bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of asphaltenes in stabilisation of water in crude oil emulsions
Authors: Czarnecki Jan , Tchoukov Plamen , Dabros Tadeusz , Xu Zhenghe
Published: April 2013

Even though asphaltenes do not have the well‐defined amphiphilic structure characteristic of surfactants, it has been shown that they can stabilise water‐in‐oil emulsions. We propose that this stabilisation occurs because asphaltene aggregation results in the formation of a network within the thin oil film separating approaching emulsified water droplets. This network changes the rheology of the film to non‐Newtonian, which prevents drainage of the film at thicknesses less than about 50–100 nm. The presence of the network also imparts steric stabilisation to the emulsion. The proposed stabilisation mechanism does not invoke any surfactant‐like behaviour of asphaltenes. Instead, it relies solely on their propensity to aggregate.
Trends in all‐cause mortality among patients with chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Brunner Andrew M. , Campigotto Federico , Sadrzadeh Hossein , Drapkin Benjamin J. , Chen Yi‐Bin , Neuberg Donna S. , Fathi Amir T.
Published: April 2013

BACKGROUND

Outcomes for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) have improved after the advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), which target the BCR/ABL fusion gene product. Nonetheless, differences in survival persist between age groups. The authors performed a retrospective cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to assess 5‐year overall survival (OS) in various patient age groups.

METHODS

Patients who had a diagnosis of CML were identified using the SEER 19 registries database. Patients who were included had SEER diagnosis codes for CML not otherwise specified (code 9863) and BCR/ABL‐positive CML (code 9875) diagnosed between January 2000 and December 2005. Patients were divided into cohorts based on age at diagnosis: ages 15 to 44 years, 45 to 64 years, 65 to 74 years, and 75 to 84 years. OS was estimated using the Kaplan‐Meier method, and Cox regression was used to estimate predictors of patient survival.

RESULTS

In total, 5138 patients with a new CML diagnosis were identified. Five‐year OS improved for all patients between the years 2000 and 2005. Compared with patients who were diagnosed in 2000, 5‐year survival improved among patients ages 15 to 44 years (hazard ratio [HR] for mortality, 0.424; P < .0001), ages 45 to 64 years (HR, 0.716; P = .0315), and ages 65 to 74 years (HR, 0.692; P = .0126); and patients ages 75 to 84 years had an increased 5‐year OS rate from 19.2% in 2000 to 36.4% in 2005 (HR, 0.568; P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

OS at 5 years improved among all patients, including those ages 75 to 84 years, a group with historically poor outcomes. However, older age retained an association with worse survival, suggesting opportunities for further progress. Cancer 2013;119:2620‐2629. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Clinical, virologic, and immunologic outcomes in lymphoma survivors and in cancer‐free, HIV‐1–infected patients
Authors: Spagnuolo Vincenzo , Travi Giovanna , Galli Laura , Cossarini Francesca , Guffanti Monica , Gianotti Nicola , Salpietro Stefania , Lazzarin Adriano , Castagna Antonella
Published: April 2013

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to compare immunologic, virologic, and clinical outcomes between living human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected individuals who had a diagnosis of lymphoma versus outcomes in a control group of cancer‐free, HIV‐infected patients.

METHODS

In this matched cohort study, patients in the case group were survivors of incident lymphomas that occurred between 1997 and June 2010. Controls were living, cancer‐free, HIV‐infected patients who were matched to cases at a 4:1 ratio by age, sex, nadir CD4 cell count, and year of HIV diagnosis. The date of lymphoma diagnosis served as the baseline in cases and in the corresponding controls.

RESULTS

In total, 62 patients (cases) who had lymphoma (20 with Hodgkin disease [HD] and 42 with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL]) were compared with 211 controls. The overall median follow‐up was 4.8 years (interquartile range, 2.0‐7.9 years). The CD4 cell count at baseline was 278 cells/mm3 (interquartile range, 122‐419 cells/mm3) in cases versus 421 cells/mm3 (interquartile range, 222‐574 cells/mm3) in controls (P = .003). At the last available visit, the CD4 cell count was 412 cells/mm3 (range, 269‐694 cells/mm3) in cases versus 518 cells/mm3 (interquartile range, 350‐661 cells/mm3) in controls (P = .087). The proportion of patients who achieved virologic success increased from 30% at baseline to 74% at the last available visit in cases (P = .008) and from 51% to 81% in controls (P = .0286). Patients with HD reached higher CD4 cell counts at their last visit than patients with NHL (589 cells/mm3 [range, 400‐841 cells/mm3] vs 332 cells/mm3 [interquartile range, 220‐530 cells/mm3], respectively; P = .003). Virologic success was similar between patients with HD and patients with NHL at the last visit. Forty cases (65%) and 76 controls (36%) experienced at least 1 clinical event after baseline (P < .0001); cases were associated with a shorter time to occurrence of the first clinical event compared with controls (P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

HIV‐infected lymphoma survivors experienced more clinical events than controls, especially during the first year of follow‐up, but they reached similar long‐term immunologic and virologic outcomes. Cancer 2013;119:2710–2719. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Accelerating unstructured finite volume computations on field‐programmable gate arrays
Authors: Nagy Zoltán , Nemes Csaba , Hiba Antal , Csík Árpád , Kiss András , Ruszinkó Miklós , Szolgay Péter
Published: April 2013

In the paper, an field‐programmable gate array (FPGA)‐based framework is described to efficiently accelerate unstructured finite volume computations where the same mathematical expression has to be evaluated at every point of the mesh. The irregular memory access patterns caused by the unstructured spatial discretization are eliminated by a novel mesh node reordering technique, and a special architecture is designed to fully utilize the benefits of the predictable memory access patterns. In the proposed architecture, a fixed‐size moving window of the input stream of the reordered state variables is cached into the on‐chip memory and a pipelined chain of processing elements, which gets input only from the fast on‐chip memory, is used to carry out the computations. The arithmetic unit (AU) of the processing elements is generated from the data flow graph extracted from the given mathematical expression. The data flow graph is partitioned with a novel graph partitioning algorithm to break up the AU into smaller locally controlled parts, which can be more efficiently implemented in FPGA than the globally controlled AU. The proposed architecture and algorithms are presented via a case study solving the Euler equations on an unstructured mesh. On the currently available largest FPGA, the generated architecture contains three processing elements working in a pipelined fashion to provide one order of magnitude speedup compared with a high performance microprocessor and three times speedup compared with a high performance graphics processing unit. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Physical Properties and Structural Characterization of Ionic Liquids and Solid Electrolytes Utilizing the Carbamoylcyano(nitroso)methanide Anion
Authors: Janikowski Judith , Razali Mohd R. , Forsyth Craig M. , Nairn Kate M. , Batten Stuart R. , MacFarlane Douglas R. , Pringle Jennifer M.
Published: April 2013

Invited for this month’s cover is the collaboration between three different groups at Monash University, Deakin University and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science. The cover picture shows a photograph of an organic ionic plastic crystal, and the structure of the anti and syn isomers of the ccnm anion. Read the full text of the article on page 486.
Parametric CMOS upconverters and downconverters
Authors: Zhao Zhixing , Magierowski Sebastian , Belostotski Leonid
Published: April 2013

This paper discusses parametric CMOS mixers as potential radio‐frequency front‐end contributors to advanced mm‐wave and sub‐mm‐wave wireless communicators. It outlines fundamental concepts underlying parametric circuit operation highlighting its benefits with regards to power consumption, speed, and noise performance. The implementation of parametric CMOS architectures is detailed. Critical device properties and figures of merit are shown. Measurement results of prototype designs are given. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
QoE and energy efficiency aware resource allocation for OFDM systems in group mobility environments
Authors: Zhang Yueying , Long Hang , Peng Yuexing , Vasilakos Athanasios V. , Wang Wenbo
Published: April 2013

The global information and communication technology industry is a fast growing contributor to the electrical energy consumption, especially for the base stations, accounting for a substantial amount of the energy use. Inherently, a resource allocation strategy including subchannels blackout would reduce energy consumption. In this paper, energy efficient resource allocation algorithms are addressed for the OFDM system in group mobility environments, suffering from high intercarrier interference. We first propose the subchannels blackout scheme to save energy implicitly without performance degradation by turning off certain subchannels when transmitting signals. Then, resource allocation scheme in combination with subchannels blackout scheme is developed, consisting of intergroup subchannels allocation and inner‐group subchannels blackout. Its advantage is twofold. (i) Energy consumption is reduced obviously; (ii) intercarrier interference is decreased and channel quality is enhanced simultaneously. However, the original transmit rate decreases with the decrease of active resources. We also prove under subchannels blackout scheme, achieved throughput and perceptual quality of experience (QoE) are quasiconcave in energy saving percentage, which reflects the number of blackout subchannels. We then present two energy efficient resource allocation algorithms. Both algorithms focus on the optimal solution by using an iteration method. The difference lies in the objective. One tries for energy consumption minimization above the satisfactory QoE level, but the other aims to maximize QoE perceived by users. Numerical results confirm the theoretical findings and demonstrate the promising energy‐saving capability with satisfying QoE of the proposed resource allocation schemes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Standardized categorical reporting of cytopathology results
Authors: Grapsa Dimitra , Ekaterini Politi
Published: April 2013

Since the success of the Bethesda nomenclature system in standardizing Pap smear results, there has been growing interest in adopting Bethesda‐like standardized categorical formats in areas of nongynecologic cytopathology. Standardized categorical reporting may have several advantages over descriptive reporting, in enhancing cytopathologist‐clinician communication and inter‐institutional exchange of information, providing better guidance for treatment planning, and facilitating statistical analysis for research purposes or quality control studies. On the other hand, descriptive reporting may be more effective as a tool of communication between cytopathologists, may better express the uncertainty of the observer in diagnostically difficult and equivocal cases and may better serve the purposes of training and continuing education of cytopathologists. Future studies on the pros and cons of the different reporting systems used in cytopathology may provide further insight on these issues. The most problematic areas need to be identified and optimal solutions decided. Despite the ongoing debate on the optimal reporting format in cytopathology, there is general agreement on the need for high quality cytology reports (whether descriptive or standardized) in terms of their diagnostic accuracy, clarity and clinical value. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2013;41:917–921. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Detection of diabetic metabolism disorders post‐mortem – forensic case reports on cause of death hyperglycaemia
Authors: Hess C. , Wöllner K. , Musshoff F. , Madea B.
Published: April 2013

Diabetic coma is the most severe form of hyperglycaemic metabolic disorders. The post‐mortem diagnosis of this disorder of glucose metabolism can be difficult and vague due to a lack of characteristic morphological findings. Six death cases caused by diabetic coma are described with special focus on biochemical (and histological) findings. The possible glycaemia markers glucose, lactate, HbA1c, fructosamine, anhydroglucitol, and ketone bodies were measured and the usefulness of these parameters is evaluated and discussed. Estimations of glucose concentrations in vitreous humour or cerebrospinal fluid and of ketone bodies in blood or other matrices are obligatory while measurements of HbA1c, fructosamine, or anhydroglucitol can only provide additional information on the long‐term adjustment of diabetes in the deceased. Lactate concentrations (addition of glucose and lactate levels to form the sum formula of Traub) do not give more information than the glucose concentration itself and can be therefore omitted. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Generation of transgenic Wuzhishan miniature pigs expressing monomeric red fluorescent protein by somatic cell nuclear transfer
Authors: Lu Yue , Kang Jin‐Dan , Li Suo , Wang Wei , Jin Jun‐xue , Hong Yu , Cui Cheng‐du , Yan Chang‐guo , Yin Xi‐Jun
Published: April 2013

Red fluorescent protein and its variants enable researchers to study gene expression, localization, and protein–protein interactions in vitro in real‐time. Fluorophores with higher wavelengths are usually preferred since they efficiently penetrate tissues and produce less toxic emissions. A recently developed fluorescent protein marker, monomeric red fluorescent protein (mRFP1), is particularly useful because of its rapid maturation and minimal interference with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and GFP‐derived markers. We generated a pCX‐mRFP1‐pgk‐neoR construct and evaluated the ability of mRFP1 to function as a fluorescent marker in transgenic Wuzhishan miniature pigs. Transgenic embryos were generated by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) of nuclei isolated from ear fibroblasts expressing mRFP1. Embryos generated by SCNT developed into blastocysts in vitro (11.65%; 31/266). Thereafter, a total of 685 transgenic embryos were transferred into the oviducts of three recipients, two of which became pregnant. Of these, one recipient had six aborted fetuses, whereas the other recipient gave birth to four offspring. All offspring expressed the pCX‐mRFP1‐pgk‐neoR gene as shown by PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. The transgenic pigs expressed mRFP1 in all organs and tissues at high levels. These results demonstrate that Wuzhishan miniature pigs can express mRFP1. To conclude, this transgenic animal represents an excellent model with widespread applications in medicine and agriculture. genesis 51:575–586.© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Multifunctional Periodic Mesoporous Organosilicas for Biomolecule Recognition, Biomedical Applications in Cancer Therapy, and Metal Adsorption
Authors: Moorthy Madhappan Santha , Kim Mi‐Ju , Bae Jae‐Ho , Park Sung Soo , Saravanan Nagappan , Kim Sun‐Hee , Ha Chang‐Sik
Published: April 2013

This paper reports a new approach towards the construction of a multifunctional periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO), which integrates a range of advantages, such as mesoporous structural order, selective nucleobase‐recognition properties, stimuli‐responsive site‐specific delivery of anticancer agents to cancer tissues, and Cu2+ adsorption, into a single entity. First, the appropriate organic‐functional‐receptor precursor was synthesized by a chemical process and used to fabricate a multifunctional pyridine‐containing PMO material (DMPy‐PMO) by a hydrolysis and condensation route. The designed organic–inorganic hybrid mesoporous silica chemosensor showed an intrinsic selective recognition of nucleobase, specifically thymidine, through multipoint hydrogen‐bonding interactions with suitably arrayed receptor sites loaded into the rigid silica framework. An in vitro cytotoxicity test showed that the designed chemosensor materials have good biocompatibility and, therefore, could be promising candidates for the delivery of a range of therapeutic agents. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) confirmed that the material can be internalized effectively by cancer cells (MCF‐7 cells). In addition, the DMPy‐PMOs showed efficient Cu2+ ion removal capacity at pH 5.0 with significantly high levels of adsorption (0.95 mmol g–1). These results suggest that the prepared multifunctional PMO hybrid has potential use as a smart material for a range of applications, such as biomolecule recognition, biomedical applications, and as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of metal ions.
Group 5 Imides and Bis(imide)s as Selective Hydrogenation Catalysts
Authors: Gianetti Thomas L. , La Pierre Henry S. , Arnold John
Published: April 2013

In this microreview, we focus on our work on the development of group 5 imido and bis(imido) semihydrogenation catalysts in the context of previous stoichiometric studies on d0 metal–ligand multiple‐bond activations of strong σ bonds and both stoichiometric and catalytic studies on H2 activation and hydrogenation by d2 group 5 complexes. These studies develop electronic structure models and mechanistic analyses necessary for the application of catalytic reactions involving 1,2‐addition reactions of σ‐bonded substrates across early transition metal–ligand multiple bonds. Extension of these studies to the second and third row group 5 imido complexes has led to the development of mechanistically distinct hydrogenation catalysts with product selectivities not readily obtainable with traditional late transition‐metal catalysts that employ H2 as the reductant.
Oxido‐ and Sulfidoniobium(V) N,N‐Diethylcarbamates: Synthesis, Characterization and DFT Study
Authors: Bortoluzzi Marco , Ghini Franco , Hayatifar Mohammad , Marchetti Fabio , Pampaloni Guido , Zacchini Stefano
Published: April 2013

N,N‐Diethylcarbamates [NbE(O2CNEt2)3] (E = O, S) have been prepared in high yields by treating NbOCl3 or [NbSCl3(CH3CN)2] with CO2/NHEt2 in toluene at approximately –10 °C. The products were characterized by spectroscopic techniques, elemental analysis and X‐ray diffractometry in the case of [NbO(O2CNEt2)3]. The molecular structure of the latter consists of a niobium centre coordinated to the oxido moiety and six O atoms belonging to bridging and bidentate carbamates, in a slightly distorted pentagonal‐bipyramidal arrangement. The structures of both [NbE(O2CNEt2)3] compounds were reproduced by DFT calculations, which show substantial similarity despite the different nature of the chalcogen atoms.
Chemical and sensory assessment of deep‐frying oil alternatives for the processing of French fries
Authors: Petersen Katharina Domitila , Jahreis Gerhard , Busch‐Stockfisch Mechthild , Fritsche Jan
Published: April 2013

The aim of the study was to evaluate volatile compounds as marker compounds for the edible oil deterioration during the production of deep‐fried French fries. Additionally the sensory characteristics (taste and smell) were assessed and results were compared with the results of the volatile compound analysis. A 32‐h deep‐frying experiment was performed and different frying oils, namely sunflower oil (SF), high‐oleic sunflower oil (HOSF), rapeseed oil (RO), high‐oleic rapeseed oil (HORO), and palm olein, were subsequently analyzed for their oxidative properties by the determination of their total polar material (TPM), polymerized triglycerides (PTG), peroxide value, anisidine value, as well as the fatty acid composition. In addition, analysis of the volatile compounds derived from the thermal degradation of the frying oils was performed by means of headspace‐GC/MS techniques (HS‐SPME‐GC/MS and DHS‐GC/MS). Multivariate statistical methods (principal component analysis with VARIMAX rotation) were applied to identify sensitive volatile lipid degradation indicators, enabling a differentiation of the various frying oils of different degrees of lipid oxidation just after 3 h of deep‐frying. E,E‐2,4‐decadienal and heptanal showed the greatest ability to differentiate between samples of various oxidative states, whereas E,E‐2,4‐heptadienal and E‐2‐decenal showed a reasonable correlation with well‐known lipid oxidation parameters, e.g., values for PTG or TPM. In addition to the chemical evaluation of the frying oils, the produced French fries were evaluated in terms of their taste and smell by an advanced scientific sensory method (balanced incomplete block design). French fries produced in conventional vegetable oils (SF and RO) were differentiated earlier from those prepared in fresh reference oil compared to HOSF and HORO. The perception of the French fries prepared in HOSF was comparable to those prepared in palm olein. Therefore, high‐oleic vegetable oils, especially high‐oleic SF, provide a frying oils alternative for the production of deep‐fried French fries, delivering low proportions of trans and saturated fatty acids.

Practical applications: The combination of volatile compound analysis by headspace‐GC/MS techniques with multivariate statistical methods is a sensitive tool to detect quality changes in deep‐frying oils at an early stage of lipid deterioration. Evolved volatile marker compounds, e.g., E,E‐2,4‐heptadienal and heptanal correlated reasonably with quality parameters for the assessment of the thermal stability of frying oils, e.g., content of TPM polymerized trigylcerides. Comprehensive scientific sensory evaluations of frying oils revealed high‐oleic edible oils as promising frying oil alternatives for the processing of French fries providing low proportions of trans fatty acids and saturated fatty acids.
Structural Characterization of the Core Oligosaccharide Isolated from the Lipo­polysaccharide of the Psychrophilic Bacterium Colwellia psychrerythraea Strain 34H
Authors: Carillo Sara , Pieretti Giuseppina , Lindner Buko , Parrilli Ermenegilda , Filomena Sannino , Tutino Maria Luisa , Lanzetta Rosa , Parrilli Michelangelo , Corsaro Maria Michela
Published: April 2013

Cold‐adapted bacteria are microorganisms that thrive at very low temperatures in permanently cold environments (0–10 °C). Their ability to survive under these harsh conditions is the result of molecular evolution and adaptations, which include the structural modification of the phospholipid membrane. To give insight into the role of the membrane in the mechanisms of adaptation to low temperature, the characterization of other cell‐wall components is necessary. Among these components, the lipopolysaccharides are complex amphiphilic macromolecules embedded in the outer leaflet of the external membrane, of which they are the major constituents. The cold‐adapted Colwellia psychrerythraea 34H bacterium, living in deep sea and Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, was cultivated at 4 °C. The lipooligosaccharide (LOS) was isolated and analysed by means of chemical analysis. Then it was degraded either by mild hydrazinolysis (O‐deacylation) or hot KOH (4 M; N‐deacylation). Both products were investigated in detail by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and by ESI FT‐ICR mass spectrometry. The oligosaccharide portion consists of a unique and very short species with the following general structure: α‐L‐Col‐(1→2)‐α‐D‐GalA‐(1→2)‐α‐D‐Man‐[3‐P‐D‐Gro]‐(1→5)‐α‐D‐Kdo‐4‐P‐Lipid‐A.
Synthesis of Cucurbit[6]uril Derivatives and Insights into Their Solubility in Water
Authors: Lewin Véronique , Rivollier Julie , Coudert Sylvie , Buisson David‐Alexandre , Baumann Delphine , Rousseau Bernard , Legrand François‐Xavier , Kouřilová Hana , Berthault Patrick , Dognon Jean‐Pierre , Heck Marie‐Pierre , Huber Gaspard
Published: April 2013

Four new cucurbiturils CynCB[6] containing n (n = 1, 2, 4, 5) cyclohexyl equatorial units have been synthesized to complete the family of known Cy3CB[6] and Cy6CB[6] derivatives. A new CB[6] member bearing a propanediurea unit has also been prepared. The CB[6] derivatives show better solubility in pure water than native CB[6]. One cyclohexyl unit is sufficient to enhance the solubility in water by a factor of 170 with respect to CB[6], and Cy6CB[6] is around 30 times more soluble than Cy1CB[6]. The cyclohexane moieties, by limiting or impeding the formation of intermolecular C–H···O hydrogen bonds, may explain this increase in solubility. The effect of modification of the molecular shape on the solubility was assessed by liquid‐state NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations.
Gly‐Gly‐His Immobilized On Monolayer Modified Back‐Side Contact Miniaturized Sensors for Complexation of Copper Ions
Authors: Wawrzyniak Urszula E. , Ciosek Patrycja , Zaborowski Michał , Liu Guozhen , Gooding J. Justin
Published: April 2013

Miniaturized planar back‐side contact transducers (BSC) with chemically modified gold surface have been utilized as electrochemical sensors. The electrodes have been functionalized by sequential immobilization of aryl diazonium salts or alkanethiols and short peptide Gly‐Gly‐His. The applicability of gold substrates modified with aryl diazonium salts in voltammetric detection of copper(II) ions in aqueous solutions has been studied. The combination of two fundamental elements of the solid‐state electrode, i.e. back‐side contact (BSC) gold sensor and self‐assembled monolayers, allowed one to obtain reliable miniaturized copper(II) ion sensors. It can have important future applications in environmental sensing or in implantable biodevices.
Sensitive Determination of Nitrofurantoin by Flow Injection Analysis Using Carbon Nanofiber Screen Printed Electrodes
Authors: Salgado‐Figueroa P. , Jara‐Ulloa P. , Alvarez‐Lueje A. , Squella J. A.
Published: April 2013

In this work, a new method to quantify nitrofurantoin in aqueous media using a flow injection system connected to commercially available screen‐printed carbon nanofibers was developed. A pretreatment of the screen‐printed carbon nanofibers electrode with BrittonRobinson buffer/N,N‐dimethylformamide was applied to enhance the nitrofurantoin peak current signal in one step. The developed method was demonstrated to be sensible, reproducible, easy, and inexpensive. With a low detection limit, it is applicable to real samples. The results indicate that it is highly applicable for the detection of nitrofurantoin in several matrices. When urine samples without any pretreatment were analyzed, the method proved reproducible and sensible and had a low detection limit. The use of screen‐printed electrodes has advantages over other modified electrodes as a glassy carbon due to its versatility.
Making sense of OMICS data in population‐based environmental health studies
Authors: Kyrtopoulos Soterios A.
Published: April 2013

Although experience from the application of OMICS technologies in population‐based environmental health studies is still relatively limited, the accumulated evidence shows that it can allow the identification of features (genes, proteins, and metabolites), or sets of such features, which are targeted by particular exposures or correlate with disease risk. Such features or profiles can therefore serve as biomarkers of exposure or disease risk. Blood‐based OMIC profiles appear to reflect to some extent events occurring in target tissues and are associated with toxicity or disease and therefore have the potential to facilitate the elucidation of exposure‐disease relationships. Further progress in this direction requires better understanding of the significance of exposure‐induced network perturbations for disease initiation and progression and the development of a framework that combines agnostic searches with the utilization of prior knowledge, taking account of particular elements which characterize the structure and evolution of complex systems and brings in principles of systems biology. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 54:468‐479, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Studies on the Toxic Interaction Mechanism between 2‐Naphthylamine and Herring Sperm DNA
Authors: Lin Jingjing , Liu Yan , Liu Lingrong , Song Ling
Published: April 2013

The toxic interaction between 2‐naphthylamine (2‐NA) and herring sperm deoxyribonucleic acid (hs‐DNA) has been thoroughly investigated by UV absorption, fluorescence, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic methods. UV absorption result indicates that 2‐NA may intercalate into the stack base pairs of DNA during the toxic interaction of 2‐NA with DNA. A fluorescence quenching study shows that DNA quenches the intrinsic fluorescence of 2‐NA via a static pathway. The studies on effects of ionic strength and anionic quenching rule out electrostatic and groove bindings as the dominant binding modes. Further studies on denatured DNA fluorescence quenching and thermal melting studies confirm that the dominant binding mode of 2‐NA‐DNA is intercalative binding. A CD spectral study shows that the binding interaction of 2‐NA with DNA leads to the disorganization of the neat double‐helical structure of hs‐DNA. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J BiochemMol Toxicol 27:279‐285, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/jbt.21488
Toward quantitative estimates of binding affinities for protein–ligand systems involving large inhibitor compounds: A steered molecular dynamics simulation route
Authors: Nicolini Paolo , Frezzato Diego , Gellini Cristina , Bizzarri Marco , Chelli Riccardo
Published: April 2013

Understanding binding mechanisms between enzymes and potential inhibitors and quantifying protein–ligand affinities in terms of binding free energy is of primary importance in drug design studies. In this respect, several approaches based on molecular dynamics simulations, often combined with docking techniques, have been exploited to investigate the physicochemical properties of complexes of pharmaceutical interest. Even if the geometric properties of a modeled protein–ligand complex can be well predicted by computational methods, it is still challenging to rank with chemical accuracy a series of ligand analogues in a consistent way. In this article, we face this issue calculating relative binding free energies of a focal adhesion kinase, an important target for the development of anticancer drugs, with pyrrolopyrimidine‐based ligands having different inhibitory power. To this aim, we employ steered molecular dynamics simulations combined with nonequilibrium work theorems for free energy calculations. This technique proves very powerful when a series of ligand analogues is considered, allowing one to tackle estimation of protein–ligand relative binding free energies in a reasonable time. In our cases, the calculated binding affinities are comparable with those recovered from experiments by exploiting the Michaelis–Menten mechanism with a competitive inhibitor.
On the lack of InSAR observations of magmatic deformation at Central American volcanoes
Authors: Ebmeier S. K. , Biggs J. , Mather T. A. , Amelung F.
Published: April 2013

A systematic survey of 3 years of L band interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) measurements of the Central American Volcanic Arc shows a striking lack of magmatic deformation. We make measurements at 20 of the 26 historically active volcanoes and demonstrate that none were deforming magmatically (2007–2010), although we do measure shallow subsidence associated with flow deposits and edifice loading at three volcanoes. The minimum detection rates for our survey, as estimated from the variance in time series of radar path delay, are relatively high due to strong variability of tropospheric water vapor. We compare the average detection threshold (2.4 cm/yr) to published InSAR measurements and show that the majority (~78%) of deformation events would have been measurable with the same level of noise as Central America. We calculate that if magmatic volcano deformation were spread evenly across historically active volcanoes worldwide, the probability of none of Central America's 26 volcanoes deforming would be < 1%. The lack of magmatic deformation in Central America may be indicative of differences in magma storage relative to other well‐studied continental arcs. The high proportion of basalts that ascend directly from depth relative to andesites stored in the shallow crust may limit the potential for high magnitude deformation. Magma stored in vertically elongated reservoirs and high parental melt volatile contents that result in bubble‐rich, compressible magmas at shallow depths may also reduce surface deformation. We consider the measurement and analysis of a lack of deformation at active volcanoes to be essential for realizing the potential of regional scale InSAR surveys.
Upper air temperature trends above Switzerland 1959–2011
Authors: Brocard E. , Jeannet P. , Begert M. , Levrat G. , Philipona R. , Romanens G. , Scherrer S. C.
Published: April 2013

This study summarizes 53 years of radiosonde measurements at the MeteoSwiss Aerological Station of Payerne, Switzerland. The temperature time series is the result of a careful reassessment of the original data, mainly based on the internal station documentation. Comparisons with HadAT2 and RAOBCORE/RICH adjusted data sets document the high quality of our technical reevaluation. In the lower troposphere, we compare radiosonde measurement trends to independently homogenized surface trends measured at lowland and Alpine stations up to 3580 m. We find an average difference among trends below 0.03 K/decade (7–8%), showing consistency between upper air and surface temperature measurements. Upper air data show the 0°C isotherm to rise by about 70 m/decade on average over the whole period, which is consistent with the 60 m/decade trend found using surface measurements. A similar change has also been measured for the tropopause height, which rose by 54 m/decade over the last five decades. Analysis of the phase and amplitude of the diurnal temperature cycle shows a strongly decreasing amplitude with height from about 3 K at the surface to 0.2 K at 700 hPa. The diurnal cycle peaks at about 15 UTC at the surface and shifts to later hours with height, reaching almost midnight at 400 hPa. In the stratosphere, diurnal temperature again peaks at around 15 UTC, but with low amplitude. Annual temperature cycle amplitude is in the order of 15 K and fairly constant with height. The peak temperature, however, shifts from July–August in the troposphere to June–July in the stratosphere. Temperature trends in the troposphere exhibit a clear warming trend since the 1980s, which decreases with height and changes to a cooling trend in the stratosphere, with no trend or minor warming since the end of the 1990s. The warming in the troposphere is found to be larger during summer months, whereas the cooling in the stratosphere is larger during winter months.
Poverty and Natural Resources Degradation: Analysis of their Interactions in Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia
Authors: Daregot Berihun , Ayalneh Bogale , Belay Kassa , Degnet Abebaw
Published: April 2013

Developing a clear understanding of the links between poverty and natural resources degradation remained a vital task in the poverty reduction and sustainable resources conservation process. Accordingly, this paper explores the poverty and natural resources degradation linkages in Lake Tana Basin of Ethiopia. With the application of simultaneous order probit econometric model, this paper argues that a one‐sided argument of poverty that causes natural resources degradation is challenged, as poverty not only contributes to natural resources degradation but also natural resources degradation contributes to poverty along with other factors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surgical outcome of desmoid tumors: Adjuvant radiotherapy delayed the recurrence, but did not affect long‐term outcomes
Authors: Shin Seung Han , Ko Kyung Rae , Cho Samuel K. , Choi Yoon‐La , Seo Sung Wook
Published: April 2013

Background

We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of desmoid tumor (DT) patients treated by surgical excision.

Methods

Among 155 consecutive patients, 119 patients satisfied our inclusion criteria. The mean follow‐up duration was 82 months. Age, gender, location, size, depth, resection margin, adjuvant radiotherapy, and excision history were analyzed for the outcomes.

Results

The recurrence‐free survival (RFS) rates were 75% at 5 years and 72% at 10 years. Twenty‐seven (93.1%) out of 29 recurrences were detected within 5 years. In multivariate analysis, positive resection margin and excision history were independently associated with the RFS. In the comparison between the propensity score matched groups, adjuvant radiotherapy was not significantly associated with the RFS. The mean time interval from surgery to recurrence was 30.0 ± 28.7 months (median, 20 months; range, 4–123 months). This interval was significantly longer for patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy than for those who received surgical resection only, both in all recurrences and in recurrences in matched cases.

Conclusions

Surgical excision appears to be a reliable treatment option for DTs. However, positive outcomes require a clear resection margin. Adjuvant radiotherapy may delay the recurrence of the tumor, although it seems to have no effect on the ultimate relapse rate. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013 108:28–33. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Patients' experiences following local–regional recurrence of thyroid cancer: A qualitative study
Authors: Misra Shikha , Meiyappan Soumia , Heus Lineke , Freeman Jeremy , Rotstein Lorne , Brierley James D. , Tsang Richard W. , Rodin Gary , Ezzat Shereen , Goldstein David P. , Sawka Anna M.
Published: April 2013

Background and Objective

The psychosocial impact of local–regional thyroid cancer recurrence is not known. The aim of this study was to explore thyroid cancer patients' experiences relating to diagnosis and treatment of local–regional disease recurrence.

Methods

We conducted 15 semi‐structured interviews with survivors of differentiated thyroid cancer who underwent neck reoperation for recurrent disease. Participants were recruited from the clinical practices of thyroid surgeons and endocrinologists at University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospitals in Toronto, Ontario. Participant interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using qualitative methods. Saturation of themes was achieved.

Results

Local–regional recurrence of thyroid cancer was associated with significant psychological distress. Confidence in healthcare providers as well as psychosocial support from family or social relations, were helpful in coping with disease recurrence. After recovery from treatment, post‐traumatic growth was reported. However, questions and worry about the risk for future recurrence lingered at follow‐up.

Conclusions

Local–regional recurrence of thyroid cancer has a significant psychosocial impact on patients, and support needs are heightened throughout the experience. Healthcare providers should strive to ensure that medical information and psychosocial needs of such patients are met, throughout the treatment experience, as well as at follow‐up. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;108:47–51. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Postoperative management in the prevention of complications after septoplasty
Authors: Quinn Jason G. , Bonaparte James P. , Kilty Shaun J.
Published: April 2013

Objectives/Hypothesis

The purpose of this article is to assess the relative rates of septal hematomas, synechiae, and septal perforations associated with methods commonly used to manage the nasal septum after septoplasty. As a secondary objective, we assessed the relative contribution of each method of septal management with respect to pain and patient discomfort.

Study Design

Systematic review.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed for all relevant English randomized controlled, cohort, or case–control trials. Inclusion criteria included any study that assessed postoperative septal hematoma, perforation, or synechiae formation and reported on these outcomes regardless of method of septoplasty. Two authors independently extracted study information and analyzed all included articles for bias.

Results

A total of 279 studies were identified, with 17 meeting the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies had a high risk of bias that prevented the performance of a meta‐analysis. Eight studies provided data on postoperative pain associated with different techniques, and quilting sutures were found to be significantly less painful than both nasal packing and septal splints.

Conclusions

Due to the low level of evidence and the high bias of the studies, the results of this systematic review fail to demonstrate a clear benefit among any of the postseptoplasty treatment techniques. However, the results do demonstrate that septal sutures are associated with less postoperative pain versus the other methods of septal management in this review.
Non‐well‐founded extensions of \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$\mathbf {V}$\end{document}
Authors: Brian William R.
Published: April 2013

This paper describes a new and user‐friendly method for constructing models of non‐well‐founded set theory. Given a sufficiently well‐behaved system θ of non‐well‐founded set‐theoretic equations, we describe how to construct a model Mθ for \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$\mathsf {ZFC}^-$\end{document} in which θ has a non‐degenerate solution. We shall prove that this Mθ is the smallest model for \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$\mathsf {ZFC}^-$\end{document} which contains \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$\mathbf {V}$\end{document} and has a non‐degenerate solution of θ.
A common and functional gene variant in the vascular endothelial growth factor a predicts clinical outcome in early‐stage breast cancer
Authors: Absenger Gudrun , Szkandera Joanna , Stotz Michael , Pichler Martin , Winder Thomas , Langsenlehner Tanja , Langsenlehner Uwe , Samonigg Hellmut , Renner Wilfried , Gerger Armin
Published: April 2013

Angiogenesis and cell cycle control play critical roles in breast cancer susceptibility and clinical outcome and are mainly controlled by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cyclin‐dependent kinases, respectively. Functional germline polymorphisms in these genes alter the function, thereby causing inter‐individual differences in breast cancer risk and clinical outcome. In this study, we investigated the influence of the functional polymorphisms VEGF‐A rs3025039 C > T and CCND1 rs9344 G > A on risk and clinical outcome in early‐stage breast cancer. DNA of 539 female patients with histologically confirmed early‐stage breast cancer and 804 control subjects was genotyped for these polymorphisms. Genotypes were tested for associations with breast cancer risk and clinical outcome. There was no significant association between the polymorphisms and breast cancer risk. However, the minor allele of VEGF‐A rs3025039 C > T was significantly associated with decreased recurrence‐free survival (HR 1.845; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.035–3.290; P = 0.038) and remained significant in multivariate analysis (HR 1.880; 95% CI 1.020–3.465; P = 0.043). Patients carrying at least one A‐allele in CCND1 rs9344 G > A showed a trend towards decreased recurrence‐free survival in univariate analysis (HR 2.379; 95% CI 0.841–6.728; P = 0.068). This study provides evidence that the functional VEGF‐A rs3025039 C > T polymorphism influences recurrence‐free survival in early‐stage breast cancer. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Role of PTEN in basal cell derived lung carcinogenesis
Authors: Malkoski Stephen P. , Cleaver Timothy G. , Thompson Joshua J. , Sutton Whitney P. , Haeger Sarah M. , Rodriguez Karen J. , Lu Shi‐Long , Merrick Daniel , Wang Xiao‐Jing
Published: April 2013

Lung adenocarcinoma (AdC) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are the most common non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) subtypes, however, most genetic mouse models of lung cancer produce predominantly, if not exclusively, AdC. Whether this is secondary to targeting mutations to the distal airway cells or to the use of activating Kras mutations that drive AdC formation is unknown. We previously showed that targeting KrasG12D activation and transforming growth factor β receptor type II (TGFβRII) deletion to airway basal cells via a keratin promoter induced formation of both lung AdC and SCC. In this study we assessed if targeting phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) deletion to airway basal cells could initiate lung tumor formation or increase lung SCC formation. We found that PTEN deletion is capable of initiating both lung AdC and SCC formation when targeted to basal cells and although PTEN deletion is a weaker tumor initiator than KrasG12D with low tumor multiplicity and long latency, tumors initiated by PTEN deletion were larger and displayed more malignant conversion than KrasG12D initiated tumors. That PTEN deletion did not increase lung SCC formation compared to KrasG12D activation, suggests that the initiating genetic event does not dictate tumor histology when genetic alterations are targeted to a specific cell. These studies also confirm that basal cells of the conducting airway are capable of giving rise to multiple NSCLC tumor types. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A novel variable power divider with continuous power division
Authors: Bulja Senad , Grebennikov Andrei
Published: April 2013

In this article, a novel variable power divider based on varactor diodes is introduced and described in detail.Its main components are 3‐dB couplers, varactor diodes, and lumped elements. The proposed power divider is initially studied using the even‐ and odd‐mode techniques. Then, based on the derived equations and as an experimental verification, the proposed varactor‐based power divider operating at the center frequency of 2.5 GHz is fabricated and its performance is measured. It is shown that the power divider offers a maximum insertion loss of about 1.8 dB with a minimum dynamic range of over 6 dB in the frequency range from 2.3 to 2.7 GHz. The results are discussed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:1684–1686, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27603
Optical generation of millimeter‐wave and sub‐terahertz carrier through frequency 18‐tupling
Authors: Han Seung Heon , Park Chang‐Soo
Published: April 2013

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an optical millimeter‐wave and sub‐terahertz signal generation method based on frequency 18‐tupling using a power amplifier, an optical modulator, and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). The power amplifier is operated in the nonlinear region and generates a third‐order harmonic frequency. Next, frequency doubling by optical carrier suppression using the optical modulator is performed. Four‐wave mixing of the SOA and optical filtering produce two‐tone waves whose frequency spacing corresponds to 18‐tupling of the input RF frequency. The experimental results show that two idlers could be obtained at 1549.98 and 1550.85 nm in the wavelength domain corresponding to the beat frequency of 108 GHz from the 6 GHz RF signal. Because of the bandwidth limitations of our available photodetectors, the phase noise of the beat signal is measured at a lower frequency of 60 GHz for the input of 3.3 GHz and is −74.60 dBc/Hz at an offset of 100 kHz. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:1677–1680, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27605