bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Atrazine Removal in Municipal Secondary Effluents by Fenton and Photo‐Fenton Treatments
Authors: De Luca A. , Dantas R. F. , Simões A. S. M. , Toscano I. A. S. , Lofrano G. , Cruz A. , Esplugas S.
Published: October 2013

Alternative water sources, including effluents from municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWTP) are necessary to meet increasing water demand. Advanced oxidation processes based on the Fenton reaction were applied to remove atrazine from the secondary effluents of a MWTP that uses activated sludge. Fenton, UV‐A photo‐Fenton, and UV‐C photo‐Fenton treatments were tested. Atrazine removal percentages were around 20 % for Fenton, 60 % for UV‐A photo‐Fenton and 70 % for UV‐C photo‐Fenton treatments, respectively. Organic matter mineralization by Fenton treatment was monitored and no significant reduction was observed. However, organic matter oxidation in terms of COD reduction of around 30 and 40 % were achieved by Fenton and photo‐Fenton processes, respectively. The photo‐Fenton process with UV‐C is a useful technique for atrazine degradation, leading to higher degradation than with UV‐A while also being more attractive in an economic point of view.
Supramolecular Hierarchy among Halogen‐Bond Donors
Authors: Aakeröy Christer B. , Baldrighi Michele , Desper John , Metrangolo Pierangelo , Resnati Giuseppe
Published: October 2013

Through a combination of structural chemistry, vibrational spectroscopy, and theory, we have systematically examined the relative structure‐directing importance of a series of ditopic halogen‐bond (XB) donors. The molecular electrostatic potential surfaces of six XB donors were evaluated, which allowed for a charge‐based ranking. Each molecule was then co‐crystallized with 21 XB acceptors and the results have made it possible to map out the supramolecular landscape describing the competition between I/Br–ethynyl donors, perfluorinated I/Br donors, and I/Br–phenyl based donors. The results offer practical guidelines for synthetic crystal engineering driven by robust and directional halogen bonds.
Two actin‐interacting protein 1 isoforms function redundantly in the somatic gonad and are essential for reproduction in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Ono Kanako , Ono Shoichiro
Published: October 2013

The somatic gonad of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits highly regulated contractility during ovulation, which is essential for successful reproduction. Nonstriated actin filament networks in the myoepithelial sheath at the proximal ovary provide contractile forces to push a mature oocyte for ovulation, but the mechanism of assembly and regulation of the contractile actin networks is poorly understood. Here, we show that actin‐interacting protein 1 (AIP1) is essential for the assembly of the contractile actin networks in the myoepithelial sheath. AIP1 promotes disassembly of actin filaments in the presence of actin depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin. C. elegans has two AIP1 genes, unc‐78 and aipl‐1. Mutation or RNA interference of a single AIP1 isoform causes only minor impacts on reproduction. However, simultaneous depletion of the two AIP1 isoforms causes sterility. AIP1‐depleted animals show very weak contractility of the myoepithelial sheath and fail to ovulate a mature oocyte, which results in accumulation of endomitotic oocytes in the ovary. Depletion of AIP1 prevents assembly of actin networks and causes abnormal aggregation of actin as well as ADF/cofilin in the myoepithelial sheath. These results indicate that two AIP1 isoforms have redundant roles in assembly of the contractile apparatuses necessary for C. elegans reproduction. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dynamics of Palladium on Nanocarbon in the Direct Synthesis of H2O2
Authors: Arrigo Rosa , Schuster Manfred E. , Abate Salvatore , Wrabetz Sabine , Amakawa Kazuhiko , Teschner Detre , Freni Maria , Centi Gabriele , Perathoner Siglinda , Hävecker Michael , Schlögl Robert
Published: October 2013

This work aims to clarify the nanostructural transformation accompanying the loss of activity and selectivity for the hydrogen peroxide synthesis of palladium and gold–palladium nanoparticles supported on N‐functionalized carbon nanotubes. High‐resolution X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) allows the discrimination of metallic palladium, electronically modified metallic palladium hosting impurities, and cationic palladium. This is paralleled by the morphological heterogeneity observed by high‐resolution TEM, in which nanoparticles with an average size of 2 nm coexisted with very small palladium clusters. The morphological distribution of palladium is modified after reaction through sintering and dissolution/redeposition pathways. The loss of selectivity is correlated to the extent to which these processes occur as a result of the instability of the particle at the carbon surface. We assign beneficial activity in the selective hydrogenation of oxygen to palladium clusters with a modified electronic structure compared with palladium metal or palladium oxides. These beneficial species are formed and stabilized on carbons modified with nitrogen atoms in substitutional positions. The formation of larger metallic palladium particles not only reduces the number of active sites for the synthesis, but also enhances the activity for deep hydrogenation to water. The structural instability of the active species is thus detrimental in a dual way. Minimizing the chance of sintering of palladium clusters by all means is thus the key to better performing catalysts.
Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production on α‐Fe2O3 (0001): Insights from Theory and Experiments
Authors: Baltrusaitis Jonas , Hu Yong‐Sheng , McFarland Eric W. , Hellman Anders
Published: October 2013

The photoelectrochemical (PEC) decomposition of organic compounds in wastewater is investigated by using quantum chemical (DFT) methods to evaluate alternatives to water splitting for the production of renewable and sustainable hydrogen. Methanol is used as a model organic species for the theoretical evaluations of electrolysis on the surface of the widely available semiconductor hematite, α‐Fe2O3, a widely studied photocatalyst. Three different α‐Fe2O3 surface terminations were investigated, including the predominant surface found in aqueous electrolytes, (OH)3R. The PEC oxidation of methanol is energetically downhill, producing CO2 and protons. The protons are reduced to hydrogen on the cathode. Experimental PEC measurements were also performed for several polyalcoholic compounds, glycerol, erythritol, and xylitol, on α‐Fe2O3 as the photocatalyst and showed high incident‐photon‐to‐current‐efficiencies (IPCE) that were much greater than those of water splitting. Interestingly, high IPCEs were observed for hydrogen production from polyalcohols in the absence of any applied bias, which was not thought to be possible on hematite. These results support the potential application of PEC for hydrogen production by using widely available hematite for the PEC oxidation of selected components of organic wastewater present in large quantities from anthropogenic and industrial sources.
Tracking plasma cell differentiation and survival
Authors: Roth Katrin , Oehme Laura , Zehentmeier Sandra , Zhang Yang , Niesner Raluca , Hauser Anja E.
Published: October 2013

Plasma cells play a crucial role for the humoral immune response as they represent the body's factories for antibody production. The differentiation from a B cell into a plasma cell is controlled by a complex transcriptional network and happens within secondary lymphoid organs. Based on their lifetime, two types of antibody secreting cells can be distinguished: Short‐lived plasma cells are located in extrafollicular sites of secondary lymphoid organs such as lymph node medullary cords and the splenic red pulp. A fraction of plasmablasts migrate from secondary lymphoid organs to the bone marrow where they can become long‐lived plasma cells. Bone marrow plasma cells reside in special microanatomical environments termed survival niches, which provide factors promoting their longevity. Reticular stromal cells producing the chemokine CXCL12, which is known to attract plasmablasts to the bone marrow but also to promote plasma cell survival, play a crucial role in the maintenance of these niches. In addition, hematopoietic cells are contributing to the niches by providing other soluble survival factors. Here, we review the current knowledge on the factors involved in plasma cell differentiation, their localization and migration. We also give an overview on what is known regarding the maintenance of long lived plasma cells in survival niches of the bone marrow. © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Changes in insulin sensitivity in response to different modalities of exercise: a review of the evidence
Authors: Mann S. , Beedie C. , Balducci S. , Zanuso S. , Allgrove J. , Bertiato F. , Jimenez A.
Published: October 2013

Type 2 diabetes is an increasingly prevalent condition with complications including blindness and kidney failure. Evidence suggests that type 2 diabetes is associated with a sedentary lifestyle, with physical activity demonstrated to increase glucose uptake and improve glycaemic control. Proposed mechanisms for these effects include the maintenance and improvement of insulin sensitivity via increased glucose transporter type four production. The optimal mode, frequency, intensity and duration of exercise for the improvement of insulin sensitivity are however yet to be identified. We review the evidence from 34 published studies addressing the effects on glycaemic control and insulin sensitivity of aerobic exercise, resistance training and both combined. Effect sizes and confidence intervals are reported for each intervention and meta‐analysis presented. The quality of the evidence is tentatively graded, and recommendations for best practice proposed. © 2013 The Authors. Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deflective and intimidating eyespots: a comparative study of eyespot size and position in Junonia butterflies
Authors: Kodandaramaiah Ullasa , Lindenfors Patrik , Tullberg Birgitta S.
Published: October 2013

Eyespots are conspicuous circular features found on the wings of several lepidopteran insects. Two prominent hypotheses have been put forth explaining their function in an antipredatory role. The deflection hypothesis posits that eyespots enhance survival in direct physical encounters with predators by deflecting attacks away from vital parts of the body, whereas the intimidation hypothesis posits that eyespots are advantageous by scaring away a potential predator before an attack. In the light of these two hypotheses, we investigated the evolution of eyespot size and its interaction with position and number within a phylogenetic context in a group of butterflies belonging to the genus Junonia. We found that larger eyespots tend to be found individually, rather than in serial dispositions. Larger size and conspicuousness make intimidating eyespots more effective, and thus, we suggest that our results support an intimidation function in some species of Junonia with solitary eyespots. Our results also show that smaller eyespots in Junonia are located closer to the wing margin, thus supporting predictions of the deflection hypothesis. The interplay between size, position, and arrangement of eyespots in relation to antipredation and possibly sexual selection, promises to be an interesting field of research in the future. Similarly, further comparative work on the evolution of absolute eyespot size in natural populations of other butterfly groups is needed.
Comparison of activated carbon prepared from olive stones by microwave and conventional heating for iron (II), lead (II), and copper (II) removal from synthetic wastewater
Authors: Alslaibi Tamer M. , Abustan Ismail , Ahmad Mohd Azmier , Foul Ahmad Abu
Published: October 2013

Activated carbon with high surface area was prepared from olive stone by microwave heating (MHOS) for the removal of a group of heavy metals Fe2+, Pb2+, and Cu2+ from synthetic wastewater. As a comparison, activated carbon was also prepared by conventional heating (CHOS) method. The effects of different reaction parameters, such as adsorbent dosage, contact time, stirring speed, and initial pH, on pollutant removal efficiency were determined. The microwave heating requires significantly lesser holding time as compared to conventional heating method to produce activated carbon of comparable quality, with higher yield. The BET surface area of carbon using microwave heating is noticeably higher than the conventional heating. Although the mesopore surface area of carbon is not vary significantly, the activation time and power consumption are considerably lower than the conventional heating rendering that the activation process via microwave is more economical than that via conventional heating. The adsorption capacity was found higher using microwave heating as compared with conventional heating. The adsorption equilibrium data were best represented by the Langmuir model and the adsorption capacity for Fe2+, Pb2+ and Cu2+ were found to be 62.50, 23.47, and 22.73 mg/g for MHOS; while 57.47, 22.37, and 17.83 mg/g for CHOS, respectively at pH 5, 3 h contact time and 200 rpm shaking speed. Regeneration studies showed that MHOS and CHOS could be used several times by desorption with an HCl reagent. A pseudo second‐order model sufficiently described the adsorption kinetics for both carbons, which indicates that the adsorption process was controlled by chemisorption. Both carbons can be used for the efficient removal of Fe2+, Pb2+, and Cu2+ (>99%) from contaminated wastewater. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 33: 1074–1085, 2014
Functional Linear Models for Association Analysis of Quantitative Traits
Authors: Fan Ruzong , Wang Yifan , Mills James L. , Wilson Alexander F. , Bailey‐Wilson Joan E. , Xiong Momiao
Published: October 2013

Functional linear models are developed in this paper for testing associations between quantitative traits and genetic variants, which can be rare variants or common variants or the combination of the two. By treating multiple genetic variants of an individual in a human population as a realization of a stochastic process, the genome of an individual in a chromosome region is a continuum of sequence data rather than discrete observations. The genome of an individual is viewed as a stochastic function that contains both linkage and linkage disequilibrium (LD) information of the genetic markers. By using techniques of functional data analysis, both fixed and mixed effect functional linear models are built to test the association between quantitative traits and genetic variants adjusting for covariates. After extensive simulation analysis, it is shown that the F‐distributed tests of the proposed fixed effect functional linear models have higher power than that of sequence kernel association test (SKAT) and its optimal unified test (SKAT‐O) for three scenarios in most cases: (1) the causal variants are all rare, (2) the causal variants are both rare and common, and (3) the causal variants are common. The superior performance of the fixed effect functional linear models is most likely due to its optimal utilization of both genetic linkage and LD information of multiple genetic variants in a genome and similarity among different individuals, while SKAT and SKAT‐O only model the similarities and pairwise LD but do not model linkage and higher order LD information sufficiently. In addition, the proposed fixed effect models generate accurate type I error rates in simulation studies. We also show that the functional kernel score tests of the proposed mixed effect functional linear models are preferable in candidate gene analysis and small sample problems. The methods are applied to analyze three biochemical traits in data from the Trinity Students Study.
Efficient One‐Pot Synthesis of β‐Acetamido Carbonyl Compounds Using Fe3O4 Nanoparticles
Authors: Movassagh Barahman , Talebsereshki Farzaneh
Published: October 2013

A new, one‐pot condensation of aldehydes, enolizable ketones and esters, AcCl, and MeCN, in the presence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (nano‐Fe3O4) as an efficient catalyst, for the preparation of β‐acetamido carbonyl compounds at room temperature is described.
Enantioselective Synthesis of the Natural Product (S)‐Rugulactone
Authors: Nagaiah Burea , Narsaiah Akkirala Venkat
Published: October 2013

A simple and efficient enantioselective synthesis of (6S)‐5,6‐dihydro‐6‐[(2E)‐4‐oxo‐6‐phenylhex‐2‐en‐1‐yl]‐2H‐pyran‐2‐one (=(S)‐rugulactone) has been accomplished. The synthesis started from commercially available propane‐1,3‐diol and ethyl 3‐phenylpropanoate and involve the HornerWadsworthEmmons (HWE) and Still's modified HWE olefinations, and Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation.
High ubiquitous mitochondrial creatine kinase expression in hepatocellular carcinoma denotes a poor prognosis with highly malignant potential
Authors: Uranbileg Baasanjav , Enooku Kenichiro , Soroida Yoko , Ohkawa Ryunosuke , Kudo Yotaro , Nakagawa Hayato , Tateishi Ryosuke , Yoshida Haruhiko , Shinzawa Seiko , Moriya Kyoji , Ohtomo Natsuko , Nishikawa Takako , Inoue Yukiko , Tomiya Tomoaki , Kojima Soichi , Matsuura Tomokazu , Koike Kazuhiko , Yatomi Yutaka , Ikeda Hitoshi
Published: October 2013

We previously reported the increased serum mitochondrial creatine kinase (MtCK) activity in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), mostly due to the increase in ubiquitous MtCK (uMtCK), and high uMtCK mRNA expression in HCC cell lines. We explored the mechanism(s) and the relevance of high uMtCK expression in HCC. In hepatitis C virus core gene transgenic mice, known to lose mitochondrial integrity in liver and subsequently develop HCC, uMtCK mRNA and protein levels were increased in HCC tissues but not in non‐tumorous liver tissues. Transient overexpression of ankyrin repeat and suppressor of cytokine signaling box protein 9 (ASB9) reduced uMtCK protein levels in HCC cells, suggesting that increased uMtCK levels in HCC cells may be caused by increased gene expression and decreased protein degradation due to reduced ASB9 expression. The reduction of uMtCK expression by siRNA led to increased cell death, and reduced proliferation, migration and invasion in HCC cell lines. Then, consecutive 105 HCC patients, who underwent radiofrequency ablation with curative intent, were enrolled to analyze their prognosis. The patients with serum MtCK activity >19.4 U/L prior to the treatment had significantly shorter survival time than those with serum MtCK activity ≤19.4 U/L, where higher serum MtCK activity was retained as an independent risk for HCC‐related death on multivariate analysis. In conclusion, high uMtCK expression in HCC may be caused by hepatocarcinogenesis per se but not by loss of mitochondrial integrity, of which ASB9 could be a negative regulator, and associated with highly malignant potential to suggest a poor prognosis. © 2013 UICC
Recombinant Human Kallistatin Inhibits Angiogenesis by Blocking VEGF Signaling Pathway
Authors: Huang K.F. , Yang H.Y. , Xing Y.M. , Lin J.S. , Diao Y.
Published: October 2013

Kallistatin has been recognized as an endogenous angiogenic inhibitor. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. Taking it into account that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been implicated in all aspects of normal and pathological vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. In this study, we investigated whether VEGF signaling pathway was impacted by the anti‐angiogenic effect of recombinant human kallistatin (rhKal). We found that the rhKal inhibited proliferation as well as induced apoptosis of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in both concentration‐ and time‐dependent manners. The rhKal also suppressed the VEGF‐induced migration and tube formation of HUVECs. Furthermore, our data revealed that the rhKal suppressed the VEGF165‐stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of VEGFR‐2 as well as its downstream signal molecular activation. The inhibition of receptor phosphorylation was correlated with a decrease in VEGF‐triggered phosphorylation of angiogenesis signal molecules AKT and ERK, but not stress‐related JNK. Taken together, these findings added the knowledge for us to understand the anti‐angiogenic mechanism of kallistatin, which suggested that the rhKal could be worth as a candidate compound for further development for the purpose of anti‐angiogenic therapies. J. Cell. Biochem. 115: 575–584, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Osteopontin Has a Crucial Role in Osteoclast‐Like Multinucleated Giant Cell Formation
Authors: Oh Yukiko , Oh Iekuni , Morimoto Junko , Uede Toshimitsu , Morimoto Akira
Published: October 2013

The osteoclast (OC) is a major player in the pathogenic bone destruction of inflammatory bone diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Recently, it was shown that immature dendritic cells (iDC) fuse faster and more efficiently than monocytes in forming OC‐like multinucleated giant cells (MGCs), and that osteopontin (OPN) is involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bone diseases. In this study, we hypothesized that OPN is a key factor for generation of OC‐like MGCs from iDCs. We used an in vitro culture system to differentiate iDCs, derived from monocytes obtained from the blood of healthy donors, into OC‐like MGCs. We evaluated OPN levels and expression of OPN receptors during the course of differentiation. OPN has an arginine‐glycine‐aspartic acid (RGD) motif, and protease cleavage reveals a SVVYGLR motif. The concentrations of both full‐length and cleaved forms of OPN increased during the course of OC‐like MGC formation. Expression of OPN RGD‐ and SVVYGLR‐recognizing receptors also increased at later stages. We analyzed whether blocking OPN binding to its receptors affected OC‐like MGC formation. Monocytes treated with OPN siRNA were able to differentiate into iDCs effectively; however, differentiation of these iDCs into OC‐like MGCs was significantly reduced. The formation of OC‐like MGCs was not significantly reduced by RGD synthetic peptide. By contrast, SVVYGLR synthetic peptide caused a significant reduction. These data suggest that the cleaved form of OPN plays a critical role in driving iDC differentiation into OC‐like MGCs in the early phase of differentiation, in an autocrine and/or paracrine fashion. J. Cell. Biochem. 115: 585–595, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Erdős–Pósa Property for Long Circuits
Authors: Meierling Dirk , Rautenbach Dieter , Sasse Thomas
Published: October 2013

For an integer ℓ at least 3, we prove that if G is a graph containing no two vertex‐disjoint circuits of length at least ℓ, then there is a set X of at most vertices that intersects all circuits of length at least ℓ. Our result improves the bound due to Birmelé, Bondy, and Reed (The Erdős–Pósa property for long circuits, Combinatorica 27 (2007), 135–145) who conjecture that ℓ vertices always suffice.
Offending Patterns of Serial Sex Offenders: Escalation, De‐escalation, and Consistency of Sexually Intrusive and Violent Behaviours
Authors: Hewitt Ashley , Beauregard Eric
Published: October 2013

A series of stranger sexual assaults poses considerable obstacles for law enforcement officials. One such preoccupation is concerned with whether or not the offender will escalate in the severity of his behaviours with subsequent victims. The current study uses transition matrices to address whether or not the offending patterns of 72 serial stranger sex offenders change from one victim to the next as it pertains to their sexual acts and level of physical force used during the crime. Findings indicate that stability, specifically the offender's intrusive sexual acts and use of physical force, and versatility are present in this sample's offending patterns. To explain changes in offending patterns between victims, multinomial regression analyses indicate that situational factors and modus operandi strategies are important considerations. Implications for investigations are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and preliminary evaluation of 2‐arylhydroxyquinoline derivatives for tau imaging
Authors: Tago Tetsuro , Furumoto Shozo , Okamura Nobuyuki , Harada Ryuichi , Ishikawa Yoichi , Arai Hiroyuki , Yanai Kazuhiko , Iwata Ren , Kudo Yukitsuka
Published: October 2013

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Senile plaques, consisting of β‐amyloid, and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), composed of tau protein, are representative pathological hallmarks of AD. It is believed that the accumulation of NFTs precedes the onset of clinical symptoms of AD and correlates with the progression of memory dysfunction. Thus, the use of noninvasive detection techniques including radiolabeled probes and positron emission tomography (PET) will facilitate early diagnosis or staging of AD. In this study, we synthesized and evaluated novel hydroxylated 2‐arylquinoline derivatives as tau imaging PET probes. The binding affinities of compounds for tau were evaluated by fluorescent staining of the AD hippocampal section and a competitive binding assay using [18F]THK‐523. THK‐951 showed high binding affinity for tau pathology in an AD brain section and K18Δ280K fibrils (Ki = 20.7 nM); thus, we radiosynthesized a 11C‐labeled THK‐951 and further studied its potential as a tau PET probe. The [11C]THK‐951 demonstrated excellent kinetics in a normal mouse brain (3.23% ID/g at 2 min postinjection and 0.15% ID/g at 30 min postinjection) and showed the labeling of NFTs in an AD brain section by autoradiography assay. These findings indicate the availability of [11C]THK‐951 for in vivo PET imaging of tau pathology in AD. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of the shedding of three β‐herpesviruses in urine and saliva of children with renal disease
Authors: Yamamoto Yasuto , Morooka Masashi , Hashimoto Shuji , Ihra Masaru , Yoshikawa Tetsushi
Published: October 2013

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) and 7 (HHV‐7) are important pathogens in immunocompromised patients. To elucidate the kinetics of the three β‐herpesviruses in saliva and urine samples were collected serially from children with renal diseases. Twenty children with renal diseases were enrolled in this study. A total of 240 saliva and urine samples were collected monthly from the patients over a 1‐year period. Viral DNAs loads were measured by real‐time PCR. In 10 CMV seropositive patients CMV DNA was detected rarely in saliva and CMV DNA load was lower than the other two β‐herpesviruses DNA loads. All patients were seropositive for HHV‐6B and the virus was detected frequently in saliva. Two of 20 patients were HHV‐7 seronegative. High copies of viral DNA were detected continuously in saliva of the HHV‐7 seropositive patients. Although neither CMV nor HHV‐6B DNA load was different among the three renal diseases, HHV‐7 DNA load was different among the diseases (P = 0.039). HHV‐6B DNA loads were significantly higher in patients with immunosuppressive treatment compared to those without treatment (P = 0.013). Although CMV DNA was detected in urine samples collected from 5 of 10 CMV seropositive patients, HHV‐6B and HHV‐7 DNA were detected at relatively low frequencies in urine. No remarkable temporal associations between viral DNA excretion and proteinuria or immunosuppressive treatment were demonstrated. The pattern of viral DNA excretion in saliva and urine were different among the three viruses. No temporal correlation was observed between viral infection and renal diseases. J. Med. Virol. 86:505–511, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reconstructed bone chip detachment is a risk factor for sinusitis after transsphenoidal surgery
Authors: Hsu Yao‐Wen , Ho Ching‐Yin , Yen Yu‐Shu
Published: October 2013

Objectives/Hypothesis

Sphenoid sinusitis is a complication associated with endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. Studies that address the relationship between methods of sellar defect reconstruction and postoperative sinusitis are rare. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence, the possible risk factors, and the causative pathogens of sphenoid sinusitis after endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.

Study Design

Prospective cohort study.

Methods

We performed a prospective analysis of 182 patients with benign pituitary tumor who underwent endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery and sellar defect reconstruction with bone chip, from July 2008 through July 2011. All patients were followed up with nasal endoscopy for at least 6 weeks.

Results

Fifty‐seven (31.3%) patients developed postoperative sphenoid sinusitis. Comparing the sinusitis and nonsinusitis groups, we found that bone chip detachment was a significant risk factor for postoperative sinusitis, with a relative risk of 2.86 (64.1% vs. 22.4%). The most common pathogens present in cases of postoperative sinusitis were methicillin‐sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Conclusions

Regular follow‐up with nasal endoscopy can prevent delayed diagnosis of postoperative sphenoid sinusitis. Culture‐directed antibiotics with aggressive endoscopic debridement are an effective treatment for these patients. An optimal reconstruction strategy should be further developed to reduce bone chip detachment and secondary sinusitis.

Level of Evidence

2b. Laryngoscope, 124:57–61, 2014
Tailored Doxorubicin‐Hyaluronan Conjugate as a Potent Anticancer Glyco‐Drug: An Alternative to Prodrug Approach
Authors: Oommen Oommen P. , Garousi Javad , Sloff Marije , Varghese Oommen P.
Published: October 2013

Releasibility of doxorubicin from drug‐conjugates is believed to be a prerequisite for its anti‐cancer activity. Here, a new glyco‐drug approach that circumvents the releasibility restriction is reported, opening a new possibility to design efficient, target specific drug delivery system. It is discovered that stable amide coupling of doxorubicin (DOX) tohyaluronan (HA) shows dose dependent cytotoxicity to CD44 positive human coloncancer cells (HCT116) as compared to human breast cancer cells(MCF‐7) and mouse fibroblast cells (NIH‐3T3), which express less CD44 receptor. This direct conjugation approach is an easy scalable strategy that could be adopted to design innocuous anti‐tumor nanoparticle formulations.
Spatial techniques applied to precipitation ensemble forecasts: from verification results to probabilistic products
Authors: Ben Bouallègue Zied , Theis Susanne E.
Published: October 2013

Spatial techniques have been developed to quantify the performance of a system beyond the classical point‐to‐point comparison with observations. Including spatial neighbourhood information in the verification process, the quality of a forecast can be better characterized. Guidance for the interpretation of deterministic forecasts can also be delivered. This paper investigates the application of spatial techniques to ensemble forecasts. The aim is to assess ensemble forecast skills better and to provide improved guidance to the forecasters in the form of refined probabilistic products. Two spatial techniques are applied to precipitation forecasts derived from an ensemble system at the convective scale (COSMO‐DE‐EPS). The first technique is a smoothing method which enlarges the ensemble sample size by neighbouring forecasts. The resulting forecasts are called fuzzy probabilistic forecasts. The second method is an upscaling procedure which modifies the reference area of the probabilities. Fuzzy and upscaled probabilistic forecasts are assessed over a 3 month period covering summer 2011. The impact of smoothing and upscaling is investigated for a range of neighbourhood sizes and spatial scales respectively. Based on the verification results, recommendations are drawn how to use these techniques in optimally presenting COSMO‐DE‐EPS probabilistic products to forecasters who issue weather warnings.
A Multiobjective Dynamic Optimization Approach for a Methyl‐Methacrylate Plastic Sheet Reactor
Authors: Rivera‐Toledo Martín , Flores‐Tlacuahuac Antonio
Published: October 2013

A multiobjective dynamic optimization problem using conflicting performance objectives in polymerization systems is formulated. We use the dynamic one‐dimensional mathematical model of a methyl‐methacrylate cell cast reactor featuring monomer conversion and molecular weight distribution as the conflicting objectives. The aim is to compute the whole set of trade‐off solutions comparing the performance of three well known procedures for addressing the solution of multiobjective optimization (MO) problems: normal boundary intersection, weighted sum, and epsilon‐constraint. Using the air temperature profile as the manipulated variable, we demonstrate the dynamic optimal solutions obtained using the best trade‐off solution from each one of the MO techniques.
3D late gadolinium enhancement in a single prolonged breath‐hold using supplemental oxygenation and hyperventilation
Authors: Roujol Sébastien , Basha Tamer A. , Akçakaya Mehmet , Foppa Murilo , Chan Raymond H. , Kissinger Kraig V. , Goddu Beth , Berg Sophie , Manning Warren J. , Nezafat Reza
Published: October 2013

Purpose

To evaluate the feasibility of three‐dimensional (3D) single breath‐hold late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) of the left ventricle (LV) using supplemental oxygen and hyperventilation and compressed‐sensing acceleration.

Methods

Breath‐hold metrics [breath‐hold duration, diaphragmatic/LV position drift, and maximum variation of R wave to R wave (RR) interval] without and with supplemental oxygen and hyperventilation were assessed in healthy adult subjects using a real‐time single shot acquisition. Ten healthy subjects and 13 patients then underwent assessment of the proposed 3D breath‐hold LGE acquisition (field of view = 320 × 320 × 100 mm3, resolution = 1.6 × 1.6 × 5.0 mm3, acceleration rate of 4) and a free‐breathing acquisition with right hemidiaphragm navigator (NAV) respiratory gating. Semiquantitative grading of overall image quality, motion artifact, myocardial nulling, and diagnostic value was performed by consensus of two blinded observers.

Results

Supplemental oxygenation and hyperventilation increased the breath‐hold duration (35 ± 11 s to 58 ± 21 s; P < 0.0125) without significant impact on diaphragmatic/LV position drift or maximum variation of RR interval (both P > 0.01). LGE images were of similar quality when compared with free‐breathing acquisitions, but with reduced total scan time (85 ± 22 s to 35 ± 6 s; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Supplemental oxygenation and hyperventilation allow for prolonged breath‐holding and enable single breath‐hold 3D accelerated LGE with similar image quality as free breathing with NAV. Magn Reson Med 72:850–857, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Urinary incontinence 4 and 12 years after first delivery: Risk factors associated with prevalence, incidence, remission, and persistence in a cohort of 236 women
Authors: Pizzoferrato Anne‐Cécile , Fauconnier Arnaud , Quiboeuf Emeline , Morel Karine , Schaal Jean‐Patrick , Fritel Xavier
Published: October 2013

Aims

Our aim was to study risk factors associated with prevalence, incidence, and remission of UI 4 and 12 years after first delivery.

Methods

Seven hundred seventy‐four nulliparous women who gave birth in 1996 in two French maternity units at term received a questionnaire about their urinary symptoms in 2000 and again in 2008. Two hundred thirty‐six women returned a questionnaire about UI 4 and 12 years after first delivery. Four groups of women were built: (A) women continent 4 and 12 years after first delivery; (B) women continent at 4 and incontinent at 12 years; (C) women incontinent at 4 and continent at 12 years; and (D) women incontinent at 4 and 12 years. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine risk factors of UI prevalence (groups B + D vs. A + C), incidence (B vs. A), remission (C vs. D), and onset of UI (D vs. B).

Results

Factors associated with UI 12 years after first pregnancy were: BMI (OR = 1.17 [95%CI: 1.04–1.32], by 1 kg/m2) and increasing BMI (1.43 [1.19–1.73]), first child's weight (1.08 [1.001–1.16], by 100 g) and UI during first pregnancy (3.77 [1.83–7.76]). Factors associated with UI incidence were age at first delivery (0.86 [0.75–0.98]) and high BMI (1.24 [1.05–1.45]). Increasing BMI, UI during first pregnancy, and heavy first child reduce the likelihood of UI remission (0.37 [0.20–0.68], 0.11 [0.02–0.63], and 0.73[0.59–0.91], respectively).

Conclusions

UI during first pregnancy could be indicative of individual susceptibility to UI. Obesity appears to be a modifiable factor for remission of UI in women. Neurourol. Urodynam. 33:1229–1234, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Particle swarm control
Authors: Allain P. , Courty N. , Corpetti T.
Published: October 2013

Controlling several and possibly independent moving agents in order to reach global goals is a tedious task that has applications in many engineering fields such as robotics or computer animation. Together, the different agents form a whole called swarm, which may display interesting collective behaviors. When the agents are driven by their own dynamics, controlling this swarm is known as the particle swarm control problem. In that context, several strategies, based on the control of individuals using simple rules, exist. This paper defends a new and original method based on a centralized approach. More precisely, we propose a framework to control several particles with constraints either expressed on a per‐particle basis, or expressed as a function of their environment. We refer to these two categories as respectively Lagrangian or Eulerian constraints. The contributions of the paper are the following: (i) we show how to use optimal control recipes to express an optimization process over a large state space including the dynamic information of the particles; and (ii) the relation between the Lagrangian state space and Eulerian values is conveniently expressed with graph operators that make it possible to conduct all the mathematical operations required by the control process. We show the effectiveness of our approach on classical and more original particle swarm control problems. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using poison center exposure calls to predict prescription opioid abuse and misuse‐related emergency department visits
Authors: Davis Jonathan M. , Severtson Stevan G. , Bucher‐Bartelson Becki , Dart Richard C.
Published: October 2013

Background

Prescription drug abuse is a critical problem in the USA and has been linked to more deaths than automobile accidents. Despite this growing epidemic, the USA lacks a timely early warning system. Poison centers (PCs) have the potential to act as sentinel reporting entities for prescription drug abuse and misuse due to near‐real‐time data reporting and abundant coverage in the USA.

Methods

Data from the Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction‐Related Surveillance (RADARS®) System PC program were compared with data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) from 2004 through 2010. Population rates of PC call mentions regarding abuse and misuse of prescription opioids were compared with population rates of emergency department visit mentions of the same using linear regression. Products included in the analysis were the following: buprenorphine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, methadone, morphine, and oxycodone.

Results

The strength of association between RADARS System PC data and DAWN emergency department visits regarding all opioids in aggregate was strong (R2 = 0.81, p < 0.001). The correlations between the two programs at the drug class level also were strong for buprenorphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, methadone, and oxycodone (all R2 > 0.70, all p < 0.01), significant for fentanyl (p = 0.05), and moderate for morphine (p = 0.09).

Conclusions

Data on prescription opioid drug abuse from the RADARS System PC program correlates well with emergency room data from DAWN. Due to timeliness of data, geographic coverage and strong associations with other warning systems, PC data can be used for sentinel reporting on prescription drug abuse and misuse in the USA. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Artificial neural network‐based photovoltaic module temperature estimation for tropical climate of Malaysia and its impact on photovoltaic system energy yield
Authors: Almaktar Mohamed , Abdul Rahman Hasimah , Hassan Mohammad Yusri , Saeh Ibrahim
Published: October 2013

This article presents an artificial neural network (ANN)‐based approach for predicting photovoltaic (PV) module temperature using meteorological variables. The proposed approach utilizes actual hourly records of various meteorological parameters, such as ambient temperature Ta, solar irradiation G, relative humidity RH, and wind speed Ws as input variables. The hourly meteorological data were collected over 9 months in the year 2009 from a 92‐kWp installed PV system in Selangor, Malaysia. The data were divided into two sets: training data, which are a set of 1849 (April–October) hourly data, and 578 (November–December) hourly records of working as test data. Four ANN models have been developed by using different combination of meteorological parameters as inputs, and, for each model, the output is the PV module temperature Tm. It was found that the model using all parameters, including RH and Ws as inputs, gave the most accurate results with correlation coefficient (r) 95.9%, and 0.41, 0.1, and 4.5% for MBE, RMSE, and MPE, respectively. To show the superiority and applicability of the developed ANN model, results from the proposed ANN model have been compared with the conventional model adopted by Malaysia Energy Center and another mathematical model based on regression. With the model's simplicity, the proposed approach can be used as an effective tool for predicting the PV module temperature, for any type of PV systems, in remote or rural locations with no direct measurement equipments. The developed model also will be very useful in studying PV system performance and estimating its energy output. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Amphiphilic diblock copolymer‐based multiagent photonic sensing scheme
Authors: Athanasekos Loukas , El Sachat Alexandros , Pispas Stergios , Riziotis Christos
Published: October 2013

Efficient functionalization of polymer optical fibers' (POF) surface by a novel block copolymer material toward the development of low‐cost multiagent sensors is presented. The employed poly(styrene sulfonate‐b‐tert‐butylstyrene) (SPS‐b‐PtBS) diblock copolymer possesses two blocks of distinctively different polarity and charge, the hydrophilic SPS which is sensitive to polar substances and the hydrophobic PtBS which is sensitive to organic solvents. The coexistence of two different blocks allows for the detection of a wide variety of agents, ranging from ammonia, and organic solvents, to biomolecules like lysozyme, at room temperature as opposed to alternative usually more complicated techniques, all with the sole use of one sensing medium. Copolymers' high glass transition temperature enables the formation of stable and environmentally robust overlayers. The sensing performance of the material is evaluated experimentally on the customizable platform of POFs, demonstrating fast response, high operational reversibility, and also reusability in successively different testing agents. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014, 52, 46–54
Biomimetic chitosan‐treated clay–elastomer composites with water‐responsive mechanically dynamic properties
Authors: Wu Tongfei , O′Kelly Kevin , Chen Biqiong
Published: October 2013

Biomimetic hydrophobic polymer composites with water‐responsive mechanically adaptive behaviors were successfully prepared using hydrophilic chitosan‐treated clay (chi‐clay) as the water‐activated, pH‐sensitive and reinforcing phase and elastomeric thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as the matrix. Structural characterization, swelling tests in three representative solutions with different pH values, and dynamic mechanical analysis under wet and dry conditions were performed on the resultant chi‐clay‐TPU composites with varying chi‐clay contents. The results showed that the equilibrium swelling degree of TPU increased significantly with increasing chi‐clay content and that water transportation in all the composites followed Fickian diffusion mechanism. The presence of chi‐clay provided remarkable enhancement of the storage modulus of TPU and offered water‐responsive changes of the modulus. Such changes increased with chi‐clay content and were pH‐sensitive, with the acidic condition rendering the largest modulus difference. These water‐responsive polymer composites may find potential applications in biomedical fields and beyond. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014, 52, 55–62
Posttraumatic growth and psychological distress in Chinese early‐stage breast cancer survivors: a longitudinal study
Authors: Liu Jun‐E , Wang Hui‐Ying , Wang Mu‐Lan , Su Ya‐Li , Wang Pi‐Lin
Published: October 2013

Objective

To describe the dynamic changes in posttraumatic growth (PTG) and psychological distress in hospitalized early‐stage breast cancer (BC) survivors over a 6‐month period.

Methods

A longitudinal study design was adopted. The PTG inventory (PTGI) and distress management screening measure were used 3 months after diagnosis, then again at 6 and 9 months after diagnosis. For baseline data, 155 BC patients who were receiving chemotherapy were selected from four first‐class tertiary hospitals in Beijing from April 2010 to March 2011 using a purposive sampling method. Of these, 120 BC patients completed the follow‐up investigation. A repeated measures analysis of variance, followed by least significant difference post‐hoc analysis, was used to compare PTG and psychological distress.

Results

The total score of the PTGI was 62.72 ± 14.66 in BC survivors at 3 months after diagnosis. There was a weak negative relationship between PTG and psychological distress (r = –0.282, p < 0.001). PTG increased and psychological distress decreased from 3 to 9 months after diagnosis. The PTGI scores were 63.24 ± 14.21, 68.26 ± 15.29, and 70.29 ± 16.07 at 3, 6, and 9 months after diagnosis, respectively, with distress thermometer scores of 3.62 ± 1.98, 2.59 ± 2.00, and 2.51 ± 1.00, respectively.

Conclusions

At 3 months after diagnosis, BC survivors develop PTG at a low level while they are receiving chemotherapy. PTG showed a weak negative association with psychological distress. The level of PTG shows an increasing tendency, whereas the degree of psychological distress exhibits a downward trend in the 9 months after diagnosis. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Minimum cost upgrade of phasor measurement unit networks for synchrophasor availability
Authors: Huang Jianzhuang , Wu N. Eva
Published: October 2013

This paper considers the problem of placing additional phasor measurement units (PMUs) and communication links into a PMU network in a power system. The objective is for the synchrophasors (PMU outputs) across the power system to meet a prescribed availability profile with fewest new PMUs and links among them. Achieving a required synchrophasor availability profile is critical in supporting wide area monitoring, protection, and control in a power system. In our recently reported work, synchrophasor availability is solved from a controlled Markov chain where binary variables indicating placement decisions are embedded as stationary control variables. In this paper, the assumption that communication links are always available wherever needed is removed. Random interruptions in PMU communications are modeled in such a way that the reformulated placement problem remains Boolean‐convex, and the computational complexity with respect to the number of buses remains O(n2). The solution to placement of PMUs and communication links into the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 118‐bus test system is presented. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.