bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Isolierende Nanoschäume
Authors: Schädler Volker , du Fresne von Hohenesche Cedric 
Published: February 2005

AbstractSeit gut eineinhalb Jahren arbeiten Wissenschaftler der BASF am Straßburger Institut de Science et d´Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS) an materialwissenschaftlichen Fragestellungen. Das internationale Team sucht u.a. neue Wege zur Herstellung von nanoporösen Polymerschäumen – diese Materialien könnten in Zukunft aufgrund ihrer deutlich geringeren Wärmeleitfähigkeit klassische Schaumstoff‐Wärmeisolatoren ersetzen.
Nanokapseln für Substanzen mit großer Wirkung
Authors: Borchard‐Tuch Claudia 
Published: February 2005

AbstractBereits Mitte der Sechzigerjahre hatte man die Idee einer medizinischen Anwendung der Nanotechnologie: In dem Film “Fantastische Reise” wird eine Gruppe mutiger Ärzte in einem U‐Boot so stark verkleinert, dass sie durch die Adern eines Patienten fahren und ein lebensbedrohliches Blutgerinnsel aus seinem Gehirn entfernen kann. In den letzten 35 Jahren gab es große Fortschritte bei der Herstellung hoch komplizierter Strukturen, welche sogar noch kleiner sind. Zu ihnen gehören die Nanokapseln. Sie eröffnen die Möglichkeit, Wirkstoffe in nanometergroßen Behältern unterzubringen, aus denen sie gezielt freigesetzt werden.
Results of a phase I study utilizing monocyte‐derived dendritic cells pulsed with tumor RNA in children with stage 4 neuroblastoma
Authors: Caruso Denise A. , Orme Lisa M. , Amor Gerlinda M. , Neale Alana M. , Radcliff Fiona J. , Downie Peter , Tang Mimi L. K. , Ashley David M. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractBACKGROUNDA Phase I study of 11 pediatric patients with newly diagnosed, Stage 4 neuroblastoma was conducted using monocyte‐derived dendritic cells (DC) pulsed with tumor RNA to produce antitumor vaccines (DCRNA).METHODSPatients received two courses of induction with carboplatin followed by standard chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, high‐dose therapy, stem cell rescue, and DCRNA vaccine therapy.RESULTSThe results showed that this method for producing and administering DCRNA from a single leukapheresis product was both feasible and safe in this pediatric neuroblastoma population. Two courses of carboplatin maintained lymphocyte counts at normal levels. However, immune function 6 weeks after high‐dose chemotherapy and stem cell rescue and prior to receiving DCRNA was impaired in all patients tested. There was an alteration in the ratio of CD4‐positive and CD80‐positive T cells. CD4‐positive cell numbers were below normal, whereas CD8‐positive cell numbers were above normal for all patients. In addition, CD19‐positive cell numbers were below normal for all but one patient. It was found that humoral responses to recall antigens (diphtheria and tetanus) and cellular responses to mitogen and recall antigens were below normal in most patients. Despite this, two of three patients tested showed a tumor‐specific humoral immune response to DCRNA. Among the patients who had measurable disease at the time of DCRNA vaccine, none showed any objective tumor response.CONCLUSIONSDCRNA vaccines were both safe and feasible in children with Stage 4 neuroblastoma. Humoral responses to tumor were detected, although remained immunosuppressed at the time of administration, limiting efficacy. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Impact of radiographic findings on prognosis for skin carcinoma with clinical perineural invasion
Authors: Galloway Thomas J. , Morris Christopher G. , Mancuso Anthony A. , Amdur Robert J. , Mendenhall William M. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe objective of the current study was to correlate pretreatment computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging studies with outcomes for patients with squamous or basal cell carcinoma of the skin and clinical perineural invasion.METHODSBetween 1986 and 2002, 45 patients were treated with radiotherapy alone (21 patients) or combined with surgery (24 patients), and 4 patients received concomitant chemotherapy. Follow‐up ranged from 0.85 years to 17.4 years (median, 3.8 years). Patients were stratified as follows: imaging negative, 10 patients; minimal or moderate peripheral disease, 14 patients; and central and/or macroscopic disease, 21 patients.RESULTSThe 5‐year local control rates were as follows: imaging negative, 76%; minimal or moderate peripheral disease, 57%; and central and/or macroscopic disease, 25%. The 5‐year absolute and cause‐specific survival rates were as follows: imaging negative, 90% and 100%, respectively; minimal or moderate peripheral disease, 50% and 56%, respectively; and central and/or macroscopic disease, 58% and 61%, respectively.CONCLUSIONSPatients who had symptomatic but imaging‐negative perineural invasion had a relatively good prognosis after receiving definitive radiotherapy alone or combined with surgery. Patients who had imaging‐positive minimal or moderate peripheral disease had a better local control rate but a similar survival rate compared with patients who had central and/or macroscopic disease. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Influence of diabetic metabolic state on fracture healing in spontaneously diabetic rats
Authors: Follak Niels , Klöting Ingrid , Merk Harry 
Published: February 2005

AbstractBackgroundType 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) has been shown to alter the properties of bone and impair fracture healing in both humans and animals. The objective of this study was to examine changes in the histomorphometrical, histological and mechanical parameters of bone and remodeling during fracture healing, depending on the diabetic metabolic state in spontaneously diabetic BB/O(ttawa)K(arlsburg) rats, a rat strain that represents a close homology to DM in man.MethodsOn the basis of blood glucose values at the time of surgery, postoperative blood glucose course and postoperative insulin requirements, 90 spontaneously diabetic BB/OK rats were divided into groups with well‐compensated or poorly compensated metabolic state. Forty‐five LEW.1A rats served as the normoglycemic controls. The femurs were fractured in a standardized procedure and then allowed to heal for 2, 4 and 6 weeks.ResultsOur study showed that, in terms of bone histomorphometry, within the first 4 weeks after fracture, severe mineralization disorders occurred exclusively in the rats with poorly compensated diabetic metabolic states with a significant decrease of all fluorochrome‐based parameters of mineralization, apposition, formation and timing of mineralization, as well as a delay in cellular differentiation and significantly decreased values of biomechanical properties in comparison to the spontaneously diabetic rats with well‐compensated metabolic states and to the control rats.ConclusionsWith a controlled insulin therapy and a resulting well‐compensated diabetic metabolic state, mineralization and cellular differentiation disorders, as well as the decreased values of biomechanical properties in the fracture repair in the poorly compensated diabetic metabolic state with very severe hyperglycemia can be avoided. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
QALYs and the capability approach
Authors: Cookson Richard 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThis explores the applicability of Sen's capability approach to the economic evaluation of health care programmes. An individual's ‘capability set’ describes his freedom to choose valuable activities and states of being (‘functionings’). Direct estimation and valuation of capability sets is not feasible at present. Standard preference‐based methods such as willingness to pay are feasible, but problematic due to the adaptive and constructed nature of individual preferences over time and under uncertainty. An alternative is to re‐interpret the QALY as a cardinal and interpersonally comparable index of the value of the individual's capability set. This approach has limitations, since the link between QALYs and capabilities is not straightforward. Nevertheless, the QALY approach is recognisable as an application of the capability approach since it pays close attention to functionings, through the use of survey‐based multi‐attribute health state valuation instruments, and permits conceptions of value other than the traditional utilitarian ones of choice, desire‐fulfilment and happiness. Furthermore, suitably re‐interpreted, it can account for (i) non‐separability between health and non‐health components of value; and suitably modified it can also account for (ii) process attributes of care, which may have a direct effect on non‐health functionings such as comfort and dignity, and (iii) sub‐group diversity in the value of the same health functionings. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Monitoring structural change in dynamic econometric models
Authors: Zeileis Achim , Leisch Friedrich , Kleiber Christian , Hornik Kurt 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThe classical approach to testing for structural change employs retrospective tests using a historical data set of a given length. Here we consider a wide array of fluctuation‐type tests in a monitoring situation—given a history period for which a regression relationship is known to be stable, we test whether incoming data are consistent with the previously established relationship. Procedures based on estimates of the regression coefficients are extended in three directions: we introduce (a) procedures based on OLS residuals, (b) rescaled statistics and (c) alternative asymptotic boundaries. Compared to the existing tests our extensions offer ease of computation, improved size in finite samples for dynamic models and better power against certain alternatives, respectively. We apply our methods to three data sets, German M1 money demand, US labour productivity and S&P 500 stock returns. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An algorithm to reduce the occupational space in gender segregation studies
Authors: Herranz Neus , Mora Ricardo , Ruiz‐Castillo Javier 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThis paper presents an algorithm based on the bootstrap to select an admissible aggregation level, that is, the minimum number of occupational categories that yield a gender segregation value not significantly smaller than that obtained from the large number of occupational categories usually available in any data set. The approach is illustrated using labour force survey data for Spain for the comparison of gender segregation in 1977 and 1992, as well as 1994 and 2000. To measure gender segregation, an additively decomposable segregation index based on the entropy concept is used. Despite a substantial simplification in the size of the occupation space, the decrease in the segregation index is very small and not significant, regardless of the year. Consequently, intertemporal changes in gender segregation can be studied using a greatly reduced classification of occupations that permits an easier interpretation of results. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Physical characteristics of small intestinal submucosa scaffolds are location‐dependent
Authors: Raghavan Devanathan , Kropp Bradley P. , Lin H‐K. , Zhang Yuanyuan , Cowan Richard , Madihally Sundararajan V. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractUsing biodegradable scaffolds as an alternative to engineer new tissues has become an attractive candidate in various transplantation protocols. In particular, small intestinal submucosa (SIS), a dense connective matrix harvested from the small intestine, has gained attention due to a number of favorable properties. However, use of SIS is constrained by obtaining reliable, reproducible products in large‐scale preparations that affect the regenerative process. To better understand the heterogeneous nature of SIS, this study focused on evaluating the location‐dependent alterations in the physical characteristics of the matrices harvested from distal and proximal ends and processed in‐house (referred as hand‐made). Additionally, results were compared with a commercially available machine‐made Cook® SIS. Tensile properties during monotonic loading and cyclical loading were compared in wet conditions. Furthermore, permeability of these membranes to urea was analyzed using a custom‐built chamber, and the microarchitecture was analyzed via scanning electron microscopy. These results showed that distal samples were more elastic and less permeable to urea relative to other samples. However, permeability in each sample was direction‐dependent, that is, mucosal to serosal direction was less permeable compared to sorasal to mucosal direction in all the samples. Cook® SIS was more susceptible to cyclical loading and had a shorter range of load carrying capacity. In summary, results show that physical characteristics of SIS are location‐dependent. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 73A: 90–96, 2005
Improved greedy algorithm for protein structure reconstruction
Authors: Tuffery Pierre , Guyon Frédéric , Derreumaux Philippe 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThis article concerns the development of an improved greedy algorithm for protein structure reconstruction. Our stochastic greedy algorithm, which attempts to locate the ground state of an approximate energy function, exploits the fact that protein structures consist of overlapping structural building blocks that are not independent. Application of this approach to a series of 16 proteins with 50–250 amino acids leads to predicted models deviating from the experimental structures by 0.5 Å RMSD using an RMSD‐based energy function and within 1.5 to 4.8 Å RMSD using a Go‐based energy function. The Go‐based results are significant because they illustrate the strength of combining structural fragments and stochastic greedy algorithms in capturing the native structures of proteins stabilized by long‐range interactions separated by more than 30 amino acids. These results clearly open the door to less computationally demanding solutions to predict structures from sequences. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 26: 506–513, 2005
SARS‐CoV protease inhibitors design using virtual screening method from natural products libraries
Authors: Liu Bing , Zhou Jiaju 
Published: February 2005

AbstractTwo natural products databases, the marine natural products database (MNPD) and the traditional Chinese medicines database (TCMD), were used to find novel structures of potent SARS‐CoV protease inhibitors through virtual screening. Before the procedure, the databases were filtered by Lipinski's ROF and Xu's extension rules. The results were analyzed by statistic methods to eliminate the bias in target‐based database screening toward higher molecular weight compounds for enhancing the hit rate. Eighteen lead compounds were recommended by the screening procedure. They were useful for experimental scientists in prioritizing drug candidates and studying the interaction mechanism. The binding mechanism was also analyzed between the best screening compound and the SARS protein. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 26: 484–490, 2005
Transferability of parameters of strictly local geminals' wave function and possibility of sequential derivation of molecular mechanics
Authors: Tokmachev A. M. , Tchougréeff A. L. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractThe problem of substantiation of molecular mechanics (MM) remains actual due to growing popularity of hybrid quantum/classical (QM/MM) schemes. Recently proposed deductive molecular mechanics (DMM) seems to be a natural tool to derive mechanistic models of molecular energy (classical force fields) from a suitable quantum mechanical (QM) description of molecular structure. It is based on an assumption that the trial wave function underlying the MM description is one of the antisymmetrized product of strictly local geminals (SLG). A proof of transferability of electronic structure parameters (ESPs) in this approximation is an essential component of a logical framework for the transition from the QM to an MM description because it allows constructing expressions for potential energy surfaces by proper consideration of the response of the ESPs to the variations of geometry parameters. In the present article the ESPs defining density matrix elements and basis one‐electron states (hybrid orbitals—HOs) in the SLG approximation are formally considered. The transferability of the density matrix elements with respect to the parameters of molecular electronic structure and the linear response relations for the HOs are proven to take place under very nonrestrictive conditions. Special attention is paid to numerical estimates of the ESPs' features giving an “experimental” support to approximate expressions for the molecular energy. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 26: 491–505, 2005
Genetic approaches for the induction of a CD4+ T cell response in cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Bonehill Aude , Heirman Carlo , Thielemans Kris 
Published: February 2005

AbstractRecently, it has become more and more obvious that not only CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, but also CD4+ T helper cells are required for the induction of an optimal, long‐lasting anti‐tumor immune response. CD4+ T helper cells, and in particular IFN‐γ‐secreting type 1 T helper cells, have been shown to fulfill a critical function in the mounting of a cancer‐specific response. Consequently, targeting antigens into MHC class II molecules would greatly enhance the efficacy of an anti‐cancer vaccine. The dissection of the MHC class II presentation pathway has paved the way for rational approaches to achieve this goal: novel systems have been developed to genetically manipulate the MHC class II presentation pathway. First, different genetic approaches have been used for the delivery of known epitopes into the MHC class II processing pathway or directly onto the peptide‐binding groove of the MHC molecules. Second, several strategies exist for the targeting of whole tumor antigens, containing both MHC class I and class II restricted epitopes, to the MHC class II processing pathway. We review these data and describe how this knowledge is currently applied in vaccine development. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Femoral intra‐arterial injection: a tool to deliver and assess recombinant AAV constructs in rodents whole hind limb
Authors: Gonin Patrick , Arandel Ludovic , Van Wittenberghe Laetitia , Marais Thibaut , Perez Norma , Danos Olivier 
Published: February 2005

AbstractWith the aim of simplifying recombinant‐adeno‐associated virus (rAAV) delivery in muscle, a new femoral intra‐arterial technique was designed and tested in rodents (rats and mice). Two serotypes, several promoters and transgenes (reporter or therapeutic) were tested using this administration route. The new route is both easy to perform and efficient. Its usefulness as a tool to assess gene delivery constructs in the muscle was established in the context of recombinant AAV serotypes 1 and 2, and with the ubiquitous CMV and two muscle‐specific (C5‐12 and CK6) promoters. Both serum monitoring of a secreted protein (murine alkaline phosphatase: muSEAP) and slide staining were used to compare the different constructs. Significantly different patterns of expression in kinetics of expression (muSEAP) and homogeneity of fiber transduction (staining) were evidenced with the different promoters tested, and compared with intra‐muscular expression patterns. Detailed studies of differential transduction in leg and thigh muscles showed equivalent efficacy, except in rectus femoris, and to a lesser extent in soleus. In light of these results and prior data, intra‐arterially mediated gene transfer mechanism is discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
No evidence for germ‐line transmission following prenatal and early postnatal AAV‐mediated gene delivery
Authors: Jakob Marcus , Mühle Christiane , Park Jung , Weiß Susi , Waddington Simon , Schneider Holm 
Published: February 2005

AbstractBackgroundRecombinant adeno‐associated viruses have been used successfully in a number of pre‐clinical and clinical gene therapy studies. Since there is a broad consensus that gene therapy must not lead to germ‐line transmission, the potential of such vectors for inadvertent gene transfer into germ cells deserves special attention. This applies in particular to pre‐ or perinatal vector application which has been considered for diseases presenting with morbidity already at birth.MethodsAAV serotype 2 derived vectors carrying a β‐galactosidase reporter gene or human clotting factor IX cDNA were injected intraperitoneally or via a yolk sac vein into mouse fetuses or administered intravascularly to newborn mice. Tissue samples of the treated animals including the gonads as well as sperm DNA, obtained by differential lysis of one testis of each male animal, and the offspring of all treated mice were investigated for the presence of vector DNA by nested PCR. In positive samples, the copy number of the vector was determined by quantitative real‐time PCR.ResultsAAV vectors administered intraperitoneally or intravascularly to fetal or newborn mice reached the gonads of these animals and persisted there for time periods greater than one year. Intravascular injection of the vector resulted more frequently in gene transfer to the gonads than intraperitoneal injection. Vector copy numbers in the gonads ranged from 0.3 to 74 per 104 cell equivalents. However, neither in isolated sperm DNA from the treated animals nor in their offspring were vector sequences detectable.ConclusionsThese data suggest the risk of inadvertent germ‐line transmission following prenatal or early postnatal AAV type 2 mediated gene delivery to be very low. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhancement of gene delivery to human airway epithelial cells in vitro using a peptide from the polyoma virus protein VP1
Authors: Wiseman John W. , Scott Emily S. , Shaw Paul A. , Colledge William H. 
Published: February 2005

AbstractBackgroundCurrent liposome‐based gene delivery methods for therapeutic benefit are limited by their low efficiency. One possible way to improve gene expression is to include a peptide with a nuclear localization signal (NLS) to enhance the movement of the transfection complex from the cytoplasm to the nuclei of target cells. We have tested a synthetic peptide based on the amino terminal region of the polyoma virus VP1 protein. This region has non‐overlapping motifs for DNA binding and nuclear localization.MethodsLuciferase gene transfer efficiency was evaluated using this peptide and a control peptide with a mutated NLS in subconfluent, confluent and polarized human bronchial epithelial (16HBE) cells compared to lipoplex alone.ResultsGene transfer efficiency with a lipopolyplex containing the VP1 peptide enhanced gene delivery compared to lipoplex. Transfection with a lipopolyplex containing the control peptide failed to enhance gene delivery. The VP1 peptide increased the amount of plasmid associated with the nucleus while the mutant VP1 peptide did not. The order of lipopolyplex formation was important, with greatest enhancement when peptide was added to the plasmid before addition of the liposome. A bipartite peptide with the VP1 sequence and an integrin‐binding motif (RGD) resulted in a reduction in gene transfer efficiency compared to lipoplex. Cell adhesion studies showed that the integrin binding associated with the RGD motif was lost when it was attached to the VP1 sequence. The combination of the two peptide sequences in cis may have compromised the function of both.ConclusionsOur results indicate that the VP1 peptide represents a strategy to enhance liposome‐mediated gene delivery to airway epithelia in vitro. Comparison of transfection efficiencies between the VP1 and the mutant VP1 peptides and the direct measurement of plasmid associated with the nucleus suggests that this enhancement is caused by the NLS signal sequence in the peptide. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.