bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metal‐Free Intermolecular Azide–Alkyne Cycloaddition Promoted by Glycerol
Authors: Rodríguez‐Rodríguez Marta , Gras Emmanuel , Pericàs Miquel A. , Gómez Montserrat
Published: November 2015

Metal‐free intermolecular Huisgen cycloadditions using nonactivated internal alkynes have been successfully performed in neat glycerol, both under thermal and microwave dielectric heating. In sharp contrast, no reaction occurs in other protic solvents, such as water, ethanol, or diols. DFT calculations have shown that the BnN3/glycerol adduct promotes a more important stabilization of the corresponding LUMO than that produced in the analogous BnN3/alcohol adducts, favoring the reactivity with the alkyne in the first case. The presence of copper salts in the medium did not change the reaction pathway (Cu(I) acts as spectator), except for disubstituted silylalkynes, for which desilylation takes place in contrast to the metal‐free system.
Ligand‐Controlled Synthesis of [3]‐ and [4]Cyclo‐9,9‐dimethyl‐2,7‐fluorenes through Triangle‐ and Square‐Shaped Platinum Intermediates
Authors: Kayahara Eiichi , Qu Rui , Kojima Mitsuru , Iwamoto Takahiro , Suzuki Toshiyasu , Yamago Shigeru
Published: November 2015

The syntheses of [3]‐ and [4]cyclo‐9,9‐dimethyl‐2,7‐fluorenes ([3] and [4]CFRs), cyclic trimer, and tetramers of 9,9‐dimethyl‐2,7‐fluorene (FR), respectively, were achieved by the platinum‐mediated assembly of FR units and subsequent reductive elimination of platinum. A triangle‐shaped tris‐platinum complex and a square‐shaped tetra‐platinum complex were obtained by changing the platinum ligand. The structure of the triangle complex was unambiguously determined by X‐ray crystallographic analysis. Reductive elimination of each complex gave [3] and [4]CFRs. Two rotamers of [3]CFR were sufficiently stable at room temperature and were separated by chromatography. The physical properties of the CFRs were also investigated theoretically and experimentally.
Membrane fouling control and performance enhancement of ultrafiltration of latex effluent
Authors: Abdelrasoul Amira , Doan Huu , Lohi Ali , Cheng Chil‐Hung
Published: November 2015

The objective of the present study was to minimize membrane fouling of a latex solution either through improving the membrane surface charge or using a pretreated feed. Hydrophilic polysulphone (PSU) and Ultrafilic flat membranes, with a molecular weight cut‐off (MWCO) of 60 000 and 100 000 dalton, respectively, were implemented under a constant flow rate and cross‐flow mode in ultrafiltration of simulated latex effluent. Hydrophobic polyvinylidene difluoride membrane (PVDF) with a MWCO of 100 000 dalton was also tested. The influence of linear alkyl benzene sulphonate (LAS) on the ionic strength of the simulated latex effluent and the surface charge of latex particles at different LAS concentrations was investigated. LAS was also used, at different concentrations and various treatment times, to ensure the enhancement of the antifouling characteristics of the membrane surface. It was concluded that the LAS‐treated membrane surface is much more favourable than the pH‐changed feed pre‐treatment. As such, the total mass of fouling decreased by 44.00 % and 29.60 % in the cases of treated PVDF membrane surface with LAS at a concentration of 0.0001 g/L, and treated latex feed at pH 11, respectively. Nevertheless, LAS was considered to be an ineffective pre‐treatment for limiting the fouling propensity of latex solutions using hydrophilic membranes even at high concentrations and long treatment times.
Adaptive Sampling for Surrogate Modelling with Artificial Neural Network and its Application in an Industrial Cracking Furnace
Authors: Jin Yangkun , Li Jinlong , Du Wenli , Qian Feng
Published: November 2015

In surrogate modelling, a simple functional approximation of a complex system model is always constructed to reduce the computational expense, and the selection of a suitable surrogate model and a sampling method are key to obtaining a surrogate model for a complex system. To construct an appropriate surrogate model, three methods of adaptive surrogate modelling that use artificial neural networks (ANN) are developed by incorporating a new mechanism for automatically determining the number of hidden nodes and/or a new prediction error‐based mixed adaptive sampling method. In the automatic determination, the number of hidden nodes can adaptively change according to the effective rate of parameters in the ANN during the adaptive surrogate modelling process. As a result, an improper number of hidden nodes determined by the empirical method can be avoided. The prediction error‐based mixed adaptive sampling method is capable of finding the strong nonlinear behaviour of the underlying system, which is easily missed by the traditional prediction variance‐based sampling method. The three methods and the previous method for adaptive surrogate modelling that use ANN are tested and compared in terms of replicating the behaviours of three types of challenge functions to determine the efficacy of the developed methods. Furthermore, these methods are used in an engineering problem of surrogate modelling for a cracking reaction simulator to validate the efficacy of the developed methods.
Power consumption, gas holdup, and mass‐transfer coefficient of triple‐impeller configurations in a stirred vessel with vertical tubular coils
Authors: Wan Xun , Takahata Yasuyuki , Takahashi Koji
Published: November 2015

Three kinds of impeller combinations (3 × 4WHd, HB + 2 × 4WHd, 2 × HB + 4WHd) were used to investigate the effects of coil baffles on system power consumption, gas holdup, and mass transfer coefficient. The experiments were performed in a dish‐bottomed vessel with a diameter of 0.29 m. Results of the power consumption experiments show that at the same rotation speed and an increasing rate of gas flow, the power consumptions of 3 × 4WHd and 2 × HB + 4WHd with coil baffles are almost the same as that of a system with four planar baffles, but there is a clear power draw for the HB + 2  × 4WHd combination. At rotational speeds of 250–350 rpm, the largest power draws for the 2 × HB + 4WHd, HB + 2  × 4WHd, and 3 × 4WHd impeller combinations equipped with coil baffles are 27, 25, and 15 %, respectively. The gas holdup experiment shows that with installation of coil baffles in the vessel, axial and radial impeller combinations can achieve gas dispersion identical to that attained with planar baffles. At the same power input and superficial gas rate over a wide range of gas velocities, the kLa values of the coil baffles for the 3 × 4WHd and 2 × HB + 4WHd combinations are almost identical to those of a conventional system with four baffles. However, in the HB + 2 × 4WHd system, kLa values of the coil baffles are 15 % higher than for planar baffles at low gas velocities and 30 % higher at high superficial gas rates. Finally, all data from the experiments on gas holdup and kLa values may be correlated through the equations and .
Silver(I)‐Catalyzed Synthesis of β‐Oxopropylcarbamates from Propargylic Alcohols and CO2 Surrogate: A Gas‐Free Process
Authors: Song Qing‐Wen , Zhou Zhi‐Hua , Yin Hong , He Liang‐Nian
Published: November 2015

The utilization of carbon dioxide poses major challenges owing to its high thermodynamic stability and kinetic inertness. To circumvent these problems, a simple reaction system is reported comprising ammonium carbamates as carbon dioxide surrogates, propargylic alcohols, and a silver(I) catalyst, for the effective conversion of a wide range of alcohols and secondary amines into the corresponding β‐oxopropylcarbamates. A key feature of this strategy includes quantitative use of a carbon resource with high product yields under gas‐free and mild reaction conditions. Notably, this catalytic protocol also works well for the carboxylative cyclization of propargylic amines and carbon dioxide surrogates to afford 2‐oxazolidinones.
Fluctuating fire regimes and their historical effects on genetic variation in an endangered shrubland specialist
Authors: Vázquez‐Miranda Hernán , Barr Kelly R. , Farquhar C. Craig , Zink Robert M.
Published: November 2015

The Pleistocene was characterized by worldwide shifts in community compositions. Some of these shifts were a result of changes in fire regimes, which influenced the distribution of species belonging to fire‐dependent communities. We studied an endangered juniper–oak shrubland specialist, the black‐capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla). This species was locally extirpated in parts of Texas and Oklahoma by the end of the 1980s as a result of habitat change and loss, predation, brood parasitism, and anthropogenic fire suppression. We sequenced multiple nuclear loci and used coalescence methods to obtain a deeper understanding of historical population trends than that typically available from microsatellites or mtDNA. We compared our estimated population history, a long‐term history of the fire regime and ecological niche models representing the mid‐Holocene, last glacial maximum, and last interglacial. Our Bayesian skyline plots showed a pattern of historical population fluctuation that was consistent with changing fire regimes. Genetic data suggest that the species is genetically unstructured, and that the current population should be orders of magnitude larger than it is at present. We suggest that fire suppression and habitat loss are primary factors contributing to the recent decline of the BCVI, although the role of climate change since the last glacial maximum is unclear at present.
Differential uptake and cross‐presentation of soluble and necrotic cell antigen by human DC subsets
Authors: Chiang Meng‐Chieh , Tullett Kirsteen M. , Lee Yoke Seng , Idris Adi , Ding Yitian , McDonald Kylie J. , Kassianos Andrew , Leal Rojas Ingrid M. , Jeet Varinder , Lahoud Mireille H. , Radford Kristen J.
Published: November 2015

Cross‐presentation is the mechanism by which exogenous Ag is processed for recognition by CD8+ T cells. Murine CD8α+ DCs are specialized at cross‐presenting soluble and cellular Ag, but in humans this process is poorly characterized. In this study, we examined uptake and cross‐presentation of soluble and cellular Ag by human blood CD141+ DCs, the human equivalent of mouse CD8α+ DCs, and compared them with human monocyte‐derived DCs (MoDCs) and blood CD1c+ DC subsets. MoDCs were superior in their capacity to internalize and cross‐present soluble protein whereas CD141+ DCs were more efficient at ingesting and cross‐presenting cellular Ag. Whilst cross‐presentation by CD1c+ DCs and CD141+ DCs was dependent on the proteasome, and hence cytosolic translocation, cross‐presentation by MoDCs was not. Inhibition of endosomal acidification enhanced cross‐presentation by CD1c+ DCs and MoDCs but not by CD141+ DCs. These data demonstrate that CD1c+ DCs, CD141+ DCs, and MoDCs are capable of cross‐presentation; however, they do so via different mechanisms. Moreover, they demonstrate that human CD141+ DCs, like their murine CD8α+ DC counterparts, are specialized at cross‐presenting cellular Ag, most likely mediated by an enhanced capacity to ingest cellular Ag combined with subtle changes in lysosomal pH during Ag processing and use of the cytosolic pathway.
TGF‐β induces the differentiation of human CXCL13‐producing CD4+ T cells
Authors: Kobayashi Shio , Watanabe Takeshi , Suzuki Ryo , Furu Moritoshi , Ito Hiromu , Ito Juichi , Matsuda Shuichi , Yoshitomi Hiroyuki
Published: November 2015

In the ectopic lymphoid‐like structures present in chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, a subset of human effector memory CD4+ T cells that lacks features of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells produces CXCL13. Here, we report that TGF‐β induces the differentiation of human CXCL13‐producing CD4+ T cells from naïve CD4+ T cells. The TGF‐β‐induced CXCL13‐producing CD4+ T cells do not express CXCR5, B‐cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6), and other Tfh‐cell markers. Furthermore, expression levels of CD25 (IL‐2Rα) in CXCL13‐producing CD4+ T cells are significantly lower than those in FoxP3+ in vitro induced Treg cells. Consistent with this, neutralization of IL‐2 and knockdown of STAT5 clearly upregulate CXCL13 production by CD4+ T cells, while downregulating the expression of FoxP3. Furthermore, overexpression of FoxP3 in naïve CD4+ T cells downregulates CXCL13 production, and knockdown of FoxP3 fails to inhibit the differentiation of CXCL13‐producing CD4+ T cells. As reported in rheumatoid arthritis, proinflammatory cytokines enhance secondary CXCL13 production from reactivated CXCL13‐producing CD4+ T cells. Our findings demonstrate that CXCL13‐producing CD4+ T cells lacking Tfh‐cell features differentiate via TGF‐β signaling but not via FoxP3, and exert their function in IL‐2‐limited but TGF‐β‐rich and proinflammatory cytokine‐rich inflammatory conditions.
Unusually low pour point of fatty acid methyl esters with low saturated fatty acid content
Authors: Nie Jieyu , Wang Sunmin , Emami Shahram , Falk Kevin , Shen Jianheng , Reaney Martin J.T.
Published: November 2015

Many oilseeds grown in Canada have unusual fatty acid profiles including Cruciferous oilseed varieties that have very low levels (<3%) of saturated fatty acid. In this study oil samples were obtained from five cultivars of Brassica rapa L., seven cultivars of Brassica napus L. and five cultivars from other oilseeds species namely Brassica juncea L., Sinapis alba L., Camelina sativa L. and Linum usitatissimum L. The fatty acid profile, cloud point (CP) and pour point (PP) were determined for each oil sample. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were synthesized from each oil sample. The saturated fatty acid content was highly correlated (R2 = 0.93) with PP in methyl esters prepared from Brassica sp. oils. In addition, we identified three publications where PP was measured on fatty acid methyl esters and found that the correlation of PP with saturated fat content was consistent with data presented herein. Since B. rapa oil exhibited superior low temperature properties, it was chosen for further studies of oxidative stability. B. rapa cultivars, with less than 3.5% saturated fat and less than 20% polyunsaturated fat, can be an excellent feedstock for production of oils with improved cold fluidity and oxidative stability.

Practical applications: Here, we report studies on the relationship of saturated fat level with cold flow properties and polyunsaturated fat level with oxidative stability in fatty acid methyl esters made from oils with less than 10% total saturates. This research reveals potential keys to producing FAME with good oxidative stability and excellent low temperature performance. Brassica rapa with less than 3.5% saturated fat and less than 20% polyunsaturated fat has a pour point that is substantially better than oils with higher levels of saturated FAME. The lowest observed pour point was −21°C. FAME with this low temperature property could be used in a range of applications, such as cold‐flow improvers for biodiesel or bio‐lubricants.

Effect of saturated fatty acid content on pour point (PP) of fatty acid methyl ester.
Reinvestigation of the Nitration of Tri­chloroethene – Subsequent Reactions of the Products and Evaluation of Their Anti­microbial and Antifungal Activity
Authors: Zapol'skii Viktor A. , Namyslo Jan C. , Sergeev Galina , Brönstrup Mark , Gjikaj Mimoza , Kaufmann Dieter E.
Published: November 2015

The nitration reaction of trichloroethene (1) to main products trichloronitroethene (TCNiE2, up to 60.8 %, by GC), 1,1,2,2‐tetrachloro‐1‐nitroethane (8, up to 25.1 %, by GC), and 1,2,2‐trichloro‐2‐nitroethyl [chloro(nitro)methylene]azinate (9, up to 8.0 %, by GC) was comprehensively investigated and optimized. Different 1,1‐diamino‐2‐chloro‐2‐nitroethenes, 2‐nitroethoxyguanidines, and rareO‐(1,2,2‐trichloro‐2‐nitroethyl) oximes and carbimidoyl halides with unique formulas R–O–N=C(NO2)NRR1and R–O–N=C(Hal)NRR1, respectively, were obtained from these nitration products in yields up to 91 %. The structure of (E)‐morpholino(nitro)methanoneO‐(1,2,2‐trichloro‐2‐nitroethyl) oxime (19) was proven by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. In addition, the antimicrobial and antifungal activity of the synthesized compounds was examined. Notably,N‐(1,2,2‐trichloro‐2‐nitroethoxy)‐3,4‐dihydroisoquinoline‐2(1H)carbimidoyl chloride (27) inhibited the growth of methicillin‐resistant and sensitiveStaphylococcus aureuswith minimum inhibitory concentrations of 1.3 μg mL–1, and reduced the viability of the MCF‐7 cancer cell line with an IC50of 0.2 μg/mL.
Iodine‐Catalyzed Synthesis of Highly Functionalized 1H‐Indene Derivatives from Michael Adducts of o‐Alkynylarene Chalcones with Diethyl Malonate
Authors: Akbar Sikkandarkani , Srinivasan Kannupal
Published: November 2015

Upon treatment with a substoichiometric amount of iodine in ethanol under reflux conditions, the Michael adducts of o‐alkynylarene chalcones with diethyl malonate underwent 5‐exo‐dig Conia‐ene cyclization followed by isomerization to yield highly functionalized 1H‐indene derivatives in good yields.
An Eco‐Friendly Route to N‐Arylindoles by Iron‐Catalyzed [2+2+2] Cycloaddition of Diynes with (Indol‐1‐yl)alkynes
Authors: Chowdhury Hrishikesh , Chatterjee Nachiketa , Goswami Avijit
Published: November 2015

A new pathway to the synthesis of N‐arylindoles has been developed that proceeds through an iron‐catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition reaction between diynes and indole‐N‐alkynes. The reaction is carried out in ethanol and employs a catalyst system that consists of iron(II) chloride tetrahydrate as the metal source, 2‐[(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)iminomethyl]pyridine (dipimp) as the ligand, and zinc as the reducing agent. The method provides efficient access to 3‐carbonyl/ester‐substituted (indol‐1‐yl)arenes in good to excellent yields under green reaction conditions, and these products are structurally similar to other N‐arylindole derivatives with potential medicinal value.
Enzyme‐free Glucose Sensor Fabricated by Nanorods Decorated Nanopore Arrays on Biomedical Stainless Steel
Authors: Zhang Chao , Ni Hongwei , Chen Rongsheng , Zhan Weiting , Liu Shan , Zhang Bowei , Lei Rui , Zha Yaxin
Published: November 2015

A novel enzyme‐free glucose sensor was proposed by preparation of nanorods decorated nanopore arrays (NRs/NPAs) on 316L stainless steel simply by electrochemical treatments. The NRs/NPAs sensor displays two linear ranges towards glucose determination, one range from 1 μM to 1.2 mM with a sensitivity of 202.2 μA ⋅ cm−2 ⋅ mM−1, another range from 1.2 mM to 7.7 mM with a sensitivity of 59.18 μA⋅cm−2 ⋅ mM−1. The detection limit is 0.5 μM. The NRs/NPAs electrode exhibits excellent stability, good selectivity and reproducibility, rendering it suitable for glucose monitoring.
Evaluation of affinity interaction between small molecules and platelets by open tubular affinity capillary electrochromatography
Authors: Wang Feng‐Qin , Zhang Qian , Li Chun‐Hong , Wang Yin‐Zhen , Hu Yuan‐Jia , Zhang Qi‐Hui , Xia Zhi‐Ning , Yang Feng‐Qing
Published: November 2015

In this paper, an open tubular affinity capillary electrochromatography (OT‐ACEC) was developed by physical adsorption of rabbit platelets on the inner surface of capillary. The interactions between small molecules include adenosine diphosphate (ADP) (positive control), protocatechuic acid (negative control) and seven natural products (salvianolic acid B, salvianic acid A sodium, hydroxysafflor yellow A, ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, sinapic acid, caffeic acid) and platelets were evaluated by their retention factors and binding constants obtained based on peak‐shift assay. Then, the activities of anti‐platelet aggregation induced by thrombin (THR), ADP and arachidonic acid (AA) for those small molecules (except ADP) were evaluated by turbidimetric method. The results indicate that: (i) ADP, a platelet aggregation inducer, had strong interaction with platelet, while protocatechuic acid that had no inhibition on platelet aggregation behaved no specific interaction; (ii) there was a positive correlation between the anti‐platelet aggregation activities of small molecules and their interactions with platelet, generally those compounds with higher binding constants with platelet exhibited higher activities. Therefore, the OT‐ACEC method developed in the present study can be a potential method to evaluate affinity interactions between small molecules and platelets, so as to predict the biological activities such as anti‐platelet aggregation for the small molecules.
Gain of chromosome 21 or amplification of chromosome arm 21q is one mechanism for increased ERG expression in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Weber Simone , Haferlach Claudia , Jeromin Sabine , Nadarajah Niroshan , Dicker Frank , Noël Louisa , Zenger Melanie , Alpermann Tamara , Kern Wolfgang , Haferlach Torsten , Schnittger Susanne
Published: November 2015

In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acquired genomic gains and losses are common and lead to altered expression of genes located within or nearby the affected regions. Increased expression of the ETS‐related transcription factor gene ERG has been described in myeloid malignancies with chromosomal rearrangements involving chromosome band 21q22, but also in cytogenetically normal AML, where it is associated with adverse prognosis. In this study, fluorescence in situ hybridization on interphase nuclei disclosed an amplification of the ERG gene (more than six copies) in 33 AML patients with structural rearrangements of 21q22. Array comparative genomic hybridization of these cases disclosed a minimal amplified region at the position 39.6–40.0 Mbp from pter that harbors ERG as the only gene. Analysis by quantitative real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction revealed significantly higher ERG mRNA expression in these patients and in a group of 95 AML patients with complete or partial gain of chromosome 21 (three to six copies) compared with 351 AML patients without gain of chromosome 21. Quantification of ERG DNA copy numbers revealed a strong correlation with ERG mRNA expression. Furthermore, in patients with gain of chromosome 21, higher ERG expression was found to be associated with RUNX1 mutations. Our results suggest that acquired gain of chromosome 21 or amplification of chromosome arm 21q is one mechanism contributing to increased ERG expression in AML. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
CHFR hypermethylation, a frequent event in acute myeloid leukemia, is independently associated with an adverse outcome
Authors: Gao Li , Liu Fang , Zhang Hui , Sun Junzhong , Ma Yigai
Published: November 2015

The CpG island of the promoter region of the checkpoint with fork‐head associated and ring finger gene (CHFR), a mitotic checkpoint gene with tumor‐suppressor functions, is hypermethylated in various human cancers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of aberrant CHFR promoter methylation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients in an attempt to improve prognostication. CHFR promoter methylation levels were analyzed in 358 newly diagnosed AML cases and 30 healthy donors by the use of quantitative methylation‐specific polymerase chain reaction. In addition, we analyzed possible association between CHFR hypermethylation and hematological characteristics, chromosome abnormalities, genetic mutations, and survival. Hypermethylation of the CHFR promoter was observed in 24% (85 of 358) AML patients, but not in healthy individuals. CHFR hypermethylation correlated significantly with SRSF2 and DNMT3A mutations. Patients with hypermethylation exhibited lower overall survival and shorter relapse‐free survival than nonmethylated cases. In multivariate analysis, CHFR hypermethylation was an independent factor predicting poor overall survival but not relapse‐free survival. In conclusion, hypermethylation of the CHFR promoter, frequent in AML, is associated with adverse outcome, and can thus be used for risk stratification. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Epigenetic inactivation of TRAIL decoy receptors at 8p12‐21.3 commonly deleted region confers sensitivity to Apo2L/trail‐Cisplatin combination therapy in cervical cancer
Authors: Narayan Gopeshwar , Xie Dongxu , Ishdorj Ganchimeg , Scotto Luigi , Mansukhani Mahesh , Pothuri Bhavana , Wright Jason D. , Kaufmann Andreas M. , Schneider Achim , Arias‐Pulido Hugo , Murty Vundavalli V.
Published: November 2015

Multiple chromosomal regions are affected by deletions in cervical cancer (CC) genomes, but their consequence and target gene involvement remains unknown. Our single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array identified 8p copy number losses localized to an 8.4 Mb minimal deleted region (MDR) in 36% of CC. The 8p MDR was associated with tumor size, treatment outcome, and with multiple HPV infections. Genetic, epigenetic, and expression analyses of candidate genes at MDR identified promoter hypermethylation and/or inactivation of decoy receptors TNFRSF10C and TNFRSF10D in the majority of CC patients. TNFRSF10C methylation was also detected in precancerous lesions suggesting that this change is an early event in cervical tumorigenesis. We further demonstrate here that CC cell lines exhibiting downregulated expression of TNFRSF10C and/or TNFRSF10D effectively respond to TRAIL‐induced apoptosis and this affect was synergistic in combination with DNA damaging chemotherapeutic drugs. We show that the CC cell lines harboring epigenetic inactivation of TRAIL decoy receptors effectively activate downstream caspases suggesting a critical role of inactivation of these genes in efficient execution of extrinsic apoptotic pathway and therapy response. Therefore, these findings shed new light on the role of genetic/epigenetic defects in TRAIL decoy receptor genes in the pathogenesis of CC and provide an opportunity to explore strategies to test decoy receptor gene inactivation as a biomarker of response to Apo2L/TRAIL‐combination therapy. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fear of Unemployment and its Effect on the Mental Health of Spouses
Authors: Bünnings Christian , Kleibrink Jan , Weßling Jens
Published: November 2015

Unemployment has been shown to have adverse effects on different aspects of a person's life, and even the fear of losing a job affects individuals negatively. In addition, not only the individuals directly affected but also their spouses and other family members might be affected. Using data from the German Socio‐economic Panel, this study analyzes the relationship between individual job worries and spouse's mental well‐being. The empirical results remain robust to different specifications and indicate that fear of job loss is negatively related to spouses' mental well‐being and that this relationship seems to be stronger in single‐income than in dual‐income households. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Physical Organic Chemistry and the Origin of Life Problem: A Personal Perspective
Authors: Pross Addy
Published: November 2015

The origin of life (OOL) question might be considered physical organic chemistry’s ultimate challenge, yet despite continuing efforts over close to a century, the problem remains unresolved. In this personal perspective, I discuss some aspects of that challenge, and argue that notwithstanding the general perception that physical organic chemistry is a research area in decline, the discipline was, and continues to be, the most relevant one for tackling the OOL problem. Systems chemistry, a newly emergent branch of physical organic chemistry, which, inter alia, deals with replicating chemical systems and the networks they establish, reveals that physical organic chemistry, though in different guise, is alive and kicking. The broad direction ahead seems illuminated.
Monaural or binaural sound deprivation in postlingual hearing loss: Cochlear implant in the worse ear
Authors: Canale Andrea , Dalmasso Giulia , Dagna Federico , Lacilla Michelangelo , Montuschi Carla , Rosa Rosalba Di , Albera Roberto
Published: November 2015

Objectives/Hypothesis

To determine whether speech recognition scores (SRS) differ between adults with long‐term auditory deprivation in the implanted ear and adults who received cochlear implant (CI) in the nonsound‐deprived ear, either for hearing aid–assisted or due to rapidly deteriorating hearing loss.

Study Design

Retrospective study.

Methods

Speech recognition scores at evaluations (3 and 14 months postimplantation) conducted with CI alone at 60‐dB sound pressure level intensity were compared in 15 patients (4 with bilateral severe hearing loss; 11 with asymmetric hearing loss, 7 of which had contralateral hearing aid), all with long‐term auditory deprivation (mean duration 16.9 years) (group A), and in 15 other patients with postlingual hearing loss (10 symmetric, 5 asymmetric with bimodal stimulation) (controls, group B).

Results

Comparison of mean percentage of correctly recognized words on speech audiometry at 3 and 14 months showed improvement within each group (P < 0.05). Between‐group comparison showed no significant difference at 3 (P = 0.17) or 14 months (P = 0.46). Comparison of SRSs in group A (bimodal stimulation [n = 7] and binaural sound deprivation [n = 4]) versus group B showed no significant differences at 3 (bimodal stimulation P = 0.16; binaural sound deprivation P = 0.19) or 14 months (bimodal stimulation P = 0.14; binaural sound deprivation P = 0.82).

Conclusions

Speech recognition scores in monaural and binaural sound‐deprived ears did not significantly differ from ears with unilateral cochlear implantation in nonsound‐deprived ears when tested with CI alone. Improvement in the implanted worse ear indicates that it could be a potential candidate ear for cochlear implantation even when sound deprived.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 126:1905–1910, 2016
Synthesis and Properties of Side‐Chain Liquid Crystalline Polypeptides Bearing Various Alkyl Spacers and Oligo‐Ethylene‐Glycol Tails
Authors: Liu Dan , Yuan Qiulin , Ling Ying , Tang Haoyu
Published: November 2015

A series of polypeptides bearing various alkyl (i.e., propyl, hexyl, or octyl) spacers, biphenyl mesogens, and oligo‐ethylene‐glycol (OEG) tails (i.e., PPLG26‐BPOEG
m, PHLG34‐BPOEGm, and POLG32‐BPOEGm [m = 3 or 7]) has been synthesized via 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reactions with quantitative grafting densities. Fourier transform infrared results reveal that the polypeptides adopted an α‐helical conformation in the solid‐state. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis reveals that the glass transition temperatures (Tgs) of the polypeptides with OEG3 tails decrease with the increasing length of the alkyl spacers. For the samples containing alkyl spacers of the same length, Tg significantly decreases with the increasing lengths of the OEG tails. Polarized optical microscope (POM) results reveal that all polypeptides exhibit strong birefringence at room temperature. Polypeptides with long alkyl spacers (i.e., hexyl or octyl) or OEG7 tails show isotropic transitions, while PPLG26‐BPOEG3 show no clear point temperature before thermal decomposition. DSC, POM, and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering results collectively reveal that polypeptides with long alkyl spacers (i.e., hexyl or octyl) and OEG3 tails undergo a reversible smectic E phase to isotropic phase transition, while polypeptides with OEG7 tails undergo a reversible liquid crystalline phase to isotropic phase transition. The transition temperatures increase with the increasing length of alkyl spacers.

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Research on Hydrophobic and Superhydrophobic Properties of Patterned Structure with Controllable Nano to Microstructural Hierarchy
Authors: Huang Junjie , Wang Shuo , Sun Wei , Zhang Zhenzhen , Cheng Chuang , Ju Yuanlai , Yang Pinghui , Ding Lingyun , Chen Zhong‐Ren
Published: November 2015

Presented here is a scalable self‐assembly route for fabricating a hierarchically structured material, possessing the property of superhydrophobicity, based on the breath figure (BF) method. The composite‐structured elastomers with dynamically controllable micro and nanoscale roughness are fabricated by stamping close‐packed monolayer of monodispersed silica particles, with different sizes, onto the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) protrusion arrays, prepared by copying various molding BF films. The result of water contact angles (WCAs) measurement reveals that the variations in size features of either microscale or nanoscale make little difference in the WCAs of micropatterned or composite‐structured elastomers. It has been found out that the ratio of prominence pitch to protrusion diameter of structured PDMS samples keeps to be constant when the micro or nanoscale roughness varied a lot. The computation based on Cassie's law indicates that such geometrical feature contributes to the constant WCAs upon the varied roughness both in micro and nanoscale.

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Modeling and measurement of vesicle pools at the cone ribbon synapse: Changes in release probability are solely responsible for voltage‐dependent changes in release
Authors: Thoreson Wallace B. , Van hook Matthew J. , Parmelee Caitlyn , Curto Carina
Published: November 2015

Postsynaptic responses are a product of quantal amplitude (Q), size of the releasable vesicle pool (N), and release probability (P). Voltage‐dependent changes in presynaptic Ca2+ entry alter postsynaptic responses primarily by changing P but have also been shown to influence N. With simultaneous whole cell recordings from cone photoreceptors and horizontal cells in tiger salamander retinal slices, we measured N and P at cone ribbon synapses by using a train of depolarizing pulses to stimulate release and deplete the pool. We developed an analytical model that calculates the total pool size contributing to release under different stimulus conditions by taking into account the prior history of release and empirically determined properties of replenishment. The model provided a formula that calculates vesicle pool size from measurements of the initial postsynaptic response and limiting rate of release evoked by a train of pulses, the fraction of release sites available for replenishment, and the time constant for replenishment. Results of the model showed that weak and strong depolarizing stimuli evoked release with differing probabilities but the same size vesicle pool. Enhancing intraterminal Ca2+ spread by lowering Ca2+ buffering or applying BayK8644 did not increase PSCs evoked with strong test steps, showing there is a fixed upper limit to pool size. Together, these results suggest that light‐evoked changes in cone membrane potential alter synaptic release solely by changing release probability. Synapse 70:1–14, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Robust wide‐area damping controller design for inter‐area oscillations with signals' delay
Authors: Liu Fang , Li Yong , Wu Min , Zhou Yicheng , Yokoyama Ryuichi
Published: November 2015

A new wide‐area damping control strategy is investigated for flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) device using wide‐area measurement system (WAMS) signals. The purpose is to design a dynamic output wide‐area damping controller (WADC) for improving the stability of interconnected power systems. The time‐varying delay of wide‐area signal is incorporated into the design process, which can effectively reduce the delay effect on the damping performance. First, a discrete‐time plant model with time‐varying delay is established for power systems; then by using the proposed improved free‐weighting matrices (IFWMs) approach and a convex optimization algorithm, a new and less conservative delay‐dependent stability criterion, expressed in the terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), is obtained without ignoring any useful terms on the difference of a Lyapunov function. Detailed case studies on a 4‐machine two‐area benchmark test system and 16‐machine five‐area NETS‐NYPS interconnected system show that the designed WADC can not only maintain effective damping performance under the condition of time‐varying delay but also get the maximum wide‐area time delay. © 2015 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Incidence of Perioperative Complications Following Resection of Adrenocortical Carcinoma and Its Association with Long‐Term Survival
Authors: Margonis Georgios Antonios , Amini Neda , Kim Yuhree , Tran Thuy B. , Postlewait Lauren M. , Maithel Shishir K. , Wang Tracy S. , Evans Douglas B. , Hatzaras Ioannis , Shenoy Rivfka , Phay John E. , Keplinger Kara , Fields Ryan C. , Moses Lindsey E. , Weber Sharon M. , Salem Ahmed , Sicklick Jason K. , Gad Shady , Yopp Adam C. , Mansour John C. , Duh Quan‐Yang , Seiser Natalie , Solorzano Carmen C. , Kiernan Colleen M. , Votanopoulos Konstantinos I. , Levine Edward A. , Poultsides George A. , Pawlik Timothy M.
Published: November 2015

Background

The association of postoperative complications with long‐term oncologic outcomes remains unclear. We sought to determine the incidence of complications among patients who underwent surgery for adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) and define the relationship of morbidity with long‐term survival.

Methods

Patients who underwent surgery for ACC between 1993 and 2014 were identified from 13 academic institutions participating in the US ACC group study. The incidence and type of the postoperative complications, the factors associated with them as well their association with long‐term survival were analyzed.

Results

A total of 265 patients with median age of 52 years (IQR 44–63) were identified; at surgery, the majority of patients underwent an open abdominal procedure (n = 169, 66.8 %). A postoperative complication occurred in 99 patients for a morbidity of 37.4 %; five patients (1.9 %) died in hospital. Factors associated with morbidity included a thoraco‐abdominal operative approach (reference: open abdominal; OR 2.85, 95 % CI 1.00–8.18), and a hormonally functional tumor (OR 3.56, 95 % CI 1.65–7.69) (all P < 0.05). Presence of any complication was associated with a worse long‐term outcome (median survival: no complication, 58.9 months vs. any complication, 25.1 months; P = 0.009). In multivariate analysis, after adjusting for patient‐ and disease‐related factors postoperative infectious complications independently predicted shorter overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) 5.56, 95 % CI 2.24–13.80; P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Postoperative complications were independently associated with decreased long‐term survival after resection for ACC. The prevention of complications may be important from an oncologic perspective.
Prospective Evaluation of Innovative Force Assessing Firmware in Simulation to Improve the Technical Competence of Surgical Trainees
Authors: Rajamani Allwyn S. , Rammohan Ashwin , Mohan Sasikala , Srinivasan Poonguzhali , Arthanari Shanmugam , Muthusamy Umamaheshwaran , Sivasubramanian Vijayanand , Ravichandran Palaniappan
Published: November 2015

Introduction

Suturing is an integral part of all surgeries. In minimal access surgery, the force exerted is based only on visual perception (tautness of the thread and degree of tissue deformation). An unbalanced suture force can cause tissue rupture or cut‐through resulting in avoidable morbidity and mortality. There is a need to find ways of improving surgical dexterity and finesse without adversely affecting patient outcomes.

Aim

We aimed to calculate the knot‐tying force in minimal access pancreatic surgery (MAPS) performed by experienced surgeons (ES) and use this information to develop a surgical suturing model to train the surgical trainees. We have developed a firmware for force sensor calibration and post‐data analysis, using which we aimed to compare the differences in forces applied by a trainee as compared to ES.

Results

Our technology showed that, as compared to the ES, the trainee’s (TS) knot was unbalanced with significant differences in force applied per knot for each of the knots (P < 0.01). The shape of the Force curve for each suture was also different for the TS as compared to the ES. After using the training tool, the forces applied by the TS and the Force curve for the whole suture were similar to those of the ES.

Conclusion

Our firmware promises to be an excellent training tool for organ anastomosis. Considering the complexity and likely complications of MAPS, it is a sine qua non that the surgeon be highly experienced and skilled. Surgical simulation is attractive because it avoids the use of patients for skills practice and provides relevant technical training for trainees before they can safely operate on humans.
Partial Thyroidectomy for Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma: Is Completion Total Thyroidectomy Indicated?
Authors: Donatini G. , Castagnet M. , Desurmont T. , Rudolph N. , Othman D. , Kraimps J. L.
Published: November 2015

Background

Total thyroidectomy is a well‐established surgical approach for the management of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). However, the best surgical approach for papillary microcarcinoma is nowadays still debated. Both total thyroidectomy and simple lobectomy are used. We report the experience of a single University center in the treatment of thyroid microcarcinoma.

Methods

A retrospective analysis on all patients who underwent thyroid surgery at our institution over a 24‐year period (1991–2015) was performed. Patients were grouped according to whether they received total thyroidectomy (Group 1) or lobectomy (Group 2). Follow‐up was made by routine clinical and ultrasound examination. Specific outcomes such as recurrence and need for reoperation as well as complications (transient vocal cord paralysis and hypocalcemia) were analyzed.

Results

During the study period 880 patients underwent surgery for PTC. Group 1 and 2 consisted, respectively, of 756 and 124 patients. A micro PTC (<10 mm) was present in 251 and 69 specimen of Group 1 and 2. No evidence of disease recurrence in the follow‐up was reported in patients with microPTC in Group 1 and in 57 patients of Group 2. In the remaining 12 patients completion thyroidectomy was carried out due to ultrasound findings of contralateral nodules (10), lymphadenopathy (1), and capsular invasion (1). Five of these patients had a contralateral papillary carcinoma on final histopathologic examination. Thus recurrence rate for patients of Group 2 was 7.3 %. Morbidity rates were, respectively, for Group 1 and 2: transient nerve palsy 81 and 5 (11 vs. 7.3 %, p = ns), transient hypoparathyroidism (Calcium <2.00 mmol/L) 137 (18.6 %) and 0 (p < 0.0001). Three of the 12 patients of Group 2 undergoing further surgery had a transient hypoparathyroidism.

Conclusions

Thyroid lobectomy is an effective surgical strategy to manage papillary microcarcinomas with low complications. Routine completion thyroidectomy is not mandatory. Appropriate selection excluding high‐risk patients is of paramount importance in order to achieve the best results.
Cis‐acting regulatory elements: from random screening to quantitative design
Authors: Meng Hailin , Wang Yong
Published: November 2015

The cis‐acting regulatory elements, e.g., promoters and ribosome binding sites (RBSs) with various desired properties, are building blocks widely used in synthetic biology for fine tuning gene expression. In the last decade, acquisition of a controllable regulatory element from a random library has been established and applied to control the protein expression and metabolic flux in different chassis cells. However, more rational strategies are still urgently needed to improve the efficiency and reduce the laborious screening and multifaceted characterizations. Building precise computational models that can predict the activity of regulatory elements and quantitatively design elements with desired strength have been demonstrated tremendous potentiality. Here, recent progress on construction of cis‐acting regulatory element library and the quantitative predicting models for design of such elements are reviewed and discussed in detail.
Network‐based method to infer the contributions of proteins to the etiology of drug side effects
Authors: Li Rui , Chen Ting , Li Shao
Published: November 2015

Studying the molecular mechanisms that underlie the relationship between drugs and the side effects they produce is critical for drug discovery and drug development. Currently, however, computational methods are still unavailable to assess drug‐protein interactions with the aim of globally inferring the contributions of various classes of proteins toward the etiology of side effects. In this work, we integrated data reflecting drug‐side effect relationships, drug‐target relationships, and protein‐protein interactions to develop a novel network‐based probabilistic model, SidePro, to evaluate the contributions of proteins toward the etiology of side effects. For a given side effect, the method applies an expectation‐‐‐maximization algorithm and a diffusion kernel‐based approach to estimate each protein’s contribution. We applied this method to a wide range of side effects and validated the results using cross‐validation and records from the Side Effect Resource database. We also studied a specific side effect, nephrotoxicity, which is known to be associated with the irrational use of the Chinese herbal compound triptolide, a diterpenoid epoxide in the Thunder of God Vine, Tripterygium wilfordii (Lei‐Gong‐Teng). Using triptolide as an example, we scored the target proteins of triptolide using our model and investigated the high‐scoring proteins and their related biological processes. The results demonstrated that our model could differentiate between the potential side effect targets and therapeutic targets of triptolide. Overall, the proposed model could accurately pinpoint the molecular mechanisms of drug side effects, thus making contribution to safe and effective drug development.
Variation of repetitive cortical spreading depression waves is related with relative refractory period: a computational study
Authors: Li Bing , Chen Shangbin , Yu Dong , Li Pengcheng
Published: November 2015

Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is an important experimental model for diseases such as stroke, epilepsy and migraine. Previous observations indicated that the amplitude and velocity of the typical direct current potential shift during repetitive CSD waves were varying. The recovery state of the tissue was found related with the variation of successive CSD waves. A computational model in this paper aimed to investigate the role of relative refractory period of CSD. This model simulated that continuous injection of KCl solution induced repetitive CSD waves. The first CSD wave often had a larger amplitude and faster velocity than those of the succeeding secondary waves. The relative refractory period lasted much longer than the recovery of ions turbulence. If the induction interval was long enough for recovery, a series of CSD waves would have the same profile as the first one. In the relative refractory period, an early stimulation might lead to a late initiation of CSD, i.e., “haste makes waste”. The amplitude and velocity of CSD waves were found increasing with the initiation interval and asymptotic to those of the first CSD wave. This study verified that the propagation dynamics of CSD waves is modulated by the relative refractory period. It suggested that the refractory period is critical for preventing undesirable CSD waves.
Strengthening Social Marketing Research: Harnessing “Insight” through Ethnography
Authors: Brennan Linda , Fry Marie-Louise , Previte Josephine
Published: November 2015

This paper aims to challenge social marketers to extend their research repertoire beyond restrictive ‘individualised rationalities’ driving reliance on scientifically proven evidence, population data and focus groups as insight-oriented research. Social marketing, as a discipline, is constrained by using techniques aimed at (dis)proving scientific hypotheses, thus misses the mark when it comes to creating effective social change. Gaining insight into human conduct requires research tools that examine the deep ecological context of behaviour. Ethnography has the capability to generate deep culturally based insights that captures the social world through the eyes of the consumer, yet to date remains largely underutilised in social marketing. This article explores the value of ethnography as a social marketing research method enabling in-depth and meaningful engagement with the social and cultural experiences and the performative practice that is the manifestation of human existence.