bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rhodamine B removal using polyaniline‐supported zero‐valent iron powder in the presence of dissolved oxygen
Authors: Guo Weilin , Hao Feifei , Yue Xinxin , Liu Zhonghua , Zhang Qiying , Li Xianghui , Wei Jing
Published: June 2015

In this study, the PANI‐supported nanoscale zero‐valent iron (PANI/nZVI) composites have been successfully synthesized to remove Rhodamine B (RhB) from aqueous solutions using a heterogeneous Fenton‐like system. The synthetic PANI/nZVI composites were characterized using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The results showed that they were lamellar structures and nZVI nanoparticles were introduced into their structures. The performances of PANI/nZVI composites on the activation of molecular oxygen for removal of RhB were investigated and the effects of operating parameters, such as PANI/nZVI dosage, PANI and nZVI mass ratio, RhB initial concentration, and pH value on RhB removal were also discussed. The results indicate that PANI/nZVI was proved to be the most efficient in that more than 83.31% of RhB was removed, whereas only 11.15% when using nZVI after reacting for 120 min with an initial RhB concentration of 0.02 mmol L−1 (pH = 6.50). Furthermore, the reaction mechanism was discussed by measuring the concentrations of Fe(II), total Fe and H2O2 formed in the system and examining scavenging effects using copper chloride and methanol. Finally, the stability of PANI/nZVI nanocatalyst was studied. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 48–55, 2016
Can rice and wheat biochar amendment protect the carbon loss from tropical soils—An experimental study
Authors: Mitra Sudip , Singh Pooja , Manzoor Shabana , Bhattacharyya Pradip , Bera Tanumoy , Kumar Patra Ashok , Rangan Latha , Borah Pallabi
Published: June 2015

Crop residue burning is a major environmental issue and their potential long‐term impact on the climate is a global concern. A laboratory experiment was carried out to study the impact of biochar on carbon loss from tropical soils. Residues of two important foodgrain crops viz, rice and wheat were used to prepare respective biochar and added as amendments in two different tropical agricultural soils (red and alluvial). In general carbon loss was more from alluvial soil than red soil. In alluvial soil, carbon loss was more when biochars were applied along with N fertilizer (urea) than biochar alone. Increasing rate of application of rice biochar without urea showed potential carbon protection in alluvial soil. Interestingly, unlike rest of the treatments, carbon loss was more in red soil when wheat biochar was applied without urea than with it. While physicochemical characteristics of biochars play crucial role in carbon protection, the intrinsic nature and properties of soil largely regulates it. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 183–188, 2016
Experimental Study of Internal Reforming on Large‐area Anode Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Lim H.‐T. , Yang C. , Hwang S. C. , Choi Y.‐J.
Published: June 2015

The effect of endothermic internal steam reformation of methane and exothermic fuel cell reaction on the temperature of a planar‐type anode‐supported solid oxide fuel cell was experimentally investigated as a function of current density and fuel utilization. We fabricated a large‐area (22 × 33 cm2) cell and compared temperature profiles along the cell using 30 thermocouples inserted through the cathode end plate at 750 °C under various conditions (Uf ∼50% at 0.4 A cm−2; Uf ∼70% at 0.4 A cm−2; Uf ∼50% at 0.2 A cm−2) with hydrogen fuel and methane‐steam internal reforming. The endothermic effect due to internal reforming mainly occurs at the gas inlet region, so this process is not very effective to cool down the hot spot created by the exothermic fuel cell reaction. This eventually results in a larger temperature difference on the cell. The most moderate condition with regards to thermal gradient on the cell corresponds to high fuel utilization (Uf ∼70%) and low current density (∼0.2 A cm−2). The electrochemical performance was also measured, and it was found that the current–voltage characteristics are comparable for the cell operated under hydrogen fuel and internal steam reforming of methane because of lower polarization resistance with high partial pressure of water vapor.
Mechanisms underlying AQP4 accumulation in astrocyte endfeet
Authors: Camassa Laura Maria Azzurra , Lunde Lisa K. , Hoddevik Eystein H. , Stensland Maria , Boldt Henning B. , De Souza Gustavo A. , Ottersen Ole P. , Amiry‐Moghaddam Mahmood
Published: June 2015

The brain–blood interface holds the key to our understanding of how cerebral blood flow is regulated and how water and solutes are exchanged between blood and brain. The highly specialized astrocytic membranes that enwrap brain microvessels are salient constituents of the brain‐blood interface. These endfoot membranes contain a distinct set of molecules that is anchored to the subendothelial basal lamina forming an endfoot‐basal lamina junctional complex. Here we explore the mechanisms underpinning the formation of this complex. By use of a tailor made model system we show that endothelial cells promote AQP4 accumulation by exerting an inductive effect through extracellular matrix components such as agrin, as well as through a direct mechanical interaction with the endfoot processes. Through the compounds they secrete, the endothelial cells also increase AQP4 expression. The present data suggest that the highly specialized gliovascular interface is established through inductive processes that include both chemical and mechanical factors. GLIA 2015;63:2073–2091
π‐Excess Aromatic σ2P Ligands: Formation of a Heterocyclic 1,2‐Diphosphine by the Addition of tBuLi and Subsequent Inverse Addition of the Product at the P=C Bonds of Two Molecules of 1‐Neopentyl‐1,3‐benzazaphosphole
Authors: Aluri Bhaskar R. , Ghalib Mohammed , Kindermann Markus K. , Jones Peter G. , Heinicke Joachim W.
Published: June 2015

The reactivity of tBuLi (pentane) toward the N‐neopentyl‐substituted π‐excess P=CH–N heterocycle 1 depends on the solvent (tetrahydrofuran, diethyl ether, hexane, and toluene) and reaction conditions. Trapping of the resulting organolithium compounds with CO2/ClSiMe3, ClSiMe3, or EtI led to various products indicating CH lithiation (1a,b), normal addition of tBuLi at the P=C bond (E/Z‐2a,b), inverse addition of the primary addition product 2Li at the P=C bond of a second molecule 1, affording 3‐tert‐butyl‐2,2’‐bis(1,3‐benzazaphospholines) 3, or inverse addition of tBuLi (4b,c). The formation of 3 demonstrates a novel route to asymmetric heterocyclic 1,2‐diphosphine ligands. The structure elucidation of the new compounds is based on their 31P and 13C NMR data with conclusive chemical shifts and P–C coupling constants, that of the isolated PH‐functionalized diphosphine 3 on crystal structure analysis.
Low CD23 expression correlates with high CD38 expression and the presence of trisomy 12 in CLL
Authors: Kriston Csilla , Bödör Csaba , Szenthe Kálmán , Bánáti Ferenc , Bánkuti Barbara , Csernus Balázs , Reiniger Lilla , Csomor Judit , Matolcsy András , Barna Gábor
Published: June 2015

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by a neoplastic B‐cell population coexpressing CD5 and CD23; however, the expression of CD23 is variable. In human, two isotypes of CD23 have been identified and related to different functions. The aim of our study was to investigate the relative expression of the two CD23 isotypes in CLL and find possible correlation with other prognostic factors. The expression of CD23 isotypes was analyzed in 54 cases of CLL by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative real‐time PCR. The immunophenotype of CLL cells was characterized by flow cytometry. We demonstrated a higher CD23a than CD23b expression of CLL cells. Our results also revealed two subsets of CLL cases with a distinct CD23 isotype expression pattern. Thirty‐two percent of the cases (group CLL1) showed both low mRNA level of CD23 isotypes and high protein levels of CD20 and CD38 in contrast to group CLL2 with high CD23 mRNA levels. By correlating these results to the presence of prognostic factors determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization, we found that the majority of the cases of group CLL1 (14/17) carried trisomy 12. In summary, our results confirm a high CD23a/CD23b ratio of the CLL cells and demonstrate that in a subset of CLL cases, low CD23 expression together with high CD20 and CD38 expressions may serve as a surrogate for trisomy 12. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Job characteristics and burnout: The moderating roles of emotional intelligence, motivation and pay among bank employees
Authors: Salami Samuel O. , Ajitoni Sunday O.
Published: June 2015

This study investigated the prediction of burnout from job characteristics, emotional intelligence, motivation and pay among bank employees. It also examined the interactions of emotional intelligence, motivation, pay and job characteristics in the prediction of burnout. Data obtained from 230 (Males = 127, Females = 103) bank employees were analysed using Pearson's Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results showed that theses variables jointly and separately negatively predicted burnout components. The results further indicated that emotional intelligence, motivation and pay separately interacted with some job characteristic components to negatively predict some burnout components. The findings imply that emotional intelligence, motivation and pay could be considered by counsellors when designing interventions to reduce burnout among bank employees.
Reduction of aggression evoked by sounds using noncontingent reinforcement and time‐out
Authors: Dupuis Danielle L. , Lerman Dorothea C. , Tsami Loukia , Shireman Molly L.
Published: June 2015

Some individuals with developmental disabilities engage in problem behavior to escape or avoid auditory stimuli. In this study, a 6‐year‐old boy with autism engaged in severe aggression in the presence of specific sounds. Following an assessment based on the procedures described by McCord, Iwata, Galensky, Ellingson, and Thomson (2001), we treated negatively reinforced behavior using noncontingent reinforcement and time‐out from positive reinforcement in the absence of extinction. Treatment was effective in reducing aggression across multiple sounds.
Increasing physical activity of children during school recess
Authors: Hayes Lynda B. , Van Camp Carole M.
Published: June 2015

Physical activity is crucial for children's health. Fitbit accelerometers were used to measure steps of 6 elementary students during recess. The intervention included reinforcement, self‐monitoring, goal setting, and feedback. Steps taken during the intervention phase (M = 1,956 steps) were 47% higher than in baseline (M = 1,326 steps), and the percentage of recess spent in moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity was higher during intervention (M = 25%) than in baseline (M = 4%). These methods successfully increased steps during recess and could be used to increase steps in other settings.
Is molecular alignment an indispensable requirement in the MIA‐QSAR method?
Authors: Barigye Stephen J. , Freitas Matheus P.
Published: June 2015

For a decade, the multivariate image analysis applied to quantitative structure–activity relationship (MIA‐QSAR) approach has been successfully used in the modeling of several chemical and biological properties of chemical compounds. However, the key pitfall of this method has been its exclusive applicability to congeneric datasets due to the prerequisite of aligning the chemical images with respect to the basic molecular scaffold. The present report aims to explore the use of the 2D‐discrete Fourier transform (2D‐DFT) as a means of opening way to the modeling, for the first time, of structurally diverse noncongruent chemical images. The usability of the 2D‐DFT in QSAR modeling of noncongruent chemical compounds is assessed using a structurally diverse dataset of 100 compounds, with reported inhibitory activity against MCF‐7 human breast cancer cell line. An analysis of the statistical parameters of the built regression models validates their robustness and high predictive power. Additionally, a comparison of the results obtained with the 2D‐DFT MIA‐QSAR approach with those of the DRAGON molecular descriptors is performed, revealing superior performance for the former. This result represents a milestone in the MIA‐QSAR context, as it opens way for the possibility of screening for new molecular entities with the desired chemical or therapeutic utility. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Belgian experience with triple therapy with boceprevir and telaprevir in genotype 1 infected patients who inject drugs
Authors: Arain A. , Bourgeois S. , de Galocsy C. , Henrion J. , Deltenre P. , d'Heygere F. , George C. , Bastens B. , Van Overbeke L. , Verrando R. , Bruckers L. , Mathei C. , Buntinx F. , Van Vlierberghe H. , Francque S. , Laleman W. , Moreno C. , Janssens F. , Nevens F. , Robaeys G.
Published: June 2015

No data have been reported yet on treatment outcome in persons who inject drugs (PWID) infected with hepatitis C virus treated with boceprevir or telaprevir in combination with peginterferon (Peg IFN) and ribavirin (RBV). Additionally, there are concerns about the safety of boceprevir and telaprevir in some subgroups of patients with hepatitis C (HCV). In a cohort of HCV patients infected with genotype 1 in Belgium, treatment outcome of patients infected due to IV drug use was analyzed and compared with patients who have no history of substance use. The study population consisted of 179 patients: 78 PWID and 101 controls treated with boceprevir (n = 79) or telaprevir (n = 100) additional to Peg IFN and RBV; 53 (30%) had advanced disease (F3, F4) and 79 (44%) had an antiviral therapy previously. There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics between both groups, except that PWID patients were more frequently infected with genotype 1a (67% vs 21%), were younger and were predominantly male. Psychiatric complaints during follow‐up occurred more frequently in the PWID patients: 24% versus 11% (P = .02). Treatment failure for other reasons than absence of viral response was 70% and 64% in PWID and non‐PWID respectively. The sustained viral response (SVR) rates were similar in both groups (71% in PWID vs 72% in non‐PWID); with a non‐inferiority test with −5% margin there is a difference of −1% (95% CI [−15%, 13%]) and P = 0.30. There are no reasons to exclude PWID from treatment with boceprevir, telaprevir and novel antiviral therapies. J. Med. Virol. 88:94–99, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cyclic mechanical stimulation rescues achilles tendon from degeneration in a bioreactor system
Authors: Wang Tao , Lin Zhen , Ni Ming , Thien Christine , Day Robert E. , Gardiner Bruce , Rubenson Jonas , Kirk Thomas B. , Smith David W. , Wang Allan , Lloyd David G. , Wang Yan , Zheng Qiujian , Zheng Ming H.
Published: June 2015

Physiotherapy is one of the effective treatments for tendinopathy, whereby symptoms are relieved by changing the biomechanical environment of the pathological tendon. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we first established a model of progressive tendinopathy‐like degeneration in the rabbit Achilles. Following ex vivo loading deprivation culture in a bioreactor system for 6 and 12 days, tendons exhibited progressive degenerative changes, abnormal collagen type III production, increased cell apoptosis, and weakened mechanical properties. When intervention was applied at day 7 for another 6 days by using cyclic tensile mechanical stimulation (6% strain, 0.25 Hz, 8 h/day) in a bioreactor, the pathological changes and mechanical properties were almost restored to levels seen in healthy tendon. Our results indicated that a proper biomechanical environment was able to rescue early‐stage pathological changes by increased collagen type I production, decreased collagen degradation and cell apoptosis. The ex vivo model developed in this study allows systematic study on the effect of mechanical stimulation on tendon biology. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 33:1888–1896, 2015.
A Lateglacial archaeological site in the far north‐west of Europe at Rubha Port an t‐Seilich, Isle of Islay, western Scotland: Ahrensburgian‐style artefacts, absolute dating and geoarchaeology
Authors: MITHEN STEVEN , WICKS KAREN , PIRIE ANNE , RIEDE FELIX , LANE CHRISTINE , BANERJEA ROWENA , CULLEN VICTORIA , GITTINS MATTHEW , PANKHURST NICHOLAS
Published: June 2015

The exact pattern, process and timing of the human re‐colonization of northern Europe after the end of the last Ice Age remain controversial. Recent research has provided increasingly early dates for at least pioneer explorations of latitudes above 54°N in many regions, yet the far north‐west of the European landmass, Scotland, has remained an unexplained exception to this pattern. Although the recently described Hamburgian artefacts from Howburn and an assemblage belonging to the arch‐backed point complex from Kilmelfort Cave have established at least a sporadic human presence during earlier stages of the Lateglacial Interstadial, we currently lack evidence for Younger Dryas/Greenland Stadial 1 (GS‐1) activity other than rare stray finds that have been claimed to be of Ahrensburgian affiliation but are difficult to interpret in isolation. We here report the discovery of chipped stone artefacts with technological and typological characteristics similar to those of the continental Ahrensburgian at a locality in western Scotland. A preliminary analysis of associated tephra, pollen and phytoliths, along with microstratigraphic analysis, suggest the artefacts represent one or more episodes of human activity that fall within the second half of GS‐1 and the Preboreal period. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Quaternary Science published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Durability of small‐for‐size living donor allografts
Authors: Au Kin Pan , Chan See Ching , Chok Kenneth Siu Ho , Chan Albert Chi Yan , Wong Tiffany Cho Lam , Sharr William Wei , Lo Chung Mau
Published: June 2015

Our aim was to study the long‐term outcomes of living donor liver transplantation using small‐for‐size (SFS) grafts. From July 2002 to July 2009, 233 patients received a right liver graft with a middle hepatic vein from a living donor in our center. Recipients were stratified according to the graft weight to recipient standard liver volume (GW/SLV) ratio into 4 groups: >50% (n = 89), >40% to 50% (n = 85), >35% to 40% (n = 38), and ≤35% (n = 21). They were compared in terms of graft survivals, biliary stricture rates, renal function in terms of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), platelet counts, and graft function in terms of serum bilirubin and international normalized ratio (INR). The 5‐year graft survivals for patients with GW/SLV of >50%, >40% to 50%, >35% to 40% and ≤35% were 88.8%, 88.2%, 81.5%, and 81.0%, respectively. Transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma affected graft survivals (P = 0.02), but graft size did not (P = 0.66). There were no differences in frequency of biliary stricture (21.3% versus 17.1% versus 21.1% versus 28.6%; P = 0.75). At each year after transplant, their platelet counts (P = 0.12‐0.65), eGFR (P = 0.49‐0.91), bilirubin (P = 0.14‐0.51), and INR (P = 0.20‐0.98) remained comparable. SFS grafts with GW/SLV ≤35% and >35% to 40% had comparable long‐term outcomes with larger liver grafts. Graft size did not affect long‐term graft survivals. Liver Transpl 21:1374‐1382, 2015. © 2015 AASLD.
Characterization of hepatic fatty acids in mice with reduced liver fat by ultra‐short echo time 1H‐MRS at 14.1 T in vivo
Authors: Soares Ana Francisca , Lei Hongxia , Gruetter Rolf
Published: June 2015

Alterations in the hepatic lipid content (HLC) and fatty acid composition are associated with disruptions in whole body metabolism, both in humans and in rodent models, and can be non‐invasively assessed by 1H‐MRS in vivo. We used 1H‐MRS to characterize the hepatic fatty‐acyl chains of healthy mice and to follow changes caused by streptozotocin (STZ) injection. Using STEAM at 14.1 T with an ultra‐short TE of 2.8 ms, confounding effects from T2 relaxation and J‐coupling were avoided, allowing for accurate estimations of the contribution of unsaturated (UFA), saturated (SFA), mono‐unsaturated (MUFA) and poly‐unsaturated (PUFA) fatty‐acyl chains, number of double bonds, PU bonds and mean chain length. Compared with in vivo 1H‐MRS, high resolution NMR performed in vitro in hepatic lipid extracts reported longer fatty‐acyl chains (18 versus 15 carbons) with a lower contribution from UFA (61 ± 1% versus 80 ± 5%) but a higher number of PU bonds per UFA (1.39 ± 0.03 versus 0.58 ± 0.08), driven by the presence of membrane species in the extracts. STZ injection caused a decrease of HLC (from 1.7 ± 0.3% to 0.7 ± 0.1%), an increase in the contribution of SFA (from 21 ± 2% to 45 ± 6%) and a reduction of the mean length (from 15 to 13 carbons) of cytosolic fatty‐acyl chains. In addition, SFAs were also likely to have increased in membrane lipids of STZ‐induced diabetic mice, along with a decrease of the mean chain length. These studies show the applicability of 1H‐MRS in vivo to monitor changes in the composition of the hepatic fatty‐acyl chains in mice even when they exhibit reduced HLC, pointing to the value of this methodology to evaluate lipid‐lowering interventions in the scope of metabolic disorders. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simple and Precise Quantification of Iron Catalyst Content in Carbon Nanotubes Using UV/Visible Spectroscopy
Authors: Agustina Elsye , Goak Jeungchoon , Lee Suntae , Seo Youngho , Park Jun‐Young , Lee Naesung
Published: June 2015

Iron catalysts have been used widely for the mass production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with high yield. In this study, UV/visible spectroscopy was used to determine the Fe catalyst content in CNTs using a colorimetric technique. Fe ions in solution form red–orange complexes with 1,10‐phenanthroline, producing an absorption peak at λ=510 nm, the intensity of which is proportional to the solution Fe concentration. A series of standard Fe solutions were formulated to establish the relationship between optical absorbance and Fe concentration. Many Fe catalysts were microscopically observed to be encased by graphitic layers, thus preventing their extraction. Fe catalyst dissolution from CNTs was investigated with various single and mixed acids, and Fe concentration was found to be highest with CNTs being held at reflux in HClO4/HNO3 and H2SO4/HNO3 mixtures. This novel colorimetric method to measure Fe concentrations by UV/Vis spectroscopy was validated by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, indicating its reliability and applicability to asses Fe content in CNTs.
Participation in Physical Activity, Fitness, and Risk for Obesity in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Cross‐cultural Study
Authors: Cermak S. A. , Katz N. , Weintraub N. , Steinhart S. , Raz‐Silbiger S. , Munoz M. , Lifshitz N.
Published: June 2015

Decreased physical activity has been linked to poor fitness and obesity, resulting in increased risk for health concerns. The objective is to study the relationships between children's motor coordination and their physical activity, sedentary behaviour, fitness and weight status in a cross‐cultural study in the United States and Israel. Participants included 118 children 6–11 years of age: 53 children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and 65 typical children. The US sample included 31 DCD children and 44 typical children. The Israeli sample included 22 DCD children and 21 typical children. Participants were assessed on Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2, strength test of the Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2 and Six‐minute Walk Test and wore an accelerometer. Parents completed physical activity questionnaires and demographic information. Body mass index was calculated based on height and weight. Testing took place in two sessions. Findings are that in both Israel and the United States, children with DCD demonstrated significantly reduced physical activity, increased sedentary behaviour, poorer fitness and increased overweight compared with typical children. No significant differences were found for country. With relevance to clinical practice, fitness and obesity are major concerns for children with DCD in both countries. Inclusion of occupational therapy in health promotion for this population is critical. Additional studies with testers blind to group, larger samples and other countries are recommended. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Melt rheology and thermomechanical behavior of poly(methyl methacrylate)/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites
Authors: Tripathi Sandeep Nath , Malik Rajender Singh , Choudhary Veena
Published: June 2015

Thermomechanical and rheological behavior of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites prepared via in situ polymerization using sheet casting method was investigated. Scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope were used to study the microstructure of nanocomposites in terms of dispersion of RGO and polymer–RGO interaction. The thermomechanical properties were investigated using dynamic mechanical analyzer, and it was found that the incorporation of RGO sheets into PMMA matrix resulted in an increase in both storage modulus and glass transition temperature (Tg) as compared with neat PMMA. Storage modulus showed an increase of 40% and 46% at a loading of 0.5 and 1.0 wt% RGO, respectively. The glass transition temperature showed an increase of 20°C (104°C for neat PMMA) at RGO loading of 2.0 wt% (124°C for sample PMMA‐2.0). The complex viscosity and moduli (storage and loss) as a function of angular frequency also showed an increase with increasing amount of RGO. A significant increase in melt viscosity of PMMA observed in case of sample having 0.5 wt% RGO (sample PMMA‐0.5) could be due to the formation of interconnected network of RGO in PMMA matrix and can be considered as rheological percolation threshold. A drop in the crossover frequency was registered with increase of RGO loading that does not directly correlate with the percolation threshold concentration, representing an increase in solid‐like behavior. Secondly, the complex viscosity did not change with RGO loading at higher frequency, which showed that the short‐range PMMA relaxations were unaffected by RGO. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Many private mutations originate from the first few divisions of a human colorectal adenoma
Authors: Kang Haeyoun , Salomon Matthew P , Sottoriva Andrea , Zhao Junsong , Toy Morgan , Press Michael F , Curtis Christina , Marjoram Paul , Siegmund Kimberly , Shibata Darryl
Published: June 2015

Intratumoural mutational heterogeneity (ITH) or the presence of different private mutations in different parts of the same tumour is commonly observed in human tumours. The mechanisms generating such ITH are uncertain. Here we find that ITH can be remarkably well structured by measuring point mutations, chromosome copy numbers, and DNA passenger methylation from opposite sides and individual glands of a 6 cm human colorectal adenoma. ITH was present between tumour sides and individual glands, but the private mutations were side‐specific and subdivided the adenoma into two major subclones. Furthermore, ITH disappeared within individual glands because the glands were clonal populations composed of cells with identical mutant genotypes. Despite mutation clonality, the glands were relatively old, diverse populations when their individual cells were compared for passenger methylation and by FISH. These observations can be organized into an expanding star‐like ancestral tree with co‐clonal expansion, where many private mutations and multiple related clones arise during the first few divisions. As a consequence, most detectable mutational ITH in the final tumour originates from the first few divisions. Much of the early history of a tumour, especially the first few divisions, may be embedded within the detectable ITH of tumour genomes. Copyright © 2015 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Randomized psychosocial interventions for breast cancer: impact on life purpose
Authors: Mens Maria G. , Helgeson Vicki S. , Lembersky Barry C. , Baum Andrew , Scheier Michael F.
Published: June 2015

Objective

The present study sought to identify mediators underlying the effects of an education and a peer support intervention for women with breast cancer and to determine if the efficacy of a peer support intervention is moderated by cancer severity.

Methods

Participants included 180 patients with early stage (I or II) and 65 patients with late stage (IV) breast cancer. The study was originally planned as a 2 (early stage, late stage) × 3 (education intervention, peer support intervention, control condition) design; however, the education condition for the late stage cancer group was dropped, because of slow recruitment. Participants completed measures of well‐being prior to being randomized (Time 1), then again 2 weeks after the group meetings ended (Time 2), and 6 months later (Time 3).

Results

Among the participants who had attended at least one group meeting, the education intervention predicted more life purpose and marginally predicted more perceived physical health at Time 2. The peer support intervention predicted more life purpose and less depressive symptoms at Time 2. Cancer severity did not moderate these effects. The effect of the peer support intervention on depressive symptoms was mediated by life purpose. None of the intervention effects were evident at Time 3.

Conclusions

Peer support interventions have positive short‐term effects on well‐being, among women with late and early stage breast cancer, and these effects are partially mediated by changes in life purpose. Education interventions have positive short‐term effects on well‐being among women with early stage breast cancer. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Priorities and trends in the study of proteins in eye research, 1924–2014
Authors: Semba Richard D. , Lam Maggie , Sun Kai , Zhang Pingbo , Schaumberg Debra A. , Ferrucci Luigi , Ping Peipei , Van Eyk Jennifer E.
Published: June 2015

Purpose

To identify the proteins that are relevant to eye research and develop assays for the study of a set of these proteins.

Experimental design

We conducted a bibliometric analysis by merging gene lists for human and mouse from the National Center for Biotechnology Information FTP site and combining them with PubMed references that were retrieved with the search terms “eye” [MeSH Terms] OR “eye” [All Fields] OR “eyes” [All Fields].

Results

For human and mouse eye studies, respectively, the total number of publications was 13 525 and 23 895 and the total number of proteins was 4050 and 4717. For proteins in human and mouse eye studies, respectively, 88.7 and 81.7% had five or fewer citations. The top 50 most intensively studied proteins for human and mouse eye studies were generally in the areas of photoreceptors and phototransduction, inflammation, and angiogenesis, neurodevelopment, lens transparency, and cell‐cycle and cellular processes. We proposed selected reaction monitoring assays that were developed in silico for the top fifty most intensively studied proteins in human and mouse eye research.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

We conclude that scientists engaged in eye research tend to focus on the same proteins. Newer resources and tools in proteomics can expand the investigations to lesser‐known proteins of the eye.
Cross‐resistance and baseline susceptibility of Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to cyantraniliprole in the south of China
Authors: Sang Song , Shu Benshui , Yi Xin , Liu Jie , Hu Meiying , Zhong Guohua
Published: June 2015

BACKGROUND

The oriental leafworm moth, Spodoptera litura Fab. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a widely distributed polyphagous insect pest in Asia that has been shown to be resistant to various types of insecticide. The newly registered anthranilic diamide cyantraniliprole provided novel insight and great opportunities to control S. litura.

RESULTS

In this study, the susceptibilities of S. litura collected from South China to cyantraniliprole were measured by standard leaf‐disc bioassay, and obvious variation in susceptibility was observed among the 17 field populations, with LC50 values varying from 0.206 to 1.336 mg AI L−1. Significant correlations were detected between the LC50 values of cyantraniliprole and chlorantraniliprole (P < 0.05). However, no significant correlation (P > 0.05) was observed between the two anthranilic diamides and other insecticides with different action mechanisms (delcamethrin, chlorpyrifos, indoxacarb and emamectin benzoate). Piperonyl butoxide showed obvious synergism in Lab‐Sus, ZC14 and cyantraniliprole‐resistant strains, while diethyl maleate and S,S,S‐tributylphorotrithioate had no obvious synergistic effects in any of the strains tested.

CONCLUSION

These results revealed obvious regional variation in cyantraniliprole susceptibilities among populations of S. litura from different areas, and potential cross‐resistance to chlorantraniliprole, which suggested that S. litura could develop resistance to cyantraniliprole. Detoxification enzymes might not be involved in the observed tolerance in field‐collected populations and the cyantraniliprole‐resistant strain. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Composition of oxygen precipitates in Czochralski silicon wafers investigated by STEM with EDX/EELS and FTIR spectroscopy
Authors: Kot Dawid , Kissinger Gudrun , Schubert Markus Andreas , Klingsporn Max , Huber Andreas , Sattler Andreas
Published: June 2015

In this work, we investigated the stoichiometry of oxygen precipitates in Czochralski silicon wafers. The thickness dependence of the Cliff–Lorimer sensitivity factor for the silicon/oxygen system was determined and applied for the investigation of the stoichiometry of oxygen precipitates by EDX. The results show that both plate‐like oxygen precipitates and a transitional form between plate‐like and octahedral precipi‐ tates consist of SiO2. This was confirmed by EELS low loss spectra where the typical spectrum for amorphous SiO2 was observed. Moreover, the absorption band of plate‐like precipitates at 1227 cm–1 was found in the low temperature FTIR spectrum. It was demonstrated that this band can only be simulated by the dielectric constants of amorphous SiO2. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Determination of Selected Perfluorinated Acids (PFCAs) and Perfluorinated Sulfonates (PFASs) in Food Contact Materials Using LC‐MS/MS
Authors: Surma M. , Wiczkowski W. , Zieliński H. , Cieślik E.
Published: June 2015

Perfluorinated compounds, including perfluorinated acids and perfluorinated sulfonates, are environmentally persistent. These compounds are commonly used in consumer products as stain/water/grease repellents in carpets and clothing, in cooking utensils as nonstick coating and in food contact materials as a coating. This paper explores the potential application of liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) system for the measurement of selected perfluorinated acids and perfluorinated sulfonates in three different brands (A, B and C) of food contact materials, including wrapping papers, breakfast bags, baking papers and roasting bags. In this study, the highest contents of selected perfluorinated acids were identified for the breakfast bag samples (2.54–6.60 pg/cm2), especially for B and C brands with the concentration of 6.60 and 5.35 pg/cm2, respectively, while the lowest content was noted in roasting bag samples (0.27–0.40 pg/cm2). The contents of perfluorinated sulfonates were inversed as compared with those of perfluorinated acids. The highest contents of selected perfluorinated sulfonates were found in roasting bag samples (1.38–5.17 pg/cm2), especially for B brand. The analysed perfluorinated sulfonates were not detected in any of the breakfast bag samples. The highest content of perfluorinated compounds were reported for B brand food contact materials. The data indicate a risk of food contamination by perfluorinated compounds from the commonly used food contact materials. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of Amazonian evapotranspiration on moisture transport and convection along the eastern flanks of the tropical Andes
Authors: Sun Xiaoming , Barros Ana P.
Published: June 2015

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used to investigate the impact of Amazonian evapotranspiration (ET) on moisture transport and convection along the eastern flanks of the Andes (EADS). To isolate the role of surface ET, quasi‐idealized simulations down to 1.2 km grid spacing were conducted, where over the Amazon lowlands (AMZL) and at every time step the surface sensible‐heat effects are identical to the realistic reference runs while surface latent heat fluxes are prevented from entering the atmosphere. The results show that, without surface ET, daily precipitation within the AMZL decreases by as much as ∼75%, but nearly doubles over the surrounding mountainous regions. This dramatic influence is attributed to a dipole structure of convergence–divergence anomalies over the AMZL, primarily due to the considerable cooling of the troposphere associated with suppressed convection. Further examination of moist static energy evolution indicates that the net decrease in convective available potential energy over the AMZL is due to the removal of surface ET that is only partially compensated by related regional circulation changes. Because of the concave shape of the Andean mountain range, enhanced low‐level divergence promotes air mass accumulation to the east of the central EADS. This perturbation becomes sufficiently strong around nightfall and produces significant eastward low‐level pressure gradient force, rendering stronger winds away from the Andes. Moisture convergence and convection over the EADS vary accordingly, strengthened in the day but attenuated at night. Nocturnal convective motion is, however, more widespread. Analytical solutions of simplified diagnostic equations of convective fraction suggest that reduction of lower troposphere evaporation is the driving mechanism. Additional exploratory experiments with varied surface ET magnitude demonstrate that the connection between the AMZL ET and EADS precipitation is robust.
Manifestly invariant Lagrangians for geophysical fluids
Authors: Zadra Ayrton , Charron Martin
Published: June 2015

Three manifestly invariant Lagrangians are presented from which the covariant equations of motion for inviscid classical fluids are derived using the least action principle. Invariance and covariance are here defined with respect to synchronous, but otherwise arbitrary, coordinate transformations, i.e. supposing that time intervals are absolute as required by Newtonian mechanics. In the first Lagrangian, the flow is formulated in terms of fluid particles, but conservation of mass and entropy is assumed apriori. In the second Lagrangian, the flow is described by fields, and conservation of mass and entropy is obtained with Lagrange multipliers. The third Lagrangian is also based on a field formulation, but has no Lagrange multipliers and produces all the desired equations of motion, including conservation of mass and entropy. The differences and similarities between these formulations are discussed. Hydrostatic equations are rederived from an asymptotic expansion of the action using the covariant field formulation.
Different Estimation Methods for Constant Stress Accelerated Life Test under the Family of the Exponentiated Distributions
Authors: Abdel Ghaly Abdallah A. , Aly Hanan M. , Salah Rana N.
Published: June 2015

The Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) has been used for a long time in several fields to obtain information on the reliability of product components and materials under operating conditions in a much shorter time. One of the main purposes of applying ALT is to estimate the failure time functions and reliability performance under normal conditions. This paper concentrates on the estimation procedures under ALT and how to select the best estimation method that gives accurate estimates for the reliability function. For this purpose, different estimation methods are used, such as maximum likelihood, least squares (LS), weighted LS, and probability weighted moment. Moreover, the reliability function under usual conditions is predicted. The estimation procedures are applied under the family of the exponentiated distributions in general, and for the exponentiated inverted Weibull (EIW) as a special case. Numerical analysis including simulated data and a real life data set is conducted to compare the performances between these four methods. It is found that the ML method gives the best results among other estimation methods. Finally, a comparison between the EIW and the Inverted Weibull (IW) distributions based on a real life data set is made using a likelihood ratio test. It is observed that the EIW distribution can provide better fitting than the IW in case of ALT. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A new metric for flow‐level filtering of low‐rate DDoS attacks
Authors: Şimşek Mehmet
Published: June 2015

Low‐rate distributed denial‐of‐service (LDDoS) attacks dramatically reduce transmission control protocol throughput by exploiting the vulnerability in the transmission control protocol congestion control mechanism. The current study proposes a new metric called mean Internet Protocol (IP) packet delay variation (mipdv) to detect LDDoS flows and a filtering method called ipdv‐based LDDoS filtering (ILF) using mipdv. Receiving first seven packets from a flow is sufficient to calculate the mipdv metric. Subsequently, mipdv can be recalculated for each received packet. This makes the detection of LDDoS flows possible in a short time (in a few tens of milliseconds in most cases). Ns2 simulations were conducted to evaluate the performance of ILF. Experimental results show that ILF detects LDDoS flows in a very short time with very high accuracy. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal treatment allocation for placebo‐treatment comparisons in trials with discrete‐time survival endpoints
Authors: Moerbeek Mirjam , Wong Weng‐Kee
Published: June 2015

In many randomized controlled trials, treatment groups are of equal size, but this is not necessarily the best choice. This paper provides a methodology to calculate optimal treatment allocations for longitudinal trials when we wish to compare multiple treatment groups with a placebo group, and the comparisons may have unequal importance. The focus is on trials with a survival endpoint measured in discrete time. We assume the underlying survival process is Weibull and show that values for the parameters in the Weibull distribution have an impact on the optimal treatment allocation scheme in an interesting way. Additionally, we incorporate different cost considerations at the subject and measurement levels and determine the optimal number of time periods. We also show that when many events occur at the beginning of the trial, fewer time periods are more efficient. As an application, we revisit a risperidone maintenance treatment trial in schizophrenia and use our proposed methodology to redesign it and compare merits of our optimal design. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mechanism Study of the Blocking of Ladle Well Due to Sintering of Filler Sand
Authors: Deng Zhiyin , Glaser Björn , Bombeck Marc André , Sichen Du
Published: June 2015

The present work is aimed at a mechanism study of blocking of ladle well by filler sand. Laboratory experiments are carried out using two different chromite‐based filler sands. The interaction between the liquid steel and the sand is also studied by using steels containing different contents of Mn and Al. The reaction between the silica phase and the chromite phase is found to be the main mechanism for the sintering of sand. The reaction results in a liquid oxide phase, which becomes the binding phase between the solid oxide grains. The amount of silica phase and its grain size are found to have great impact on the formation of the liquid oxide phase. Faster formation of the liquid oxide phase leads to more serious sintering of the sand. It is found that liquid steel can hardly infiltrate into sand. On the other hand, the presence of steel considerably increases the amount of liquid phase and enhances the sintering of the sand.
The Current State of Naïve Human Pluripotency
Authors: Dodsworth Benjamin T. , Flynn Rowan , Cowley Sally A.
Published: June 2015

Naïve or ground state pluripotency is a cellular state in vitro which resembles cells of the preimplantation epiblast in vivo. This state was first observed in mouse embryonic stem cells and is characterized by high rates of proliferation, the ability to differentiate widely, and global hypomethylation. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) correspond to a later or “primed” stage of embryonic development. The conversion of hPSCs to a naïve state is desirable as their features should facilitate techniques such as gene editing and more efficient differentiation. Here we review protocols which now allow derivation of naïve human pluripotent stem cells by transgene expression or the use of media formulations containing inhibitors and growth factors and correlate this with pathways involved. Maintenance of these ground state cells is possible using a combination of basic fibroblast growth factor and human leukemia inhibitory factor together with dual inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta, and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK). Close similarity between the ground state hPSC and the in vivo preimplantation epiblast have been shown both by demonstrating similar upregulation of endogenous retroviruses and correlation of global RNA-seq data. This suggests that the human naïve state is not an in vitro artifact. Stem Cells  2015;33:3181–3186
The Corepressor Rcor1 Is Essential for Normal Myeloerythroid Lineage Differentiation
Authors: Yao Huilan , Goldman Devorah C. , Fan Guang , Mandel Gail , Fleming William H.
Published: June 2015

Based on its physical interactions with histone-modifying enzymes, the transcriptional corepressor Rcor1 has been implicated in the epigenetic regulation blood cell development. Previously, we have demonstrated that Rcor1 is essential for the maturation of definitive erythroid cells and fetal survival. To determine the functional role of Rcor1 in steady-state hematopoiesis in the adult, we used a conditional knockout approach. Here, we show that the loss of Rcor1 expression results in the rapid onset of severe anemia due to a complete, cell autonomous block in the maturation of committed erythroid progenitors. By contrast, both the frequency of megakaryocyte progenitors and their capacity to produce platelets were normal. Although the frequency of common lymphoid progenitors and T cells was not altered, B cells were significantly reduced and showed increased apoptosis. However, Rcor1-deficient bone marrow sustained normal levels of B-cells following transplantation, indicating a non-cell autonomous requirement for Rcor1 in B-cell survival. Evaluation of the myelomonocytic lineage revealed an absence of mature neutrophils and a significant increase in the absolute number of monocytic cells. Rcor1-deficient monocytes were less apoptotic and showed ∼100-fold more colony-forming activity than their normal counterparts, but did not give rise to leukemia. Moreover, Rcor1−/− monocytes exhibited extensive, cytokine-dependent self-renewal and overexpressed genes associated with hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell expansion including Gata2, Meis1, and Hoxa9. Taken together, these data demonstrate that Rcor1 is essential for the normal differentiation of myeloerythroid progenitors and for appropriately regulating self-renewal activity in the monocyte lineage. Stem Cells  2015;33:3304–3314