bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interconversion of Metallabenzenes and Cyclic η2‐Allene‐Coordinated Complexes
Authors: Lin Ran , Zhao Jing , Chen Hanyu , Zhang Hong , Xia Haiping
Published: May 2012

Treatment of the osmabenzene [Os{CHC(PPh3)CHC(PPh3)CH} Cl2(PPh3)2]Cl (1) with excess 8‐hydroxyquinoline produces monosubstituted osmabenzene [Os{CH C(PPh3) CHC(PPh3)CH}(C9H6NO)Cl(PPh3)]Cl (2) or disubstituted osmabenzene [Os{CHC(PPh3)CHC(PPh3)CH} (C9H6NO)2]Cl (3) under different reaction conditions. Osmabenzene 2 evolves into cyclic η2‐allene‐coordinated complex [Os{CHC(PPh3)CH=(η2‐CCH2)}(C9H6NO)(PPh3)2]Cl (4) in the presence of excess PPh3 and NaOH, presumably involving a PC bond cleavage of the metallacycle. Reaction of 4 with excess 8‐hydroxyquinoline under air affords the SNAr product [(C9H6NO)Os{CHC(PPh3)CHCHC} (C9H6NO)(PPh3)]Cl (5). Complex 4 is fairly reactive to a nucleophile in the presence of acid, which could react with water to give carbonyl complex [Os{CHC(PPh3)CHCH2}(C9H6NO) (CO)(PPh3)2]Cl (6). Complex 4 also reacts with PPh3 in the presence of acid and results in a transformation to [Os {CHC(PPh3)CHCHC}(C9H6NO)Cl (PPh3)2]Cl (7) and [Os{CHC(PPh3) CH=(η2‐CCH(PPh3))}(C9H6NO) Cl(PPh3)]Cl (8). Further investigation shows that the ratio of 7 and 8 is highly dependent on the amount of the acid in the reaction.
Does obesity modify the association of supplemental folic acid with folate status among nonpregnant women of childbearing age in the United States?
Authors: Tinker Sarah C. , Hamner Heather C. , Berry Robert J. , Bailey Lynn B. , Pfeiffer Christine M.
Published: May 2012

BACKGROUND

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of having a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect (NTD). It is not clear whether the amount of folic acid required by obese women to protect against NTDs is the same as that for nonobese women.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, representative of the noninstitutionalized civilian U.S. population, to assess whether body mass index (BMI; normal weight, overweight, and obese categories) modified the association between supplemental folic acid intake and folate status. We estimated the geometric mean concentration among nonpregnant women of childbearing age (15–44 years) during the postfortification period of: serum folate (2003–2008); red blood cell (RBC) folate (2007–2008); and plasma total homocysteine (tHcy; 2003–2006), adjusted for age, race and ethnicity, and total dietary folate expressed as dietary folate equivalents for strata of supplement use and BMI.

RESULTS

BMI was inversely associated with serum folate among women who did not use supplements containing folic acid; no differences between women in different BMI categories were observed among supplement users. Regardless of supplement use, obese women had the highest RBC folate concentrations. There were no differences in tHcy by BMI, regardless of supplement use.

CONCLUSIONS

These results do not support a straightforward modification of the relationship between supplemental folic acid intake and folate status by BMI. In this population, BMI may affect the body distribution of folate, as reflected by lower serum and higher RBC folate levels in obese women who do not use supplements. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Selenium promotes proliferation of chondrogenic cell ATDC5 by increment of intracellular ATP content under serum deprivation
Authors: Yan Jidong , Tian Juan , Zheng Yuewen , Han Yan , Lu Shemin
Published: May 2012

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient, and low Se intake in Se‐deficient areas plays roles in an endemic osteochondropathy characterized by chondronecrosis in growth plate and articular cartilage. However, the biological activities of Se on cartilage are largely unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of Se on chondrogenic cell ATDC5 and the possible mechanisms involved. We demonstrated that Se stimulated ATDC5 cell proliferation under serum deprivation but not routine culture. Furthermore, Se promoted G1‐phase cell cycle progression along with induction of cyclin D1 expression at the mRNA and protein level. Moreover, Se increased intracellular ATP content and decreased intracellular superoxide anion concentration without affecting intracellular redox status as estimated by ratio of the reduced and oxidized glutathione. In addition, suppression of intracellular ATP synthesis by glycolysis inhibitor or mitochondrial uncoupler both abrogated Se‐mediated cyclin D1 induction. These findings suggest Se stimulates proliferation of chondrogenic cell ATDC5 through acceleration of cell cycle progression accompanied with cyclin D1 induction by enhancement of intracellular ATP content. This novel finding provides evidence for a role of Se in cartilage formation and degenerative processes and further supports the relationship between Se status and cartilage function that may lead to better utilization of Se for cartilage homeostasis. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Three‐Dimensional Pharmacophore Design and Biochemical Screening Identifies Substituted 1,2,4‐Triazoles as Inhibitors of the Annexin A2–S100A10 Protein Interaction
Authors: Reddy Tummala R. K. , Li Chan , Fischer Peter M. , Dekker Lodewijk V.
Published: May 2012

Protein interactions are increasingly appreciated as targets in small‐molecule drug discovery. The interaction between the adapter protein S100A10 and its binding partner annexin A2 is a potentially important drug target. To obtain small‐molecule starting points for inhibitors of this interaction, a three‐dimensional pharmacophore model was constructed from the X‐ray crystal structure of the complex between S100A10 and annexin A2. The pharmacophore model represents the favourable hydrophobic and hydrogen bond interactions between the two partners, as well as spatial and receptor site constraints (excluded volume spheres). Using this pharmacophore model, UNITY flex searches were carried out on a 3D library of 0.7 million commercially available compounds. This resulted in 568 hit compounds. Subsequently, GOLD docking studies were performed on these hits, and a set of 190 compounds were purchased and tested biochemically for inhibition of the protein interaction. Three compounds of similar chemical structure were identified as genuine inhibitors of the binding of annexin A2 to S100A10. The binding modes predicted by GOLD were in good agreement with their UNITY‐generated conformations. We synthesised a series of analogues revealing areas critical for binding. Thus computational predictions and biochemical screening can be used successfully to derive novel chemical classes of protein–protein interaction blockers.
Evolution of Late Transition‐Metal‐Catalyzed Intermolecular Reductive Coupling Reaction of [60]Fullerene and N‐Sulfonylaldimines: Competing Formation of Hydrobenzylated [60]Fullerenes and 1,2‐Dihydrofullerene
Authors: Rajeshkumar Venkatachalam , Chuang Shih‐Ching
Published: May 2012

A system based on late transition‐metal halides, phosphanes, water, and reducing agents in 1,2‐dichlorobenzene can efficiently catalyze the intermolecular reductive coupling of [60]fullerene with N‐sulfonylaldimines to afford novel 1,2‐hydrobenzylated [60]fullerene derivatives. We found that both group VII B metals (cobalt, rhodium, iridium) and group VIII B metals (nickel, palladium, platinum) perform this coupling reaction. A control experiment in the absence of aldimines produced C60H2, which showed that the reaction might proceed via a [60]fullerene metal complex [M(η2‐C60)(ligand)]. An isotope labeling experiment with D2O as deuterium source resulted in deuterioaryzilation with deuterium bonded to the sp3‐carbon of C60, providing evidence of a five‐membered azametallacycle intermediate. Evaluation of the scope of reductive coupling reaction with versatile aldimines gave access to the hydroaryzilation products. All the reductive coupling products were completely characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy and ESI mass spectrometry. A possible reaction mechanism based on these results is proposed. This discovery of the formation of reductive coupling compounds and metal‐catalyzed formation of C60H2 are both new to metal catalysis and fullerene chemistry.
Two‐Photon Fluorescent Probes for Bioimaging (Eur. J. Org. Chem. 17/2012)
Authors: Yao Sheng , Belfield Kevin D.
Published: May 2012

The cover picture shows the advantage of two‐photon absorption (upper fluorescence in the cuvette), which is highly localized in three‐dimensional space, in contrast to conventional or one‐photon absorption (lower fluorescence in the cuvette), in deep tissue imaging as shown in a tumor derived from HeLa cells (upper right) with efficient two‐photon absorbing fluorescent dyes such as that pictured in the upper left. Details are presented in the Microreview by S. Yao and K. D. Belfield on p. 3199 ff.

magnified image
Genotype Imputation for African Americans Using Data From HapMap Phase II Versus 1000 Genomes Projects
Authors: Sung Yun J. , Gu C. Charles , Tiwari Hemant K. , Arnett Donna K. , Broeckel Ulrich , Rao Dabeeru C.
Published: May 2012

Genotype imputation provides imputation of untyped single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are present on a reference panel such as those from the HapMap Project. It is popular for increasing statistical power and comparing results across studies using different platforms. Imputation for African American populations is challenging because their linkage disequilibrium blocks are shorter and also because no ideal reference panel is available due to admixture. In this paper, we evaluated three imputation strategies for African Americans. The intersection strategy used a combined panel consisting of SNPs polymorphic in both CEU and YRI. The union strategy used a panel consisting of SNPs polymorphic in either CEU or YRI. The merge strategy merged results from two separate imputations, one using CEU and the other using YRI. Because recent investigators are increasingly using the data from the 1000 Genomes (1KG) Project for genotype imputation, we evaluated both 1KG‐based imputations and HapMap‐based imputations. We used 23,707 SNPs from chromosomes 21 and 22 on Affymetrix SNP Array 6.0 genotyped for 1,075 HyperGEN African Americans. We found that 1KG‐based imputations provided a substantially larger number of variants than HapMap‐based imputations, about three times as many common variants and eight times as many rare and low‐frequency variants. This higher yield is expected because the 1KG panel includes more SNPs. Accuracy rates using 1KG data were slightly lower than those using HapMap data before filtering, but slightly higher after filtering. The union strategy provided the highest imputation yield with next highest accuracy. The intersection strategy provided the lowest imputation yield but the highest accuracy. The merge strategy provided the lowest imputation accuracy. We observed that SNPs polymorphic only in CEU had much lower accuracy, reducing the accuracy of the union strategy. Our findings suggest that 1KG‐based imputations can facilitate discovery of significant associations for SNPs across the whole MAF spectrum. Because the 1KG Project is still under way, we expect that later versions will provide better imputation performance. Genet. Epidemiol. 36:508‐516, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Insights into molecular mechanisms contributing to individual susceptibility to steatohepatitis: Lessons learned from mouse models
Authors: Snider N T , Weerasinghe S V , Singla A , Leonard J M , Hanada S , Andrews P C
Published: May 2012

Genetic factors impact liver injury susceptibility and disease progression. Prominent histological features of some chronic human liver diseases are hepatocyte ballooning and Mallory-Denk bodies. In mice, these features are induced by 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) in a strain-dependent manner, with the C57BL and C3H strains showing high and low susceptibility, respectively. To identify modifiers of DDC-induced liver injury, we compared C57BL and C3H mice using proteomic, biochemical, and cell biological tools. DDC elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress enzymes preferentially in C57BL livers and isolated hepatocytes. C57BL livers and hepatocytes also manifested significant down-regulation, aggregation, and nuclear translocation of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). GAPDH knockdown depleted bioenergetic and antioxidant enzymes and elevated hepatocyte ROS, whereas GAPDH overexpression decreased hepatocyte ROS. On the other hand, C3H livers had higher expression and activity of the energy-generating nucleoside-diphosphate kinase (NDPK), and knockdown of hepatocyte NDPK augmented DDC-induced ROS formation. Consistent with these findings, cirrhotic, but not normal, human livers contained GAPDH aggregates and NDPK complexes. We propose that GAPDH and NDPK are genetic modifiers of murine DDC-induced liver injury and potentially human liver disease.
ESTIMATION OF TREATMENT EFFECTS WITHOUT AN EXCLUSION RESTRICTION: WITH AN APPLICATION TO THE ANALYSIS OF THE SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM
Authors: Millimet Daniel L. , Tchernis Rusty
Published: May 2012

The increase in childhood obesity has garnered the attention of many in policymaking circles. Consequently, school nutrition programs such as the School Breakfast Program (SBP) have come under scrutiny. The identification of the causal effects of such programs, however, is difficult owing to non‐random selection into the program and the lack of exclusion restrictions. Here, we propose two new estimators aimed at addressing this situation. We compare our new estimators to existing approaches using simulated data. We show that while correlations might suggest that SBP causes childhood obesity, SBP is likely to reduce childhood obesity once selection is addressed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Distinct functions of JNK and c‐Jun in oxidant‐induced hepatocyte death
Authors: Amir Muhammad , Liu Kun , Zhao Enpeng , Czaja Mark J.
Published: May 2012

Overactivation of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK)/c‐Jun signaling is a central mechanism of hepatocyte injury and death including that from oxidative stress. However, the functions of JNK and c‐Jun are still unclear, and this pathway also inhibits hepatocyte death. Previous studies of menadione‐induced oxidant stress demonstrated that toxicity resulted from sustained JNK/c‐Jun activation as death was blocked by the c‐Jun dominant negative TAM67. To further delineate the function of JNK/c‐Jun signaling in hepatocyte injury from oxidant stress, the effects of direct JNK inhibition on menadione‐induced death were examined. In contrast to the inhibitory effect of TAM67, pharmacological JNK inhibition by SP600125 sensitized the rat hepatocyte cell line RALA255‐10G to death from menadione. SP600125 similarly sensitized mouse primary hepatocytes to menadione toxicity. Death from SP600125/menadione was c‐Jun dependent as it was blocked by TAM67, but independent of c‐Jun phosphorylation. Death occurred by apoptosis and necrosis and activation of the mitochondrial death pathway. Short hairpin RNA knockdowns of total JNK or JNK2 sensitized to death from menadione, whereas a jnk1 knockdown was protective. Jnk2 null mouse primary hepatocytes were also sensitized to menadione death. JNK inhibition magnified decreases in cellular ATP content and β‐oxidation induced by menadione. This effect mediated cell death as chemical inhibition of β‐oxidation also sensitized cells to death from menadione, and supplementation with the β‐oxidation substrate oleate blocked death. Components of the JNK/c‐Jun signaling pathway have opposing functions in hepatocyte oxidant stress with JNK2 mediating resistance to cell death and c‐Jun promoting death. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 3254–3265, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
IL‐1β‐mediated up‐regulation of DEC1 in human gingiva cells via the Akt pathway
Authors: Bhawal Ujjal K. , Ito Yumi , Tanimoto Keiji , Sato Fuyuki , Fujimoto Katsumi , Kawamoto Takeshi , Sasahira Tomonori , Hamada Nobushiro , Kuniyasu Hiroki , Arakawa Hirohisa , Kato Yukio , Abiko Yoshimitsu
Published: May 2012

Growing evidence indicates that inflammation is a contributing factor leading to cancer development. However, pathways involved in this progression are not well understood. The involvement of DEC1 in cancer prompted us to examine whether pro‐inflammatory cytokine interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) induces the expression of DEC1 in oral inflammation. We found that IL‐1β up‐regulated DEC1 and hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) protein and elevated the HIF‐1α‐responsive gene vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in human primary gingival cells. HIF‐1α and DEC1 immunoreactivity were significantly higher in the cases of gingival inflammation. We demonstrate that IL‐1β up‐regulates DEC1 and HIF‐1α protein through a classical inflammatory signaling pathway involving Akt. Our data strongly suggest that PI‐3K–Akt is an upstream participant in IL‐1β‐mediated DEC1 and HIF‐1α induction. This is supported by the following data: (1) IL‐1β induces 473 serine phosphorylation of Akt; (2) IL‐1β‐mediated Akt activation occurs in a PI‐3K‐dependent manner, and specific inhibition of PI‐3K prevents Akt phosphorylation; and (3) inhibition of Akt prevents IL‐1β‐mediated DEC1 and HIF‐1α induction. Taken together, these results suggest that DEC1 is one of the important transcription factors in inflammation. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 3246–3253, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Gender differences in adiponectin modulation of cardiac remodeling in mice deficient in endothelial nitric oxide synthase
Authors: Durand Jorge L. , Nawrocki Andrea R. , Scherer Philipp E. , Jelicks Linda A.
Published: May 2012

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death. Alterations in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), an enzyme involved in regulating vascular tone, and in adiponectin, an adipocyte‐derived secretory factor, are associated with cardiac remodeling. Deficiency of eNOS is associated with hypertension and LVH. Adiponectin exhibits vaso‐protective, anti‐inflammatory, and anti‐atherogenic properties. We hypothesized that increased levels of adiponectin would alleviate cardiac pathology resulting from eNOS deficiency, while decreased levels of adiponectin would exacerbate the pathology. Male and female mice, deficient in eNOS, and either lacking or over‐expressing adiponectin, were fed high fat diet (HFD) or normal chow. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed to serially assess heart morphology and function up to 40 weeks of age. Thirty‐two weeks of HFD feeding led to significantly greater LV mass in male mice deficient in eNOS and either lacking or over‐expressing adiponectin. Heart function was significantly reduced when the mice were deficient in either eNOS, adiponectin or both eNOS and adiponectin; for female mice, heart function was only reduced when both eNOS and adiponectin were lacking. Thus, while over‐expression of adiponectin in the eNOS deficient HFD fed male mice preserved function at the expense of significantly increased LV mass, female mice were protected from decreased function and increased LVH by over‐expression of adiponectin. Our results demonstrate a sexual dimorphism in response of the heart to alterations in eNOS and adiponectin during high fat feeding and suggest that adiponectin might require eNOS for some of its metabolic effects. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 3276–3287, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Interaction of IFNλR1 with TRAF6 regulates NF‐κB activation and IFNλR1 stability
Authors: Xie Yun‐Fei , Cui Ying‐Bin , Hui Xi‐Wu , Wang Lan , Ma Xiao‐Li , Chen Hong , Wang Xin , Huang Bing‐Ren
Published: May 2012

IFNλR1 is a member of the class II cytokine receptor family, and it associates with IL‐10R2 to form a functional receptor complex, IFNλR. This receptor complex transduces signals from IFNλs (IFNλ1, IFNλ2, and IFNλ3), promoting antiviral and antiproliferative activities similar to those of type I IFNs. In an effort to further understand signal transduction through IFNλR1, we used bioinformatics analysis and identified a tumor necrosis factor receptor‐associated factor 6 (TRAF6)‐binding motif in the intracellular domain of IFNλR1. In subsequent immunoprecipitation and GST pull‐down assays, IFNλR1 was shown to immunoprecipitate with TRAF6 and was pulled down by GST‐TRAF6. Endogenous IFNλR1 and TRAF‐6 interaction implies that these proteins really interact in the cells. This interaction was abrogated upon mutation of the TRAF6‐binding motif in IFNλR1. Furthermore, the interaction between IFNλR1 and TRAF6 inhibited TRAF6‐induced NF‐κB activation, likely due to a reduction in TRAF6 autoubiquitination. Moreover, co‐expression of IFNλR1 with TRAF6 significantly increased the stability of IFNλR1, thereby prolonging its half‐life and enhancing its steady‐state level in cultured cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 3371–3379, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Paracetamol on Ni and NiCu Alloy Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode
Authors: Feizbakhsh Alireza , Aghassi Ali , Ehsani Ali , Jamaat Malihe A. , Naeemy Ali , Danaee Iman
Published: May 2012

In this study we investigated the electrocatalytic oxidation of anti‐inflammatory drug (paracetamol) on Nickel and Nickel–copper alloy modified glassy carbon electrodes (GC/Ni and GC/NiCu) in alkaline solution. These electrodes prepared by galvanostatic method and different electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were used to track the oxidation process and its kinetics. From Voltammetric studies we concluded that in the presence of drugs the anodic peak current of low valences Nickel species increased, followed by a decrease in the corresponding cathodic current peak. This indicates that drugs were oxidized on the redox mediator which was immobilized on the electrode surface via an electrocatalytic mechanism. Using Laviron's equation, the values of α and ks for the immobilized redox species were determined. The anodic peak currents show linear dependency with the square root of scan rate. This behavior is the characteristic of a diffusion controlled process. Under the CA regime the reaction followed a Cottrellian behavior and the diffusion coefficient of paracetamol was found in agreement with the values obtained from CV measurements.
A Simple, Mild and Efficient One‐Pot Synthesis of 2‐Substituted Benzimidazoles in the Presence of H2O2/HCl under Microwave Irradiation
Authors: Naeimi Hossein , Alishahi Nasrin
Published: May 2012

A simple, fast and efficient method for the preparation of several 2‐substituted benzimidazole derivatives is reported. Compounds were synthesized through a rapid one‐pot synthesis via microwave irradiation, starting from aldehydes and o‐phenylenediamine, in the presence of H2O2/HCl system in acetonitrile. The significant features of this method are short reaction times, high yields, easy and quick isolation of the products.
Synthesis of Aromatic Ketones from Aromatic Compounds Using Vanadium‐Containing Mesoporous Silicates
Authors: Chen Chih‐Wei , Ko An‐Nan
Published: May 2012

Aromatic ketones were synthesized from aromatic compounds via liquid‐phase oxidation at 60 °C and 1 atm over vanadium‐containing MCM‐41 catalysts using a batch reactor. The catalysts were prepared by direct hydrothermal (4V‐MCM‐41) and wet impregnation (9V/MCM‐41) methods. Their physico‐chemical properties were determined with various characterization techniques. For the oxidations of all substrates in this work, 4 V‐MCM‐41 exhibits superior catalytic performance than 9 V/MCM‐41 due to its larger values of unit cell parameter, BET surface area, and vanadium dispersion as well as stronger oxidation ability of vanadium‐oxygen species. Apparently, the single site, isolated vanadium centers in 4V‐MCM‐41 possess much higher activity (based on the turnover number) than those containing more vanadium atoms in 9V/MCM‐41. In addition, the substrate activities decrease in the order of diphenylmethane > fluorene > 9,10‐dihydroanthracene > ethylbenzene ≥ 4‐nitroethylbenzene, which are attributed to their distinct molecular structures.
Zeolite‐SiC in PVC Matrix as a New SPME Fiber for Gas Chromatographic Determination of BTEX in Water and Soil Samples
Authors: Chalabiani Amin , Abbas Matin Amir , Farhadi Khalil
Published: May 2012

A new SPME fiber based on mixture of zeolite and silicon carbide in PVC matrix was made and its application for sampling of BTEX compounds from headspace of water and soil samples was studied. After optimization of conditions, the proposed fiber was used for determination of BTEX in real samples obtained from rivers and soils of gasoline reservoirs surroundings. The method has good linearity (0.991‐0.999) over wide concentration range. Detection limits of the method are in the range of 0.66–1.66 μg L− and 0.01–0.12 μg kg− for water and soil samples, respectively.
Regioselective Synthesis of Fatty Acid Esters of Glycosides Containing Cis‐diol and Biological Test against Bacterial Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella agona
Authors: Lou Xin , Zhao Jin
Published: May 2012

Regioselectivity of glycoside containing cis‐diol esterification with fatty acid using dibutyltin dimethoxide as stannylating agent was probed, the results showed the equatorial position of cis‐diol has some advantage of being acylated, although the orientation of adjacent groups could affected the regioselectivity. The glycoside fatty acid esters were regioselectively synthesized on optimized condition with this stannyl method, the biological tests against bacterial as Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella agona were carried out with these fatty acid esters, the testing results showed that glycoside esters with 12 or 14 carbon long chain fatty acid have some obvious inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus.
THE REGENTS VERSUS THE PROFESSORS: EDWARD TOLMAN'S ROLE IN THE CALIFORNIA LOYALTY OATH CONTROVERSY
Authors: CARROLL DAVID W.
Published: May 2012

In 1950, the University of California Board of Regents approved a policy that all faculty members, as a condition for continued employment, were required to either sign an oath indicating that they were not members of the Communist Party or explain why they would not sign. A group of faculty members, led by psychologist Edward Tolman, refused to sign the oath and were fired. This article discusses how Tolman emerged as the leader of the faculty nonsigners and how his stature within psychology enabled him to recruit assistance from the American Psychological Association and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.
In situ synthesis of molecularly imprinted nanoparticles in porous support membranes using high‐viscosity polymerization solvents
Authors: Renkecz Tibor , László Krisztina , Horváth Viola
Published: May 2012

There is a growing need in membrane separations for novel membrane materials providing selective retention. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are promising candidates for membrane functionalization. In this work, a novel approach is described to prepare composite membrane adsorbers incorporating molecularly imprinted microparticles or nanoparticles into commercially available macroporous filtration membranes. The polymerization is carried out in highly viscous polymerization solvents, and the particles are formed in situ in the pores of the support membrane. MIP particle composite membranes selective for terbutylazine were prepared and characterized by scanning electron microscopy and N2 porosimetry. By varying the polymerization solvent microparticles or nanoparticles with diameters ranging from several hundred nanometers to 1 µm could be embedded into the support. The permeability of the membranes was in the range of 1000 to 20 000 Lm−2 hr−1 bar−1. The imprinted composite membranes showed high MIP/NIP (nonimprinted polymer) selectivity for the template in organic media both in equilibrium‐rebinding measurements and in filtration experiments. The solid phase extraction of a mixture of the template, its analogs, and a nonrelated compound demonstrated MIP/NIP selectivity and substance selectivity of the new molecularly imprinted membrane. The synthesis technique offers a potential for the cost‐effective production of selective membrane adsorbers with high capacity and high throughput. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The role of living/controlled radical polymerization in the formation of improved imprinted polymers
Authors: Salian Vishal D. , Vaughan Asa D. , Byrne Mark E.
Published: May 2012

In this work, living/controlled radical polymerization (LRP) is compared with conventional free radical polymerization in the creation of highly and weakly cross‐linked imprinted poly(methacrylic acid‐co‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) networks. It elucidates, for the first time, the effect of LRP on the chain level and begins to explain why the efficiency of the imprinting process is improved using LRP. Imprinted polymers produced via LRP exhibited significantly higher template affinity and capacity compared with polymers prepared using conventional methods. The use of LRP in the creation of highly cross‐linked imprinted polymers resulted in a fourfold increase in binding capacity without a decrease in affinity; whereas weakly cross‐linked gels demonstrated a nearly threefold increase in binding capacity at equivalent affinity when LRP was used. In addition, by adjusting the double bond conversion, we can choose to increase either the capacity or the affinity in highly cross‐linked imprinted polymers, thus allowing the creation of imprinted polymers with tailorable binding parameters.

Using free radical polymerization in the creation of polymer chains, as the template–monomer ratio increased, the average molecular weight of the polymer chains decreased despite a slight increase in the double bond conversion. Thus, the polymer chains formed were shorter but greater in number. Using LRP neutralized the effect of the template. The addition of chain transfer agent resulted in slow, uniform, simultaneous chain growth, resulting in the formation of longer more monodisperse chains. Reaction analysis revealed that propagation time was extended threefold in the formation of highly cross‐linked polymers when LRP techniques were used. This delayed the transition to the diffusion‐controlled stage of the reaction, which in turn led to the observed enhanced binding properties, decreased polydispersity in the chains, and a more homogeneous macromolecular architecture. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Molecularly imprinted polymer sensors for detection in the gas, liquid, and vapor phase
Authors: Jenkins Amanda L. , Ellzy Michael W. , Buettner Leonard C.
Published: May 2012

Fast, reliable, and inexpensive analytical techniques for detection of airborne chemical warfare agents are desperately needed. Recent advances in the field of molecularly imprinted polymers have created synthetic nanomaterials that can sensitively and selectively detect these materials in aqueous environments, but thus far, they have not been demonstrated to work for detection of vapors. The imprinted polymers function by mimicking the function of biological receptors. They can provide high sensitivity and selectivity but, unlike their biological counterparts, maintain excellent thermal and mechanical stability. The traditional imprinted polymer approach is further enhanced in this work by the addition of a luminescent europium that has been introduced into the polymers to provide enhanced chemical affinity as well as a method for signal transduction to indicate the binding event. The europium in these polymers is so sensitive to the bound target; it can distinguish between species differing by a single methyl group. The imprinted polymer technology is fiber optic‐based making it inexpensive and easily integratable with commercially available miniature fiber optic spectrometer technologies to provide a shoebox size device. In this work, we will describe efforts to apply these sensors for detection of airborne materials and vapors. Successful application of this technology will provide accurate low level vapor detection of chemical agents or pesticides with little to no false positives. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Modulation of imprinting efficiency in nanogels with catalytic activity in the Kemp elimination
Authors: Bonomi Paolo , Servant Ania , Resmini Marina
Published: May 2012

The interactions between the template and the functional monomer are a key to the formation of cavities in the imprinted nanogels with high molecular recognition properties. Nanogels with enzyme‐like activity for the Kemp elimination have been synthesized using 4‐vinylpyridine as the functional monomer and indole as the template. The weak hydrogen bond interaction in the complex is shown to be able to induce very distinctive features in the cavities of the imprinted nanogels. The percentage of initiator used in the polymerisation, ranging from 1% to 3%, although it does not have a substantial effect on the catalytic rate, reduces considerably the imprinting efficiency. The alteration of the template/monomer ratio is also investigated, and the data show that there is considerable loss of imprinting efficiency. In terms of substrate selectivity, a number of experiments have been performed using 5‐Cl‐benzisoxazole as substrate analogue, as well as 5‐nitro‐indole as template analogue for the preparation of a different set of nanogels. All the kinetic data demonstrate that the chemical structure of the template is key to the molecular recognition properties of the imprinted nanogels that are closely tailored and able to differentiate among small structural changes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Magnetic resonance imaging based determination of body compartments with the versatile, interactive sparse sampling (VISS) method
Authors: Buehler Tania , Ramseier Nicolas , Machann Juergen , Schwenzer Nina F. , Boesch Chris
Published: May 2012

Purpose:

To investigate the inhomogeneity of radiofrequency fields at higher field strengths that can interfere with established volumetric methods, in particular for the determination of visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT). A versatile, interactive sparse sampling (VISS) method is proposed to determine VAT, SCAT, and also total body volume (TBV).

Materials and Methods:

VISS is based on a separation of major components by contour lines, followed by a sparse sampling algorithm, and eventually a quick manual correction. T1‐weighted whole body scans of 24 subjects were evaluated (12 at 1.5T, 12 at 3.0T).

Results:

(a) Coefficients of variance (CV) and intra class correlation coefficients (ICC) determined within 3 raters (24 subjects) showed high consistency for SCAT (CV 2.2%, ICC 0.993) and VAT (CV 4.9%, ICC 0.987), (b) comparison with an established volumetric method revealed good agreement (Bland‐Altman, VAT −0.68L to 1.07L, SCAT −2.18L to 8.39L), and (c) comparison of weights calculated from TBV with values measured on a scale resulted in an even better accuracy for VISS (Bland‐Altman −1.98 kg to 4.09 kg) than for the reference method (−5.60 kg to 1.60 kg).

Conclusion:

VISS is reproducible in particular within the same rater, accurate as compared with established methods, and robust against low contrast and inhomogeneity artifacts. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:951–960. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Oxygen isotopes from Chinese caves: records not of monsoon rainfall but of circulation regime
Authors: Maher Barbara A. , Thompson Roy
Published: May 2012

Oxygen isotope variations in Chinese stalagmites have been widely interpreted as a record of the amount of East Asian summer monsoonal rainfall. This interpretation infers decreasing monsoonal rainfall from the mid‐Holocene and large, dipolar rainfall oscillations within glaciations. However, the speleothem δ18O variations conflict with independent palaeoclimate proxies (cave δ13C, loess/palaeosol magnetic properties, δ13C alkanes), which indicate no systematic decline in rainfall from the mid‐Holocene, and no glacial rainfall maxima. Using mass balance calculations (which incorporate seasonality effects in both δ18O concentration and amount of precipitation), we demonstrate that the cave δ18O variations cannot be accounted for by summer rainfall changes, or rainfall seasonality or winter cooling, but instead reflect changes in moisture source. A possible driver of the δ18O variations in Chinese stalagmites is precessional forcing of inter‐hemispheric temperature gradients, and resultant shifts in the position and intensity of the subtropical pressure cells. Through such forcing, Indian monsoon‐sourced δ18O may have dominated at times of high boreal summer insolation, and local Pacific‐sourced moisture at low insolation. Suppression of summer monsoonal rainfall during glacial stages may reflect diminished sea and land surface temperatures and the radiative impacts of increased regional dust fluxes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Resonant Raman spectroscopy and spectroelectrochemistry characterization of carbon nanotubes/polyaniline thin film obtained through interfacial polymerization
Authors: Salvatierra Rodrigo V. , Moura Luciano G. , Oliveira Marcela M. , Pimenta Marcos A. , Zarbin Aldo J. G.
Published: May 2012

Thin, transparent, and self‐assembled films of neat polyaniline and polyaniline/carbon nanotube nanocomposites were deposited over glass substrates by interfacial polymerization. The effect of the carbon nanotubes on the structure and conformation of the polyaniline, and the type of interaction between the polymer and the nanotubes, have been studied by resonant Raman spectroscopy and UV–Vis and Raman spectroelectrochemistry. The results indicate clearly that the carbon nanotubes induce important changes in the electronic structure of the polymer, resulting in a more polaronic organization. Additionally, an effective interaction between the polymer and the nanotube, based on a polyaniline‐to‐nanotube charge transfer, is proposed in this work. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mikołaj Kruszewski: Theory and Vision (Part One)†
Authors: Silverman Daniel
Published: May 2012

Although it prefigures many advances in linguistic theory, the scholarship of nineteenth century scholar Mikołaj Kruszewski is today largely forgotten. In these papers I hope to partially rectify this situation by introducing Kruszewski’s insights to modern discourse on phonology. In addition to a detailed summary of Kruszewski’s major work, An Outline of the Science of Language (Očerk Nauki O Jazyke) (1883), I place his work in the context of subsequent (mostly post‐war) approaches to language structure. Some of Kruszewski’s major insights include (1) the arbitrary relationship between sound and meaning, (2) the non‐teleological nature of the linguistic system, (3) the generative or creative character of language, (4) the connectionist organization of the lexicon, and (5) the optimality‐theoretic‐esque proposal that linguistic systems may be analyzed as the product of pressures and constraints in inherent conflict with one another. This, Part One of a two‐part presentation, considers the first five chapters of Kruszewski’s ten‐chapter book.
Quantity and the Three‐Syllable Window in Dutch Word Stress
Authors: van Oostendorp Marc
Published: May 2012

This paper considers the state‐of‐the‐art in the (generative) study of Dutch word stress. In the past 25 years, consensus has been reached on a number of properties of the Dutch stress system, such that it obeys the so‐called three‐syllable window and that it is quantity sensitive. However, not all of these arguments are equally convincing in the light of modern developments in phonological theory, in particular since experimental data on native speakers’ intuitions are missing. Although there is strong evidence for quality‐sensitivity (in particular to the quality of schwa), the evidence for quantity‐sensitivity is not so strong, given that the main sources of loanwords (which are usually argued to be quantity‐sensitive) themselves are quantity‐sensitive.
Age Grading in Sociolinguistic Theory
Authors: Wagner Suzanne Evans
Published: May 2012

Distinguishing linguistic change at the community level (‘generational change’) from linguistic change at the individual level (‘age grading’) is “one of the major issues in contemporary sociolinguistics” (Tagliamonte 2012:247). This article gives a brief history of the study of language change in the community, before turning to the types of linguistic behavior that have been observed across individuals’ lifespans. The article also discusses the meanings that have been attributed to the term ‘age grading’, arguing that consensus cannot be reached without more longitudinal work to determine the limits of lifespan linguistic change.
Importance of liver biopsy findings in immunosuppression management: Biopsy monitoring and working criteria for patients with operational tolerance
Authors: Demetris Anthony
Published: May 2012

Obstacles to morbidity-free long-term survival after liver transplantation (LT) include complications of immunosuppression (IS), recurrence of the original disease and malignancies, and unexplained chronic hepatitis and graft fibrosis. Many programs attempt to minimize chronic exposure to IS by reducing dosages and stopping steroids. A few programs have successfully weaned a highly select group of recipients from all IS without apparent adverse consequences, but long-term follow-up is limited. Patients subjected to adjustments in IS are usually followed by serial liver chemistry tests, which are relatively insensitive methods for detecting allograft damage. Protocol biopsy has largely been abandoned for hepatitis C virus–negative recipients, at least in part because of the inability to integrate routine histopathological findings into a rational clinical management algorithm. Recognizing a need to more precisely categorize and determine the clinical significance of findings in long-term biopsy samples, the Banff Working Group on Liver Allograft Pathology has reviewed the literature, pooled the experience of its members, and proposed working definitions for biopsy changes that (1) are conducive to lowering IS and are compatible with operational tolerance (OT) and (2) raise concern for closer follow-up and perhaps increased IS during or after IS weaning. The establishment of guidelines should help us to standardize analyses of the effects of various treatments and/or weaning protocols and more rigorously categorize patients who are assumed to show OT. Long-term follow-up using standardized criteria will help us to determine the consequences of lowering IS and to define and determine the incidence and robustness of OT in liver allografts. Liver Transpl 18:1154–1170, 2012. © 2012 AASLD.
Nanoscale Robust Architecture of Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Materials Comprising Different Forms of Nanostructured Carbon
Authors: Misra R. Devesh Kumar , Depan Dilip , Narsale Harshad
Published: May 2012

We describe here the nanoscale hybrid architecture of polyethylene crystals directly nucleated on three different forms of nanostructured carbon, namely, carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, and single‐walled carbon nanohorns. The hybrid architecture exhibits structural stability such that they act as potential nucleants for subsequent nucleation and growth of polymer crystals. It is intriguing that the structural morphology of polyethylene crystals vary on the three forms of nanostructured carbon even though they are structurally similar. The underlying differences in structural morphology and the mechanism of crystallization are discussed. The intriguing observations open the gateway for effective utilization of different nanostructured carbon in a polymer matrix, without influencing their inherent properties.
Instability of cnoidal‐peak for the NLS‐δ equation
Authors: Pava Jaime Angulo
Published: May 2012

We study the existence and stability of standing waves for the periodic cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation with a point defect determined by the periodic Dirac distribution at the origin. We show that this model admits a smooth curve of periodic‐peak standing wave solutions with a profile determined by the Jacobi elliptic function of cnoidal type. Via a perturbation method and continuation argument, we obtain that in the repulsive defect, the cnoidal‐peak standing wave solutions are unstable in \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$H^1_{per}$\end{document} with respect to perturbations which have the same period as the wave itself. Global well‐posedness is verified for the Cauchy problem in \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$H^1_{per}$\end{document} .
Algebraic approximation of Kähler threefolds
Authors: Schrack Florian
Published: May 2012

In the present work, we investigate existence of deformations and algebraic approximability for certain uniruled Kähler threefolds. In the first part, we establish existence of infinitesimal deformations for all conic bundles with relative Picard number one over a non‐algebraic compact Kähler surface S and existence of positive‐dimensional families of deformations in all but some special cases. In the second part, we study the question of algebraic approximability for projective bundles over S and threefolds bimeromorphic to \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$\mathbb {P}_1\times S$\end{document}.
Linear functionals and the duality principle for harmonic functions
Authors: Ali Rosihan M. , Ponnusamy S.
Published: May 2012

Let \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}${\mathcal H}$\end{document} be the class of complex‐valued harmonic functions in the unit disk |z| < 1 and \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}${\mathcal H}_1$\end{document} the set of all functions \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$f\in {\mathcal H}$\end{document} such that f(0) = 0, fz(0) = 1 and \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$f_{\overline{z}}(0)=0$\end{document}. For \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$V \subset {\mathcal H}_1$\end{document}, its dual V* is

where * denotes the Hadamard product for harmonic functions. The set V is a dual class if V = W* for some \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$W \subset {\mathcal H}_1.$\end{document} In the present paper, the duality principle is extended to \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}${\mathcal H}_1$\end{document} by means of the Hadamard product. Counterparts of the dual classes are introduced and their structural properties studied.