bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CARBON BLACK FOR RACING AND MOTORCYCLE TIRE TREADS. PERFORMANCE MODEL DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Yurovska Irene S. , Morris Michael D. , Al Theo
Published: December 2011

Racing tires and motorcycle tires present individual segments of the tire market. For instance, while the average life of car and truck tires is 50 000 miles, the average life of race tires is 100 miles. Because tires play a critical role in a race, technical demands to assure safety and performance are growing. Similarly, tires have a large influence on safety, handling/grip, and performance of the rapidly growing world fleet of motorcycles, due to the fact of only two wheels being in contact with the ground. Thus, the common feature of both market segments is that the typical tire compromise of wear, rolling resistance, and traction is strongly weighted toward traction. Most of the recent efforts of rubber scientists have been directed toward lowering rolling resistance of the tread compounds, which left a certain void in the science of compounding for racing and motorcycle treads. Particularly, the industrial assortment of polymers and fillers used for motorcycle treads is commonly different from that used for car or truck treads, but it is not known how the filler properties affect the hysteresis–stiffness compromise. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of the carbon black characteristics on the important properties of a typical racing and motorcycle tire tread compound. More than 50 individual carbon blacks were mixed in a SBR formulation. The acquired data were statistically analyzed, and a linear multiple regression model was developed to relate rubber properties (responses), such as static modulus, complex dynamic modulus, hysteresis, and viscosity to the key carbon black characteristics (variables) of surface area, structure, aggregate size distribution, and surface activity. Prediction profiles created from the model demonstrate rubber performance limits for the range of carbon blacks tested, and indicate the niches to provide required combinations of the rubber properties.
Metabolic syndrome in an Hispanic population–cardiovascular complications
Authors: Altieri Pablo I. , Figueroa Yolanda , Banchs Héctor L. , Hernández-Gil de Lamadrid José , Escobales Nelson , Crespo María J.
Published: December 2011

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is presently one of the main medical problems in developing countries. This syndrome was studied in Puerto Rico at the Cardiovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean with emphasis on understanding the cardiovascular complications.

The medical records of patients admitted between 1999 to 2005 were evaluated for three or more MetS diagnostic criteria.

One hundred and seventy-three patients met the consensus criteria of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The mean age of those diagnosed with MetS was 60 years of age. Fifty-seven percent were males and 42 percent females. The mean body mass was 30 kg/m. The ejection fraction was found to be subnormal ( 49±8%) and the end systolic dimension of the left atrium was increased ( 45±10 mm) in comparison to a group of diabetic patients without MetS used for comparison. The incidence of atrial fibrillation was found to be 16% higher in the MetS group than in the comparison group.

The number of cases of metabolic syndrome recorded within the Hispanic population of Puerto Rico showed a higher incidence of atrial fibrillation without ventricular tachycardia. This is thought to be as a result of the abnormal left ventricular and atrial function.
Indium‐Catalyzed Reductive Esterification of a Carboxylic Acid: Sequential Preparation of an Ester and Symmetrical Ether
Authors: Sakai Norio , Usui Yuta , Ikeda Reiko , Konakahara Takeo
Published: December 2011

An unprecedented reductive dimerization of two carboxylic acids to produce ester derivatives by a combination catalyst involving InBr3 and sulfuric acid is described. A sequential conversion of the in‐situ formed ester to a symmetrical ether by indium‐catalyzed deoxygenation of the ester with a hydrosilane in the same pot was also demonstrated.
Highly Enantioselective Phase‐Transfer Catalytic α‐Alkylation of α‐tert‐Butoxycarbonyllactams: Construction of β‐Quaternary Chiral Pyrrolidine and Piperidine Systems
Authors: Park Yohan , Lee Young Ju , Hong Suckchang , Kim Mi‐hyun , Lee Myungmo , Kim Taek‐Soo , Lee Jae Kyun , Jew Sang‐sup , Park Hyeung‐geun
Published: December 2011

A new enantioselective α‐alkylation of α‐tert‐butoxycarbonyllactams for the construction of β‐quaternary chiral pyrrolidine and piperidine core systems is reported. α‐Alkylations of N‐methyl‐α‐tert‐butoxycarbonylbutyrolactam and N‐diphenylmethyl‐α‐tert‐butoxycarbonylvalerolactam under phase‐transfer catalytic conditions (solid potassium hydroxide, toluene, −40 °C) in the presence of (S,S)‐3,4,5‐trifluorophenyl‐3,3′,5,5′‐tetrahydro‐2,6‐bis(3,4,5‐trifluorophenyl)‐4,4′‐spirobi[4H‐dinaphth[2,1‐c:1′,2′‐e]azepinium] bromide [(S,S)‐NAS Br] (5 mol%) afforded the corresponding α‐alkyl‐α‐tert‐butoxycarbonyllactams in very high chemical (up to 99%) and optical yields (up to 98% ee). Our new catalytic systems provide attractive synthetic methods for pyrrolidine‐ and piperidine‐based alkaloids and chiral intermediates with β‐quaternary carbon centers.
Bioenergie aus Knöterich und Kuhmist
Authors: Wienert Patricia , Nerdel Claudia
Published: December 2011

Dieser Beitrag geht der Frage nach, ob sich der Japanische Staudenknöterich (Fallopia japonica), ein starkwüchsiger Neophyt unserer Breiten im Vergleich zum Mais als Energiepflanze eignet. Dazu wurden oberirdisch geerntete Pflanzenteile zerkleinert, in einem Biogasertragstest vergoren und die dabei entstandenen Methanmengen ermittelt. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass Fallopia japonica zu Mais vergleichbare Werte im Methanertrag liefert und damit durchaus eine alternative Energiepflanze zu letzterem darstellen kann. Auf diese Weise ließe sich ein Schädling eindämmen sowie ökologisch und ökonomisch effizient nutzen. Diese Untersuchung wurden im Rahmen des Schülerwettbewerbs der Siemens‐Stiftung durchgeführt und prämiert.
Exkursion in Rheinland‐Pfalz: An Nahe und Mosel
Authors: Petrischak Hannes
Published: December 2011

Die Täler der Nahe und der Mosel bieten im Regenschatten von Hunsrück und Eifel zahlreichen Tier‐ und Pflanzenarten Lebensraum, die an trockenwarme, magere Standorte angepasst sind. An den Prallhängen beider Flüsse stehen vielfach mächtige Felswände, an denen Pflanzen mediterraner oder pontischer Herkunft wachsen. Das Mosaik aus Weinbergen, Weinbergsbrachen, Trockenrasen, Trockengebüschen, Waldrändern und insbesondere an der Nahe noch naturnahen Uferzonen bedingt einen außergewöhnlichen Artenreichtum. Bekannt sind die Flusstäler für die Reliktvorkommen zahlreicher Tierarten in diesen Regionen, vor allem Mosel‐Apollofalter (Parnassius apollo vinningensis), Westliche Smaragdeidechse (Lacerta bilineata), Steppen‐Sattelschrecke (Ephippiger ephippiger vitium) und Würfelnatter (Natrix tessellata).
Viren nutzen Plastidennetzwerk
Authors: Krupinska Karin
Published: December 2011

Pflanzenviren können zu enormen Ernteverlusten in der Landwirtschaft führen. Die von Viren befallenen Pflanzen zeigen oft Farbveränderungen an Blättern, Blüten und Früchten und sterben bei starkem Befall ab. Zur Vermeidung von Verlusten und Qualitätsminderungen bei der Pflanzenproduktion ist es wichtig zu verstehen, wie Viren sich in der Pflanze vermehren und ausbreiten. Aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die Viren die Stromuli, mit denen die Plastiden Brücken im Netzwerk der Zelle bilden, für ihre Zwecke nutzen.
Schnittherstellung mit dem Mikrotom
Authors: Schrödel Andrea
Published: December 2011

Für die mikroskopische Untersuchung von Gewebeproben müssen diese nach Fixierung in hauchdünnen Schnitten auf Objektträgern aufgezogen werden. Hierfür eignet sich beispielsweise das Verfahren der Paraffin‐Einbettung. Dabei wird das im Gewebe befindliche Wasser in mehreren Schritten durch Paraffin ersetzt. Paraffin ist chemisch inaktiv und unbegrenzt haltbar. Bei Zimmertemperatur ist Paraffin fest und schmilzt erst bei ca. 60°C. Aus in Paraffin eingebetteten Gewebeschnitten lassen sich mit einem speziellen Gerät, dem Mikrotom, Schnitte von nur wenigen μm Dicke herstellen.
A generic hierarchical screening method for the analysis of microscale refolds using an automated robotic platform
Authors: Ordidge Gemma C. , Mannall Gareth , Liddell John , Dalby Paul A. , Micheletti Martina
Published: December 2011

The refolding of protein derived from inclusion bodies is often characterized by low yields of active protein. The optimization of the refolding step is achieved empirically and consequently is time‐consuming slowing process development. An automated robotic platform has been used to develop a dilution refold process‐screening platform upon which a hierarchical set of assays rapidly determine optimal refolding conditions at the microscale. This hierarchy allows the simplest, cheapest, and most generic high‐throughput assays to first screen for a smaller subset of potentially high‐yielding conditions to take forward for analysis by slower, more expensive, or protein specific assays, thus saving resources whilst maximizing information output. An absorbance assay was used to initially screen out aggregating conditions, followed by an intrinsic fluorescence assay of the soluble protein to identify the presence of native‐like tertiary structure, which was then confirmed by an activity assay. Results show that fluorescence can be used in conjunction with absorbance to eliminate low‐yielding conditions, leaving a significantly reduced set of conditions from which the highest yielding ones can then be identified with slower and often more costly activity or RP‐HPLC assays, thus reducing bottlenecks in high‐throughput analysis. The microwell‐based automated process sequence with generic hierarchical assays was also used to study and minimize the effect on redox potential or misfolding, of oxygenation due to agitation, before demonstrating that the platform can be used to rapidly collect data and evaluate different refolding conditions to speed up the acquisition of process development data in a resource efficient manner. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012
Gel Formulation Containing Mixed Surfactant and Lipids Associating with Carboplatin
Authors: Woll Kellie A. , Schuchardt Elie J. , Willis Claire R. , Ortengren Christopher D. , Hendricks Noah , Johnson Mitch , Gaidamauskas Ernestas , Baruah Bharat , Sostarecz Audra G. , Worley Deanna R. , Osborne David W. , Crans Debbie C.
Published: December 2011

The interaction of amphiphilic molecules such as lipids and surfactants with the hydrophilic drug carboplatin was investigated to identify suitable self‐assembling components for a potential gel‐based delivery formulation. 1H‐NMR Studies in sodium bis(2‐ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (aerosol‐OT, AOT)‐based reverse micelles show that carboplatin associates and at least partially penetrates the surfactant interface. Langmuir monolayers formed by dipalmitoyl(phosphatidyl)choline are penetrated by carboplatin. Carboplatin was found to also penetrate the more rigid monolayers containing cholesterol. A combined mixed surfactant gel formulation containing carboplatin and cholesterol for lymphatic tissue targeting was investigated for the intracavitary treatment of cancer. This formulation consists of a blend of the surfactants lecithin and AOT (1 : 3 ratio), an oil phase of isopropyl myristate, and an aqueous component. The phases of the system were defined within a pseudo‐ternary phase diagram. At low oil content, this formulation produces a gel‐like system over a wide range of H2O content. The carboplatin release from the formulation displays a prolonged discharge with a rate three to five times slower than that of the control. Rheological properties of the formulation exhibit pseudoplastic behavior. Microemulsion and Langmuir monolayer studies support the interactions between carboplatin and amphiphilic components used in this formulation. To target delivery of carboplatin, two formulations containing cholesterol were characterized. These two formulations with cholesterol showed that, although cholesterol does little to alter the phases in the pseudo‐ternary system or to increase the initial release of the drug, it contributes significantly to the structure of the formulation under physiological temperature, as well as increases the rate of steady‐state discharge of carboplatin.
A novel technique for renal stenting in the setting of type‐B aortic dissection
Authors: Yamashita Takehiro , Asai Hidetsugu
Published: December 2011

A type‐B acute aortic dissection patient required renal artery revascularization for renal artery stenosis resulting from the compression by a false lumen. Renal artery stenting was complicated by unclear opacification of the ostia resulting from the collapsed true lumen of both renal artery and aorta. The use of the “Szabo” technique facilitated this procedure by allowing us to position the stent edge precisely at the ostium. This is the first report of this technique utilized in this lesion subset. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Folding of Alternating Dialkylsilylene‐Spaced Donor–Acceptor Copolymers: The Oligomer Approach
Authors: Chen Chih‐Hsien , Chen Wen‐Hao , Liu Yi‐Hung , Lim Tsong‐Shin , Luh Tien‐Yau
Published: December 2011

A series of oligmers with donor–acceptor pairs separated by diisopropylsilylene (iPr2Si) spacers, composed of monomer 4 b, dimer 5, trimer 6, and tetramer 7, were synthesized to scrutinize the folding behavior. Monomer 4 a with a dimethylsilylene (Me2Si) spacer was also prepared for comparison. The 4‐aminostyrene moiety was used as the donor and the stilbene moiety as the acceptor. Both steady‐state and time‐resolved fluorescence spectroscopic measurement were made. Regardless of the substituents on the silicon atom, the emission spectra of 4 a and 4 b exhibit both local excited (LE) emission of the acceptor chromophore and emission from the charge‐separated state (CT emission), which are similar to that of the corresponding Me2Si‐spaced copolymer 2 a with the same donor and acceptor chromophores, but different from that of the copolymer with the iPr2Si spacer 2 b. Dimer 5 behaves like 4 and 2 a. As the chain length of the oligomers increases, the emission properties of the higher homologues become prone to that of 2 b. Thus, tetramer 7 exhibits emission from the charge‐transfer complex, which is essentially same as that of 2 b. Moreover, charge‐transfer absorptions emerge in 6 and 7. These results suggest that the folding nature of oligomers approaches that of the corresponding polymer, as the degree of oligomerization increases, and the electronic interactions between adjacent donor–acceptor pairs are controlled by the steric effect of the substituents on the silicon atoms and concomitant amplification of the stabilizing energy by extending the distance of the folding structure.
Controlling Conformations in Alternating Dialkylsilylene‐Spaced Donor–Acceptor Copolymers by a Cooperative Thorpe–Ingold Effect and Polymer Folding
Authors: Chen Chih‐Hsien , Huang Yen‐Chin , Liao Wei‐Chih , Lim Tsong‐Shin , Liu Kuan‐Lin , Chen I‐Chia , Luh Tien‐Yau
Published: December 2011

A series of dialkylsilylene‐spaced copolymers 6 and 7, which contain Me2Si and iPr2Si spacer groups, respectively, and have alternating donor and acceptor chromophores, have been designed and regioselectively synthesized by hydrosilylation. The ratio of the donor and acceptor chromophores for each repeat unit is 2:1, and the two donor chromophores are linked by a trimethylene bridge. A 4‐aminostyrene moiety is used as the donor and a series of acceptor chromophores with different reduction potentials are employed. Both steady‐state and kinetic measurements reveal that the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) in 6 obeyed the Marcus theory in which normal and inverted regions are observed. On the other hand, the iPr2Si‐spaced copolymers 7 exhibit absorption and emission from the charge‐transfer complexes exclusively due to ground‐state interactions between the donor and acceptor chromophores. The discrepancy in photophysical behavior may have arisen from the difference in distance between the adjacent donor and acceptor chromophores. The bulkiness of the substituents on the silicon atom (i.e., Me versus iPr) may exert the Thorpe–Ingold effect on the local conformation around the silicon atom. The differences in the small energetic barriers for each of the conformational states may be amplified by extending the distance of the folding structure, which results in perturbing the conformation of the polymers. These results suggest that the electronic interactions between adjacent donor–acceptor pairs in these copolymers are controlled by the synchronization of the substitution effect and corresponding polymeric structures.
The Bivalency effect in task switching: Event‐related potentials
Authors: Grundy John G. , Benarroch Miriam F.F. , Woodward Todd S. , Metzak Paul D. , Whitman Jennifer C. , Shedden Judith M.
Published: December 2011

During task switching, if we occasionally encounter stimuli that cue more than one task (i.e., bivalent stimuli), response slowing is observed on all univalent trials within that block, even when no features overlap with the bivalent stimuli. This observation is known as the bivalency effect. Previous fMRI work (Woodward et al., 2008) clearly suggests a role for the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in the bivalency effect, but the time course remains uncertain. Here, we present the first high‐temporal resolution account for the bivalency effect using stimulus‐locked event‐related potentials. Participants alternated among three simple tasks in six experimental blocks, with bivalent stimuli appearing occasionally in bivalent blocks (blocks 2, 4, and 6). The increased reaction times for univalent stimuli in bivalent blocks demonstrate that these stimuli are being processed differently from univalent stimuli in purely univalent blocks. Frontal electrode sites captured significant amplitude differences associated with the bivalency effect within time windows 100–120 ms, 375–450 ms, and 500–550 ms, which may reflect additional extraction of visual features present in bivalent stimuli (100–120 ms) and suppression of processing carried over from irrelevant cues (375–450 ms and 500–550 ms). Our results support the fMRI findings and provide additional evidence for involvement of the dACC. Furthermore, the bivalency effect dissipated with extended practice both behaviorally and electrophysiologically. These findings are discussed in relation to the differential processing involved in a controlled response style. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hippocampal activity is associated with self‐descriptiveness effect in memory, whereas self‐reference effect in memory depends on medial prefrontal activity
Authors: Zhu Lei , Guo Xiuyan , Li Jianqi , Zheng Li , Wang Qianfeng , Yang Zhiliang
Published: December 2011

The self has long been regarded as a unique cognitive structure by virtue of its superior mnemonic abilities. Two separate effects result from this self memory facilitation: self‐reference effect and self‐descriptiveness effect in memory. Self‐reference effect denotes that information processed with reference to the self is better remembered than information processed with reference to others, whereas self‐descriptiveness effect indicates that items judged to be self‐relevant is remembered better than items judged not to be relevant to self during self‐reference task. Although there is a compelling connection between self‐reference effect in memory and self mentalization processes indexed by the medial prefrontal activity, the underlying mechanisms of the self‐descriptiveness effect in memory have remained underspecified. In the present fMRI study, we used a subsequent memory paradigm to examine the neural correlates of self‐descriptiveness and self‐reference effect in memory. Participants encoded personality traits while performing self‐reference and other‐reference task (judged the descriptiveness of the traits to themselves or a famous person “Bruce Lee”), and then were given a test of recognition memory outside the scanner. It is revealed that the hippocampal activity corresponded with self‐descriptiveness effect in memory, but the activity of the medial prefrontal cortex and perirhinal cortex related to self‐reference effect in memory. These findings suggested that the memory boost for self‐relevant items relies on the enhanced relational binding mechanisms employed during self‐relevant items. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Three New E‐Secoursane Triterpenoid Saponins from the Leaves of Ilex dunniana
Authors: Zhang Yue , Li Lu‐Jun , Zhang Peng , Pi Hui‐Fang , Ruan Han‐Li , Wu Ji‐Zhou
Published: December 2011

Three new triterpenoid saponins with an 18,19‐secours‐13(18)‐ene skeleton, dunnianaolactones A–C (1–3, resp.), together with nine known compounds i.e., the ursane‐type triterpene saponin 4, the two benzofuran lignans 5 and 6, five flavonoid glycosides, and 4‐hydroxybenzoic acid, were isolated from the leaves of Ilex dunniana Levl. (Aquifoliaceae). Their structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopic and chemical methods. The configuration of dunnianaolactone A (1) was further confirmed by X‐ray crystal‐structure analysis.
Kinetics and Mechanism of Certain Acetylation Reactions with Acetamide/Oxychloride in Acetonitrile under VilsmeierHaack Conditions
Authors: Venkateswarlu Marri , Satish Kumar Mukka , Ramgopal Soma , Rajanna Kamatala Chinna , Umesh Kumar Utkoor , Uppalaiah Kusampally , Saiprakash Pondichery Kuppuswamy
Published: December 2011

VilsmeierHaack (VH) acetylation reactions with benzaldehydes or acetophenones in MeCN followed second‐order kinetics and afforded acetyl derivatives under kinetic conditions, irrespective of the nature of the oxychloride (SOCl2 or POCl3) used for the preparation of the VH reagent along with acetamide. The present finding contributes to the understanding of the nature of the reactive species of the VH reagent as well as of the acetylation mechanism.
Photo‐Cross‐Linking of Polymethacrylates with Stilbene Chromophores in the Side Chains
Authors: Jahnke Angelika , Beile Bernhard , Meier Herbert
Published: December 2011

Methacrylates (=2‐methylpropenoates) 5 with (E)‐stilbene (=(E)‐1,2‐diphenylethene) building blocks on tethers of variable length were prepared (Scheme 2) and polymerized (i.e., 5→6; Scheme 3) in the presence of AIBN (=2,2′‐azobis(2‐methylpropanenitrile). 4‐[(E)‐2‐Phenylethenyl]phenyl acetate (7) as model compound established the cyclodimerization as a single irreversible photoreaction. i.e., (7→8–11; Scheme 4) in the absence of oxygen. The solution photolysis of the polymers 6 provided a similar result, whereby [2π+2π] cycloadditions of stilbene units of neighboring tethers predominated. On the contrary, the desired photo‐cross‐linking of chaines occurred in the irradiation of polymer films.
Respirable rifampicin‐based microspheres containing isoniazid for tuberculosis treatment
Authors: Cassano Roberta , Trombino Sonia , Ferrarelli Teresa , Mauro Maria Vittoria , Giraldi Cristina , Manconi Maria , Fadda Anna Maria , Picci Nevio
Published: December 2011

The purpose of this investigation was to develop small microspheres for delivering antimycobacterial drugs to infected host macrophages. Rifampicin‐based microparticles were prepared. The drug was covalently linked to acrylic moieties to obtain a polymerizable derivative for the preparation of materials useful as drug delivery systems that then were loaded with isoniazid acting in synergy with rifampicin. Their antitubercular activity was determined in vitro. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed hydrogel structure. Morphological analysis showed microparticles with spherical shape and homogeneous surface. In vitro release studies were performed in media simulating physiologic pH (7.4) and endosomal of alveolar macrophages pH (5.2). A similar amount of isoniazid was delivered within the first 6 h at both pHs, while a smaller amount of the drug was delivered at pH 7.4 in the last phase of the study. In vitro antitubercular activity showed a behavior comparable to that of rifampicin and isoniazid free. Bioactive swelling matrices, showing a high swelling degree into a medium miming intra alveolar environment, were obtained. They could be applied for their antitubercular activity. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2012.
A Comparative Analysis between Ultrasonometry and Computer‐Aided Tomography to Evaluate Bone Healing
Authors: Barbieri Giuliano , Mazzer Nilton , Ribeiro Eduardo Alvarez , Nogueira‐Barbosa Marcello Henrique , Barbieri Cláudio Henrique
Published: December 2011

An ultrasonometric and computed‐tomographic study of bone healing was undertaken using a model of a transverse mid‐shaft osteotomy of sheep tibiae fixed with a semi‐flexible external fixator. Fourteen sheep were operated and divided into two groups of seven according to osteotomy type, either regular or by segmental resection. The animals were killed on the 90th postoperative day and the tibiae resected for the in vitro direct contact transverse and axial measurement of ultrasound propagation velocity (UV) followed by quantitative computer‐aided tomography (callus density and volume) through the osteotomy site. The intact left tibiae were used for control, being examined in a symmetrical diaphyseal segment. Regular osteotomies healed with a smaller and more mature callus than resection osteotomies. Axial UV was consistently and significantly higher (p ≤ 0.01) than transverse UV and both transverse and axial UV were significantly higher for the regular than for the segmental resection osteotomy. Transverse UV did not differ significantly between the intact and operated tibiae (p = 0.20 for regular osteotomy; p = 0.02 for resection osteotomy), but axial UV was significantly higher for the intact tibiae. Tomographic callus density was significantly higher for the regular than for the resection osteotomy and higher than both for the intact tibiae, presenting a strong positive correlation with UV. Callus volume presented an opposite behavior, with a negative correlation with UV. We conclude that UV is at least as precise as quantitative tomography for providing information about the healing state of both regular and resection osteotomy. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 30:1076–1082, 2012
Development of a polar lipid profiling method by supercritical fluid chromatography/mass spectrometry
Authors: Lee Jae W. , Yamamoto Takashi , Uchikata Takato , Matsubara Atsuki , Fukusaki Eiichiro , Bamba Takeshi
Published: December 2011

We established a high‐throughput and high‐resolution analytical method based on supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) for the simultaneous profiling of diverse polar lipids in a mixture. Trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatization was used for the analysis of ten polar lipids: phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylinositol (PI), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), lysophosphatidylglycerol (LPG), lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI), sphingomyeline (SM), and sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P). Using the developed method, the peak tailings of PA, PI, LPA, LPI, and S1P improved, and the limit of detection of PG, PI, LPA, LPI, and S1P was enhanced by 12‐, 40‐, 510‐, 39‐, and 1490‐fold, respectively. Next, in the analysis of sheep plasma, 20 minor species of PI, LPC, LPE, and SM, and 7 molecular species of LPA, LPI, and S1P were additionally analyzed. The relative ratio of the molecular species in each polar lipid was also found by quantification. Finally, the simultaneous and detail profiling of ten polar lipids was successfully performed by SFC/MS applying TMS derivatization. This developed method is particularly applicable to metabolomics, especially for targeting polar lipids.
Deprotection‐free preparation of propargyl ether‐containing phosphinated benzoxazine and the structure–property relationship of the resulting thermosets
Authors: Chang Hou Chien , Lin Ching Hsuan , Lin Hung Tse , Dai Shenghong A.
Published: December 2011

Generally, protection and deprotection procedures of amino groups are required in preparing propargyl ether‐containing benzoxazines. In this study, we report a facile, deprotection‐free preparation of a propargyl ether‐containing phosphinated benzoxazine (2) from the nucleophilic substitution of a phenolic OH‐containing phosphinated benzoxazine (1) and propargyl bromide in the catalysis of potassium carbonate. The structure of (2) was characterized and confirmed by a high‐resolution mass spectrum, 1H, 13C, 1H‐1H, 1H‐13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, and X‐ray single crystal diffractogram. infrared (IR) and differential scanning calorimetry were used to monitor the ring‐opening of benzoxazine and crosslinking of propargyl ether. The microstructure and the structure–property relationship of the resulting homopolymers and copolymers are discussed. The Tg of homopolymer of (2) is 208 °C by dynamic mechanical analysis, the coefficient of thermal expansion is 43 ppm/°C, and Td 5% (N2) is 393 °C, respectively, which are higher than those of the homopolymer of (1). Similar trends were observed in the copolymerization system. The results demonstrate the beneficial effect of crosslinking afforded by the propargyl ether group is higher than that by the phenolic OH group. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
A statistician's perspective on biomarkers in drug development
Authors: Jenkins Martin , Flynn Aiden , Smart Trevor , Harbron Chris , Sabin Tony , Ratnayake Jayantha , Delmar Paul , Herath Athula , Jarvis Philip , Matcham James ,   on behalf of the PSI Biomarker Special Interest Group
Published: December 2011

Biomarkers play an increasingly important role in many aspects of pharmaceutical discovery and development, including personalized medicine and the assessment of safety data, with heavy reliance being placed on their delivery. Statisticians have a fundamental role to play in ensuring that biomarkers and the data they generate are used appropriately and to address relevant objectives such as the estimation of biological effects or the forecast of outcomes so that claims of predictivity or surrogacy are only made based upon sound scientific arguments. This includes ensuring that studies are designed to answer specific and pertinent questions, that the analyses performed account for all levels and sources of variability and that the conclusions drawn are robust in the presence of multiplicity and confounding factors, especially as many biomarkers are multidimensional or may be an indirect measure of the clinical outcome. In all of these areas, as in any area of drug development, statistical best practice incorporating both scientific rigor and a practical understanding of the situation should be followed. This article is intended as an introduction for statisticians embarking upon biomarker‐based work and discusses these issues from a practising statistician's perspective with reference to examples. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Need for evidence‐based teaching
Authors: Groccia James E. , Buskist William
Published: December 2011

This chapter reviews the current status of university teaching and provides an overview for the need for evidence‐based teaching. It describes problems with defining evidence as well as distinctions among systems of teaching and specific teaching actions.
Interteaching
Authors: Saville Bryan K. , Zinn Tracy E.
Published: December 2011

This chapter describes a new behavior‐analytic teaching method called interteaching and the growing body of research showing that interteaching is more effective than traditional teaching methods.
Building Fluency Through the Phrased Text Lesson
Authors: Rasinski Timothy , Yildirim Kasim , Nageldinger James
Published: December 2011

This Teaching Tip article explores the importance of phrasing while reading. It also presents an instructional intervention strategy for helping students develop greater proficiency in reading with phrases that reflect the meaning of the text.
Root branching: mechanisms, robustness, and plasticity
Authors: Dastidar Mouli Ghosh , Jouannet Virginie , Maizel Alexis
Published: December 2011

Plants are sessile organisms that must efficiently exploit their habitat for water and nutrients. The degree of root branching impacts the efficiency of water uptake, acquisition of nutrients, and anchorage. The root system of plants is a dynamic structure whose architecture is determined by modulation of primary root growth and root branching. This plasticity relies on the continuous integration of environmental inputs and endogenous developmental programs controlling root branching. This review focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of lateral root distribution, initiation, and organogenesis with the main focus on the root system of Arabidopsis thaliana. We also examine the mechanisms linking environmental changes to the developmental pathways controlling root branching. Recent progress that emphasizes the parallels to the formation of root branches in other species is discussed. WIREs Dev Biol 2012, 1:329–343. doi: 10.1002/wdev.17

This article is categorized under:

Plant Development > Root Development
The Koshrabad granite massif in Uzbekistan: petrogenesis, metallogeny, and geodynamic setting
Authors: Konopelko D.L. , Biske Yu S. , Kullerud K. , Seltmann R. , Divaev F.K.
Published: December 2011

The Koshrabad massif, referred to as the Hercynian postcollisional intrusions of the Tien Shan, is composed of two rock series: (1) mafic and quartz monzonites and (2) granites of the main phase. Porphyritic granitoids of the main phase contain ovoids of alkali feldspar, often rimmed with plagioclase. Mafic rocks developed locally in the massif core resulted from the injections of mafic magma into the still unconsolidated rocks of the main phase, which produced hybrid rocks and various dike series. All rocks of the massif are characterized by high f (Fe/(Fe + Mg)) values and contain fayalite, which points to the reducing conditions of their formation. Mafic rocks are the product of fractional crystallization of alkali-basaltic mantle melt, and granitoids of the main phase show signs of crustal-substance contamination. In high f values and HFSE contents the massif rocks are similar to A-type granites. Data on the geochemical evolution of the massif rocks confirm the genetic relationship of the massif gold deposits with magmatic processes and suggest the accumulation of gold in residual acid melts and the rapid formation of ore quartz veins in the same structures that controlled the intrusion of late dikes. The simultaneous intrusion of compositionally different postcollisional granitoids of the North Nuratau Ridge, including the Koshrabad granitoids, is due to the synchronous melting of different crustal protoliths in the zone of transcrustal shear, which was caused by the ascent of the hot asthenospheric matter in the dilatation setting. The resulting circulation of fluids led to the mobilization of ore elements from the crustal rocks and their accumulation in commercial concentrations.
Clinical risk assessment rating and all-cause mortality in secondary mental healthcare: the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Biomedical Research Centre (SLAM BRC) Case Register
Authors: Wu C.-Y. , Chang C.-K. , Hayes R. D. , Broadbent M. , Hotopf M. , Stewart R.
Published: December 2011

Background

Mental disorders are widely recognized to be associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality. However, the extent to which highest-risk groups for mortality overlap with those viewed with highest concern by mental health services is less clear. The aim of the study was to investigate clinical risk assessment ratings for suicide, violence and self-neglect in relation to all-cause mortality among people receiving secondary mental healthcare.

Method

A total of 9234 subjects over the age of 15 years were identified from the South London and Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre Case Register who had received a second tier structured risk assessment in the course of their clinical care. A cohort analysis was carried out. Total scores for three risk assessment clusters (suicide, violence and self-neglect) were calculated and Cox regression models used to assess survival from first assessment.

Results

A total of 234 deaths had occurred over an average 9.4-month follow-up period. Mortality was relatively high for the cohort overall in relation to national norms [standardized mortality ratio 3.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.83–3.67] but not in relation to other mental health service users with similar diagnoses. Only the score for the self-neglect cluster predicted mortality [hazard ratio (HR) per unit increase 1.14, 95% CI 1.04–1.24] with null findings for assessed risk of suicide or violence (HRs per unit increase 1.00 and 1.06 respectively).

Conclusions

Level of clinician-appraised risk of self-neglect, but not of suicide or violence, predicted all-cause mortality among people receiving specific assessment of risk in a secondary mental health service.
Impaired neural response to internal but not external feedback in schizophrenia
Authors: Horan W. P. , Foti D. , Hajcak G. , Wynn J. K. , Green M. F.
Published: December 2011

Background

Accurate monitoring and integration of both internal and external feedback is crucial for guiding current and future behavior. These aspects of performance monitoring are commonly indexed by two event-related potential (ERP) components: error-related negativity (ERN) and feedback negativity (FN). The ERN indexes internal response monitoring and is sensitive to the commission of erroneous versus correct responses, and the FN indexes external feedback monitoring of positive versus negative outcomes. Although individuals with schizophrenia consistently demonstrate a diminished ERN, the integrity of the FN has received minimal consideration.

Method

The current research sought to clarify the scope of feedback processing impairments in schizophrenia in two studies: study 1 examined the ERN elicited in a flanker task in 16 out-patients and 14 healthy controls; study 2 examined the FN on a simple monetary gambling task in expanded samples of 35 out-patients and 33 healthy controls.

Results

Study 1 replicated prior reports of an impaired ERN in schizophrenia. By contrast, patients and controls demonstrated comparable FN differentiation between reward and non-reward feedback in study 2.

Conclusions

The differential pattern across tasks suggests that basic sensitivity to external feedback indicating reward versus non-reward is intact in schizophrenia, at least under the relatively simple task conditions used in this study. Further efforts to specify intact and impaired reward-processing subcomponents in schizophrenia may help to shed light on the diminished motivation and goal-seeking behavior that are commonly seen in this disorder.
Neuro-fuzzy-based skill learning for robots
Authors: Lin Hsien-I. , Lee C. S. George
Published: December 2011

Endowing robots with the ability of skill learning enables them to be versatile and skillful in performing various tasks. This paper proposes a neuro-fuzzy-based, self-organizing skill-learning framework, which differs from previous work in its capability of decomposing a skill by self-categorizing it into significant stimulus-response units (SRU, a fundamental unit of our skill representation), and self-organizing learned skills into a new skill. The proposed neuro-fuzzy-based, self-organizing skill-learning framework can be realized by skill decomposition and skill synthesis. Skill decomposition aims at representing a skill and acquiring it by SRUs, and is implemented by stages with a five-layer neuro-fuzzy network with supervised learning, resolution control, and reinforcement learning to enable robots to identify a sufficient number of significant SRUs for accomplishing a given task without extraneous actions. Skill synthesis aims at organizing a new skill by sequentially planning learned skills composed of SRUs, and is realized by stages, which establish common SRUs between two similar skills and self-organize a new skill from these common SRUs and additional new SRUs by reinforcement learning. Computer simulations and experiments with a Pioneer 3-DX mobile robot were conducted to validate the self-organizing capability of the proposed skill-learning framework in identifying significant SRUs from task examples and in common SRUs between similar skills and learning new skills from learned skills.
Influence of food availability and distribution on the movement patterns of a forest avian frugivore, the puff-throated bulbul (Alophoixus pallidus)
Authors: Khamcha Daphawan , Savini Tommaso , Brockleman Warren Y. , Chimchome Vijak , Gale George A.
Published: December 2011

Bulbul species (family Pycnonotidae) are important seed dispersers in Asian forests, but almost nothing is known of their movement patterns inside intact forest, which are likely to impact forest dynamics. We examined the movement patterns of the forest-dwelling puff-throated bulbul (Alophoixus pallidus) in relation to fruit productivity and distribution of fruiting trees/lianas in an evergreen forest in north-eastern Thailand. Movement patterns of 10 groups were precisely mapped by following colour-ringed individuals in each group 4 h mo−1 for 1 y. We evaluated fruit productivity and dispersion of fruiting trees/lianas based on monthly phenologies. There were clear seasonal fluctuations in fruit availability, which appeared to affect movement patterns, particularly distance moved between fruiting trees, time spent feeding and food selection. When fruit availability was low, bulbuls spent more time on average at a given food plant and moved longer distances between fruiting plants than compared with periods of higher fruit availability (low availability: 58 s, 83.2 m; high availability: 10 s, 43.4 m). This study points to the importance of seasonal availability of fruit resources on frugivore movement patterns. Seasonal dynamics of movement may be useful for understanding interactions between fruiting trees and their dispersers, and forest tree recruitment patterns.
Tree species distribution in Andean forests: influence of regional and local factors
Authors: Blundo Cecilia , Malizia Lucio R. , Blake John G. , Brown Alejandro D.
Published: December 2011

We identified and quantified regional and local environmental factors and spatial variation associated with tree-species composition across a 2000-m altitudinal gradient of Andean forest in north-western Argentina. A network of 47 1-ha plots was established along the altitudinal gradient within an area of about 25 000 km2; all trees ≥ 10 cm dbh were identified and measured. Constrained ordinations and variance-partitioning analyses were performed to investigate the determinants of tree-species distribution at the regional scale, across and within forest types (i.e. dry and cloud forests). We marked and measured a total of 22 240 trees belonging to 160 species. Significant environmental factors and spatial location combined accounted for 35% of total variation explained. A high proportion of variation was explained by climatic factors that were spatially structured; after removing the spatial effect, climate explained more variation in species composition across the complete gradient than did local factors. Relative importance of regional and local factors varied with geographic extent. Local factors explained more variation in tree-species composition at the within-forest scale than at the scale of the complete gradient. Our findings support the conceptual model of multi-scale controls on vegetation distribution, where local community composition and abundance result from processes at both regional and local scales.
Pandemic 2009 influenza A(H1N1) virus infection coinciding with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in neutropenic patients
Authors: VEHRESCHILD J. J. , BRÖCKELMANN P. J. , BANGARD C. , VERHEYEN J. , VEHRESCHILD M. J. G. T. , MICHELS G. , WISPLINGHOFF H. , CORNELY O. A.
Published: December 2011

In patients receiving anti-neoplastic chemotherapy, the impact of influenza on the incidence of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) remains unknown. We matched data of the Cologne Cohort of Neutropenic Patients (CoCoNut) with records from the Institute for Virology and compared the findings to historical data. During the pandemic, we diagnosed influenza A(H1N1) in five patients with malignancies and febrile neutropenia refractory to antibiotic therapy. Probable IPA was diagnosed in three of these patients on the grounds of typical computed tomography morphology and microbiological results. Three of five patients receiving remission-induction chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukaemia developed aspergillosis although receiving posaconazole prophylaxis. In the 3 years before the influenza pandemic, only 2/77 patients of this group developed infection. Infection with influenza A(H1N1) may increase the risk for invasive aspergillosis in neutropenic patients. Pulmonary aspergillosis is an important additional differential diagnosis in neutropenic influenza patients with pneumonia.
A milestone study: Structured variability as the key to unraveling (contact-induced) language change
Authors: CACOULLOS RENA TORRES
Published: December 2011

Despite increasing attention to bilingualism – conferences, publications, grants – linguists are as far as ever from reaching consensus. Is code-switching the alternation between two equally activated languages or is it the insertion of elements from a source language into a recipient language? Can and should we distinguish borrowing and code-switching of single words? Is there grammatical convergence between bilinguals’ two languages and does code-switching promote it? Since the first accounts of the structure of code-switching in the 1970s, the same questions have been readdressed with astoundingly little, if any, cumulative advances. Scientific progress has been obstructed by polemic debate, often fueled by elicited judgments, which may display random error (Labov, 1996), or reports of the behavior of stray individuals, which are uninterpretable in the absence of knowledge of the systematic community pattern (Labov, 2006/1966, p. 5).
Concurrent models and cross-linguistic analogies in the study of prepositional stranding in French in Canada
Authors: OTHEGUY RICARDO
Published: December 2011

Prepositions can be found with and without adjacent complements in many forms of popular spoken French. The alternation appears in main clauses (il veut pas payer pour ça ~ il veut pas payer pour “he doesn't want to pay for [it]”) and, though with a more restricted social and geographic distribution, in relative clauses (j'avais pas personne avec qui parler ~ j'avais pas personne à parler avec “I had no one to whom to talk ~ I had no one to talk to”). In main clauses, the variant lacking the adjacent complement is said to have an orphaned preposition (il veut pas payer pour); in relatives, it is said to have a stranded preposition (j'avais pas personne à parler avec). In popular spoken French in Canada, stranding appears to be much more frequent than in other Francophone areas. Because so many French speakers in Canada are bilingual, because of the high frequency of stranding, and no doubt also because stranding violates prescriptive norms, stranded prepositions in French in Canada are widely believed to be instances of English influence (e.g. j'avais pas personne à parler avec is regarded as modeled on I had no one to talk to). But in a masterly variationist treatment, Poplack, Zentz and Dion (2011, this issue) argue that Canadian stranding is not of English origin. Stranded Canadian prepositions represent, instead, the expansion to relative clauses of the ordinary main-clause orphans. The historical source for Canadian stranding is thus analogy-induced and internal (French orphans), not contact-induced and external (not English stranding).