bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Physiological concentrations of nicotine do not affect prostacyclin, thromboxane or PGE production from perfused human umbilical veins
Authors: Cook Jocelynn L. , Keith Brad A. , White Nancy M. , Randall Carrie L. 
Published: July 2002

AbstractSmoking during pregnancy is associated with a number of maternal and fetal complications. The mechanisms underlying the effects of nicotine on fetal growth and development are not known, but may involve decreases in umbilical–placental blood flow. Prostaglandins are vasoactive mediators that regulate umbilical–placental blood flow and there is evidence that nicotine may alter prostaglandin production. Thus, alterations in vasoactive prostaglandins from the human umbilical vein may explain nicotine‐induced decreases in vessel blood flow and may underlie some of the negative effects of nicotine on the fetus. This study was designed to determine the relationship between nicotine and human umbilical vein prostaglandin production. Prostacyclin, thromboxane and prostaglandin E were measured from human umbilical veins collected from women at the time of cesarean section. Vessels were perfused with either vehicle (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's media), 5 mM, 10 mM or 20 mM nicotine for 60 minutes. Samples were collected from the perfusate after 5, 15, 30 and 60 minutes of perfusion, and prostaglandins were measured by radioimmunoassay. Data were analyzed by ANOVA. Perfusion with 10 mM or 20 mm significantly reduced prostacyclin production by the human umbilical veins, but nicotine did not affect prostaglandin E. The effects of nicotine on thromboxane were less clear. However, nicotine concentrations required to illicit an effect on prostacyclin production were much larger than circulating levels associated with smoking, so it is only pharmacological concentrations that have a significant effect. Thus, nicotine‐induced alterations in umbilical vein prostaglandin production does not appear to be a mechanism by which nicotine adversely affects fetal growth and development.
Book and Media Reviews
Authors: BALL DAVID 
Published: July 2002

Books reviewed in this article:Book reviews in this column will primarily be of titles focusing completely, or in part, on biological aspects of addiction. However, significant titles of general relevance to the addictions field will also be included, even if they are not “biological”, as will titles of general methodological and clinical relevance, even if they are not on “addictions”. Similar considerations will apply to other media (software, audio tapes and CDs, videos, etc). However, specific “addictions” software applications seem to be relatively uncommon and, as these items are rarely reviewed elsewhere, we will endeavour to include reviews of some of the older programmes that are still useful, as well as new titles that appear. I would appreciate suggestions of any items suitable for reviews, but especially software and other media of specific relevance to the addictions. Please contact: Dr David Ball, National Addiction Centre, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF, UK. Email: media@addictionbiology.com Essential Psychophar macology, 2nd edition STEPHEN M. STAHL Drug and Alcohol Abuse: A Clinical Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment, 5th edition MARC A SCHUCKIT Drugs: Dilemmas and Choices Working Party of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians Alcohol and Cardiovascular Diseases: Novartis Foundation Symposium TIMOTHY PETERS (Ed.) Directory of Biomedical and Health Care Grants 1999, 13th edition
Differential Effect of PKC Isoform on Insulin‐ and Phorbol Ester‐Stimulated Glucose Uptake Mechanism in Rat Adipocytes
Authors: Ishizuka Tatsuo , Miura Atsushi , Kajita Kazuo , Ishizawa Masayoshi , Kimura Mika , Huang Yannan , Kawai Yasunori , Morita Hiroyuki , Uno Yoshihiro , Yasuda Keigo 
Published: July 2002

AbstractInsulin stimulates glucose uptake in association with phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3‐kinase activation mechanisms in rat adipocytes. Insulin stimulated glucose uptake to 6.5‐fold, and 12‐ o ‐tetradecanoyl phorbol 13‐acetate (TPA) also stimulated glucose uptake to 4.5‐fold in rat adipocytes. We examined these differences in glucose uptake, PKC ∂activation, and PI 3‐kinase activation after stimulation with insulin and TPA. TPA stimulated PI 3‐kinase activity and increased the p85 subunit of PI 3‐kinase immunoreactivity in anti‐phosphotyrosine antibody‐immunoprecipitated protein. Insulin and TPA provoked increases in membrane PKC ∂immunoreactivity.The PI 3‐kinase inhibitor,wortmannin, suppressed insulininduced increases in glucose uptake, PI 3‐kinase activity, and PKC ∂activation. Wortmannin also suppressed TPA‐induced PI 3‐kinase activity and PKC ∂activation but suppressed TPA‐induced glucose uptake to only a small extent. The PKC inhibitor, Go6976, which only inhibits conventional PKC αand _, suppressed TPA‐induced glucose uptake, but suppressed insulin‐induced glucose uptake to only a small extent. On the other hand, the PKC inhibitor, RO32‐0432, which inhibits conventional, novel, and atypical PKCs, markedly suppressed both insulin‐ and TPA‐induced glucose uptake. These results suggest that insulininduced glucose uptake is mainly mediated by PI 3‐kinase‐PKC ∂signaling, whereas phorbol ester‐induced glucose uptake is mainly mediated by conventional PKC despite PI 3‐kinase and PKC ∂activations.
Genomic Organization of BmTXKβ and BmTXKS2, Two Scorpion Venom Peptides From Buthus martensii Karsch
Authors: Cao Zhijian , Zhu Shunyi , Li Wenxin , Jiang Dahe , He Xiaohua , Liu Hui 
Published: July 2002

AbstractToelucidate genomic organization of BmTXK βand BmTXKS2, two scorpion venom peptides from Chinese scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch(BmK) were first isolated and their genomic regions characterized using the PCR method. Analysis of nucleotide sequence shows that there exists different intron location in the venom genes. The region encoding mature peptide of BmTXK βis disrupted by an intron with 886 bp, whereas the intron of BmTXKS2 is located within its propeptide coding region, which is different from other scorpion toxin genes with their introns within the signal peptide coding region.
PASSML: combining evolutionary inference and protein secondary structure prediction.
Authors: Li√≤ P , Goldman N , Thorne J L , Jones3 D T 
Published: July 2002

Abstract
MOTIVATION: Evolutionary models of amino acid sequences can be adapted to incorporate structure information; protein structure biologists can use phylogenetic relationships among species to improve prediction accuracy. Results : A computer program called PASSML ('Phylogeny and Secondary Structure using Maximum Likelihood') has been developed to implement an evolutionary model that combines protein secondary structure and amino acid replacement. The model is related to that of Dayhoff and co-workers, but we distinguish eight categories of structural environment: alpha helix, beta sheet, turn and coil, each further classified according to solvent accessibility, i.e. buried or exposed. The model of sequence evolution for each of the eight categories is a Markov process with discrete states in continuous time, and the organization of structure along protein sequences is described by a hidden Markov model. This paper describes the PASSML software and illustrates how it allows both the reconstruction of phylogenies and prediction of secondary structure from aligned amino acid sequences. AVAILABILITY: PASSML 'ANSI C' source code and the example data sets described here are available at http://ng-dec1.gen.cam.ac.uk/hmm/Passml.html and 'downstream' Web pages. CONTACT: P.Lio@gen.cam.ac.uk
Disperse: a simple and efficient approach to parallel database
searching
Authors: Clifford Raphaël , Mackey Aaron J. 
Published: July 2002

Abstract
Summary: A general system for performing multiple independent database searches in parallel is presented. Run-time addition and removal of clients, robust failure and error trapping and near 100% efficiency with very large numbers of clients are achieved by a flexible asynchronous, client-driven approach.
Availability: Disperse software is freely available. Please visit http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~rc5/Disperse/for further details.
Contact: r.clifford@ic.ac.uk, amackey@virginia.edu
The solution structure of human β2‐microglobulin reveals the prodromes of its amyloid transition
Authors: Verdone Giuliana , Corazza Alessandra , Viglino Paolo , Pettirossi Fabio , Giorgetti Sofia , Mangione Palma , Andreola Alessia , Stoppini Monica , Bellotti Vittorio , Esposito Gennaro 
Published: July 2002

AbstractThe solution structure of human β2‐microglobulin (β2‐m), the nonpolymorphic component of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC‐I), was determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy and restrained modeling calculations. Compared to previous structural data obtained from the NMR secondary structure of the isolated protein and the crystal structure of MHC‐I, in which the protein is associated to the heavy‐chain component, several differences are observed. The most important rearrangements were observed for (1) strands V and VI (loss of the C‐terminal and N‐terminal end, respectively), (2) interstrand loop V‐VI, and (3) strand I, including the N‐terminal segment (displacement outward of the molecular core). These modifications can be considered as the prodromes of the amyloid transition. Solvation of the protected regions in MHC‐I decreases the tertiary packing by breaking the contiguity of the surface hydrophobic patches at the interface with heavy chain and the nearby region at the surface charge cluster of the C‐terminal segment. As a result, the molecule is placed in a state in which even minor charge and solvation changes in response to pH or ionic‐strength variations can easily compromise the hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance and trigger the transition into a partially unfolded intermediate that starts with unpairing of strand I and leads to polymerization and precipitation into fibrils or amorphous aggregates. The same mechanism accounts for the partial unfolding and fiber formation subsequent to Cu2+ binding, which is shown to occur primarily at His 31 and involve partially also His 13, the next available His residue along the partial unfolding pathway.
Structure of variant 2 scorpion toxin from Centruroides sculpturatus Ewing
Authors: Cook William J. , Zell Alan , Watt Dean D. , Ealick Steven E. 
Published: July 2002

AbstractCentruroides sculpturatus Ewing variant 2 toxin (CsE‐v2) is a neurotoxin isolated from the venom of a scorpion native to the Arizona desert. The structure of CsE‐v2 was solved in two different crystal forms using a combination of molecular replacement and multiple isomorphous replacement techniques. Crystals of CsE‐v2 display a temperature‐dependent, reversible‐phase transition near room temperature. At lower temperature the space group changes from P3221 to P3121 with an approximate doubling of the C‐axis. The small‐cell structure, which has one molecule per asymmetric unit, has an R factor of 0.229 at 2.8 Å resolution. The large‐cell structure has two molecules per asymmetric unit and was refined at 2.2 Å resolution to an R factor of 0.255. CsE‐v2 is a rigid, compact structure with four intrachain disulfide bonds. The structure is similar to other long‐chain β neurotoxins, and the largest differences occur in the last six residues. The high‐resolution structure of CsE‐v2 corrects an error in the reported C‐terminal sequence; the terminal tripeptide sequence is Ser 64‐Cys 65‐Ser 66 rather than Ser 64‐Ser 65‐Cys 66. Comparison of CsE‐v2 with long‐chain α toxins reveals four insertions and one deletion, as well as additional residues at the N and C termini. Structural alignment of α and β toxins suggests that the primary distinguishing feature between the two classes is the length of the loop between the second and third strands in a three‐strand β sheet. The shorter loop in α toxins exposes a critical lysine side chain, whereas the longer loop in β toxins buries the corresponding basic residue (either arginine or lysine).
Imaging evaluation of a persistent left superior vena cava and its importance in electrophysiologic procedures
Authors: Smith Victoria J. , Klein Taylor A. , Demo Hany N. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractAccurate characterization of thoracic vascular structures is essential to safe, efficient, and successful cardiac electrophysiologic procedures. Here we describe a case of persistent left superior vena cava incidentally discovered during an elective cryoablation of atrial fibrillation procedure to illustrate possible diagnostic modalities to identify vascular abnormalities.
A new modification and application of item response theory‐based feature selection for different machine learning tasks
Authors: Coban Onder 
Published: August 2022

AbstractFeature selection (FS) is an important step of the existing machine learning (ML) methodology since it often makes it possible to obtain better results using a lower number of features. Hence, in the literature, there exist many studies aiming at proposing a new FS method or improving an existing one in the context of ML. Accordingly, this study presents a new lossy modification of a feature selector which is a specific type of filter‐based FS and depends on item response theory. This method computes feature importance in a supervised manner and is previously employed for classical text categorization (TC) task, where it was shown that the selector provided satisfying results on high dimensional and benchmark text datasets. As such, this paper introduces a new modification of this selector along with its new variants and investigates its applicability for different ML tasks other than TC. Experimental results are obtained on 35 different datasets, of which nine are well‐known and real‐world datasets from the UCI ML repository. Our comparative results with the most popular filter‐based FS methods show that it is possible to obtain better results with this new modified selector or one of its variants on the majority of both binary and real‐world datasets compared to its well‐known peers.
Laparoscopic ureteroneocystostomy and round ligament bladder hitching for ureteral stenosis in parametrial deep endometriosis: Our tips for a tension‐free anastomosis
Authors: Ianieri Manuel Maria , Rosati Andrea , Ercoli Alfredo , Foschi Nazario , Campolo Federica , Greco Pierfrancesco , Scambia Giovanni 
Published: August 2022

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility and the efficacy of laparoscopic ureteroneocystostomy with round ligament bladder hitching.MethodsThis is a monocentric retrospective study. Enrolled patients affected by deep endometriosis underwent laparoscopic nerve‐sparing parametrectomy and monolateral ureteroneocystostomy with bladder suspension to the round ligament. Perioperative and postoperative outcomes were collected, as well as urinary and pain symptoms before and after surgery.ResultsLaparoscopic ureteroneocystostomy with round ligament bladder hitching was performed in nine women. The most frequent postoperative complication was post‐voiding urinary retention (22.2%). No ureteral fistula or stenosis of the anastomosis was reported.ConclusionIn selected cases of ureteral resection and reimplantation, performing a round ligament bladder hitching allowed us to overcome the ureteral gap. This is a safe and feasible procedure to ensure stability of the anastomosis and avoid the possible disadvantages of the “standard” psoas hitch procedure.
The Notch signaling pathway in skeletal muscle health and disease
Authors: Vargas‐Franco Dorianmarie , Kalra Raghav , Draper Isabelle , Pacak Christina A. , Asakura Atsushi , Kang Peter B. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe Notch signaling pathway is a key regulator of skeletal muscle development and regeneration. Over the past decade, the discoveries of three new muscle disease genes have added a new dimension to the relationship between the Notch signaling pathway and skeletal muscle: MEGF10, POGLUT1, and JAG2. We review the clinical syndromes associated with pathogenic variants in each of these genes, known molecular and cellular functions of their protein products with a particular focus on the Notch signaling pathway, and potential novel therapeutic targets that may emerge from further investigations of these diseases. The phenotypes associated with two of these genes, POGLUT1 and JAG2, clearly fall within the realm of muscular dystrophy, whereas the third, MEGF10, is associated with a congenital myopathy/muscular dystrophy overlap syndrome classically known as early‐onset myopathy, areflexia, respiratory distress, and dysphagia. JAG2 is a canonical Notch ligand, POGLUT1 glycosylates the extracellular domain of Notch receptors, and MEGF10 interacts with the intracellular domain of NOTCH1. Additional genes and their encoded proteins relevant to muscle function and disease with links to the Notch signaling pathway include TRIM32, ATP2A1 (SERCA1), JAG1, PAX7, and NOTCH2NLC. There is enormous potential to identify convergent mechanisms of skeletal muscle disease and new therapeutic targets through further investigations of the Notch signaling pathway in the context of skeletal muscle development, maintenance, and disease.
Threat or Nuisance? Foreign Street Entertainers in the Swedish Press, 1800–1880
Authors: Runefelt Leif 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThis chapter analyzes the changing public opinion towards street entertainers, as expressed in nineteenth-century Swedish press, identifying a shift towards a discourse of securitization 1850. Until then, entertainers were seldom mentioned and occasionally seen as a positive element of urban social life; their services were often appreciated, and this in a country which otherwise had developed strong legal institutions for controlling and rejecting itinerant and marginalized individuals. From 1850, entertainers became more present in the press, the tone being almost completely negative, portraying them as threats to public morals and economy. Criticism focused on three issues. Firstly, entertainers were claimed to be beggars in disguise, parasites on the social body. Secondly, they made noise, making everyday life a nuisance to the urban population. Lastly, their use of children was used to emphasize their inhumane greed. Behind the shift was an increase in the numbers of entertainers following processes of proletarization in Europe, but also the growth of a middle-class striving to take control of city spaces. Between the lines, it becomes clear that entertainers still were popular among working classes. The discourse of securitization seems to have lacked the necessary audience, and the outcries against entertainers mostly without effect.
Empowering voluntary approaches for environmental sustainability and resilient communities: a case study from Okinawa, Japan
Authors: Tanaka Toshinori , Tiku Oscar , Takashina Nao 
Published: August 2022

AbstractWhat can government do to secure environmental sustainability and resilient communities? We discuss an emerging policy approach in natural tourism resource management in the Okinawa Prefecture using the case of the ‘Conservation and Use Agreement’ (CUA, hereafter) defined in the Act on Special Measures for the Promotion of Okinawa. The CUA is the certification by the Governor of Okinawa Prefecture, which endorses the self-regulation concluded by site-level eco-tour operators. We analysed the legal and administrative structure of the CUA and the implementation process of nine (existing/expired) CUA cases based on thorough literature reviews and in-depth interviews. We discuss three points from the analysis. Firstly, the number of CUAs remains small because of its huge transaction costs compared to the benefits of the status. Secondly, the CUA generally works as a precaution; however, it is not effective for solving the existing overuse issues for its voluntary characteristics. Thirdly, the administrative resources need to be strengthened for better communication with operators to further enhance the implementation.
Numerical investigation of the wave interaction with flexible vegetation: model setup and validation for a single stem study case
Authors: Jin Caiping , Zhang Jingxin 
Published: August 2022

AbstractAquatic flexible vegetation plays a very important role in ecosystem, and has been widely used in river or coastal bank revetment. Flexible vegetation contributes to wave attenuation and soil retention. In this study, a fluid-structure bidirectional coupled numerical model (FSC model) was developed based on the codes in-house software HydroFlow@ to study the interaction between water flow and flexible vegetation. The water wave was simulated using the non-hydrostatic numerical model. Based on the nonlinear theory of elastic thin rod, a dynamic numerical model of flexible vegetation (FV model) was developed using the Finite Element Method (FEM) to simulate the large bending deformation and finite extension of a thin rod. A domain extension method was used to transfer the contact force between waves and the vegetation stem in the coupling process. The FSC model was validated using available experimental results focusing on a single stem dynamic simulation coupling with the free surface open channel flow simulation. The numerical results were in good agreements with the experiments. Relative errors of maximum deflection were less than 10%. Asymmetrical bending during a wave period were captured well compared with the measurements.
MAXIMAL TOWERS AND ULTRAFILTER BASES IN COMPUTABILITY THEORY
Authors: LEMPP STEFFEN , MILLER JOSEPH S. , NIES ANDRÉ , SOSKOVA MARIYA I. 
Published: August 2022

AbstractThe tower number
${\mathfrak t}$
and the ultrafilter number
$\mathfrak {u}$
are cardinal characteristics from set theory. They are based on combinatorial properties of classes of subsets of
$\omega $
and the almost inclusion relation
$\subseteq ^*$
between such subsets. We consider analogs of these cardinal characteristics in computability theory.We say that a sequence
$(G_n)_{n \in {\mathbb N}}$
of computable sets is a tower if
$G_0 = {\mathbb N}$
,
$G_{n+1} \subseteq ^* G_n$
, and
$G_n\smallsetminus G_{n+1}$
is infinite for each n. A tower is maximal if there is no infinite computable set contained in all
$G_n$
. A tower
${\left \langle {G_n}\right \rangle }_{n\in \omega }$
is an ultrafilter base if for each computable R, there is n such that
$G_n \subseteq ^* R$
or
$G_n \subseteq ^* \overline R$
; this property implies maximality of the tower. A sequence
$(G_n)_{n \in {\mathbb N}}$
of sets can be encoded as the “columns” of a set
$G\subseteq \mathbb N$
. Our analogs of
${\mathfrak t}$
and
${\mathfrak u}$
are the mass problems of sets encoding maximal towers, and of sets encoding towers that are ultrafilter bases, respectively. The relative position of a cardinal characteristic broadly corresponds to the relative computational complexity of the mass problem. We use Medvedev reducibility to formalize relative computational complexity, and thus to compare such mass problems to known ones.We show that the mass problem of ultrafilter bases is equivalent to the mass problem of computing a function that dominates all computable functions, and hence, by Martin’s characterization, it captures highness. On the other hand, the mass problem for maximal towers is below the mass problem of computing a non-low set. We also show that some, but not all, noncomputable low sets compute maximal towers: Every noncomputable (low) c.e. set computes a maximal tower but no 1-generic
$\Delta ^0_2$
-set does so.We finally consider the mass problems of maximal almost disjoint, and of maximal independent families. We show that they are Medvedev equivalent to maximal towers, and to ultrafilter bases, respectively.