bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Natural IgM Anti-Leukocyte Autoantibodies Attenuate Excess Inflammation Mediated by Innate and Adaptive Immune Mechanisms Involving Th-17
Authors: Lobo Peter I. , Bajwa Amandeep , Schlegel Kailo H. , Vengal John , Lee Sang J. , Huang Liping , Ye Hong , Deshmukh Umesh , Wang Tong , Pei Hong , Okusa Mark D.
Published: January 2012

Little is known about the function of natural IgM autoantibodies, especially that of IgM anti-leukocyte autoantibodies (IgM-ALA). Natural IgM-ALA are present at birth and characteristically increase during inflammatory and infective conditions. Our prior clinical observations and those of other investigators showing fewer rejections in renal and cardiac allografts transplanted into recipients with high levels of IgM-ALA led us to investigate whether IgM-ALA regulate the inflammatory response. In this article, we show that IgM, in physiologic doses, inhibit proinflammatory cells from proliferating and producing IFN-γ and IL-17 in response to alloantigens (MLR), anti-CD3, and the glycolipid α-galactosyl ceramide. We showed in an IgM knockout murine model, with intact B cells and regulatory T cells, that there was more severe inflammation and loss of function in the absence of IgM after renal ischemia reperfusion injury and cardiac allograft rejection. Replenishing IgM in IgM knockout mice or increasing the levels of IgM-ALA in wild-type B6 mice significantly attenuated the inflammation in both of these inflammatory models that involve IFN-γ and IL-17. The protective effect on renal ischemia reperfusion injury was not observed using IgM preadsorbed with leukocytes to remove IgM-ALA. We provide data to show that the anti-inflammatory effect of IgM is mediated, in part, by inhibiting TLR-4–induced NF-κB translocation into the nucleus and inhibiting differentiation of activated T cells into Th-1 and Th-17 cells. These observations highlight the importance of IgM-ALA in regulating excess inflammation mediated by both innate and adaptive immune mechanisms and where the inflammatory response involves Th-17 cells that are not effectively regulated by regulatory T cells.
Some revisited results about composition operators on Hardy spaces
Authors: Lefèvre Pascal , Li Daniel , Queffélec Hervé , Rodríguez Piazza Luis
Published: January 2012

On the one hand, we generalize some results known for composition operators on Hardy spaces to the case of Hardy–Orlicz spaces

H^\Psi

: construction of a “slow” Blaschke product giving a non-compact composition operator on

H^\Psi

and yet “nowhere differentiable”; construction of a surjective symbol whose associated composition operator is compact on

H^\Psi

and is, moreover, in all Schatten classes

S_p (H^2)

,

p > 0

. On the other hand, we revisit the classical case of composition operators on

H^2

, giving first a new, and simpler, characterization of composition operators with closed range, and then showing directly the equivalence of the two characterizations of membership in Schatten classes of Luecking, and Luecking–Zhu.
Endpoint estimates for first-order Riesz transforms associated to the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck operator
Authors: Mauceri Giancarlo , Meda Stefano , Sjögren Peter
Published: January 2012

In the setting of Euclidean space with the Gaussian measure

\gamma

, we consider all first-order Riesz transforms associated to the infinitesimal generator of the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck semigroup. These operators are known to be bounded on

L^p(\gamma)

, for

1< p< \infty

. We determine which of them are bounded from

H^1(\gamma)

to

L^1(\gamma)

and from

L^\infty(v)

to BMO(

\gamma

). Here

H^1(\gamma)

and BMO(

\gamma

) are the spaces introduced in this setting by the first two authors. Surprisingly, we find that the results depend on the dimension of the ambient space.
Boundary uniqueness of harmonic functions and spectral subspaces of operator groups
Authors: Borichev Alexander , Tomilov Yuri
Published: January 2012

We obtain new uniqueness theorems for harmonic functions defined on the unit disc or in the half plane. These results are applied to obtain new resolvent descriptions of spectral subspaces of polynomially bounded groups of operators on Banach spaces.
Functions of class $C^1$ subject to a Legendre condition in an enhanced density set
Authors: Delladio Silvano
Published: January 2012

We investigate certain second-order differential properties of functions and forms of class

C^1

at the points around which a suitable Legendrian condition is “very densely verified”. In particular we provide a generalization of the classical identity

d^2=0

on differential forms and some results about second-order osculating properties of graphs. Particular emphasis is placed on the case when the condition is verified in a locally finite perimeter set. A conjecture about the

C^2

-rectifiability of the horizontal projection of a Legendrian rectifiable set is discussed.
Sharp extension theorems and Falconer distance problems for algebraic curves in two dimensional vector spaces over finite fields
Authors: Koh Doowon , Shen Chun-Yen
Published: January 2012

In this paper we study extension theorems associated with general varieties in two dimensional vector spaces over finite fields. Applying Bezout’s theorem, we obtain the sufficient and necessary conditions on general curves where sharp

L^p

-

L^r

extension estimates hold. Our main result can be considered as a nice generalization of works by Mockenhaupt and Tao in [17] and Iosevich and Koh in [10]. As an application of our sharp extension estimates, we also study the Falconer distance problems in two dimensions.
Tree-like decompositions of simply connected domains
Authors: Bishop Christopher J.
Published: January 2012

We show that any simply connected rectifiable domain

Ω

can be decomposed into Lipschitz crescents using only crosscuts of the domain and using total length bounded by a multiple of the length of

∂Ω

. In particular, this gives a new proof of a theorem of Peter Jones that such a domain can be decomposed into Lipschitz domains.
On positive harmonic functions in cones and cylinders
Authors: Ancona Alano
Published: January 2012

We first consider a question raised by Alexander Eremenko and show that if

\Omega

is an arbitrary connected open cone in

\mathbb{R}^d

, then any two positive harmonic functions in

\Omega

that vanish on

\partial \Omega

must be proportional – an already known fact when

\Omega

has a Lipschitz basis or more generally a John basis. It is also shown however that when

d \geq 4

, there can be more than one Martin point at infinity for the cone though non-tangential convergence to the canonical Martin point at infinity always holds. In contrast, when

d \leq 3

, the Martin point at infinity is unique for every cone. These properties connected with the dimension are related to well-known results of M. Cranston and T. R. McConnell about the lifetime of conditioned Brownian motions in planar domains and also to subsequent results by R. Bañuelos and B. Davis. We also investigate the nature of the Martin points arising at infinity as well as the effects on the Martin boundary resulting from the existence of John cuts in the basis of the cone or from other regularity assumptions. The main results together with their proofs extend to cylinders

\mathcal{C}_Y(\Sigma )= { \mathbb R} \times \Sigma

(where

\Sigma

is a relatively compact region of a manifold

M

), equipped with a suitable second order elliptic operator.
Impact of January 2005 solar proton events on chlorine species
Authors: Damiani A. , Funke B. , Marsh D. R. , López-Puertas M. , Santee M. L. , Froidevaux L. , Wang S. , Jackman C. H. , von Clarmann T. , Gardini A. , Cordero R. R. , Storini M.
Published: January 2012

Abstract. Sudden changes in stratospheric chlorine species in the polar northern atmosphere, caused by the Solar Proton Events (SPEs) of 17 and 20 January 2005, have been investigated and compared with version 4 of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM4). We used Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) measurements to monitor the variability of ClO, HCl, HOCl and Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounder (MIPAS) on ENVISAT to retrieve ClONO2. SPE-induced chlorine activation has been identified. HCl decrease occurred at nearly all the investigated altitudes with the lowest values (of less than 0.25 ppbv) on 21 January. HOCl was found to be the main active chlorine species under nighttime conditions (with increases of more than 0.2 ppbv) whereas both HOCl and ClO enhancements (about 0.1 ppbv) have been observed at the polar night terminator. Further, small ClO decreases (of less than 0.1 ppbv) and ClONO2 enhancements (about 0.2 ppbv) have been observed at higher latitudes (i.e., at nighttime) roughly above 2 hPa. While WACCM4 reproduces most of the SPE-induced variability in the chlorine species fairly well, in some particular regions discrepancies between the modeled and measured temporal evolution of the abundances of chlorine species were found. HOCl changes are modelled very well with respect to both magnitude and geographic distribution. ClO decreases are reproduced at high latitudes, whereas ClO enhancements in the terminator region are underestimated and attributed to background variations. WACCM4 also reproduces the HCl depletion in the mesosphere but it does not show the observed decrease below about 2 hPa. Finally, WACCM4 simulations indicate that the observed ClONO2 increase is dominated by background variability, although SPE-induced production might contribute by 0.1 ppbv.
Impact of oceanic processes on the carbon cycle during the last termination
Authors: Bouttes N. , Paillard D. , Roche D. M. , Waelbroeck C. , Kageyama M. , Lourantou A. , Michel E. , Bopp L.
Published: January 2012

Abstract. During the last termination (from ~18 000 years ago to ~9000 years ago), the climate significantly warmed and the ice sheets melted. Simultaneously, atmospheric CO2 increased from ~190 ppm to ~260 ppm. Although this CO2 rise plays an important role in the deglacial warming, the reasons for its evolution are difficult to explain. Only box models have been used to run transient simulations of this carbon cycle transition, but by forcing the model with data constrained scenarios of the evolution of temperature, sea level, sea ice, NADW formation, Southern Ocean vertical mixing and biological carbon pump. More complex models (including GCMs) have investigated some of these mechanisms but they have only been used to try and explain LGM versus present day steady-state climates. In this study we use a coupled climate-carbon model of intermediate complexity to explore the role of three oceanic processes in transient simulations: the sinking of brines, stratification-dependent diffusion and iron fertilization. Carbonate compensation is accounted for in these simulations. We show that neither iron fertilization nor the sinking of brines alone can account for the evolution of CO2, and that only the combination of the sinking of brines and interactive diffusion can simultaneously simulate the increase in deep Southern Ocean δ13C. The scenario that agrees best with the data takes into account all mechanisms and favours a rapid cessation of the sinking of brines around 18 000 years ago, when the Antarctic ice sheet extent was at its maximum. In this scenario, we make the hypothesis that sea ice formation was then shifted to the open ocean where the salty water is quickly mixed with fresher water, which prevents deep sinking of salty water and therefore breaks down the deep stratification and releases carbon from the abyss. Based on this scenario, it is possible to simulate both the amplitude and timing of the long-term CO2 increase during the last termination in agreement with ice core data. The atmospheric δ13C appears to be highly sensitive to changes in the terrestrial biosphere, underlining the need to better constrain the vegetation evolution during the termination.
A three-dimensional full Stokes model of the grounding line dynamics: effect of a pinning point beneath the ice shelf
Authors: Favier L. , Gagliardini O. , Durand G. , Zwinger T.
Published: January 2012

Abstract. The West Antarctic ice sheet is confined by a large area of ice shelves, fed by inland ice through fast flowing ice streams. The dynamics of the grounding line, which is the line-boundary between grounded ice and the downstream ice shelf, has a major influence on the dynamics of the whole ice sheet. However, most ice sheet models use simplifications of the flow equations, as they do not include all the stress components, and are known to fail in their representation of the grounding line dynamics. Here, we present a 3-D full Stokes model of a marine ice sheet, in which the flow problem is coupled with the evolution of the upper and lower free surfaces, and the position of the grounding line is determined by solving a contact problem between the shelf/sheet lower surface and the bedrock. Simulations are performed using the open-source finite-element code Elmer/Ice within a parallel environment. The model's ability to cope with a curved grounding line and the effect of a pinning point beneath the ice shelf are investigated through prognostic simulations. Starting from a steady state, the sea level is slightly decreased to create a contact point between a seamount and the ice shelf. The model predicts a dramatic decrease of the shelf velocities, leading to an advance of the grounding line until both grounded zones merge together, during which an ice rumple forms above the contact area at the pinning point. Finally, we show that once the contact is created, increasing the sea level to its initial value does not release the pinning point and has no effect on the ice dynamics, indicating a stabilising effect of pinning points.
Brunfelsia australis (Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow Tree) and Solanum Poisoning in a Dog
Authors: Clipsham Robert
Published: January 2012

A 2.5 yr old female beagle presented for acute abdominal pain and vomiting after consuming limited offerings of green potato skins. Progressive complications associated with suspected ingestion of a higher potency toxin followed within 5 hr. Subsequent investigations revealed a significant ingestion of an Australian shrub commonly called a “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” tree (Brunfelsia australis). The toxic principle for this emerging toxicity is referred to as “strychnine-like” and is potentially lethal with gastrointestinal, central nervous system, and cardiac pathology. This plant is currently being aggressively promoted by United States nurserymen for its dramatic tri-colored blooms and drought resistance.
The Effect of a Working Memory Load on the Intention‐Superiority Effect: Examining Three Features of Automaticity
Authors: Penningroth Suzanna L. , Graf Peter , Gray Jennifer M.
Published: January 2012

The intention‐superiority effect refers to the finding that intentions are more accessible than other memory contents. Our primary goal was to test for automatic processing in this effect, testing three features of automaticity: unintentionality, effortlessness, and lack of awareness. We used a postponed‐intention paradigm with short action scripts. The intention‐superiority effect was defined as greater accessibility in a lexical decision task (LDT) for words from to‐be‐performed scripts than to‐be‐remembered scripts. Working memory load was experimentally manipulated to assess automatic processing. A general intention‐superiority effect was found, demonstrating the automatic feature of unintentionality, and it was not diminished by a high load, demonstrating the automatic feature of effortlessness. Also, participants who reported that they lacked awareness of the link between the LDT and encoded scripts showed a larger intention‐superiority effect than participants who were aware. Therefore, this study demonstrated an implicit intention‐superiority effect, which was actually larger than the explicit effect. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
What is a City?
Authors: Williams Austin
Published: January 2012

On the 75th anniversary of Lewis Mumford's rhetorical essay ‘What is a City?’, Austin Williams asks whether we risk defining cities out of existence. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Safe and Effective Ag Nanoparticles Immobilized Antimicrobial NanoNonwovens
Authors: Song Jie , Chen Menglin , Regina Viduthalai R. , Wang Chenxuan , Meyer Rikke L. , Xie Erqing , Wang Chen , Besenbacher Flemming , Dong Mingdong
Published: January 2012

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with large surface‐to‐volume ratio have been widely studied as a valuable material for their strong antimicrobial effect. However, the practical applications of AgNPs in health care and water purification are often hampered by the concern of their toxicity and possibility of introduction of secondary pollution. Here, we present a novel strategy to produce a safe and effective antimicrobial nanononwoven material by immobilizing AgNPs on a rigid polymer nanofibrous matrix through simple co‐electrospinning of pre‐prepaired AgNPs and polystyrene (PS). Distribution of the AgNPs on the surface of PS fibers was achieved by tuning fiber diameters during electrospinning. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis revealed that the AgNPs distributed at the fiber surface were still covered by a layer of polymer, which inhibited their antimicrobial activity. UV/ozone treatment was thus employed to degrade the polymer coating without loosening the AgNPs, resulting in an active antimicrobial nonwoven against Gram‐positive Staphylococcus xylosus. The mechanism based on cellular uptake of silver ions via close contact to the surface of AgNPs is proposed. The novel nanononwoven retains the enhanced antimicrobial activities from nanofeatured AgNPs without detectable AgNPs leaching, which holds great potential for safe and recyclable use.
Anionic polymerization of MMA initiated by organolithium/cuprum diphenylphosphide (Ph2PCu) and synthesis of its block copolymer
Authors: Lu Jianmin , Huang Zengbiao , Han Bingyong , Wu Yixian , Yang Wangtai
Published: January 2012

Organolithium/cuprum diphenylphosphide (Ph2PCu) was used as a novel initiator to polymerize methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at −50 to −10°C. The polymerizations initiated by n‐BuLi/Ph2PCu, Ph2PCu/Li (Ip)3‐6Li/Ph2PCu, and PSLi/Ph2PCu were studied in detail. The polymerization of alkyl methacrylate initiated by n‐BuLi/Ph2PCu showed a narrow molecular weight distribution (MWD) (1.08–1.25) and 100% initiation efficiency. The experimental number average molecular weight increased linearly with increasing [MMA]/[n‐BuLi/Ph2PCu]. After the second monomer addition, the molecular weight increased proportionally while the MWD remained constantly narrow. These results reveal partial living characteristics. Ph2PCu/Li (Ip)3‐6Li/Ph2PCu showed a similar behavior and was used to prepare PGMA‐b‐PBMA‐b‐PMMA‐b‐PBMA‐b‐PGMA successfully. The initiation efficiency of n‐BuLi/Ph2PCu for styrene was low. The macromolecular initiator PSLi/Ph2PCu was prepared and PS‐b‐PMMA with a narrow distribution was synthesized. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Cellulose/PEO blends with enhanced water absorption and retention functionality
Authors: Asghar Ali , Samad Yarjan Abdul , Hashaikeh Raed
Published: January 2012

This study introduces a novel biodegradable material produced from processing cellulose and regenerating it in aqueous high‐molecular‐weight polyethylene oxide (PEO). X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopic analysis show that the blend is highly amorphous and contains a networked structure of cellulose with packets of PEO encapsulated within the network. Thermal analysis shows that the water loss from the blend is much slower than that from cotton at temperatures above the boiling point of water, which proves enhanced water absorption and retention properties of the material. It is found that when the material is mixed with sand, up to 1% by weight, the amount of time of water retention in sand increases more than three times. Because of this characteristic, it could be used to improve water storage and availability in sandy soils and to reduce irrigation costs in arid climates. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Distribution of Oxytocin‐ and Vasopressin‐Immunoreactive Neurons in the Brain of the Eusocial Mole Rat (Fukomys anselli)
Authors: Valesky Eva Maria , Burda Hynek , Kaufmann Roland , Oelschläger Helmut H.A.
Published: January 2012

Fukomys anselli, also known as Ansell's mole rat, is a subterranean, highly social (so‐called eusocial) rodent that lives in Africa. These mole rats typically form multigenerational families consisting of a single monogamous breeding pair and their nonreproductive offspring. Research on other mammals suggests that oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) as well as the distribution of OT‐ and VP‐receptors may influence social behavior and pair bonding. Recent studies on eusocial naked mole rats have shown a possible relation between sociality and OT‐immunoreactive (OT‐ir) processes. In this study, we examined expression patterns of OT and VP in the brains of F. anselli and the common Sprague‐Dawley (SD) laboratory rat. As in other species, the majority of OT‐ir and VP‐ir neurons was found in the paraventricular (Pa) and supraoptic (SO) nuclei, and scattered labeling throughout the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic areas. We found no difference in either quality or quantity of OT‐ and VP‐ir neurons between individuals of different social and reproductive ranks. Equally unexpected was the finding of specific OT‐immunoreactivity in neurons of the mammillary complex of F. anselli that was not found in SD rats. Further studies are needed to determine whether these mammillary OT‐ir neurons are causally related to monogamy in F. anselli and whether these correlates of monogamy are found in other species. Anat Rec, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis and Characterization of Two Formyl 2‐Tetrazenes
Authors: Delalu Henri , Sabaté Carlos Miró
Published: January 2012

The synthesis of two formyl 2‐tetrazenes, namely, (E)‐1‐formyl‐1,4,4‐trimethyl‐2‐tetrazene (2) and (E)‐1,4‐diformyl‐1,4‐dimethyl‐2‐tetrazene (3), by oxidation of (E)‐1,1,4,4‐tetramethyl‐2‐tetrazene (1) using potassium permanganate in acetone solution is presented. Compound 3 was also synthesized in an improved yield from the oxidation of 1‐formyl‐1‐methylhydrazine (4a) using potassium permanganate in acetone. Both compounds 2 and 3 were characterized by analytical (elemental analysis, GC‐MS) and spectroscopic methods (1H, 13C, and 15N NMR spectroscopy, and IR and Raman spectroscopy). In addition, the solid‐state structures of the compounds were confirmed by low‐temperature X‐ray analysis. (Compound 2: triclinic; space group P‐1; a=5.997(1) Å, b=8.714(1) Å, c=13.830(2) Å; α=107.35(1)°, β=90.53(1)°, γ=103.33(1)°; VUC=668.9(2) Å3; Z=4; ρcalc=1.292 cm−3. Compound 3: monoclinic; space group P21/c; a=5.840(2) Å, b=7.414(3) Å, c=8.061(2) Å; β=100.75(3)°; VUC=342(2) Å3; Z=2; ρcalc=1.396 g cm−3.) The vibrational frequencies of compounds 2 and 3 were calculated using the B3LYP method with a 6‐311+G(d,p) basis set. We also computed the natural bond orbital (NBO) charges using the rMP2/aug‐cc‐pVDZ method and the heats of formation were determined on the basis of their electronic energies. Furthermore, the thermal stabilities of these compounds, as well as their sensitivity towards classical stimuli, were also assessed by differential scanning calorimetry and standard BAM tests, respectively. Lastly, the attempted synthesis of (E)‐1,2,3,4‐tetraformyl‐2‐tetrazene (6) is also discussed.
The Metal Core Structures in the Recombinant Escherichia coli Transcriptional Factor SoxR
Authors: Lo Feng‐Chun , Lee Jyh‐Fu , Liaw Wen‐Feng , Hsu I.‐Jui , Tsai Yi‐Fang , Chan Sunney I. , Yu Steve S.‐F.
Published: January 2012

X‐ray absorption, circular dichroism, and EPR spectroscopy were employed to investigate the metal‐core structures in the Escherichia coli transcriptional factor SoxR under reduced, oxidized, and nitrosylated conditions. The spectroscopic data revealed that the coordination environments of the metal active centers varied only very slightly between the reduced and oxidized states, similar to most other proteins containing iron–sulfur clusters. Upon nitrosylation of oxidized SoxR, however, we observed a low‐temperature EPR spectrum characteristic of a protein dinitrosyl iron complex (DNIC), with an intensity corresponding to about two DNICs per iron sulfur cluster in the protein, according to spin quantification relative to a low‐molecular‐weight DNIC standard. In addition, there was no evidence for dichroic spectral features in the responsive region of the nitrosyl iron complexes, as well as for FeFe back‐scattering in the fitting of the Fe extended X‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectrum. Instead the Fe EXAFS spectrum of the nitrosylated SoxR core exhibited the same first‐ and second‐shell coordination environments characteristic of modeled small molecular DNICs, indicating that each of the [2 Fe2 S] cores in the homodimeric SoxR was dissociated into two individual DNICs. Similar nitrosylation of the reduced mixed‐valence SoxR for 1 min led to degradation of the iron–sulfur clusters to give several iron species, including one with EPR signals characteristic of a reduced Roussin’s red ester (rRRE), a diamagnetic species, presumably Roussin’s red ester (RRE), and a small amount of DNIC. We also undertook in vivo time‐course studies of E. coli cells containing recombinant SoxR after rapid purging of the cells with exogenous NO gas. Rapid freeze‐quenched EPR experiments demonstrated rapid formation of the SoxR rRRE species, followed by fast breakup of this precursor intermediate to form the stable protein‐bound DNIC species. Accordingly, under nitrosative stress, we believe that the response of SoxR to NO could depend on the intracellular redox state of E. coli, the central modulator of which could be exploited to deduce the appropriate mechanism to sense the presence of NO for physiological regulation.
Coordination Chemistry and Reactivity of Zinc Complexes Supported by a Phosphido Pincer Ligand
Authors: D'Auria Ilaria , Lamberti Marina , Mazzeo Mina , Milione Stefano , Roviello Giuseppina , Pellecchia Claudio
Published: January 2012

The preparation and characterization of new ZnII complexes of the type [(PPP)ZnR] in which R=Et (1) or N(SiMe3)2 (2) and PPP is a tridentate monoanionic phosphido ligand (PPP‐H=bis(2‐diphenylphosphinophenyl)phosphine) are reported. Reaction of ZnEt2 and Zn[N(SiMe3)2]2 with one equivalent of proligand PPP‐H produced the corresponding tetrahedral zinc ethyl (1) and zinc amido (2) complexes in high yield. Homoleptic (PPP)2Zn complex 3 was obtained by reaction of the precursors with two equivalents of the proligand. Structural characterization of 1–3 was achieved by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, and 31P) and X‐ray crystallography (3). Variable‐temperature 1H and 31P NMR studies highlighted marked flexibility of the phosphido pincer ligand in coordination at the metal center. A DFT calculation on the compounds provided theoretical support for this behavior. The activities of 1 and 2 toward the ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone and of L‐ and rac‐lactide were investigated, also in combination with an alcohol as external chain‐transfer agent. Polyesters with controlled molecular parameters (Mn, end groups) and low polydispersities were obtained. A DFT study on ring‐opening polymerization promoted by these complexes highlighted the importance of the coordinative flexibility of the ancillary ligand to promote monomer coordination at the reactive zinc center. Preliminary investigations showed the ability of these complexes to promote copolymerization of L‐lactide and ε‐caprolactone to achieve random copolymers whose microstructure reproduces the composition of the monomer feed.
One‐Handed Helical Screw Direction of Homopeptide Foldamer Exclusively Induced by Cyclic α‐Amino Acid Side‐Chain Chiral Centers
Authors: Demizu Yosuke , Doi Mitsunobu , Kurihara Masaaki , Maruyama Tokumi , Suemune Hiroshi , Tanaka Masakazu
Published: January 2012

Chiral cyclic α,α‐disubstituted amino acids, (3S,4S)‐ and (3R,4R)‐1‐amino‐3,4‐(dialkoxy)cyclopentanecarboxylic acids ((S,S)‐ and (R,R)‐Ac5cdOR; R: methyl, methoxymethyl), were synthesized from dimethyl L‐(+)‐ or D‐(−)‐tartrate, and their homochiral homoligomers were prepared by solution‐phase methods. The preferred secondary structure of the (S,S)‐Ac5cdOMe hexapeptide was a left‐handed (M) 310 helix, whereas those of the (S,S)‐Ac5cdOMe octa‐ and decapeptides were left‐handed (M) α helices, both in solution and in the crystal state. The octa‐ and decapeptides can be well dissolved in pure water and are more α helical in water than in 2,2,2‐trifluoroethanol solution. The left‐handed (M) helices of the (S,S)‐Ac5cdOMe homochiral homopeptides were exclusively controlled by the side‐chain chiral centers, because the cyclic amino acid (S,S)‐Ac5cdOMe does not have an α‐carbon chiral center but has side‐chain γ‐carbon chiral centers.
Determination of the Absolute Configuration of Peptide Natural Products by Using Stable Isotope Labeling and Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Bode Helge B. , Reimer Daniela , Fuchs Sebastian W. , Kirchner Ferdinand , Dauth Christina , Kegler Carsten , Lorenzen Wolfram , Brachmann Alexander O. , Grün Peter
Published: January 2012

Structure elucidation of natural products including the absolute configuration is a complex task that involves different analytical methods like mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, and chemical derivation, which are usually performed after the isolation of the compound of interest. Here, a combination of stable isotope labeling of Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus strains and their transaminase mutants followed by detailed MS analysis enabled the structure elucidation of novel cyclopeptides named GameXPeptides including their absolute configuration in crude extracts without their actual isolation.
Microencapsulation of Aluminum Particles in a High‐Pressure Fluidized Bed Reactor
Authors: Kröber Hartmut , Prinner Michael , Klinger Andreas , Neutz Jochen , Teipel Ulrich
Published: January 2012

Für die Beschichtung nanoskaliger Partikeln wurde eine Hochdruckwirbelschichtanlage konzipiert und aufgebaut. Als Fluidisierungsmedium wurde verdichtetes Kohlendioxid verwendet, das Beschichtungsmaterial wurde als Lösung in überkritischem CO2 in die Wirbelschicht eingebracht. Untersucht wurde neben den Fluidisierungseigenschaften verschiedener Materialien auch der Aerosolbildungsprozess unter erhöhten Drücken. Erste Beschichtungsversuche von feinen Aluminiumpartikeln mit Wachsen und Trinitrotoluol konnten erfolgreich durchgeführt werden.
Stabilization of Water‐Insoluble Drugs by Aqueous Solutions Containing a Stabilizing Agent
Authors: Türk Michael , Bolten Dennis , Teubner Nina
Published: January 2012

Das RESSAS‐Verfahren (rapid expansion of supercritical solutions into aqueous solution) bietet die Möglichkeit, schwer in Wasser lösliche Wirkstoffe bei moderaten Bedingungen in einer wässrigen Schutzkolloidlösung zu stabilisieren. Zunächst werden in einem kurzen Überblick die Ergebnisse bisheriger Untersuchungen zur Stabilisierung der Modellwirkstoffe Phytosterol, Ibuprofen und Naproxen mit unterschiedlichen Schutzkolloiden erläutert. Anschließend werden die Ergebnisse zum Einfluss unterschiedlicher Schutzkolloide auf den Kontaktwinkel zwischen Feststoffoberfläche und wässriger Schutzkolloidlösung vorgestellt.
Elevated Admission Microalbuminuria Predicts Poor Myocardial Blood Flow and 6‐Month Mortality in ST‐Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Chen Jia Wei , Wang Yong Liang , Li Hong Wei
Published: January 2012

Background:

Microalbuminuria (MA) is considered a major risk factor predisposing to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by MA have been well described. However, data regarding admission MA and coronary and myocardial flow are scant. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of admission MA on coronary blood flow and prognosis in ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary PCI.

Hypothesis:

Did elevated admission microalbuminuria predict poor myocardial blood flow and 6‐month mortality in ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention?

Methods:

A total of 247 patients undergoing primary PCI for STEMI within 12 hours after symptom onset were studied. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to admission urinary albumin extraction rate (UAER): (1) an MA group (UAER 20–200 µg/min), and (2) a normoalbuminuria (NA) group (UAER < 20 µg/min).

Results:

Microalbuminuria was observed in 108 patients. Univariate analyses showed statistical differences between the NA and MA groups in serum creatine level, plasma glucose level, and peak creatine kinase level on presentation. Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grades (TFGs) 0–2 in the MA group were more frequent (9.4% vs 21.2%, P < 0.05) than in the NA group, and corrected TIMI frame count was higher (23.9 ± 18.5 vs 29.8 ± 23.5, P < 0.05). Admission MA was an independent predictor of poor myocardial perfusion (adjusted relative risk: 3.14, 95% confidence interval: 0.99–6.78) and a higher rate of 6‐month mortality in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI (adjusted relative risk: 1.58, 95% confidence interval: 0.74–3.39).

Conclusions:

Admission MA levels are associated with impaired myocardial flow and poor prognosis in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The authors have no funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.
Inverse Relation of Total Serum Bilirubin to Coronary Artery Calcification Score Detected by Multidetector Computed Tomography in Males
Authors: Zhang Zheng‐Yun , Bian Lu‐Qin , Kim Sung‐Joo , Zhou Cai‐Cun , Choi Yoon‐Ho
Published: January 2012

Background:

Serum total bilirubin has been suggested to have potential anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant effects on the vasculature, acting against plaque formation and subsequent atherosclerosis. This study was designed to assess the association of serum total bilirubin with coronary artery calcification (CAC).

Hypothesis:

Individuals with higher bilirubin level would be less likely to develop CAC.

Methods:

Male subjects (N = 3408) underwent evaluation of CAC by cardiac computed tomography. Correlation and logistic regression analysis were performed to assess the relationships between CAC score and other variables.

Results:

Subjects with a higher CAC score had significantly lower total bilirubin level (P = 0.001). Total bilirubin level was negatively correlated with CAC score (r = −0.052, P = 0.002). A 0.1‐mg/dL increase in bilirubin was associated with a reduced odds ratio (OR) of the risk by 29.2% for a CAC score above 100 (OR: 0.708, 95% confidence interval: 0.542‐0.927, P = 0.012) after adjustment for several variables. Bilirubin was inversely correlated with high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) (r = −0.117, P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

This study demonstrated an independent inverse association between serum total bilirubin and CAC score in males. Low serum bilirubin concentration would be useful as a potential risk factor for CAC in males. Additionally, reduced hsCRP may be 1 of the mechanisms for how bilirubin reduces CAC. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article.

Zheng‐Yun Zhang, MD, and Lu‐Qin Bian, MD, contributed equally to this work.

The authors have no funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.
Structure–Activity Relationships for Negative Allosteric mGluR5 Modulators
Authors: Kaae Birgitte H. , Harpsøe Kasper , Kvist Trine , Mathiesen Jesper M. , Mølck Christina , Gloriam David , Jimenez Hermogenes N. , Uberti Michelle A. , Nielsen Søren M. , Nielsen Birgitte , Bräuner‐Osborne Hans , Sauerberg Per , Clausen Rasmus P. , Madsen Ulf
Published: January 2012

A series of compounds based on the mGluR5‐selective ligand 2‐methyl‐6‐(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP) were designed and synthesized. The compounds were found to be either structural analogues of MPEP, substituted monomers, or dimeric analogues. All compounds retained mGluR5 selectivity with only weak or no activity at other mGluRs or iGluRs. The substituted analogue, 1,3‐bis(pyridin‐2‐ylethynyl)benzene (19), is a potent negative modulator at mGluR5, whereas all other compounds lost potency relative to MPEP and showed that activity is highly dependent on the position of the nitrogen atom in the pyridine moieties. A homology modeling and ligand docking study was used to understand the binding mode and the observed selectivity of compound 19.
Synthesis and Stability of Highly Crystalline and Stable Iron/Iron Oxide Core/Shell Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Cheong Soshan , Ferguson Peter , Hermans Ian F. , Jameson Guy N. L. , Prabakar Sujay , Herman David A. J. , Tilley Richard D.
Published: January 2012

Biocompatible iron nanoparticles exhibiting a high magnetic moment are potentially useful for a variety of biomedical applications. However, once exposed to air, iron nanoparticles partially oxidize, effectively reducing their magnetic performance. Here, near‐monodisperse iron nanocrystals were synthesized and oxidized on the surface to form iron/iron oxide core/shell nanoparticles. The presence of excess stabilizers was shown to stabilize the core/shell nanoparticles, thus preventing further oxidation. The advantage of these core/shell nanoparticles in biomedicine, is shown by greater cellular MRI contrast enhancement compared to pure iron oxides without increase in cytotoxicity.
Optimization of solvent extracted melon seed oil using RSM
Authors: Akinoso Rahman , Oni Peter Oluwaseyi
Published: January 2012

Effect of roasting temperature and roasting duration on oil yield (OY) and quality of melon seed (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.) was studied using RSM. Five levels of roasting temperature (87.6, 100, 130, 160, and 172.4°C) and duration (12.9, 15, 20, 25, and 27.1 min) considered. Quality parameters determined were specific gravity (SG), color (CO), free fatty acid (FFA), and anisidine value (AV). Recorded range of OY, SG, CO, FFA, and AV were 44.0–67.5%, 0.9–1.0, and 13.1–94.0 abs, 1.7–5.3%, and 3.9–28.2 mg/L, respectively. The variables have significant effect (p<0.05) on all the responses with exception of SG. Coefficients of determination ($R^{2} $) of predictive equations for OY, CO, FFA, and AV were 0.79, 0.97, 0.95, and 0.95, respectively. Optimum roasting temperature and duration were 133.06°C and 20.19 min, respectively. These gave 63.5% OY, 0.9 SG, 13.1 abs CO, 1.7% FFA, and 3.4 mg/L AV.

Practical applications: Melon seeds contain about 60% edible oil. Optimization of the process parameters (heating duration temperature) will enhance high OY with good quality. Models developed in this study can be useful for producers of oil extraction equipment and potential investors into commercial production of the oil.
Saltwater intrusion modelling in Jorf coastal aquifer, South‐eastern Tunisia: geochemical, geoelectrical and geostatistical application
Authors: Agoubi Belgacem , Kharroubi Adel , Abida Habib
Published: January 2012

Marine intrusion is the most serious problem facing the coastal Jorf shallow aquifer, located in south‐eastern Tunisia on the Mediterranean Sea. Jorf Aquifer is intensively exploited to supply the growing needs of agriculture and domestic sectors. This work proposes a multidisciplinary investigation, involving hydro‐geochemical, geoelectrical survey and geostatistical techniques for modelling the saltwater intrusion. For this purpose, 36 water samples were conducted and analysed. Electric conductivity, pH, total dissolved solids and major ions were measured and analysed. Pie and Durov Diagrams, Q‐mode hierarchical cluster and geostatistical analysis were considered to identify the main groundwater mineralization processes. Results revealed that the Na‐Cl‐Ca‐SO4 is the dominant water type suggesting that dissolution of halite and gypsum was the main mineralization source of groundwater in the central and southern part of study area. However, saltwater intrusion was shown to control groundwater quality essentially in coastal areas. Variographic analyses were used to select the variographic model that best fits the spatial development of apparent resistivity. Kriged apparent resistivity profiles showed an abnormal decrease of resistivity values in the coastal zone, implying highly saline water because of seawater intrusion. Apparent resistivity values also decrease considerably in the faulted areas, suggesting a contribution of faults to seawater intrusion. Finally, saltwater mixing ratio was computed for each sample, and a refined seawater intrusion map was developed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of climate change on 24‐h design rainfall depth estimation in Qiantang River Basin, East China
Authors: Xu Yue‐Ping , Zhang Xujie , Tian Ye
Published: January 2012

The frequency and magnitude of extreme meteorological or hydrological events such as floods and droughts in China have been influenced by global climate change. The water problem due to increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme events in the humid areas has gained great attention in recent years. However, the main challenge in the evaluation of climate change impact on extreme events is that large uncertainty could exist. Therefore, this paper first aims to model possible impacts of climate change on regional extreme precipitation (indicated by 24‐h design rainfall depth) at seven rainfall gauge stations in the Qiantang River Basin, East China. The Long Ashton Research Station‐Weather Generator is adopted to downscale the global projections obtained from general circulation models (GCMs) to regional climate data at site scale. The weather generator is also checked for its performance through three approaches, namely Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, comparison of L‐moment statistics and 24‐h design rainfall depths. Future 24‐h design rainfall depths at seven stations are estimated using Pearson Type III distribution and L‐moment approach. Second, uncertainty caused by three GCMs under various greenhouse gas emission scenarios for the future periods 2020s (2011–2030), 2055s (2046–2065) and 2090s (2080–2099) is investigated. The final results show that 24‐h design rainfall depth increases in most stations under the three GCMs and emission scenarios. However, there are large uncertainties involved in the estimations of 24‐h design rainfall depths at seven stations because of GCM, emission scenario and other uncertainty sources. At Hangzhou Station, a relative change of −16% to 113% can be observed in 100y design rainfall depths. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
INEQUALITY AND GROWTH: ANOTHER LOOK WITH A NEW MEASURE AND METHOD
Authors: Malinen Tuomas
Published: January 2012

Recent empirical research on the relationship between income inequality and economic growth has provided controversial results. Some studies predict a negative effect of inequality on growth and some a positive effect. Answers to the controversy have usually been sought in the problems of the estimation technique, the measure of inequality or in some form of non‐linearity in the relationship between inequality and growth. This study accounts for these problems by using an improved measure of income distribution and a parametric group‐related panel estimation. In conclusion, we find that the effect of inequality is likely to be non‐linear. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The influence of Co–Cr and UHMWPE particles on infection persistence: An in vivo study in mice
Authors: Hosman Anton H. , Bulstra Sjoerd K. , Sjollema Jelmer , van der Mei Henny C. , Busscher Henk J. , Neut Daniëlle
Published: January 2012

Wear of metal‐on‐metal (cobalt–chromium, Co–Cr particles) and metal‐on‐polyethylene (ultra‐high‐molecular‐weight polyethylene, UHMWPE particles) bearing surfaces in hip prostheses is a major problem in orthopedics. This study aimed to compare the influence of Co–Cr and UHMWPE particles on the persistence of infection. Bioluminescent Staphylococcus aureus Xen36 were injected in air pouches prepared in subcutaneous tissue of immuno‐competent BALB/c mice (control), as a model for the joint space, in the absence or presence of Co–Cr or UHMWPE particles. Bioluminescence was monitored longitudinally up to 21 days, corrected for absorption and reflection by the particles and expressed relative to the bioluminescence found in the presence of staphylococci only. After termination, air pouch fluid and air pouch membrane were cultured and histologically analyzed. Bioluminescence was initially lower in mice exposed to UHMWPE particles with staphylococci than in mice injected with staphylococci only, possibly because UHMWPE particles initially stimulated a higher macrophage presence in murine air pouch membranes. For mice exposed to Co–Cr particles with staphylococci, bioluminescence was observed to be higher in two out of six animals compared to the presence of staphylococci alone. In the majority of mice, infection risk in the absence or presence of Co–Cr and UHMWPE particles appeared similar, assuming that the longevity of an elevated bioluminescence is indicative of a higher infection risk. However, the presence of Co–Cr particles yielded a higher bioluminescence in two out of six mice, possibly because the macrophage degradative function was hampered by the presence of Co–Cr particles. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 30:341–347, 2012
Predicting MWD and Branching Distribution of Terminally Branched Polymers Undergoing Random Scission
Authors: Iedema Piet D.
Published: January 2012

A new semi‐analytical approach to model simultaneous chain scission and branching is described that assumes the separation of the scission and the branching problem. The required properties of the linear segments or primary polymers forming the branched architectures are found by a kinetic model. The general rules for the construction of branched architectures from populations of linear segments then lead to an analytical expression for the branching distribution and a semi‐analytical expression for the bivariate length/branching distribution. The method is applied to the scission of an initially branched polymer and subsequent terminal branching on scission points and activated terminal double bonds. Exact agreement is found with Monte Carlo sampling results.

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