‐inactivation pattern was observed leading to a partial functional disomy of the chromosomal region Xq21.1q25. This report and review of the literature suggest that functional disomy for chromosome X could explain the abnormal phenotype. In prenatal diagnosis, this can have implication for patient management and genetic counseling. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Morphology of mitochondrial permeability transition: Morphometric volumetry in apoptotic cells
Authors: Sesso Antonio , Marques Márcia M. , Monteiro Maria M.T. , Schumacher Robert I. , Colquhoun Alison , Belizário José , Konno Sérgio N. , Felix Tahis B. , Botelho Luis A.A. , Santos Vanessa Z.C. , Da Silva Guilherme R. , Higuchi Maria De L. , Kawakami Joyce T. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractHere we report on the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), which refers to the morphology of mitochondria whose inner membrane has lost its selective permeability. In all types of apoptotic cells so far examined, we found outer mitochondrial membranes that had been ruptured. These mitochondria present a swollen matrix covered by an inner membrane herniating into the cytoplasm through the breached outer membrane. Similarly ruptured outer mitochondrial membranes have been reported in studies on mitochondrial fractions induced to undergo MPT, carried out by others. Our observations were made on five types of rat tissue cells and six different cultured cell lines in the early stages of apoptosis. Samples from the cell lines HL‐60, HeLa, WEHI‐164, and a special batch of PC‐12 cells were subjected to various apoptogenic agents and analyzed morphometrically. Nonapoptotic companion cells with unaltered nuclear structure (CUNS) were also analyzed. The mitochondrial volume in μm3 and the volume fraction of the cytoplasm occupied by mitochondria in cells with typical nuclear signs of apoptosis and also in CUNS were evaluated. The volume of the mitochondria with ruptured membrane represents at least 69% (47–89%) of the total mitochondrial volume of the apoptotic cells. Thus, a considerable fraction of the cellular mitochondrial mass is or was in the state of permeability transition and probably involved in enhancement of the apoptotic program. In all samples, a fraction of the cells with normal nuclei possessed mitochondria with breached outer membranes as described above. In these cells, MPT occurred before the appearance of the typical nuclear phenotype of the apoptotic cells. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Reduced birth defects caused by maternal immune stimulation in methylnitrosourea‐exposed mice: Association with placental improvement
Authors: Prater Mary Renee , Zimmerman Kurt Lee , Ward Daniel Lee , Holladay Steven David 
Published: November 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDMethylnitrosourea (MNU) is a potent carcinogen and teratogen that is associated with central nervous system, craniofacial, skeletal, ocular, and appendicular birth defects following transplacental exposure at critical time points during development, and preliminary studies have suggested that nonspecific maternal immunostimulation may offer protection against development of these birth defects.METHODSOur study examined morphologic alterations in fetal limb and digital development and placental integrity following maternal exposure to MNU on GD 9 in CD‐1 mice, and characterized the improvement in placental integrity and abrogation of fetal defects following maternal immune stimulation with interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) on GD 7.RESULTSFetal limbs were significantly shortened (p < 0.0001) and incidence of limb and digital defects (syndactyly, polydactyly, oligodactyly, clubbing, and webbing) was dramatically increased following midgestational maternal MNU exposure. Maternal immune stimulation with IFN‐γ on GD 7 lessened incidence of fetal limb shortening and maldevelopment on GD 12 and 14. Further, disruption of placental spongiotrophoblast integrity, increased cell death in placental trophoblasts with increased intercellular spaces in the spongiotrophoblast layer and minimal inflammation, and increased loss of fetal labyrinthine endothelial cells from MNU‐exposed dams suggested that MNU‐induced placental breakdown may contribute to fetal limb and digital maldevelopment. MNU + IFN‐γ was associated with diminished cell death within all layers of the placenta, especially in the labyrinthine layer.CONCLUSIONSThese data verify improved distal limb development in MNU‐exposed mice as a result of maternal IFN‐γ administration, and suggest a link between placental integrity and proper fetal development. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Further characterization of the genetic defect of the Bent tail mouse, a mouse model for human neural tube defects
Authors: Klootwijk Riko , Schijvenaars Mascha M.V.A.P. , Mariman Edwin C.M. , Franke Barbara 
Published: November 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDNeural tube defects (NTDs) are congenital malformations arising mostly from incomplete neural tube closure during early embryogenesis. Most NTDs in humans have a complex etiology, with involvement of both genetic and environmental factors. More than 100 mouse models for human neural tube defects exist; Bent tail is one of them. The mouse mutant is caused by a submicroscopic deletion on Xq that completely encompasses the Zic3 gene.METHODSWe searched the ENSEMBL database for other genes/transcribed sequences in the Bent tail deletion in addition to Zic3, which we confirmed by PCR analysis.RESULTSIn our study, we show that the Bent tail deletion is at least 300 kb in size, encompassing a processed pseudogene and a number of expressed sequence tags in addition to Zic3. Although more research is needed to clarify the identity and function of the deleted transcripts, most of them are expressed during embryonic development and might therefore contribute to the phenotype of the Bent tail mouse.CONCLUSIONSThis study presents the first evidence for the fact that the Bent tail allele is not merely a Zic3 knockout allele, as has been previously suggested. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2004. Published 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular genetic analysis of human homologs of Caenorhabditis elegans mab‐21‐like 1 gene in patients with neural tube defects
Authors: Merello Elisa , De Marco Patrizia , Moroni Anna , Raso Alessandro , Calevo Maria Grazia , Consalez G. Giacomo , Cama Armando , Capra Valeria 
Published: November 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDNeural tube defects (NTDs) are complex embryological malformations, affecting 1 in 1,000 live births. Antisense studies have implicated murine Mab21 genes as having an important role in neural tube development. We investigated whether MAB21L1/L2 genes could be involved in the aetiology of NTDs.METHODSDenaturing HPLC (DHPLC) analysis of MAB21 genes was performed in 116 NTD cases. A case‐control approach was used to test if the two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the MAB21L1 gene might be associated with increased NTD risk.RESULTSNo pathological variants of MAB21L1/L2 genes were identified by DHPLC analysis. Case‐control studies demonstrated that the two SNPs (CAG triplets in 5′UTR; A→C in 3′UTR) in the MAB21L1 gene are unlikely to be directly responsible for myelomeningocele.CONCLUSIONSWe suggest that MAB21 genes are unlikely to have substantial impact on NTDs. These preliminary findings will need to be investigated in larger samples before firm conclusions can be made. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Polymyxin B–lipid interactions in Langmuir–Blodgett monolayers of Escherichia coli lipids: A thermodynamic and atomic force microscopy study
Authors: Clausell Adrià , Busquets M. Antonia , Pujol Montserrat , Alsina Asunción , Cajal Yolanda 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe dramatically increased frequency of antibiotic resistance has led to intensive efforts towards developing new families of antibiotics. Membrane‐active antibiotic peptides such as polymyxin B (PxB) hold promise as the next generation of antibiotics, since they rarely spur the evolution of resistance. At low concentrations in the membrane, PxB forms vesicle–vesicle contacts and induces lipid exchange without leakage or fusion, a phenomenon that can explain its specificity towards Gram‐negative bacteria by contact formation between the two phospholipids interfaces in the periplasmatic space. In this work, the interaction of PxB and the nonantibiotic derivative polymyxin B nonapeptide (PxB–NP) with monolayers of Escherichia coli membrane lipids (ECL) has been studied by thermodynamic and structural methods. PxB inserts itself into ECL monolayers as a conformation that forms intermembrane contacts with vesicles injected underneath, and induces lipid exchange when the monolayer surface pressure is set at 32 mN/m (membrane equivalence pressure) or net transfer vesicle‐to‐monolayer at lower surface pressures. Thermodynamic analysis of the compression isotherms of mixed monolayers indicates that PxB inserts into the monolayer with an expansion of the mean molecular area, implying that peptide and lipids form nonideal mixtures. At low concentrations, corresponding to the membrane–membrane contact form of PxB, the mixed monolayers present positive excess energy values (ΔG), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging reveals structures of ∼120‐nm diameter that protrude from the lipid surface ∼0.7 nm. At concentrations of PxB above 4 mol %, thermodynamic analysis gives a very high ΔG, corresponding to nonfavorable interactions, and AFM images show round structures of 20–30nm diameter. PxB–NP behaves in a totally different way, in agreement with its inability to form vesicle–vesicle contacts and its lack of antibiotic effect. These results are discussed in the light of the mechanism of action of PxB on the membrane of Gram‐negative bacteria. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers, 2004
Transient production of recombinant proteins by Chinese hamster ovary cells using polyethyleneimine/DNA complexes in combination with microtubule disrupting anti‐mitotic agents
Authors: Tait Andrew S. , Brown Catherine J. , Galbraith Douglas J. , Hines Michael J. , Hoare Mike , Birch John R. , James David C. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractWe have developed a simple and robust transient expression system utilizing the 25 kDa branched cationic polymer polyethylenimine (PEI) as a vehicle to deliver plasmid DNA into suspension‐adapted Chinese hamster ovary cells synchronized in G2/M phase of the cell cycle by anti‐mitotic microtubule disrupting agents. The PEI‐mediated transfection process was optimized with respect to PEI nitrogen to DNA phosphate molar ratio and the plasmid DNA mass to cell ratio using a reporter construct encoding firefly luciferase. Optimal production of luciferase was observed at a PEI N to DNA P ratio of 10:1 and 5 μg DNA 106 cells−1. To manipulate transgene expression at mitosis, we arrested cells in G2/M phase of the cell cycle using the microtubule depolymerizing agent nocodazole. Using secreted human alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) as reporters we showed that continued inclusion of nocodazole in cell culture medium significantly increased both transfection efficiency and reporter protein production. In the presence of nocodazole, greater than 90% of cells were eGFP positive 24 h post‐transfection and qSEAP was increased almost fivefold, doubling total SEAP production. Under optimal conditions for PEI‐mediated transfection, transient production of a recombinant chimeric IgG4 encoded on a single vector was enhanced twofold by nocodazole, a final yield of approximately 5 μg mL−1 achieved at an initial viable cell density of 1 × 106 cells mL−1. The glycosylation of the recombinant antibody at Asn297 was not significantly affected by nocodazole during transient production by this method. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Increased megakaryopoiesis in cultures of CD34‐enriched cord blood cells maintained at 39°C
Authors: Proulx Chantal , Dupuis Nicolas , St‐Amour Isabelle , Boyer Lucie , Lemieux Réal 
Published: November 2004

AbstractBased on previous evidence suggesting positive effects of fever on in vivo hematopoiesis, we tested the effect of hyperthermia on megakaryopoiesis (MK) in ex vivo cultures of CD34‐enriched cord blood (CB) cells. The cells were cultured at 37°C or 39°C for 14 days in cytokine conditions optimized for megakaryocyte development and analyzed periodically. Compared to 37°C, the cultures maintained at 39°C produced significantly more (up to 10‐fold) total cells, myeloid and MK progenitors, and total MKs, and showed accelerated and enhanced MK maturation with increased yields of proplatelets and platelets. This observation could facilitate clinical applications requiring ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic cells. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characterization of the metabolic burden on Escherichia coli DH1 cells imposed by the presence of a plasmid containing a gene therapy sequence
Authors: Rozkov A. , Avignone‐Rossa C.A. , Ertl P.F. , Jones P. , O'Kennedy R.D. , Smith J.J. , Dale J.W. , Bushell M.E. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe presence of a plasmid, containing gene sequences for DNA immunotherapy that are not expressed in microbial culture, imposed a degradation in bioreactor performance in cultures of the host
E. coli strain. Significant decreases in growth rate (24%) and biomass yield (7%) and a corresponding increase in overflow metabolism were observed in a strain containing a therapeutic sequence (a hepatitis B antigen under the control of a CMV promotor). The observed increase in overflow metabolism was incorporated into a Metabolic Flux Analysis (MFA) model (as acetate secretion). Metabolic flux analysis revealed an increase in TCA cycle flux, consistent with an increased respiration rate observed in plasmid‐containing cells. These effects are thought to result from increased ATP synthesis requirements (24%) arising from the expression of the Kanr plasmid marker gene whose product accounted for 18% of the cell protein of the plasmid‐containing strain. These factors will necessitate significantly higher aeration and agitation rates or lower nutrient feed rates in high‐density cultures than would be expected for plasmid‐free cultures. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Novel Rhodium‐Catalyzed Reaction of Thiazolidine Derivatives with Carbodiimides
Authors: Zhou Hai‐Bing , Dong Chune , Alper Howard 
Published: November 2004

AbstractA new, simple, and regioselective synthesis of thiazolidinimine derivatives based on the rhodium‐catalyzed reaction of readily available thiazolidines with carbodiimides is described. This methodology provides direct access to a large variety of thiazolidinimine derivatives, possibly via a novel regiospecific insertion of carbodiimides into one of two ring carbon–nitrogen bonds, as well as a metal‐catalyzed imine elimination process.
Nuclearity Controlled Cyanide‐Bridged Bimetallic CrIII–MnII Compounds: Synthesis, Crystal Structures, Magnetic Properties and Theoretical Calculations
Authors: Toma Luminita , Lescouëzec Rodrigue , Vaissermann Jacqueline , Delgado Fernando S. , Ruiz‐Pérez Catalina , Carrasco Rosa , Cano Juan , Lloret Francesc , Julve Miguel 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe preparation, X‐ray crystallography and magnetic investigation of the compounds PPh4[Cr(bipy)(CN)4]⋅2 CH3CN⋅H2O (1) (mononuclear), [{Cr(bipy)(CN)4}2Mn(H2O)4]⋅4 H2O (2) (trinuclear), [{Cr(bipy)(CN)4}2Mn(H2O)2] (3) (chain) and [{Cr(bipy)(CN)4}2Mn(H2O)]⋅H2O⋅ CH3CN (4) (double chain) [bipy=2,2′‐bipyridine; PPh4+=tetraphenylphosphonium] are described herein. The [Cr(bipy)(CN)4]− unit act either as a monodentate (2) or bis‐monodentate (3) ligand toward the manganese atom through one (2) or two (3) of its four cyanide groups. The manganese atom is six‐coordinate with two (2) or four (3) cyanide nitrogens and four (2) or two (3) water molecules building a distorted octahedral environment. In 4, two chains of 3 are pillared through interchain Mn‐N‐C‐Cr links which replace one of the two trans‐coordinated water molecules at the manganese atom to afford a double chain structure where bis‐ and tris‐monodenate coordination modes of [Cr(bipy)(CN)4]− coexist. The magnetic properties of 1–4 were investigated in the temperature range 1.9–300 K. A Curie law behaviour for a magnetically isolated spin quartet is observed for 1. A significant antiferromagnetic interaction between CrIII and MnII through the single cyanide bridge [J=−6.2 cm−1, the Hamiltonian being defined as Ĥ=−J(ŜCr(1)⋅ŜMn+ŜCr(2)⋅ŜMn)] occurs in 2 leading to a low‐lying spin doublet which is fully populated at T <5 K. A metamagnetic behaviour is observed for 3 and 4 [the values of the critical field Hc being ca. 3000 (3) and 1500 Oe (4)] which is associated to the occurrence of weak interchain antiferromagnetic interactions between ferrimagnetic ${{\rm Cr}{{{\rm III}\hfill \atop 2\hfill}}}$ MnII chains. The analysis of the exchange pathways in 2–4 through DFT type calculations together with the magnetic bevaviour simulation using the quantum Monte Carlo methodology provided a good understanding of their magnetic properties.