bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural Insights into Substrate Binding by
Pv
FKBP35, a Peptidylprolyl
cis-trans
Isomerase from the Human Malarial Parasite Plasmodium vivax
Authors: Alag Reema , Balakrishna Asha Manikkoth , Rajan Sreekanth , Qureshi Insaf A. , Shin Joon , Lescar Julien , Grüber Gerhard , Yoon Ho Sup
Published: February 2013

The immunosuppressive drug FK506 binding proteins (FKBPs), an immunophilin family with the immunosuppressive drug FK506 binding property, exhibit peptidylprolyl
cis-trans
isomerase (PPIase) activity. While the cyclophilin-catalyzed peptidylprolyl isomerization of X-Pro peptide bonds has been extensively studied, the mechanism of the FKBP-mediated peptidylprolyl isomerization remains uncharacterized. Thus, to investigate the binding of FKBP with its substrate and the underlying catalytic mechanism of the FKBP-mediated proline isomerization, here we employed the FK506 binding domain (FKBD) of the human malarial parasite
Plasmodium vivax
FK506 binding protein 35 (
Pv
FKBP35) and examined the details of the molecular interaction between the isomerase and a peptide substrate. The crystallographic structures of apo
Pv
FKBD35 and its complex with the tetrapeptide substrate succinyl-Ala-Leu-Pro-Phe-
p
-nitroanilide (sALPFp) determined at 1.4 Å and 1.65 Å resolutions, respectively, showed that the substrate binds to
Pv
FKBD35 in a
cis
conformation. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies demonstrated the chemical shift perturbations of D55, H67, V73, and I74 residues upon the substrate binding. In addition, the X-ray crystal structure, along with the mutational studies, shows that Y100 is a key residue for the catalytic activity. Taken together, our results provide insights into the catalytic mechanism of
Pv
FKBP35-mediated
cis-trans
isomerization of substrate and ultimately might aid designing substrate mimetic inhibitors targeting the malarial parasite FKBPs.
The functional role of electrophysiological heterogeneity in the rabbit ventricle during rapid pacing and arrhythmias
Authors: Bishop Martin J. , Vigmond Edward J. , Plank Gernot
Published: February 2013

Electrophysiological heterogeneity in action potential recordings from healthy intact hearts remains highly variable and, where present, is almost entirely abolished at fast pacing rates. Consequently, the functional importance of intrinsic action potential duration (APD) heterogeneity in healthy ventricles, and particularly its role during rapidly activating reentrant arrhythmias, remain poorly understood. By incorporating both transmural and apicobasal APD heterogeneity within a biventricular rabbit computational model and comparing with an equivalent homogeneous model, we directly investigated the functional importance of intrinsic APD heterogeneity under fast pacing and arrhythmogenic protocols. Although differences in APD were significantly modulated at the tissue level during pacing and further reduced as pacing frequency increased, small differences were still noticeable. Such differences were further marginally accentuated/attenuated via electrotonic effects relative to wavefront propagation directions. The remaining small levels of APD heterogeneity under the fastest pacing frequencies resulted in arrhythmia initiation via heterogeneous conduction block, in contrast to complete block in the homogeneous model. Such induction mechanisms were more evident during premature stimuli at slower paced rhythms where intrinsic heterogeneity remained to a greater degree. During sustained arrhythmias, however, intrinsic heterogeneity made little difference to overall reentrant behavior, either visually, or in terms of duration, metrics quantifying filament/phase singularity dynamics, and global electrocardiogram characteristics. These findings suggest that, despite being important during arrhythmia initiation, intrinsic electrophysiological heterogeneity plays little functional role during rapid pacing and sustained arrhythmia dynamics in the healthy ventricle and thus questions the need to incorporate such detail in computational models when simulating rapid arrhythmias.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Autophagy Induction in Breast Carcinoma Promote Escape from T-cell–Mediated Lysis
Authors: Akalay Intissar , Janji Bassam , Hasmim Meriem , Noman Muhammad Zaeem , André Fabrice , De Cremoux Patricia , Bertheau Philippe , Badoual Cécile , Vielh Philippe , Larsen Annette K. , Sabbah Michèle , Tan Tuan Zea , Keira Joan Herr , Ying Hung Nicole Tsang , Thiery Jean Paul , Mami-Chouaib Fathia , Chouaib Salem
Published: February 2013

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mediates cancer cell invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance, but its impact on immune surveillance has not been explored. In this study, we investigated the functional consequences of this mode of epithelial cell plasticity on targeted cell lysis by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Acquisition of the EMT phenotype in various derivatives of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells was associated with dramatic morphologic changes and actin cytoskeleton remodeling, with CD24−/CD44+/ALDH+ stem cell populations present exhibiting a higher degree of EMT relative to parental cells. Strikingly, acquisition of this phenotype also associated with an inhibition of CTL-mediated tumor cell lysis. Resistant cells exhibited attenuation in the formation of an immunologic synapse with CTLs along with the induction of autophagy in the target cells. This response was critical for susceptibility to CTL-mediated lysis because siRNA-mediated silencing of beclin1 to inhibit autophagy in target cells restored their susceptibility to CTL-induced lysis. Our results argue that in addition to promoting invasion and metastasis EMT also profoundly alters the susceptibility of cancer cells to T-cell–mediated immune surveillance. Furthermore, they reveal EMT and autophagy as conceptual realms for immunotherapeutic strategies to block immune escape. Cancer Res; 73(8); 2418–27. ©2013 AACR.
International human rights standards and child imprisonment: Potentialities and limitations
Authors: Goldson Barry , Kilkelly Ursula
Published: February 2013

This article explores critically the relationship between international human rights standards and the practices of child imprisonment at a global level. Four key issues are afforded close attention: the separation of child and adult prisoners; the provision of ‘child appropriate regimes’; the protection of child prisoners’ rights and the operation of independent complaints and inspection mechanisms. We argue that there is manifest tension between international human rights standards and the practical realities of child imprisonment. Whilst we recognise the vital potentialities of the human rights standards – to pacify the more problematic excesses of child imprisonment – we also remain cognisant of their practical limitations and reserve a sense of scepticism in respect of the concept of ‘rights-based approaches’ to the penal detention of children. Ultimately, we challenge the legitimacy of child imprisonment and recommend its abolition.
A system-level, molecular evolutionary analysis of mammalian phototransduction
Authors: Invergo Brandon M , Montanucci Ludovica , Laayouni Hafid , Bertranpetit Jaume
Published: February 2013

Background

Visual perception is initiated in the photoreceptor cells of the retina via the phototransduction system. This system has shown marked evolution during mammalian divergence in such complex attributes as activation time and recovery time. We have performed a molecular evolutionary analysis of proteins involved in mammalian phototransduction in order to unravel how the action of natural selection has been distributed throughout the system to evolve such traits.

Results

We found selective pressures to be non-randomly distributed according to both a simple protein classification scheme and a protein-interaction network representation of the signaling pathway. Proteins which are topologically central in the signaling pathway, such as the G proteins, as well as retinoid cycle chaperones and proteins involved in photoreceptor cell-type determination, were found to be more constrained in their evolution. Proteins peripheral to the pathway, such as ion channels and exchangers, as well as the retinoid cycle enzymes, have experienced a relaxation of selective pressures. Furthermore, signals of positive selection were detected in two genes: the short-wave (blue) opsin (OPN1SW) in hominids and the rod-specific N
a
+/ C
a
2+, K
+ ion exchanger (SLC24A1) in rodents.

Conclusions

The functions of the proteins involved in phototransduction and the topology of the interactions between them have imposed non-random constraints on their evolution. Thus, in shaping or conserving system-level phototransduction traits, natural selection has targeted the underlying proteins in a concerted manner.
Synthesis of Six-membered Silacycles by Intramolecular Nucleophilic Substitution at Silicon Involving the Cleavage of Carbon–Silicon Bonds
Authors: Onoe Masahiro , Morioka Toshifumi , Tobisu Mamoru , Chatani Naoto
Published: February 2013

An intramolecular nucleophilic substitution at silicon using organolithium reagents via the cleavage of an inert carbon–silicon bond has been developed as a viable tool for the synthesis of six-membered silacycles.
Template-free Synthesis of Highly Porous Carbon Nitride, nanoC3N4
Authors: Iwamoto Tomoyuki , Masui Yoichi , Wang Jiacheng , Onaka Makoto
Published: February 2013

A novel template-free and postsynthetic preparation of a highly porous carbon nitride material, nanoC3N4, was developed using concentrated sulfuric acid as the dispersion medium, followed by impregnation with ethanol. nanoC3N4 has a structure similar to that of graphitic carbon nitride composed of melem polymers but has a stronger basicity.
Man in motion: Kateb Yacine and the poetics of revolution
Authors: Hiddleston Jane
Published: February 2013

In her 2004 study of gender and sexuality Undoing Gender, Judith Butler examines the uneasy relationship between human rights discourses and certain oppressed minorities, and cites Fanon in order to call for the continued redefinition of the ‘human’ each time the category
is invoked. This article seeks to explore this continued process of redefinition by returning to the period of decolonization, specifically by means of a detailed engagement with Kateb Yacine’s poetics of ‘revolution’. Kateb conceives ‘revolution’ not only as
the demand for regime change, but also as the broader movement of peoples in relation to one another and to the world, and he understands humanity to be defined by this ongoing movement. Moreover, his works on the decolonization of Algeria, including Nedjma (1956), Le Cadavre encerclé
and Les Ancêtres redoublent de férocité seek to perform the movement of man by figuring not only a commitment to contestation, but also a call for reinvention that evolves out of a reimagination of the past. Kateb’s humanist revolution is a multidirectional movement
that continually seeks out what colonial discourse effaced, not in order simply to re-establish tradition, but to rediscover it repeatedly and remodel it in the service of an open future.
Marie NDiaye, the Half-self and the White ‘Dead’ mother
Authors: Asibong Andrew
Published: February 2013

This article uses writings by the French novelist and playwright Marie NDiaye (born in Pithiviers in 1967) to theorize a very particular kind of postcolonial inhumanness specific to certain ‘hybrid’ subjects. NDiaye’s work revolves obsessively around the psychic (and
often fantastically physical) disintegration of characters (coded as a racialized minority) who fail to internalize a sufficiently ‘alive’ imago of their mother (coded as white). The NDiayean protagonist’s sense of herself as a living human being becomes damaged to the point
of irreparability, as she drifts between states of blankness, immobility and affective spectralization. NDiaye’s racialization of psychoanalyst André Green’s dead mother complex provides an important psycho-social context for ‘inhuman’ affectlessness. NDiaye’s
scenarios show how a certain kind of postcolonial hybrid is doubly ‘orphaned’, not in concrete, provable or representable terms, but via the emotional deadness of her ‘blank’ mother and the unspoken refusal of her only motherland to recognize her as one of its human
children. NDiaye’s protagonists in texts such as En famille (1990) and Autoportrait en vert (2005) dwell in non-human half-life and melancholic ghostliness, emotionally evacuated and symbolically castrated by their internalization of the dead white mother(s). If a more recent text like
the novel Mon coeur à l’étroit (2007) manages to offer some kind of tentative ‘happy end’, its protagonist Nadia achieving a belated sense of herself as potentially both human and alive when she manages to give birth to the fantastically dead material she has
been carrying inside her, this resolution seems to depend on the text’s concomitant insistence that Nadia is not a hybrid, but in fact has two non-white parents who are alive and well and living on a fantasy island. NDiaye’s ‘family romances’ may be becoming more optimistic,
then, but their dream of a postcolonial new human appears to necessitate the foreclosure of the old non-human’s original, messy mixedness.
Atmosfera modificada e controle de etileno para bananas 'Prata-Anã' cultivadas na Amazônia Setentrional Brasileira
Authors: Prill Marcos André de Souza , Neves Leandro Camargo , Tosin Jéssica Milanez , Chagas Edvan Alves
Published: February 2013

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o efeito da atmosfera modificada (AM) pelo uso de embalagem plástica de polietileno de baixa densidade (PEBD), do vácuo e da adsorção de etileno, visando à manutenção da qualidade das bananas 'Prata-Anã' produzidas em Roraima. As análises foram realizadas em intervalos de 5 dias após a colheita, até 35 dias de armazenamento refrigerado (AR). Verificou-se que os frutos submetidos a embalagem de PEBD apresentaram as menores perdas de massa fresca quando comparados aos demais. Da mesma forma, os frutos embalados na presença do adsorvedor de etileno obtiveram a melhor manutenção na coloração da casca, atraso temporal, do pico climatérico, assim como o retardamento na degradação do amido, os menores incrementos de sólidos solúveis e acidez titulável, as menores concentrações de etileno nos interiores das embalagens e atraso temporal e a diminuição da atividade enzimática. Isso, possivelmente, proporcionou os maiores teores de pectina total e solúvel ao final do período experimental. A combinação do uso da embalagem de PEBD com o sachê de permanganato de potássio (KMnO4) resultou no retardamento do processo de maturação dos frutos de banana 'Prata-Anã', quando armazenada a 12 ºC. Pode-se atribuir esse efeito benéfico à presença do sachê na adsorção de etileno e, consequentemente, na ação do etileno no amadurecimento dos frutos, retardando a senescência das bananas 'Prata-Anã'.
Caracterização pós-colheita de frutos de bananeira 'BRS Platina' de primeiro ciclo, sob regulação do déficit de irrigação
Authors: Castricini Ariane , Coelho Eugênio Ferreira , Rodrigues Maria Geralda Vilela , Coutinho Rodrigo Cardozo
Published: February 2013

O trabalho teve como objetivo a caracterização pós-colheita de bananas cv BRS Platina (PA42-44), que é um híbrido tetraploide (AAAB) desenvolvido pela Embrapa. As mesmas foram produzidas no norte de Minas Gerais, com redução das lâminas (L) de água utilizadas na irrigação,a partir dos cinco meses após o plantio. Foram sete os tratamentos avaliados, com combinações de redução da lâmina (55%, 70% e 85%) nas fases II e III de desenvolvimento da planta (5 a 7 meses, e 7 a 12 meses após o plantio), caracterizados quanto a: teor de sólidos solúveis totais (sst), despencamento, firmeza da polpa, comprimento e diâmetro do fruto, relação polpa/casca e coloração da casca, definida pelos parâmetros L*, C* e ºh, avaliados quando os frutos estavam totalmente amarelos. O teor de sólidos solúveis totais foi maior nos frutos do tratamento T3, onde houve redução da lâmina de irrigação na fase II (floração) para 70% da ETc. A maior relação polpa/casca foi obtida quando a ETc foi reduzida em 25% na fase III, resistência ao despencamento. Os frutos mais firmes foram produzidos quando a ETc na fase II foi reduzida em 45%; já o menor despencamento foi obtido quando esta redução foi de 45% e 30% na fase II, e de 30% na fase III. Os maiores (comprimento e diâmetro) e mais pesados frutos foram produzidos na ausência de déficit hídrico durante todo o ciclo da cultura.
Qualidade de caqui 'Rama forte' após armazenamento refrigerado, influenciada pelos tratamentos 1-MCP e/ou CO2
Authors: Gardin João Peterson Pereira , Argenta LuiZ Carlos , Souza Edson Luiz de , Rombaldi Cesar Valmor , Souza André Luiz Külkamp de
Published: February 2013

Avaliaram-se os efeitos dos tratamentos com CO2 e 1-MCP (1-metilciclopropeno) sobre a adstringência (índice de tanino), firmeza da polpa e distúrbios da epiderme em caqui 'Rama Forte'. Frutos foram tratados com 1-MCP por 24 h, logo após a colheita e/ou com alto CO2 (70%) por 24 ou 48 h, um dia após a colheita ou após o armazenamento refrigerado (AR). Os caquis foram armazenados sob atmosfera modificada a 0 ºC, por 45 dias, e a seguir mantidos a 23 ºC, por 9 dias. Frutos-controle (não tratados com 1-MCP nem com CO2) amoleceram em três dias e perderam aproximadamente 50% da adstringência em 6 dias após o AR. A exposição ao CO2 acelerou a redução da adstringência. Esse efeito do CO2 foi menor em frutos tratados com 1-MCP, especialmente quando o CO2 foi aplicado após o AR, por apenas 24 h. O tratamento com 1-MCP inibiu o amolecimento e a redução da adstringência, especialmente nos frutos não tratados com CO2. O amolecimento de frutos tratados com 1-MCP foi maior quando a exposição ao CO2 ocorreu antes do AR. A combinação dos tratamentos com 1-MCP e alto CO2 reduziu a incidência de podridões e manchas translúcidas, mas não alterou o desenvolvimento de pintas pretas ('estrias'). Os resultados indicam que é possível induzir perda da adstringência sem excessiva perda da firmeza da polpa de caquis 'Rama Forte' após o AR pela associação dos tratamentos com 1-MCP logo após a colheita e alto CO2 após o AR.
Parasitismo natural em moscas-das-frutas (Diptera: Tephritidae) no semiárido do sudoeste da Bahia, Brasil
Authors: Sá Ricardo Falcão de , Castellani Maria Aparecida , Nascimento Antonio Souza do , Ribeiro Ana Elizabete Lopes , Moreira Aldenise Alves
Published: February 2013

Parasitoides são importantes agentes de controle natural de tefritídeos, e os conhecimentos sobre as relações tritróficas podem subsidiar o manejo destas pragas. Este trabalho objetivou estimar índices de parasitismo em moscas-das-frutas, em 21 espécies vegetais, e identificar as espécies de parasitoides associados, nas condições do semiárido do sudoeste da Bahia. Oito hospedeiros apresentaram infestação por Anastrepha spp. e, destes, em quatro, ocorreu parasitismo superior a 20,0%, sendo: 20,8% (Ziziphus joazeiro L.); 21,3% (Spondias tuberosa L.); 32,4% (Spondias purpurea L.) e 57,1% (Malpighia emarginata L.). Os parasitoides coletados pertencem à família Braconidae, sendo 89% de Doryctobracon areolatus e 11% de Asobara anastrephae.
Strawberry yield submitted to different root pruning intensities of transplants
Authors: Cocco Carine , Ferreira Letícia Vanni , Gonçalves Michél Aldrighi , Picolotto Luciano , Antunes Luis Eduardo Corrêa
Published: February 2013

This study aimed to evaluate the growth of plants and the precocity of strawberry production under different root pruning intensities at planting time. Bare roots plants with 12 millimeters crown diameter produced in nurseries from the Patagonia region, Argentina were used. The planting was carried out on May 12th 2010 into experimental plots with non-fumigated soil. The treatments consisted of three cultivars (Camarosa, Florida Festival and Camino Real) and three pruning intensities (1/3, 2/3 and no pruning) on the total root length of the plants. The experimental design used was a randomized block design in a 3x3 factorial arrangement with three replications and 12 plants per plot and density of 11.1 plants m-2. Mature fruits were harvested from July 15th to December 14th 2010 and the production of fresh fruit was determined. There was no significative interaction between cultivars and pruning intensity. 'Camarosa' and 'Florida Festival' plants showed precocity and had the most abundant and heavier fruits during the precocity period. The different root pruning intensities did not affect the assessed variables. It was concluded that, in order to facilitate strawberry planting of the cultivars Camarosa, Florida Festival and Camino Real root pruning is possible, with no damages on plant growth and development, precocity and early fruit production.
Estratégias de pesquisa em contextos de diversidade cultural: entrevistas de listagem livre, entrevistas com informantes-chave e grupos focais
Authors: Bisol Cláudia Alquati
Published: February 2013

O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar e discutir três estratégias de pesquisa que, utilizadas separadamente ou combinadas em estudos qualitativos ou quantiqualitativos, podem facilitar a compreensão do pesquisador acerca do universo cultural dos participantes, especialmente em contextos de diversidade cultural. Entende-se que há diversidade cultural quando a experiência de vida, conceitos, valores e pressupostos teóricos do pesquisador não são os mesmos dos participantes da pesquisa. Os três métodos apresentados, assim como suas possíveis combinações, são: entrevistas de listagem livre, entrevistas com informantes-chave e grupos focais. São utilizados exemplos oriundos de pesquisas empíricas no campo da saúde pública e da psicologia para demonstrar a aplicabilidade dessas estratégias.
Mulheres e o abandono da figura paterna: considerações teórico-clínicas a partir da psicologia analítica
Authors: Lima Antonio Paulo Pinheiro
Published: February 2013

Este trabalho busca demonstrar, a partir de vinhetas clínicas, as consequências negativas trazidas na vida de mulheres pela experiência de terem sido abandonadas pela figura paterna. Neste estudo, o referencial teórico foi principalmente a psicologia analítica, além dos conceitos psicanalíticos de compulsão à repetição e melancolia. São também descritos os progressos alcançados no atendimento dos casos a partir da atuação psicoterapêutica baseada no método clínico junguiano. As conquistas obtidas, em termos gerais, dizem respeito a maior integração psíquica por parte dessas mulheres, que conseguiram estabelecer maior equilíbrio interno entre as polaridades masculina e feminina. Esse equilíbrio trouxe impactos positivos para elas, como melhora da autoestima e maior sentimento de autoconfiança, além de capacitá-las para o estabelecimento de relações afetivas mais saudáveis e menos calcadas em submissão e dependência.
A revolução silenciosa na europa: mudança intergeracional nas sociedades pós-industriais
Authors: Inglehart Ronald
Published: February 2013

O presente artigo investiga a hipótese de que houve uma alteração intergeracional nos valores fundamentais em determinados setores das populações de alguns países da Europa Ocidental desde a II Guerra Mundial; tais valores mudaram da opção por segurança econômica e ordem social (valores "aquisitivos") para a expressão intelectual e artística, bem como por mudanças sociais radicais (valores "pós-burgueses"). A hipótese foi testada por meio da aplicação de um questionário em diversos grupos sociais. Embora os respondentes "pós-burgueses" sejam de modo geral jovens, o argumento desenvolvido aqui é que não se trata de uma característica de uma fase de vida mais aberta a mudanças e sem ônus familiares e sociais: trata-se, sim, de uma alteração profunda dos valores, em virtude da afluência econômica característica dos países da Europa Ocidental após 1945. Essa mudança de valores influencia também as atividades políticas e as preferências político-partidárias, permitindo em particular o surgimento e a afirmação da "nova esquerda".
Multiple Abilities and Subjective Well-Being of Taiwanese Kindergarten Teachers
Authors: Wei Mei-Hue
Published: February 2013

In this study I analyzed self-rated subjective well-being and multiple abilities of 1,200 Taiwanese kindergarten teachers who came from various backgrounds. Results showed that levels of social intelligence, practical intelligence, and teaching efficacy were significantly higher for
the kindergarten teachers who were married than they were for the kindergarten teachers who were not married. In addition, kindergarten teachers who had religious beliefs scored significantly higher on the scale of subjective well-being than did those who had no religious beliefs. Furthermore,
the results indicated significant relationships among teachers' multiple abilities and their subjective well-being.
Congenital Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis with Placental Involvement
Authors: Terry Jefferson , Pluchinotta Francesca R. , Sanders Stephen P. , Vergilio Jo-Anne , Hyde Scott R. , Boyd Theonia K.
Published: February 2013

Congenital presentations of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) are exceedingly rare, and concurrent placental parenchymal involvement has not been definitively documented in the literature. We present 2 cases of congenital multisystem LCH with placental involvement resembling chronic villitis. Placental examination may provide the initial diagnostic evidence of LCH and may significantly influence patient management and outcome; however, the prognostic implications remain unclear. In a clinical context suspicious for congenital LCH, the observation of chronic villitis should prompt consideration of placental involvement by LCH.
Spirocyclisation of phytoalexin 1-methoxybrassinin in the presence of Grignard reagents
Authors: Očenáš Peter , Tomášová Lucia , Kutschy Peter , Pazdera Pavel , Mojžiš Ján , Pilátová Martina
Published: February 2013

The anti-cancer properties of naturally occurring (2R, 3R)-(−)-1-methoxyspirobrassinol methyl ether (I) and their synthetic amino or piperidyl analogues II inspired us to study the synthesis of new target compounds III with a C—C bond in the 2-position of indole rather than a C—N or C—O bond (I or II respectively). The goal was achieved via electrophilic-nucleophilic 3,2-difunctionalisation of 1-methoxybrassinin (IV) in the presence of bromine and the Grignard reagent leading to the formation of cis- and trans-C—C analogues of I. Finally, the anti-cancer activities of the new compounds were measured and compared with I and II in order to show the importance of a heteroatom in the 2-substituted indole on the anti-cancer activity of spirobrassinols.
Degradation and toxicity changes in aqueous solutions of chloroacetic acids by Fenton-like treatment using zero-valent iron
Authors: Mackuľak Tomáš , Prousek Josef , Smolinská Miroslava , Olejníková Petra , Takáčová Alžbeta , Drtil Miloslav
Published: February 2013

Three priority pollutants, i.e. mono-, di-, and trichloroacetic acids, were degraded by the conventional Fenton AOP system (Fe2+ and H2O2). The results obtained suggest that the degradation decreased in the order: monochloroacetic, dichloroacetic, and trichloroacetic acid. The best of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the degradation of trichloroacetic acid was reductive dechlorination with the use of zero-valent iron (Fe°). The results of Escherichia coli toxicity tests revealed that the reagents’ toxicity after the Fenton treatment process was decreased.
Quantitative Analysis of ?-Mangostin in Mangosteen Fruit Rind Extract (Deleted)
Authors: Islam M Azharul , Begum Shahanara
Published: February 2013

The paper has been deleted due to plagiarismThe original paper is published in Thai Journal of Agricultural Science 2009, 42 (1): 7-12 (www.thaiagj.org)
Family-Centered Principles Implemented in Home-Based, Clinic-Based, and School-Based Pediatric Settings
Authors: Fingerhut Patricia E. , Piro Jocelyn , Sutton Ashley , Campbell Rachel , Lewis Christy , Lawji Dilshad , Martinez Nicole
Published: February 2013

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine whether pediatric occupational therapy practitioners implemented family-centered principles in their practice.

METHOD: Twenty-eight occupational therapy practitioners were interviewed in three practice settings: home based, clinic based, and school based. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze the results. Responses were compared across respondents and across practice settings.

RESULTS: Responses varied among practitioners and, more significantly, practice settings. A continuum of family-centered practice was demonstrated, with home-based practice as the most family centered, school-based practice as the least family centered, and clinic practice varying in between.

CONCLUSION: Occupational therapy practitioners are familiar with most principles of family-centered practice. However, implementation of those principles differs significantly across practice settings.
Reciprocal Access Agreements Between BJOT, AJOT, and CJOT: New Resources for Occupational Therapists Around the World
Authors: Harries Priscilla A. , Gutman Sharon A. , Polatajko Helene J.
Published: February 2013

New arrangements among the leading occupational therapy associations bring expanded access to the latest research for member therapists in Canada, England, and the United States.
Ultrasound-Assisted Ion-Pair Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction of Trace Amounts of Lead in Water Samples Prior to Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Determination
Authors: Afzali Daryoush , Mohadesi Ali Reza , Falahnejad Masoumeh , Bahadori Behnoosh
Published: February 2013

A new ion-pair dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method is described for separation and preconcentration of trace amounts of lead in different water samples. Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was used for determination of lead. The ion association complex between lead and iodide ions that forms is PbI4–2-tetradecyldimethylbenzylammonium, which is extracted into fine droplets of chlorobenzene. In order to reach the optimized experimental conditions, the influence of different parameters, such as concentration of KI, nature and volume of extraction solvents, pH effect, extraction time, and the period and speed of sonication and centrifugation, were optimized. The LOD was 0.08 ng/mL and the linear dynamic range was 0.20–8.0 ng/mL in initial solution with a correlation coefficient of 0.9985. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factor was 555.5. The proposed method was successfully applied for separation and determination of lead in sea, rain, river, and drinking water samples.
Simultaneous Determination of Danshensu, Salvianolic Acid B, and Paeonol in ShuangDan Oral Liquid by HPLC
Authors: Li Hua , Wang Siwang , Xie Yanhua , Zhang Bangle , Wang Jianbo , Yang Qian , Cao Wei
Published: February 2013

An HPLC-photodiode array detector (PDAD) method was developed for simultaneous determination of danshensu, salvianolic acid B, and paeonol in a traditional Chinese medicinal preparation ShuangDan oral liquid, which is widely used to treat coronary heart disease in China. The samples were separated on a SinoChrom ODS–BP C18 column with the column temperature maintained at 30°C. The mobile phase was composed of methanol and 2% (v/v) glacial acetic acid at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The separation was finished within 30 min using linear gradient elution. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r > 0.9997) within the test ranges. The method was simple, reliable, accurate, and specific. The intraday and interday precisions (RSD) were less than 0.85%. The recoveries were between 96.97 and 102.14%. The method was successfully applied to the determination of the three components in three commercial samples of ShuangDan oral liquid. The results indicated that the developed HPLC–PDAD assay could be readily utilized as a comprehensive quality control method for ShuangDan oral liquid.
Kinetics of Ethylene Oxide Desorption from Sterilized Materials
Authors: Mendes Gisela C , Brandão Teresa R S , Silva Cristina L M
Published: February 2013

Ethylene oxide gas is commonly used to sterilize medical devices, and concerns about using this agent on biological systems are well-established. Medical devices sterilized by ethylene oxide must be properly aerated to remove residual gas and by-products. In this work, kinetics of ethylene oxide desorption from different sterilized materials were studied in a range of aeration temperatures. The experimental data were well-described by a Fickian diffusion mass transfer behavior, and diffusivities were estimated for two textile and two polymeric materials within the temperature range of 1.5 to 59.0°C. The results will allow predictions of ethylene oxide desorption, which is a key step for the design of sterilization/aeration processes, contributing to an efficient removal of residual ethylene oxide content.
Method Development and Validation for Ultra-High Pressure Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry Determination of Multiple Prostanoids in Biological Samples
Authors: Yu Rui , Zhao Guiqing , Christman John W , Xiao Lei , van Breemen Richard B
Published: February 2013

Following oxygenation of arachidonic acid by cyclooxygenase to form prostaglandin H2 (PGH2), a variety of prostanoids can be generated with diverse physiologic effects on pain, inflammation, allergy, cardiovascular system, cancer, etc. To facilitate the quantitative analysis of prostanoids in human serum of cell culture, an ultra-high pressure LC (UHPLC)/MS/MS method was developed and validated for the measurement of six eicosanoids belonging to the cyclooxygenase pathway: PGE2, PGD2, 8-iso-PGF2α, PGF2α, 6-keto-PGF1α, and thromboxane B2 (TXB2 ). Selectivity, matrix effects, calibration model, precision, and accuracy (intraday and interday), lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ), recovery, stability, and sample dilution were evaluated. Fast UHPLC separation was carried out in only 0.5 min with isocratic elution, and each prostanoid was measured using negative electrospray ionization MS with collision-induced dissociation and selected reaction monitoring. UHPLC/MS/MS provided high throughput with peak widths of approximately 3 s and an LLOQ of 0.020 ng/mL for PGE2, 0.027 ng/mL for PGD2, 0.152 ng/mL for 8-iso-PGF2α, 0.179 ng/mL for PGF2α and 6-keto-PGF1α, and 0.013 ng/mL for TXB2.
Scaledown of Biopharmaceutical Purification Operations
Authors: Rathore Anurag S. , Joshi Varsha S.
Published: February 2013

Biotech‐based therapeutics have emerged as the growth engine for the pharmaceutical industry. Successful development and commercialization of biotech processes require the understanding of the relationships between the various attributes of the product and the product's clinical safety and efficacy, as well as, the effect of the different process parameters on the product's attributes. The complexity of the biotech products and the requirement for rigorous experimentation justify working at small scales.

This article presents general guidelines and relevant parameters affecting scale‐down of the various unit operations involved in purification of proteins. The key parameters, assessment methods, assessment techniques, and challenges involved in scale‐down are discussed.
Synthesis of 6‐Kestose using an Efficient β‐Fructofuranosidase Engineered by Directed Evolution
Authors: de Abreu Miguel , Alvaro‐Benito Miguel , Sanz‐Aparicio Julia , Plou Francisco J. , Fernandez‐Lobato Maria , Alcalde Miguel
Published: February 2013

The β‐fructofuranosidase (Ffase) from Schwanniomyces occidentalis (Ffase‐Leu196 variant) was subjected to four cycles of directed evolution to enhance the transglycosylation activity for the synthesis of β‐(2→6) linked fructooligosaccharides (FOS). With a 5.5‐fold improvement in fructose transferase activity over the parental type and greater selectivity for the synthesis of 6‐kestose (up to 73% of the total FOS), the mutants doubled FOS synthesis to 168 g L.−1 Whilst the F523V and H510P mutations were located at the C‐terminus of the protein, mutations Q78L and I203L were associated with the acidic catalytic triad where they modified its interactions with the surrounding residues, in turn varying the hydrolase and transferase rates.
Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Remote Electronic Activation of Aromatic CF Bonds
Authors: Watson Andrew J. A. , Atkinson Benjamin N. , Maxwell Aoife C. , Williams Jonathan M. J.
Published: February 2013

The tandem isomerization and nucleophilic aromatic substitution of allylic fluoro‐substituted benzylic alcohols is described for the first time. In the presence of the ruthenium complex Ru(PPh3)3(CO)(H)2, 1‐(4‐fluorophenyl)prop‐2‐en‐1‐ol is converted into the corresponding para‐amino ketone or para‐phenolic substituted ketone.
Mild Palladium‐Catalyzed Oxidative Direct ortho‐CH Acylation of Anilides under Aqueous Conditions
Authors: Szabó Fruzsina , Daru János , Simkó Dániel , Nagy Tibor Zs. , Stirling András , Novák Zoltán
Published: February 2013

Palladium‐catalyzed cross‐dehydrogenative coupling between anilides and aromatic aldehydes was achieved under aqueous conditions. A wide variety of the desired benzophenone derivatives was isolated in good to excellent yield. The reaction rate acceleration effect of acid and detergent has been demonstrated. Mechanistic insight has been obtained from quantum chemical calculations.
Explaining Price Variability in the Italian Yogurt Market: A Hedonic Analysis
Authors: Carlucci Domenico , Stasi Antonio , Nardone Gianluca , Seccia Antonio
Published: February 2013

Today yogurt is produced and consumed worldwide, and its popularity has increased in recent years. In Italy, yogurt consumption grew by 43% in the period 2004–2008. This study is focused on the analysis of yogurt retail prices that show a great variability in the Italian market. In fact, our survey, carried out in a selected area of Italy during the last months of 2010, showed that yogurt retail prices range from 0.9 Euro/kg to 9.6 Euro/kg. We deemed the hedonic price model to be the most appropriate analytical tool for this investigation because it allows explaining how the price of yogurt varies depending on its main quality attributes. The study's results may be useful in better understanding the evolutionary dynamics of an important market, such as yogurt in Italy, and, second, in addressing the marketing strategies of yogurt manufacturers facing an expanding market that is also characterized by an increasing competitive pressure and a rapid change in consumer preferences. [EconLit Citations: Q110, D400, L660].
Recent trends in cost‐related medication nonadherence among stroke survivors in the United States
Authors: Levine Deborah A. , Morgenstern Lewis B. , Langa Kenneth M. , Piette John D. , Rogers Mary A. M. , Karve Sudeep J.
Published: February 2013

Objective

Recent economic and health policy changes may have affected the ability of chronically ill patients to afford their medications. We assessed changes in cost‐related nonadherence to medication (CRN) before and after the implementation of Medicare Part D in 2006.

Methods

We used data from the National Health Interview Survey, an annual, population‐based survey of community‐dwelling, noninstitutionalized US adults, to estimate CRN in 8,673 stroke survivors aged 45 years or older, representing 4.8 million survivors, for the years 1999 to 2010. The main outcome measure was CRN, defined as self‐reported inability to afford prescribed medication within the past 12 months.

Results

During the period 1999 to 2010, 11.4% of stroke survivors, approximately 543,000 individuals, reported CRN. From 1999 to 2010, CRN more than doubled among stroke survivors aged 45 to 64 years (from 12.7 to 26.5%; ptrend = 0.01). CRN remained stable among those aged 65 years or older (from 3.8 to 7.0%; ptrend = 0.21). From 1999–2005 to 2006–2010, CRN among uninsured stroke survivors aged 45 to 64 years increased from 43.1 to 57.1% (p = 0.03). Among stroke survivors aged 65 years or older with Medicare coverage, CRN was higher among Medicare Part D participants than those without the drug benefit (7.9 vs 4.8%; p = 0.02). After adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical factors, CRN was similar among Medicare Part D enrollees and nonenrollees.

Interpretation

From 1999 to 2010, CRN increased significantly among stroke survivors younger than 65 years, particularly among those without health insurance. There was no evidence that Medicare Part D decreased CRN among stroke survivors with Medicare. ANN NEUROL 2013;73:180–188
Recovering neugebauer colorant reflectances and Ink‐spreading curves from printed color images
Authors: Bugnon Thomas , Hersch Roger D.
Published: February 2013

Spectral reflection prediction models, although effective, are impractical for certain industrial applications such as self‐calibrating devices and online monitoring because their calibration requires specific color‐constant calibration patches. Using the CMYK Ink‐Spreading enhanced Yule‐Nielsen‐modified Spectral Neugebauer model (IS‐YNSN), we propose a method to recover the colorant reflectances (Neugebauer primaries), the ink‐spreading curves, and the Yule‐Nielsen n‐value using only tiles extracted from printed color images. There is no prior knowledge about the reproduction device. Thanks to a set of constraints based on principal component analysis and the relationships between composed Neugebauer primaries and the ink transmittances, good approximations of the Neugebauer primaries are achieved. These approximations are then optimized, yielding an accurately calibrated IS‐YNSN model comparable to the one obtained by classical calibrations. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 39, 216–233, 2014; Published online 23 February 2013 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/col.21800
Scanning Probe Microscopy beyond Imaging: A General Tool for Quantitative Analysis
Authors: Liscio Andrea
Published: February 2013

A simple, fast and general approach for quantitative analysis of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) images is reported. As a proof of concept it is used to determine with a high degree of precision the value of observables such as 1) the height, 2) the flowing current and 3) the corresponding surface potential (SP) of flat nanostructures such as gold electrodes, organic semiconductor architectures and graphenic sheets. Despite histogram analysis, or frequency count (Fc), being the most common mathematical tool used to analyse SPM images, the analytical approach is still lacking. By using the mathematical relationship betweenFcand the collected data, the proposed method allows quantitative information on observable values close to the noise level to be gained. For instance, the thickness of nanostructures deposited on very rough substrates can be quantified, and this makes it possible to distinguish the contribution of an adsorbed nanostructure from that of the underlying substrate. Being non‐numerical, this versatile analytical approach is a useful and general tool for quantitative analysis of theFcthat enables all signals acquired and recorded by an SPM data array to be studied with high precision.
Sensitive Voltammetric Determination of Titanium(IV) in Catalytic Adsorptive Mandelic Acid‐Chlorate(V) System on Renewable Silver Amalgam Film Electrode
Authors: Piech Robert
Published: February 2013

The renewable mercury film electrode, applied for the determination of titanium(IV) ultratraces using differential pulse catalytic adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (DP CAdSV) in the presence of mandelic acid as a ligand and chlorate(V) as an oxidant is represented. The calibration graph obtained for Ti(IV) is linear from 0.05 nM (2.39 ng L−1) to 95 nM (4.55 µg L−1) for a preconcentration time of 30 s, with correlation coefficient of 0.9995. For the renewable mercury electrode (Hg(Ag)FE) with a surface area of 8.6 mm2 the detection limit for a preconcentration time of 180 s is as low as 0.006 nM (0.29 ng L−1). The repeatability of the method at a concentration level of the analyte as low as 23.9 ng L−1, expressed as RSD is 1.8 % (n=5). The proposed method was successfully applied and validated by studying the certified reference material NWTM‐26.3 and simultaneously recovery of Ti(IV) from spiked samples.
A Novel Photoelectrochemical Sensor for Bisphenol A with High Sensitivity and Selectivity Based on Surface Molecularly Imprinted Polypyrrole Modified TiO2 Nanotubes
Authors: Lu Bingjie , Liu Meichuan , Shi Huijie , Huang Xiaofeng , Zhao Guohua
Published: February 2013

A novel and simple photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor is proposed to detect endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) based on vertically aligned TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2 NTs) with surface molecularly imprinted polypyrrole (PPy) for the first time. The developed PEC analytical method towards BPA successfully overcomes the high oxidation overvoltage required in sole electrochemical (EC) method, which may lead to electrochemical polymerization of BPA and accumulation of intermediate products and then bring the passivation of the electrode. Under a very low potential (50 mV vs. SCE), a highly sensitive PEC response for BPA is obtained in the linear range from 4.5 to 108 nM with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 2.0 nM. Simultaneously, by combining the surface molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) technique with PEC method, specific recognition of BPA can be realized on the PEC sensor, even in coexisting systems containing 100‐fold concentration of other substances with similar structures or chemical properties, such as hydroquinone, 1‐naphthol or triphenylcarbino. The PEC sensor also presents good applicability and high stability in real water samples. The sensitive and selective recognition mechanisms are further discussed.
Dark inorganic carbon fixation sustains the functioning of benthic deep‐sea ecosystems
Authors: Molari Massimiliano , Manini Elena , Dell'Anno Antonio
Published: February 2013

Previous studies have provided evidence that dark inorganic carbon fixation is an important process for the functioning of the ocean interior. However, its quantitative relevance and ecological significance in benthic deep‐sea ecosystems remain unknown. We investigated the rates of inorganic carbon fixation together with prokaryotic abundance, biomass, assemblage composition, and heterotrophic carbon production in surface sediments of different benthic deep‐sea systems along the Iberian margin (northeastern Atlantic Ocean) and in the Mediterranean Sea. Inorganic carbon fixation rates in these surface deep‐sea sediments did not show clear depth‐related patterns, and, on average, they accounted for 19% of the total heterotrophic biomass production. The incorporation rates of inorganic carbon were significantly related to the abundance of total Archaea (as determined by catalyzed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization) and completely inhibited using an inhibitor of archaeal metabolism, N1‐guanyl‐1,7‐diaminoheptane. This suggests a major role of the archaeal assemblages in inorganic carbon fixation. We also show that benthic archaeal assemblages contribute approximately 25% of the total 3H‐leucine incorporation. Inorganic carbon fixation in surface deep‐sea sediments appears to be dependent not only upon chemosynthetic processes but also on heterotrophic/mixotrophic metabolism, as suggested by estimates of the chemolithotrophic energy requirements and the enhanced inorganic carbon fixation due to the increase in the availability of organic trophic resources. Overall, our data suggest that archaeal assemblages of surface deep‐sea sediments are responsible for the high rates of inorganic carbon incorporation and thereby sustain the functioning of the food webs as well as influence the carbon cycling of benthic deep‐sea ecosystems.