bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activation of Hippocampal Nuclear Factor-κB by Retrieval Is Required for Memory Reconsolidation
Authors: Boccia Mariano , Freudenthal Ramiro , Blake Mariano , de la Fuente Veronica , Acosta Gabriela , Baratti Carlos , Romano Arturo
Published: December 2007

Initially, memory is labile and requires consolidation to become stable. However, several studies support that consolidated memories can undergo a new period of lability after retrieval. The mechanistic differences of this process, termed reconsolidation, with the consolidation process are under debate, including the participation of hippocampus. Up to this point, few reports describe molecular changes and, in particular, transcription factor (TF) involvement in memory restabilization. Increasing evidence supports the participation of the TF nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in memory consolidation. Here, we demonstrate that the inhibition of NF-κB after memory reactivation impairs retention of a hippocampal-dependent inhibitory avoidance task in mice. We used two independent disruptive strategies to reach this conclusion. First, we administered intracerebroventricular or intrahippocampal sulfasalazine, an inhibitor of IKK (IκB kinase), the kinase that activates NF-κB. Second, we infused intracerebroventricular or intrahippocampal κB decoy, a direct inhibitor of NF-κB consisting of a double-stranded DNA oligonucleotide that contains the κB consensus sequence. When injected immediately after memory retrieval, sulfasalazine or κB decoy (Decoy) impaired long-term retention. In contrast, a one base mutated κB decoy (mDecoy) had no effect. Furthermore, we also found NF-κB activation in the hippocampus, with a peak 15 min after memory retrieval. This activation was earlier than that found during consolidation. Together, these results indicate that NF-κB is an important transcriptional regulator in memory consolidation and reconsolidation in hippocampus, although the temporal kinetics of activation differs between the two processes.
Variáveis socioeconômicas e a transmissão de dengue
Authors: Mondini Adriano , Chiaravalloti Neto Francisco
Published: December 2007

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a relação entre o risco de ocorrência de dengue e os níveis socioeconômicos. MÉTODOS: Os casos autóctones de dengue confirmados entre setembro de 1990 a agosto de 2002 foram geocodificados e agrupados segundo setores censitários urbanos de São José do Rio Preto, estado de São Paulo. Um fator socioeconômico foi gerado por meio da técnica de análise de componentes principais, agrupando os setores censitários em quatro níveis socioeconômicos. Os coeficientes de incidência foram calculados, por ano e quadriênio, para cada um dos agrupamentos de setores censitários, considerando-se o período entre setembro de um ano a agosto do ano seguinte. São apresentados mapas temáticos dos setores agrupados nos quatro níveis socioeconômicos com os respectivos coeficientes de incidência da doença. RESULTADOS: A análise de componentes principais produziu um fator socioeconômico responsável por 87% da variação total. Esse fator esteve associado com as incidências de dengue apenas no ano de 1994-1995. CONCLUSÕES: A ausência de associação encontrada entre risco de ocorrência de dengue e níveis socioeconômicos na quase totalidade dos anos estudados mostra que esta é uma questão que precisa ser mais bem estudada e, talvez, dependa da realidade de cada município. É importante que sejam verificadas as relações espaciais entre a transmissão de dengue e outras variáveis, como o grau de imunidade da população; a efetividade das medidas de controle; o grau de infestação pelo vetor; os hábitos e atitudes da população, entre outros.
Obesity, bariatric surgery, and iron deficiency: True, true, true and related
Authors: Love Aileen L. , Billett Henny H.
Published: December 2007

Morbid obesity is a health problem that has been shown to be refractory to diet, exercise, and medical treatment. Surgeries designed to promote weight loss, termed bariatric surgery and typically involving a gastric bypass procedure, have recently been implemented to treat obesity with high success rates. However, long‐term sequelae can result in micronutrient deficiencies. This review will focus on iron deficiency and its association with obesity and bariatric surgery. Iron deficiency develops after gastric bypass for several reasons including intolerance for red meat, diminished gastric acid secretion, and exclusion of the duodenum from the alimentary tract. Menstruating women, pregnant women, and adolescents may be particularly predisposed toward developing iron deficiency and microcytic anemias after bypass surgery. Preoperative assessment of patients should include a complete hematological work‐up, including measurement of iron stores. Postoperatively, oral iron prophylaxis and vitamin C in addition to a multivitamin should be prescribed for bypass patients, especially for vulnerable populations. Once iron deficiency has developed, it may prove refractory to oral treatment, and require parenteral iron, blood transfusions, or surgical interventions. Bariatric surgery patients require lifelong follow‐up of hematological and iron parameters since iron deficiency and anemia may develop years after surgery. Am. J. Hematol., 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Degradation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) film under proton irradiation
Authors: Peng Guirong , Yang Dezhuang , Liu Hai , He Shiyu
Published: December 2007

The effects of proton irradiation on the properties and structure of poly(ethylene terephthalate) films were investigated. The results showed that mass loss was rapid with fluence and then tended to level off at higher fluence. The transmittance decreased obviously in the visible range. The relative intensity of C1s with a binding energy of 284.6 eV increased with the dose and then tended to level off. O1s decreased with the dose and more rapidly at 533.5 eV. All this indicated that decarbonylation occurred on the surface. The Fourier transform infrared and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy results demonstrated that the change in the substitution of phenyl was due to the enrichment of the phenyl group on the surface; in other words, carbonification took place (in which C1s was usually situated at 284.6–285 eV). The change in transmittance was considered to result from the change in the surface structure and morphology. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Synergistic effects of exfoliated LDH with some halogen‐free flame retardants in LDPE/EVA/HFMH/LDH nanocomposites
Authors: Ye Lei , Ding Peng , Zhang Ming , Qu Baojun
Published: December 2007

The synergistic effects of exfoliated layered double hydroxides (LDH) with some halogen‐free flame retardant (HFFR) additives, such as hyperfine magnesium hydroxide (HFMH), microencapsulated red phosphorus (MRP), and expandable graphite (EG), in the low‐density polyethylene/ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer/LDH (LDPE/EVA/LDH) nanocomposites have been studied by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis (TGA and DTG), mechanical properties, limiting oxygen index (LOI), and UL‐94 tests. The XRD results show that EVA as an excellent compatilizer can promote the exfoliation of LDH and homogeneous dispersion of HFMH in the LDPE/EVA/HFMH/LDH nanocomposites prepared by melt‐intercalation method. The TEM images demonstrate that the exfoliated LDH layers can act as synergistic compatilizer and dispersant to make the HFMH particles dispersed homogeneously in the LDPE matrix. The results from the mechanical, LOI, and UL‐94 tests show that the exfoliated LDH layers can also act as the nano‐enhanced and flame retardant synergistic agents and thus increase the tensile strength, LOI values, and UL‐94 rating of the nanocomposites. The morphological structures of charred residues observed by SEM give the positive evidence that the compact charred layers formed from the LDPE/EVA/HFMH/LDH nanocomposites with the exfoliated LDH layers play an important role in the enhancement of flame retardant and mechanical properties. The TGA and DTG data show that the exfoliated LDH layers as excellent flame retardant synergist of MRP or EG can apparently increase the thermal degradation temperature and the charred residues after burning. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Effect of isocyanate‐modified fumed silica on the properties of poly(butylene succinate) nanocomposites
Authors: Lim Jung Seop , Hong Sung Min , Kim Dong Kook , Im Seung Soon
Published: December 2007

Using the grafting method on a silica surface with PBS molecules, we prepared novel poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/silica nanocomposites to enhance dispersibility and interfacial adhesion between silica particles and the PBS matrix, and also investigated the effects of silica‐g‐PBS on the PBS matrix using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, a tensile testing machine, and rheometry. The thermal stability, mechanical properties, and rheological properties of PBS nanocomposites containing silica‐g‐PBS was remarkably improved because of the surface characteristics of the silica grafted with PBS molecules, which provided good compatibility and dispersion. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Influence of low‐temperature plasma conditions on wicking properties of PA/PU knitted fabric
Authors: Rosace Giuseppe , Canton Roberto
Published: December 2007

Plasma surface treatment has been extensively applied in the textile industry for the modification of polymer materials. In this study low‐temperature plasma (LTP) is used for surface treatment of polyamide/polyurethane (PA/PU) knitted fabric. The envisaged plasma effect is an increase in the surface energy of the treated textile, leading toward improved hydrophilic properties. The knitted fabric was treated by LTP using three non polymerizing gases: oxygen, air, and carbon dioxide. After plasma treatment, wettability of samples was tested through their wicking properties measuring capillary rise after water bath contact. The PA/PU knitted fabric samples treated with different plasma gases exhibited different hydrophilic performances. The influence of plasma variables (discharge power, time, pressure) was investigated. Although the chemical characteristics of elastan (PU) and nylon (PA) threads are different, the study has demonstrated that plasma treatment can in the same time alter the surface‐wetting behavior of both the components of the knitted fabric. It was also shown how these treatments can be regulated to produce the desired level of hydrophilicity dependently on the request application. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008
Biotechnological valorization potential indicator for lignocellulosic materials
Authors: Duarte Luís C. , Esteves Maria P. , Carvalheiro Florbela , Gírio Francisco M.
Published: December 2007

This report introduces the biotechnological valorization potential indicator (BVPI) concept, a metric to measure the degree of suitability of lignocellulosic materials to be used as feedstock in a biorefinery framework. This indicator groups the impact of the main factors influencing upgrade‐ability, both the biological/chemical nature of the materials, and the economical, technological and geographical factors. The BVPI was applied to the identification of the most relevant opportunities and constraints pertaining to the lignocellulosic by‐products from the Portuguese agro‐industrial cluster. Several by‐products were identified with a high valorization potential, e.g., rice husks, brewerýs spent grain, tomato pomace, carob pulp, de‐alcoholized grape bagasse, and extracted olive bagasse, that would greatly benefit from the further development of specific biotechnology processes, specifically concerning the upgrade of their hemicellulosic fraction.
A simple and sensitive HPLC method for quantitation of low phenoprolamine hydrochloride concentrations in human plasma and its pharmacokinetic application
Authors: Zhao Libo , Hu Jiong , Chang Qing , Ke Qiulin , Xu Rong , Gu Shifen , Chen Hui , Zeng Fandian
Published: December 2007

Phenoprolamine hydrochloride is a novel compound that works against a variety of types of hypertension. The purpose of this study was to develop a simple and sensitive high‐performance liquid chromatographic method for quantitation of low phenoprolamine hydrochloride concentrations in human plasma and to apply it to pharmacokinetic study. The procedure involved extraction of the drug and clonidine (internal standard) from the plasma using diethyl ether. Chromatographic separations were carried out on a 4.6 × 200 mm Hypersil silica column with UV detection at 230 nm. The isocratic mobile phase, 1% ammonium acetate (pH 5.4) and methanol (0.3:99.7, v/v), was run at 1 mL/min. Extraction recovery was 84% for phenoprolamine hydrochloride at a concentration level of 200 ng/mL, and 76% for clonidine at 200 ng/mL. The method was linear in the concentration range 5–4000 ng/mL with a lower limit of quantitation of 5 ng/mL for phenoprolamine hydrochloride. Inter‐ and intra‐day coefficients of variation were less than 10%. The validated method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in human after an oral administration of the drug, and the pharmacokinetic parameters are presented. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HPLC analysis and pharmacokinetic study of quercitrin and isoquercitrin in rat plasma after administration of Hypericum japonicum thunb. extract
Authors: Li Juan , Wang Zhi‐Wei , Zhang Lei , Liu Xiao , Chen Xiao‐Hui , Bi Kai‐Shun
Published: December 2007

A simple HPLC method was developed for determination of quercitrin and isoquercitrin in rat plasma. Reversed‐phase HPLC was employed for the quantitative analysis using kaempferol‐3‐O‐β‐d‐glucopyranoside‐7‐O‐α‐l‐rhamnoside as an internal standard. Following extraction from the plasma samples with ethyl acetate–isopropanol (95:5, v/v), these two compounds were successfully separated on a Luna C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) with isocratic elution of acetonitrile–0.5% aqueous acetic acid (17:83, v/v) as the mobile phase. The flow‐rate was set at 1 mL/min and the eluent was detected at 350 nm for both quercitrin and isoquercitrin. The method was linear over the studied ranges of 50–6000 and 50–5000 ng/mL for quercitrin and isoquercitrin, respectively. The intra‐ and inter‐day precisions of the analysis were better than 13.1 and 13.2%, respectively. The lower limits of quantitation for quercitrin and isoquercitrin in plasma were both of 50 ng/mL. The mean extraction recoveries were 73 and 61% for quercitrin and isoquercitrin, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic studies of the two analytes in rat plasma after the oral administration of Hypericum japonicum thunb. ethanol extract. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantification of rimonabant, a CB1 receptor antagonist, in human plasma
Authors: Nirogi Ramakrishna , Kandikere Vishwottam , Mudigonda Koteshwara , Ajjala Devender
Published: December 2007

A sensitive high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the quantification of rimonabant in human plasma. Following liquid–liquid extraction, the analytes were separated using an isocratic mobile phase on a reverse‐phase column and analyzed by MS/MS in the multiple reaction monitoring mode using the respective (M + H)+ ions, m/z 463–363 for rimonabant and m/z 408–235 for the internal standard. The assay exhibited a linear dynamic range of 0.1–100 ng/mL for rimonabant in human plasma. The lower limit of quantification was 0.1 ng/mL with a relative standard deviation of less than 6%. With dilution integrity up to 10‐fold, the upper limit of quantification was extendable up to 1000 ng/mL. Acceptable precision and accuracy were obtained for concentrations over the standard curve range. A run time of 2.0 min for each sample made it possible to analyze more than 250 human plasma samples per day. The validated method was successfully used to analyze human plasma samples for application in pharmacokinetic studies. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Katalysatoren zur Totaloxidation von flüchtigen organischen Komponenten
Authors: Nigrovski B. , Scholz P. , Ondruschka B. , Tsend‐Ayush T. , Hoffmann J. , Rost M. , Wegner R.
Published: December 2007

Vorgestellt wird die Totaloxidation flüchtiger organischer Komponenten in Gegenwart von innovativen Katalysatoren in der Gasphase. Diese bestehen aus Nickelschaum mit einer γ‐Al2O3‐Basisschicht, als Aktivkomponente wird zum einen ein silberhaltiger Perowskit, zum anderen Platin verwendet. Beide Katalysatoren zeigen hohe Aktivität bei relativ niedrigen Reaktionstemperaturen bis zu 300 °C. Die Modelledukte werden nahezu quantitativ umgesetzt.
Mechanism of Thermal Toluene Autoxidation
Authors: Hermans Ive , Peeters Jozef , Vereecken Luc , Jacobs Pierre A.
Published: December 2007

Aerobic oxidation of toluene (PhCH3) is investigated by complementary experimental and theoretical methodologies. Whereas the reaction of the chain‐carrying benzylperoxyl radicals with the substrate produces predominantly benzyl hydroperoxide, benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde originate mainly from subsequent propagation of the hydroperoxide product. Nevertheless, a significant fraction of benzaldehyde is also produced in primary PhCH3 propagation, presumably via proton rather than hydrogen transfer. An equimolar amount of benzyl alcohol, together with benzoic acid, is additionally produced in the tertiary propagation of PhCHO with benzylperoxyl radicals. The “hot” oxy radicals generated in this step can also abstract aromatic hydrogen atoms from PhCH3, and this results in production of cresols, known inhibitors of radical‐chain reactions. The very fast benzyl peroxyl‐initiated co‐oxidation of benzyl alcohol generates HO2. radicals, along with benzaldehyde. This reaction also causes a decrease in the overall oxidation rate, due to the fast chain‐terminating reaction of HO2. with the benzylperoxyl radicals, which causes a loss of chain carriers. Moreover, due to the fast equilibrium PhCH2OOH+HO2.⇌PhCH2OO.+H2O2, and the much lower reactivity of H2O2 compared to PhCH2OOH, the fast co‐oxidation of the alcohol means that HO2. gradually takes over the role of benzylperoxyl as principal chain carrier. This drastically changes the autoxidation mechanism and, among other things, causes a sharp decrease in the hydroperoxide yield.
Why (and when) clinicians compel treatment of anorexia nervosa patients
Authors: Carney Terry , Tait David , Richardson Alice , Touyz Stephen
Published: December 2007

Objective

This paper addresses the question of the circumstances which lead clinicians to use legal coercion in the management of patients with severe anorexia nervosa, and explores similarities and differences between such formal coercion and other forms of ‘strong persuasion’ in patient management.

Method

Logistic regression and other statistical analysis was undertaken on 75 first admissions for anorexia nervosa from a sample of 117 successive admissions to an eating disorder facility in New South Wales, Australia, where an eating disorder was the primary diagnosis. Admissions with other primary diagnoses, such as bulimia nervosa (25 episodes), and entries with a co‐morbid diagnosis (e.g. depression or opiate overdose), were discarded, leaving 96 admissions by 75 individuals.

Results

Resort to measures of legal coercion into treatment was found to be associated with three main indicators: the patient's past history (number of previous admissions); the complexity of their condition (the number of other psychiatric co‐morbidities); and their current health risk (measured either by Body Mass Index (BMI) or the risk of re‐feeding syndrome).

Conclusions

Our study is consistent with the few earlier studies about indicators for legal coercion in anorexia nervosa management, and suggests that clinicians use legal coercion very sparingly, distinguishing legal coercion from other forms of close clinical management of patients. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
One‐dimensional simulation of supercritical flow at a confluence by means of a nonlinear junction model applied with the RKDG2 method
Authors: Kesserwani G. , Ghostine R. , Vazquez J. , Ghenaim A. , Mosé R.
Published: December 2007

We investigate the one‐dimensional computation of supercritical open‐channel flows at a combining junction. In such situations, the network system is composed of channel segments arranged in a branching configuration, with individual channel segments connected at a junction. Therefore, two important issues have to be addressed: (a) the numerical solution in branches, and (b) the internal boundary conditions treatment at the junction. Going from the advantageous literature supports of RKDG methods to a particular investigation for a supercritical benchmark, the second‐order Runge–Kutta discontinuous Galerkin (RKDG2) scheme is selected to compute the water flow in branches. For the internal boundary handling, we propose a new approach by incorporating the nonlinear model derived from the conservation of the momentum through the junction. The nonlinear junction model was evaluated against available experiments and then applied to compute the junction internal boundary treatment for steady and unsteady flow applications. Finally, a combining flow problem is defined and simulated by the proposed framework and results are illustrated for many choices of junction angles. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A non‐conforming finite‐element method for solving non‐hydrostatic free‐surface flow problems
Authors: Le Roux D. Y. , Robert J. L. , Gabbouhy M.
Published: December 2007

In this paper, we develop a two‐dimensional vertical numerical model for simulating unsteady free‐surface flows, using a non‐hydrostatic pressure distribution. A fractional step numerical procedure is employed. The governing differential equations are discretized using the finite‐element method. The velocity and salinity fields are approximated using the so‐called linear non‐conforming P element, and pressure and free‐surface elevation are discretized using linear continuous P1 approximations. This procedure is very efficient and could also be applied to hydrostatic flow problems. Our numerical scheme is validated by three test cases, namely a deepwater standing wave, the propagation of a solitary wave in a long channel and the density‐driven flow. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐order residual distribution schemes on quadrilateral meshes
Authors: Villedieu N. , Quintino T. , Abgrall R. , Deconinck H.
Published: December 2007

This article deals with the latest development in the construction of monotone high‐order residual distribution schemes (RDS) on quadrilateral meshes. In the first part we give some generalities about the way upwind high‐order RDS is designed. In the second part, some standard schemes are described. Then, the design of a stabilization to help the convergence is shown. The last part of this article is dedicated to the results obtained with these schemes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Changes in skin cell wall composition during the maturation of four premium wine grape varieties
Authors: Ortega‐Regules Ana , Ros‐García José María , Bautista‐Ortín Ana Belén , López‐Roca José María , Gómez‐Plaza Encarna
Published: December 2007

BACKGROUND: Grape skin cell walls form a barrier against the diffusion of colour. The colour of red wines is mainly due to anthocyanins, although their concentration in wine is not always correlated with the anthocyanin content of grape skins. The cell wall composition changes during fruit ripening, so it was thought that a study of the ripening behaviour of four premium varieties might provide information on how the composition changes during ripening and explain the technological differences.

RESULTS: The largest quantities of skin cell wall material (CWM) were isolated from Monastrell grapes, probably owing to the greater number of cell layers they contain and the thicker cell walls. During ripening, a loss of skin CWM (e.g. 120–60 and 65–45 mg CWM g−1 fresh skin for Monastrell J and Cabernet Sauvignon respectively) and galactose (e.g. 36–20 and 55–30 mg g−1 CWM for Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell J respectively) was observed, together with a decrease in the degree of pectin methylation and acetylation, except in Syrah, in which pectin methylation remained unchanged. These changes were accompanied by the accumulation of glucose, while other neutral sugars showed no significant variations. A correlation was found between the degree of ripening and those constituents changing in the grape skin cell wall.

CONCLUSION: The cell wall composition differs sufficiently between grape varieties to allow discrimination between them. Ripening was associated with a decrease in the quantity of CWM and galactose in the cell walls. Monastrell showed the largest quantities of both throughout ripening. The differences observed between Monastrell and the other varieties would explain the technological differences between them. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Effects of extraction temperature, ionic strength and contact time on efficiency of bis(2‐ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micellar backward extraction of soy protein and isoflavones from soy flour
Authors: Zhao Xiaoyan , Chen Fusheng , Gai Gusoheng , Chen Junqi , Xue Wentong , Lee Lite
Published: December 2007

BACKGROUND: Soy protein enriched with isoflavones has been linked to various disease‐preventing and health‐promoting activities owing to the antihypertensive, hypocholesterolaemic, antiobesity and antioxidative properties of isoflavones. The isoflavone profiles of soy‐based products are known to be highly dependent on the various chemical and physical treatments to which the products have been subjected. The aim of this research was to increase the efficiency of backward extraction of soy protein and isoflavones from bis(2‐ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelles by studying the effects of extraction temperature, ionic strength of the aqueous stripping solution and contact time on the amounts of soy protein and isoflavones backward extracted from an AOT/H2O/isooctane reverse micellar system.

RESULTS: By modifying the extraction temperature, ionic strength and contact time, 47.0–60.2% of protein, 43.3–68.4% of daidzin, 43.8–74.6% of genistin, 39.0–88.8% of glycitin, 20.8–92.6% of malonyl genistin, 20.2–52.0% of malonyl glycitin, 32.7–75.6% of acetyl genistin, 49.7–76.8% of daidzein and 19.6–38.1% of genistein present in the AOT reverse micellar solution were backward extracted into the aqueous stripping phase. Statistical analysis showed that there were significant linear and interactive effects of temperature and contact time on the backward extraction of daidzin, genistin, glycitin and daidzein. Significant linear and interactive effects of ionic strength and contact time were found in the backward extraction of daidzin and genistin. The backward extraction of genistein was only influenced by contact time and its interaction with temperature.

CONCLUSION: This study showed the potential of reverse micelles as a protocol for extracting isoflavones from soy samples for analytical purposes. By modifying the extraction temperature, contact time and ionic strength, soy protein enriched with daidzin, genistin, daidzein and genistein could be produced from soy flour. The results represent an important contribution to current knowledge on utilising reverse micellar extraction in food technology. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Study of lipase‐catalysed synthesis of ascorbyl benzoate in cyclohexanone using response surface methodology
Authors: Lv Long‐Xian , Chen Shao‐Yun , Li Yong‐Quan
Published: December 2007

BACKGROUND:Compared with ascorbic acid, ascorbyl esters exhibit many advantages. Their biosynthesis in organic media has been widely studied owing to its many advantages over chemosynthesis. However, since the natural substrates of lipase are fatty acid triacylglycerols, few data are available on the lipase‐catalysed esterification of ascorbic acid with aromatic acids. Furthermore, although many reports can be found on the biosynthesis of ascorbic acid with fatty acids, few deal with the interactions between important reaction factors. The aim of the present study was to optimise the biosynthesis process of ascorbic acid with an aromatic acid, benzoic acid, in cyclohexanone using a statistical approach and to investigate the interactions among variables.

RESULTS:Among the five factors studied, only substrate concentration, water activity and temperature had a significant effect on the reaction. Enzyme concentration affected the process slightly, while the effect of reaction time became minor after equilibrium. For the first time, using a partial derivative method, it was quantitatively demonstrated how the optimum of the variable studied depended on the constant values of fixed variables used in a single‐factor experiment. Statistical analysis predicted a maximal conversion rate (47.66%) at enzyme concentration 10 g L−1, substrate concentration 0.1031 mol L−1, water activity 0.4896, reaction time 48 h and temperature 66.63 °C.

CONCLUSION:This study illustrated possible factor interactions during the lipase‐catalysed synthesis of ascorbyl benzoate in cyclohexanone, and a maximal conversion rate was achieved under optimal reaction conditions. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Matrix glycan depolymerisation and xyloglucan endohydrolase activities in ethylene‐treated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit
Authors: Karakurt Yasar , Muramatsu Noboru , Jeong Jiwon , Hurr Brandon M , Huber Donald J
Published: December 2007

BACKGROUND: Ethylene‐induced placental tissue water soaking in harvested watermelon fruit is accompanied by cell separation and collapse, depolymerisation of water‐ and chelator‐soluble pectins, a reducton in total uronic acids and increased polygalacturonase activity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ethylene‐induced changes in placental tissue cell walls also affected matrix glycans (hemicelluloses).

RESULTS: Polymers from 0 and 6 day air‐treated fruits were similar in molecular mass distribution, with the majority of polymers eluting within the void volume of Sepharose 6B. Polymers from ethylene‐treated fruit showed significant molecular mass downshifts involving xyloglucan. Xylose and glucose together comprised nearly 70% of 2 mol L−1 alkali‐soluble neutral sugars. Treatment of watermelon fruit with ethylene was not accompanied by changes in matrix glycan composition, indicating that in situ depolymerisation did not result in altered solubility and/or loss of xyloglucan. Cell‐free protein extracts from watermelon placental tissue from both air‐ and ethylene‐treated fruits degraded tamarind seed xyloglucan, resulting in significant molecular mass downshifts without production of oligomers and monomers. The capacity of cell‐free extracts to degrade tamarind xyloglucan and watermelon matrix glycans was similar for 6 day ethylene‐ and air‐treated fruits.

CONCLUSION: Collectively the data suggest that enhanced depolymerisation of xyloglucan in ethylene‐treated watermelon fruit arises from factors other than altered enzyme levels. Accordingly, the depolymerisation of pectin and matrix glycans would not appear to be solely responsible for ethylene‐induced water soaking in watermelon. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
The school‐based health center as a resource for prevention and health promotion
Authors: Brown Michael B. , Bolen Larry M.
Published: December 2007

The importance of school‐based health centers (SBHCs) in overall prevention and health promotion programming is growing as they become increasingly common in schools. SBHCs can improve access to comprehensive physical and mental health services for children and families, and make a significant contribution to universal prevention efforts in schools. Partnering with school‐based health centers in the overall prevention and health promotion programming provides an opportunity for school psychologists to broaden their impact on the entire school population. This article describes the role and primary functions of SBHCs and how these centers can provide important prevention and health promotion services for children and adolescents. Research regarding SBHCs' primary prevention outcomes is also reviewed with the goal of providing school psychologists the necessary background to work collaboratively with SBHCs. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Influence of internal standard charge state on the accuracy of mass measurements in orthogonal acceleration time‐of‐flight mass spectrometers
Authors: Charles Laurence
Published: December 2007

Accuracy of mass measurements performed in orthogonal acceleration time‐of‐flight (oa‐TOF) mass spectrometers highly depends on the quality of the signal and the internal calibration. The use of two reference compounds which bracket the targeted unknown, give rise to ions with sufficient signal‐to‐noise ratio while avoiding detector saturation and produce signals of similar intensity as compared to the target is a common requirement which allow a 5 ppm accuracy on a routine basis. Ion charge state is demonstrated here to be an additional and particularly critical parameter. Using internal references of lower charge state than the target ion systematically yielded overestimated data. Errors measured for quadruply charged molecules were in the range 16–18 ppm when mass calibrants were singly charged ions while accuracy was below 5 ppm when references and target ions were in the same charge state. Magnitude of errors was found to increase with the difference in charge state. This phenomenon arises from the orthogonal acceleration of ions in the TOF analyzer, an interface implemented in all TOF mass spectrometers to accommodate continuous beam ionization sources. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Shortest path stochastic control for hybrid electric vehicles
Authors: Tate Edward Dean , Grizzle Jessy W. , Peng Huei
Published: December 2007

When a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is certified for emissions and fuel economy, its power management system must be charge sustaining over the drive cycle, meaning that the battery state of charge (SOC) must be at least as high at the end of the test as it was at the beginning of the test. During the test cycle, the power management system is free to vary the battery SOC so as to minimize a weighted combination of fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. This paper argues that shortest path stochastic dynamic programming (SP‐SDP) offers a more natural formulation of the optimal control problem associated with the design of the power management system because it allows deviations of battery SOC from a desired setpoint to be penalized only at key off. This method is illustrated on a parallel hybrid electric truck model that had previously been analyzed using infinite‐horizon stochastic dynamic programming with discounted future cost. Both formulations of the optimization problem yield a time‐invariant causal state‐feedback controller that can be directly implemented on the vehicle. The advantages of the shortest path formulation include that a single tuning parameter is needed to trade off fuel economy and emissions versus battery SOC deviation, as compared with two parameters in the discounted, infinite‐horizon case, and for the same level of complexity as a discounted future‐cost controller, the shortest‐path controller demonstrates better fuel and emission minimization while also achieving better SOC control when the vehicle is turned off. Linear programming is used to solve both stochastic dynamic programs. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessing dialogic argumentation in online environments to relate structure, grounds, and conceptual quality
Authors: Clark Douglas B. , Sampson Victor
Published: December 2007

The national science standards, along with prominent researchers, call for increased focus on scientific argumentation in the classroom. Over the past decade, researchers have developed sophisticated online science learning environments to support these opportunities for scientific argumentation. Assessing the quality of dialogic argumentation, however, has proven challenging. Existing analytic frameworks assess dialogic argumentation in terms of the nature of students' discourse, formal argumentation structure, interactions, and epistemic forms of reasoning. Few frameworks, however, connect these assessments to conceptual quality. We present an analytic framework for assessing argumentation in online science learning environments that relates levels of opposition with discourse moves, use of grounds, and conceptual quality. We then apply the proposed framework to students' dialogic argumentation within a representative online science learning environment to investigate the framework's potential affordances as well as to assess issues of reliability and appropriateness. The results suggest that the framework offers significant affordances and that it also offers high interrater reliability for trained coders. The applicability of the framework for offline contexts and future extensions of the framework are discussed in light of these results. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 293–321, 2008
Physikalisch‐chemische und mikrobiologische Wirkung gesputterter photokatalytischer Titanoxid‐Schichten
Authors: Frach Peter , Glöß Daniel , Vergöhl Michael , Hund‐Rinke Kerstin , Trick Iris
Published: December 2007

Kristalline TiO2‐Schichten können aufgrund ihrer herausragenden Eigenschaften für verschiedenste Anwendungen Einsatz finden. Schichten der Rutil‐Modifikation weisen einen hohen Brechungsindex und eine hohe Härte auf und sind daher für optische Anwendungen und als transparente Kratzschutzschicht interessant. Sowohl Anatas als auch Rutil sind Fotohalbleiter und zeigen photokatalytische, photoinduziert hydrophile und Antibeschlag‐Eigenschaften.

Für die Abscheidung der TiO2‐Schichten wurde ein spezielles Puls‐Magnetron‐Sputtersystem (PMS‐System) entwickelt. Titanoxidschichten mit unterschiedlichem Anteil der kristallinen Phasen Rutil und Anatas wurden bei einer dynamischen Beschichtungsrate von etwa 45 nmmiddot;m/min abgeschieden (entspricht etwa 160 nm/min in einer stationären Beschichtungsanlage). Weiterhin gelang die anionische Dotierung der Schichten durch Stickstoff sowie die kationische Dotierung durch verschiedene Metalle.

Die Schichtstruktur wurde durch XRD‐Untersuchungen aufgeklärt. An den Schichten wurden weiterhin verschiedene Eigenschaften untersucht, die an die zugrunde liegenden Effekte photoinduzierte Hydrophilie und Photokatalyse geknüpft sind. Dazu gehören die photoinduzierte Abnahme des Wasserkontaktwinkels, die Zersetzung von Methylenblau und Lumogen‐Orange sowie die Algen hemmende und antimikrobielle Wirkung. Diese Eigenschaften lassen sich durch Dotierung teilweise signifikant gegenüber reinen TiO2‐Schichten verbessern. Darüber hinaus zeigten einige der dotierten Schichten eine hohe Aktivität auch bei Bestrahlung mit sichtbarem Licht ohne UV‐Anteil.
Living the Mission: Medical Assistance to Nigeria
Authors: Patterson Jan
Published: December 2007

IN 2001, A TEAM of health care providers from Tennessee undertook a medical mission to the Nigerian Christian Hospital in Aba, Nigeria.

DURING A 10‐DAY PERIOD, the surgical team applied US and AORN standards when possible, but found they also had to accept some of the local standards because of the lack of medical supplies, cleaning supplies, and properly functioning equipment in this impoverished area.

THE 60 SURGERIES PERFORMED by the team was a small number relative to the community's overwhelming needs, but the team members were rewarded with the knowledge that they had helped many patients by providing them with quality care that normally would have been unavailable. AORN J 86 (November 2007) 735–743.
Surgical Site Infection: The Host Factor
Authors: Fry Donald E. , Fry Rosemary V.
Published: December 2007

MORE THAN 30 MILLION surgical procedures are performed annually in the United States, and surgical site infections (SSIs) remain a major postoperative complication.

ALTHOUGH BACTERIA contaminate all surgical wounds, not all wounds become infected. In most cases, the host response eradicates the microbes. The patient's (ie, host's) responsiveness, therefore, is an important variable in the equation of factors that influence the rate of infection.

OPTIMIZING THE PATIENT'S PHYSIOLOGICAL condition can help prevent SSIs. Initiatives that show promise in reducing SSI rates include use of supplemental oxygen, maintenance of core body temperature, and rigorous management of blood sugar. Perioperative nurses play an important role as the patient's infection control advocate. AORN J 86 (November 2007) 801–810.
The Effect of Health Insurance Disparities on the Health Care System
Authors: Thompson Julia A. , Lee Veronikia
Published: December 2007

UNINSURED PATIENTS put a strain on the health care system that ultimately results in increased health care costs for everyone.

THE CHALLENGES faced by the Harris County Hospital District in Houston, TX, as a result of an increasing number of uninsured and underinsured patients include overcrowding in its health care facilities, decreased reimbursement from government programs, and patients who postpone seeking medical treatment until their situation is emergent and whose care is therefore more expensive.

STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING these problems may include instituting an “everybody pays” program, improving access to care for the uninsured, and reducing or eliminating unnecessary services. AORN J 86 (November 2007) 745–756.
On the origin of synonymous codon usage divergence between thermophilic and mesophilic prokaryotes
Authors: Basak Surajit , Roy Sujata , Ghosh Tapash Chandra
Published: December 2007

Synonymous codon usage analysis between thermophilic and mesophilic prokaryotes has gained wide attention in recent years. Although it is known that thermophilic and mesophilic prokaryotes use different subset of synonymous codons, no reason for this difference is known so far. In the present communication, by analyzing a large number of thermophilic and mesophilic prokaryotes, we provide evidence that bias in the selection of synonymous codons between thermophilic and mesophilic prokaryotes is related to differential folding pattern of mRNA secondary structures. Moreover, we observe that error‐minimizing property has significant influence in differentiating the synonymous codon usage between thermophilic and mesophilic prokaryotes. Biological implications of these results are discussed.
Cytostatic drugs differentially affect phenotypic features of porcine coronary artery smooth muscle cell populations
Authors: Prunotto Marco , Bacchetta Marc , Jayaraman Swaminathan , Galloni Marco , Van Eys Guillaume , Gabbiani Giulio , Bochaton-Piallat Marie-Luce
Published: December 2007

By promoting SMC quiescence and differentiation imatinib and curcumin may represent valid candidates for restenosis preventive and therapeutic strategies.
A review of the literature surrounding the provision of interpreters in health care, focusing on their role in translating information for non-English-speaking cancer patients and issues relating to informed consent
Authors: Gargan Niamh , Chianese Janette
Published: December 2007

Informed consent is a fundamental principle of health care ethics. All patients should have equal opportunities in accessing information to help them make informed decisions about their treatments.

Literature on informed consent, translators in health care, non-English-speaking patients and the importance of communication and information, most specifically in radiotherapy, were reviewed. Western studies published between 1995 and 2005 were accessed and filtered though two eligibility screens and a critique framework to assess quality.

The evidence suggested that many non-English-speaking patients are not in a position to give true informed consent due to lack of interpreters. This may lead to health care professionals giving treatment without full consent. Written information for radiotherapy patients was often only available in English, apart from inner city areas.

There appears to be a scarcity of professional interpreters used in the health care setting; the most common practice is to use family members and friends to interpret. This practice results in breach of patient confidentiality, extra pressure on family members and filtration of information.

This patient group is often excluded from certain treatment opportunities such as clinical trials. Ideally, a fully accessible professional interpreting service should be available to allow non-English patients equal rights in accessing appropriate health care options and treatments.
Model‐measurement comparison of mesospheric temperature inversions, and a simple theory for their occurrence
Authors: Sica R. J. , Argall P. S. , Shepherd T. G. , Koshyk J. N.
Published: December 2007

Mesospheric temperature inversions are well established observed phenomena, yet their properties remain the subject of ongoing research. Comparisons between Rayleigh‐scatter lidar temperature measurements obtained by the University of Western Ontario's Purple Crow Lidar (42.9°N, 81.4°W) and the Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model are used to quantify the statistics of inversions. In both model and measurements, inversions occur most frequently in the winter and exhibit an average amplitude of ∼10 K. The model exhibits virtually no inversions in the summer, while the measurements show a strongly reduced frequency of occurrence with an amplitude about half that in the winter. A simple theory of mesospheric inversions based on wave saturation is developed, with no adjustable parameters. It predicts that the environmental lapse rate must be less than half the adiabatic lapse rate for an inversion to form, and it predicts the ratio of the inversion amplitude and thickness as a function of environmental lapse rate. Comparison of this prediction to the actual amplitude/thickness ratio using the lidar measurements shows good agreement between theory and measurements.
Effects of a large asteroid impact on ultra‐violet radiation in the atmosphere
Authors: Ishida Haruma , Kaiho Kunio , Asano Shoji
Published: December 2007

The effects of sulfate aerosols produced as a result of an asteroid impact on the ultra‐violet (UV) radiation are investigated by radiative transfer calculations. After an impact, a reduction in the solar incident radiation and ozone depletion are expected to occur, each of which, in turn, are counteract their on effects on the UV radiation. We estimate reasonable ranges for the amounts of sulfate aerosols and ozone depletion after an impact, and calculate the UV radiation at the Earth's surface, besides absorption in the stratosphere, by changing the aerosol and ozone concentrations within the ranges. The calculation results reveal that the UV‐B (0.28–0.315 μm) radiation depends on both aerosol and ozone concentrations. The reflection of UV‐B radiation by sulfate aerosols cancels out the increase in surface UV‐B radiation due to ozone depletion. This study suggests that, immediately after the Chicxulub impact event, the UV‐B radiation at the Earth's surface would not increase as compared to the pre‐impact levels, since large amount of sulfate aerosols would exist in the stratosphere. Several years after the impact, the UV‐B radiation would increase, because most of the sulfate aerosols would be removed from the atmosphere but their amount would still be enough to destroy ozone and keep it below the harmful level for terrestrial life. In case of the Chicxulub impact, an increase in the UV‐B radiation would have occurred several years after the impact and might have contributed to the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period.