bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modified volume expansion method for measuring gas holdup
Authors: Meng Annie X. , Hill Gordon A. , Dalai Ajay K.
Published: May 2010

A simple, modified volume expansion method, or inclined tube method, is compared to the pressure difference method for determining gas holdup in an airlift bioreactor. The modified volume expansion method could be used for all pneumatic bioreactors where fluid fluctuation is vigorous and visual observation of the continuous phase rise is difficult. The overall gas holdup data measured using the inclined tube method are shown to be very close to overall gas holdup determined using a gamma ray density monitor system. However, the overall gas holdup measured by the pressure difference method is found to be significantly different. This difference is due to energy dissipation in the External Loop Airlift Bioreactor (ELAB) used in this study, which causes the pressure difference method to be incorrect.
Effect of glucose on photocatalytic decolorization of dyes by TiO2
Authors: Kunitou Katsushi , Maeda Shingo , Hongyou Setsuaki , Mishima Kenji
Published: May 2010

The effect of saccharides, such as glucose, on the photocatalytic decolorization of various dyes has been investigated using TiO2 as a photocatalyst in an aqueous solution saturated with nitrogen. An azo dye, such as Orangell, used as a typical dye, was reduced by cleavage of the azo linkage, as evidenced by the production of sulfanilic acid. All of the dyes tested were decomposed with first‐order kinetics. The rate constants of decolorization in the aqueous solution saturated with nitrogen increased with the addition of a saccharide such as glucose. Furthermore, the effect of the reductive saccharides on the photocatalytic decolorization of dyes was quantitatively correlated with their dispersion force. The reaction rate of the photocatalytic decolorization of dyes in the aqueous solution saturated with nitrogen, including glucose, is 7 times that in the solution saturated with oxygen.
Extraction of a dissolved organic contaminant from water into an aqueous surfactant solution across a microporous membrane
Authors: Marx Sarah , Weber Martin E.
Published: May 2010

A novel extraction process, aqueous micellar solvent extraction (AMSE), was demonstrated. In ASME an solute is extracted from a wastewater across a microporous membrane into an aqueous surfactant solution containing micelles that solubilize the solute. The membrane retains the surfactant micelles in the aqueous micellar solvent. ASME was carried out in hollow fiber ultrafiltration modules with benzoic acid as the solute and a fatty amine ethoxylate surfactant. Flowing the micellar solvent through the fibers and the wastewater outside gave good extraction and low contamination of the treated water by surfactant. The major resistance to extraction of solute was diffusion across the wall of the hollow fiber.
Improved modelling of the unsteady‐state behaviour of an immobilized‐cell, fluidized‐bed bioreactor for phenol biodegradation
Authors: Onysko Kira A. , Robinson Campbell W. , Budman Hector M.
Published: May 2010

The dynamic response of an immobilized‐cell, fluidized‐bed reactor (ICFBR) to step changes in phenol loading was investigated at 10°C for a pure culture of Pseudomonas putida Q5, a psychrotrophic bacterium. A novel dynamic model was developed and tested to simulate the response of all four key process variables: the bulk phenol concentration, the suspended biomass concentration, the concentration profile of the substrate in the biofilm and the biofilm thickness. Accurate model predictions required the use of kinetics, determined using cells which were not acclimated to the post‐shock reactor conditions (‘unacclimated’ cells) and the implementation of a specific‐growth‐rate suppression factor to account for the unbalanced growth situations experienced during the transient response periods.
Generic model controller tuning for chemical processes with input saturation
Authors: Guo Bingjun , Hua Xiangming , Jutan Arthur
Published: May 2010

Control in the face of process input constraints is very common and of great practical importance in the processing industries. Generic Model Control (GMC) is a model‐based control framework for both linear and nonlinear systems. In this paper, a constrained GMC controller tuning approach using a nonlinear least squares technique is proposed. This tuning approach is simple to apply. For a SISO GMC control system with input saturation, the tracking performance is significantly improved by adding a simple heuristic switching strategy. The effectiveness of the proposed controller tuning approach is demonstrated using dynamic simulations and MIMO real‐time experiments.
Prediction of dispersed phase holdup in a modified multi‐stage bubble column scrubber
Authors: Meikap Bhim C. , Kundu Gautam , Biswas Manindra N.
Published: May 2010

This paper reports on the experimental investigation carried out to evaluate fractional dispersed phase holdup for a gas‐liquid mixture in a modified multi‐stage bubble column (with contraction and expansion disks), which has been conceived, designed and fabricated as a wet scrubber for control of air pollution; in addition it has versatile use as a gas‐liquid contactor in chemical process industries. A correlation developed for predicting fractional dispersed phase holdup has been found to be encouraging and highly significant from statistical analysis.
Influence of liquid viscosity and bed porosity on two‐phase pressure drop in concurrent gas‐liquid upflow through packed beds
Authors: Khan Ahamed , Khan Asad Ali , Varma Y. B. G.
Published: May 2010

It was observed in the experimental investigations that the concurrent upflow of air‐Monoethanol amine system through the packed bed gave higher pressure drop in bubble flow regime than the air‐water system. But when the flow regime changed to spray flow, air‐water system showed higher pressure drop than the other. This phenomenon was observed for the two column packing used in this study. An attempt is made to explain this phenomenon.
Pressure drop for single and two‐phase flow of non‐newtonian liquids in helical coils
Authors: Bandaru S. V. S. R. Krishna , Chhabra Rajendra P.
Published: May 2010

New experimental results on pressure loss for the single and two‐phase gas‐liquid flow with non‐Newtonian liquids in helical coils are reported. For a constant value of the curvature ratio, the value of the helix angle of the coils is varied from 2.56° to 9.37°. For single phase flow, the effect of helix angle on pressure loss is found to be negligible in laminar flow regime but pressure loss increases with the increasing value of helix angle in turbulent flow conditions. On the other hand, for the two‐phase flow, the well‐known Lockhart‐Martinelli method correlates the present results for all values of helix angle (2.56‐9.37°) satisfactorily under turbulent/laminar and turbulent/turbulent conditions over the following ranges of variables as: 0.57 ≤ n′ ≤ 1; Re′ < 4000; Rel < 4000; Reg < 8000; 8 ≤ x ≤ 1000 and 0.2 ≤ De′ ≤ 1000.
An optimization model of the operating costs of a fluidized bed steam‐drying plant
Authors: Heinrich Stefan , Ihlow Matthias , Henneberg Markus , Krüger Gerhard , Mörl Lothar
Published: May 2010

A model is developed to determine an optimum apparatus geometry and, for given apparatus dimensions, a financially optimal fluidized bed height. The parameters that effect the operating costs are the bed mass, the apparatus diameter and the gas mass flow rate. To implement such cost optimization, a physics‐based mathematical model for describing the thermodynamic processes in fluidized bed steam‐drying is briefly explained and presented. The most important conclusion is not to operate the fluidized bed for a drying process below a certain minimum cost, calculated with the help of the modelling. The problem, when describing the drying process and consequently the mass transfer, is that in the superheated steam drying case studied here, water is evaporated as moisture and withdrawn into an atmosphere of vapor water.
Fundamentals of bitumen coking processes analogous to granulations: A critical review
Authors: Gray Murray R.
Published: May 2010

A number of coking processes use hot particles to heat liquid bitumen or petroleum residue to cause cracking reactions. These particles may be mineral or coke solids. Interactions of these particles, in fluid beds, moving beds and other types of contactors, are governed by the liquid films on the particle surfaces. This paper explores the analogy between granulation and coking, and suggests that the key relationships that will govern the behavior of wet particles in coking processes are the Stokes number of the particles, the thickness or the liquid films, and the diameter and surface roughness of the particles. The implications for distribution of liquid feed in the reactor, fouling, and defluidization or bogging are discussed. This analysis suggests experiments that can be performed under non‐reactive conditions with scaled variables in order to study phenomena that cannot be observed in situ in high‐temperature cracking processes.
Extraction of halide quaternary salts in an organic solvent/water system: Hydrodynamics and mass transfer
Authors: Wu Ho‐Shing , Liu Chien‐Bang , Lin Yan‐Hun
Published: May 2010

The hydrodynamic characteristics and mass transfers of halide quaternary salts between two immiscible phases in a stirred membrane permeation cell were investigated. The concentration of quaternary salt, temperature, solvent and the four kinds of halide quaternary salts were evaluated to achieve the extractive optimum condition. The diffusivity, overall mass‐transfer coefficients and individual mass‐transfer coefficients were determined and correlated in terms of the conventional Sh‐Re‐Sc relationship. The transfer time of quaternary salts across the membrane and the thickness of the hydrodynamic diffusion boundary layer were determined as well, so as to characterize the extractive phenomenon of quaternary salts between the two phases that is useful in phase‐transfer catalysis.
A generalized equation for the prediction of melting temperatures of homopolymers and copolymers
Authors: Kamal Musa R. , Feng Lijun , Huang Tao
Published: May 2010

A generalized equation was derived to calculate the melting temperatures of homopolymers and copolymers. The Gibbs‐Thomson equation for homopolymers and a modified application to copolymers were derived using the proposed equation. The melting temperature Tm0 in the Flory equation corresponds to the melting temperature TmC,∞ of copolymer crystals with stems of infinite length. Also, TmC,n*, the melting temperature for copolymer crystals with stems containing the maximum possible number of structural units, n*, should be used instead of Tm0 as the basis of supercooling in crystallization. The proposed equation shows good agreement with experimental data for α‐alkene‐ethylene homogeneous copolymers.
Flow‐assisted corrosion of API X‐52 steel in 3.5% NaCl solution
Authors: Amarnath  , Namboodhiri T. K. G. , Upadhyay S. N.
Published: May 2010

Corrosion behaviour of API X‐52 grade High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) steel in 3.5% NaCl solution under flow conditions was studied. Rotating cylinder‐, rotating disk‐ and flat plate‐type rotors were used to observe the effect of rotor geometry. The empirically obtained mass transfer correlations are in agreement with those for standard geometry. An empirical relation between Reynolds number (Re) and weight loss has also been developed for the parallel disk rotor. Scanning electron microscopy of the corroded surface revealed that corrosion proceeds through an initiation of pit‐like regions and their subsequent growth.
Prediction of gas‐phase adsorption isotherms using neural nets
Authors: Basu Sukanta , Henshaw Paul F. , Biswas Nihar , Kwan Hon K.
Published: May 2010

This study investigated a number of models (the modified Sips', Dubinin‐Astakhov's, VSM theory, the generalized Khan et al.'s model and a simple artificial neural network (ANN)) to predict the effect of temperature on equilibrium adsorption of hydrocarbon gases and vapors on activated carbon. Published data on the adsorption of methane, ethane and propane on activated carbon at 311 K to 505 K were used to estimate the parameters of the conventional models and train the network. Then, the conventional models and the ANN were used to predict the isotherm at a single temperature for each adsorbate, and these results were compared with experimental data. It was found that the ANN model had a lower mean relative error than the conventional models.
End‐of‐life care for older cancer patients in the Veterans Health Administration versus the private sector
Authors: Keating Nancy L. , Landrum Mary Beth , Lamont Elizabeth B. , Earle Craig C. , Bozeman Samuel R. , McNeil Barbara J.
Published: May 2010

BACKGROUND:

Treatment of older cancer patients at the end of life has become increasingly aggressive, despite the absence of evidence for better outcomes. We compared aggressiveness of end‐of‐life care of older metastatic cancer patients treated in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and those under fee‐for‐service Medicare arrangements.

METHODS:

Using propensity score methods, we matched 2913 male veterans who were diagnosed with stage IV lung or colorectal cancer in 2001‐2002 and died before 2006 with 2913 similar men enrolled in fee‐for‐service Medicare living in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) areas. We assessed chemotherapy within 14 days of death, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions within 30 days of death, and >1 emergency room visit within 30 days of death.

RESULTS:

Among matched cohorts, men treated in the VHA were less likely than men in the private sector to receive chemotherapy within 14 days of death (4.6% vs 7.5%, P < .001), be admitted to an ICU within 30 days of death (12.5% vs 19.7%, P < .001), or have >1 emergency room visit within 30 days of death (13.1 vs 14.7, P = .09).

CONCLUSIONS:

Older men with metastatic lung or colorectal cancer treated in the VHA healthcare system received less aggressive end‐of‐life care than similar men in fee‐for‐service Medicare. This may result from the absence of financial incentives for more intensive care in the VHA or because this integrated delivery system is better structured to limit potentially overly aggressive care. Additional studies are needed to assess whether men undergoing less aggressive end‐of‐life care also experience better outcomes. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Stem cell transplantation for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia resistant to tyrosine kinase inhibitors with BCR‐ABL kinase domain mutation T315I
Authors: Velev Nikolai , Cortes Jorge , Champlin Richard , Jones Dan , Rondon Gabriela , Giralt Sergio , Borthakur Gautam , Kantarjian Hagop M. , De Lima Marcos
Published: May 2010

BACKGROUND:

Resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKIs) therapy is associated with the development of kinase domain mutations. Although many imatinib‐resistant mutations respond well to second‐generation TKIs, the threonine‐to‐isoleucine mutation at codon 315 of the breakpoint cluster region/v‐abl Abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene protein fusion Bcr‐Abl (T315I) is insensitive to all currently available TKIs. The outcome in such patients after stem cell transplantation (SCT) is unknown.

METHODS:

Eight patients with TKI‐resistant CML who had T315I mutations underwent 9 transplantations. At the time of SCT, 2 patients were in chronic phase, 3 patients were in accelerated phase; and 3 patients were in second chronic phase.

RESULTS:

The best responses after SCT were a complete molecular response (CMR) in 3 patients, a complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) in 4 patients, and a complete hematologic response (CHR) in 1 patient, and 1 patient had no response. The best outcome was for patients who underwent transplantation in chronic phase, and both of those patients remained alive and in complete molecular remission 14 months and 42 months after SCT. After a median follow‐up of 13 months from SCT, 5 patients remained alive, including 3 patients in CMR, 1 patient in CCyR, and 1 patient in CHR.

CONCLUSIONS:

The current results indicated that SCT is an effective strategy for patients with CML who have the T315I mutation, particularly in earlier stages. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Detection of minimal residual disease in blood and bone marrow in early stage breast cancer
Authors: Krishnamurthy Savitri , Cristofanilli Massimo , Singh Balraj , Reuben James , Gao Hui , Cohen Evan N. , Andreopoulou Eleni , Hall Carolyn S. , Lodhi Ashutosh , Jackson Summer , Lucci Anthony
Published: May 2010

BACKGROUND:

The significance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood and of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in bone marrow (BM) in patients with early stage breast cancer is unclear. In this study, the authors investigated the occurrence of CTCs and DTCs in women with early stage breast cancer and evaluated the correlation of their presence with other prognostic markers.

METHODS:

Blood and BM aspirations were collected at the time of primary breast surgery. CTCs were detected by using the CellSearch assay, and DTCs were detected by immunostaining BM aspirates for pancytokeratin. The presence of CTCs and DTCs was correlated with tumor classification (T1 vs T2), tumor histologic grade, estrogen receptor (ER) status, progesterone receptor (PR) status, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status, and lymph node (LN) status.

RESULTS:

Of 92 patients who were included in the study, 49 had T1 tumors, and 43 had T2 tumors. CTCs were detected in 31% of patients, and DTCs were detected in 27% of patients. There was no correlation between the occurrence of CTCs and DTCs with the tumor classification (T1 vs T2) or histologic grade. CTCs were detected in 33% of patients with ER‐positive disease versus 26% of patients with ER‐negative disease, in 32% of patients with PR‐positive disease versus 30% of patients with PR‐negative disease, and in 25% of patients with HER2‐positive disease versus 31% of patients with HER2‐negative disease. DTCs were observed in 23% of patients with ER‐positive disease versus 37% of patients with ER‐negative disease, in 22% of patients with PR‐positive disease versus 32% of patients with PR‐negative disease, and in 0% of patients with HER2‐positive disease versus 29% of patients with HER2‐negative disease. CTCs and DTCs were nearly equally prevalent in both LN‐positive women and LN‐negative women. There was no significant correlation between the occurrence of CTCs or DTCs with tumor classification (T1 vs T2), tumor histologic grade, positive ER status, positive PR status, or positive HER2 status, and axillary LN status.

CONCLUSIONS:

CTCs and DTCs in women with early stage breast cancer did not correlate with the standard prognostic indicators that were considered. The implications of their occurrence in patients with early stage disease will require further large‐scale studies. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Understanding the variation in treatment intensity among patients with early stage bladder cancer
Authors: Hollingsworth John M. , Zhang Yun , Krein Sarah L. , Ye Zaojun , Hollenbeck Brent K.
Published: May 2010

BACKGROUND:

Given the uncertainty surrounding the optimal management for early stage bladder cancer, physicians vary in how they approach the disease. The authors of this report linked cancer registry data with medical claims to identify the sources of variation and opportunities for improving the value of cancer care.

METHODS:

By using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results‐Medicare database (1992‐2005), patients with early stage bladder cancer were abstracted (n = 18,276). The primary outcome was the intensity of initial treatment that patients received, as measured by all Medicare payments for bladder cancer incurred in the 2 years after diagnosis. Multilevel models were fitted to partition the variation in treatment intensity attributable to patient versus provider factors, and the potential savings to Medicare from reducing the physician contribution were estimated.

RESULTS:

Provider factors accounted for 9.2% of the variation in treatment intensity. Increasing provider treatment intensity did not correlate with improved cancer‐specific survival (P = .07), but it was associated with the subsequent receipt of major interventions, including radical cystectomy (P < .001). If provider‐level variation was reduced and clinical practice was aligned with that of physicians who performed in the 25th percentile of treatment intensity, then total payments made for the average patient could be lowered by 18.6%, saving Medicare $18.7 million annually.

CONCLUSIONS:

The current results indicated that a substantial amount of the variation in initial treatment intensity for early stage bladder cancer is driven by the physician. Furthermore, a more intensive practice style was not associated with improved cancer‐specific survival or the avoidance of major interventions. Therefore, interventions aimed at reducing between‐provider differences may improve the value of cancer care. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
What motivates managers to pursue corporate responsibility? a survey among key stakeholders
Authors: Ditlev‐Simonsen Caroline D. , Midttun Atle
Published: May 2010

Following several decades of scholarship with several disciplinary points of departure, there is today a great heterogeneity of theories and approaches to Corporate Responsibility (CR). Taking a pragmatist position, this paper takes some of the most central theoretic perspectives on CR and exposes them to an evaluation by three panels: corporate leaders, MSc students and NGOs. The purpose of the paper is to clarify and compare what these panels think motivates mangers to pursue CR from a positivist and normative perspective.

We find that the three panels are in surprising agreement as to what they assume motivates managers to pursue CR and what should motivate the same managers. We also see a large discrepancy between what they think motivates and what should motivate managers. Branding, stakeholders, and value maximization are assumed to be key motivators, whereas sustainability and branding should be the key motivators. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Improved Self‐Energy Calculations for Pressure Broadening of Spectral Lines in Dense Plasmas
Authors: Lorenzen S. , Wierling A. , Reinholz H. , Röpke G.
Published: May 2010

Pressure broadening of Lyman‐lines of hydrogen‐like lithium (Li2+) has been studied using a quantum statistical approach to the line shape in dense plasmas, for details see [1]. In this communication, we concentrate on the electronic self‐energy, which is a basic input to the theory of spectral line profiles. We discuss the effect of strong, i.e. close, collisions which have been neglected so far for Li2+plasmas, but play generally an important role in dense plasmas, as has been shown in [2]. We present a method to calculate an improved electronic self‐energy including strong collisions based on a two‐body T‐matrix and an effective optical potential. The method is tested for level broadening of the ground state of hydrogen (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Isentropic Compression of Substances Using Ultra‐High Magnetic Field: Zero Isotherms of Protium and Deuterium in Pressure Range up to ∼5 Mbar
Authors: Boriskov G. V. , Bykov A. I. , Egorov N. I. , Dolotenko M. I. , Pavlov V. N. , Timareva V. I.
Published: May 2010

Experiments on isentropic compression of a substance using a high magnetic field pressure are described. Their goal is building of a zero isotherm in a multi‐megabar pressures range. A method of the pressure and density determination of the compressed substance based on radiographic data obtained in the experiment is presented. The results of the experiments with solid (in initial state) protium and deuterium are presented. The densities that correspond to more than seventeen‐fold compression are reached. Obtained experimental points are compared with extrapolation of a curve that is built in the experiments using anvil cells and with the results of severalab‐initiocalculations (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effects of Harmonic Modulation of Current in Glow Discharge Dusty Plasma with Ordered Structures
Authors: Gogolev A. E. , Khakhaev A. D. , Pergament A. L. , Shtykov A. S.
Published: May 2010

New method of disturbance by imposing harmonic signals on discharge current in DC glow discharge with ordered structures is studied at low values of disturbing amplitudes in molecular nitrogen. Influence of disturbing signals with frequencies from 10 Hz to 100 kHz is observed. New effects of changing vertical size and position of dusty structures in discharge space observed. Forced oscillations of dust particles and self‐oscillating crystals stabilizing effect under different conditions registered. Studied dusty structure's vertical size change dependencies on frequency and amplitude of disturbing signal (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The Calculations of Ar and Xe Conductivity Under High Pressures
Authors: Apfelbaum E. M.
Published: May 2010

The conductivity of Ar and Xe plasma is calculated for wide range of densities and temperatures. The chemical composition necessary for the conductivity calculation was obtained by means of the generalized chemical model (GCM). The feature of this GCM is the account for neutral‐neutral interaction within the integral equation approach of the theory of liquids. The results of calculations are in agreement with available data of measurements (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Laser Acoustic Probing of Two‐Temperature Zone Created by Femtosecond Pulse
Authors: Inogamov N. A. , Zhakhovsky V. V. , Ashitkov S. I. , Khokhlov V. A. , Shepelev V. V. , Komarov P. S. , Ovchinnikov A. V. , Sitnikov D. S. , Petrov Yu. V. , Agranat M. B. , Anisimov S. I. , Fortov V. E.
Published: May 2010

We combine theoretical and experimental methods to study the processes induced by fast laser heating of metal foils. These processes reveal themselves through motion of frontal (irradiated) and rear‐side foil boundaries. The irradiated targets are 0.3‐2 micron thick aluminum foils deposited on much thicker (150 microns) glass plate. The instant boundary positions is measured by pump‐probe technique having ∼40‐150 fs time and ∼1 nm spatial resolutions. Ultrashort laser pulse transforms a frontal surface layer with thickness dT into two‐temperature (Te ≫ Ti) warm dense matter state. Its quantitative characteristics including its thickness are defined by poorly known coefficients of electron‐ion energy exchange α and electron heat conductivity κ. Fast laser heating rises pressure in the dT‐layer and therefore produce acoustic waves. Propagation and reflection from the frontal and rear boundaries of these waves causes the displacement Δx (t) of boundary positions. Pressure wave profiles, and hence functions Δx (t), depend on thickness dT. This is why the experimental detection of Δx (t) opens a way to accurate evaluation of the coefficients α and κ (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Ion Heating in Dusty Plasma of Noble Gas Mixtures
Authors: Ramazanov T. S. , Daniyarov T. T. , Maiorov S. A. , Kodanova S. K. , Dosbolayev M. K. , Zhankarashev E. B.
Published: May 2010

Ion heating in dusty plasma of noble gas mixtures is studied by the observation of dust particles in stratified glow discharge. The particles and their formations can be used as a “contact‐free” probe of the ion flows. It is shown that under condition of experiments transition of dust particles into crystalline state in pure gases occur at much lower pressures in comparison to the case of gas mixtures. This observation is also supported by the evaluation of “effective” kinetic temperature of dust particles as defined from the velocity distribution function at the same set of discharge parameters. Absolute value of temperature of dust component in the mixture of helium and argon indicates important role of argon ionization process (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Generation of a mouse line expressing Cre recombinase in glycinergic interneurons
Authors: Ishihara Naoko , Armsen Wencke , Papadopoulos Theofilos , Betz Heinrich , Eulenburg Volker
Published: May 2010

In caudal regions of the CNS, glycine constitutes the major inhibitory neurotransmitter. Here, we describe a mouse line that expresses Cre recombinase under the control of a BAC transgenic glycine transporter 2 (GlyT2) promoter fragment. Mating of GlyT2‐Cre mice with the Cre reporter mouse lines Rosa26/LacZ and Rosa26/YFP and analysis of double transgenic offsprings revealed strong transgene activity in caudal regions of the central nervous system, i.e., brain stem and spinal cord. Some additional Cre expression was observed in cortical and cerebellar regions. In brain stem and spinal cord, Cre expressing cells were identified as glycinergic interneurons by staining with GlyT2‐ and glycine‐immunoreactive antibodies; here, >80% of the glycine‐immunoreactive cells expressed the Cre reporter protein. These data indicate that GlyT2‐Cre mice are a useful tool for the genetic manipulation of glycinergic interneurons. genesis 48:437–445, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Kinesin II is required for cell survival and adherens junction positioning in Drosophila photoreceptors
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Bibhash , Nam Sang‐Chul , Choi Kwang‐Wook
Published: May 2010

Photoreceptor morphogenesis requires specific and coordinated localization of junctional markers at different stages of development. Here, we provide evidence that Drosophila Klp64D, a homolog of Kif3A motor subunit of the heterotrimeric Kinesin II complex, is essential for viability of developing photoreceptors and localization of junctional proteins. Genetic analysis of mutant clones shows that absence of Klp64D protein in early larval eye disc does not affect initial differentiation, but results in abnormal nuclear position in differentiating photoreceptors. These cells eventually die in the pupal stage, indicating klp64D's role in cell viability. The function of Klp64D protein is cell type specific because the p35 cell death inhibitor can rescue cell death in cone cells but not photoreceptors. In contrast to early induction of mutant clones, late induction during third instar larval stage just prior to pupation allows survival of single‐ or few‐celled clones of klp64D mutant cells. Analysis of these lately induced clones shows that Klp64D function is essential for Bazooka (Par‐3 homolog) and Armadillo localization to the adherens junction (AJ) in pupal photoreceptors. These findings suggest that Kinesin II complex plays a cell type‐specific function in the localization of AJ and cell polarity proteins in the developing retina, thereby contributing to photoreceptor morphogenesis. genesis 48:522–530, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Eight‐Coordinate Endohedral Rhenium, Osmium and Iridium Atoms in Rare‐Earth Halide Cluster Complexes
Authors: Zimmermann Sina , Brühmann Matthias , Casper Frederick , Heyer Oliver , Lorenz Thomas , Felser Claudia , Mudring Anja‐Verena , Meyer Gerd
Published: May 2010

Endohedral (interstitial) atoms are essential for almost all of the rare‐earth halide cluster complexes. Most of these contain octahedral clusters, some are isolated, but the majority exhibits condensation by common edges to structures of higher dimensionality. Higher coordination numbers of the endohedral atoms are rare. Four examples of extended cluster complexes with eight‐coordinate endohedral atoms of sixth‐period elements (Re, Os, Ir) are presented. In the quasi‐isostructural, non‐isotypic halides {ReGd4}Br4 and {OsSc4}Cl4, square antiprisms of gadolinium and scandium atoms, respectively, are connected by two common faces to chains, surrounded and loosely connected by halogenido ligands. The Re and Os atoms build a slightly bent chain with only little bonding interactions. Chemical bonding is dominated by endohedral atom–cluster atom and cluster atom–halide interactions. The same is true for the two scandium bromides {Ir3Sc12}Br16 and {Os3Sc12}Br16Sc, which contain chains of face‐sharing square antiprisms and cubes in a ratio of 2:1. Metal–metal bonding is attested by short distances between those endohedral Ir and Os atoms, respectively, which center the square antiprisms (283 pm and 290 pm, respectively). Magnetic and conductivity measurements on {Ir3Sc12}Br16 reveal paramagnetism and a small‐band‐gap semiconductor. This is in accord with electronic structure calculations.
Acid‐Catalysed or Radical‐Promoted Allylic Substitution of 2‐Methylene‐2,3‐dihydrobenzofuran‐3‐ols with Thiol Derivatives: a Novel and Expedient Synthesis of 2‐(Thiomethyl)benzofurans
Authors: Gabriele Bartolo , Mancuso Raffaella , Salerno Giuseppe
Published: May 2010

The 2‐thiomethylbenzofuran derivatives 3 are conveniently prepared in good yields through the reactions between the readily available 2‐methylene‐2,3‐dihydrobenzofuran‐3‐ols 1 and the thiol derivatives 2 (including alkyl thiols, thiophenol, and thioacetic acid). The allylic substitution process may be either acid‐catalysed or promoted by radical initiators. In the first case, the reactions are carried out at 90 °C in 1,2‐dimethoxyethane (DME) as the solvent in the presence of H2SO4 as the proton source. The radical‐promoted reactions take place in DME at 90 °C in the presence of azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) or benzoyl peroxide (BP) as the radical initiator.
Distinguishing Among Gases with a Semiconductor Sensor Depending on the Frequency Modulation of a Cyclic Temperature
Authors: Nakata Satoshi , Kashima Kenji
Published: May 2010

A gas‐sensing system based on a dynamic nonlinear response shows enhanced selectivity of the sensor response toward sample vapors. A cyclic temperature composed of fundamental and 1.5‐th harmonics was applied to a SnO2 semiconductor gas sensor and the resulting conductance of the sensor was evaluated by a polynomial approximation. The dynamic nonlinear responses to the samples were further characterized by the addition of 1.5‐th harmonic perturbation as a frequency modulation. These characteristic sensor responses under frequency modulation were considered theoretically based on a reaction‐diffusion model for the semiconductor surface.
Third generation of focusing: Gel matrices with immobilized cation gradients
Authors: Zilberstein Gleb , Bukshpan Shmuel , Righetti Pier Giorgio
Published: May 2010

A novel method is reviewed here for separation of polyanions, based not on conventional zone electrophoretic means, but on a “steady‐state” process by which said polyanions are driven to stationary zones along the migration path against a gradient of positive charges affixed to the neutral polyacrylamide matrix. As the total negative surface charge of such polyanions matches the surrounding charge density of the matrix, they stop migrating and remain stationary, as typical of steady‐state separation techniques. This technique has been successfully applied to SDS–protein micelles, DNAs, RNAs and heparins, with remarkable separations, often much superior than those obtained in conventional techniques. Additionally, by exploiting constant plateaus of charges, rather than gradients, it is possible to amplify the separation between species having closely spaced charge densities. This technique resembles a classical IEF process, with the proviso that the polyanions cannot be applied at any position along the gel matrix, but only at the point of low (or zero) charge density. The merits and limits of the technique are assessed.
A comparative phosphoproteomic analysis of a human tumor metastasis model using a label‐free quantitative approach
Authors: Xie Xiaolei , Feng Shun , Vuong Huy , Liu Yashu , Goodison Steve , Lubman David M.
Published: May 2010

Alterations in cellular phosphorylation patterns have been implicated in a number of diseases, including cancer, through multiple mechanisms. Herein we present a survey of the phosphorylation profiles of an isogenic pair of human cancer cell lines with opposite metastatic phenotype. Phosphopeptides were enriched from tumor cell lysates with titanium dioxide and zirconium dioxide, and identified with nano‐LC‐MS/MS using an automatic cross‐validation of MS/MS and MS/MS/MS (MS2+MS3) data‐dependent neutral loss method. A spectral counting quantitative strategy was applied to the two cell line samples on the MS2‐only scan, which was implemented successively after each MS2+MS3 scan in the same sample. For all regulated phosphopeptides reported by spectral counting analysis, sequence and phosphorylation site assignments were validated by a MS2+MS3 data‐dependent neutral loss method. With this approach, we identified over 70 phosphorylated sites on 27 phosphoproteins as being differentially expressed with respect to tumor cell phenotype. The altered expression levels of proteins identified by LC‐MS/MS were validated using Western blotting. Using network pathway analysis, we observed that the majority of the differentially expressed proteins were highly interconnected and belong to two major intracellular signaling pathways. Our findings suggest that the phosphorylation of isoform A of lamin A/C and GTPase activating protein binding protein 1 is associated with metastatic propensity. The study demonstrates a quantitative and comparative proteomics strategy to identify differential phosphorylation patterns in complex biological samples.
A quantitative investigation of fucosylated serum glycoproteins with application to esophageal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Mann Benjamin , Madera Milan , Klouckova Iveta , Mechref Yehia , Dobrolecki Lacey E. , Hickey Robert J. , Hammoud Zane T. , Novotny Milos V.
Published: May 2010

Although glycoproteomic studies provide unique opportunities for cancer research, it has been necessary to develop specific methods for analysis of oncologically interesting glycoproteins. We describe a general, multimethodological approach for quantitative glycoproteomic analysis of fucosylated glycoproteins in human blood serum. A total of 136 putative fucosylated glycoproteins were identified with very high confidence in three clinically relevant sample pools (N=5 for each), with a mean CV of 3.1% observed for replicate analyses. Two samples were collected from subjects diagnosed with esophagus disease states, high‐grade dysplasia plus esophageal adenocarcinoma, while the third sample was representative of a disease‐free condition. Some glycoproteins, observed to be significantly upregulated in esophageal adenocarcinoma, i.e. more than twofold higher than in the disease‐free condition, are briefly discussed. Further investigation will be necessary to validate these findings; however, the method itself is demonstrated to be an effective tool for quantitative glycoproteomics of clinical samples.
High‐order gaussian quadrature in X‐FEM with the lagrange‐multiplier for fluid–structure coupling
Authors: Sawada Tomohiro , Tezuka Akira
Published: May 2010

This paper presents an alternative choice for the construction of integration cells and an additional Lagrange‐multiplier mesh in computations using the eXtended finite element method (X‐FEM) with the Lagrange‐multiplier. The proposed computational target is flow simulations with the Dirichlet boundary conditions on a non‐boundary‐fitted mesh. The methods studied in this paper make use of a high‐order Gaussian quadrature to relax the complexity in implementing the X‐FEM with the Lagrange‐multiplier. The first of these is the straightforward employment of the Gaussian quadrature as a numerical integration scheme for enriched fluid elements. The second makes use of free Lagrange‐multipliers that are not placed at crossing points between fluid elements and the Dirichlet boundary. This method considers the scalability of fluid–structure and fluid–thin object interactions. A unique benchmark problem in which a computational fluid domain is partitioned into two physical domains with the Lagrange‐multipliers is introduced to validate the proposed method. Numerical results show that this method is applicable in practice with acceptable numerical accuracy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Alteration of glial‐neuronal metabolic interactions in a mouse model of Alexander disease
Authors: Meisingset Tore Wergeland , Risa Øystein , Brenner Michael , Messing Albee , Sonnewald Ursula
Published: May 2010

Alexander disease is a rare and usually fatal neurological disorder characterized by the abundant presence of protein aggregates in astrocytes. Most cases result from dominant missense de novo mutations in the gene encoding glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), but how these mutations lead to aggregate formation and compromise function is not known. A transgenic mouse line (Tg73.7) over‐expressing human GFAP produces astrocytic aggregates indistinguishable from those seen in the human disease, making them a model of this disorder. To investigate possible metabolic changes associated with Alexander disease Tg73.7 mice and controls were injected simultaneously with [1‐13C]glucose to analyze neuronal metabolism and [1,2‐13C]acetate to monitor astrocytic metabolism. Brain extracts were analyzed by 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to quantify amounts of several key metabolites, and by 13C MRS to analyze amino acid neurotransmitter metabolism. In the cerebral cortex, reduced utilization of [1,2‐13C]acetate was observed for synthesis of glutamine, glutamate, and GABA, and the concentration of the marker for neuronal mitochondrial metabolism, N‐acetylaspartate (NAA) was decreased. This indicates impaired astrocytic and neuronal metabolism and decreased transfer of glutamine from astrocytes to neurons compared with control mice. In the cerebellum, glutamine and GABA content and labeling from [1‐13C]glucose were increased. Evidence for brain edema was found in the increased amount of water and of the osmoregulators myo‐inositol and taurine. It can be concluded that astrocyte—neuronal interactions were altered differently in distinct regions. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Reproductive and hormonal factors and the risk of nonsmall cell lung cancer
Authors: Meinhold Cari L. , Berrington de González Amy , Bowman Elise D. , Brenner Alina V. , Jones Raymond T. , Lacey James V. , Loffredo Christopher A. , Perlmutter Donna , Schonfeld Sara J. , Trivers Glenwood E. , Harris Curtis C.
Published: May 2010

Although exposure to estrogen may directly influence or modify the association between cigarette smoking and lung cancer risk, results from epidemiologic studies examining the association between reproductive and hormonal factors and risk of lung cancer among women have been inconsistent. Between 1998 and 2008, 430 women diagnosed with nonsmall cell lung cancer, 316 hospital controls and 295 population controls were recruited into the multi‐center Maryland Lung Cancer Study. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) according to reproductive and hormonal exposures adjusting for age, smoking, passive smoking, education and household income. Results were similar for hospital and population based controls, so the control groups were combined. Reduced risks of lung cancer were observed among women with greater parity (≥5 vs. 1–2 births: OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.32, 0.78, p‐trend = 0.002) and later ages at last birth (≥30 vs. <25 years old: OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.48, 0.98, p‐trend = 0.04). After mutual adjustment parity, but not age at last birth, remained significantly inversely associated with risk (p‐trend = 0.01). No associations were found for nonsmall cell lung cancer risk with age at menarche, age at first birth, menopausal status, oral contraceptive use or menopausal hormone use, including use of oral estrogens. Compatible with findings from recent epidemiologic studies, we observed a reduction in the risk of nonsmall cell lung cancer with increasing number of births. Other reproductive and hormonal exposures, including menopausal hormone therapy use, were not associated with risk.
Accurate prediction of neuroblastoma outcome based on miRNA expression profiles
Authors: Schulte Johannes H. , Schowe Benjamin , Mestdagh Pieter , Kaderali Lars , Kalaghatgi Prabhav , Schlierf Stefanie , Vermeulen Joelle , Brockmeyer Bent , Pajtler Kristian , Thor Theresa , de Preter Katleen , Speleman Frank , Morik Katharina , Eggert Angelika , Vandesompele Jo , Schramm Alexander
Published: May 2010

For neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial tumour of childhood, identification of new biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets is mandatory to improve risk stratification and survival rates. MicroRNAs are deregulated in most cancers, including neuroblastoma. In this study, we analysed 430 miRNAs in 69 neuroblastomas by stem‐loop RT‐qPCR. Prediction of event‐free survival (EFS) with support vector machines (SVM) and actual survival times with Cox regression‐based models (CASPAR) were highly accurate and were independently validated. SVM‐accuracy for prediction of EFS was 88.7% (95% CI: 88.5–88.8%). For CASPAR‐based predictions, 5y‐EFS probability was 0.19% (95% CI: 0–38%) in the CASPAR‐predicted short survival group compared with 0.78% (95%CI: 64–93%) in the CASPAR‐predicted long survival group. Both classifiers were validated on an independent test set yielding accuracies of 94.74% (SVM) and 5y‐EFS probabilities as 0.25 (95% CI: 0.0–0.55) for short versus 1 ± 0.0 for long survival (CASPAR), respectively. Amplification of the MYCN oncogene was highly correlated with deregulation of miRNA expression. In addition, 37 miRNAs correlated with TrkA expression, a marker of excellent outcome, and 6 miRNAs further analysed in vitro were regulated upon TrkA transfection, suggesting a functional relationship. Expression of the most significant TrkA‐correlated miRNA, miR‐542‐5p, also discriminated between local and metastatic disease and was inversely correlated with MYCN amplification and event‐free survival. We conclude that neuroblastoma patient outcome prediction using miRNA expression is feasible and effective. Studies testing miRNA‐based predictors in comparison to and in combination with mRNA and aCGH information should be initiated. Specific miRNAs (e.g., miR‐542‐5p) might be important in neuroblastoma tumour biology, and qualify as potential therapeutic targets.
The Haven Mother's House Modified Therapeutic Community: Meeting the gap in infant mental health services for pregnant and parenting mothers with drug addiction
Authors: Bromberg Stacey R. , Backman Toni L. , Krow Julie , Frankel Karen A.
Published: May 2010

The specialized needs of pregnant and parenting women in the treatment of drug addiction must not be underestimated. The impact of substance abuse on developmental outcomes for young infants and children supports the notion that attention to the parent–child relationship is a critical aspect of addiction treatment for this population. As such, the standard of care appears to be shifting from separating mothers and young children while the mother completes addiction treatment to women residing with their children while in treatment and receiving concurrent addiction treatment and parenting education. While parenting education is important, it may not provide the needed relationship intervention to address the myriad of issues often present for female recovering addicts and their children. This article describes the evolution and workings of a program for integrating infant mental health practice into a long‐term residential treatment community for pregnant and parenting women with addiction. The principles and structure of the modified therapeutic community are described, as are the ways in which infant mental health practice have been effectively integrated and incorporated into the addiction treatment philosophy. A case example is provided, and clinical implications are discussed.